about your father.’ She walked slowly towards him while the dog growled softly in defence of her puppies, for she did not know this stranger.
‘But how did you know? He only died an hour ago.’ Their eyes were locked in something that had nothing to do with what they were saying.
‘I met the doctor, who is also my doctor, while I was exercising Foxy, and he told me. I presumed you would be alone so I came to . . . to . . .’
Her voice petered out and she simply stood there. The silence thundered on, then was broken by the puppies both yapping at once and another growl from Bess.
‘Be quiet, Bess. This lady will not harm you or your offspring.’ He put his hand down and clicked his fingers and at once the bitch heaved herself out of her basket and stood up to lick his hand. ‘This is
Rose
who is a friend. A good friend,’ he added softly.
‘I hope you are not . . . that you don’t mind . . . I have not seen you since August when your brother . . . and Alice hasn’t called. I’m sorry about that. I think she and I might have been friends.’
‘She would have been glad of your friendship but I have heard she is kept close to home since that day.’
‘He is a brute.’
‘Yes.’ He shrugged his shoulders then turned abruptly to ring the bell. ‘Here am I, the perfect host who should be offering you some refreshment.’
‘You must still be in shock after the death of your father. I know I was when mine died. But the old cliché about time is true, you know.’
His hand stroked the dog’s silky head while the pups whimpered for attention, then with a sudden movement Rose moved to kneel at the basket. She picked up the squirming puppies who licked and nipped at every bit of her face and neck they could reach in an enchantment of delight.
‘I’ve never had a dog,’ she murmured indistinctly.
‘Then have one of these. Have both if you would care to. They are weaned. Mrs Philips and Mary would be your friends for life if you took them away.’
‘What about their mother? Will she not fret?’
‘Strangely enough dogs lose interest when their pups leave them. They are not like human mothers, you know.’
Rose began to smile and so did he though he had no idea what had amused her. ‘Dolly will have a fit.’
‘I suppose she would but if you’d rather not . . .’
‘Oh no, I would love them. I wonder if Alice would . . .’
His face was a mixture of amusement and dismay. ‘You have never met Arthur Weatherly except for . . . No, he would show you the door if you turned up alone, never mind with a puppy for his daughter. I’m sorry, Rose, but the possibility of a friendship between you and Alice is very remote. Now then, will you drink a cup of hot chocolate with me? You can get to know Bess and the puppies. What will you call them?’
‘Ginger and Spice.’ Her voice was firm.
‘But what made you . . .? Ah, their colouring. Very apt. The multicoloured one is Spice, of course.’
‘Of course.’
They sat for an hour while the pups wandered about the room, making little puddles wherever they fancied but Harry did not seem to care. The subject of the progress of the war came up, the war that was already killing thousands of their young men. Already Harry had lost his groom who had joined up and had been overheard doing his best to persuade Enoch who was a hedger and ditcher and at least forty, to come with him to France just as though it were a holiday that Enoch would enjoy. These were country boys and Harry wondered how long they would last in what he called ‘the grown-up world’ of being a fighting man. Most of them had worked the land since they were thirteen. They had known nothing else so how would they cope in that frightening world across the Channel? He said so to Rose.
‘The First Battle of Ypres and at Mons cost us almost the whole of the British Expeditionary Force and the government is asking for hundreds of thousands of volunteers to replace them.
‘But how did you know? He only died an hour ago.’ Their eyes were locked in something that had nothing to do with what they were saying.
‘I met the doctor, who is also my doctor, while I was exercising Foxy, and he told me. I presumed you would be alone so I came to . . . to . . .’
Her voice petered out and she simply stood there. The silence thundered on, then was broken by the puppies both yapping at once and another growl from Bess.
‘Be quiet, Bess. This lady will not harm you or your offspring.’ He put his hand down and clicked his fingers and at once the bitch heaved herself out of her basket and stood up to lick his hand. ‘This is
Rose
who is a friend. A good friend,’ he added softly.
‘I hope you are not . . . that you don’t mind . . . I have not seen you since August when your brother . . . and Alice hasn’t called. I’m sorry about that. I think she and I might have been friends.’
‘She would have been glad of your friendship but I have heard she is kept close to home since that day.’
‘He is a brute.’
‘Yes.’ He shrugged his shoulders then turned abruptly to ring the bell. ‘Here am I, the perfect host who should be offering you some refreshment.’
‘You must still be in shock after the death of your father. I know I was when mine died. But the old cliché about time is true, you know.’
His hand stroked the dog’s silky head while the pups whimpered for attention, then with a sudden movement Rose moved to kneel at the basket. She picked up the squirming puppies who licked and nipped at every bit of her face and neck they could reach in an enchantment of delight.
‘I’ve never had a dog,’ she murmured indistinctly.
‘Then have one of these. Have both if you would care to. They are weaned. Mrs Philips and Mary would be your friends for life if you took them away.’
‘What about their mother? Will she not fret?’
‘Strangely enough dogs lose interest when their pups leave them. They are not like human mothers, you know.’
Rose began to smile and so did he though he had no idea what had amused her. ‘Dolly will have a fit.’
‘I suppose she would but if you’d rather not . . .’
‘Oh no, I would love them. I wonder if Alice would . . .’
His face was a mixture of amusement and dismay. ‘You have never met Arthur Weatherly except for . . . No, he would show you the door if you turned up alone, never mind with a puppy for his daughter. I’m sorry, Rose, but the possibility of a friendship between you and Alice is very remote. Now then, will you drink a cup of hot chocolate with me? You can get to know Bess and the puppies. What will you call them?’
‘Ginger and Spice.’ Her voice was firm.
‘But what made you . . .? Ah, their colouring. Very apt. The multicoloured one is Spice, of course.’
‘Of course.’
They sat for an hour while the pups wandered about the room, making little puddles wherever they fancied but Harry did not seem to care. The subject of the progress of the war came up, the war that was already killing thousands of their young men. Already Harry had lost his groom who had joined up and had been overheard doing his best to persuade Enoch who was a hedger and ditcher and at least forty, to come with him to France just as though it were a holiday that Enoch would enjoy. These were country boys and Harry wondered how long they would last in what he called ‘the grown-up world’ of being a fighting man. Most of them had worked the land since they were thirteen. They had known nothing else so how would they cope in that frightening world across the Channel? He said so to Rose.
‘The First Battle of Ypres and at Mons cost us almost the whole of the British Expeditionary Force and the government is asking for hundreds of thousands of volunteers to replace them.
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