Why I love: Spaghetti dogs

Barbara Taylor Bradford, author

I never feel lonely when I'm writing because my two little Bichon Frisé dogs keep me company. Chammi sits under the typewriter and Beaji by the phone. When one of my staff takes them out for a walk, I really miss them.

They're very pretty dogs. They were court favourites at the time of Francis I and ladies used to put them in flower baskets and carry them round. They're in paintings by Goya and Fragonard. Our two are very white – someone comes to shampoo them every week. They wear orchid-pink cashmere sweaters from Ralph Lauren and in winter, red tartan coats with black velvet collars. Well, we all need some silliness in our lives.

There are three Bichon breeds: Milanese, Veronese and Bolognaise. So I tell mine: "You're just bowls of spaghetti." And they look at me, really trying to understand what I'm saying.

Heirs of Ravenscar (HarperCollins, £6.99) is out in paperback this week