Raisins and almonds - Poisoned Pen Press (UK)

Raisins and Almonds
like Rembrandt figures, strange in the modern parlour like the
inside of a shell and surrealistic. Phryne stood still until there
was a sharp yap. Hugh said, ‘There, that’s done it, poor little
bitch,’ and the creature in the box stopped whimpering.
‘Miss Phryne,’ exclaimed Ruth, leaping up and dragging Jane
with her. ‘Look what we found. Mr. Collins fixed her leg. He
reckons someone kicked her! How could anyone kick a poor
little thing like that?’
‘There is always someone willing to kick puppies,’ said
Phryne, kneeling down next to the carton. A wretched scrap of
damaged black and white fur shivered on an old jumper.
‘Girls, I don’t…’ she began, to be met by two shocked faces.
‘Oh, Miss Phryne, please,’ said Jane, catching at Phryne’s
hand. ‘She’s only a little dog.’
‘Little dogs grow up,’ said Phryne reluctantly. ‘I really don’t
want a dog, girls.’
Jane recovered first. She gave the puppy a final caress and
stood up. ‘Come on, Ruthie,’ she said to her adoptive sister,
clearly resigned to the loss of the animal as she had been resigned
to other losses.
‘She’s only a puppy, and if we put her out she’ll die,’ protested
Ruth. Phryne was entirely unprepared for this assault on her emotions.
Reflecting that the object of the argument was not only an
infant but injured, could conveniently decease any moment and
might as well do it in comfort; she patted the girl’s shoulder.
‘All right, Ruth dear, as long as you and Jane look after it you
can keep it. Now tuck the box in the chimney alcove, injured
creatures need heat. Have you got a name for her? Hello Hugh,
how nice to see you again. Perhaps we should have some tea, it’s
a vile day outside, an early north wind, and…’ she continued,
and was embraced by both girls, their faces against her own.
She caught sight of the group in the mirror: the laughing Ruth
and the exultant Jane, embracing Phryne, Jane’s unplaited hair
flowing like silk across her broad-cloth shoulder and breast, supporters
to her Dutch-doll face. She turned and quickly kissed
each glowing cheek, coloured as gracefully as geranium petals.