by Minna Howard
‘That’s not what some of the locals think. People have used those kennels quite happily for ever,’ Sophie retorted.
‘I suppose it depends when they last saw them. But if a vet, or anyone else for that matter, thinks the animals might be in danger there, they have a responsibility to close it down until it is made safe,’ Amelia said cautiously, wanting to change the subject.
Sophie wouldn’t let it go. ‘But their nephew, Rufus, was going to help them when he’d finished his exams. Why didn’t he wait for him to come?’
‘Sophie, I don’t know anything about it,’ she said firmly. ‘Anyway, how come you know so much?’ She wasn’t looking forward to Sophie’s reaction when she found out that she knew the vet who had done this. Had him here in the house, to see to the tortoise, been to a party with him in his uncle’s house, and, though she’d hardly tell her, that she was even rather attracted to him, which was foolish as he already had a girlfriend – that rather snooty, but stunning, Cynthia.
‘Oh, it’s common knowledge; people I know around here – you remember Emma and her brother Mike – told me when I rang them. The kennels are quite close to their house. Some people think we ought to start a petition to have it opened again,’ Sophie went on. ‘I haven’t seen Rufus for a while, but Dom says he’s finished the course he was doing in France and could probably come and work there now. He might even have some friends who could help out.’ She took a gulp from the wine glass beside her. ‘Perhaps his aunt and uncle could do some of the paperwork or something less strenuous. After all, he spent much of his childhood with them, could even be counted as local instead of some outsider barging in and closing it down.’
Amelia now rather wished Sophie had not returned home, if she was going to pick a fight with Jules by organising a plan to reopen the kennels. She would have to admit that she’d met Jules and liked him and Dickon, his young, motherless son.
She paused, knowing Sophie would be annoyed, but she might as well tell her, it was better it came from her, as it would surely come up eventually.
‘I thought there was something wrong with one of the tortoises, so I rang the vet. Cleo’s owners had left me his number, in case she got ill. Obviously as I’d never needed one before, I didn’t know he was new to the district. He came here and was very nice. He’s a widower with a young son.’ She finished, bracing herself for Sophie’s disapproval.
‘Oh, Mum, you’re surely not taking his side? I mean in one moment he snatched away the Talberts’ livelihood.’ She frowned at her. ‘Whatever are they going to do now?’
‘He was not happy about having to do it, Sophie, but nor could he leave the place as it was. People could have come back and found their pets ill or even dead.’ She finished firmly. ‘He found the place in a terrible state, filthy kennels and such, if he hadn’t persuaded them to close it, they might have got into serious trouble for cruelty to animals.’
Sophie would not give up. ‘Cruelty, that’s pushing it, Mum,’ she grumbled. ‘If it was so bad surely the people who usually left their pets there would have seen it and said something.’
‘I don’t really know but Jules… the vet, knew he could not leave them as they were, the animals were not safe there.’
‘You sound as if you know this… Jules, quite well,’ Sophie retorted.
‘I wouldn’t say that, but he, or rather his son, Dickon, asked me to join them for Christmas Day. They are staying with his uncle and they had open house for Christmas,’ Amelia said firmly, getting up to let Ziggy out as he was now scratching at the door.
‘I think it’s a very good thing that I’ve come home,’ Sophie said, ‘so I can help Rufus fight for his inheritance and get the place up and running again.’
14
Mum was so gullible; this vet had obviously persuaded her that he was in the right to close the kennels down and it was sheer luck for everyone that she’d been alone here for Christmas and been bamboozled into taking in all these animals. Sophie liked Ziggy and had met Osbert before, but she didn’t know the others. That parrot was a bit much and living in the dining room too when she’d hoped to have some friends round for drinks, and it would probably upset it to be moved somewhere else.
She thought briefly of Dom and wondered if he’d phone her later. They were all squashed into this chalet, he’d told her. He was sleeping on a camp bed in the hallway outside the kitchen because it was that or sharing a room with his sister. She was glad she wasn’t there and yet she was annoyed that she wasn’t. It was surely bad manners of his uncle not to ask her now they were engaged.
