Page 30 of A Scandal for the Beastly Earl

"He could have gotten into the wine cellar."

"Don't give him ideas."

"I think he has plenty of his own."

Cookie had recovered herself enough to curtsey, sending up another small cloud of flour. "I'll have this cleaned up in no time, my lord. And the bread will still be ready for morning."

"Despite Thistle's help?"

"Perhaps because of it, my lord. He's got a good technique for kneading. Very enthusiastic."

"That's one word for it."

They retreated from the kitchen, leaving Cookie and her assistants to deal with the flour disaster. Thistle trotted along beside them, occasionally shaking himself and creating small flour storms.

"He needs a bath," Lord Blackthorn observed.

"He hates baths."

"How unfortunate for him."

"You're not going to..."

"I'm going to have the footmen handle it. I'm not wrestling a flour-covered dog into a tub. I have some dignity left."

"Not much, though," Arabella observed, pointing to a particularly large flour print on him.

He looked at it, then at her, and for a moment she thought he might be angry. Then his mouth twitched.

"This is your fault," he said.

"How is this my fault?"

"You fell into that lake. Everything since then has been a direct result of that moment."

"You could have let me drown."

"Don't tempt me to regret my decision."

They stood in the hallway, both covered in flour, while Thistle sat between them looking remarkably pleased with his evening's work.

"I should take him to my rooms," Arabella said. "Before he finds something else to destroy."

"Probably wise." Lord Blackthorn hesitated, then added, "the footmen can bring up a hip bath if you want to attempt bathing him yourself."

"You don't trust them with him?"

"I don't trust him with them. He seems to have a gift for corrupting my staff."

"He's very charming."

"He's a threat."

"The two aren't mutually exclusive."

"Apparently not." He paused again, seeming to wrestle with something. "About dinner..."

"Yes?"