Read Online Confessions at Midnight by Jacquie D'Alessandro - Free Book Online
Authors: Jacquie D'Alessandro
Tags: love_contemporary
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next words spoken.
"Ye'll never guess wot, milord," Samuel said, as if cued to do so.
It had taken a bit of getting used to, hearing those words, coming to know what they meant, having his normal routine disrupted. But he couldn't deny that he now anticipated that sentence from Samuel. Of course, he dared not show
too
much enthusiasm, lest his entire household be overrun.
Daniel stared down at Blinky, whose one-eyed, nose-twitching interest was currently fixated on his untouched plate of eggs and bacon. "I can't imagine," he said blandly, as if after a year with Samuel in his employ, he knew didn't know damn well "wot."
"'Tis a
puppy
, milord." Samuel said the
word puppy
with a hushed reverence normally reserved for members of the royal family. '"Bout six months old, I'd guess."
"I see," Daniel said with a somber nod. "And what malady has stricken the animal?"
"Abandoned, milord. Found 'im, last night, half starved, huddled behind some trash in an alley."
Daniel no longer admonished Samuel about roaming London's dark alleys, as he knew his warnings would fall on deaf ears. Nor was he concerned that Samuel was relieving anyone of their purses. No, his footman was looking for another sort of victim.
"And what do you suggest we call this abandoned canine?" Daniel asked, knowing the name would give a true clue as to the animal's… problem.
"Baldy, milord," Samuel said without hesitation.
Daniel considered the ramifications of that while breaking off a bit of bacon for Blinky. The cat gobbled up the morsel then promptly batted at his hand and yowled for another. "Shaved?" Daniel finally guessed.
Samuel nodded. "Had to, milord. To get rid o' the matted hair and fleas."
"Ah." Blinky yowled again, and Daniel absently fed the impatient beast another bit of bacon. "And where is Baldy now?"
"In the kitchens, milord. Asleep. After I shaved and bathed 'im, Cook fed 'im good. Then the wee beastie curled up by the hearth. Probably sleep most of the day, I'd wager."
"Who? Cook?" Daniel deadpanned.
"Baldy, milord." Samuel hesitated, then asked, "So… can we keep 'im?"
It never failed to amaze Daniel that after all these months and all these animals, Samuel took nothing for granted and still asked. "I suppose we have room for one more 'wee beastie.'"
Samuel's broad shoulders, which only a year ago had been bony and narrow, sagged with obvious relief. "I were hopin' so, milord. I told Baldy wot ye'd done fer me, wot a fine, decent man ye are."
Bloody hell. A humbling wave of something that felt precisely like embarrassment swept through Daniel, and he found himself at a momentary loss for words, a state of affairs Samuel's gratitude always managed to reduce him to.
"A man shouldn't be praised for doing the right thing, Samuel. For simply helping an abandoned creature."
"Ye're wrong, milord," Samuel replied in his non-kowtowing manner. "Ye may think that kindness is easily found, but I'm tellin' ye, it ain't. And when yer lucky enough to find it, it needs to be recognized. 'Tis a good thing yer doin'. More so 'cause ye don't have to do it. And most likely will end up with more chewed furniture for yer trouble."
"It's actually
your
act of kindness, Samuel."
"'Tis true I find the lost and abandoned, milord, but 'tis you who has the means to help 'em. The means and the heart. I couldn't do nothin' if it weren't for you." His quick grin flashed. "Definitely not, as I'd be in the dirt, pushin' up petunias, that's where I'd be."
"Well, we couldn't have that," Daniel said, forcing a wry note into his voice. "Who else would disrupt my formerly well-ordered household with irreverent conduct and an assortment of mangy animals?"
"No one, milord," Samuel said without hesitation.
True. And that would be Daniel's very great loss.
"No one," he agreed with an exaggerated, put-upon sigh. He shot Blinky a wink. The cat responded with a one-eyed glare that she pointedly shifted from Daniel to the bacon.
