The Virtuous Ward - By Karla Darcy Page 0,8

offe Amity said, "Thank you, Peter, but he's more used to me."

Amity scrambled up the stairs and grasped a handful of fur at Muffin's neck. With her hip she shoved the dog off the seat and half-dragged, half-carried the reluctant visitor to the carriage sweep. Peter shifted nervously but, pluck to the bone, he extended his open palm for the inspection of the huge dog. Muffin sniffed once then extended his tongue and licked the footman's hand.

"Muffin approves, Peter. And he's very particular about his friends." Amity smiled at the relieved look on the footman's face but in an instant it had changed to red-faced embarrassment. Turning, she was unabashed to discover the dog had given in to an urgent call of nature. Lowering her voice she said to the footman, " Muffin usually behaves with more discretion, although I suspect my guardian will not be best pleased to have the wheels of his carriage abused in such a fashion."

Peter smothered a laugh, amazed at the matter-of-fact way the young lady spoke of the subject. There seemed to be nothing hoity-toity about his lordship's ward and he resolved to help her when he could.

Amity called to the dog and then her eyes shifted to the imposing facade of the great house and she shivered, intimidated by the grandeur of the estate. In a tentative voice she said, "Well, I suppose I better go in."

Reminded of his duties Peter stiffened to attention, extending his hand in the direction of the opened double doors. Under his breath, he blurted, "Cartwright will have my head, miss, for keeping you jawing on the very steps."

"I suppose that's the very starchy butler I see waiting inside," Amity whispered.

"Aye, Miss Fraser. Him and the housekeeper, Mrs. Trilby, will be greeting you, proper-like."

"Sounds awful," Amity moaned, earning a wink of encouragement from the boy before he turned back to the coach and the other footmen who were struggling to remove her trunks from the boot.

Shifting her reticule to her left hand, she grasped a great chunk of Muffin's hair and hauled the dog up the shallow stone steps and in at the huge carved doorway. Her blue eyes widened at the line of servants spread across the marble foyer and she released the dog, wiping her hand surreptitiously on her skirt. A flush rose to her cheeks but bracing her shoulders she stepped forward to address the impressive figure at the head of the line.

Before she could speak, the butler clicked his heels and inclined his upper body in greeting. "Welcome to Edgeworth, Miss Fraser."

"Thank you, Cartwright. I'm very pleased to be here," Amity said, extending her hand to the startled butler who shook it as though handling stolen goods.

"This is the housekeeper, Mrs. Trilby." Cartwright indicated a plump, matron whose work-roughened hands gripped her ring of keys.

"I'm very glad to meet you, Mrs. Trilby." Amity smiled at the woman who responded with a tentative smile of her own.

"If you'd be kind enough to follow me, Miss Fraser," the housekeeper said.

Amity hesitated, knowing that the household's first impression of her was very important. As always, she responded to instinct and placed a detaining hand on the older woman's arm. "If it's all right, Mrs. Trilby, I'd like to meet the others first so that I can begin sorting out names."

The housekeeper's mouth opened but no words came forth and in desperation the woman turned for instruction. Cartwright, more used to the idiosyncrasies of the gentry, coughed. The line of servants snapped to attention. Punctiliously the starchy butler introduced each of the members of the downstairs brigade, while Amity smiled and shook hands, wondering all the while how she would ever remember all of their names. They had just reached Jem, the pot scrubber, when the boy's shoulders began to shake with barely controlled laughter.

Amity had been aware of Muffin's cringing presence as she walked down the line. However she had tried to ignore him in order to maintain her dignity. Now at the touch of a cold nose on her leg she realized the dog had gone to extreme measures to gain reassurance. Turning, she looked down at the shaggy beast whose head was hidden beneath her skirts. She could feel the hot color washing across her face and she grasped Muffin's fur and tugged as her booted foot nudged his nose. Great soulful brown eyes peered up at her and she dropped to her knees to hug the dog.

"I'm afraid Muffin is as nervous as I