by Rebecca Shaw
As Duncan walked back toward her, Mr. Featherstonehough came in. “Well, I’ve come. I said I wouldn’t, but I have. If you’re going to murder my Adolf on these premises, I might as well see for myself what they’re like.”
Joy jumped up. “How lovely of you to come. I am pleased to see you!”
“You are? I’m amazed.”
She ignored his sarcastic tone and asked if he’d like tea and cakes first or to have a look around. No sooner were the words out of her mouth than Perkins hurtled into the reception area, braking the moment he realized that Adolf wasn’t with his master. His tail began to wag and he greeted Mr. Featherstonehough like an old friend. The old man couldn’t resist his welcome and bent down to stroke him. “Oh, I see. I’m OK when Adolf isn’t with me.” Perkins wagged his tail even harder and trotted away through the back.
“I’ve written to the Royal Veterinary College, you know, telling them what goes on. It’s not right.”
“Adolf does quite enjoy sparring with Perkins, you know, and he’s well able to defend himself. If he were too small to fight back, Perkins wouldn’t bother with him.”
Mr. Featherstonehough looked long and hard at Joy as though weighing how much of what she said was genuine and how much was a defense of Perkins. “You could be right. Yes, you could be right, but it’s bloody annoying. Anyway, I’ve written.”
“That’s your prerogative. Now which is it to be, cake and tea or tour?”
“Tour.”
“Tour it is. I’ll get one of the girls to show you around.”
“I just hope it’s that pretty one.”
“We’re all pretty here.”
He laughed. “You’re right. But it’s that nurse who held Adolf for his injection last Monday, the one who’s a bit too big for her uniform.”
“You mean Sarah Two. I shall tell her what you’ve said. Wait there and I’ll find her for you.”
Joy got back to her cup of tea only when it was going cold, so Duncan kindly got her another one.
Long used to his silences, she was surprised when he took the initiative and said, “The new girl, she’s got a good head on her shoulders. You’ll have no trouble with the accounts once she gets cracking.”
“Think so?”
“I do. She understands the principles, you see.”
“Of bookkeeping? I should hope so; that’s supposed to be the main object of her employment.”
“Of computers, I mean. Logical brain.”
“Very bright. Too bright for what she’s doing.”
Duncan had lost interest and was staring into his empty cup.
“Going?”
He nodded, got up and walked out.
Joy sighed. People must think him really peculiar. Just for once she would have enjoyed him being around, talking, helping, just being there.
KATE asked Scott would he mind if she left him to do the meet and greet on his own while she took her parents around.
“Moment they come you leave me to it. There’s not so many arriving now anyway. What you doing tonight?”
“Going out with my boyfriend.”
Scott pulled a face. “Boyfriend? What does he do for a living?”
“Manager of the dispatch department at that big computer warehouse out on the bypass.”
With a wry twitch of an eyebrow, Scott asked, “Important job, is it?”
Kate giggled. “He imagines it is, but it’s mainly moving paper about, especially in triplicate. Order this, order that, see it gets to this company and that company—quite boring really. He should be here, but he’s late. I tried to ring him last night. He had a second interview for promotion yesterday and I thought he would ring, but he didn’t. Talk of the devil, there he is.”
Adam parked his little Toyota, locked it and began to walk between the cars toward the entrance.
Scott muttered out of the side of his mouth, “I don’t see any horns.” They both laughed.
Seeing the two of them standing there in the sun, Adam thought they looked like a gilded couple in an exclusive club to which he knew he would never belong. He felt bitterly excluded, but to save face he determined not to let it show. He raised his arm in greeting. “Hello, there!” To indicate to whoever this Adonis was standing beside her that Kate was his, Adam put his arms around her and kissed her lips as though he hadn’t seen her for a month.
Kate pushed him aside as discreetly as she could but saw the amusement on Scott’s face and knew her action hadn’t escaped his notice.
“I rang last night, but you weren’t in. What happened?”
