“Shall I take him for you, your Grace?”
“No thank you, Molly.” Eva was not letting him go.
The duke wasn’t home when Eva returned, so with the help of a reluctant Wernham and Molly, she bathed the puppy and fed him, then found a pillow to lay him and his new shawl on. Now that he was clean, she could see his fur was white and grey and he had a black ring around one eye. He was the sweetest puppy Eva had ever seen and she hoped Daniel felt the same. She was very conscious of all the things Daniel had indulged her in and she had no wish to force him into allowing her to keep the puppy just because she had never had one before.
“You called for me, your Grace?”
“Yes, thank you, Molly.” Eva looked down at her dress; it seemed she had more water on her than the puppy had. “If you will just help me undress, I wish to rest for a while before getting ready for the theatre this evening.”
Daniel had not seen his wife since breakfast and was not about to analyze why that bothered him so much. Entering her room, he found her sitting on her bed dressed in a robe.
“Hello, Daniel, how were the horses?”
“Nags with sway backs and short hocks. Simon has no idea on horse flesh.” Daniel looked down at his wife. “How was your bazaar?”
“Uh...well, it was pleasant.”
Her hesitation told him there was more to this conversation. “And did you buy anything?”
“Yes - and Daniel, I have to tell you something.”
“Yes?”
“I…I… Oh dear, I think I will just show you.” Eva got to her feet and went into the dressing room.
Perplexed, Daniel watched Eva disappear and then re-appear clutching a soft, white woolen shawl in her arms.
“It’s beautiful, my sweet, but hardly my color,” he teased. She was so serious, a crease had formed between her eyes as she walked toward him.
“The thing is, Daniel, you have given me more than I could ever wish for and I would never force anything upon you or use my past to coerce you into indulging me.”
“I know that.” And he did. Eva did not have a mercenary bone in her body.
“Really?”
“Really.”
“The thing is, Daniel, this puppy was being bullied by three boys and I saved him.” She placed the sleeping dog into Daniel’s arms.
No one made a sound for several seconds. Daniel looked down at the slumbering animal. Lifting one hand, he stroked its spine, his big hand completely covering the small body.
“If…if you feel you cannot tolerate having him in the house, I thought perhaps he could live with one of servants, or maybe in the garden shed or…”
“Ssssh, Eva,” Daniel reached for her, then urged her onto his lap.
“Isn’t he cute?” she whispered, laying her head on his shoulder.
“Yes, and he will chew our shoes and no doubt release his bowels on the carpet, but I think we should keep him.” Daniel kissed her cheek.
“Did you ever have a puppy, Daniel?”
“No.”
“Nor did I.”
“So what are you going to call him?”
“Furban.”
