Orsino wondered why Penny seemed to find what he'd just said difficult to respond to. He's just always gotten the impression that she enjoyed problems, and figuring things out, and well even her manner of talking was complicated. Well, except right now. Fleetingly, Orsino thought that this must be what it was like to talk to him most of the time.
Unless...maybe she thought he was trying to make a reference to Monday? He hadn't been, not consciously, but now that he thought of it, it very well could have been that. It at least explained her increased discomfort. Rather than pursue it just yet, he answered her query about the dog.
"She's doing better," he said. "With the house-training, and that sort of thing. Hasn't torn up anything except an old magazine or two, but then I haven't left her alone for more than a few hours at a time since..." He cleared his throat. "Well, she's settling in nicely. It's a shame her original owners couldn't keep her, she's a sweet dog."
He looked down at the table and raised his eyebrows and said, in an attempt to lighten the mood, "Though I think she'd be a bit too small for you to saddle up."