Nancy nodded and tore her gaze away from the portrait, unable to look into the soulless eyes of her husband for a moment longer.
“Would it be all right if I took a break from the ball’s preparations? Perhaps we can continue in the evening,” she asked, suddenly feeling tired.
“Of course, Your Grace. You have done so much already, and there is still time to add the remaining decorations and finalize the preparations. So, please, get some rest,” Mrs. Silverstone urged kindly.
Nancy did not look at the portrait again as she left the library, but it felt as though she was haunted by her husband’s sad gaze on her way out.
* * *
Dash had really grown into a well-behaved little creature. He was obedient, attentive, and he continued to impress Nancy with how willing he always was when it came to staying with or without her. But still, he preferred to be by her side, hardly ever straying away from more than a moment and hardly without a fuss.
While he did not throw tantrums, he could often be heard whining as she walked away from him. Still, his behavior was exceptionally good, and it made her wonder when it would be a good time to suggest that her husband give the dog a chance to keep him company as well.
But of all Dash’s less-than-adorable habits, the one that bothered Nancy the most was his knack for disappearing at night for a while. She eventually figured out that he had a tendency to slip out of her room when Paula was leaving, always eager to stroll around the castle before bed.
And as endearing as that was, Nancy also found it to be a horrible quirk, given that her husband did not like dogs and might actually be startled into a heart attack if he found Dash wandering around at night.
So, she was less than thrilled when she found out her dog was not in his usual corner, just as she was about to climb into bed after the long day she had. Thus, she grudgingly kicked off her blankets and climbed out of bed.
This time she remembered to grab a dressing gown, unsure if she could handle once again the way her husband had stared at her that night. After she had returned to her room, it felt like she could still feel his gaze on her skin, scorching her with desire.
Today was not the day for such thoughts.
Once she had properly donned her dressing gown, she stepped out of her room to look for her puppy. She had reached the end of the hall before she began to hear barking, and she sighed in relief that she did not need to search the whole castle for him.
She followed the sound of his excited barking to a door that was ajar, but she knew what the room was without having to look inside.
Dash was in her husband’s study.
She winced, already imagining how badly things could have gone, worried about both Richard and Dash. However, when she peered into the room, the sight before her was not one she had expected.
Richard had a small ball in his hand, and he held it up out of Dash’s reach.
“All right,onemoretoss. But you have to be quiet, or else you’ll wake up the whole castle.”
Dash yapped, this time softer, earning a smile from him.
Richard gently tossed the ball, and Dash immediately went after it, catching it in his mouth and proudly bringing it back to him.
“Good boy!” Richard grinned, patting the top of the puppy’s head, making him wag his tail excitedly.
The sight before her warmed up her heart completely, and she smiled, enamored with how close they seemed.
Nancy had hoped that one day Richard might eventually give Dash a chance, and they might bond, but she had been worried about it all not working out. Yet, it had all happened without her involvement and knowledge.
Dash went still for a moment then he turned his head, immediately spotting her. With a littlewoof,he left Richard and went to greet her.
She had to keep herself from groaning out loud. She couldn’t be upset with Dash for exposing her, but she could not be entirely happy either as she had hoped to retreat quietly and leave them be. Since Dash was clearly safe, she did not want to interrupt their fun.
Sheepishly, Nancy opened the door, bending slightly to run her fingers through his fur.
“Oh. Duchess.” Richard stared at her in surprise then he hid the ball in his hand behind his back in a bid to pretend that he had not been playing with Dash. “Your… Dash just came looking for you. I was about to lead him back to your room.”
The odd thing was how she found it charming that Richard wanted to hide the fact that he had been playing with her puppy.
As long as he had not been hurt and did not seem to hate Dash, she was fine with whatever he wished to do or share with her.
“Thank you for looking after him. I am sorry if he bothered you—he keeps slipping away when I’m not looking. I hope he didn’t startle you,” she told him softly.
