by Lucy Daniels
Mandy felt a stir of excitement. Hope Meadows was the perfect name for a rehab centre! ‘But what about Simon?’ she said, tucking her hands under her thighs. ‘We’ve been planning a joint clinic for ages. He’d never agree to be based in Welford.’
James sat very still, his eyes on the empty fireplace. The clock on the mantelpiece suddenly sounded louder than before. Mandy held her breath, waiting for her best friend to answer. I hadn’t realised how much James’s opinion matters, she thought. Why haven’t I talked to him about this before?
James took off his glasses, rubbed them on the edge of his sweater, then put them back on. ‘What about York?’ he said. ‘It’s only an hour’s drive. You could have your rescue centre here and Simon could have his clinic there. There are plenty of people in the city who’d be willing to spend money on their pets. Doesn’t that sound a better idea?’
Mandy couldn’t stay sitting still. She jumped up and paced around the room in a small circle, almost tripping over Paul’s legs. It might be possible. An hour’s drive. She could help Simon with the patients there and work here part of the day as well. Both of them could sleep here. It really could work. Hope Meadows could be a reality!
‘You two are brilliant,’ she said and walked over and hugged Paul first and then James.
‘What’s all this?’ Grandad opened the door and walked into the room. ‘Do I get a hug as well?’ he asked Mandy.
‘You can have a hug any time,’ Mandy told him and, walking over, she buried her face in his shoulder, holding him tightly as if she would never let go.
Chapter Twelve
‘James suggested something yesterday that I wanted to talk to you about.’ Mandy faced her mum and dad across the kitchen table. Both of them looked up from their plates, cutlery poised.
‘Yes?’ Emily prompted.
Mandy took a deep breath. ‘You know I’ve always wanted to open a rescue centre?’
Emily nodded. Adam looked down again and seemed to be studying his food. Mandy had tried to reproduce Simon’s moussaka for dinner. It hadn’t been the most successful experiment. The cheese sauce had developed grey lumps and she had added too much cinnamon, giving a bitter flavour to the vegetables.
‘And you know Simon and I were planning a clinic in Leeds, but it’s so expensive to buy property there. It might take ages before we could save enough for the space to rescue.’
Adam was still fiddling with his dinner. Mandy knew she should have stuck with something simple, but she had wanted to impress them before she made her announcement.
‘Well, James suggested that instead of Leeds, we could set up our clinic in York.’
Adam started to frown, possibly because of the moussaka. Mandy ploughed on ‘… and he thought it would be close enough that we could set up our rescue centre right here at Animal Ark.’
Silence. Emily was chewing. Adam was rolling his fork in his long fingers. Finishing her mouthful, Emily spoke first.
‘Do you mean actually here in the clinic or …?’
‘No.’ Mandy rushed to explain. ‘James suggested using the field at the back. There would be plenty of space there. Room for buildings and an exercise area, too.’
‘But I thought you were leaving us soon.’ Adam’s frown had deepened. ‘Not that I don’t want you here, but we’ve been looking for another assistant. Have you changed your mind about that as well?’
Mandy swallowed. ‘I know I said I’d only be here for a while.’ She looked into her father’s eyes, knowing she couldn’t stop now. ‘Things have changed. I’ve changed. Welford is home … If it’s possible for me to be here, I don’t want to go away.’ She stopped for a moment, wondering at her own words, yet certain they were true. ‘I’d like to stay … if you’ll have me,’ she amended. ‘And if we could open a rescue centre here …’ She trailed off.
‘It’s certainly an idea.’ Emily set her fork down and took a sip of water. ‘There’s good access, too, if you need to get horse boxes in and out, or delivery vehicles.’
Mandy felt her heart beat faster. She had been hoping, at best, they would think about it. The fact that her mum was already considering logistics had to be a good sign. She looked across at her dad. He had put down his fork, pushed away his still half-full plate, and crossed his arms.
‘It is an idea,’ he said slowly, ‘but have you considered the practicalities?’
Mandy’s mind was whirring. What practicalities exactly? They would need someone to build the centre, obviously. Living quarters for all species. Probably outhouses and storage. It didn’t seem that difficult.
