Country Lovers

by Rebecca Shaw

  Well, she had done her best, and if she wasn’t good enough to get into veterinary college, then so be it. It wasn’t for her. But she remembered the time she’d helped Scott, of blessed memory, deliver the calf, and when she and Dan had been chilled to the bone during lambing at Tad Porter’s, and the warmth of Connie’s kitchen and the frail young lamb she’d fed. All the wonderful kindness so peculiar to a farming community. Then she started laughing about when she’d hosed down Scott after he’d fallen in Phil Parsons’s slurry pit, and a large tear came in her eye which she angrily brushed away. Scott couldn’t stand commitment, which was why he ran away from her, back home to Australia. But it was for the best. She’d never have qualified if anything had come of their affair.

  The kitchen clock, once holding place of pride in a schoolroom and rescued by her dad when the school was being pulled down, chimed out four o’clock. Kate went to bed, and her last thought as she slipped into a dreamless sleep was: whatever happened tomorrow she’d still be Kate Howard, and the sun would still shine and the clock still chime. She comforted herself with “Time and the hour run through the roughest day.”

  THE first she knew about the morning was the sound of Mia placing a breakfast tray on her bedside table and pulling back the curtains. “Mail’s come.”

  “Oh no!”

  “It’s here. The letter. Can I stay while you open it?”

  Kate shot upright, eyes wide open. “Yes, of course. Give me it.”

  She tore the envelope open, pulled the sheet of paper out, and in one swift movement sprang up to stand on the bed shouting, “Yes! Yes! Yes!” with a clenched fist punching the air. “I’ve done it! Mia! I’ve done it. I have! I have! Look!”

  Mia studied the paper and read the magic “Grade A.” “Oh, Kate! Oh, Kate! That’s wonderful! You clever girl, you! I’m so proud. Vet college, here she comes!”

  Kate leaped off the bed and flung her arms around Mia so tightly she could hardly breathe, but Mia didn’t mind. This was the day of days. “What a pity you have to go into work.”

  “Oh! It isn’t a pity at all. I’m so looking forward to telling everyone! Can you believe it? I’m so excited. I’ll ring Miss Beaumont and tell her. She’ll be so pleased for me. Last night I convinced myself I’d failed and was thinking up some alternatives, but I haven’t failed, have I? Oh, Mia! I feel quite sick. Help! I do really.”

  “Calm down. Here, have a cup of tea; it might settle your stomach. You can’t be ill on a day such as this. You can’t.” Mia poured a cup of tea for her, and made her sit in bed with her pillow to rest against. “Steady, steady, sip it.”

  Kate looked up at her. “Mia! Wouldn’t Dad have been delighted?”

  “Delighted! There isn’t a word in the English language big enough to describe his pride. He’d have been like a dog with two tails. Maybe he knows. Somehow, in that great big yonder wherever he is, I like to think he does.”

  “So do I. Oh, Mia! It’s like a great weight has lifted from my shoulders. They’ll all be so pleased for me at the practice. I’ll ring the minute I’ve eaten my breakfast. Have you eaten?”

  Mia shook her head. “Too excited.”

  “Well, go get something and share my teapot. You can sit here while we let it sink in.” Kate patted the bed, and moved her legs to make more room. “Look, just here. Please.”

  When Mia came back, Kate was looking concerned. “What’s the matter, Kate?”

  “I’ve just realized I’m so excited I haven’t given a thought to you.”

  “Why should you? I’m excited too.”

  “I know but—”

  “But nothing. Now’s the time for me to get a job. I shall only have myself to look after and getting a job after all these years will be the best thing for me.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Absolutely.”

  “They’ll be needing someone to replace me. The money isn’t much, but it would be a start.”

  “Oh! I don’t know about that. They wouldn’t want me.”

  “Why not?”

  “No. No.”

  “Nonsense, you’d be lovely with the clients and you love animals.”

  “No, Kate. It won’t do at all. Think of my asthma. I’d spend all my time with watering eyes and striving to breathe.”

  “Of course, I never thought. But what are you going to do?”

