Christmas at the Dog & Duck

by Jill Steeples

  ‘Ellie…’ he took a breath. ‘Ellie, Ellie, Ellie, while this is a delightful development, I really don’t think we should be taking this any further.’ He dropped his arms and actually shifted his body away from me, looking at me as though the last few delicious moments had been an aberration.

  ‘Why not, what’s wrong?’

  ‘Nothing’s wrong,’ he said, with an unconvincing smile. ‘I just don’t think this is a good idea. Not here, not now. We’ve got an early start in the morning and neither of us want to do something we might end up regretting.’

  ‘Oh right, okay,’ I said, affronted, but doing my abject best not to sound it. Pretending to be absolutely cool with the whole situation when I wasn’t. I couldn’t imagine what there might be to regret. I was only doing what he’d been recommending, living in the moment, savouring the moment, hoping the moment would grow into a bigger, better, more memorable moment. Had I totally misjudged the situation?

  ‘Is it the pyjamas?’ I asked, trying to diffuse the underlying tension sizzling between us.

  He laughed and put his arm back around my shoulder, but now it just felt awkward. ‘It has nothing to do with the pyjamas, the pyjamas are extremely fetching. But trust me on this, Ellie, you know that wouldn’t be a good idea. We’re friends, I’d really like to keep it that way.’

  Friends? God, how totally embarrassing and humiliating. Max couldn’t have made it any clearer if he’d sent me an official memo. He didn’t fancy me. Not in the slightest and I’d misread his charm and friendliness for something more. The shame! How would I ever live this down? Would I have to spend the rest of my life avoiding Max Golding? Or perhaps leave Little Leyton altogether so I wouldn’t run the risk of bumping into him again.

  ‘Yeah, you’re right, of course,’ I said, dead nonchalantly. So much for all that rubbish Max had been spouting about the here and now. I pulled the duvet up to my chin and slid under the covers, turning away from Max. ‘I’m actually feeling really tired now. I might even be able to get some sleep.’ I conjured up an extravagant yawn, purely for his benefit. ‘Night, Max.’

  ‘Night, Ellie.’ Whether I heard humour, warmth or relief in Max’s words, I couldn’t tell. I was way past second-guessing his feeling and emotions. I closed my eyes to blank out the humiliation and surprisingly fell fast asleep.

  Thirteen

  Max, being the perfect gentleman, never alluded to our middle of the night kiss, our almost something more moment. That’s not to say there wasn’t any awkwardness on our trip home but I took the opportunity to catch up on the sleep I’d missed out on the previous night and had my eyes closed for most of the journey. Well, it spared me from having to make conversation with Max and I suspected he was as relieved about that as I was. When he dropped me off back at my house I thanked him once again for his help and was rewarded with a chaste kiss on the cheek. It was as if that night in a romantic French hotel room had never happened.

  Thinking about it, it was probably for the best. If we had succumbed to our desire, or rather more accurately, my desire, then where would that have left us? Embarrassed, having to avoid each other, which in our little village would have proved very difficult, or worse still having to pretend to make a go at some kind of relationship when it was blatantly obvious that neither of us wanted that. No, it didn’t matter that my pride was a bit bruised, I’d soon get over that and in the meantime perhaps it would be best if I kept out of Max’s way as much as possible.

  Since our return I’d done plenty of shifts at the pub and hadn’t seen Max once, so I suspected he was of the same mind as me and was keeping well away.

  ‘Ellie, can I have a word?’ I was just wiping down the pipes after a busy lunchtime session when Eric hobbled in from the back. He was moving around a bit easier now on his crutches, but judging by his pained expression it was still a struggle for him, especially in the small confines of the pub.

  ‘Sure,’ I said, joining him at one of the tables in the bar. I sat down opposite him, looked into his eyes and knew whatever it was he had to say wasn’t going to be easy for him.

  ‘Well, Ellie, you know Tim Weston was in here a few weeks back digging for dirt, well I certainly didn’t want to say anything to him at the time, but he was right, it does look as though I could be moving on soon.’

