Not Quite A Gentleman

boots, while the pig rubbed against his legs much like a cat. The cow let out a plaintive moooooo, then swiped Dr. Oliver’s hand with a huge tongue, causing Victoria to wrinkle her nose. The goat gently prodded Dr. Oliver’s backside toward the pen, while the bird seated on the goat’s back, which Victoria realized was indeed an enormously fat pigeon, cooed and ruffled its feathers.

Dr. Oliver patted them, chatting as if they were children rather than beasts-beasts, who by the ripe scent wafting toward her, were all in dire need of a bath.

“Come along,” he said to the group, leading them back toward Victoria. “Allow me to introduce you to Lady Victoria-”

“That isn’t necessary,” Victoria said hastily, backing up and warily eyeing the goat, who was showing a great deal of interest in the lace ruffles adorning her wrists.

Dr. Oliver halted and, damnation, she could see he was wholly amused at her expense. “After your impressive performance last evening, I hadn’t thought you a coward, Lady Victoria.”

She raised her chin and, due to the gamey odor in the air, breathed in through her mouth. “I am not a coward. I am simply not fond of animals that… outweigh me. And smell… peculiar.” She lifted Boots up a bit. “I’m simply more of a cat person than a goat person.”

“Are you fond of dogs?”

“As a matter of fact, I am.”

“Excellent, as you are about to meet B.C.”

“Who is-eeeeyiiiii!” Victoria stumbled forward when she was firmly nudged right in the center of her buttocks. After regaining her footing, she whirled around and found herself facing the most massive dog she had ever seen. Light brown, with darker markings and a black, jowly muzzle, the monster stood regally, observing her through wide-set, dark brown eyes that bore an alert but hopefully kind expression. The top of the giant’s head reached her chest. She forced herself to remain perfectly still while the beast raised his head to sniff the air, his nose quivering.

“Lady Victoria, may I introduce B.C.”

“Wh-What does B.C. stand for?” she asked, guessing that the B was for either “behemoth” or “buttocks.”

“Boot chewer. Consider yourself forewarned, although I must say it is his only bad habit.”

“D-Delighted,” she murmured, slowly backing up several steps, alarmed when B.C. kept pace with her. She hit something solid and stopped. Large hands clasped her upper arms from behind and she realized that the something solid she’d hit was Dr. Oliver.

“I thought you said you liked dogs,” came his amusement-laced voice directly next to her ear.

Warmth from his hands eased down her arms, a stunning contrast to the tingling sensation his rich, deep voice so close to her ear invoked. Her shoulder blades brushed against his chest and she had to lock her knees to keep from leaning back fully into him.

“I do like dogs,” she said, her gaze locked on the massive beast in front of her. “But that is not a dog. That is more like a small… bear.”

He chuckled, his warm breath brushing over her neck, awakening sensitive nerve endings on her bare skin. He released her, then moved to stand beside her. Although he no longer touched her, the heated imprint of his hands lingered, and she gave thanks that she still held Boots, lest she brush her fingers over the warm spot where he’d held her. B.C. immediately trotted to his master, his tail wagging.

After patting the dog’s massive head, Dr. Oliver said, “Let’s do this properly, shall we, boy? Sit.” B.C.‘s bottom instantly hit the grass. “Shake.” The dog raised a forepaw the size of a plate. “He wishes to formally make your acquaintance.”

Victoria eyed the dog suspiciously. “He’s gentle?”

“Like a lamb.”

“Sadly I, um, have no experience with lambs to know if they’re gentle or not. Oh, they sound gentle, but for all I know, they might be snarling, snapping beasts-”

“B.C. is extremely gentle.”

“He looks as if he could eat my torso for an hors d’oeuvre. Tell me, are all your animals so very large? Have you nothing smaller?”

His lips twitched. “Not in a dog I’m afraid.”

Determined to wipe the amusement from that grinning mouth, Victoria swallowed her trepidation, then extended her hand to shake the proffered paw. After she released the massive paw, B.C. lowered it to the ground, leaving her hand perfectly intact. In truth, he was a handsome animal and seemed friendly enough-a bit too friendly, based on the buttocks bump he’d treated her to-but his sheer size rendered him intimidating.

Another pungent whiff of barnyard beast roused her from her frozen position. Deciding she’d gained enough information for one morning, she slowly sidestepped toward the stables, her wary gaze fixed on Dr. Oliver’s herd. “If you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go for my ride.”

“Aren’t you forgetting something, Lady Victoria?”

Good Lord, that goat was staring at her again. She quickened her pace. “Er, I don’t believe so.” To her dismay, Dr. Oliver, his handsome face creased with a wicked grin, started toward her. As if that weren’t alarming enough, his pungent herd promptly fell into step behind him.

“My Boots,” he said.

Her gaze flicked down to his scuffed footwear. “They’re… very fine. Need a bit of polish, but-”

“I meant my cat, Lady Victoria.” He continued moving toward her, his animals behind him-except the cow, who’d paused to munch on a bit of grass.

“Your ‘Boots’,” she said, coming to a reluctant halt and feeling foolish. She looked down at the sleeping kitten, curled so sweetly in the crook of her arm, and was swamped with a feeling of unreasonable, ridiculous possessiveness.

Dr. Oliver stopped directly in front of her. He shot her a look of complete understanding. “Wriggle their way right into your heart, do they not?”

“I’m afraid so.” He reached out and she carefully set the kitten in his hands. Her fingers brushed his, jolting her pulse in the most ridiculous way. Once assured that Boots was securely transferred, she snatched her hands away. He tucked the tiny animal against his chest then nodded toward the stables. “Shall we?”

“Shall we what?”

“Go for a ride, of course. I need to feed the animals, but I can do that while Hopkins saddles our horses.”

“I don’t recall extending an invitation for you to join me, Dr. Oliver.”

“An accidental oversight, I’m sure.”

“Actually, no. I would prefer to ride alone.”

“How unfortunate, as I will be joining you.”

“I fear that is impossible, as I am without my chaperone.”

He waved her words aside. “It is not as if we will be in an enclosed carriage or confined area, Lady Victoria. We shall be outside, each riding our own horse, for all the world to see, should anyone care to-perfectly respectable behavior here in Cornwall. Now, tell me,” he continued in a conversational tone, “have you reconsidered returning my note to me?”

“I told you my terms last night. Those terms have not changed. Have you reached a decision regarding my proposition?”

“I gave you my decision last night, Lady Victoria.”

“And you’ll not reconsider?”

He shook his head then grinned. “I’d prefer to wait until you take off your clothes.”

Victoria pressed her lips together and willed away the heat prickling her face. “If you’ll excuse me…” She made to move around him, but he stepped to block her progress.

“Let us not argue,” he said. “It’s a lovely morning for a ride. I’ll play the charming host and show you a path that leads down to the beach.”

“Charming?” She uttered a sound dripping with disbelief. “No, thank you.”

“I’m afraid you have no choice, Lady Victoria. Your father instructed me to protect you. Since you won’t give me the note so as to determine precisely what his concerns are, you leave me with no option but to follow you about day and night. From sunup to sundown. Every minute of the day, from when you awake…” He moved a step closer to her and smiled. “… until you slip between the sheets at night.”