puppy!”
“Maybe one day Lord Oakhurst will let you have one.”
Laurence cringed. The words made him sound callous. He wasn’t a heartless man simply because he didn’t want the dirt and hair, not to mention the noise, of a dog in his home.
Kneeling, Louisa broke into fits of giggles when the pup stretched on its hind legs to lick her face. The child squeezed it, sheer joy all over her face.
Lady B said nothing, but looked up at him expectantly.
He shook his head. “It’s filthy. Most likely flea-ridden. It must belong to someone.”
“It doesn’t appear to be well-cared for. It’s awfully thin,” Hannah said.
“A dog should be able to hunt, or herd, or guard, or something. This scrawny thing doesn’t look capable of any of that.”
“No,” Lady B said, “but it seems terribly good at loving Louisa. That is a job you need filled at this time.”
She didn’t say the next few words he expected, but he knew she felt the same thing he did. He would be taking home the dog. “Very well. I’ll have one of the servants bathe it and make it a bed belowstairs.”
Louisa clapped her hands. “Thank you!”
Hannah picked up the squirming bundle of fleas and cockleburs and pressed a hand against its muzzle to keep it from licking her chin. “Well then, what shall we call it?”
“Lulu,” Louisa shouted.
“Is it a male or female?” Lady B asked.
Hannah held the dog at arm’s length. “It’s a male. Louisa, we need a boy’s name.”
“I want to call it Lulu.”
“I can’t have a dog named Lulu, no matter what sex,” Laurence muttered.
“What about Spot? Harry? Laury?” Hannah smirked at Laurence as she said the last one.
“Lulu,” Louisa insisted.
Hannah raised an eyebrow at him.
He sighed. This had better not be a sign of things to come. “He’ll be called Lulu, then.”
Chapter Seven
Hannah glided around the floor in Mrs. Helmsley’s ballroom, in the arms of Lord Downham. She loved waltzing more than anything she could think of, at the moment. The graceful movements, the gentle music, and the scent of Downham’s cologne filled her senses.
“What has you so deep in thought?” Lord Downham asked.
“No thoughts, actually. I’m simply enjoying the moment.”
“That pleases me. I enjoy seeing you so happy.” His eyes smoldered with what she hoped was love. “My wish is that you always feel thus.”
Always . Was that a hint? There was only one way he could ensure her future happiness, and that was to marry her. Butterflies fluttered inside her. Why did he wait so long to say what she longed to hear? If he preferred to seek permission first, he could speak to Knightwick. He stood in their father’s stead more often than not, now. Knightwick’s approval would be accepted by her family.
Amelia waltzed past simply aglow in her pale blue gown. Mr. Young had a pinched look, as if his shoes were too tight, or he had something worrisome on his mind.
Hannah gasped. Was tonight the night Mr. Young would propose? How lucky her friend was to finally have the mattered settled, and what’s more, to marry the man of her choosing.
Lord Downham’s lips turned down. “I see Lord Oakhurst is here. He’s been attending a surprising numbers of assemblies of late. I wonder what his purpose is.”
“He told my mother he wishes to improve his reputation so as not to disparage that of his ward as she matures.”
“Humph. I can’t see him doing something as honorable as that.”
The hairs on the back of her neck bristled. He might as well speak poorly of one of her brothers. “If you believe that, you do not know him as we do. He’s a very kind and generous man. I’ve known him most of my life.”
Downham looked down his nose at her. “I’m astonished your parents allow you to associate with the man.”
She bit her tongue. She wouldn’t rise to argue with him. This was a side of him that caused concern. He couldn’t object to Laurence’s presence when her family gathered,
“Maybe one day Lord Oakhurst will let you have one.”
Laurence cringed. The words made him sound callous. He wasn’t a heartless man simply because he didn’t want the dirt and hair, not to mention the noise, of a dog in his home.
Kneeling, Louisa broke into fits of giggles when the pup stretched on its hind legs to lick her face. The child squeezed it, sheer joy all over her face.
Lady B said nothing, but looked up at him expectantly.
He shook his head. “It’s filthy. Most likely flea-ridden. It must belong to someone.”
“It doesn’t appear to be well-cared for. It’s awfully thin,” Hannah said.
“A dog should be able to hunt, or herd, or guard, or something. This scrawny thing doesn’t look capable of any of that.”
“No,” Lady B said, “but it seems terribly good at loving Louisa. That is a job you need filled at this time.”
She didn’t say the next few words he expected, but he knew she felt the same thing he did. He would be taking home the dog. “Very well. I’ll have one of the servants bathe it and make it a bed belowstairs.”
Louisa clapped her hands. “Thank you!”
Hannah picked up the squirming bundle of fleas and cockleburs and pressed a hand against its muzzle to keep it from licking her chin. “Well then, what shall we call it?”
“Lulu,” Louisa shouted.
“Is it a male or female?” Lady B asked.
Hannah held the dog at arm’s length. “It’s a male. Louisa, we need a boy’s name.”
“I want to call it Lulu.”
“I can’t have a dog named Lulu, no matter what sex,” Laurence muttered.
“What about Spot? Harry? Laury?” Hannah smirked at Laurence as she said the last one.
“Lulu,” Louisa insisted.
Hannah raised an eyebrow at him.
He sighed. This had better not be a sign of things to come. “He’ll be called Lulu, then.”
Chapter Seven
Hannah glided around the floor in Mrs. Helmsley’s ballroom, in the arms of Lord Downham. She loved waltzing more than anything she could think of, at the moment. The graceful movements, the gentle music, and the scent of Downham’s cologne filled her senses.
“What has you so deep in thought?” Lord Downham asked.
“No thoughts, actually. I’m simply enjoying the moment.”
“That pleases me. I enjoy seeing you so happy.” His eyes smoldered with what she hoped was love. “My wish is that you always feel thus.”
Always . Was that a hint? There was only one way he could ensure her future happiness, and that was to marry her. Butterflies fluttered inside her. Why did he wait so long to say what she longed to hear? If he preferred to seek permission first, he could speak to Knightwick. He stood in their father’s stead more often than not, now. Knightwick’s approval would be accepted by her family.
Amelia waltzed past simply aglow in her pale blue gown. Mr. Young had a pinched look, as if his shoes were too tight, or he had something worrisome on his mind.
Hannah gasped. Was tonight the night Mr. Young would propose? How lucky her friend was to finally have the mattered settled, and what’s more, to marry the man of her choosing.
Lord Downham’s lips turned down. “I see Lord Oakhurst is here. He’s been attending a surprising numbers of assemblies of late. I wonder what his purpose is.”
“He told my mother he wishes to improve his reputation so as not to disparage that of his ward as she matures.”
“Humph. I can’t see him doing something as honorable as that.”
The hairs on the back of her neck bristled. He might as well speak poorly of one of her brothers. “If you believe that, you do not know him as we do. He’s a very kind and generous man. I’ve known him most of my life.”
Downham looked down his nose at her. “I’m astonished your parents allow you to associate with the man.”
She bit her tongue. She wouldn’t rise to argue with him. This was a side of him that caused concern. He couldn’t object to Laurence’s presence when her family gathered,
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