The Christmas Menagerie

by Minna Howard

Each child had to shake the teacher in charge’s hand to say goodbye, a rule brought in so no child could slip away without being noticed.

  ‘He’s had a very good first day,’ she said in an encouraging way to Cynthia as Dicken shook her hand.

  Cynthia shrugged. ‘Do you work here?’ she asked in a voice that implied if she did it must be in a lowly job.

  ‘She’s a teacher. Wish I was in her class,’ Dickon said, smiting her heart.

  ‘I teach children younger than you,’ she said, ‘but it was a lovely surprise to see you here this morning. I look forward to seeing you tomorrow and you’ll soon settle in and make lots of friends.’

  ‘Come on, I’ve so much else to do today,’ Cynthia said, steering him before her as she left the room.

  Amelia had no time to say anything more as a string of children whose parents and nannies had arrived were waiting to say goodbye. She wished Jules had come to collect him, not just because she’d like to see him, but because Dickon would have been so much happier if he, instead of Cynthia, had picked him up on his first day at a new school.

  24

  ‘So, Mum, I told you Rufus is coming tomorrow, didn’t I? I’ll make up the bed in the spare room for him. That’s okay with you, isn’t it?’

  Mum was obviously distracted getting ready to go back to work. She hoped she hadn’t forgotten he was coming and make a scene about it. She didn’t seem very interested about her and Rufus’s idea of reopening the kennels.

  ‘I’d wait a while and see what happens,’ she said vaguely. ‘I mean the holiday time is over for most people so there probably won’t be any pets needing to go there until Easter.’

  ‘But we’ve got to get it up and running first, Mum,’ Sophie said. ‘You don’t want to be landed with all those pets again, cute as they were.’ She remembered the enthusiastic welcome Ziggy always gave them when they returned home.

  ‘I wouldn’t mind having a dog again, like we did when we were little, and Dad was here,’ she said, remembering Barbie, the terrier they’d had when she was a child, and how she joined enthusiastically in all their games.

  ‘I was at home a lot then, so we could look after a dog. But, Sophie…’ Her mother stopped going through her lesson plans and faced her. ‘Remember, we are quite new here, and you must be careful how you handle this. The kennel saga has caused enough trouble already. People taking sides and such.’ She told her about the scene with Jules in the supermarket. ‘We didn’t even know the place existed, so maybe it’s best to give it a rest for a while.’

  ‘But Rufus spent much of his youth there. He wants to see what’s happened and check on their house.’ She hoped Mum wasn’t going to suggest he came a bit later, she was all fired up to get it up and running again, restore their business to them.

  ‘That’s fine, it is his aunt and uncle’s house and I expect they want to know it is all right, but just don’t go on making a fuss about Jules closing it down. It’s done now,’ Mum said, leaving the room to go and see to her clothes for the morning.

  When she’d told Dom that Rufus was coming to stay to sort things out, he said he’d like to come down too as he hadn’t seen him for ages. That would be great as she was missing him more than she thought she would. When it was just the two them together it was good, but she felt hanging about with his family over Christmas had put a dampener on their love. She felt guilty at not being with him when he started his new job, though when she chatted to him on the phone, she had the feeling he was quite relieved so he could get on with it without her fussing around, and it wasn’t as if she had a job of her own to go to. It was so depressing looking for one at this time of the year.

  The only thing she didn’t know, and nor did Rufus, whom she’d only spoken to once, was if they would be able to get into the kennels or if Jules had locked them up and they’d have to ask him to let them in. When Rufus was here, they’d confront him together; he couldn’t stop them if his aunt had asked him to check on it.

  But later, when she went shopping for Mum, she almost bumped into Jules in the street.

  ‘Oh, Sophie, isn’t it? How are things?’ He sounded friendly enough, but it didn’t soften her anger.

  ‘Fine, thanks. Rufus, Dodi and Jim’s nephew, is coming to stay with us tomorrow and we hope to get the kennels open again,’ she said firmly, standing a little taller to confront him. He had just come out of the post office, his car keys in his hand, obviously heading off somewhere.

