A Gentleman Never Tells(101)

For a moment, she was angry that the warmth of the room and the fire had heated her body and already had her clothing drying. She was angry that Rosabelle was so happy and her aunt was leasing a house. It seemed so unfair that life was moving on, going forward, and her Brutus wasn’t.

“He’s not in any pain, is he?” she managed to look over at Brent and ask without her voice breaking.

“No,” Brent said, adding some wood to the fire and then stoking it before glancing back at her with caring eyes and a sympathetic expression. “He’s peaceful.”

“Good. I wouldn’t want him to be in pain.” She paused for a moment and then added, “I don’t know what I will do without him.”

Brent took hold of her hand again and squeezed it as his gaze swept down her face with compassion. “Don’t think about what might happen; just keep good thoughts.”

She smiled gratefully at him. A few minutes later, she heard Rosa and Auntie Bethie chatting in the front hall, and then the front door open and shut. It was then, knowing they were alone, that Brent pulled her into his arms. She melted against him, resting her cheek against his damp shirt as she continued to stroke Brutus’s head and rub behind his ears.

“Thank you for staying with me.”

He kissed the top of her damp hair, sighing heavily. “I wouldn’t leave you, or Brutus, right now, Gabrie. I know it’s my fault Brutus collapsed. I’m sorry. I wouldn’t have had it happen for anything.”

She raised her head and looked into his warm golden-brown eyes. She wasn’t sure she could talk, but she managed to say, “This wasn’t your fault. If anyone is to blame, it’s me. You told me it wasn’t a good time to bring him and I forced you to do it.”

“No, he was fine until he ran to help me when Godfrey hit me. Brutus’s big old heart just couldn’t take the exertion. It was too much for him.”

In that moment, Gabrielle was filled with so much love for Brent it swelled in her chest and throat, and she didn’t know if she could contain it.

“Neither of us asked him to do it. You were good to him, and he wanted to protect you.”

“Even at his age, he was fearless.”

Brent’s words were so touching, Gabrielle had to hide her face in his warm chest again, needing and drawing strength from the consolation he was so generously giving.

“And I’ve known for a long time that his days were short, but I’ve not wanted to accept it. He’s lived well beyond most dogs his size. My heart aches for him,” she said against Brent’s chest, not knowing or caring if he could understand her muffled words. “I just want to turn back the hands of time and renew his youth.”

“But life doesn’t work that way for any of earth’s creatures,” he whispered against her cheek. “It’s all right if you want to cry, Gabrie.”

“No,” she answered, finding such comfort in his embrace it was almost too much to take in. “I don’t want to.”

Gabrielle sat quietly while Brent held her, half of her face hidden by Brent’s strong chest but one eye staring at Brutus. She kept her gaze on her dog until his chest slowly stopped moving beneath the blankets and his lids stopped twitching.

Pushing out of Brent’s arms, she whispered, “He’s gone.”

Brent threw the blankets aside and bent over Brutus. He laid his head to the mastiff’s chest and listened. He raised his head and looked at Gabrielle.

“I’m sorry.”

She couldn’t bear the sympathy she saw in Brent’s face. A breathy sigh of despair pushed forth from her aching lungs and she could no longer hold in the tears. All she could think was that she wanted to run away from the pain of loss. She stumbled to her feet. Brent called her name and tried to grab her arm, but she broke free and fled the room.

“Gabrielle,” he called again.

The sound of running feet echoed behind her, but she didn’t stop. She needed to get to her father’s book room so she could hide and cry as much and for as long as she wanted to. She slammed the door shut and fell onto the floor in front of the settee and laid her head on the seat cushion. Burying her face in her hands, she poured out her heart through wracking sobs and endless tears.

She didn’t know how long she cried, and she never heard the door open, only felt a warm masculine arm go around her back. She recoiled from Brent’s touch, but he caught her to his chest and held tightly. She struggled to get free, demanding to be let go, but he put his hand to the back of her head, cupping her to his chest and forcing her to be still and accept the comfort of his embrace.