Page 56 of The Texan Duke
“I have, Elsbeth,” he said. “But I expect that you won’t approve.”
She had an inkling of what Daniel was going to say before he admitted it.
“You named him Gavin,” she said.
He looked shocked. “No, Elsbeth. I would never do that. But he does look like a duke to me.”
Connor chuckled. “I agree. What have you named this one?” he asked, holding the puppy up at eye level.
“He needs a name,” Daniel said. “Nothing has occurred to me. He’s got all the instincts of a good herder.”
“We use the dogs mostly with our sheep,” Elsbeth said. “Although there are some people who use them to herd cattle.”
Daniel nodded, then turned and led the way into the main room of the cottage. Unlike Mr. Stuyvesant’s sparsely furnished home, this cottage was difficult to navigate because it was filled with Daniel’s treasures. He hadn’t thrown anything out since his wife had died and Diane had collected everything from pitchers to dresser scarves to thistles she’d dried and made into potpourri.
Since Diane’s death two years ago the dogs had claimed pride of place. In addition to the two puppies she and Connor held, there were three more, plus their mother and father. Once they’d given the alert to Daniel, they’d stopped barking, but Fiona was whining a little. Elsbeth knew what that meant. She sat, the puppy on her lap, and motioned the dog closer.
“I’ve missed you, Fiona,” she said, scratching in front of the collie’s ears. “I’m not taking your baby away, I promise.” Fiona nosed her puppy, then looked up at Elsbeth.
She dug down into her cloak pocket and pulled out the two bones she’d gotten for the dogs earlier, looking at Daniel for approval.
“From Addy?” he asked.
She nodded. At his okay, she gave one to Fiona and the other to Hamish. Once she placed Duke on the floor, he trailed after his mother, hoping for a taste of the bone.
“Have you ever trained your dogs to herd any other kinds of cattle?”
Daniel frowned at Connor, sat in the chair on the opposite side of the room and took up his pipe, nodding toward the settee nearest him.
Connor sat, opened his coat and the puppy made a home in the folds of the sheepskin lining.
“A cow is a cow,” Daniel said. “There’s not much difference between them.”
“Ever hear of a Longhorn?” he asked, his hand gently stroking the puppy, who promptly curled up into a ball and fell asleep.
“That I haven’t,” Daniel said.
Connor described the animal and talked about the cattle dogs he had now.
“I’ve given some thought to getting a Scottish collie or two and seeing if they would work.”
“Oh,” Daniel said, drawing on his pipe, “they would work. The dogs always do what they’re trained to do. The cows might have a different mind for a little while, but they would eventually catch on. Are you asking me if I’m willing to part with a few of my dogs?”
Connor seemed to study the other man for a moment, and then he nodded, just once. “I am. Two of them.”
“Well, it would take a few instructions with you,” Daniel said.
“With me?”
“Aye. Like I said, the dogs always do what they’re trying to do. It’s the human that’s often the problem. You would have to learn how to give them instructions.” He drew on his pipe then said, “You think on that for a while and if you agree, we can come to some kind of arrangement.”
Perhaps she should have warned Connor that Daniel charged a great deal for his dogs. They were worth it, but they didn’t come cheap. Of course, Connor was beyond wealthy now, wasn’t he? He would never have to worry about money again, especially if he went through with his idea to sell Bealadair.
That was such a sad thought that she bent and began to play with a puppy tugging on her shoelaces.
Chapter 19
Daniel invited them to stay for tea, but Elsbeth wanted to get to Castle McCraight before it turned dark. In the winter the days were short. Plus, the weather could turn bad again. Mr. Stuyvesant’s knee notwithstanding, it could begin snowing at any time.