  “Paint. And possibly work in the art shop in the High Street.”

  “Have they a vacancy?”

  “I don’t know but I can always ask. Mrs. Boulder is thinking of retiring, and it’s not too soon. They’ve given her the nudge a few times, but she won’t take the hint. She’s immovable.”

  “Boulder by name and Boulder by nature!” The two of them collapsed in a fit of giggling, which lightened the atmosphere and made them both feel lighthearted.

  “Oh, Mia! Isn’t it wonderful? I know I’m not due in till one, but I’m going to phone and tell Joy. She’ll be so pleased.” Kate flung back the sheet, got out of bed, and charged into the hall, leaving Mia in the bedroom alone.

  Mia looked up at the ceiling deep in thought. After a while she said, “Well, Gerry, you’ve got what you wanted. Your darling daughter at vet college. Aren’t you pleased? She’s done it, exactly what she wanted. I can’t begin to tell you how pleased I am.”

  Kate was back in the bedroom before Mia realized. “Mia, who were you talking to?”

  “Your dad. I often do, especially when it’s something about you.”

  Kate swallowed hard. “I never realized.”

  Mia patted her arm. “What did Joy say?”

  “She’s thrilled and they’re cracking a bottle of champagne at lunchtime specially for me.”

  “Good. You enjoy yourself; you deserve to, all the work you’ve put in this year. Don’t worry about me when you go to college. I shall be busy making a life for myself. And you’ll always be home for vacations. Won’t you?”

  “Of course.”

  Mia looked around the bedroom and said, “I’m glad we’ve moved to this flat. I’d never have coped in that house. Too many memories, you know.” She got out her handkerchief and blew her nose. “What am I doing crying on a day like this? Get up, you lazy girl, and get some ringing around done! Miss Beaumont for a start.” Mia busied herself collecting together their breakfast things. “Go on, into the bathroom, quick smart.”

  ON the stroke of one o’clock Graham opened the bottle of champagne they’d been keeping for Kate’s Big Day. Valentine filled the glasses standing on Miriam’s silver tray, and Zoe served them all where they stood in reception. When everyone had a charged glass in their hand, they raised them to Kate and wished her all the best. She came in for a lot of kissing and masses of good wishes.

  Joy hugged and kissed her, putting both their glasses in jeopardy. “What a wonderful day. Absolutely wonderful.”

  Mungo pecked her cheek and clapped a hand on her shoulder. “Brilliant. You’ll have a whale of a time. Don’t forget us, will you?”

  Dan, Valentine, Stephie, and Annette all wished her well. Clients began to arrive for early afternoon appointments and a second bottle of champagne was opened so they could join in the celebrations. By the time the two bottles had been emptied the atmosphere was convivial to say the least.

  Joy clapped her hands. “Sorry! Everyone back to work. I’ll clear the glasses. Let’s make a start.”

  Dan called out, “Speech! Speech! Silence for Kate’s speech.”

  Kate’s face was flushed from the champagne and she was in no mood for thinking clearly. “I can’t. Sorry.”

  But a chant begun by Dan and supported by everyone else started up. “Speech! Speech! Speech!”

  Kate said, “All right then. I’m no good at speeches, but thank you for all your good wishes and for this.” She held up her glass. “Thank you for being so kind to me, and making me one of the team; and I’ll do my best to bring you credit when I’m at college.”

  Mungo shouted, “Three cheers for Kate.
Our clever Kate!”

  The cheers bounced off the walls, making Kate want to hide in her accounts office. Eventually things got back to normal, Stephie behind the reception desk, Kate to accounts, Joy to sorting her paperwork, Bunty and Sarah Two to assist Mungo with a tricky operation, and the clients to discussing their pets’ symptoms.

  Stephie brought Kate a mug of tea during the afternoon. She put down the mug on Kate’s desk and said, “I shall miss you when you’ve gone.”

  “I’ll miss you. I’ll miss everyone. Everyone’s been so kind.” Kate invited Stephie to sit in what she called her consultation chair. It was a rickety old thing, which Joy kept saying she would take to the dump, but somehow never remembered to do so.

