Puppy Pie by Sam Jasper Page B

‘To sell your puppies,’ she says.
    â€˜Sell them?’ Harry laughs. ‘Who’d take any of Useless’ mutts? They’re not even pure bred. And everybody around here knows where those pups came from: wouldn’t touch them with a barge pole.’
    â€˜But Harry,’ Gull says persisting, ‘I think I know a way to make sure they go to a good home. And make money too.’
    Harry looks seriously at Gull. Plopping the eggs into eggcups beside the toast and tea, he and Gull sit down opposite each other at the table. ‘Now tell me how you propose working this magic?’
    Twenty minutes later, Helen finds Gull and Harry deep in conversation over their breakfast. ‘And what scheme would you two be cooking up?’ she asks as she pours herself a cup of tea.
    â€˜Not one of my wild schemes for a change,’ Harry says shaking his head, his hands in the air. ‘It’s all Gull’s doing. I think she’s mad, of course. And I can’t see how anyone will believe her. But she’s determined. So, what more can I say?’
    â€˜This is all very mysterious,’ Helen says sitting down beside Gull. ‘Are you going to tell me?’
    â€˜Not until I’ve proved Harry wrong,’ Gull answers, her jaw set.
    â€˜That’s the spirit,’ Helen laughs. ‘We all love to prove Harry wrong,’ she says giving her husband a cheeky grin.
    â€˜This wouldn’t have anything to do with that “puppy pie” business now, would it?’ Harry asks, looking keenly at her.
    Gull smiles slowly, her eyes twinkling. ‘Maybe. Maybe not,’ she says as she picks up the last piece of toast, gets up and runs out of the kitchen laughing. In the hallway, she stops. Staring at the family photos, she studies each in turn until she reaches the one nearest the front door. ‘Don’t know why I keep looking at all of you,’ she says to herself. ‘You seem to have some sort of hold over me.’ She sighs as she keeps gazing at the last photo. ‘Maybe I just wish you could speak and tell me all about yourselves: about your lives at the Folly. I wish you could talk.’
    Dragging herself away from the photos, she runs up the stairs while downstairs in the kitchen, Helen is quizzing Harry about Gull’s early appearance.
    â€˜What’s that all about?’ Helen asks. ‘No, don’t tell me. It’s Gull’s secret.’ She laughs. ‘Now I can see the resemblance between you two,’ she says to Harry. ‘You’ve both got those Hepplewhite twinkling eyes, full of mischief.’
    Now it’s Harry’s turn to laugh. ‘I think Gull really believes that, if times get tough, I’d be tempted to make puppy pie.’
    â€˜No,’ Helen scoffs. ‘You wouldn’t, would you?’ she asks teasing.
    â€˜Well,’ Harry groans, ‘we’ll have to find homes for them quickly. Because,’ he says looking away into the distance, ‘my latest venture is causing much more hard work than I ever expected.’
    â€˜It’s not your fault,’ Helen says, reaching out and holding his hand. ‘I mean, you did all the research and there’s nothing to explain what’s happening to this crop. All the books said hemp has no natural predators. Who knows, if you’d sown wheat or cotton, the same thing probably would have happened. Anything new or different is bound to have teething problems.’
    â€˜If that’s the case, I should have been the only one growing it. At least for the first season or two.’
    â€˜You know there wouldn’t have been enough to pay off the overdraft,’ Helen says gently. ‘Listen to me Harry, I really feel something good will come out of this in the end.’
    â€˜Is this one of your prophecies?’ he asks hopefully.
    â€˜A bit of that,’ she answers. ‘And a lot of faith in you.’
    â€˜Rather have