When they arrived home, she felt a bit tired and was all for taking a midday nap, but Edward asked her to accompany him to the front parlor instead.
“I have something to show you,” he said. “Something very important that’s arrived from Somerton.”
“From Somerton?” She took his hand and let him lead her down the hall. “Are they bulbs? Are the iris bulbs blooming already?”
“It’s not bulbs.”
“Is it Matilda’s favorite hairbrush? She wrote to Mrs. Loring last week to say she’d forgotten her preferred hairbrush at Somerton.”
“That was returned to your maid a few days ago, I believe,” said Edward.
“Excellent! Well, what is it, then?”
He opened the door and smiled at her. “Something you will very much like.”
At first, she couldn’t fathom what he was talking about. The parlor was quiet, and she couldn’t see anything important except for an embroidering maid next to a sleepy fire in the grate. Then the maid smiled and looked down, and Jane saw what her husband meant to show her. A small, furry head lifted from the soft nest of a blanket.
“Oh, my goodness,” she cried.
It was a dog, a little puppy. Well, not little. When the animal stood up from its bed, she saw it was a half-grown puppy in that awkward stage between babyhood and adulthood, when its ears and feet were too big and its limbs gangly. It was a black and white border collie with a twitching nose and ears that stood straight up in question.
“Oh, my goodness. Oh, my dear word!” She dropped her husband’s hand and hurried across the room to the adorable creature. “Whose dog is this? What is its name? Is it friendly, may I pet it?”
“You may.”
Edward caught up with her and knelt beside the dog’s bed. As the maid slipped away, he picked up the wiggling animal and placed it in Jane’s arms. The poor thing trembled as it sniffed her face, his large, dark eyes wet and curious.
“To answer your questions, Jane, this is your dog if you want it. He hasn’t a name yet. He is friendly but skittish, and you ought to pet and cuddle him so he will bond with you as his owner.”
“He’s mine?” She’d always loved puppies, but her father believed dogs ought to be working animals who lived outside or in kennels. “Edward, does he have to stay in the kennel?”
“That, too, is up to you. I rather thought you’d want an inside pet.”
“Oh, I do, I do!” She held the soft pup against her chest, against her heart. “I can’t believe you’ve gotten me a puppy. It’s the most wonderful, important thing, you were right about that.” She looked up at her husband, flushing with pleasure. “You’ve made me so happy. How amazing you are.”
He shrugged, downplaying her praise. “It’s almost as if it was meant to be. I was wondering how to help you feel better after the loss of your pets when I received a letter from one of Somerton’s tenants. He breeds herding dogs for Berkshire farms, and happened to have a dog that is a bit…” He paused, ruffling the pup’s floppy, black ears. “Well, apparently this little man was a bit too shy and…well, he didn’t specifically say stupid…”
She hugged him tighter. “No, he is not stupid. He is sweet. I’m sure he’ll be the sweetest dog ever.”
“He did say he was sweet-tempered, but perhaps not up to the task of training and work. The man remembered Somerton’s mistress, Lady Townsend, was known for rescuing pitiful creatures, so he wrote to me asking if you might like to have him, and here he is.”
“Oh, I’m so glad he thought of me.” She cradled the puppy, touching her nose to his nose. “Who wants to do herding anyway? I think you’re the wise one. Who wants to run around with smelly, woolly sheep? You’ll be much happier as my pet. We’ll go exploring outside sometimes, and take naps together, and play fetch with sticks and balls.” The puppy gave her a tentative lick, which she took as agreement. “And when Edward and I have children together, you shall have playmates who’ll love to laugh and play with you.”
She turned to her husband, overcome with gratefulness for her pet. Overcome with love. He smiled back at her.
“You like him.”
“I love him.” She held the puppy close, already memorizing his smell. “And I think…” She bit her lip, looking shyly at her husband. “I think maybe we might have a baby soon.”
His smile turned to a stare, then a different sort of smile. A wondering, surprised, delighted smile. “Really?”
“Well, I don’t have much experience in the matter personally, but I have studied a great deal about reproduction in general and there are definitely signs.”
He embraced her so the sweet puppy was sandwiched between them. The little dog squirmed as Edward kissed her forehead, her nose, her lips. “A baby,” he whispered. “I hope he or she is as kind and intelligent as you.”