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Authors: Andrea Pickens
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out the pale stems.
Another sound, this one considerably louder than the whirring of a bird's wings, suddenly echoed through the woods, followed by a flurry of thrashing steps. Meredith grabbed for her basket, but before she could scramble to her feet, a large shape burst from the tangle of brambles.
"Ohhh!" she cried in some alarm. Then any further words of dismay dissolved into a burble of laughter as the tongue of a shaggy grey hound slobbered a kiss across her nose.
"Down, boy," she murmured, burying her hands deep into the animal's thick ruff to ward off another wet embrace. "I assure you, I have already washed behind my ears this morning."
In answer, the hound wagged its plumed tail and gave a delighted bark.
"Ajax!"
The hairy paws dropped from her chest, not before leaving two muddy prints across the sprigged muslin.
"You needn't be afraid. He's really quite harmless—" Lucien's words caught in his throat on seeing who it was. It took a moment to dislodge the rest of them. "T-that is, he's hardly more than a pup," he stammered. "And, well, he's very friendly."
Meredith was already standing, her fingers still wound in the hound's silky fur. She shrank back behind a small elm as the young man took a step toward her.
He fell back as well, a faint flush stealing to his face. "I-I only meant to stop him from doing any more damage to your gown."
As if on command, the animal wiggled out of her grasp and took the end her sash in his jaws, giving it a playful tug. Struggling to keep her balance, she couldn't help smile at the hound's antics.
"It's nothing beyond repair," said Meredith softly, her eyes straying down from her streaked bodice to the bits of moss and leaves clinging to her skirts, then finally to her muddy hem and the waterlogged half boots. "And besides, I'm afraid my appearance was ruined way before the arrival of Ajax."
"Not at all!" Lucien seemed unable to tear his gaze from her tousled gold curls and downcast features. "I mean, nothing about your appearance seems ruined in the least. Y-you look just like one of those ethereal wood sprites one reads about in fairy tales—" His face turned a vivid shade of scarlet as he choked on the rest of his words.
Meredith took pity on his stuttering embarrassment and ventured a step away from tree trunk.
"Don't run away just yet," he cried before she could speak. "Please! I just want to have a word with you, that's all." He shoved his hands into his pockets, as if to confirm he had no intention of laying a finger on her.
She took another step sideways. "I wasn't going to flee. I'm not afraid of you."
"Y-you aren't?"
A ghost of a smile stole to her lips. "I suppose it is on account of the bouquet you chose."
He looked rather confused.
"If you chosen hothouse roses or some other fancy flowers, it would have been one thing," she explained. "But you brought wildflowers. It seems to me that no man who would go out and gather such a delicate assortment of blooms can be entirely evil."
He stared at his feet, and looked to be debating whether to speak again or to simply slink away with his tail between his legs.
The awkward silence was broken by a playful bark. The hound had taken up a small broken branch and was bounding back and forth between them.
"What a delightful dog. Is he yours?" she asked, taking the stick from his jaws and tossing it to the edge of the field.
"No, he belongs to Uncle Marcus," answered Lucien. Ajax returned at a dead run, this time dropping the stick at his feet. He picked it up and hurled it deep into the tall grass. "But as he lacks the temperament of a proper hunter, he's been banished from the kennels by the gamekeeper. We have taken to spending a good deal of time together." His mouth crooked in a lopsided grimace. "Two strays taking solace in each other, I suppose, since neither of us is considered a credit to our breed."
Surprised by the note of raw hurt in his voice, Meredith stole a peek at his face. There was no trace of
Another sound, this one considerably louder than the whirring of a bird's wings, suddenly echoed through the woods, followed by a flurry of thrashing steps. Meredith grabbed for her basket, but before she could scramble to her feet, a large shape burst from the tangle of brambles.
"Ohhh!" she cried in some alarm. Then any further words of dismay dissolved into a burble of laughter as the tongue of a shaggy grey hound slobbered a kiss across her nose.
"Down, boy," she murmured, burying her hands deep into the animal's thick ruff to ward off another wet embrace. "I assure you, I have already washed behind my ears this morning."
In answer, the hound wagged its plumed tail and gave a delighted bark.
"Ajax!"
The hairy paws dropped from her chest, not before leaving two muddy prints across the sprigged muslin.
"You needn't be afraid. He's really quite harmless—" Lucien's words caught in his throat on seeing who it was. It took a moment to dislodge the rest of them. "T-that is, he's hardly more than a pup," he stammered. "And, well, he's very friendly."
Meredith was already standing, her fingers still wound in the hound's silky fur. She shrank back behind a small elm as the young man took a step toward her.
He fell back as well, a faint flush stealing to his face. "I-I only meant to stop him from doing any more damage to your gown."
As if on command, the animal wiggled out of her grasp and took the end her sash in his jaws, giving it a playful tug. Struggling to keep her balance, she couldn't help smile at the hound's antics.
"It's nothing beyond repair," said Meredith softly, her eyes straying down from her streaked bodice to the bits of moss and leaves clinging to her skirts, then finally to her muddy hem and the waterlogged half boots. "And besides, I'm afraid my appearance was ruined way before the arrival of Ajax."
"Not at all!" Lucien seemed unable to tear his gaze from her tousled gold curls and downcast features. "I mean, nothing about your appearance seems ruined in the least. Y-you look just like one of those ethereal wood sprites one reads about in fairy tales—" His face turned a vivid shade of scarlet as he choked on the rest of his words.
Meredith took pity on his stuttering embarrassment and ventured a step away from tree trunk.
"Don't run away just yet," he cried before she could speak. "Please! I just want to have a word with you, that's all." He shoved his hands into his pockets, as if to confirm he had no intention of laying a finger on her.
She took another step sideways. "I wasn't going to flee. I'm not afraid of you."
"Y-you aren't?"
A ghost of a smile stole to her lips. "I suppose it is on account of the bouquet you chose."
He looked rather confused.
"If you chosen hothouse roses or some other fancy flowers, it would have been one thing," she explained. "But you brought wildflowers. It seems to me that no man who would go out and gather such a delicate assortment of blooms can be entirely evil."
He stared at his feet, and looked to be debating whether to speak again or to simply slink away with his tail between his legs.
The awkward silence was broken by a playful bark. The hound had taken up a small broken branch and was bounding back and forth between them.
"What a delightful dog. Is he yours?" she asked, taking the stick from his jaws and tossing it to the edge of the field.
"No, he belongs to Uncle Marcus," answered Lucien. Ajax returned at a dead run, this time dropping the stick at his feet. He picked it up and hurled it deep into the tall grass. "But as he lacks the temperament of a proper hunter, he's been banished from the kennels by the gamekeeper. We have taken to spending a good deal of time together." His mouth crooked in a lopsided grimace. "Two strays taking solace in each other, I suppose, since neither of us is considered a credit to our breed."
Surprised by the note of raw hurt in his voice, Meredith stole a peek at his face. There was no trace of
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