The Christmas Menagerie

by Minna Howard

  ‘So, have he and Cynthia been an item for long?’ Amelia asked nonchalantly, as she arranged some mince pies on a plate. ‘Does she come from round here?’

  ‘I don’t really know her, she’s his secretary or something, I think. He practised in France so maybe he met her there after his wife died. There are masses of Brits out there who have animals, so I suppose he had plenty of work with them.’

  They were disturbed by Ben, Vero’s husband, coming back for more wine. ‘So, this is where you girls are hiding,’ he joked, opening another bottle. ‘It is quite a scrum in there, though some of the young, your Sophie included, Amelia, are going off to another party, so that will give us more space.’

  As he spoke Sophie and Freya came into the kitchen to explain their plan to go to a friend’s house. Vero suggested that Sophie spend what was left of the night here, as the party they were off to was not far away and would surely go on far longer than theirs here would.

  ‘If you’re sure, Vero, that’s fine. I’ll collect her tomorrow,’ Amelia said. ‘Ring me when you’re up, Sophie. If that’s really okay?’ She turned to Vero, understanding that she would far rather have Sophie here than worry about Freya having to drive the extra two miles to drop Sophie home some hours later.

  ‘Sure, it is.’ Vero went on to give the girls strict instructions about not drinking too much, especially Freya if she was the one going to drive them home.

  ‘Oh, Mum, we’re not kids,’ Freya grumbled, kissing her mother goodbye.

  Sophie hugged her. ‘Have a good time,’ Amelia said.

  ‘Will do, Mum.’ Sophie blew her a kiss before following Freya out of the kitchen, gathering up other friends as they went, who were going with them.

  When she went back to the party with a plate of canapés, David immediately came over to her and hovered by her side for the rest of the evening, though other people joined them too, so she didn’t feel too claustrophobic by his presence. He seemed a kind, decent man and it would be good to have him as a friend, though nothing more intimate.

  She saw Jules throw them the occasional glance, or was it really her looking for him? Cynthia seemed always to be at his side, so if she wasn’t his girlfriend she obviously hoped to be. Why she was so interested in him? Amelia asked herself. Apparently, he was moving on soon, and the poor man losing his wife deserved some happiness and his little boy needed a mother, though, perhaps unfairly, she didn’t think mothering was one of Cynthia’s assets.

  The television was turned on just before midnight and, glasses in hand, they counted down to midnight. There was an explosion of fireworks and kisses and good wishes scattered around, and when all that was over, people began to make their goodbyes.

  Amelia fetched her coat with the others. For a moment she was standing next to Jules in the hall. He regarded her with amusement. ‘Hope this year is good for you, Amelia, and those animals are soon collected by their owners.’

  ‘I hope so too.’ She laughed, feeling suddenly close to him.

  David was beside her, helping her on with her coat, holding her a moment to him. ‘I’ll give you a lift home,’ he said, his mouth close to her ear, though those near to her could hear. ‘We can always pick up your car in the morning?’

  17

  She froze. Had she heard right? David offering to drive her home in his car. Did he think she was drunk? She knew she wasn’t, she was always very careful when she went out. She’d had a couple of glasses of prosecco earlier on and lots of water. When she was married, she and Esmond took turns on who would lay off the booze and drive the other home. Perhaps David was just being chivalrous, thinking she might be afraid driving back alone, so late at night.

  A moment later she became aware that Jules had caught the remark and flashed a look at her. It struck her, then, that David, his arm still round her, was expecting to spend the night with her.

  The front door opened letting in a cold blast of air and Jules, Cynthia and Giles swept outside leaving Amelia and David together in the hall.

  ‘That’s kind, David, but I’m fine. I… must have my car in case I have to fetch my daughter.’ It was a lame excuse as Sophie was obviously old enough to get herself home, and anyway she was going to stay here for what would be left of the night. She wished he wasn’t so persistent and just let her go home on her own.

  ‘Oh… I see, but I can drop you all the same. I expect your daughter will probably party until breakfast time. Or bed down where she is, you know what the young are like.’ He smiled, flicked back a strand of her hair that had fallen over her face.