Dom had been behaving a bit oddly recently, before they’d gone to his parents for Christmas. When she’d asked him what was wrong, he’d said nothing was and why should there be? Though he’d had that sort of shifty look about him he had when he was keeping something from her. Was there another girl he might fancy at the ski resort at the same time, or even in the chalet? She wondered but she wasn’t going to ask.
He’d been very loving their last night together and crept into her bed when the whole household was asleep. ‘It will only be a week,’ he’d said, ‘and I’ll call you every day.’
She’d miss him, of course she would, she told herself, but in fact it was rather nice to be here in this clean, comfy house with Mum, with nice food and the fruit bowl kept full and always coffee and tea or even wine about. She’d been working very hard these last weeks in her job, which had now finished as she was only filling in for someone on maternity leave. Dom had been at home as his new job, where if it worked out, he could eventually earn a great deal of money, started the day after he got back from skiing.
However much she nagged at him, he kept forgetting to food shop properly when he was at home off work. He’d met up with a friend, or gone to the gym or swimming, and they ended up, yet again, getting a takeaway for supper. All this was now over as he’d be starting work, which, he’d been told would entail long hours.
She might stay here with Mum for a while and see what she could do to reopen the kennels. Mum would be going back to work herself soon, and she would take on cooking supper for her every evening. She wouldn’t just loll about expecting Mum to do it all. In fact, she guessed Mum would be glad of having her here now Dad had gone and Grania was far away in India. She still felt guilty that she’d been alone for Christmas, though she seemed to have gone out for Christmas Day, but with that new vet’s family.
‘Mum, would it be okay if I stayed here a few weeks? Dom’s got his new job, which will be quite long hours, and I haven’t got anything at the moment. I’ll have to find something eventually, but I’d like to stay here with you. It seems with everything; I’ve hardly seen you.’ They sat together after supper, watching a thriller on television.
‘It would be lovely, darling if you’d like to, but won’t Dom miss you, especially if he is starting this new, exciting job?’
‘He’ll be fine, it will give him a chance to get into it without me fussing around. I could always go up for the weekend, or he could come here,’ she said.
‘As you like.’ Mum gave her a look which she knew meant ‘is there anything you want to tell me about?’ but it would sound stupid to say she felt Dom was keeping something from her. It could be he found it difficult being at home with his family, or afraid they wouldn’t like her or something like that, and she saw his point.
Christmas with them had been a difficult time, and she hoped she would not have to go and visit often. It rather spooked her when Mum had said when they married, she would become part of his family as he would with hers, and any children they had would be their grandchildren as well as Mum’s.
They weren’t going to have children for ages and with luck, and Dom’s exacting new job, she wouldn’t have to see them often as they lived so far away.
15
Vero, Amelia’s great friend, whom she’d met at an antenatal class when they were both expecting their first babies, asked her and Sophie, to a New Year’s party. She’d been away wit
h her in-laws for Christmas and had now returned for New Year.
Amelia and Sophie set off to the party together and arrived at the same time as Jules and his uncle, who greeted her warmly with a hug. Jules, accompanied by Cynthia, smiled at her. She did not see Leonora.
‘I hope you are free of all the animals now, and they are back home, or at least most of them,’ Jules said to her.
‘Everything’s fine, thanks. My daughter is back to help out,’ she said, as he stood back to let her into the house.
Not until they were all inside and were taking off their coats did Sophie realise who he was. She scowled at him saying, ‘Are you the new vet who closed down the kennels?’
‘Not now, Sophie,’ Amelia said warningly. ‘This is a party, the last one of the year, let’s enjoy it.’
