‘Doesn’t your daddy love you as much as your mummy does?’ I crooned to her as she got stuck into the Gourmet cat food I’d dished up and forked over lovingly, exactly as Vanya had instructed me. ‘Never mind, Sugar. I’ll make it up to you.’
She looked up from her bowl and gave me a haughty meow as if to tell me off for interrupting her while she was eating.
‘So sorry, your highness,’ I giggled, walking away to give her the privacy she seemed to require for her breakfast.
Vanya’s detailed timetable had set aside times for grooming, and even times for playing, although personally I just wanted to play with Sugar all the time – she was so intelligent and responsive, and obviously loved human company – even if she did seem to think of me as her servant rather than her friend. Considering how much Vanya adored her, to say nothing of how valuable she must be, I’d been surprised that she was allowed outside of the house at all, but on my introductory visit Vanya had shown me her outdoor run: a huge, tailor-made framework that took up a large portion of the garden. The grass inside the run was dotted with safe plants to sniff, shrubs to hide behind, boxes and tubes to climb into and even half a tree for her to climb up. The run was not only large but high enough for us to walk inside with her, and I was surprised to see a comfy garden chair set up in one corner.
‘I don’t ever leave her alone out here,’ Vanya had explained. I’d got the impression Sugar had no idea what it was like to be alone!
So, outdoor exercise (accompanied) was also scheduled every day, unless it was raining of course, or too cold for the little darling. Part of the run’s steel mesh roof had a heavy-duty green cover over it, but I was firmly told that this was not to keep rain off her – she hated water and absolutely mustn’t be allowed to get wet under any circumstances – but to give her shade in the event of the sun becoming too hot for her. There wasn’t too much danger of that happening in the middle of March, but I said I’d bear it in mind.
I enjoyed my first time of being out in the garden run with Sugar so much, I didn’t realise how much time had passed until I noticed Rob watching me out of the kitchen window. I had no idea how long he’d been back from the gym, but when I took Sugar back into the house, he smiled at me and said he was just making a coffee if I’d like one.
‘You looked like you were enjoying yourself out there,’ he commented.
‘I was. We were having a lovely game with your toys, weren’t we, Sugar?’ I said to my little charge, and she meowed back at me, rubbing her head on my leg.
‘The other woman just used to sit on the chair reading her magazines, looking fed up,’ he said. ‘Not that I blamed her. Can’t see the fun in it, myself – playing with a cat.’
‘You don’t share your wife’s passion, then, I take it?’ I said.
‘Not in the slightest. Still, it keeps her happy, I suppose.’
He sounded so dismissive, his tone so scornful and sarcastic, that I thought it best to change the subject. I was getting the definite impression that there wasn’t a great deal of marital harmony in the Montgomery household, and I had no wish to get involved. Fortunately, Rob spent the rest of the day in his study, only coming out when I knocked on the door at six o’clock to let him know I was leaving.
‘Is that the time already?’ he exclaimed, getting up and having a stretch. Although he was heavily built, I could see that it was mostly muscle, and judging by the tight-fitting tops he seemed to favour, he was apparently proud of his physique. ‘Well, thanks for today, then, Emma. See you in the morning.’
‘Are you working from home again?’ I asked, somewhat surprised.
‘Yep. Easier to concentrate, when the wife’s not here getting on at me with her constant demands and complaints – you know how it is,’ he said, again laughing as if he was joking, but I had the definite feeling he wasn’t. And again I thought how odd it was that he couldn’t keep an eye on Sugar himself for Vanya, if he was going to be around all the time she was on her business trip. It seemed she really didn’t trust him!
‘So will you be OK with Sugar overnight?’ I said, beginning to wonder if I should actually be leaving her with Rob at all. ‘I’ve fed her and changed her litter again.’
‘Yeah, yeah, the cat will be fine,’ he said, sounding completely disinterested. ‘Bye.’
It was nice, now that I’d come clean to Lauren and Jon about my pet sitting, to be able to talk to them about the animals I was looking after.
