A Gentleman Never Tells(97)

Gabrielle gave him a questioning stare, but he turned to Godfrey and said, “There’s still the problem of what to do about your taking money from Lord Waldo and Lord Snellingly.”

Godfrey ran a hand through his damp red hair. “I know it was wrong, but me mum gets worse every day. She hasn’t the strength to get out of bed anymore. We don’t know what’s wrong with her. I’ve got to get her help.”

“I understand, but the best way to help your mother is to make an honest wage, Godfrey. I’ll see that a doctor comes around tomorrow to examine her.”

Grateful tears brightened Godfrey’s eyes again.

“Do you have Lady Windham’s dog or any other dogs?”

He nodded before lowering his head. “Two. They are in a pen behind the milk shed.”

“All right. The first thing you are going to do this afternoon is take back the dogs you have, and do not accept any money for their return. Understood?”

Godfrey nodded again.

“Then tomorrow you are going back to Snellingly’s and Lord Waldo’s houses to give back the money they gave you.”

His eyes widened and he raked the back of his hand under his nose. “But how will I pay for the doctor you will send if I give back their money?”

“I’ll take care of the doctor for now. In return, you will deliver fresh milk and eggs to my house every day until spring. That should just about pay me back. Do you have any problems with this?”

“No, my lord,” he said and pulled his coat tighter about his neck.

“If you stay faithful to your deliveries each day, I’ll see to it your mother has whatever medicines, tonics, or elixirs she needs, but it all depends on how dedicated you are.”

Godfrey’s shoulders lifted. “I won’t neglect my duties to you, my lord. I won’t miss a day.”

“See that you don’t.” Brent turned toward Gabrielle. Her eyes shimmered with tears of happiness. She was smiling at him, letting him know she approved of how he had handled Godfrey, and suddenly that meant everything to him.

“My lord.”

Brent turned back to Godfrey.

“Thank you for giving Prissy to me mum.”

Brent nodded once and watched the lad go back into his house.

“Thank you,” Gabrielle said.

He tried to smile at her and realized his lip had swollen from where Godfrey had hit him. He grunted a laugh. He’d lost three hats and had his lip cut three times since he’d met Gabrielle, and he didn’t give a damn. She had been worth it.

He touched the small of her back. “Let’s go see if we can find a hackney and get out of this weather.” They looked around for Brutus and noticed he was struggling to get up.

“Come on, boy,” Brent said. “I know it’s difficult to get the legs going when it’s cold and wet. I’ll help you.” Brent helped Brutus to lift his back legs. The dog coughed, shuddered, and shook off the rain.

Brent and Gabrielle walked in silence, and Brent was thankful. He needed to think about his feelings for her. He didn’t know when or how it had happened, but she’d filled a part of him no other woman ever had. He realized now that she had found that spot inside of him where love was hidden. She had watered it, tended it, and made it grow. And he had to find a way to tell her.

Giving Prissy to Mrs. Jones had made him realize a few things about Gabrielle he had avoided even thinking about. But now it was time to do just that.

They were quite a far distance from Godfrey’s house when Gabrielle said, “I know it was very hard for you, Brent, but you did the right thing.”

He glanced over at her, but her hood covered the side of her face so he couldn’t see her. “You think so?”

She nodded. “I do.”

“I hope the lad has learned his lesson. After the lecture from you, I couldn’t do anything but help his mother and give him a job so he could work off the money he had to repay.”

“You would have done the right thing concerning his mother had I not even been here. But I wasn’t talking about Godfrey. I was talking about Prissy. I’m sure it wasn’t easy for you to give up your mother’s cherished pet.”

Brent wondered if he should tell Gabrielle it was easier than he thought it would be. And the truth was, he and Prissy had only tolerated each other the past two years.

But all he said was, “Mrs. Jones obviously pampers Prissy as much as my mother did, and I’m sure the dog is delighted not to be leaving the woman. I’m content knowing Pris is well cared for.”