Once again, huge thanks to my editor sdbnnc for all her help and for introducing me to her Master. Thanks also to my own Sir for giving me a kick up the arse when I needed it and last but by no means least, thank you to all the wonderful readers who's have given me so much encouragement. I hope you enjoy this next chapter.
Megan
*
We had our first big row that week over something really stupid. The Wednesday after the party, Sir came home early with a silly grin on His face, the kind He got when He's up to something. I'd been busy in the house and garden all week; Sir put the gazebo up for me on Monday evening, so all my plans for out there were coming together nicely, and we were really fitting together as a couple. The night before had been Mistress Alice and Sean's wedding, and it was gorgeous. She had looked Her usual fabulous self in a high-necked cream lace dress, and Sean had that stunned look on his face, like he couldn't quite believe he belonged to Her completely now. Afterwards at the reception, Sir tried to teach me to how to waltz, it wasn't going too well until I got a little drunk and relaxed.
On that Wednesday, when Sir arrived home, He said He couldn't be arsed staying in the office on such a nice day, and that we were going for a drive. I was always happy to spend more time with Him, so off we went, out into the countryside. I figured Sir was grinning coz of sneaking out of work early so I was a little surprised when Sir pulled up outside a cottage in the middle of a village, and a little suspicious when Sir turned to me and said, "Come here, pet, you need a blindfold on."
"Why?"
"'Coz otherwise it'll ruin the secret."
I was a lot suspicious now, but I trusted Him, so I turned round so He could wrap His tie round my eyes. He got out and opened the car door, helping me out. He led me up an uneven flagged path, and I could hear dogs barking nearby. I nearly tripped over on the way up to the house, but Sir caught me in his arms, and then steadied me on the narrow step at the cottage door.
"I did tell you to lift your feet, pet," He said, ringing the bell. The barking behind the door grew louder and clearer as the door opened. He leant forward and spoke quietly to whoever was there before pulling me into the hall. I was still blindfolded when He escorted me into another room. I heard squeaks and panting, raising my hopes that maybe we'd be getting a dog. Sir told me to kneel down beside Him, and then reached around to remove His tie. At the same time, I heard a cage door rattling, and saw a pack of the sweetest, lankiest puppies dashing towards me, panting hot puppy breath and leaping up to lick my face. The puppies had dark grey fur with little splashes of white on their chests or tails and I was held in place on my knees as they climbed over me, snuffling in my ears, and nibbling at my hair. Looking around to take them all in, I noticed one timid little puppy who had hung back when the others blasted out of the crate. She -- I could see it was a she from the way she was sitting -- sat just inside the crate and was watching me quite carefully. I crawled over to her through the thronging masses that covered the tiny sitting room.
The lady of the house seemed about to speak, but Sir shushed her as I began speaking quiet nonsense to the little puppy that had stayed behind. Slowly, she came out and sniffed at my hand, giving it a tiny lick before jumping back into the crate. We sat and looked at each other for a minute before she came back out, sniffed me again before wiggling her way onto my lap where she settled down with a sigh. I looked up at Sir and smiled. I pointed to the puppy now sleeping on me and said, "This one."
I stroked the puppy's lean body, then looked over at the lady and asked her what type of dogs they were.
"Their mam was greyhound crossed with a deerhound; da was a collie whippet cross. He got in the garden one day, and this lot were the result. That pup you've got there was the shyest out the lot; vet reckoned she can't see too well, so she won't make much of a hunter. If you want her, you can have her. I reckon you're the only one she'd have. She's bit most everyone that's been in so far, that's why I warned your fella here when you got so close."
"She wouldn't bite me. She's just shy that's all."
"You picked a name yet?"