  ‘No, thanks all the same. I’ll get myself home. I’m sure I’m out of your way.’ She bent down to put on her boots wishing he’d accept her refusal to be driven back by him. He might cause more embarrassment by trying to kiss her or something as they went to their cars. If only Esmond were here, she wouldn’t be in this predicament, and this wasn’t the first time it had happened. Some men seemed to think they were doing her a favour by offering to sleep with her now she had lost her husband. She needed love, or anyway a warm relationship, for such an intimacy and though she liked David, she hardly knew him, and she did not want to be intimate with him.

  To her relief another couple came into the hall and began to put on their coats, chatting to them both as they did so. Then Ben and Vero appeared, and Amelia felt more assertive.

  She said goodbye to them both again, wishing David would go out with the other couple who had now said their goodbyes and were opening the door, the freezing air snapping at them in the hall so they quickly closed the door behind them.

  Vero hugged her. ‘Look, I’ll bring Sophie back to yours tomorrow. I can’t wait to see your menagerie.’ She laughed.

  David, naturally heard all this, saying, ‘Well, Amelia, if Vero is dropping your daughter home…’

  ‘It’s not absolutely certain, Vero may find she has other things to do. I’ll drive myself home, thanks, David.’ And seeing he wasn’t moving, and she’d have to push him out of the way if she wanted to get past him to the door, she said, ‘I think I left my mobile upstairs, stupid of me, I’ll run up and get it.’ She went up the stairs to the bathroom clutching her bag containing her mobile to her. She would wait on the landing until she heard the door close behind him. Though what he waited outside to pounce?

  Vero followed her upstairs, perhaps guessing something was up.

  ‘I never thought of that. I suppose now you are alone men imagine you are gagging for it. Or more likely David is, now he’s broken up with his girlfriend. It probably hits hard on such a night as this, New Year.’

  ‘I suppose so, but I hardly know him and the last thing I want is to be a stand-in for someone he loved, or even still loves.’ Amelia felt that about Esmond, knowing she’d feel she was somehow cheating on him, though he would have been the first person to urge her not to spend the rest of her life alone.

  ‘I’m sort of afraid David will wait outside for me as he feels lost and lonely. I like him, but I just don’t fancy him, and I don’t know how to put him off without causing offence,’ she finished in despair.

  ‘I suppose he’s quite vulnerable at this time of the year, missing his ex, but there’s no reason why you should take her place. I’ll get Ben to take you out to your car,’ Vero said, making for the stairs.

  ‘But then David will just say he’ll take me,’ Amelia said.

  ‘So, he will. You’ll have to stay the night then.’

  ‘But the animals.’

  ‘Of course, forgot those, but come on, we’ll sort it.’ She went downstairs, Amelia following behind.

  ‘Ben, could you escort Amelia to her car?’ Vero slipped her arm through her husbands. ‘She heard a funny noise in her engine on the way here and it would be best to check it,’ she said, firmly opening the front door and pushing Ben out.

  He frowned at her, and she said, ‘It won’t take a minute, but we don’t want her to break down on the way home.’

  ‘I can take you in my car and
then we can see to yours in the daylight,’ David offered eagerly.

  ‘No, that won’t do at all,’ Vero said quickly, ‘she needs her car to drop some of the animals back to their homes tomorrow. Good night, David, lovely seeing you.’ She kissed his cheek and gave him a little push towards the door.

  Amelia, staying close to Ben, hurried to her car and got in, shutting the door firmly, opening the window a fraction so she could talk to him. She started up the car and, as she knew, there was no funny noise, she said, ‘Sod’s law, it’s not doing it now. Sorry to bring you out in the cold, Ben.’

  ‘Are you sure you’ll be safe? I can drive behind you, see you get home,’ David said, hovering by her car to see if he could help out as well.

  ‘No, thanks, I’ll be fine. It must have over heated or something on the way here. I won’t drive fast. Thanks for the lovely party, Ben, a great start to the new year.’ She smiled at them both, backed out of her space and set off down their drive.