‘Sugar reminds me so much of a Burmese cat my parents used to have,’ I told Lauren wistfully as we were clearing up the dinner things together that evening. ‘She’s so friendly and intelligent, although it’s also really funny – because she’s been so spoilt, she’s such a diva! I’m hoping Vanya will use me a lot more if she’s satisfied with me this time. She said she goes away on loads of these business trips.’
‘That’s the lady who lives in the big house on the way out of town, isn’t it?’ Lauren said. She shut the dishwasher door with a clunk. ‘Yes, I believe she has a very high-powered job. I’ve met her husband – he’s a parish councillor.’
‘Really? I did wonder what his job was. He seems to like working from home.’
‘Oh no, Emma, parish councillors are just volunteers. I don’t know what he does for a living, but I suspect it isn’t as important as his wife’s job.’ She grinned. ‘At the parish council meeting I went to, he was doing nearly all the talking, shouting everyone else down. I thought he seemed very pompous and up-himself, to be honest, and he gave the impression he was definitely hoping to be elected as the next chairman. Jon says he often sees this on school parents’ committees too.’ She chuckled.
‘Sees what?’ I asked, intrigued.
‘Well, he thinks it happens with men who have less influential jobs than their partners. They get involved in something in a voluntary capacity, and suddenly they’re acting like Very Important Persons.’
I smiled. ‘Yes, I can imagine that, too.’
Jon had joined us in the kitchen now, and was putting on the kettle for coffee.
‘I’ve been meaning to say to you, Emma,’ he said, suddenly sounding serious, ‘Now you’re getting more bookings for the pet sitting, you need to get your business affairs set up properly – unless you’ve already done that?’
‘How do you mean?’ I asked, looking at him in panic. ‘I don’t have any business affairs.’
‘Exactly.’ He smiled. ‘Don’t worry, I just mean you ought to register yourself as self-employed, pay your National Insurance and start keeping proper records, for the taxman.’
‘Oh.’ I went hot and cold all over. ‘But I don’t know how to go about anything like that.’
‘Well, I’d help you, of course, but it’s not something I’ve got any experience with myself,’ he admitted, frowning. Then he smiled again. ‘Ah, but I know someone who would be able to advise you. She was a colleague of mine; she retired early from teaching and is self-employed herself now. Would you like me to have a word with her for you?’
‘Emma’s already met her, Jon,’ Lauren intervened. ‘I presume you’re talking about Mary?’
‘Oh. Yes, of course, I know Mary, she’s lovely. I looked after her little dog. I thought she was completely retired; I didn’t realise she still worked.’
‘She just does bits and pieces,’ Jon said with a shrug. ‘But I’m pretty sure that however little you might earn, you need to register as self-employed. Mary will be able to tell you for certain, though. I’ll give her a call for you now.’
I liked Mary, and since she’d talked to me about being friends, I’d been hoping to see her again soon. So I’d certainly be grateful if she’d be able to talk me through the minefield of these business matters that I’d had absolutely no idea I had to deal with. And hopefully she wouldn’t mention my house fire any more. Or my parents looking after refugees!
CHAPTER TWELVE
That same evening, I found I had a good internet connection at home – it didn’t happen too often �
�� so, as I still hadn’t heard anything back from Shane’s agent, I took a deep breath and emailed Shane himself. Trust me, there was no ‘Dear Shane’ or ‘Love from Emma’ on my message, just a couple of short lines asking him whether Albert was OK, and who was looking after him. Even so, I felt sick as I pressed ‘Send’. I hadn’t wanted, ever, to be in touch with him again and if it wasn’t for my longing to know about Albert, I wouldn’t be hoping for a reply. It seemed almost impossible, now, that he and I used to be so much in love that I couldn’t bear to be apart from him. Was it all just a figment of my imagination? Did he never really feel the same as I did?