"I think Magpie's nice. Eh, toots, will we call you Magpie?" I looked down and, as I spoke to the puppy, she lifted her head and wagged the very tip of her tail. She had the most white on her, all four paws looked like she'd wondered though a tin of paint, as did the tip of her tail and nose. As Sir went out to the car to get His wallet, one of the other puppies walked a little too close to me for Magpie's comfort. Quick as a flash, she was up and snapped at the other puppy, sending it howling. My puppy, on the other hand, settled back into my lap, and went back to sleep.
"Yeah, I reckon she's yours," the lady said. "I don't honestly think you'd get out the door without her," she finished with a smile. Sir came back in, and paid for Magpie, while I gathered her up and tucked her under my chin. We walked back out to the car, with me grinning inanely at Sir.
"Thank you so much for this, Sir. She is absolutely gorgeous."
"My pleasure, pet, I thought you'd like some company when I have to go away, and these are good dogs to have around."
"Why? How much research did you do?"
"Quite a lot actually; I wanted something that would be a good guard dog, but not need huge amounts of exercise. Lurchers need to blast once or twice a week; other than that they're quite happy mooching around the place."
"Who have you talked to?"
"One of the lasses at work has three lurchers, and she said they are really good dogs, though they do steal food whenever they can, so it'll have to stay out the kitchen."
"She'll be alright if I'm in there."
"Yeah, well, we'll put its crate in the hall."
"A crate?"
"Yeah, like the one in there."
"Oh, you mean a cage; no, we're not having one of those."
"Excuse me, 'No'? Since when do you say 'No' to me?"
"Since she is my dog, and I hate cages. Why bother getting her when you're just going to shut her up all the time? We might as well take her back, and get a refund if you think like that."
"We'll talk about this later. We need to go buy some food and a collar."
"We'll talk about this now. There is no point spending money if all you're going to do is keep her in a cage." I folded my arms around the puppy, and held her close. I really didn't want to take her back, but there was no way I was going to let Sir buy a cage. She was a dog, not a bunny rabbit that needed to be kept locked away, and I said as much.
"So, where is it going to sleep at night?"
"With me, where else?"
"In my bed? No way."
"Oh, so it's your bed now is it? I thought it was our bed, just like it's our home, or does that only count when you get your own way?"
Sir looked at me with such anger that I was frightened. I was determined though, and I was not going to back down now. She was just a tiny, baby thing, and she was not going to be treated like a prisoner. And what was this "His bed" thing? Sir spent the last few days telling me it was "our home," "our bed," "our kitchen," "our garden" and now all of a sudden they were "His"? If that was how He really felt, it was as well I found out now, rather than a year or so down the line when I'd had much more time to get comfortable. I knew I shouldn't be so confrontational about it all, but Sir was talking about treating Magpie the same way Mother treated her dogs. They went in cages from the day she got them, and she only took them out for grooming or walking. They never were cuddled or played with; to me it was just plain wrong. Looking back I know I probably should have explained this, and that would have settled the whole matter; instead I pushed myself into the corner of the seat, as far away from Him as I could get, and sulked. Sir drove in silence to the nearest pet shop, and asked me in a very icy tone if I wanted to go in with Him. I nodded my head and tucked Magpie under my arm as I got out of the car.
"Leave it here," He ordered sharply.
"Sir, it's a pet shop. I'm fairly sure they allow dogs in," I said as I walked straight past Him into the store and looked around for the collars and leads. In the past we might have been looking for something new for me, this time Sir simply stalked past on His way to look at cages. I found a delicate little set in royal blue with tiny white paw prints all over it that I thought would look so sweet on Magpie. Sir's only rather sour comment was "At least it isn't pink." I ignored Him and the cages, and took the collar out of its package so I could pop it onto Magpie, and see if it fitted. She looked owned now and I realized I must look the same when I when I wore mine. I found the puppy food, and was looking through it when Sir came over, picked up a six pack of tinned food and a bag of mixer, adding them to the trolley with the cage in it, and marched over to the checkout. I followed Him quietly, picking up a teething ring and a soft toy for Magpie on the way. He frowned at the extras, but allowed them to be rung up anyway.
