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"Oh, Rowan!” She seemed greatly relieved to see him. “My prayers have finally been answered!" She motioned at the puppy in her arms. "Look what I found."
“So, while Miss Matthews and I have been searching everywhere for you, you have been here the whole time, at the bottom of a ditch playing with a dog.”
She held the wiggling pup away from her face now. "It needed help. Is he not lovely?"
"Do you realize how worried you had us?" he scolded, growing peeved at her lack of concern both for herself and those around her.
Her expression turned somber. "I fell while trying to rescue the puppy. I could not get out."
Albert found a spot on the edge that was dry and crouched, extending his hand to her. She crawled forward, still clutching the dog, and took his hand. He started to pull her but a pained cry escaped her and she shut her eyes.
"What? What is it?" he asked. She released his hand and reached toward her foot.
"M… my right foot… my ankle… it pains quite badly."
"I will get you out of there,” he said gently, understanding why she had not been able to crawl out of the ditch. “You need to do everything I say.” When she nodded, he held both of his hands out. “Give me the puppy.”
It whimpered and she tightened her hold of it, reluctant to hand it to him. "I am not going to harm it, Edwina. You should know that.”
“I know. It is very afraid.” Then she chuckled through her pain. “I think it thinks you are going to eat it.”
Even when pained, she had something silly to say. It would not do to be scratched by it while trying to rescue them, thus, he decided to be diplomatic and looked down at the dirty puppy. “You are not food, and even if you were, you are not something I will eat. Not the way you look."
The puppy whined and Edwina chuckled. "Why would you say something like that to it?"
"You called it food first, not me. Now, give him to me. You cannot possibly come out clutching him like that."
“Yes, but you did not have to be mean.” She handed him the puppy. He was starting to feel pleased that it was not complaining when it started to growl at him, regarding him with an expression of displeasure.
"How ungrateful,” he said before setting him down and lying flat on his stomach so he could reach Edwina better.
“Take my hands and I will pull you up. Use my strength to pull yourself up, too, and don’t worry about your feet.” She did as he asked and carefully, he pulled her out. He immediately straightened and scooped her into his arms and took one step toward the Mansion.
“Wait! We need to take the puppy.”
Sighing, he braced his knee under her to free one of his hands, then scooped the dog up and placed it in her arms. “Happy?”
“Yes. We shall remember your kindness, Your Grace.”
“We?”
“Yes, the puppy and me. I intend to adopt it.”
“You put yourself in danger because of it?”
“I could not leave it. The rain might fall and it might die.” The sky rumbled again and tiny droplets began to fall. “See?”
“Fine but have it washed as soon as we return. I do not want a dirty dog running around my Mansion.”
“Yes, Your Grace,” she said, her voice strained. The rain began to fall in earnest and he hurried their pace. Her ankle was already injured and adding a fever or chills to it would be a very bad thing.
Miss Matthews was waiting for them near the back entrance, twisting her fingers. When she saw them, she ran up to them. “Oh, Edwina! Is she injured?”
“Yes,” Albert replied, not slowing.
“Poor dear!” She jumped back when the puppy in Edwina’s arms lifted its head. “Oh, what is that?”
“A souvenir,” Edwina said, shivering.