‘Like planning permission?’ her dad went on. ‘It was difficult enough thirty years ago when we wanted to add the clinic onto the cottage. And for a rescue centre, you’d need charitable status. That would all need to be set up. How were you thinking of funding it? Would there be a danger of it eating too much into the practice profits? It would probably have to be a separate company.’ Pulling his plate back towards him, he lifted his fork and took a mouthful, barely chewing before he swallowed and started again.
‘Are you sure there’s enough demand for a rescue centre here? You remember Betty Wilder used to run her sanctuary, but she had to close five years ago, because she couldn’t generate enough interest. Or money,’ he added.
Mandy’s chest felt tight. Planning permission? Local demand? She had done stacks of fundraising before, but only on a small scale for other charities, not enough to run one on her own. ‘There’s Granny Thorpe’s inheritance to help with the building work.’ She looked at Emily, but it was her mum’s turn to look down. Although her inheritance would help with construction, it wouldn’t last forever. There would be ongoing costs. For a moment, Mandy’s head felt heavy. She wanted to run from the table, slam the door and hide upstairs, but instead, she stayed where she was and took a deep breath. She was twenty-seven now, not sixteen.
‘Mandy?’ Adam’s voice was gentler and she forced herself to look at him. ‘Before we can commit to anything, you need to do a lot more research,’ he said. ‘Planning, building work, charitable status, finances.’ He ticked them off on his fingers. ‘You’ll need to use your spare time to work on this. You know how busy we are, but if you need help, I’ll do my best to make time for you.’
Mandy managed to smile, but the dream that had looked so close to becoming reality a few moments ago suddenly seemed as impossible as climbing Everest in flip-flops. Under the table, out of Adam’s sight, Emily reached out and gave her hand a squeeze. Mandy squeezed back, reminding herself that whatever they said, her parents were always on her side. It was their job to give her a reality check, however much it chafed.
Helen had invited Mandy to join her for Lucy’s walk that evening. Mandy, grateful for the excuse to get out of the cottage, was glad she’d accepted. Although it was late, the evening sun was warm and the breeze carried the scent of the moors.
‘How long do you think you’ll be here?’ Helen asked, unclipping Lucy’s lead and letting her zoom off across the springy grass.
‘I’m not sure yet,’ Mandy replied. ‘Helen, what do you think of the idea of a rescue centre here in Welford?’
Helen looked startled at the sudden change in topic, but rallied quickly. ‘Attached to Animal Ark, you mean?’
‘Well, sort of,’ Mandy said. ‘Not physically attached, but in the field behind the clinic. Separate, but working together.’
‘Come here, Lucy!’ Helen called her dog, who came galloping over. The nurse gave her a treat before letting her race away again. ‘Sounds a great idea,’ she said. ‘What kind of animals were you thinking of?’
‘All sorts. Any animal that is unwanted or mistreated. We can find a new life for them. Paul … you remember Paul?’ Helen nodded. ‘He suggested Hope Meadows as the name.’
‘That’s awesome!’ Helen said, adding, ‘Lucy was a rescue.’ Mandy watched as the shiny black dog sniffed at a harebell, leaping backwards when a bumble-bee emerged. She was surprised to hear where Lucy had
come from. She was one of the most well-adjusted dogs Mandy had come across. Whatever had happened in Lucy’s past, Helen had done a great job of turning her into a happy and well-trained dog.
‘It would take a lot of setting up, but it would totally be worth it,’ Helen went on, sounding more enthusiastic. ‘At the moment if we get any strays, we have to call Seb Conway. I know he often has trouble getting space in the council-run shelter in Walton.’ She pulled a ball from her pocket and threw it, watching as Lucy hared in pursuit. ‘Why don’t you talk to Seb about it? He would know more about whether there’s a need for a Welford-based centre.’
‘That would be great,’ Mandy said. Maybe she could pick his brains about other aspects of the project, too, like the regulations she’d need to follow. Side by side, with Lucy trotting ahead, they made their way across the moor with the sunset spreading out before them.
‘Hello?’
Mandy’s heart sank when she heard a voice in reception. She had just finished an operation and was looking forward to her lunch. Mustering a smile, she dried her hands and walked through into the waiting area.
‘Seb!’ Now she was smiling properly. Instead of the client she had expected, Seb Conway was standing in the middle of the room. Better still, he was clutching a paper bag from the bakery in Walton, from which a wonderful scent was rising.