He chucked her under her chin. “Ah! Ah! Surely you know the answer to that?”
“You got the job!”
“You said it!”
“I’m very glad, very glad indeed. So pleased. Aren’t you clever? So where were you last night when I rang?”
Adam smirked. “Out with the boys, actually.”
To Kate this seemed the oddest thing for him to do and for a moment she didn’t believe him, but then she remembered he never lied, so it must be true.
Scott said, “Congratulations,” and held out his hand. Adam pretended to have just noticed him. Scott added, “I’m Scott from Aussie land.”
“How do you do. I’m Adam Pentecost. Pleased to meet you.”
“You haven’t seen Mia and Dad on your way, have you?”
“No. Should I have?”
“They said they were coming.” Kate scanned the car park as though by doing so the two of them would materialize, and they did. Gerry’s Beetle trundled steadily into the car park. Kate waved and darted between the cars to where Gerry was carefully parking his treasure.
“That’s Kate’s ma and pa, is it?”
Adam nodded. “Her dad and his second wife. She’s a bit odd. Not quite my cup of tea. Paints.”
“Oh, well then. Wonderful car.”
“He’s besotted with it. Can’t think why; it costs him a fortune in upkeep.”
“Here, have these; I’ll go take a look.”
Adam watched Scott amble away and resented being left holding the maps for handing out to the clients. What cheek! Leaving him to hold the fort while he pranced about like an idiot, admiring Gerry’s car. He could see from her body language that Mia had taken an immediate liking to Scott and recalled the sneer in his voice when he’d said, “Oh, well then.” Adam found he had taken an instant dislike to Scott. This should have been his day and it wasn’t; it was being snatched from him by a fly-by-night, here-today-gone-tomorrow type of chap, with more dash and go than he would ever muster. Life simply wasn’t fair. He sank further into the depths of gloom.
At the deepest moment of his despair, Joy came out to tell Scott and Kate they might as well come in now, seeing as it was half past four and they couldn’t expect any more clients.
“Good afternoon, I see you’ve been left in charge.”
Adam thrust the maps into her hands. “Yes. I’m Kate’s boyfriend.”
“How nice to meet you. Scott’s commandeered her, I see. Is that Kate’s mum and dad?”
Adam didn’t proffer the full explanation. “Yes.”
“I’m Joy, by the way. You’re . . .”
“Adam.”
“We’re just about to clear away the tea things. I’ll go and put a halt to it.” Joy went back indoors, leaving Adam alone.
He joined Gerry and Mia, accompanied by Kate, who energetically explained everything as she took them around the various departments and introduced them to all the staff, poured cups of tea for them and handed them cake; but he couldn’t raise any enthusiasm. Stephie Budge made a fuss of him, which pleased him, but other than that all he could see was that the whole place, in which Kate appeared to be so comfortable, presented a threat to his plans for his life. In no circumstances must Kate be permitted to go to college because if she did, he would lose her for evermore and that wasn’t to be allowed.
Mia helped Kate and Joy with the clearing away, so Adam and Gerry hung around in recepti
on.
“I’ll take Mia home if you like; there’s no need for you to stay.”
Gerry shook his head. “We’re going to a friend’s straight from here, thanks all the same. Thought you and Kate might like a bit of privacy tonight.” Gerry nudged his elbow.
Adam blushed.
“What do you think, then, about this place? It’s certainly cost a packet.”
Adam nodded.
“Oh yes! But I’ve said this several times and I shall say it again. My Kate should try again for veterinary college. You can feel the . . . well, is it aura or is it privilege or is it authority or self-confidence or what that all these vets have? But whatever it is, you can feel it and I want it for our Kate.”
A rage grew up in Adam’s narrow chest; it grew so huge he thought his chest must have swollen to twice its size. Anger flushed his face, swelled the blood vessels at his temples and finally exploded into words. “Not if I can help it. I love her and I want her to marry me and settle down with me. All this”—he made a vigorous dismissive gesture with his hand—“is nonsense.”
