A Lady's Prerogative

by Annabelle Anders

  “There, that’s better.”

  Garrett took hold of her hand. Using his handkerchief, he wiped away the traces of hair treatment, sliding the material between her fingers and then around her palm. He knew she was not unaffected by his touch. But that he could kiss each finger, draw each one into his mouth…

  With the fabric still in her palm, she clasped it in her fist and lowered it to her side.

  Awareness of their surroundings compelled her to look about nervously. Garrett wondered, too, if their unusually intimate exchange had been witnessed. As luck would have it, a large potted plant blocked them from much of the room. Miss Crone and Miss Wright, however, had observed all. Garrett nodded at them. Miss Wright looked away, obviously embarrassed at being caught, but Miss Crone merely shook her head and then turned back to her friend.

  Natalie stepped away. She tilted her head to one side and regarded him again. “I don’t believe I thanked you yet for helping me to shore this afternoon. I am normally a good swimmer but never considered the hindrance my dress would cause me.” She spoke in a calm manner, not at all willing to admit the peril she’d been in.

  Garrett had been furious earlier, but now, seeing her all prim and proper and thanking him so graciously, he could not summon his anger back easily. “Glad to be of assistance, my lady. But I have a question for you.”

  “I will answer it for you if I am able.”

  “Does your pup, by chance, cry and whimper throughout the nighttime hours?”

  “Oh, yes, he cries wretchedly!” As Natalie explained how she’d found the pup and then decided to keep him in her chamber, Garrett thought to strangle her. What he’d thought was her distress had prevented him from getting a good night’s sleep as well. Oh, hell…maybe he’d just as well deserved it.

  “I would be happy to introduce you to Baby Bear sometime, if you wish—that is…” Her voice trailed off, suddenly unsure. “Perhaps after viewing your mother’s paintings?”

  He’d nearly forgotten his promise to Lady Eleanor. Had that just been this morning? “I would be delighted.” Realizing the other guests were making their way to remove to the dining room, Garrett winged an arm at the lady beside him. “Shall we?”

  Something shot through him when she took hold of his arm. Protectiveness? Pride? Tenderness? God help him but he felt all of those. Privileged to escort her, he spent the next few hours playing the part of gentleman to her lady. His father and the ton, be damned.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Her mother’s various courses never tasted so divine as they did that night. Except perhaps not because of the food, but the benefit of receiving such undivided attention from Garrett Castleton. He treated her almost as though he were courting her. He was polite to her brother, Peter, who sat on his other side, but included her in their conversation as well. Occasionally, he placed his hand upon her arm in a casual but…possessive manner. He did not, however, attempt to touch her inappropriately, as he had done the night before.

  This was almost more tantalizing.

  Garrett’s demeanor had concerned Natalie when she watched him enter the drawing room earlier. His jaw had been clenched and his eyes narrowed. Immediately, she sensed something untoward must have occurred with Stone’s guests causing Garrett to be on the verge of losing his temper. She’d been drawn to his side. She wanted to soothe him. She could not keep herself from touching him. And now, she clutched the handkerchief he’d given to her in her left hand, under the table.

  Looking at him now, she could hardly believe anything upsetting had transpired at all. Engaged in animated conversation, he exuded both charisma and charm. The world was a wonderful place indeed, when Garrett Castleton smiled.

  “Shall we? Ladies?” Natalie’s mother rose, signaling the ladies leave the gentlemen to their port.

  Oh, bother. Natalie would have sat there all night if given the opportunity. Except, perhaps she ought to take a moment to pull herself together. These feelings were too heady, too intoxicating. It wouldn’t do for her to fall all over him giddily, like the schoolgirl he’d pegged her for on more than one occasion already.

  But he was not treating her thusly tonight. When she rose to leave, he caught her arm for just a second. And he winked at her! Could he read her mind, for heaven’s sake?

  She did not wink back. Instead she dipped into a quick curtsey, excusing herself, and followed the other ladies out of the room.

  Natalie wrestled with a strange hope building in her heart. Was he serious about her? Is that what this meant? Or was he merely being kind for the sake of her father and mother?

