by Valerie Tate
“Imagine that. What a small world! We might have passed each other on the street or at the beach. Is that why you decided to move here?”
“Yes. I had great memories of the town, and when I’d decided to leave the city there was an ad for the firm here and it seemed like fate.”
She looked at him thoughtfully. “It must have been hard to leave your home and family. I’ve wondered why you would leave a big law firm to come to a small town practice.”
“I’ll tell you about it sometime. Let’s just say, I didn’t much like the person I was becoming, the person I would have to be to continue in that life. So I left and I haven’t regretted it.” He smiled at her. “Especially not now.”
She blushed and smiled back. “It was really hard to leave here and go away to school.”
“Where did you go?”
“Guelph. Waterloo and Western were both closer, but I liked the college town atmosphere at Guelph.”
“One of my sisters is in her last year at Guelph. She’s becoming a vet.”
“Good for her. She must be very smart. It’s harder to get into Vets at Guelph than medical school.”
“She’s very smart. She can’t wait to graduate. She’s going to be a horse vet and she’s dying to get her career started. What did you want to do after graduation?”
She smiled ruefully. “Well, my mother wanted me to be a debutante.” She made a face. “My grandmother wanted me to have a career and I always planned to do that, eventually.” Her face lit up with remembrance. “But what I really wanted was adventure. I wanted to sail down the Nile and climb the pyramids, go on a photo safari in Africa, walk along the Champs-Elysées in Paris, and watch the horses dance at the Spanish Riding School in Vienna.” She saw the barely concealed look of surprise on his face and the light went out of hers. “I didn’t quite manage that.”
He cursed himself for that look of surprise. “It’s not too late for adventure. We could all use a little adventure in our lives.” He would remember those words later and wonder if adventure was all it was cracked up to be.
The dinner was excellent and the surprise was too - a little theater production of ‘Kiss Me, Kate’ at a nearby town. It was one of a series of productions in their summer festival. The old courthouse had been converted into a theater and every Friday and Saturday from June to September a family-style supper was served by the local Women’s Group in the basement, following which the curtain went up. Four different plays were staged over the course of the four months - some old standards, and others new offerings by local talent.
If the restaurant had been a good choice, the play was unbeatable. It was well-done, for a little theater, but Alicia barely noticed. From the opening moments she was enthralled, not by, as Chris had unexpectedly and mistakenly thought, the caliber of the performance but rather by the idea of it all. She left bubbling over with the possibilities of starting something similar in Dunbarton. It was a natural for her, something that would use her training and education.
“I’ve never been interested in the acting side. I prefer behind the scenes, you know, script preparation, staging - the production end. Comedy’s good, or even musicals if we’re being really ambitious. Perhaps something like ‘The Philadelphia Story’ or ‘The Pleasure of His Company’. They’re bright, sophisticated and a lot of fun. We might even go for some Noel Coward, maybe ‘Blythe Spirit’. It would be such fun!” She was bursting with enthusiasm. “Oh, Chris, do you think I could?”
He’d parked the car in front of her house. “I think you can do anything you put your mind to,” he said truthfully.
“Poor Chris, I’ve really been bending your ear about this, haven’t I? It has been such a lovely evening. Thank you.”
He helped her out of the car and they walked up to the front door. She didn’t resist when he took her his arms, and when she finally pulled away it was with regret, not anger.
She was wonderful. Life was wonderful. And his was wonderful because she was in it.
* * *
It wasn’t so wonderful a few days later, though, when he opened his morning paper:
CAT INHERITS FURNITURE FORTUNE!
The cat, as it were, was out of the bag.
Chapter 20
“Okay, you little bugger,” he whispered, “let’s see you get out of this!” The piece of fishing net he’d picked up would do the trick. It had better, with everyone in town now knowing that the old lady had left her money to the cat. He didn’t want any competition.
There was a rustling in the bushes a little ways up the driveway. He stayed in the shadows, avoiding the light from the street lamps, as he crept towards the sound. Something was moving just out of range. He tip-toed closer and threw the net. Whatever he had caught was struggling frantically to get out. He grabbed the frenzied little body.
“Ow! Stop biting you bloody little … OW! … OW!” And then the barking started. He’d caught the yappy little mutt from next door.
“Horatio? What’s wrong, Horatio?”
That’s torn it! The old lady was peering out the door. He dropped the dog and took off down the street, the victorious terrier snapping at his heels as he ran.
Chapter 21
They’d agreed at the beginning to keep the details of the will and their household arrangements under wraps to save the family from embarrassment. It had been unrealistic to believe they could keep it quiet forever.
Chris didn’t bother going to the office but went instead directly to the Dunbar home. Just as he feared, they were under siege - reporters, camera-men from the local TV station and the curious lined the sidewalk out front and he had to fight his way through to the front door. Mrs. Stuart was doing a good job of keeping them away from the family, and Chris’ threat to charge with trespass any who passed beyond the gates sent those who were trying to find their way around the side scurrying back to the road.
The family was closeted in the library, as the rest of the downstairs was overrun with workmen.
