Chemistry of Magic: Unexpected Magic Book Five (Unexpected Magic #5)(82)

Familiar with the lady’s eccentricities, and in lieu of a better guardian, Will thought it best to keep an eye on the proceedings. His livelihood derived from training dogs to rescue lost animals and people, so this was not his usual sort of task. But he owed the duke for his support, and his benefactor wouldn’t be pleased if Will let the lady come to harm.

“Lydia is playing the most beautiful waltz,” the lady responded inexplicably to her passionate suitor. “Let us see if they have opened the ballroom.”

She was always polite. She never made sense.

Without waiting for assistance, the duke’s daughter rose in a graceful swish of sprigged muslin, revealing a waist so petite that Will knew his big clumsy hands could encompass it.

He went on alert as the scowling suitor groped his way upright by leaning on the bench she’d just departed.

“My lady, I have poured my heart at your feet. I think I have a right to expect an answer.”

The mastiff stiffened at his tone. Will did the same, narrowing his eyes as the gentleman caught the lady’s arm to detain her.

Wordlessly, Lady Aurelia donned her frostiest expression, her impossibly long lashes sweeping up and down in disdain as she regarded the hand on her person.

“Just say yes, my lady,” the gentleman suggested. “We are well suited. I will see that you are never bothered by undesirable admirers.”

“The waltz calls,” she said, removing the hand crushing her sleeve by the simple expedient of bending a finger back until he had to jerk away.

Will breathed a sigh of relief as she swayed briskly in the direction of the duke’s sprawling mansion. He really didn’t wish to lose the duke’s approval by pounding a rich lordling into the ground like a garden post.

Regrettably, the lordling didn’t take the lady’s form of dismissal as an answer. He caught up with her in a single stride, grabbed her arm, and swung her around rather forcefully.

The frightened look on Lady Aurelia’s fair face was all it took to set off Will’s protective instincts. Trying his best to remember he wasn’t at home and couldn’t do as he pleased, he snapped his fingers and set Ajax lose. The giant mastiff ran straight toward the couple.

Arbitrarily deciding the lordling didn’t look as frightened of the dog as the lady did of his grip, Will silently ordered Ajax to jump. The dog enthusiastically obeyed.

Enormous paws landed square on the back of a tailored coat. The gentleman had to release the object of his desire if only to remain upright. Will noticed the nodcock did not attempt to block Aurelia from the dog’s paws, as a gentleman ought.

“Get off me, you beast!” the fool yelled, darting to one side while Ajax waved her tail at the lady’s feet and waited for a reward.

Will sauntered from his hiding place in the hedge. “Well met, my lady,” he called, without explanation. He seldom gave explanations, and the lady knew who he was.

“Is this your bloody brute?” the angry suitor demanded. “Get him off me!”

“Her. Even females can be heroes. Ajax, down.” Will snapped his fingers, then produced a treat from his pocket. The mastiff happily trotted over to where Will had placed himself—between the lady and the gentleman.

“Good afternoon, sir.” The lady patted Ajax’s massive head and accepted a drooling slurp. “Good doggie.”

With legs down, the mastiff stood well over waist high. Her massive head and teeth turned toward the angry suitor, blocking his way. Without another word, Lady Aurelia swept down the gravel path, her petticoats swaying, her head held high.

The lordling glared at Will and fisted his fingers. “Who the devil are you?”

“The one keeping the duke’s dog from biting off your balls.” That was one explanation he didn’t mind giving. Feeding Ajax her treat, Will aimed for his original goal, the kennel.

There. He had behaved like the gentleman he wasn’t for a change. Did the soul good to occasionally refrain from pounding lordlings into fence posts.



Even females can be heroes, Mr. Madden had said.

Aurelia wished she had the courage to be one.

Although she could hear her sister entertaining their guests on the new piano, Aurelia didn’t proceed toward the ballroom as she’d intended. After Clayton’s assault, the usual pounding in her head had escalated, and she retreated, shivering. She’d had quite enough company for a while.

Concentrating on the music to block out all the rest of the household clangor and chatter, she sought solace in the garden parlor overlooking the path to the stable and kennel.

A long line of yews sheltered the buildings from view, but Mr. Madden hadn’t reached them yet. At the sight of him, she took a deep breath of relief and relaxed. The large . . . gentleman . . . strode along, unharmed, as if he hadn’t a care in the world. She didn’t know what had come over the usually indolent Lord Clayton, but she despised altercations and was glad the dog trainer had behaved with more civility than the earl’s son.

She had heard tales of Mr. Madden. His animals had pulled drowning people from ponds, found lost children in snowstorms, and more. She had thought them mostly local-boy-does-good stories, but his action in keeping Clayton away today added corroboration.

Mr. Madden had the build of an ox, she noted. Any attempt to hit the dog handler’s hard, very square jaw would have broken Lord Clayton’s knuckles. Since Mr. Madden spent most of his time in physical exercise and had the taut bulging muscles to prove it, Clayton wouldn’t have fared any better had he pummeled him elsewhere. She appreciated the trainer’s long-legged stride and straight posture as he directed Ajax into happy circles to prevent the dog from chasing after a rabbit crossing their path.