  She wished she knew.

  As the ladies swept into the drawing room, mother instructed the footmen to open the french doors leading to the terrace. The summer sun had warmed the normally comfortable assembling area. The breeze would be welcomed.

  Natalie felt stifled, nonetheless.

  Far too many concerns filled her mind for her to sit and make polite conversation, Garrett Castleton being the most pressing, and Baby Bear coming in second. She’d left her new baby in Mrs. Tinsdale’s care. Tinny had promised under no circumstances would Baby Bear escape from her.

  Making a quick decision, Natalie pivoted and then slipped back into the corridor. Baby Bear could make his bow to polite society—on dry land this time. Yes, this was the diversion she needed.

  She dashed upstairs and burst into her chamber. There on the loveseat, darning one of Natalie’s petticoats and humming, sat Mrs. Tinsdale, Baby Bear tucked in beside her. As a child, on rainy days, or when the boys’ teasing was too much for her to handle, Natalie could always find comfort snuggled up next to the dear nanny.

  Had that really been so very long ago?

  A lump lodged in her throat, and Natalie knew in her heart they could never send the older woman away. It would be like sending away her very own grandmother. Tinny sat the fabric aside and pulled the dog onto her lap. Baby Bear, lolling onto his back, submitted to the old nanny’s soothing strokes enthusiastically.

  “I had thought to bring Baby Bear down and formally introduce him to the ladies.” Natalie didn’t want to upset Baby Bear or Tinny but…”It would be good to teach him to behave among genteel company, don’t you think?”

  “Oh, absolutely.” Tinny stood. “The leading string is on the bed. I took him out a little while ago, so he should be fine.” Lifting the dog into the air, she looked him sternly in the eyes. “Now don’t you be misbehaving, you little rascal.” And then Tinny, yes, firm Mrs. Tinsdale, kissed the pup on the top of his head before placing him on the carpet. Natalie knelt beside Baby Bear and tied the string onto the collar Marcus had obtained for him.

  “I won’t be long, Tinny,” she reassured the older woman. “Just a little while—less if he misbehaves!”

  Tinny turned back to her mending. “No hurry, my dear. At least this way I’ll be able to finish some of this mending. The scamp keeps me from sewing even a single stitch.” Her normal brisk efficiency returned.

  In the corridor, Natalie placed Baby Bear on the carpeted walkway and allowed him to lead the way to the stairs. But that was the easy part. When they reached the steep staircase, the little pup halted and peered down anxiously. Although a mere six or so inches tall, he was not cowed. Instead, it seemed, he had a plan.

  Much like a billiards player contemplating his next shot, the pup paced along the width of the step a few times before making his move. Once ready, he turned, paused, and then daringly dropped his front paws down to the first platform. The second half of his body followed thereafter. He took a second step in a similar fashion.

  At this rate, it would take all night to descend the stairs, so, laughing, Natalie lifted him into her arms and carried him to the main floor. “We’ll work on steps later, Baby,” she told her pet with affection. Once downstairs, she sat him on the floor, and together they entered the drawing room where the ladies were caught up in a spirited game of charades.

  Baby Bear let out two quick yaps before Natalie
silenced him. Too late. All heads turned toward the cause of disruption.

  Most of the ladies spontaneously transformed into pools of mush. Puppies affected people that way. And Baby Bear was all puppy.

  His soulful eyes and adorable ears doubled his attraction.

  After allowing a few of the ladies to pet Baby Bear, Natalie scooped him up once again and took him to where Miss Crone and Miss Wright sat. There, the pup became the center of attraction once again.

  Of course, a few ladies did not care for animals. They pursed their lips and not so discreetly edged away. Nonetheless, they dared not utter their contempt—what with Lady Ravensdale cooing at the pup as though he were her first grandchild.

  “He’s precious.” Miss Wright’s assessment agreed with Natalie’s own.

  “Would you care to hold him?” Although not sorry she’d escaped Monfort’s company that afternoon, remorse dogged her for trapping Miss Wright with him. She handed Baby Bear into the other woman’s eager arms.

