Once And Always

Chapter 9

Mrs. Boon-Mee assured him she was not, and gave the huge bone to Tee. Thanking her, Tee started to leave, then remembered something and turned back. "Last night, Khun Tae—I mean, Khun Luang Tae," he corrected himself, watching the servants freeze at the mere mention of Tae, "said the roast duck was the best he has ever tasted. I'm not certain he remembered to mention it to you," Tee explained, knowing perfectly well that Khun Luang Tae would probably never bother to do so, "but I thought you would like to know."

Mrs. Boon-Mee's plump cheeks reddened with pleasure. "Thank you, Khun Thanapon," she replied politely.

Tee dismissed the politeness with a smile and a wave, then vanished out the door.

"Now, there is a true noble," Mrs. Boon-Mee said to the others when Tee left. "He is gentle and kind and not at all like those insipid khun luangs and khun yings you find in Bangkok, or the high-and-mighty ones his lordship has brought here from time to time. Ohm says he's a Khun Chai. He heard his grace say so the other night to Lady Tida."

Tee carried the food out to the spot where he had been bringing Willie his meals for the last nine days. Instead of hanging back in the safety of the trees for several minutes, as he usually did, he trotted out a few steps when he saw Tee. "Here," he said, laughing softly, "look what I've brought for you."

Tee's heart began to pound with victory as the huge silver and black dog came nearly to within his reach—much closer than ever before. "If you'll let me pet you, Willie," he continued, inching closer to the dog and holding out the bowl, "I'll bring you another delicious bone tonight after supper."

The beast stopped short, watching him with a mixture of fear and mistrust. "I know you want this," he continued, taking another tiny step toward him, "and I want to be your friend. You probably think this food is a bribe," he continued, slowly bending down and putting the bowl between them. "And you're quite right. I'm as lonely as you are, you see, but you and I could be great friends. I've never had a dog, did you know that?"

The dog's glittering eyes shifted greedily to the food and then back to him. After a moment he moved closer to the bowl, but his eyes never left Tee, not even when he bent his head and began wolfing down his meal. Tee continued talking softly to him as he ate, hoping to reassure him. "I can't imagine what Khun Luang Tae was thinking of when he chose your name—you don't look at all like a Willie. I'd have named you Wolf, or Emperor—something as fierce-sounding as you look."

As soon as he finished, the dog started to retreat, but Tee quickly held out his left hand, showing him the huge bone he held. "-You must take it from my hand if you want it," he warned. He eyed the bone for only a moment before his huge jaws clamped down on it, tugging it from his hand. Tee expected him to race into the woods with it, but to his delight, after a tense, wary pause, Willie flopped down near his feet and began chewing it to splinters. Suddenly Tee felt as if the heavens were smiling down on him. No longer did he feel unwanted and unwelcome at the Kreepolrerk's mansion—both Kreepolrerk men were now his friends, and soon he would have Willie as a companion, too. He knelt down and stroked his huge head. "You need a good brushing," he said, watching his sharp ivory fangs gnaw on the bone. "I wish Bas could see you," he continued wistfully. "Bas loves animals and he has a way with them. Why, he'd have you doing tricks for him in no time at all." The thought made Tee smile, and then it made him ache with loneliness.

It was midafternoon of the following day when Mr. Pawat came to impart the intelligence that Khun Luang Varodom had arrived and that Khun Luang Tae desired Tee to come to his study.

Tee glanced apprehensively in the mirror above his dressing table and then sat down to tidy his hair, preparing to meet a stout, coldly proud aristocrat of Lady Tida's age.