Quite what she thought he was going to do was beyond Konstantin. It was his fault – or rather, that of his idiotic beagle with whom he would be having strong words once he got home – and yet it was she that looked as nervous as a jaybird, as though he would berate her for what had happened rather than offer his assistance. Perhaps she truly was injured? Or else in some other distress because though Konstantin understood that young ladies that were not his sisters were prone to more delicate emotions it wasn’t as though her embarrassment had been public as such…

And then, like the sun coming out on a gloomy day, she smiled and Konstantin found himself smiling back like a fool. She was dusty and blushing and made him feel as though he trip over his feet again at any moment.

Oh Merlin, he was in trouble now.

He followed her attention dumbly and spotted an unfamiliar canine – presumably Penny – trapped in the hedge. Behind her Brian was yapping away and Konstantin had a funny feeling he wasn’t the only man who had seen something he liked that afternoon, though at least he had the decorum not to sniff the young lady. Still, his dog seemed to be moving things along at a much more rapid pace, to the extent that Kons leapt over the hedge to shoo Brian away before the young lady could see anything.

“I think she’s quite alright, just a little bit indignant,” he chuckled nervously, reaching down to part the gap with one hand, the other firmly – very firmly – holding onto Brian’s collar. “Can you pull her out?”

Brian barked again and Kons shot him a withering look. Little beast.