“They arrived first thing this morning, right after the morning paper came out. And the phone hasn’t stopped ringing. We finally took it off the hook.” James stopped a moment to peer out from behind the drapes. “There are more of them than ever. What are we going to do?”
“I’m afraid you’re going to have to make a statement. If you’d like, I can make it for you.”
“We’d appreciate that,” Alice said, smiling gratefully.
Just then Marmalade came padding in and, spotting Chris, sprang onto his knee and curled up on his lap.
“Well, hello, old chap. That’s your public out there. How would you like to meet them?” His answer was a disinterested meow as Marmalade rubbed his head against the man’s chest. “That mightn’t be a bad idea. We can let them get a few pictures, make a brief statement and hopefully that will satisfy them. How did this get out? Does anybody know?”
Alice nodded disgustedly. “We’re not sure but I think one of the workmen over-heard something, drew his own conclusions and spread the word. I know none of us has said anything.”
“This must be very embarrassing for you.”
“It is, rather.” James said ruefully, pacing back and forth in front of the fire. “But what I’m worried about is what they’ll say about Mother. I want you to make it clear, Chris, that she was perfectly competent when she made the will.”
“You can be sure I will. Just stay calm and I’ll go out and see what I can do in the way of damage control. Come on Marmalade, it’s time to meet your public.”
Picking up his orange friend, he went out the front door and met the press at the foot of the front steps. As it turned out, James’ worry was a very real one, and it took a lot of fast talking to explain the, admittedly odd, terms of the will without revealing too much of the family situation. Chris finally stretched the truth slightly and described the set-up as a trust to ensure the care of the cat during his lifetime, reverting to the family upon his death. He didn’t think it necessary to mention the cl
ause concerning foul play. The Animal Protection Society had been notified of that stipulation and they had agreed not to reveal anything, particularly as the chances of their benefiting were slim to non-existent.
Marmalade was a big hit with everyone, reveling in the attention. He clowned for the cameras and said a few choice words into the microphone to the delight of all. The press left, satisfied, and by noon all but the most determined of the crowd had dispersed.
The papers had a field-day with the story for a week or so, with names like ‘Millionaire Mouser’ and ‘Feline Financier’ being bandied about.
They thought they were finally over the worst, but then the national press picked it up and they had to go through it all again with the large dailies and TV news shows. Finally, however, it died down and life returned to normal. They’d passed the crisis without it becoming one, due largely to the fact that all three Dunbars were too involved with their own interests to pay much attention.
James was busy setting up the apprenticeship program with Pete. As promised, Chris had contacted the Department of Labor and discussed the apprenticeship plans with them, and they’d been very interested. There was a good chance that they would be willing to finance the program if it proved successful.
Alice was totally immersed in her decorating and Alicia was in the throes of organizing a little theater company in Dunbarton.
All predictions to the contrary, Marmalade and his inheritance had ceased to be an issue.
Chapter 22
He dumped the metal-framed contraption on the ground between the tree trunk and the hedge muttering, “There’s no way you’re getting out of this. Humane trap, they called it. Don’t care how humane it is, just how well it works.”
He pulled some cedar branches from the hedge and covered the top of the trap.
“There! Nobody’ll notice it now. As for the bait, I think canned salmon’ll do the trick. Never knew a cat that didn’t love salmon.”
He emptied the contents of the tin onto the floor of the trap and stood back to admire his handiwork.
“Perfeck! Now all I have to do is stand back and wait.”
He didn’t have to wait long. A rustling in the hedge announced the arrival of his quarry.
There was a muffled snap as the trap fulfilled its promise.
“Yes!” he crowed. “Thought you were so smart, didn’t ya …?”
A light from the open door of the neighboring house illuminated the night. “Horatio, where are you, Horatio?”
There was a muffled whine from the trap in reply and the victory cry died in his throat.
“Horatio ... Horatio?”
Chapter 23
“No officer, no-one here has set any traps.” James motioned for Chris to take a seat by the library fireplace. “I have no idea how it got there.” He rolled his eyes expressively at Chris’ silent question. “There have been a lot of problems with raccoons lately. Perhaps one of the neighbors put it there.”
Alicia’s birthday fell on the fifteenth of August and Chris had invited the family to be his guests for dinner at a very elegant inn a few miles up the lake. Most of the painting and papering was complete and Alice had planned her party for the first Saturday in September.
“I understand that she is upset at finding her dog in a trap but I assure you that no one here has set any traps for any reason. Yes, I know you had to check it out. I hope you find who did this. You’re welcome. Good-bye, officer.” James replaced the phone and threw himself onto the couch.
“Evening, Chris, we’re almost ready. Just waiting for the birthday girl.”
“What was that all about?”
“Mrs. Short’s terrier was caught in a trap last evening and she’s accusing us of having set it.”
“Do you need me to handle this?”
“No, the police don’t seem to believe we’re involved but I’ll let you know if there is any trouble from it. Thankfully, Mrs. Short is considered to be somewhat eccentric.”
