Page 74 of Second Duke's the Charm
The creature abandoned Tess and went to sniff at Justin.
“Still, he’s only young.”
“I wonder if it’s because he’s a male,” Tess chuckled. “Short attention span, easily distracted.”
Thornton gave her a mock scowl at being so maligned. “He’s merely lacking guidance and discipline. He’ll learn.”
The dog was adorable, like a small poodle, with very curly hair, variegated in patches of brown and white. Just as Justin bent to ruffle its shaggy coat, the little creature cocked its leg and peed all over the front of his shiny leather boots.
Mr. Collins’s eyes widened in horror, and Tess froze, waiting to see how Thornton would react. Her father would have grabbed the dog by the scruff of the neck and shaken it in a rage, but Justin merely raised his brows. And then his lips curved up in amusement.
“Hoby uses champagne blacking to polish boots, Oliver. I’m not surethatwill have the same effect.”
Tess let out a relieved laugh, while Oliver plopped down on his round little bottom and stared up at Justin in clear adoration, as if expecting praise for his brilliant trick.
“Naughty boy.” Justin smiled, shaking his head. “Go find a tree next time.”
The puppy simply stared up at him with his deep brown eyes, tongue lolling.
“Your Grace, this is Mr. Collins, our gamekeeper,” Tess said quickly. “He lives near Hollyfield with his wife and six children.”
Justin nodded a greeting and the older man touched the rim of his hat in deference.
“And this is Nell.” She pointed to the second dog.
“What type of dog are they?” Justin asked as they started walking into the trees.
“They’re a poodle mix that originated in Italy, Your Grace,” Collins said. “My family have bred them for years.”
“The French and Italian truffle hunters often use pigs,” Tess added. “But pigs love the truffles so much that they tend to gobble them up as soon as they find them, whereas the dogs can be persuaded to leave the truffle in exchange for another treat.”
“Which is why I have a pocketful of cheese, to bribe Nell and Oliver here.” Collins patted his coat.
It was a glorious afternoon. The trees were still bare, the ground carpeted in a rusty brown layer of leaves. Rays of sunshine slanted through the branches, and motes danced in the beams. The dogs trotted by their heels, and Tess’s spirits soared. She loved being immersed in such a peaceful, natural environment.
“So, what makes this a good spot for truffles?” Justin asked.
“This is a beech forest, and chalky soil,” Collins said. “Perfect conditions for truffle growing.”
“We might not find any today, though,” Tess cautioned. “Autumn and winter are the best time, when it’s wetter. We’re right at the end of the season.”
Collins nodded. “We’ll see. You always seem to bring us luck, Your Grace.” He glanced down at the dog. “Nell, go find!”
Nell put her nose to the ground and set off, snuffling quickly through the fallen leaves. Oliver bounded after her, clearly enjoying the sport, even if he wasn’t preciselysure what he was supposed to be doing. His tail wagged in constant excitement.
“How do you know when she’s found a truffle?”
“She’ll stop and start to scratch at the ground, then she’ll look at my pocket for her reward.” Collins smiled. “She’s a clever one, is Nell. By the end of the day, if she’s found a dozen or so, she doesn’t even eat the cheese, but she still expects to receive it.”
They ambled along, and Tess dropped back to admire Thornton’s broad shoulders and long legs. With a view like that, she didn’t really care if they found any truffles or not. He was as irresistible here as he was in an evening jacket in a London ballroom, but it was nice to see him relaxing a little. His intensity seemed to have mellowed a little.
“Look, she’s digging!”
The three of them hurried over to where the dog was scrabbling with its front paws. Collins pulled out his tool, a wooden stick with an iron point at one end rather like a spear, and began to scrape away the soil. He had to push Oliver’s inquisitive nose away a few times, but sure enough, two or three inches below the surface, he uncovered a small gnarled ball, about the size of a large walnut.
“It’s a good ’un!” he beamed. “Well done, Nell!”
Both dogs received a chunk of cheese, while Justin inspected the truffle. It looked like a tiny, knobbly lump of coal, with a texture like a cauliflower.