Page 137 of From Best Friend to Bride
“I think you should focus the dog training on the actual dog,” I replied. “She’s playing tug of war with the curtain right now.”
“Oh, bother!”
“I’ve got her, my lady,” Harry said, scooping down to pick up the Cocker Spaniel puppy Granny rescued two weeks ago. He wrestled the fabric out of her mouth, and Esmerelda barked her little yappy noises at him in displeasure. “If I may be bold, perhaps a puppy isn’t the best choice, given your age.”
“What are you yammering on about, dear?” Granny took Esmerelda from his arms. The puppy panted, looking happily at Granny’s face. “She’s meant for me. She was born the day we lost our Judy. She visited me in a dream, you know.”
Yes.
We all knew.
Nana had come to her in a dream like some angel from heaven with a divine revelation and told her to go and get this little caramel-coloured puppy.
Did any of us believe her? No. Not for a single second. But her reasoning meant we also couldn’t say no.
Not that anyone could say no to her.
Case in point: my ongoing marriage.
“Then hire a proper dog trainer.” Fred’s voice rang through the room, and I turned to see him leaning against thedoorframe, arms folded across his chest. “And a dog walker, preferably. She’s so full of beans. She almost tripped one of the housekeepers earlier.”
“Esmerelda,” Granny scolded her. “We’ve talked about this.”
I wasn’t sure dogs could listen to reason, but whatever.
“Don’t talk to it,” Fred said. “Train it.”
“That ‘it’ is your aunt!”
“I am not referring to a dog as my aunt. It’s bad enough I have a miniature cow as my de-facto daughter.”
“Hey, leave Spice out of this.” I covered the cow’s ears. “Don’t let her find out we aren’t her real parents. It’ll break her hairy little heart.”
Fred blinked at me. “She’s in my living room again.”
“Of course, she is. I’m her mother.” I held her up and grinned at him. “I brushed her hair. Doesn’t she look pretty?”
“Moo,” said Spice.
He licked his lips, saying nothing.
“Rude.” I hugged her close to me and frowned at him. “You’re supposed to tell her that she looks lovely.”
“I’m wondering when my house turned into an animal rescue,” he replied. “Isn’t Spice supposed to be moving outside now?”
“No.” I pressed my face into her hair and peered up at him. “Don’t take her from me.”
“She’s a cow. Cows don’t live inside, wife.”
“Dogs didn’t once upon a time,” Granny crooned, rocking Esmerelda in her arms. “And here we are.”
I nodded vigorously.
“Don’t give her ideas,” he said, turning to Harry. “Why is the cow still inside?”
He cleared his throat. “We tried to move her two days ago, my lord, but you see… The countess wouldn’t let us.”
Fred rubbed his hand down his face with a deep sigh and walked over to me. “Delilah, we talked about this.”