  Cradling Baby Bear against her chest, Miss Wright allowed him to lick beneath her chin.

  “Oh, Penelope!” Miss Wright’s eyes sparkled. “It’s like holding a baby!”

  Miss Crone’s response was classic Penelope. “Ugliest baby I ever saw.”

  As the ladies joked about the commonalities between puppies and babies, Natalie looked on, satisfied with Baby Bear’s success.

  And then the gentlemen arrived.

  A few were contemptuous of Baby Bear’s tiny proportions. They professed to own great-sized dogs, nearly as large as small horses and other nonsense. Natalie ignored them. Baby Bear had pleasantly livened up the evening and done so without making a single diddle. Meeting her mother’s gaze from across the room, Natalie felt warm inside, for Lady Ravensdale’s expression held an abundance of approval.

  An entirely different warmth rushed through her when she caught Garrett Castleton watching her. He lifted one eyebrow and then drifted across the room. In his normal casual manner, he leaned against a nearby sofa. Cradling a glass of brandy, he swirled the warmed liquid absentmindedly, never taking his eyes off her.

  “Lord Hawthorne.” Natalie curtseyed in his direction. “Come and make your formal acquaintance of Baby Bear.” Lifting the pup and holding out one paw, she said, “Baby Bear, I’d like to present the Earl of Hawthorne. My lord, may I present Baby Bear, Lord Puppy of Cuteness?”

  Garrett made a small bow in lieu of introduction. Lady Natalie’s playful mood charmed him. “Baby bear looks to have survived his swim with no ill effects.” Reaching forward, he let the small dog smell his hand before placing it on the dog’s furry head and kneading the loose skin around its neck. The dog relaxed into Garrett’s touch.

  “Oh, he likes you.” And then in a near whisper, “My lord.” Garrett moved his gaze from the dog to this woman. The quality of her voice spun a web of intimacy around the two of them. It evoked emotions he refused to consider.

  Sitting beside her this evening had been a revelation. She’d been unguarded and relaxed throughout the meal. And ever so slightly flirtatious. He wanted to know more about her. He needed to know more about her.

  In his business ventures, when uncertain of a proposition, he’d first research all aspects of the transaction.

  Perhaps courting Lady Natalie required just such an approach.

  “My lady,” he said. “Shall we take this pup outside for a short constitutional?” Glancing toward her mother, he added, “We can stay close to the house—for both of our protection.”

  Natalie glowed. It was obvious he’d pleased her by recalling their earlier conversations. He wondered if the other men in her life did not take her seriously? He wondered if any of them had ever actually listened to her.

  “Baby Bear would like that very much—as would I.” Grasping a leading string, she sat the dog on the carpet and then glanced toward her mother. With her mother’s apparent approval, she then took Garrett’s offered arm, and he led her out an open terrace door.

  He appreciated the boundaries set by her family. She deserved to be safeguarded by her father and mother, her brothers. And she ought to be protected once married.

  A warm breeze stirred the air. Garrett inhaled deeply. The fresh unspoiled air was one of the greatest arguments for living in the country. He could also smell a hint of Natalie’s subtle perfume. It was difficult to identify the scents it encompassed; it just seemed uniquely her.

  She held the leading string with one hand and his arm with the other. Garrett took the string from her. This allowed her to grasp his arm with both hands and lean into him. When Baby Bear began sniffing about suspiciously, Natalie spoke.

  “He is shy. He likes to do his business in private.” She gestured to a copse of trees off to the side of the manor. This would lead them farther away from the other guests. These evening walks were becoming a dangerous habit.

  Garrett allowed the pup to steer them both.

  “He is house-trained already?”

  “We’re working on it.” Natalie spoke proudly. “Do you have a dog?”

  He had. As a boy, he’d become attached to an unfortunate dog who’d had the audacity to roam onto his father’s estate uninvited.

  Upon discovering the animal, his father had drowned it.

