Carrick glanced down at the dog in exasperated but genuine fondness. "Elsa, a guard dog? Hardly. She's soft as cheese." He patted her on the head, "Aren't you, girl?"
Elsa looked round with a giant doggy smile that seemed faintly baffled. Carrick indicated the two other dogs. "The white one is Luna, and the one monopolising the window seat is Leto." He glanced around for the fourth dog, not seeing him.
"Anubis is my guard dog. He must be otherwise occupied at present, but you'll recognise him when you see him."
Carrick indicated the well-stocked shelves of the library. "If you like to read, feel free to explore in here. Take any books you want, just put them back where you found them once you're finished."
After the library, he led Grace down to the ground floor where a dining room, a billiard room and an informal living room were to be found, along with a kitchen and breakfast room and a corridor that led out to the slave quarters housed in a separate building.
"Would you like to see the garden and the grounds?" he asked.