HELD CAPTIVE BY A ROGUE

Chapter Seven

It was early morning when the first rays of sunlight came filtering through the open windows in the kitchen where Emma had just finished preparing a breakfast tray for Lord Christopher and Katie. Mumbling to herself about a dog in the house, she picked up the tray and carried it upstairs.

Entering Kathryn's bed chamber quietly, she set the tray down on the table and opened up the heavy, velvet drapes to let the sunlight into the room. She could see the injured dog sleeping comfortably on a pallet by the side of the bed and all the potions Kathryn had used sitting on the nightstand. With a raised eyebrow, she walked over to examine them a little closer. This mixture of roots and herbs were an old family secret. How in the world would Katie know about them? She wondered curiously to herself holding the bowl of potion in her hand.

A slight whimper sounded from the dog and he slowly flickered his eyes open. Instantly, Kathryn sat up with a start for she had heard his cry. "Has his fever returned? She asked, Emma worriedly before quickly climbing out of the bed.

"No, I don't believe so, his eyes actually look fairly clear as a matter of fact."

Kathryn sighed with relief at hearing the housekeeper's words and knelt down next to the dog and stroked him lightly. He looked up at her with his big brown eyes as she continued petting him. "You sure look a lot better this morning then you did last night, old boy," she said to him softly.

"Katie, where did you learn how to mix these particular roots and herbs?" Emma asked seriously, staring at her.

Kathryn stopped petting the dog and thought for a moment about Emma's question. "I don't know, Emma," she finally replied with a frown crossing her brow. "I vaguely remember an older woman, she looked kind of like you, teaching me how to use them. "Why do you ask? Is it important?"

"It's just that this particular root and herb mixture is an old family recipe, only known to my family, at least I've always thought so. That's why it's so strange that you know about them."

"Could I possibly know someone in your family do you think, Emma?" Kathryn asked with a hopeful gleam in her eye.

"Possibly, but I wonder who? I come from a rather large family and this secret has been passed down from generation to generation," she explained to Kathryn.

Christopher entered the room after he'd heard the two women talking to each other.

"Good morning, your lordship," Emma greeted him seeing him enter.

"Good morning, ladies," he said with surprise, for he saw that the dog was still alive. Actually, looking much improved from the day before. "I see you've performed quite a miracle, Katie. I thought for sure that the dog wouldn't last through the night."

"Well, it was touch and go for a while, your lordship, but he finally pulled through."

"I can see that," he said, gazing at Kathryn proudly. "What are you going to call him, Katie?"

"I don't really know, your lordship, I haven't really thought about it," she replied and then looked down, deep in thought.

Christopher reached out and patted the dog on the head. "You sure have dodged death, old boy," he said, the dog responding to his attention. "I thought you were a goner for sure last night."

"Dodged death," Kathryn murmured to herself. "That's it! I'll call him Dodger!"

"Dodger! What kind of a name is that for a golden retriever?" Christopher uttered in dismay. "Although, it does fit his circumstances quite well."

Emma rolled her eyes, glancing between the two of them and decided to leave quietly and reheat their breakfast knowing full well that it would be cold by the time they got around to eating it.