  ‘We are determined to do it whatever you say.’ She glared at him before he could escape.

  ‘Once it is safe to take in animals that’s fine,’ he said reasonably, which rather floored her as she was all geared up to fight him. ‘But it needs to be pulled down and started again from scratch and that will be expensive. Is there enough money somewhere for that, do you know? I’m pretty certain Dodi and Jim don’t have enough for a complete makeover as they would have repaired and replaced things as they went along, but nothing had been done for ages, so it had reached the point of no return.’

  ‘There’s no money at the moment. But we’ll get it, crowdfund or something. But Dodi knows he’s coming, she’s told him he can live in the house, as she and Jim are now with her sister and he’s got nowhere else to live – he’d been sofa-surfing since he got back from Europe. We’ll need the key to get in.’ This was not going as she imagined. She’d worked herself up into thinking Jules was an enemy that needed fighting, but he didn’t seem at all fazed with her intentions.

  ‘Dodie gave me the spare key when they left for her nephew to pick up when he comes. He glanced at his watch. ‘Now, sorry but I must rush, got to get back for evening surgery. Let me know when Rufus arrives, he can pick up the keys from the surgery. I think, when you see the state of it, you will understand why it had to be closed. As I said, there is no way you can have any animals there now and rebuilding it will be very expensive.’ He gave her a quick smile and strode off, leaving her feeling rather flat. She’d geared herself up, all ready to fight him, expecting him to say there was no way the kennels could be started up again, but instead, he’d made it sound as if he had no concerns about it opening again, provided it was started from new. But who would pay for it? It was bound to be expensive and they’d have Jules breathing down their necks while it was being done. Though rumour had it that he was leaving the district, even though his son had just started in Mum’s school, which would be a very good thing, indeed.

  25

  Amelia arrived home exhausted after a long day teaching. It had been a difficult day as Will, one of the boys in her class, had fallen hard in the playground at break time and might have fractured his leg.

  The first she knew of it was hearing his cry. He and various others had been playing behind the huge chestnut tree in the corner of the playground, and there was a sudden, piercing scream. Kate Evans, Dickon’s form teacher, was the first on the scene and she sent one of the children mingling there to find her.

  It would be Will, a rather fearful boy, Amelia thought, kneeling beside him and trying to get him to sit up. He had a nasty gash on his leg which was bleeding, the sight of it upsetting him further, though fascinating two of the other boys.

  ‘So, what happened?’ Amelia asked the small collection of children that had now collected, crowding round the scene. ‘Can you tell me, Will?’ she asked him.

  ‘Simon pushed me,’ he said.

  ‘Did not, wasn’t even near you. You fell all on your own,’ Simon retorted, his small face furious with his denial.

  ‘Let’s get you up and see if you can walk. I know it must be very sore and you are very brave so let’s go inside and wash it and perhaps put a bandage on it,’ she said, thinking it better to get the boy out of the cold and patched up and even given a biscuit and see how things went from there.

  Mrs Purdy, the headmistress, was not so sanguine and rang his parents bringing his mother, a woman who Amelia thought far too protective of her child to the point of holding back his development. She ins
isted on calling an ambulance to red light him to hospital, which was certainly not necessary but it ended up with Mrs Purdy having to drive him and his mother to A&E herself.

  When at last, Amelia reached home and opened her front door, longing for a glass of wine and the chance to slump down on the sofa, she was disturbed to see all the lights on and hear a male voice coming from the living room. She had forgotten that Rufus, whom she’d never met, was coming today.

  ‘Hi, Mum, good day? Rufus is here, did you remember he was coming? I told you at breakfast time.’

  She longed to say, no, I need peace and quiet to unwind from a traumatic day, but a young man appeared at the door of the room. He was tall and skinny with a thick thatch of dark hair.

  ‘Hi. So, kind of you to let me stay, I’ve no idea what state my aunt’s house is in. I went there on my way here but the gate to the drive is locked up so I couldn’t get in to see, but I plan to move there and be out of your way as soon as possible,’ he said with a wide smile. Amelia made herself look a bit more friendly and welcoming, though she felt completely wrung out.