  Stephie sat down in it, adjusting her position to avoid slipping off it onto the floor. “Do you miss Scott?”

  “Not anymore.”

  “What about Adam?”

  “Certainly not Adam, though I do wonder what he gets up to nowadays since he struck out on his own.”

  Stephie looked uncomfortable.

  When she didn’t reply, Kate asked her if she had something to tell her.

  “Yes. I have.”

  “Well then?”

  “You know Adam?”

  Kate nodded.

  “Well, we…we’ve…been going out a bit.”

  Kate’s eyes were large with surprise. “You and Adam?”

  Stephie nodded. “Yes. Not till after the day he arrived with the bouquet to say sorry to you. But, yes, we have. He’s altogether different now. In a few short months he’s changed completely. He even does things spontaneously.”

  “Wow! And his mother?”

  Stephie had to laugh. “I told her off good and proper. She’s eating out of my hand now.”

  “I don’t believe this, she was always so…clinging with Adam.”

  “She isn’t anymore. I told her if she didn’t lighten up, I’d make sure she never saw Adam again.”

  Kate was appalled and at the same time full of admiration for Stephie. “You didn’t!”

  “I did. That soon sorted her out. Told her to get a life of her own, and leave Adam to live his.”

  “Well!”

  “So…we’re thinking of getting engaged. Is it all right, I mean with you—you haven’t still got the hots for him, have you?”

  “No. Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”

  “Because, Kate, I felt embarrassed about it. I saw him at a club soon after he brought you the bouquet. He was there with his new flatmates and I knew one of them, and it went from there.”

  “But his mother wanted to live with Adam and me; is she…?”

  “No, she isn’t. I straightened her out on that score too. She can be quite pleasant…that is if you stand no nonsense from her.”

  “Well, good luck to you, Steph.”

  “So it’s OK then?”

  “Fine. Absolutely fine.” Kate handed Stephie her empty mug. “I hope you’ll be very happy. I’m just so amazed. I never thought.”

  After Stephie had gone, Kate shuddered. Adam and Stephie? She shuddered again, remembering the night he went wild with temper and she’d escaped into Sainsbury’s and rung her dad for help. And his ridiculous bowling outfit, which he thought so groovy. His obsession with doing the same thing week after week. Tuesday, bowling. Friday, cinema. Sunday, lunch at the usual pub. Nothing could be allowed to disrupt his routine. She shuddered again when she thought about him kissing her. Stephie was welcome to him. But maybe he had changed. She hoped he had for Stephie’s sake.

  Kate’s next visitor was Rhodri. He just about managed to put a small degree of enthusiasm in his voice when he congratulated her, but she knew his heart wasn’t in it.

  “Just sorry, Kate, that I wasn’t here for the champagne. Called out to a whelping. Sorry, then.”

  “That’s fine, Rhodri. Successful, were you?”

  “Successful?”

  “With the whelping.”

  “Oh yes. But they shouldn’t breed from her. Bulldog. Very narrow pelvis. Saved three. Wanted to bring her in for a Caesarean, but they wouldn’t have it. ‘Using a knife on her? We can’t allow it. Oh no!’ They didn’t give a thought to the agony she was going through. I’ve told them this is the last time.” He slumped down on the chair Stephie had just vacated and sipped his tea.

  Kate waited for him to say something but he didn’t, so she made a pretense of getting on with the accounts. Eventually she asked, “Are you all right?”

  Rhodri looked up at her, preoccupied and distant. “Right as I shall ever be.” He stood up, leaving his mug on her desk, and went off, meeting Dan going out through the back door to the car park.

  “Good news about Kate, isn’t it, Rhodri?”

  “Of course. I’m glad for her. Though why anyone should want to be a vet I can’t imagine at this moment.”

  “There’s worse jobs. Like working in a call center. I’d go mad, completely mad, working in one of those.”

  Because they were the same height, their eyes were on a level, and Rhodri looked straight into Dan’s and said, “You’re mad already.”

  Dan, startled by Rhodri’s obvious enmity, drew in a deep breath and said, “Me? Mad? What do you mean by that?”

