“Oh…” Amelie leaned against her, relieved. For a moment she’d thought Mum was going to give them much worse news. “Poor Grandad,” she said.
Josh frowned. “Do you mean he’ll always need to be looked after, Mum?”
“We’re not sure.” Mum and Dad exchanged a worried look. “It’s only just happened, Josh. I haven’t even been to see him yet. But from what the hospital said, it’s more serious this time. Grandad will probably have to move permanently to some sort of sheltered housing. Somewhere there’s lot of support.”
“What’s going to happen to Daisy?” Amelie asked, looking up. “Will Grandad be able to take her with him?”
Mum stared at her. “Oh my goodness. I’d forgotten about Daisy. Grandad’s neighbours fed her the last time he was in hospital.”
Dad ran his hand through his hair. “That’s not going to work this time, though. She’s going to need a proper home.” He looked thoughtfully round the hallway, as though he was imagining another dog trotting down it. Amelie caught her breath.
“Your mum and I talked about this a while ago,” Dad went on. “After all, Daisy already knows us, doesn’t she?”
Mum nodded. “We mentioned it to Grandad, too. That Daisy could come and live here with us.”
Monty wandered back into the hallway, looking curiously at them all still standing there. Amelie crouched down to stroke him and he nuzzled against her, licking her cheek. Amelie thought maybe he could taste that she’d been crying. His tail was waving, just a little, the way it did when he was worried.
“Oh, Monty…” Amelie murmured. “How would you feel about sharing your home with another dog?”
Chapter Two
“So you’re going to have two dogs?” Ella asked, leaning across the table to whisper. “You’re so lucky, Amelie, I don’t even have one! Is Daisy cute?”
Amelie nodded. “She’s a gorgeous colour – russet, Grandad calls her, and her coat’s so glossy, even shinier than Monty’s. She’s tiny but she thinks she’s in charge. She’s always bossing my grandad around!” Then she sighed. “He’s going to miss her so much – I mean, he’s had Daisy for eight years. I’m really excited about looking after her and it’s going to be great for Monty, having a friend at home all the time. But I wish Daisy could stay with Grandad.”
“I’m sorry he’s in hospital, Amelie,” Ella said. “But I bet he’s happy you’ll be looking after Daisy.”
“Mum told Grandad we’d go and get her today. Dad’s going to pick me up from school in the car, then we’ll go straight over to the house.”
“Are you two actually discussing the Romans?” Miss Garrett asked, leaning over Amelie’s shoulder and making her jump.
“Um. We were…” she muttered. “Sorry, Miss Garrett.”
“Sorry, Miss Garrett,” Ella repeated.
“Well, get on with it, girls. I’d like a plan drawn up by break time, please.”
Ella sighed as their teacher moved on to the next table. “I wish we didn’t always have to make things for topic work. My Viking ship last year was just embarrassing.”
“What do you think you’ll do this time?” Amelie asked. “What about a costume? You could make a Roman dress, if your mum wouldn’t mind you using an old sheet.” She flicked through the book they’d found in the school library. “Oh, wow… I’d like to make something like that!”
Ella peered at the mosaic picture of a fierce-looking guard dog. “All those tiny squares! It’ll take hours.”
“It looks really fun. I could cut the squares out of craft foam.”
Ella nodded. “I suppose so. Don’t forget you’re going to have two dogs to play with, though!”
Amelie nodded. “I haven’t – I can’t wait for this afternoon!”
Amelie picked up the dog carrier and walked carefully out to the car, murmuring soothingly to Daisy. She told the little dachshund how excited Monty would be when she arrived and how much fun they were all going to have.
Daisy had been really pleased to see them when they arrived at Grandad’s house. Amelie thought she’d probably had a lonely sort of day, since she was used to having Grandad around most of the time. But she hadn’t been keen on going in her carrier at all. She’d backed away from Amelie, her long ears shaking.
“Maybe she thinks we’re taking her to the vet,” Dad suggested, as he unlocked the car.
“Shh, Dad! You know Grandad says she understands that word! You have to spell it out,” Amelie reminded him.
“Oh, yes. Sorry, Daisy. Are you OK with the carrier on your lap, Amelie? Hold it tight.”
Amelie wrapped her arms firmly around the carrier. There was no sound at all from inside but she could see Daisy through the holes in the plastic sides. The dachshund was standing up with her nose pressed against the wire door.
“Sit down, Daisy-dog,” Amelie whispered, as Dad started the car. “You’ll wobble.” But Daisy stayed on her feet, even though the movement of the car made her lurch about. Amelie kept on whispering encouraging things but Daisy seemed too confused to sit down. She just kept on slipping from side to side, her little black claws scrabbling against the plastic floor of the carrier. The blanket Grandad kept in there was all scrunched up at the back. Daisy wasn’t whining or yapping, which was really odd. Grandad always said she was the chattiest dog he’d ever met but now she was completely silent.
“Is she all right?” Dad asked, as they stopped at the lights.
“I don’t know…” Amelie admitted. “She looks really nervous. Maybe you’re right and she does think she’s going to the V–E–T.”
Dad glanced over at the carrier, frowning. “We’re nearly home. Not long now, Daisy.”
Amelie stood on the doorstep, waiting for Dad to find his keys and looking at the hunched little dog inside the carrier. She wouldn’t have minded so much if Daisy had howled all the way home. Amelie hurried into the house and put the carrier down in the hallway, just as Josh came out of the kitchen holding a half-eaten piece of toast. Monty raced after him, whining with excitement as he saw Amelie and Dad. Then he saw the carrier and skidded to a halt.
There was a skittering, scrabbling noise from inside and a low growl. Monty retreated behind Josh, his tail drooping. Amelie looked anxiously between the two dogs. Dad had said that they ought to introduce Daisy and Monty to each other slowly but Amelie hadn’t thought it would be a problem. Monty had been to Grandad’s house and Daisy had been coming to their house for years. Why wouldn’t they be happy to see each other? Maybe it just wasn’t the same without Grandad there, too.
“Shall we let Daisy out now?” she asked Dad.
Dad sighed. “Yes, I suppose we’d better. Let’s keep her in the kitchen to start with. Josh, can you put Monty out in the garden? Let’s give Daisy a bit of space.”
“Uh-huh.” Josh caught Monty’s collar. The puppy was still staring at the carrier, looking confused. “Come on, Monty. Is Daisy OK? She’s very quiet.”
“She looks miserable,” Amelie said. “Do you think she knows Grandad’s ill?”
“I’m sure she knows something’s wrong…” Dad said. “Dogs are very good at sensing that sort of thing.”