Page 47 of Marry in Haste
“I wouldn’t wear mourning for him if you paid me,” George declared. “He was a lazy, selfish pig who broke my mother’s heart. He left me to rot—didn’t tell a soul about me, pretended I didn’t exist and never came near me, not ever in my life that I remember. He didn’t care if I lived or died, so why should I wear mourning for him?”
The two girls exchanged glances. “We didn’t like him, either,” Rose said.
“But youhaveto wear black for such a close relative,” Lily said. “Society expects it. People think you’re heartless and disrespectful if you don’t.”
George shrugged. “I don’t care. It would be hypocritical of me to wear black for a man I despise, and I’m not doing it. What do I care about society anyway? I never asked to come here—he forced me—your brother, I mean. Besides, I look terrible in black. Like a crow.”
Rose and Lily looked at each other. “Do you think we look like crows?” Lily asked.
George gave them each a thoughtful glance. “Not her.”She jerked her chin at Rose. “Black is a good foil for her coloring, that golden hair and that peaches-and-cream complexion and those blue, blue eyes. But you and me, Lily, with our dark hair and pale skin and gray eyes, we need a bit of color to liven us up.”
“I know.” Lily gave a dejected sigh. “I’m so fed up with looking like a crow. I don’t even like crows. They’re so, so...”
“Mournful,” Rose supplied, and they all laughed.
George went to the door, opened it and looked out.
“Why do you keep doing that?” Rose asked. “It’s the third time you’ve looked out into the hallway. Are you expecting something? The rest of your luggage, perhaps?”
“I don’t have any more,” George told her absently. “No, I’m waiting for my dog.”
“Your dog! You have a dog? What sort is it? Where is it? Does Aunt Dottie know?”
“His name is Finn, he’s an Irish wolfhound, and a complete darling. Your brother refused to let me bring him, but Finn followed me for miles and miles until he—your brother—had to give in and let him into the coach. As to whether Aunt Dottie knows, I think he was going to tell her about Finn after we went upstairs. Does she like dogs?”
“I don’t know,” Rose said. “As far as we know, she’s never had one.”
“If I can’t have Finn,” George said, “I’m not staying here.”
“Don’t worry,” Rose told her. “Aunt Dottie is an absolute love. I’m sure she’ll let you keep your dog. Where is he, George?”
“Hawkins, your brother’s coachman, took him somewhere—I don’t know where—to be given a bath. He’s to bring him to me when he’s clean and dry. But that was hours ago, and I’m getting worried.” She looked out into the corridor again.
“But Hawkins won’t bring him up here,” Rose said. “A coachman doesn’t come upstairs. He’ll have put your dog in the backyard or the—”
But George was gone, running down the stairs. The others followed. “Through the kitchen,” Rose said. “This way.”
They burst into the kitchen and came to a dead stop.
“Is this here your animal, miss?” Cook demanded. She gestured angrily. Finn sat over near a big square table in the center of the room, looking ridiculously clean and unbelievably innocent. “I don’t ’old with beasts in my kitchen. Nobody told me we was getting a dog. What am I supposed to do with it—look at ’im, the miserable great lummox.”
“I’m so sorry,” George began. “I didn’t know that Hawkins—”
Rose took her arm and squeezed it meaningfully. “Don’t say a word,” she murmured.
“Are you sure it’s even a dog?” Cook continued. “Looks more like a ruddy great ’orse to me. And who’s going to feed it, I ask you? A great big thing like that, well, it’ll eat us out of house and home, I reckon.”
Finn laid his muzzle on the table and heaved a huge, tragic sigh.
“Well, will you look at that,” Cook exclaimed crossly. “He’s sittin’ down and his head is higher than the table. And will you just look at them eyes.”
They all looked at his eyes.
“Have you ever seen such a miserable-looking creature,” Cook stormed. “He might smell like a nosegay, but why anyone would want to bring a great whiskery, clumsy creature—”
“He’s not clumsy—” George began indignantly.
“Shhh,” Rose and Lily hissed from either side of her.
