Page 8 of Her Tempting Traitor
Gabby scoffed, “A penis, Hunter. A phallus, a mentula. We are a year away from the twentieth century, and males still believe women incapable of scientific thought and discovery. A disgrace.”
“Well, Gabs, it's a good thing I’m here to help with my hugely impressive…” He wiggled his eyebrows. “Smile.”
Gabby couldn’t help but roll her eyes again with a mocking sigh. "Yes, because your smile has done wonders on elephants before, has it not?”
This world might not be ready for a female veterinarian yet, but she’d long ago decided to build a better world for the next generation of women.Shewouldn’t be having any daughters, of course—at eight and twenty, she was no longer interested in marriage, not when she could dedicate her life to science, and when there were no men who would give her the equality and adventure for which she yearned. But her family—both blood and otherwise—contained plenty of young women she’d helped grow over the years.
Uncle Rourke and Aunt Sophia, who had raised her and Hunter, now had Barrett and Lizzie, who at thirteen years old were somehow precociousandprecious. Aunt Georgia and Demon—he’d long ago forbidden anyone to call himUncle, even Georgia’s nieces and nephews—had Rosie and her younger brother. Rosie was a full eighteen now, and Gabby liked to thinkshe’dhelped the girl turn into the determined little firebrand she was now.
So yes, it was at times ridiculously frustrating to know Gabby would never be taken seriously by her peers, but hopefully future generations of women would live their lives and find their passions without such prejudice, thanks in a small part to her.
And who knows? Maybe this mission could be a part of that. Maybe Sir Richard will surprise you.
She snorted softly to herself.Unlikely.
“—easy as that, isn’t it, Gabs?” Bull prompted her. “Or do you disagree?”
Oh blast. As she’d been fuming about the state of women’s rights, Bull had continued to brief Hunter on the mission, and she’d missed most of it. Now she shook her head once, not bothering to lie. “I was thinking of something else. Do you have our cover stories for us?”
“I do.” Her uncle-turned-friend scooped up the documents in front of him and passed them out. “As you ken, it’s usually easier to use yer first names and change the last. I’ve set ye up new identities, and quite a few references.”
“All forged, of course,” Gabby murmured, glancing over her papers. “Because Hunter does not know a zebra from a quagga.”
Her brother glanced up in excitement. “No, wait, I ken this! A zebra is a stripey horse, and a quagga is the adorable smiley mouse from Australia?”
Smiley mouse. Gabby frowned to cover her smirk, leafing through the fake references. “That is thequakka, and they are marsupials, not mice.” Although theywereadorable. “A quagga is non-stripey zebra in South Africa that is likely extinct by now, thanks to hunting.”
It was Bull’s turn to cross his arms and glare. “A stripey zebra and a non-stripey zebra? That seems like some niche knowledge, Gabby, ye cannae expect him to?—”
“An exotic veterinarian would know it,” she challenged, sending him a raised brow.
Bull inclined his head with an impressed grin, and she knew she’d won that point.
“Hunter Butcombe?” her brother suddenly blurted, squinting at his papers. “I’m supposed to be Hunter Butcombe?”
“DoctorHunter Butcombe,” Bull corrected, leaning nonchalantly against the desk. “Respected veterinarian.”
“My name is supposed to bebutt cum?Are ye certain ye didnae miss an H?”
Gabby leaned over to tap his references. “I seriously doubt you would findButt-chumto be less offensive.”
“Butt-chum?” Hunter repeated, then shook his head. “I meantButch-um.”
Well how in the world did he think it was spelled? “Butch ‘emdoes not make sense.” Gabby waved her papers. “Besides, at least you are notMissButcombe.”
Her brother’s eyes widened as he read her alias. “Och. Ye’re right, that’s bloody awful. But how am I supposed to keep a straight face, eh? I can see it now, poor elephant looking at me like,Ye dinnae ken what ye’re doing, Butcombe.”
Gabby shook her head. “Well, hopefully the elephant will not be the one judging your qualifications.”
They both swung on their uncle, who held up his hands in surrender, a playful gleam in his eyes, not quite successfully hiding his smirk. “There just so happens to be a famous animal doctor in France named Hunter Butchom. This is close enough that if Sir Richard investigates, he’ll hear back abouthim.”
“And will he investigate?” demanded Hunter.
Gabby sighed and placed her hand on her brother’s arm. “Not if we do our job well enough. I have researched the probable causes of his elephant’s distress, but until we get there I cannot give you any specific insight. Hopefully we can impress Sir Richard well enough on first meeting that he leaves us to it. While I am working on his menagerie, you can be working on his houseguest.”
As he nodded somberly, Gabby knew her brother understood. “And we can find evidence against this traitor, and bring him to justice.”
She answered with a nod of her own, her fingers tightening. They were a good team, the two of them, and she was pleased they would be able to work together on this mission. One way or the other, they needed to bewelcomed at Inverlochy, and the sick elephant was their ticket.
