Gold didn't fully relax once he was gone. Left to stew in a number of feelings he had not really tried to put much thought or order to, he was more angry at himself for his outburst than anything else. But he did make himself lie down, trusting at least that the dog would be a reliable alarm if someone came in that was not meant to.

If he had managed to sleep, it would have been an angry nap, chasing every thing he felt he should have said instead, or might have had Archie not excused himself. But soon there was a nose nudging one of the hands on his chest and he eventually relented and, grumbling nonsense, slid his fingers behind Pongo's ears.