  David followed her much of the way home, though to her relief he turned off before she reached the road to her house, flashing his lights before he went. She sped up a bit and whizzed home in case he changed his mind and came back to follow her, not knowing exactly where she lived. She felt a bit mean leaving him like that. This was a difficult time of the year to be alone, as she well knew, but the idea of them both in bed together, wishing they were with someone else, was too depressing for words. She was not the person for him, and he must look elsewhere.

  It bothered her though, that Jules had heard David saying he’d drive her home. Would he think that they had spent the night together? So what if he did? It was absolutely nothing to do with him or her, who spent the night with who. She was being foolish; Jules was surely having a good time with Cynthia and had no interest whatsoever in her. It was just sod’s law that the first man she felt attracted to since Esmond’s death was an unpopular vet with a small son and a girlfriend, who would probably leave the district soon, to go on to that job he’d been offered elsewhere.

  18

  Vero dropped Sophie back home, near lunchtime. They were greeted at the door by Ziggy who perhaps had hoped it was his owners come to rescue him, but he gave them a warm welcome all the same.

  ‘He’s so sweet, pity you can’t keep him.’ Vero bent down to stroke him. ‘Oh, and there’s the cat, very superior.’ She laughed as Osbert inspected them haughtily from the stairs.

  They heard Cleo calling and Sophie went in to her, leaving the door open, saying, ‘You see, Vero, how many pets Mum’s been left with, not forgetting the mice and tortoises outside. All because of that new vet, Jules.’

  ‘I heard you saying something about it to him at the party, Sophie,’ Vero said as she followed Amelia into the kitchen and accepted a cup of ‘strong, black, coffee, please to keep me awake.’

  ‘Freya feels the same – we used to leave our pets, mice, rabbits, Guinea pigs and things when we went away, but that was ages ago when they were at school,’ Vero said. ‘Jules has upset quite a few people over it as they were a popular couple, though poor old Jim was getting a bit forgetful.’

  ‘So, they’ve got nothing now, no money coming in to live on,’ Sophie said.

  ‘I think it had to be done, his uncle thinks so anyway. They’ve gone to live with Dodi’s sister who’s now a widow. She was going to move in with them, but now it’s the other way round, so they are not alone,’ Vero said. ‘But what did Jules say to you about it when you confronted him with your feelings, Sophie?’ Vero asked her.

  ‘I couldn’t say much, his girlfriend butted in when I tried to talk to him,’ Sophie admitted.

  ‘You should have kept your views to yourself in case you spoilt the party by giving him a piece of your mind.’ Amelia felt rather tired and crotchety after not sleeping well.

  ‘But I think he had to close it, faced with the state of it.’ Vero put a couple of spoons of sugar into her coffee. ‘I know he’s new to the district, though his uncle is an old fixture, and of course, Jules is much younger than poor old Les. But bad luck on you, Amelia, having most of them here.’

  ‘It wasn’t too stressful though I had a bit of a drama with Cleo being chased by Osbert and Ziggy.’ She explained the scene to them.

  ‘How scary, but I wouldn’t breathe a word of it to Jamie and Wilfred. She’s like a child to them, but she seems none the worse,’ said Vero, who’d popped her head round the dining room door to see her in the cage. ‘I don’t really know Jules; I saw him around ages ago before he married. I know his uncle well and as Jules is now staying there, I invited him too. He said he thought he was going somewhere with Cynthia, so I asked them both. She seems to be working with him, in the veterinary practice, answering the phone and things. Also,’ she laughed, ‘I wanted to see what he was really like. Anyway, jolly good of you to take in so many of the animals, Amelia.’

  To her annoyance Amelia felt herself blushing. It had nothing to do with the mention of Jules, and it was surely too soon for hot flushes, it was just the effects of a late night.

  ‘I feel a fool, but I had to ask him round to see the tortoise. I thought it had died. It was only because he was nearby seeing to a horse. His son, Dickon, knew more about it than I did. He knew the tortoise was hibernating, not dead.’ She laughed, as she related the story.

  Sophie said, ‘you told me he came here twice, something about mice babies. I hope he didn’t make you pay a call-out charge, it’s was his fault after all, that you were landed with so many.’

