Pretty Lady (18 page)

‘Denny, Denny.' Sheila was calling at the back door. ‘Denny, come in and wash before dinner. Peter will be here any minute.'

‘Coming!' He waved, then it was his turn to call. ‘Here, Fritz! Come on, boy: Time to go in now.'

A bush quivered and shook and a golden cocker spaniel puppy bounded out of it. Denny watched, his heart expanding with the pride of ownership as the puppy ran straight to him. Mum and Sheila had given in, at last, given Fritz to him for his very own. And he was one smart puppy, he knew his master already, and he obeyed commands. When spring came again, they could go running in the park. He was the smartest dog in the neighbourhood, in the whole world, maybe. And he was little yet. Just wait until he was a big grown-up dog.

Denny leaned over to pull fondly at a soft, tawny-gold ear. The puppy yelped enthusiastically and twisted to lick his hand.

Rembrandt was going to give him more drawing lessons, too, so that he could sketch Fritz as he was growing up and have lots of pictures – nicer than photographs. Rembrandt had given him a box of chalks for his very own – whole chalks, too. (‘
Things are looking up, my lad. What a successful show will do! Oh, not a raving success – but enough, enough. Enough to get me in off the pavement and start me up the ladder.'
)

Sheila had helped with Rembrandt's show. Denny had gone one afternoon when it wasn't very crowded, but he hadn't liked looking at the scarey paintings. He'd watched Sheila and Rembrandt laughing together, instead. She laughed that way with Constable Pete, too.

(And another dream had begun to grow. A laughing, happy dream, with Sheila marrying one of his good friends, and all of them living together happily ever after. It was a dream that might come true, too. He didn't know which one would be nicer, Rembrandt or Constable Pete. Maybe Sheila didn't know, either. But there was lots of time to decide.)

‘DENNY!'

‘I'm coming!' He began running towards the house with long, loping strides. At his feet, the golden spaniel scampered to keep up with him.