Thawing A Duke's Heart (Faces of Love Series #1) by Jessie Bennett Page A

hours riding in a carriage, my desire to exude some form of comfort outweighed the discomfort of my mother’s impending nagging.
    I padded down the stairs quietly and made my way to the dining room. I could already hear the clank of dishes, telling me that I wasn’t the first to arrive. I could hear the large pads of my ever-present companion behind me, Clarisse. She was a mixed breed dog, something between a bulldog and a pug. The mating had been quite accidentally done with one of Lady Merritt’s prize pugs and one of her husband’s hunting dogs. She had determined that they were absolutely hideous. She had three little plump short puppies with huge paws and a wrinkled face to match their sire. She had agreed to sell me the runt as a Christmas present a few months ago.
    Clarisse was now four months old, and just about the cutest pup I had ever seen in my entire life. Not only did her short stubby legs and large paws never quite grow to match her fat wrinkled body, but she also snorted whenever she exerted herself or slept. This was all thanks to the short nose squished behind rolls of fur. She was not as athletic as one might have thought with a sporting breed for a sire, but she rather enjoyed laying next to me in the library or garden while I read. It made her a perfect companion for me.
    I stopped just outside the dining room doors. I could hear my mother’s voice, muffled as she spoke. I looked down at Clarisse, who immediately sat and stared back up at me. Mother had shared Lady Merritt’s opinion of my little pup. I gave her a loving pat on her black- and white-spotted head.
    “Perhaps you should wait out here,” I said to Clarisse. She snuffed indignantly and gave me a small whine.
    “Yes, I know you too enjoy the breakfast I sneak to you from under the table, but I think Mother is quite beside herself today with all the packing and such. It would be better for you to wait here.”
    Clarisse gave me one last huff and slid down to lay on the floor. I had to step over her to make my way into the dining room.
    “You know she can’t understand you,” a voice called from behind me.
    I turned in time to see me sister Julia give Clarisse a pat on the head before stepping over her. Julia was my favorite of all my sisters, of which I had three to be exact, and by far the most beautiful of us all. She had inherited my father’s silken blonde hair and silver blue eyes. She was also the closest to me in age, I being only her senior by eighteen months.
    She strolled up alongside me, linking her arm through mine as we made our way to the dining table. She had chosen to wear her blue light cotton dress. It was striped, with a small blue cornflower pattern down each stripe. It brought out the blue in her otherwise grey eyes.
    We sat between my mother and father. We each greeted them in turn. Father simply turned down the corner of his paper and winked at us before returning to his reading. Mother, on the other hand, was in deep conversation with one of the servants. She was dissatisfied with our meal of porridge and toast.
    I was quite happy to see the simple meal. With a full day of jostling in a carriage ahead of us, I would rather not have our normal rich breakfast of hotcakes and sausages.
    “Mother, you can’t possibly expect them to make the normal meal when they are already busy doing so much else.”
    Mother dismissed the servant before turning toward me.
    “Mary, please do not question me when I am speaking to the help. I don't think I am being at all unreasonable in my request, don’t you agree, Lord Withington?”
    My father had long since learned not to give his opinion in these situations. The question may have been asked, but an answer was by no means desired by my Lady mother.
    In fact, she continued with scarcely a breath between sentences. “I simply ask that we be given a proper breakfast before our travels. Lady Merritt has never wanted for hunger as she makes her way to town for the