‘It’s fine, Amelia,’ Jules said to her. ‘I’ve become used to the flak. Yes.’ He turned to Sophie, no doubt guessing she was her daughter. ‘I had to do it as it was a health trap for any animals left there.’ His voice was calm and before Sophie could answer, Cynthia who was checking herself in a small mirror she’d taken from her bag, said archly, ‘It was murder waiting to happen, I’m surprised it stayed open so long and no one else noticed how run-down it was. The couple managed to keep the front part, where you dropped the animals off, vaguely clean, but you should have seen the state of the kennels behind.’
Amelia guessed that if Cynthia had not spoken, Sophie would have accepted Jules’s explanation. But the superior way Cynthia addressed her was enough to upset Sophie, who hated people to belittle her. She tried to move her on into the main room where the sound of talking and laughter tempted them in, but Sophie, not one to be put down, went on.
‘It was that old couple’s livelihood; they’d been there for ever and they were much respected and loved by everyone around who always used them to look after their pets if they went away. It was so unfair to close it down so suddenly like that, especially when their nephew is about to come and help out. They should at least be given a chance to clean it up.’
‘It had to be done,’ Jules said, his expression now darker. He glanced at Amelia, making her feel as if she was against him too. His uncle was already in the room enjoying the party and it was just the four of them left in the hall.
Cynthia said, ‘I warned you not to come and work in such a backwater, Jules. If it was anywhere else that old couple would have been put out to grass, years ago.’
‘If you are new here, you’d know nothing about it,’ Sophie retorted. ‘You’ve just waltzed in and ruined a decent couple’s life.’
‘That is enough, Sophie,’ Amelia said firmly. ‘We either stay and enjoy the party or we must leave at once.’
Vero caught sight of them and came over smiling. ‘Amelia and Sophie, so good to see you.’ She embraced them. ‘Have you met our new vet and his…’ She waved her hand vaguely in Cynthia’s direction obviously not knowing how to describe their relationship.
‘We’ve met him.’ Sophie turned her back on them and seeing one of her friends, ran in to greet them.
Vero, not suspecting anything, linked arms with Amelia, and led her into the room, asking about her Christmas and who she would like to meet.
Before Amelia could say anything, David, who she’d met on Christmas Day at Jules’s uncle’s party, came up to her.
‘Amelia, good to meet you again.’ He leant over and kissed her cheek.
Vero winked, told her to help herself to a glass of prosecco from the tray coming round, and left her with David.
Amelia looked round for Sophie and couldn’t see her. Jules and Cynthia seemed to have disappeared and she hoped Sophie would not corner him later to rail about his actions. When David, looking a little offended, asked who she was looking for, she explained she was looking for Sophie, afraid she’d bother Jules.
‘Oh, dear, his action has caused a bit of a drama,’ he said.
‘I didn’t even know the kennels existed until Stacy told me about it.’
‘And were lumbered by all those animals yourself.’ David smiled at her. ‘I’ve known Jules for a long time and he certainly wouldn’t have closed it if it wasn’t a death trap. Though being new in the district, I suppose people are suspicious of him. But he might not stay here long. I understand he’s been offered a tempting post in Hampshire and as he has friends there, he’ll probably move on before long.’
‘So they’d have to find another vet for here? Isn’t the one he replaced too old to come back?’ Amelia felt a strange pang of loss which was rather foolish as he was obviously paired up with Cynthia.
‘I think there is one coming, a woman who has recently qualified,’ David said. ‘Now, I’m so glad to see you again because I wanted to ask you if you’d like to come to a concert at Snape. We get quite good things coming here and this one should be wonderful.’ He went on to explain more about it.
She had not been on a real date, alone with a man she barely knew, since Esmond died. She’d only gone out with girlfriends, her family or married couples, or very occasionally with married men she’d known forever and were happily settled with one of her friends. She didn’t know the dating etiquette of her age group, thrown back on the dating scene again. When she first started dating before she married, you didn’t have to sleep with anyone unless you wanted to. Though now she was older and knew what was what, she wondered how you got out of the bed thing if you didn’t want it. You could no longer use innocence as an excuse, or fidelity to a husband. David was a decent man, could be a good companion. He’d told her at Jules’s party that he’d recently broken up with a long-time girlfriend. Was he looking for a replacement, and was he making a move towards her?
