Buried to the Brim has gone to the dogs!

JENN McKINLAY: My contribution to this week's topic of what we're writing is all about the corgi. In short, my London hat shop amateur sleuths take a job designing hats for a corgi in a dog show, because of course they do, and it's all going great until the dead body of the sponsor of the dog show is found by their client, a corgi named Freddy. 

The London Hat Shop Series

This series is one of my favorites because it's written in first person (allowing for a whole new level of sarcasm) from the perspective of the American character Scarlett Parker, who recently came to London to take up her half of the hat shop which she inherited with her British milliner cousin, Vivian Tremont.

The series went unrenewed by the publisher for a year and a half  until I got bored last summer and asked I could write another one. They said I could write two, but I looked at my schedule and decided one would do for now. You see, the last book ended in Paris, and I just felt like I needed one more book at home in Notting Hill. We'll see if there's another in me. That's the beauty of writing a series. Sometimes you think you're done but after a little time passes, a new idea bubbles up. 

The following excerpt finds Scarlett, on her way to compete in the dog show with her fiancé's Aunt Betty's dog, Freddy, when a call comes in for a corgi rescue and Aunt Betty insists they answer the call. This required me to research corgi puppies for which I only have two words: Stooopid Cute! 

(Pictures courtesy of petfinder.com)

Excerpt: 

     “Hello?” a woman's voice spoke through the intercom.

      “Hi, this is Betty Wentworth, I’m with corgi rescue and am here about Bella,” she said.

      I could hear barking in the background and the woman said, “Bella from hella? Come and get her, she’s all yours.”

      “Oh, dear,” Aunt Betty said. The interior door’s lock clicked and she pulled it open, holding it for me.

     We trudged up the stairs to the second floor where the apartment was situated. The barking got louder as we got closer. 

     Aunt Betty raised her fist to knock but the person on the other side must have been waiting because the door was pulled open before her knuckles could connect with the wood.

     “Take her,” a middle-aged woman with brown hair that was highlighted with streaks of silver said. She was broadly shaped and wore a thick turtleneck under a shapeless cardigan over sweatpants. She had no makeup on, reading glasses perched on her head, her phone in her hand and an air about her that said she’d given up on life and had no intention of re-engaging any time soon. 

     I wanted to hug her and tell her everything would be okay but since I had no idea what she was dealing with, it seemed inappropriate at best and extremely insensitive at worst. Instead, I followed Aunt Betty into the apartment. It was barren except for a few boxes. The windows were large, without curtains, making the room airy and bright. 

     Aunt Betty glanced around. “Where is she?”

     The woman ran a hand over her face. “Destroying something no doubt.”

     Aunt Betty flashed her an annoyed look and set off into the apartment.

     “I’m just trying to get my parents moved into an elderly care facility,” the woman said. “They’re both in failing health and my dad has dementia.”

      Her voice broke and she looked like she just needed a good cry. This time I went with my impulse and gave her a half hug. 

     “There, there—” I paused. “I’m sorry what’s your name?”

     “Lynn,” she said. “Lynn Biscoff.”

     “Like the cookie?” 

     She gave me a look. “Yeah, like the biscuit.”

     “I’m Scarlett, like the color,” I said. She gave me a watery smile. “We’re here now. We’ll take the puppy off your hands.”

     “I can’t thank you enough.” Lynn sighed and wiped the tears from her face with the sleeve of her sweater. She picked up a leash from the kitchen counter and handed it to me. “I don’t know what my mother was thinking, bringing home a puppy last month. She knew they were moving and she knew the place didn’t take pets.”

     I nodded. It sounded to me like her mother had gotten the dog to avoid the move. I didn’t say it because I was pretty sure she’d figure it out on her own when she had a minute to think. Besides we had enough to deal with at the moment.

     I heard the scrabble of dog paws on wood and glanced across the empty room to see a puff ball of white and honey, a miniature Freddy in fact, coming at me. Aunt Betty was hot on her heels.