  ‘Really?’ My shock was genuine. Although Josie had given me the heads up that there might be changes afoot, that was some weeks ago now and in the absence of hearing anything further, I’d been hoping, against hope, that we’d be in the clear now and wouldn’t be facing the possibility of change after all. Hearing the words from Eric’s mouth made it so much more real. I really couldn’t ignore it any longer.

  ‘Yep, I don’t know if Josie’s mentioned anything to you, but my tenancy on the place is coming up for renewal and it looks as though the current owners will be selling up.’

  I shook my head, feigning ignorance. In fairness when I’d popped in to see Josie the other day we’d been far too busy discussing my trip to France and baby Stella’s progress to talk about what was happening at the pub.

  ‘Really, what will that mean for you, and for the pub then?’

  ‘Well, the pub’s been bought by a chain, Hunters Inns, so they’ll want to bring their own managers in. I should imagine they’ll do a complete refurbishment too.’

  ‘Oh no, that’s awful. Hunters are a huge chain. I can’t see how this place would ever work as a carvery.’

  At the moment we didn’t serve food at the pub. The kitchen simply wasn’t big enough. Besides, The Dog and Duck was an English country pub at its heart, not a restaurant. Over the years Eric had occasionally considered serving meals but he’d always discounted the idea when he realized that it would change the core of his business. That was something neither he nor his loyal customers would want. For special events we would bring food in, but it was always something very basic, and never on a regular basis.

  ‘I expect they’d extend out the back and make this whole area a dining room,’ said Eric, his mood contemplative.

  ‘But why haven’t they taken the trouble to speak to the local community? To see what they want. The villagers don’t want a restaurant, this place works perfectly well as it is.’

  ‘I know that, you know that…’

  ‘Well we can’t let it happen! To think that Little Leyton would lose its only independent pub, it’s heartbreaking. This pub has so much history and character, it’s depressing to think that it’s going to be changed into some soulless franchise.’

  Eric shrugged and picked up a bar mat from the table, tapping its edge on the table. ‘I know, but what can you do. It’s big business. There’s no room for sentimentality. It’s all about making a profit these days.’

  ‘Where will it leave you?’ I asked Eric.

  ‘Not sure yet. I’ll have to find somewhere to live, obviously. Work-wise, who knows? All I’ve known for the last twenty years is this place. I don’t know how much call there is out there for old publicans.’ He chuckled ruefully. ‘And I can’t see myself picking up a new career, not at my age.’

  ‘Don’t be daft. Something will come up, I bet.’

  ‘Well if not, I’ve got little Stella to keep an eye on and I can always get myself an allotment or take up bowls. Isn’t that what men of my age are supposed to do?’

  ‘Somehow I can’t see you doing that.’ I reached across the table for his hand, intertwining my fingers with his.

  ‘Anyway, I wanted you to know, Ellie, because obviously it will have an impact on your job here. You know if it was up to me then I’d keep you on forever, but with new owners, I don’t know what’s going to happen or what it will mean for you and the other members of staff. Hunters might decide to keep you all on, but then again…’

  ‘To be honest, I’m not sure I’d want to stay if you’re not here at the helm. It would be a completely different working environment and I’d be expected to wear that silly uniform.’ I rolled my eyes and we shared a smile. ‘I
can’t see that happening somehow, can you?’ I sighed, thinking what an awful shame it would be for the whole village, but most importantly for Eric of course.

  ‘Well obviously as soon as I hear any firm news then I’ll let you know, but I thought you’d want to be pre-warned. You know, so that you can make other plans.’

  ‘Thanks, Eric.’

  Plans? I’d spent my life up until now making plans. I really didn’t want to make any more. Why did things have to change? An image of Max’s face flittered into my mind. It was becoming a bit of a regular habit, him popping into my head when I least expected it. Even though I’d been doing my best to avoid him since we got back, without the pub it was unlikely I would run into him as much and for some reason that thought made me inexplicably sad.