  ‘We are about to go to the pub. We’ll have a bite there, so Rufus can meet people,’ Sophie said, as if she had guessed her mother’s wish. ‘So, we’ll leave you in peace and will be back later.’

  ‘Have a good time.’ Amelia was relieved she’d be spared more aggro about the kennels, for the moment anyway. She and Esmond encouraged the girls to have their friends round and sometimes to stay and if she wasn’t so drained after her day at the school, she would have welcomed him, even though she foresaw dramas ahead if he and Sophie tried to restore the kennels.

  She said, ‘Sorry, I feel wiped out, it’s been a difficult day.’ She explained about Will’s fall.

  ‘Is he badly hurt?’ Sophie asked.

  ‘Accidents were always happening when I was at school,’ Rufus said, ‘but we’ll leave you in peace. Have a strong drink, that’s what my mother used to do when she came home from work, or anytime really.’ He grinned but she saw a flash of pain in his eyes and wondered what his home life had been like. Sophie had told him that Dodi and Jim had often looked after him when he was younger.

  She was in bed when she heard them return and in fact did not see them again until she returned home from work the following evening. To her relief, Will was not badly hurt but his mother was keeping him at home until the end of the week.

  Jules collected Dickon from school that afternoon. He saw her fielding her class out to their parents and came up to her.

  ‘Dickon said you are a teacher here. I wish I’d known, I would have asked you more about the place. Have you been here long?’

  ‘This is my second term teaching here. It was a lovely surprise to see Dickon here.’ She smiled at Dickon as he stood close to his father, who put his arm round him as if guessing he needed some moral support. ‘I’m sure you’ll be happy here, Dickon. It often takes a little time to settle into a new place,’ she said to him. ‘Did you go to a French school?’

  ‘No, American,’ he said.

  ‘Well, we are still not sure how long we are staying in the district, but there seems a lot to do here and it’s good to spend some time with my uncle,’ Jules said. ‘So, are you animal-free now, all the pets back home?’

  ‘Yes, so I hope things get fixed at the kennels before Easter, or I might be asked to take in pets again,’ she said, half in jest. ‘Rufus, the owner’s nephew, is a friend of Sophie’s and he’s come to stay with us, hoping to sort it out,’ Amelia said, feeling it best to inform Jules, herself, so he could be pre-warned against any trouble. Almost immediately she realised it had been the wrong thing to do, though there was little she could do about it here, while they were surrounded by children and parents and people coming to collect them.

  ‘I knew he was coming, Sophie told me when he bumped into each other in the street,’ Jules said.

  ‘Oh, she didn’t say she’d seen you.’ She was surprised Sophie hadn’t told her.

  ‘I don’t think she realises how serious it was, Amelia. I didn’t report them, as I saw how hard things were for them. Poor Dodi struggling with her confused husband. But they cannot just be reopened by someone else. They have to be completely rebuilt and inspected, before I can allow them to take in any animals.’

  She felt he was annoyed with her for supposedly siding with the enemy as it were, by encouraging Rufus and Sophie to go against his wishes. There was nothing she could do to defend herself now, as a parent was marching towards her with her child, demanding to know why her little genius had been given such a simple reading book for the weekend homework.

  26

  Amelia got ready to go to the concert with David. She wore a pair of black velvet trousers and the blue Chinese silk jacket Esmond had bought her when he’d once gone to China on business, though she’d often seen ones the same sold here now. She loved it and used to often wear it; it was smart though not too smart, perfect for an evening out. If only it was just her and Esmond going out together, as they used to.

  It was a pity that the concert was on Wednesday, mid-week, and not on a Saturday, so she could sleep in the following morning. Though at least it meant that David would have work the following day and that Sophie and Rufus were here in the house, which would cool any amorous ideas David might have. She could refuse without causing any upset. He might suggest she go home with him, but she would cope with that if it happened. She scolded herself for feeling a bit paranoid about it all.

