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As it was, she was compelled to greet the mare as well. “And good day to you, Delilah. We have not met, but your reputation precedes you.” Tabitha held out a hand, and the mare made a show of judging her scent. She must have found it good, for she extended her muzzle and gave Tabitha a good sniff on the neck, enough to tickle her and send her crashing into—oh.
“So sorry.” Tabitha’s breath arrested as Llewellyn’s hand steadied her. It was like a brand on her side, strong and warm, even through her multiple layers. For such a fleeting moment, it was enough to make her light-headed, like a green girl. She, who had neverbeena green girl.
But what an improvement: he had not even wished to shake her hand only a week ago.
“Not at all.” The duke cleared his throat. “How lucky I was here to prevent you from tumbling to the ground and harming yourself.”
“I doubt it would have come to that.”
He brushed a hand down his coat, today’s a full-length hacking coat likely from the seventeenth century, the placket secured with embroidered frogs. He looked up at her through his lashes, lashes that were, quite frankly, an injustice to be found on a man.
“As I have nothing to offer you as did those two fine fellows, I can at least prevent you from coming a cropper.”
The mare snorted, and Tabitha agreed with that judgment. “It was most kind of them to offer welcome gifts.”
“Kindness has nothing to do with it, miss. They are determining their chances of walking out with you.” He gestured, and Tabitha headed for one of the many paths to the village.
“Walking out—as though they were—do not be ridiculous.” Her face flushed. Was he making a mockery of her?
“Why is it ridiculous to think a man would see you and wish to court you?” Perhaps he was not: his voice was its usual rumble, but there was a velvety quality to it that seemed sincere.
A velvety quality? Honestly!“I am not of an age to be courted. I am well past it, in fact.”
“There are more than a few males of every species who prefer a female who is not fresh out of the schoolroom.”
She stopped dead and looked at him aghast. “If you do me no other favor in my life, Your Grace, you will say nothing of this to my brother.”
“Will he tease the stuffing out of you?” A shadow of regret passed over his face.
Tabitha wanted to reach out to him at the sight of it—a glimpse of grief? He had reacted very poorly to the talk of brothers and sisters before the Sunday Meal. “He will, and it is insufferable.”
“Will that be my part of the bargain seen to, then?”
“It will not.” She resumed the walk to the Close. “I shall simply owe you another boon. I wish to watch thecursio,but only if it will not trouble you to do so.”
“It will not trouble me. Running about the place in a gang is wolfish behavior, not at all leonine.”
“I understand the males of your species laze about while the women do all the work.”
“Not all the work…” The duke reached out, hesitated, and took her trug to carry.
That ought not to have flustered her as much as it did.
***
The lady apothecary was far too accustomed to doing everything for herself.
Alwyn was used to parting the Shifters of the Lowell Pack like a ship cutting through the sea: they saw him coming and discovered urgent business in another direction. As they neared the Close, the others saw him walking with Miss Barrington and calmed. He could perceive their heartbeats steadying as they passed, and one or two offered him obeisance, which was unexpected.
He flexed his fingers around the handle of the basket thing, an unusual piece of luggage that seemed rolled up into itself and yet covered in pockets. It was heavy enough, and as he was only gaining facility with his fingers, something of a challenge to hold.
Speaking of fingers. “You fulfilled your bargain with me above and beyond our terms.” The lady mutteredsomething something feral, and he—there was a bubbling behind his chest bone that loosened his shoulders and thrilled him as much as it frightened him. “I refer to the lamb course. Of course.”
“Very clever, Your Grace.” She blushed, two circles in the middle of her cheeks like two little nosegays…right beside her nose.
There was surely a more picturesque way of describing that.
“You were clever,” he insisted, “and I must thank your brother for giving the action plausibility. It was, was it not?”