Gerry looked at him, amazed. It was the first time since he’d known him that Adam had displayed such powerful opinions . . . no, they weren’t opinions, they were emotions. “Why, Adam, you’re not jealous of her, are you? There’s nothing for you to be jealous of. You’re climbing that ladder you’ve talked so much about too—you know, with this promotion.”
Adam’s reply was a snort. He stood up and said, “I’ll see her back at your house.”
Gerry called after him, “You’ll need the key; you can’t get in . . .” but he was too late. Adam had gone.
So he was outside the house waiting in his car when Kate got home well over an hour later. Before she left, Kate and Joy and Stephie and the two Sarahs, with Bunty and several of the vets, had all gone up to Mungo and Miriam’s apartment to eat some of the food left over from the lunch buffet.
“Otherwise Mungo and I will still be eating it this time next week, so you must. I insist.”
Joy said Miriam had provided far too much and Miriam’s reply, spoken with her face alight with laughter, was that her generous nature was to blame.
Mungo, who’d been out on a call during the afternoon, was back, tucking into the food. Whatever it was Kate had done to upset him seemed to have been forgotten, and he appeared relaxed and amused them all by relating the funny side of the call he had just made. Before she left, they’d all decided that after they’d indulged themselves with Miriam’s food they didn’t need to eat, so they’d all go out for a drink together. Only Kate had declined, saying she had arranged to go out with Adam.
“Bring him with you,” said Stephie. “We’d like to get to know him and it’s a good chance for you to meet everyone too. Go on, give him a ring on his mobile.”
“He hasn’t got one.”
Stephie thought about this and said, “If he’s at your house waiting for you, go home and tell him we’re going to the Fox and Grapes. He’ll jump at the chance, believe me.”
So she did just as Stephie said. She tapped on the car window. “Hi!”
Adam wound it down and snapped, “Where have you been? I’ve been waiting ages.”
“I’m sorry. Miriam asked us all up to the apartment to finish off the food. It would have been discourteous not to have accepted her invitation. If you hadn’t gone off in a huff, you could have gone upstairs too. Anyway, I’m here now. Come in while I get changed and have a wash because we’re all meeting up for a drink and you’re invited.”
“I’ve not eaten yet.”
“You can eat at the pub. They do lovely food there.”
“I thought we were celebrating tonight, just the two of us.”
“Look, I’m the new girl and I want to belong and I don’t yet, so going out with them all will help. It’ll be such fun. So please, for my sake.”
Adam didn’t reply, but stared straight ahead, ignoring her.
“Please, you’ll like them all. I know you will; they’re such a friendly lot. Go on, please. Come in and wait. I shan’t be long.”
“I think you’d best go on your own. I’ll be here tomorrow at twelve as usual.”
Incensed by his refusal to indulge her, Kate said, “Don’t bother, Adam, thank you.”
“Not go out for lunch? But it’s Sunday!”
“I know what day of the week it is. If I didn’t know better, I’d think you were jealous.”
“Of what?”
“Heaven alone knows. Go on, then, spend Saturday night with your mother. I’m sure she’ll enjoy your company, which is more than I would with you in this mood.”
Kate slammed into the house, absolutely furious with him. She went to the Fox and Grapes, fully intending to have a good night. Which she did and later, in bed, she decided that she’d enjoyed herself an awful lot more than she would have if she’d gone out with Adam. Then she felt guilty, then decided she didn’t care if he didn’t come around ever again, changed her mind and wished she had gone out with him, and changed her mind again when she finally came to the conclusion that Scott and Graham and Rhodri were much more fun, to say nothing of the two Sarahs, who were such an incredibly funny double act they’d had her in stitches. She was in so much turmoil that it was two o’clock before she got to sleep.
AROUND that time Duncan came home. Joy had gone back straight from the practice, expecting to find him waiting for his meal, but he hadn’t been there. She made it for him anyway and kept it under a plate, ready for the microwave when he did finally decide to return. But two o’clock in the morning was excessively late even for Duncan.