  “You just are.”

  “I most certainly am not.”

  “Mad for money, mad for forging ahead, mad to succeed at any price.”

  “I don’t take kindly to remarks like that. I think you should have a good think about what you’ve said.”

  “I’ve never liked you since the first day. Arrogant. That’s what you are. A big dose of humility would not go amiss.”

  “Just a minute…” Dan stood back and looked at Rhodri, seeing not an angry man but a sad misfit. “Look, I don’t want to pick a quarrel with anyone, least of all a colleague.”

  But Rhodri was apparently determined to pick a fight and squared up to Dan. “Is that so?”

  Kate couldn’t help overhearing the quarrel and went out into the corridor hoping to calm things down. Rhodri saw her and said, “Here comes another one full of herself.”

  “There’s no need to speak about Kate in that way. She’s a right to be full of herself today. She’s succeeded, which apparently you’ve not or you wouldn’t be like this. None of us wants an argument with you…”

  “Well, you’re getting one. You haven’t been in the place five minutes and you’ve got a partnership.”

  Dan opened his mouth to justify himself but decided against it. “Hmm. I’ve work to do, even if you haven’t.” He endeavored to get past him to get on with his calls, but Rhodri wasn’t having it.

  “I haven’t finished yet.”

  “Well, I have.”

  Kate intervened. “Please, Rhodri, let him leave. He’s got calls to make, and you’ve got clients waiting, I know for a fact.”

  The fight went out of Rhodri when he heard Kate’s calming voice. Neither Dan nor Kate missed the bitter tones in his voice, though, when he answered, “Mustn’t have them all waiting for me, must I?” He turned and headed toward his consulting room.

  Dan raised his eyebrows at Kate. “What the devil was all that about?”

  “Don’t know, but something’s not right.”

  “It’ll be that Welsh maiden of his that he’s so keen on. Turned him down…again.” Dan began to laugh.

  “It’s not funny, Dan. He loves her to bits, and she has a father she can’t leave.”

  “Sorry. Sorry! Got to go. But I didn’t start it, remember, it was him.”

  Rhodri greeted his first client as warmly as he was able in the circumstances. It was Miranda Costello, dressed head to toe in dark brown shaded velvet, with a strange brown velvet turban inexpertly wound around her head and not quite covering her dyed hair. She pointed to her cat basket. “Rhodri, it’s this young man.”

  “A new cat?”

  “Oh, you don’t know. No, he’s my new dog. I took him on from a friend who isn’t able to walk him anymore, and I said I
’d take him but I’m beginning to regret it.”

  “Why is that?”

  Miranda looked around the consulting room to make sure there were only Rhodri and she present and said softly, “I don’t like to say it in front of him because I don’t want to embarrass him, but he’s,” she mouthed the word, “incontinent.” All over the place. Both, you know. I don’t want the others to begin copying him. I thought it was because he’s upset at being moved, but he’s been with me three weeks and it doesn’t get any better. I know I’ve a lot of animals and it takes me all my time, walking them and attending them, and I know I’m a bit happy-go-lucky about fleas and things, but I won’t allow that. Absolutely not.”

  “What breed is he? He must be small to get him in your cat basket.”

  “Oh, he is! Look!”

  Rhodri peered into the wire front of the basket and saw the smallest, fully grown Yorkshire terrier he’d ever come across. “Never have I seen such a tiny dog! Why, he’s minute.”

  “You wouldn’t think so if you were cleaning up after him.”

  “Is he friendly?”

  “Oh yes. No trouble.”

  “Did the previous owner say why she couldn’t cope with him?”

  “Just that she couldn’t take him out anymore. Rheumatism, she said. I fell for him straightaway. He’s a little beauty, isn’t he?”

  “He is. Get him out. What’s his name?”

  Miranda began to laugh uproariously, but controlled herself for just long enough to blurt out “Goliath.”

  For the first time in a while, Rhodri laughed too. “Goliath! Are you pulling my leg?”

  “As if I would. It’s true, that’s what she called him, and I can’t change it, can I?”

  “Of course not.”