     “Grab her, Scarlett!” Aunt Betty cried.

     For the record, I tried. Really, I did. But the dog was half projectile and before I even had my hands out, she rocketed right past me, making me totter on my heels. Aunt Betty blew by me, giving me a none too gentle push as she went. 

     “Cut her off!” she cried.

     Aunt Betty went one way around the pile of boxes, and I went the other. Lynn watched looking too exhausted to move her feet. But to her credit, she crouched down as if Bella might leap into her arms and she’d catch her. 

     I dropped low and as the puppy came at me, I was certain I’d be able to grab her and said, “I’ve got her! I’ve got her!" My arms hugged air. "I don’t have her!”

     How Bella managed to dash through my feet and race back down the hall, I don’t know, but she did. I straightened up, getting a mild head rush and hurried after her.

     “Bella! Come here, Bella!” I cried. “We do not have time for this!”

     Aunt Betty was fumbling in her purse where she found some dog treats. Not the hard biscuit kind but the sort that were soft and looked like mini sausages.

     “Good thinking,” I said. 

     She winked at me. “She ran into the back bedroom. Let’s slip in and close the door. We’ll probably have to corner her as she’s either scared out of her mind or thinks this is a game.”

     “Given her nickname, Bella from hella, I’m betting on game,” I said.

     We slipped into the bedroom. It, too, was bare except for a pile of bedding in the middle of the floor. The closet doors were open and a quick glance showed that it was empty except for a few sad wire hangers. I scanned the room. There was no sign of the willful puppy.

      Then I saw a wriggle out of the corner of my eye. The large fluffy blue blanket moved. I waved at Aunt Betty and pointed at the pile on the floor. She nodded. Silently we crept forward. There was another wriggle and a baby growl. As if the fierce Bella was trying very hard to sound ferocious. It was so stinking cute, I felt my heart go smoosh. 

     Aunt Betty held the treat out and we closed in on the puppy coming at her from opposites of the blanket. There was a wriggle and a pounce and then a little head popped out from beneath the fluffy comforter. Two big ears, a black nose, and a pair of sparkling eyes regarded us. Her tongue slipped out of her mouth as she panted and I got the feeling Bella was delighted with us. Before she could dash away, Aunt Betty held out the treat, which caused Bella to wiggle with excitement. While Bella gingerly took the treat from Aunt Betty’s hand, I clipped the leash to her collar. 

     Aunt Betty and I exhaled simultaneously as if we’d just run a marathon. Aunt Betty glanced at her phone to check the time. “We have to go!”

     Not wanting to give Bella the chance to slip out of her collar, I picked her up in a football hold, she was as solid as a ten-pound turkey, and carried her back into the main room.

     “You got her!” Lynn clapped her hands in front of her. She smiled at us but then her smile slid away and she asked, “What will happen to her?”

     “We’ll find her a really good home,” Aunt Betty said. “And in the meantime, she’ll receive the very best of care as a foster puppy.”

     Lynn looked relieved. She reached out and rubbed Bella’s head. “I’m sorry, little love. You’re just too much for my old folks and taking care of them means I can’t take care of you.”

     Bella licked her wrist and Lynn smiled. “She really is a good girl if you can overlook her barking, chewing the furniture, and relentless herding tendencies.”

     “We’ll train that out of her,” Aunt Betty said. “Don’t you worry.”

     I looked down at the bundle of fur in my arms. She didn’t 

resemble a problem puppy but I knew I was likely getting 

snookered by her big brown eyes and her wagging butt. Heaven help me.

***

Now, if I ever actually finish this puppy (intended) it will be coming out in January 2020!

So, Reds and Readers, are you a fan of dog shows? Did anyone else just watch Westminster or was it just me?

**The winner of Lucy Burdette's giveaway of A DEADLY FEAST is CUDDLE UP WITH A COZY MYSTERY AND A DACHSHUND. Please email LucyBurdette at gmail dot com with your snail mail address.