"Well, no." Ram began cautiously weighing the odds of being able to disagree agreeably. "I'm no' sayin' that exactly. 'Tis just that, when you said this was the perfect place to raise dogs and elfren, I... suppose I did no' picture anythin' quite like this."
"Out with it. What are you saying? Mate's privilege. You can tell me."
He looked around. "It has the look of work without end and, where money is concerned, a surefire bloody, record-breakin' black hole."
Elora reached down to absently pet Blackie behind an ear. Ram might as well have been able to read her mind.
"Do no' go askin' that dog what he thinks!"
Elora looked offended. "I wasn't going to ask the dog!"
Ram crossed his arms and looked dubious until she smiled sheepishly.
"Okay I was, but I wasn't going to give him an equal vote."Elora reached down to absently pet Blackie behind an ear. Ram might as well have been able to read her mind.
"Do no' go askin' that dog what he thinks!"
Elora looked offended. "I wasn't going to ask the dog!"
Ram crossed his arms and looked dubious until she smiled sheepishly.
"Okay. I was, but I wasn't going to give him an equal vote."
Ram rolled his eyes. "So break it down for me. What is it about this heap that is so appealin' to you?"
"And that bit about it being a heap was said without prejudice, was it?"
He shrugged. "I'm givin' you a chance to sell me. Take it or leave it."
That offer seemed to animate her. "Okay. First, there's all this beautiful emerald green grass."
He laughed at her and shook his head. "Aye. I had no' heard there's a shortage of that in Ireland."
"I'm just getting started. We're close to New Forest."
"Aye. 'Tis on the plus side to be sure."
"Right. I love the roll to the land. I love that stream down there. I love that tree over there." Ram followed the extended line from her finger to every feature she pointed out, trying to see it from her perspective. "And then there's the house."
At this point he stopped and gaped at her like she was certifiable.
"If you are about to suggest that you like anythin' about the buildin' directly behind me, I will be forced to question your sanity. Please tell me that what you are goin' to say next is that the 'house' - and I use that term loosely - must be scraped off and hauled away so that somethin' that resembles a proper home might be built in its place."
Elora looked stricken. "How can somebody who chose to grow up in a centuries-old, one room hunting cottage, come to a conclusion like that?" The illogic of that was inescapable and, since he had no good explanation, she pressed on. "The stone work couldn't be duplicated today."
Ram laughed. "Thank Paddy for that. Elora, you are no' serious about this." She looked like the personification of abject disappointment. "You are! How are you seein' makin' this livable for anythin' other than wolves?" He waved in the general direction of the house. Blackie sat and heaved a sigh.
She brightened a little. "Well..."
She spent the next half hour going over a detailed plan for renovating the structure, melding the best of old world charm, and modern conveniences. She drew a vivid picture of a happy future alive with flowers, elfren, dogs, and geese although he wasn't sure how she planned to reconcile the last two.
Truthfully he had known before he ever raised an objection that he would be happy wherever she was. He was more or less just teasing her into making a case. When she had exhausted her ammunition she looked at him expectantly. He saw hope shimmering in her eyes. Because he didn't answer immediately, he saw that hope start to dim a little.
As he opened his mouth to speak, she said, "I suppose you're going to say that was a stupid story."
He shook his head. "I was goin' to say that I suppose we will be needin' an architect."
She started to throw herself into his arms and, stopped, remembering just in time that she was carrying precious cargo. She got as close as she could, considering the well-rounded belly between them, and covered his face and neck with kisses.