Gillian looked at the butler. “Tremayne, will you order the carriage brought round as soon as possible? Lady Charlotte and I have a call to pay.”

“Patent yellow, now there’s an ugly color. Did you hear that the Duke of Wellington has yellow in his drawing room? Did you ever hear of such a thing?”

“As you wish, my lady.”

“This sea green would be a good choice for a dining room. What color is your dining room now?”

Nick looked at the sea green and made a face.

“It’s fawn. Oh, Tremayne? Would you have one of the boys bring Piddle and Erp around?”

Tremayne gave her a weak smile. Although the dogs’ digestive extravagances had apparently ceased, they were still prone to occasional setbacks, and the staff considered themselves martyrs to her dogs. “Certainly, madam. Er…will the hounds be riding in the same carriage as you, or should I have their carriage brought around as well?”

“Walnut is nice, too. With the fussy bits picked out in cream or stone.”

Nick nodded.

“Well, they can hardly protect me if they are in a separate carriage, Tremayne.”

“Protect you, madam?”

“But I don’t like this at all, this chocolate color. It’s much harsher than walnut. This lilac number two is pretty. What do you think, Nick?”

Nick pointed to the lilac.

“Yes, protect me, Tremayne Two. His lordship made me promise I wouldn’t go out without ample protection, lest his attacker try to kidnap Master Nicholas or myself.”

“No, I’ve changed my mind about the lilac, Nick, despite your preference for it. Picture gallery red number three. That’s a very popular color, I believe. Can’t you see the walls done in picture gallery red number three?”

Nick eyed the walls with a speculative gaze, his lips pursed. He shook his head.

“I beg your pardon, my lady, but I hardly feel the hounds are suitable protection.”

“No? I can see it. Well, perhaps picture gallery red number two.”

Gillian’s head began to spin as a result of the cross conversation, but she focused on what was most important. “I don’t agree with you at all, Tremayne. They are ample protection. No one would dare accost either Nick or me when in their presence.”

Nick tapped Charlotte on the arm and pointed out a swatch of sky blue.

“Mmmm. Yes, yes, I think you may have something there. Sky blue with the skirting boards painted in cream?”

“I hasten to remind your ladyship of the episode occurring just this morning in the park. If you recall, the hounds, when your ladyship was approached by the street hawker, dragged you a considerable distance to escape contact with the individual.”

“Then again, Gillian could go with a nice striped wallpaper.”

Gillian snorted in a very unladylike manner. “As I said, they were protecting me by removing me from what they thought was a threat to my safety.”

“I like this one with the honeysuckle border. It’s quite classical.”

“I beg your pardon again, my lady, but I don’t believe the hounds were attempting to remove you from a threatening person as much as they were attempting to remove themselves from a threatening person.”