I first met Shane when I was fifteen and still at school. I was a difficult teenager, a worry to my parents and a pain in the neck to my teachers. I did all the things my twin sister Kate never did: staying out late, drinking, smoking, mixing with friends my parents didn’t approve of, and going out with boys they definitely wouldn’t have liked, if they’d found out. I used fake ID to get into bars and clubs with the older girls I hung around with, and it was at one of these that Shane first chatted me up. He was gorgeous – several years older than me, of course, and with his dark skin, sexy brown eyes and good looks, I fancied him at first sight. He bought me a drink, we danced and kissed for the rest of the night, and I couldn’t believe my luck when he asked to see me again. From then on, we became almost inseparable.
He lived in a grotty little bedsit on the worst estate in town. I knew my parents would have had a fit if they’d known I was going over there at all, which simply added to the thrill, as did the fact that I soon found out he had a reputation locally as a bit of a bad boy. He hung around with a crowd who tended to get thrown out of places for being rowdy. He’d had a police caution for being involved in a fight in the street, and he’d already been banned from driving, for clocking up so many speeding convictions, roaring around town in his noisy old banger, annoying pedestrians. But with me, he was gentle and funny. We spent hours just sitting around in his room, drinking cheap beers while he played his guitar and sung to me, and then we’d lie together on his single bed until I had to make a dash for the last bus home. I told my parents I was at a friend’s house revising for my GCSEs and pretended her father dropped me home.
But I did confide in Kate. Despite our differences, we were always close, and had shared a bedroom all our lives. She might have chosen to stay in every night studying French and chemistry and all the other things I had absolutely no interest in, but she enjoyed hearing about my exploits. One evening we were giggling together as I described, in quite intimate detail, my blossoming love life with Shane when, unknown to us, our mum was listening outside the bedroom door.
Of course, I can understand completely now why she screamed the house down at me, and why my dad tried to ground me. But it didn’t work. Short of locking me up, there was no way they were going to stop me from seeing Shane. I left school at sixteen, as soon as I’d finished my exams (all failed – no surprise there), and found a job as a care assistant in a local care home. When I said I was going to move in with Shane, my parents sat me down and gave me a long lecture about ruining my life. I think, when they saw it wasn’t going to make any difference, they probably decided to let me go so that I’d find out how hard it was and come running back. Mum cried when I packed my bag. Even Kate (now working hard for her A-levels) tried to talk me out of it. I ignored them all. Shane was all I cared about.
Of course, I always thought he was talented. He used to perform in some of the bars we went to, and I’d always be there at the front of the crowd, watching him with pride. But it wasn’t until he performed one of his own compositions on YouTube – a belter of a song called ‘Baby No Chance’ – that everyone else started realising how talented he was too. Within days the YouTube recording had gone viral and, within months, he had a recording deal. And the rest, as they say, was history.
After sending my email that night, I lay on my bed in my little blue room, unable to stop thinking about all this, and wondering how the hell it had gone so terribly wrong between us. Since I’d been here in Crickleford, I’d tried my hardest not to think about Shane too much at all, but it was difficult – he’d been my whole life for nine years. I’d had no adult life without him, which was probably why I didn’t seem to be very good at doing anything for myself now I was on my own.
But I was so glad I’d started the pet sitting, even though it had happened more or less by accident. The pets I’d looked after had really helped to cheer me up. The second day with Sugar was as pleasant as the first. I’d already fallen in love with her, and it was nice to know she seemed to feel the same, even if I did think she looked down her nose at me somewhat. She came trotting across to meet me when I arrived in the morning, meowing a friendly greeting that seemed to be saying Oh, you’re here at last, are you? Come along, I’m waiting for my breakfast! Then she purred and rubbed herself around my legs as I dished up her food. I was really going to miss her after we’d said goodbye that evening, but I hoped Vanya would book me again.