  ‘Don’t be too hard on him, Sophie, he only did what he thought was right,’ Vero said.

  ‘But he snatched away Dodi and Jim’s living,’ Sophie retorted.

  ‘From what I heard they couldn’t go on; the buildings were in a terrible state. Ben says Jules persuaded them to close before someone sued them. I think Jules did them a favour,’ Vero said. She turned to Amelia, regarding her solemnly. ‘He’s a widower, alone like you. Though David rather spoilt it by trying to come home with you.’

  ‘He didn’t, did he, Mum?’ Sophie said in a voice that reminded Amelia of her mother, warning her and her sister not to drink too much, or get taken advantage of by some lecherous man when they started to go out to parties on their own.

  ‘No, of course he didn’t. He just thought I might like a lift back, but I refused. I can drive myself home.’ Amelia remembered trying to fob off her mother’s questions about her evenings out, when she was much younger.

  ‘He’s a dear man, but he’s at a bit of a loose end as he and his girlfriend have broken up.’ Vero said, ‘but who knows, they might get together again after a rest from each other. Relationships are so complicated, aren’t they?’ She turned to Sophie. ‘How is Dom, Sophie? I understand he’s away skiing with his family.’

  Amelia busied herself round the kitchen, not that there was much to do as she’d tidied everything away yesterday. Sophie had not said much about her and Dom’s relationship and she’d known better than to question her, assuming that if there was anything to tell, she’d do it in her own time.

  Sophie shrugged. ‘Fine, but I wasn’t asked on the skiing trip, nor was his sister’s pervy boyfriend, and I’m glad to be home a while with Mum.’

  ‘And it’s good to see you,’ Vero said, going on to ask about Grania and how her trip in India was going.

  The telephone rang. It was Jamie saying they were on their way home and could they pick up Cleo. They’d missed her so much.

  ‘Yes, I’m here for the rest of the day,’ Amelia said. ‘Three quarters of an hour? Fine, see you then.’

  ‘Oh, can I stay and see them?’ Vero asked. ‘I’ve met them a few times and I’d love to have Wilfred – I understand he’s the arty one of the pair – on my new gallery committee. I think I told you we are trying to reopen the building we used to have, before the owner died.’

  ‘Yes, I remember you telling me about it,’ Amelia said. Vero was on all sorts of committees and things; she could never keep up on them all. She’d t
ried to make Amelia join some and she’d like to when she felt more settled in the community and her job in the school.

  ‘When we first moved here over twenty years ago, there was a thriving art gallery that hung artwork of all the local artists, then, a couple of years ago, the man who owned it died, leaving some complication of who it actually belonged to. It’s almost been resolved but we’re looking for more people for the committee and from what I’ve heard of Wilfred, he sounds just the right person and catching him here with you, would be wonderful.’

  ‘Course you can stay, I’ll find us something to eat,’ Amelia said, as Vero described the gallery and her hopes for it. Sophie said she was going back to bed and disappeared upstairs.

  ‘Poor child, love is such a toss-up, isn’t it?’ Vero said when she was out of earshot. ‘I may be wrong, but I have a feeling her and Dom’s relationship is on its way out. They are both so young still to settle down to married life.’

  ‘So, what did she say about it?’ Amelia asked. Vero was Sophie’s godmother and they’d always been close.

  ‘It’s what she didn’t say really. She’s annoyed and disappointed that Dom didn’t kick up a fuss about her not being included in the skiing party as they are engaged, and how his parents are rather offhand with her, and she feels he is hiding something. I didn’t say much, you know what these things are like at her age, blowing hot and cold. Also, her job, which she knew was only maternity cover, is over, so she’s no reason to go back to London. After all, this is still home to her, and she enjoys being with you.’ She shrugged. ‘I’d say, watch this space.’

  ‘Well, Dom’s away and then he’s starting his first serious job, so is probably a bit stressed. He’s a lovely person and I’m very fond of him, though I feel she… both of them are perhaps a bit young to be tied down already, though you never know when love will strike,’ Amelia said. ‘I wasn’t much older than her when I met Esmond and he was the love of my life and would still be if only he was still here.’