  Would you mind if it was Jules asking you to stay the night? An annoying voice sounded in her head.

  David arrived at exactly the time he said he would to pick her up and Sophie, who’d been hovering about, ran to the door to open it as soon as she heard the bell.

  ‘Hi, I’m Sophie, Mum’s all ready,’ she greeted him cheerfully. ‘Do come in. Have you time for a drink?’

  Amelia went to greet him, wondering if she should kiss him on the cheek but he looked a little awkward perhaps not expecting to be greeted by Sophie. She introduced them, adding, ‘She’s staying here a while.

  ‘It’s good to see you, David, I’m really looking forward to this. I haven’t been to Snape before. I’m told it’s marvellous.’

  ‘Yes, Snape’s a good place.’ David glanced towards Sophie and then back at her. She sensed an air of disappointment about him as if he’d hoped she’d be alone, though that was probably her imagination. She felt shy, uneasy now. Talking to friends in similar situations to her, she thought they’d taken these new relationships in their stride, or just been lucky by finding a kindred spirit, and didn’t stress so on how an evening might end. They were consenting adults after all, and as long as you didn’t snitch someone else’s man, it was up to you whose bed you ended up in.

  Since Esmond’s death, Amelia had not gone on a date with a man she didn’t know. Now, she missed those warm, easy feelings they had between them from years living together; would she ever find that again?

  Sophie caught her eye and winked which she knew meant she liked the look of David. She pretended she hadn’t seen it and also offered him a drink, but he seemed keen to go, saying there wasn’t time, it was quite a drive. He helped her on with her coat and made for the door.

  ‘Bye, Mum, have a great time,’ Sophie called after her as they went outside into freezing, dark night.

  ‘Good to see you, you look wonderful,’ David said, his hand on her elbow to guide her through the dark to his car.

  ‘Thank you, good to see you too. I’m really looking forward to this.’

  He opened the car door for her. The car was warm, the leather seat comfortable and she settled in. He started the car and they set off.

  ‘Does your daughter live with you permanently?’ he asked as they reached the road at the end of the lane.

  ‘No, she’s just here for a while, she normally lives with her fiancé in London but she’s here to support a friend who wants to reopen the kennels.’

  ‘Oh, the kennels. I’ve he
ard all about them from Jules,’ David said.

  ‘Yes, Sophie has taken them up as her crusade.’ She didn’t want to talk about them and Jules all evening. She wondered guiltily what it would be like if it was him taking her to the concert. David was such a nice man. After the fiasco at the end of Vero and Ben’s party, he’d surely got the message that she didn’t want to be more than a friend. He probably didn’t want to sleep with her anyway but had just had a wobble on New Year’s Eve, the time of the year when people get a bit maudlin and miss love ones now lost.

  It was not until they were making their way to their seats that she saw Jules, his uncle, Leonora and Cynthia making their way to their seats on the other side of the auditorium. David hadn’t noticed them, nor had he said they might be here, so she kept quiet and sat down in her place and earnestly studied the programme he had bought her.

  They were a group of classical musicians who gave concerts all over the place, including on liners at sea. In the first half they played well known classics, sometimes adding a few little flourishes of their own. Amelia let herself go with the music determined not to think of Jules, and wish she was beside him instead of Cynthia. They must be a couple and she had no right to want to change that.

  Her mind drifted with the music. She remembered how on New Year’s night, Jules had heard David’s offer to drive her home. Seeing her here with him now, he might think they were an item. But so what? He had Cynthia. She was being foolish thinking of him in that way – it was just because it was the first time since Esmond’s death, that she’d met someone she was attracted to.

  They all met up at the bar in the interval. It was Leonora who spotted them first. ‘Oh, how lovely to see you, Amelia and David. How are you?’ She smiled at them both, looking from one to the other as if perhaps to gauge what kind of relationship they had.

  ‘Good to see you, Amelia.’ Giles kissed her. ‘I hear my great nephew is at your school. How is he settling in?’