She met her husband’s gaze, bracing herself for some sort of demand to toss it outside or to put it in a hedge somewhere. She loathed confrontation but there was no chance she would leave this creature at the mercy of the world when it needed her.
“My saloon. It is the smallest and we can warm it quickly with a fire.”
“Yes.” Ivy couldn’t resist a relieved smile. “Yes, that would be perfect.”
***
The bundle in Ivy’s arms emitted the most God-awful noise Cillian had ever heard. How such a small creature made such a sound he did not know. He didn’t get a chance to ask why it did such a thing as Ivy began issuing orders for meat to be prepared and some blankets to be brought to his saloon. Cillian didn’t think he’d felt this helpless since he’d been slashed across the face with a sword.
There was something to be admired about the way she took charge, though. His usually quiet wife certainly had a commanding way about her. None of the servants seemed particularly endeared toward either of them—though what Ivy had ever done to offend them he could not say. Anyone who saw anything other than loveliness in the woman had to be a fool.
However, once she took charge, she had them all scurrying about to look after this tiny creature. If it wasn’t for the racket and the patent concern on Ivy’s face, Cillian might find it amusing.
He followed Ivy and the screeching hedgehog to the saloon where she cradled the creature until blankets and a crate from a recent vegetable delivery was set up whilst he got the fire going. Once settled in the box, the animal quietened. Ivy remained close to the hedgehog, curling her legs underneath her as she adjusted the blankets. Two times food was brought in and sent away as not good enough for the animal.
Cillian eyed her with wonder. When he’d said they had an understanding to the group of onlookers he had little idea what sort of wife he would be gaining. His only concern at the time was to ensure history never repeated itself. He couldn’t let another woman’s fate be at the whim of another terrible man. But it seemed he chose well. No one could deny she made the perfect viscountess when she issued succinct orders all in aid of a creature this tiny.
What a shame the same could not be said for him. He didn’t know anyone who thought he was suited to being a viscount—himself included.
“Will you feed it?” he asked, peering over the edge of the box from his position by the fire. He couldn’t make out much, just a tiny fleck of brown amongst green blankets.
She didn’t look at him. “Not yet. It seems quite content for now.”
Wonderful. Now he was starting to feel jealous of a hedgehog. Couldn’t she look at him that way?
“What’s wrong with it?”
“It might have simply been in distress, or it could be injured.” Ivy glanced up at him finally.
“And that noise...what the devil was that about?”
“Hedgehogs make that noise when injured.” She smiled when he made a face. “I know. It is the most awful sound.”
“Will it be all right?”
“I shall keep an eye on it, but I hope so. He seems to be settled now and I shall check it for injuries later. He’s just been through quite the ordeal, and I would not wish him to be in any further distress.”
Cillian dropped to his haunches to eye a tiny paw sticking out from the blanket. “He?” he asked. “How do you know that?”
“I quickly checked when I picked it up.”
He shook his head. Would this woman ever cease to surprise him? “And where on earth did you learn to tell the sex of a hedgehog?”
Ivy glanced at her lap. “It is sort of my thing.”
“Your...thing?”
“I love animals.”
“I think most people like animals. I’ve always wanted a dog.”
“Oh me too,” she gasped, and he vowed he would get her one as soon as he got the chance if he could make her face light up like that again.
“But not many know how to tell the sex of a hedgehog, Ivy.”
“When I say I love animals, Ireallylove animals.” Her smile broadened, confirming he most certainly needed to get her a dog. “At home...” She paused and frowned. “At my father’s house—I used to take in strays. I had a whole area of the stables for them, and everyone in the nearby village and even Bath knew I would take injured and sick animals. I could never resist.”
“When did that start? The taking in of animals, I mean.”