Page 14 of Once Upon A Bear

“You brought company,” Lady Dunham said to Guinevere, looking past her to Gideon. “Hello.”

“Gideon!” Alexander said enthusiastically, getting to his feet and hurrying over to clasp his hand. “It’s been too long, my friend.”

Lady Dunham was studying him, and he had a feeling that perhaps he had been a topic of conversation before, because Guinevere and Lady Dunham were soon speaking to each other with only their eyes.

“Are you going to make me guess?” Gideon asked Guinevere, who simply grinned.

“I was just confirming to Beatrice that I was right about you,” she said sheepishly.

Alexander cleared his throat. “I suppose we should discuss all of this,” he said, “but I think a discussion over dinner would be the easiest way.”

“Yes,” Guinevere bounced on the balls of her feet. “Absolutely. Any meal I don’t have to cook for myself is better than a meal at home.”

Lady Dunham grinned and linked her arm through Guinevere’s, and the ladies left the room, talking to each other with their heads close together.

Gideon glanced at Alexander, who only chuckled. “Let’s give them a few minutes,” he said. “They’ll have much to chat about, I’m sure. Come, sit with me.”

He joined his friend by the fire, feeling for the first time in years that he wasn’t alone.

It was a wonderful feeling.

Chapter seven

Guinevere

Guinevere followed Beatrice out of the study, letting her friend lead the way even with their arms linked.

“I didn’t realize you’d be bringing him here,” Beatrice said quietly.

“He seemed as if he could benefit from talking with Alexander,” Guinevere said with a shrug. “He’s suffering from the same silencing as Alexander did. His just comes with the side effect of randomly turning into a bear.”

Beatrice shuddered. “I’m glad my husband didn’t have that part. I am not sure how I would have handled it if I turned the corner and he was a bear.”

Beatrice and Guinevere laughed together.

“I don’t, either,” Guinevere admitted, “although the few times I have come upon Gideon in his bear form, it hasn’t been too startling. He doesn’t act like a bear, you know. I can still tell that it’s him underneath the pelt. I would hate to meet him with his claws, though.”

Beatrice grimaced as they entered the breakfast room. “Claws. I’m glad you’re able to help him, but I don’t know that I could do it with the claws.”

“I hope that speaking with you and Alexander will give him some peace of mind,” Guinevere said, “although I’m still not entirely sure I’ll be able to break his curse.”

Beatrice pointed Guinevere to a chair at the small table and sat down across from her. “I know you don’t believe in your own skills the way you should, but I’m confident you’ll be able to help him.”

Guinevere took a deep breath as she settled into her chair. She’d come a long way since she’d first entered this breakfast room as a maid. From starting as a gardener, to becoming Beatrice’s lady’s maid, to striking out on her own as a healer with Beatrice and Alexander’s encouragement…her life had changed so dramatically in the past year or so.

And it was all thanks to Lord and Lady Dunham.

An orange cat padded through the door and made her way to Guinevere, drawing her attention.

“Hello, Rose,” Guinevere exclaimed in delight as the cat jumped up into her lap, rubbing her head against Guinevere’s hand until she started getting the proper attention. “How are you doing today, my dear?”

“I’m fine,” the animal said to Guinevere, “although they aren’t giving me enough time outside.”

“She says you’re not giving her enough time outside,” Guinevere told Beatrice, who snorted.

“She would get more time outside if she would stop transforming into her dragon form when there are people around,” Beatrice said.

Guinevere clicked her tongue at Rose. “Now, Rose, you know that we can’t show everyone that you’re a dragon.”