“At any rate,” he said, turning from the carriage back toward her. “Maxwell and I were going to go walking near the Serpentine, and we were wondering if you would be at all interested in joining us.”
“Oh, I am not sure…” she said, torn. She should say no. She had work to do at the office. But then she looked at Maxwell’s hopeful face, his tongue lolling out one side of his mouth, and she just couldn’t resist.
“All right,” she conceded. “A quick walk, and then I really must be going.”
“Very well,” he said with a nod. “Is there a maid, perhaps, who you are waiting for?”
“Oh!” she exclaimed. No, she hadn’t planned on bringing her maid with her to the newspaper offices, but she supposed that walking across Hyde Park alone with the marquess may be crossing the line farther than even she dared. “One moment, I shall see what is keeping her.”
After a hasty conversation with the butler to find Nancy and have her meet them outside, Lord Berkley took her elbow to lead her to his rather magnificent carriage, with its family crest painted in gold on the door of the shiny black vehicle. She noted Nancy scurrying out the door and receiving a hand from the footman as he helped her atop the seat.
“Careful,” Lord Berkley warned as he provided Phoebe with a hand up the stairs. Initially, she thought he was referring to the steps. But as soon as she ducked her head to enter the carriage, she realized that it was not the steps he was warning her of, but rather the ball of fur that came hurtling toward her, shaking in excitement.
Maxwell launched her back against the seat, and she laughed as he bathed her face in his excitement.
“Maxwell, off!” Lord Berkley called as he followed in behind her, and the dog reluctantly removed his paws from her shoulders to sit dutifully beside his master as the carriage began to move. “He’s a menace,” he said by way of apology, but Phoebe waved away his words.
“He’s friendly, “she supplied instead. “I love it. How long have you had him?”
“Three years,” he said, and a change came over his face as he spoke of his dog. No longer was he serious and stoic, but he seemed …. almost animated, excited. “One of my neighbor’s dogs had pups, and he was one of them. He found his way over to our yard once he was big enough to roam and he’s been with me ever since.”
“What type of dog is he?” she asked him, though her attention was focused on Maxwell.
“The mother was a bloodhound, actually,” he said, and once he told her, she could see it within him. “But whatever the father was, it seems to have overcome any bloodhound attributes or instincts. I’ve tried to take him hunting, but a tomcat would be more useful.”
“Well, he certainly is intriguing looking,” she said diplomatically, and he laughed.
“Intriguing is a very polite word for Maxwell,” he agreed.
She took the opportunity to do a perusal of the man now, instead of his dog. He wore a forest green jacket that was quite becoming on him, expertly fitted to his tall frame. He wasn’t thin or even lean like many men she knew, but had a broad chest and shoulders that filled out his clothing. She had felt that chest beneath her hands when they had kissed in his study. She remembered slipping her fingers under his waistcoat, feeling the hard muscle of him beneath his linen shirt.
Her face warmed as she thought of it, and she hastily looked away when she caught his gaze upon her.
“Are you all right, Lady Phoebe?” he asked.
“Never better, Lord Berkley,” she said airily. “Never better.”
She fanned herself slightly but dropped her hand as she saw the crinkles form in the corner of his eyes and lips.
“I will feel fine once we are out in the fresh air,” she continued. “I have a bit of sickness from the motion of the carriage, that is all.”
Actually, for once she hadn’t noticed it, but she wasn’t about to tell him that.
“You’re in luck, Lady Phoebe, for here we are,” he said as the carriage came to a halt.
The footman opened the door and Maxwell bounded out, a startled shriek quickly reaching them as he apparently caught someone unaware.
“Maxwell, come!” Lord Berkley called, and the dog returned after a few moments, tail wagging exuberantly. “Stay with me now,” he commanded, pointing a finger at Maxwell, who dropped his tongue out of his mouth in response.
“Do you fancy a walk near the lake?” he asked Phoebe, and she nodded with a smile on her lips. Nancy stepped down from the top of the carriage to follow along behind them.
Most of their attention was consumed by Maxwell, which was fine with Phoebe. He was a joy to watch, and she wished they could all live their lives with such exuberance. When they reached the Serpentine, Lord Berkley picked up a stick, throwing it as far as it could into the lake, and Maxwell jumped in recklessly with a splash, swimming with all his might.
“He’s amazing,” she said with a laugh as she looked up at Lord Berkley. “He made the right choice, Lord Berkley, in choosing a master who would allow him to be the dog he truly is, to not force his incredible spirit out of him.”
Lord Berkley shifted from one foot to the other at that and finally shrugged.
“I didn’t have much choice,” he said. “And, Lady Phoebe, perhaps… you might call me by my given name. It seems only appropriate since we … well, it makes sense.”