Samuel smiled, showing off his
"Ye'll never guess wot, milord," Samuel said, as if cued to do so.
It had taken a bit of getting used to, hearing those words, coming to know what they meant, having his normal routine disrupted. But he couldn't deny that he now anticipated that sentence from Samuel. Of course, he dared not show
too
much enthusiasm, lest his entire household be overrun.
Daniel stared down at Blinky, whose one-eyed, nose-twitching interest was currently fixated on his untouched plate of eggs and bacon. "I can't imagine," he said blandly, as if after a year with Samuel in his employ, he knew didn't know damn well "wot."
"'Tis a
puppy
, milord." Samuel said the
word puppy
with a hushed reverence normally reserved for members of the royal family. '"Bout six months old, I'd guess."
"I see," Daniel said with a somber nod. "And what malady has stricken the animal?"
"Abandoned, milord. Found 'im, last night, half starved, huddled behind some trash in an alley."
Daniel no longer admonished Samuel about roaming London's dark alleys, as he knew his warnings would fall on deaf ears. Nor was he concerned that Samuel was relieving anyone of their purses. No, his footman was looking for another sort of victim.
"And what do you suggest we call this abandoned canine?" Daniel asked, knowing the name would give a true clue as to the animal's… problem.
"Baldy, milord," Samuel said without hesitation.
Daniel considered the ramifications of that while breaking off a bit of bacon for Blinky. The cat gobbled up the morsel then promptly batted at his hand and yowled for another. "Shaved?" Daniel finally guessed.
Samuel nodded. "Had to, milord. To get rid o' the matted hair and fleas."
"Ah." Blinky yowled again, and Daniel absently fed the impatient beast another bit of bacon. "And where is Baldy now?"
"In the kitchens, milord. Asleep. After I shaved and bathed 'im, Cook fed 'im good. Then the wee beastie curled up by the hearth. Probably sleep most of the day, I'd wager."
"Who? Cook?" Daniel deadpanned.
"Baldy, milord." Samuel hesitated, then asked, "So… can we keep 'im?"
It never failed to amaze Daniel that after all these months and all these animals, Samuel took nothing for granted and still asked. "I suppose we have room for one more 'wee beastie.'"
Samuel's broad shoulders, which only a year ago had been bony and narrow, sagged with obvious relief. "I were hopin' so, milord. I told Baldy wot ye'd done fer me, wot a fine, decent man ye are."
Bloody hell. A humbling wave of something that felt precisely like embarrassment swept through Daniel, and he found himself at a momentary loss for words, a state of affairs Samuel's gratitude always managed to reduce him to.
"A man shouldn't be praised for doing the right thing, Samuel. For simply helping an abandoned creature."
"Ye're wrong, milord," Samuel replied in his non-kowtowing manner. "Ye may think that kindness is easily found, but I'm tellin' ye, it ain't. And when yer lucky enough to find it, it needs to be recognized. 'Tis a good thing yer doin'. More so 'cause ye don't have to do it. And most likely will end up with more chewed furniture for yer trouble."
"It's actually
your
act of kindness, Samuel."
"'Tis true I find the lost and abandoned, milord, but 'tis you who has the means to help 'em. The means and the heart. I couldn't do nothin' if it weren't for you." His quick grin flashed. "Definitely not, as I'd be in the dirt, pushin' up petunias, that's where I'd be."
"Well, we couldn't have that," Daniel said, forcing a wry note into his voice. "Who else would disrupt my formerly well-ordered household with irreverent conduct and an assortment of mangy animals?"
"No one, milord," Samuel said without hesitation.
True. And that would be Daniel's very great loss.
"No one," he agreed with an exaggerated, put-upon sigh. He shot Blinky a wink. The cat responded with a one-eyed glare that she pointedly shifted from Daniel to the bacon.
Samuel smiled, showing off his
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