“Well, you know you can always call me if you need to.”
James nodded gratefully. “You know, Alice and I are so pleased you and Alicia are seeing each other. We don’t know anyone we’d rather she became involved with. You’ve been good for her, brought her out of herself. She’s becoming the girl she used to be.”
“I’m happy you feel that way. I care for Alicia very much and I was hoping to have your approval.”
“Well, you’ve got it, and anything we can do to help, you just have to ask.” James took his hand and shook it vigorously and they were both absurdly pleased with themselves.
“You two certainly look like a couple of cats who got the canary.” Alice walked through the door looking very regal in a pale gold gown. “Alicia will be right down, Chris, and then we can leave. This is very nice of you. The house is in no fit state for a celebration just now. The workmen are finished everywhere but the kitchen and they’ve promised to be out by Wednesday. The new furniture and draperies are going to be delivered next week, and so next Sunday I want you to come to dinner again and you’ll be able to see the finished product.”
“I’d love to, and I can’t wait to see what you’ve done. I’m glad those workmen will be gone soon. They’ve given us all a bad few weeks. No more problems with the press, I hope ...”
“No, everything’s died down, thank goodness,” James assured him, pulling up a chair for Alice. “But, Chris, there’s something else. I haven’t wanted to bother you with it but it’s beginning to get out of hand!” A red wave of color was rising up his neck and cheeks.
“James, for heaven’s sake, it’s disgusting. Please don’t mention it.” Alice looked embarrassed and more than a little annoyed.
“If something’s troubling you, please don’t hesitate to bring it up. That’s what I’m here for.”
James laughed a little sheepishly. “You see, it started after the papers got hold of the story about Marmalade’s inheritance. They started phoning, and writing, and now they’re even coming to the house.”
“Who’s coming to the house?” Chris asked blankly.
“Cat owners!”
Chris ran distracted fingers through his hair, more mystified than ever. “Why ...?”
“Female cat owners!” As if that explained everything.
“Why would lady cat owners ...?”
“No, not lady cat owners, owners of lady cats. They want Marmalade to ... you know ... with their cats!”
It took a moment to register, then his jaw dropped and they stared at each other mutely before both of them collapsed, laughing. They laughed until they cried. Amazed, Alice watched them for a few moments, then shook her head and with a disgusted snort, left them to it.
It was some time before either of them could say a word. They lay slumped in their chairs, totally drained. James was wiping his eyes, still chuckling.
“I’m afraid, James, this is something you’re going to have to handle yourselves. What have you been telling these erstwhile matchmakers, anyway?”
He started laughing again. “I’ve been telling them he handles his own affairs.”
Chris hooted with laughter. “How do they react?”
“They usually hum and ha a little. Some flounce off in a huff. Lately, though, they’ve really begun to get on our nerves.”
“They probably hope to get something from the estate. I gather he’s never been neutered.”
James grimaced and shook his head. “Well, that is something I suppose we should have done ASAP. But, until then, next time someone calls, tell them that there’s no provision in the will for any offspring Marmalade might produce and there’s no possibility of filing for child - or should I say kitten? - support. That should take care of them. If it doesn’t, put them in touch with me and I’ll deal with them.”
Alicia walked in just then and the sight of her in a filmy, apricot dress that seemed to float around her as she moved drove all other thoughts from his mind. “Will I do?” Her voice trembled with amusement.
>
He walked around her slowly, hands on his hips, as if sizing her up. “I suppose you’ll have to. There isn’t time to change.”
She laughed as he took her hands and pulled her gently towards him. Momentarily forgetting where they were, he was taking her into his arms when a discreet cough brought him to his senses and he released her.
They turned to see James grinning broadly. “Don’t be embarrassed, Chris. I can remember reacting the same way when I took Alice to our prom. She came down the stairs at her house wearing this long, blue gown and ...”
“Imagine your remembering that!” Alice said from the doorway. She walked forward and took her husband’s arm affectionately.
“How could I ever forget, my dear?” James gazed down at her, his eyes warm. “You were the loveliest thing I’d ever seen.”
Alicia watched them, thrilled and grateful to see her parents finally so happy. They deserved it after all the bitter, conflict-filled years, and she said a silent prayer that nothing would ever happen to spoil it.
Chapter 24
The fish stank! He doubted he’d ever get the smell off his hands.
Cats love fish, he reminded himself. He won’t be able to resist it and while he’s chowing down, SNAP, he’s in the bag.
He was pleased with his plan. It couldn’t fail. He was sick and tired of spending his nights hiding in the bushes. Besides, sooner or later the old lady next door was going to see him. She was always watching the house. What was her problem, anyway?
Speak of the devil. He drew further back into the bushes as her door opened.
“Out you go, Horatio. Do your little duty and come right back.”
Damn! Not the dog again!
Like iron filings to a magnet, the terrier was heading straight for the bushes when he smelled the fish. In a flash he had it in his mouth and was heading for home.
“Give me back my fish!” he said in a furious whisper, but the dog was already flying up the steps to his front door where the old lady was waiting for him.