was likely more rumor than truth but she was not going to let pregnancy stop her from enjoying the small pleasures of life.
Nathaniel walked two pups around the yard. They were still small little uncoordinated balls of fur but his experience told him that they were the choicest of the current litter. Other pups in the litter would be sold but these two he would keep for use and breeding. Any dogs he planned to keep he always trained himself. He started as soon as they could reasonably separate from their mother.
For the moment, he was teaching them the basics of following and of watching his movements to stop when he did. When a pup acted as it should he gave it a small bite of jerky. He had just come over a green hilltop when the pups lost their focus and excitedly ran forward.
Mercy bent down to catch a rushing pup in her arms as Sophronia hit the shuttlecock with her battledore. The shuttlecock they were using was little more than a cork with feathers as trimming but it apparently resembled a small bird enough to get the pups attention. As it flew into the air the pups chased after it as Claire raced towards it trying to keep it in the air. He heard a yelp as one paw came under a foot. Claire jumped back and the shuttlecock hit the ground. The other pup took the opportunity to grab the feathered thing and start running with it.
"Here, Hercules," Nathaniel called to the pup though it paid him no mind at all.
"I think Loki would be a more appropriate name," Sophronia called with a laugh.
Nathaniel debated whether to chase after the pup. He hoped if he avoided giving chase that the pup would get bored and return of his own accord. Whether he gave chase or not it was likely that the shuttlecock would be lost forever.
He gave a bite of jerky to the other pup that was being held by Mercy and seemed less inclined to chase after his brother though it did glance in the direction Hercules had run.
"Sorry to ruin your game on such a nice day," Nathaniel said. He looked at Mercy when he said it. He did not want to look at Sophronia. The sunlight made her hair look glossy and he desperately wanted to run his fingers through it. The thought of touching her made his body tingle.
"I was growing weary anyways," Mercy said.
"In that case perhaps you should take my wife into the house. If the sun is too much for you then it is too much for her and my babe in her belly," he said. He doubted the sun would really hurt her. He had seen the resilience of his pregnant bitches and unlike some of the dandies he had met he was not horrified by nature. He just wanted Sophronia out of his sight. Seeing her created strange longings in his body that he preferred to forget.
"Thank you for your concern but I am doing well," Sophronia said. The look she was giving him was seething. Was it not his job to show her concern?
"Perhaps we should take a walk. A walk will be less strenuous and we might find the shuttlecock around the yard if the pup has dropped it," Claire suggested.
"Will you be walking with us, Nathaniel?" Mercy asked.
"It seems that he has an errant pup to find," Sophronia said. He wondered if his company created the same tingles in her body that he felt seeing her. He wanted to think that was the reason she seemed to want out of his company.
"I do," he nodded. He took the other pup from his sister.
"I shall see you at supper if everything is settled with the dogs," Nathaniel said tipping his hat to them.
"Remember that father invited Mr. Baltz to supper," Mercy added. Nathaniel nodded grimly.
"My sister will be here as well. She will be staying with me until-"
Nathaniel realized as Claire tripped over her sentence that he had not made plans for an excuse to give Sophronia for the excursion he and the werewolf members of the family would be making during the days of the full moon.
"The hunting trip," Mercy added quickly.
"Hunting trip?" Sophronia asked. Her interest seemed piqued and that was the last thing he
Nathaniel walked two pups around the yard. They were still small little uncoordinated balls of fur but his experience told him that they were the choicest of the current litter. Other pups in the litter would be sold but these two he would keep for use and breeding. Any dogs he planned to keep he always trained himself. He started as soon as they could reasonably separate from their mother.
For the moment, he was teaching them the basics of following and of watching his movements to stop when he did. When a pup acted as it should he gave it a small bite of jerky. He had just come over a green hilltop when the pups lost their focus and excitedly ran forward.
Mercy bent down to catch a rushing pup in her arms as Sophronia hit the shuttlecock with her battledore. The shuttlecock they were using was little more than a cork with feathers as trimming but it apparently resembled a small bird enough to get the pups attention. As it flew into the air the pups chased after it as Claire raced towards it trying to keep it in the air. He heard a yelp as one paw came under a foot. Claire jumped back and the shuttlecock hit the ground. The other pup took the opportunity to grab the feathered thing and start running with it.
"Here, Hercules," Nathaniel called to the pup though it paid him no mind at all.
"I think Loki would be a more appropriate name," Sophronia called with a laugh.
Nathaniel debated whether to chase after the pup. He hoped if he avoided giving chase that the pup would get bored and return of his own accord. Whether he gave chase or not it was likely that the shuttlecock would be lost forever.
He gave a bite of jerky to the other pup that was being held by Mercy and seemed less inclined to chase after his brother though it did glance in the direction Hercules had run.
"Sorry to ruin your game on such a nice day," Nathaniel said. He looked at Mercy when he said it. He did not want to look at Sophronia. The sunlight made her hair look glossy and he desperately wanted to run his fingers through it. The thought of touching her made his body tingle.
"I was growing weary anyways," Mercy said.
"In that case perhaps you should take my wife into the house. If the sun is too much for you then it is too much for her and my babe in her belly," he said. He doubted the sun would really hurt her. He had seen the resilience of his pregnant bitches and unlike some of the dandies he had met he was not horrified by nature. He just wanted Sophronia out of his sight. Seeing her created strange longings in his body that he preferred to forget.
"Thank you for your concern but I am doing well," Sophronia said. The look she was giving him was seething. Was it not his job to show her concern?
"Perhaps we should take a walk. A walk will be less strenuous and we might find the shuttlecock around the yard if the pup has dropped it," Claire suggested.
"Will you be walking with us, Nathaniel?" Mercy asked.
"It seems that he has an errant pup to find," Sophronia said. He wondered if his company created the same tingles in her body that he felt seeing her. He wanted to think that was the reason she seemed to want out of his company.
"I do," he nodded. He took the other pup from his sister.
"I shall see you at supper if everything is settled with the dogs," Nathaniel said tipping his hat to them.
"Remember that father invited Mr. Baltz to supper," Mercy added. Nathaniel nodded grimly.
"My sister will be here as well. She will be staying with me until-"
Nathaniel realized as Claire tripped over her sentence that he had not made plans for an excuse to give Sophronia for the excursion he and the werewolf members of the family would be making during the days of the full moon.
"The hunting trip," Mercy added quickly.
"Hunting trip?" Sophronia asked. Her interest seemed piqued and that was the last thing he
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