  “A long time ago,” Garrett answered. “My father did not approve of his bloodline and killed it.” He didn’t mean to be so blunt. Saying the words revived unwanted memories.

  Natalie walked, unspeaking, and stopped once they reached the trees. Baby Bear was interested in marking several of them one by one. He raised one tiny leg and let out a squirt.

  “What did you name him?”

  “My dog?” he asked, revisiting that train of thought.

  “Yes, your pet.”

  Garrett looked off into the distance, across the lawn and at the lake. He wasn’t seeing any of it though. Instead a memory intruded, of a large brown and black mutt. That dog had followed him everywhere! He’d been on the receiving end of unfettered adoration from…“Ben.”

  “You named your dog Ben?” she asked with a laugh in her voice.

  “Well, at least it was a name!” Garrett looped the leading string around a sturdy branch and then, giving in to impulse, wrapped his arms around her affectionately. “Your poor pet is bound to go through life labelled as the wrong species! And what of when he becomes a wise old dog? He shall forever suffer the indignity of being called Baby!” Garrett took a few steps forward, forcing her to walk backward until she stood pressed against the trunk of a large oak. Releasing her, he raised both his hands and placed them on the bark above her shoulders.

  Laughing, she locked her gaze with his. “Well, I thought he was a bear when I first saw him,” she pouted prettily, “and he will always be my baby.”

  Said baby was managing to tangle himself in a myriad of smaller branches.

  Garrett leaned forward and placed an open-mouthed kiss on her shoulder. And as if the most natural thing in the world, Natalie tilted her head to the side. Much better, now he could explore the skin behind her ear. The familiarity of touching her so ought to bother him. Being with her was too easy—it felt artless and instinctive. As he swirled his tongue along her neck, she moaned softly.

  Somehow, he’d veered away from his plan to obtain information from her. He wished to ask her a few questions, questions that had nothing to do with the sweet softness of her skin beneath his lips. Such a delightful distraction.

  He nuzzled her and stepped closer, their bodies meeting, shoulders to thighs. Without moving his hands from the tree, he had her exactly where he wanted. He heard the hitch in her breath and felt the quickening of her heartbeat in the pulse beneath his mouth.

  Fragile arms wrapped around his waist. Hesitant at first, they tightened as she grew bolder. Garrett dragged kisses along her jaw, pausing when he reached the tender skin at the corner of her mouth. These inclinations were likely to lead them both straight to the alter.

  “Garrett,” she breathed.
“Garrett, just kiss me already!”

  He’d rethink this problem later.

  Dropping his arms, he pulled her against him and gave his lips free rein. He didn’t need to tease open the seam of her mouth. Her lips were already parted.

  And her hands explored him.

  He could not suppress a groan when she reached inside his waistcoat and beneath his shoulder blades. A part of him wondered that he had not felt this way with any other woman. This was lust, yes, hot, blazing lust, but there was something else—protectiveness, tenderness, a fierce desire to make love to her and then hold her till she fell asleep.

  Garrett broke the kiss and pressed her head into his chest. He could not let this proceed in its natural direction without knowing more.

  If he were to offer for her, would she have him? She’d not sounded eager to become betrothed again when they’d spoken of it earlier. Likely he was fooling himself, but he needed to know: could she be happy as his countess?

  Breathing deeply, he spoke. “Tell me about your betrothal to the Duke of Cortland.”

  It took a few seconds for her to comprehend what he said. She pulled back and looked at him quizzically. Then nodding thoughtfully, seeming to make a decision, she pushed herself out of his arms and stepped over to retrieve Baby Bear’s leading string. “I liked Cortland. He was, he is an honorable gentleman.” Untangling the string, she freed the dog and allowed him to pull them farther into the trees. “He is a good friend to my father, was, anyway. He is pleasant.” She took a few steps. “He is good-looking. He courted me formally. Always, always we had a chaperone present. The only time we were alone was during the three minutes required to ask for my hand.”

  “Three minutes?” Garrett asked with raised eyebrows.

  “One minute for him to ask. One minute for me to accept. And one minute for him to seal our agreement with a kiss.”