  ‘Don’t look so downbeat, love. It’ll be a few months at least before they’ll be able to throw me out on the streets and we’ve got lots coming up in the meantime. It’s the pub quiz next week and we’re bound to be busy over the summer period with the extra visitors the good weather brings in, and then there’s the beer festival to look forward to. With thirty-five guest beers and a visiting oompah band, it’s going to be our best one yet.’

  That was the thing about Eric, he never rested on his laurels as far as the pub was concerned. He was so much more than a landlord. As well as the numerous social nights and charity events he organized, The Dog and Duck provided a meeting place for various clubs. On the numerous shelves around the pub, there was a huge selection of books; romance, crime, biographies, gardening and cookery books, which customers were welcome to borrow and return once they’d finished with them. All done on trust, of course. If board games were more your thing, then there were plenty of those to choose from too. More importantly for the regulars, Eric was known to keep a good, clear pint, for those who were aficionados on the matter, and there were plenty of those who flocked to our pub, but he also brought in guest beers to ring the changes for the locals if they wanted to try something new. The Dog and Duck was not just a pub; it was the warm and homely heart to our village.

  ‘Do you want me to get some posters organized?’

  ‘Too true. Until they push me out of that front door then business will carry on here as normal. Let’s make the next festival one to remember, just in case it is our last one. If you could put together something on the computer, love, that would be terrific. The usual sort of thing.’ He picked up a beer mat, pulled out a pen from his shirt and scribbled down some details, before handing it to me. ‘Thought we might put on some food too, bratwurst, German cakes, that sort of thing.’

  ‘Hmm, sounds great.’ It was hard to believe that Eric’s special evenings, the laughs and the friendship might soon be a thing of the past.

  Eric was making light of the situation, I knew, but his commitment to the pub would mean he would continue to play the part of mine host to perfection until he was forced to close the pub door behind him for the very last time. One thing was for sure though, when it did happen it would be the end of an era for the community of Little Leyton and the end of an era personally for me too.

  Fourteen

  ‘Amber! Come!’

  I stood at the top of the field and hollered. In the far distance, the sweet English Pointer stopped in her tracks, hearing her name. She turned to look at me, her ears pricked keenly, before setting off with gleeful abandon, charging towards me, her long legs making short work of the distance between us.

  ‘Good girl,’ I said, rewarding her with a treat when she stopped in front of me, looking up at me with those adorable brown eyes.

  Training of the young English Pointer had come on in leaps and bounds ever since I’d begun using Max’s private field for some intense sessions. It was ideal because I was able to let her off the lead, safe in the knowledge that she couldn’t escape. She was proving to be a quick learner, responding eagerly to my commands. She still got distracted, of course, by the taunting of birds swooping around her, or a scent on the ground that was too tempting to resist, but generally her recall had improved immensely.

  I leant down to ruffle her ears and sent her off again, watching as she bounded across the field. I glanced at my watch. Ten more minutes and then we would have to head back home. While she mooched around the open countryside, her nose fixed to the ground, I took a leisurely wander around the edge of the field. No great hardship. What other job would give me the opportunity to work in such a beautiful setting without a care in the world, relishing the sensation of the warm air brushing against my skin and breathing in the fragrant fresh summer scent. Being on Max’s private property I couldn’t help wondering where he was and what he might be doing. I half hoped I might bump into him here, while he was out walking his dogs, but no such luck. I’d been on tenterhooks for ages thinking that he might be the next person to walk through the door of the pub, imagining how cool, calm and collected I’d be with him, how relaxed, but I didn’t even get the opportunity and each time it wasn’t him standing there in the doorway my stomach slumped in disappointment.

  I looked up at the sky and shook my head, trying to rid myself of all thoughts of Max. He’d clearly managed to put all thoughts of me straight out of his head as soon as we’d arrived home from our trip and here was I mooning over him, projecting hidden meaning into the intimate conversations we’d shared while away, and generally behaving like a love-struck teenager. Honestly, it was ridiculous. Sometimes I wished I’d never even met Max if it might have saved me from feeling so wretched about him now.