Rob was working from home again that day, and fortunately he spent most of his time shut away in his study, but I was somewhat perturbed by the fact that, whenever he came out to make himself a coffee or a snack, he’d get uncomfortably close to me while he chatted, looking me up and down with his slightly flirtatious smile. He must have been in his mid-forties, just about old enough to be my father really, and he had an air of wealth and respectability about him that was peculiarly at odds with the way he was eyeing me up. I couldn’t quite make up my mind whether I liked him or not, but I instinctively tried to keep my distance and I was quite glad when Vanya came home that evening.
‘How has she been?’ she cried, almost elbowing her husband aside in her haste to get to Sugar.
‘Absolutely fine,’ I said. ‘I’ve really loved looking after her.’
I’d been playing with her at the time, and I passed her straight over to Vanya, who cradled her in her arms, crooning at her and fussing over her.
‘Well, I can tell she’s taken to you, and she seems very happy,’ Vanya said, giving me a grateful smile. ‘Thank you, Emma. Now, your fees are obviously completely ridiculous—’
‘Oh!’ I said, startled, but she laughed and went on:
‘I mean ridiculously low, of course. I’m doubling them.’
‘Oh,’ I said again. ‘But it’s what I’m charging everyone else. I can’t let you—’
‘Yes you can. Sugar’s a very special cat, a champion, and I expect to pay well for her care, to make sure she’s properly looked after. What you charge everyone else is up to you. Do you have an invoice ready for me?’
I blinked. Invoice? Of course I didn’t. My other clients hadn’t asked me for one – I’d just told them the hours I worked and they gave me the money.
‘Er … no, sorry,’ I said, feeling somewhat nervous of her businesslike manner.
‘Not to worry. Let’s just do it in cash this time, then.’ She winked at me. ‘Keep it off the books, eh?’
I had no idea what she was talking about. Books? What books? I definitely needed to have that talk with Mary.
Vanya counted out a wad of notes and passed them to me.
‘Now then,’ she went on. ‘Have you got your diary? I’d like to book you for a week at the end of the month. There’s a conference in Berlin I can’t manage to get out of.’
How strange, I thought, to have such a high-powered position but be unable to get out of something you didn’t want to do. Couldn’t she have sent someone else? But I wasn’t about to argue. A whole week of looking after Sugar would be lovely. Especially with double fees. I was humming happily to myself as I walked home. It didn’t strike me until later that Vanya and Rob hadn’t even said hello to each other by the time I left.
I still felt cheerful and optimistic the next morning. I had no more pet-sitting work that week so I was free to go for a walk, mooch around the shops and take a stroll down Moor View Lane for another longing look at my favo
urite cottage. The weather had suddenly turned milder, and the Town Square looked bright and clean, with purple and yellow crocuses in bloom in the planters, and people smiling and waving as they recognised me. Colourful bunting, hanging from the lampposts, was waving gently in the breeze and I saw from posters in the shop windows that there was to be a Spring Fayre in the Castle Fields on Easter Monday. The posters were decorated with pictures of bright yellow chicks and startled-looking rabbits, which looked like reproductions of children’s school art work.
I decided I’d definitely go to the Spring Fayre. Perhaps Lauren and Jon would let me take Holly. Although I’d come to Crickleford to hide away from people, I couldn’t help feeling pleased that, since the break-in at Pat’s house, I seemed to have been so quickly accepted by the local population. And as long as they never found out who I really was, that was fine, wasn’t it? I was beginning to feel that maybe I had nothing to fear from people here. Most importantly, Matt Sorrentino had been true to his word, only referring to me in very vague terms in his article in the Chronicle.
Because Matt had come to my mind now, I started puzzling again about why he’d been outside Bilberry Cottage taking photos, that day when I was staying at Pat’s house. He’d made some excuse about just liking the look of the cottage, but it still seemed very odd to me. If I got into more of a conversation with him at some point, I’d definitely ask him about it again. He might even know who owned the cottage and why, every time I walked past it – which I was doing now – it still looked as if it was being done up, although nobody ever seemed to be inside. Through the front window I could see the stepladder was up, but there was no sign of life. Yes, I’d ask Matt about it. He must know something.
The Pets at Primrose Cottage Page 10