Joy leaped out of bed when she heard his key in the door and went downstairs dreading what she would find. If it was possible, he appeared wearier than ever, his dark stubble emphasizing the exhaustion in his face. He was soaked to the skin.
“Duncan! Duncan! Where on earth have you been? Here, let me help.” Between them they stripped off his wet clothes. Joy got a huge well-warmed towel from the airing cupboard and wrapped him in it. “What you need is a hot shower. Have you eaten?”
Duncan shook his head.
“Come on, then, upstairs you go for a shower and I’ll get your food ready. Clean pajamas in your top drawer.”
When he’d finished eating and been warmed by the heat of the stove and the food in his stomach, Joy said, “We can’t go on like this.”
Duncan huddled still farther into his dressing gown until it seemed as though all there were in the armchair were a dressing gown and a head. He stared at the logs burning away. “It would be so easy to seek peace in drink.”
“I know. I know.”
“While ever I’ve got you . . .”
“I know.” She knelt beside his chair, laid her head on his chest and hugged him.
Duncan stroked her hair. “I don’t deserve you.”
“No, you don’t. You do nothing to deserve me.”
Duncan chuckled. “You’re supposed to say ‘What nonsense.’”
“It was the truth.”
“Ah! The truth. Don’t give me any more truth, thank you, I may not want to hear it.”
“Best not. Eh?”
Duncan nodded his agreement. “Great day today. I envy all of you, your purpose in life.”
Joy sat back on her heels. “It did go well, didn’t it?”
“Excellent. Such a turnout of clients. I doubt there was anyone left in the shops in town; I think they all came to see the new place.” Duncan rubbed a hand on her back. “All thanks to you.”
“Where have you been?”
“Mostly sitting up on Beulah Bank Top. Great place for thinking.”
“What about?”
“Me.”
“Ah! Very self-indulgent.”
“More harrowing, really.”
“Did you come to any conclusions?”
“That I’m trapped, in a cage, and they’ve thrown away the key.”
“Duncan!”
“I’m going to bed.”
<
br /> And he went.
Joy cleared up, closed the doors of the stove and followed him up the stairs. He was already asleep, curled in a fetal position as always and on her side of the bed. She pulled the duvet around his shoulders and climbed in herself, and thought about her day.
If she rated it on a score of one to ten, then taking everything into consideration it rated ten—well, perhaps nine and a half, as she remembered Mungo’s face when Kate had stroked Perkins and looked up at him with a smile. Joy sighed. One day she’d explain to Kate. Dear Kate, she was going to be such an asset to the practice. Joy cuddled up to Duncan’s back and, letting the warmth of his body seep into her, fell asleep, enriched by the satisfying pleasures of a successful day doing what she loved most.
Chapter
3
Monday morning dawned wet and cold, a typical English autumn day. Heavy traffic in the town center had delayed Kate so that it was already just after eight o’clock by the time she parked her car. The wind blew down from Beulah Bank Top, making the car park the very last place on earth that she wanted to linger. Nothing irritated her more than being held up in traffic with the wipers going hell for leather all the time and being scarcely able to see where she was going. As she leaped out of the car, the wind blowing down from the hills hit her full in the face. Not stopping to lock it and with the hood of her anorak pulled over her head, she made a run for the main entrance.
Stephie had already laid a long length of matting from the glass door to reception to save the floor and was on the computer checking through the appointments for the day, and as Kate wiped her feet on the mat, the farm practice phone began ringing as well as one of the others.
“Take that, will you, Kate.”
Answering the phones before the fourth ring was practice policy, so Kate, without removing even her anorak, drew a deep breath and picked up the receiver. “Good morning, Barleybridge Farm Practice. How may I help? Rhodri Hughes? Hold the line a moment, please.” She went into the farm practice office to see if Rhodri had come in yet and found him sitting with his feet propped up on the desk opening his mail. “Phone call for you.”