  Mind you, if I’d never met Max then I would never have been given the opportunity to use this field for training my dogs, so I had to be grateful to Max for that at least. Especially on a day like today. The countryside of Little Leyton was shown off to its absolute best advantage. The sun was shining high in the sky, casting a warm glow on the bare skin of my arms. In the adjacent field, sheep grazed on lush green grass and buttercups and cow parsley heralded the arrival of summer at last. It was all so peaceful and serene, with not even a dog barking. In fact, I noticed now, there wasn’t even a dog in sight!

  ‘Amber!’

  I’d only taken my eyes off her for a moment and, in that moment, wouldn’t you know it, she’d disappeared out of view. Panic rising in my chest, my gaze scanned the field trying to pick out her distinctive orange colouring, her white-tipped tail held straight behind her, but I couldn’t see her anywhere.

  ‘Amber, come!’ I called again, expecting her nose to pop out from behind the clump of bushes at the bottom of the field. When she didn’t appear I pulled out the whistle from my pocket and gave it a short sharp blast. ‘Amber!’ I cried, hearing my panic resonating across the field.

  I started to jog down the hill and across the grass to where I’d last spotted her, calling out her name all the time. As I reached the bottom of the field my panic abated as I spotted a flash of colour within the bushes until a pair of dark worried eyes peered out at me.

  ‘What’s the matter, Amber?’

  She gave a small whimper, but she wasn’t budging so I bent down onto my haunches and pulled apart the shrubbery. Somehow she’d become caught in a tangle of branches and her legs and body were draped with brambles. Her forlorn expression, fear in her eyes, melted my heart.

  With my hands I tore at the undergrowth, the brambles tearing at my skin as I pulled the thicket from her body. When she was finally freed, she wandered out gingerly and it was only then I noticed the deep gash to her side. She sat at my feet, reluctant to move and I was able to take a closer look at the cut. Gently I held her collar while examining her injury. She’d managed to put a great big open hole in her side and she had blood seeping from the wound.

  ‘Oh, Amber, what have you done?’

  Looking at her huddled body with her tail tucked tight beneath her legs, I knew she wouldn’t be able to walk the distance back to her house. It took at least twenty minutes going at a decent rate and in her current condition I knew she wouldn’t be able to make it. I pulled out
my phone from my pocket, cursing when I realized I had no reception. I looked around hoping to see someone, anyone who might be able to help us; a tractor driver, a fellow dog walker, Max Golding – where was he when you needed him? – but there wasn’t a soul in sight.

  ‘All right, girl,’ I said, stroking her face. ‘It will be okay, I promise it will.’

  There was only one thing for it. Over the other side of the barbed wire fence was Max’s home, Braithwaite Manor. It was the last place I wanted to go but the only place by a long chalk where there would be any chance of getting some help. I attached the lead to Amber’s collar and scooped her up in my arms, carefully avoiding the injury to her side. I walked to the far corner of the field where the fencing was a little lower and lifted her up and over the fence, depositing her gently on the other side.

  ‘Wait, sweetie,’ I told her, but I knew she wouldn’t be running off anywhere. Her reluctance to move at all told me she must be in a lot of pain. Grabbing hold of the end fence post, I scrambled over the barbed wire fencing, narrowly avoiding doing myself some serious injury in the process.

  ‘It’s all right sweetie,’ I said, giving her another hug. ‘We’ll get you sorted just as soon as we can, I promise you.’

  All the time scary thoughts were running through my head. What if Amber had done herself a serious internal injury, damaging her organs? What if she lost consciousness now, here in my arms? What would I do then and how on earth would I explain to her owners what had happened?

  I picked her up again and started the walk down the hill towards the big house, trying to ignore the growing sense of unease in my chest. Every now and then I would need to stop and put her down on the ground to take a breather. She wasn’t a huge dog, but all those defined sleek muscles made her an athletic powerhouse.