She didn’t fancy him that way, and she wondered how she would deal with it if he expected it. If she said she’d just wanted to be friends, he might be offended though perhaps he didn’t fancy her in that way either. She felt she was on rocky ground, afraid the whole thing might turn into an embarrassing muddle.
‘Think on it,’ he said, seeing her hesitation. ‘It’s on the 10th of January but let me know soon.’
‘Thanks, I just haven’t got my new diary organised yet,’ she said. To her relief, they were interrupted by Giles asking her if she was free of the animals yet.
She glanced round the crowded room, telling herself she was looking for Sophie, who she saw talking animatedly to Freya, one of Vero’s children. Her gaze came to rest on Jules who was laughing in a group, Cynthia hovering beside him. He caught her eye then glanced away, his attention now taken by a pretty young woman beside him, who was talking to him earnestly, her hand on his arm. To her surprise and annoyance, she felt a pang of jealousy. What had got into her? Jules was nothing to do with her and once all the animals had gone from her house, she would never have need of him again.
16
David stuck resolutely by her side. He seemed to know a lot of people at the party who he introduced her to, though he never seemed inclined to stay to talk to them. He hovered beside her even if she and the new person struck up a conversation which he was not part of. She wondered if people thought that they were a pair, so slightly curbing her freedom to wander off on her own. Whenever she tried to move on, he was close behind. He was solicitous, seeing she had a drink, asking if she wanted to sit down, sometimes putting his hand on her back, steering her through a knot of people. She felt trapped and though once or twice she said she would understand if he wanted to go and be with his friends, he just laughed, saying there was all night to see them.
To her relief, Vero seemed to guess her predicament and came over to ask if she’d help a moment with something in the kitchen.
‘Do you need me to help out?’ David asked her.
Vero laughed. ‘No thanks, David, we can manage. Enjoy yourself, you know most people here.’ She slipped her arm through Amelia’s and led her off to the kitchen. Freya, her daughter was there with a couple of friends who were just setting off with plates of canapes for the guests leaving
the two women alone.
‘Thought you needed rescuing. Hope I haven’t disturbed anything. David’s a sweetie but he can be a bit full on. He’s recently broken up with his girlfriend and is a bit at a loose end,’ Vero said as she put some cocktail sausages into the oven.
‘Yes, I know. I met him at Giles’s house on Christmas Day.’ Amelia went on to explain about Jules coming to the house and how Dickon had invited her over for Christmas Day.
Vero roared with laughter. ‘So, you didn’t know that tortoises hibernated? What did he say?’
‘It was really Dickon, his son who explained,’ Amelia said.
‘Can’t believe you didn’t know.’ Vero laughed before saying seriously, ‘So sad about his wife dying and leaving him with that little boy. Jules has come to stay with his uncle while he decides where to live, find the right school for Dickon and all.’
‘Did you know his wife?’ Amelia asked.
‘No, they moved to France soon after they married, but I know his uncle Giles well. I met Jules there once or twice before he went to France. Giles and I were on a local committee together once to deal with the river which had got silted up and full of rubbish. He’s a great character, seems to have an endless supply of lady friends, though I don’t think he brought one with him tonight, perhaps hoping to find a new one here,’ she joked.
‘Yes, I met one of them at Christmas.’
Vero eyed her with interest. ‘So, our luscious vet asked you over?’
‘No, Dickon did. It was rather embarrassing, and I think Jules felt he couldn’t get out of it, though he did say they had an open house at Christmas.’
‘Yes, he does, we’ve been there a couple of times though it was my in-laws’ turn to visit this year as you know,’ Vero said. ‘Anyway, I don’t think Jules will stay here long. I think he’s only filling in until the new one comes, a lady vet who has recently qualified.’