‘Hi, Mandy!’ He looked very much at home, leaning on the desk: all white teeth and twinkling eyes. ‘I hear from Helen that you’re thinking of diversifying into my line of work.’
‘Did you indeed?’ Although she was surprised, Mandy couldn’t help returning his grin. ‘Did Helen tell you to come and see me?’ she guessed.
‘She might have done.’ He winked. ‘I know it’s lunchtime,’ he said, ‘but I came armed with supplies.’ He waved the bag. ‘There’s enough for three,’ he added. ‘Just in case Helen’s here, too.’
Mandy swallowed her smile. Seb was so transparently keen on Helen.
‘Helen?’ She put her head round the door of the wildlife unit, where Helen was tending to an underweight hedgehog. ‘Seb’s here,’ Mandy told her. ‘He has lunch for us. Fancy coming out so we can chat in peace?’
‘Okay!’ Lifting the hedgehog back into his cage, Helen straightened up. ‘I’ll just wash my hands,’ she said. When she appeared in the waiting-room, Seb’s smile grew even wider.
‘Where’s the best place?’ he asked. ‘How about outside? The weather’s lovely.’ He opened the door and ushered Mandy and Helen into the garden.
Helen turned to Mandy. ‘Weren’t you thinking of building your rescue centre in the meadow?’ she said. ‘Why don’t we eat there?’
Mandy closed the door behind them before responding. She didn’t want her father to think she was getting carried away with her plans without doing the sensible groundwork he had pointed out.
‘Yes,’ she replied. ‘We could sit on the other side of the wall,’ and look at the view all the rescued animals will see, she added in her mind. People in hospitals were known to recover more quickly if they could see trees and greenery. Surely the orchard with the fells rising behind it would be as relaxing for stressed animals as it was for her. Easily better than a city with cars and lorries roaring past all day and night.
Like a picture from a child’s storybook, buttercups and dandelions dotted the meadow, yellow heads in the thick green grass. The old stone barn where Adam’s tools were stored stood to their left. The three of them sat with their backs to the dry-stone wall. The sun was as warm as the cheese and onion pasties Seb produced from his bag.
‘So what exactly were you thinking of?’ he asked, wiping his hands as he finished the last mouthful and leaning forward to look past Helen at Mandy. ‘We’ve loads of animals coming in all the time. Finding places for them can be difficult.’
Mandy wiped her hands on the grass either side of her and sat up straight. ‘I want to have space for both wildlife and domestic animals,’ she explained. ‘I don’t know if Helen told you, but after my vet degree, I spent a year doing a Masters in animal behaviour and rehabilitation. I want to make sure the animals are healthy mentally as well as physically before we rehome them. I’d like to train new owners alongside their pet, too.’ She stood up and started to pace along the wall. ‘All the buildings need to be animal-friendly. They should have natural light inside and all the animals should be able to see out. They need open spaces and plenty of room for exercise.’ She threw out her arms. ‘What do you think?’ she demanded. ‘I thought we might use the old barn for a treatment and reception area.’ It was just long enough to be split into two, she thought. ‘Maybe a stable over here,’ she took a few steps, ‘… exercise area …’ a few more steps, ‘… separate areas for cats and dogs, at either end so they don’t disturb each other. And a brand-new wildlife unit, here on the south side of the barn.’ She stopped and faced them, feeling a smile stretch across her face. ‘Can you imagine it?’ she exclaimed. ‘Hope Meadows: where we never give up.’
‘Wow!’ said Seb as Mandy walked back over and sat down beside them. ‘You’ve certainly thought this through! I love the idea of the psychological approach. So many of the animals we get in have been treated so badly they’ve forgotten how to trust anyone.’
‘It’s a fantastic idea,’ Helen said. ‘Something I’d really like to be involved in,’ but her voice was more sober than Seb’s. ‘Don’t forget you have to discuss it all with Simon,’ she said. ‘From what you’ve said, he’s all for going ahead with his plans for the clinic in Leeds.’
For a moment, Mandy felt a lurch of uncertainty, but she shoved it away. If they could build here at Animal Ark, they could get all the land they needed for the rescue centre. Most of their funds could be focussed on the clinic and Simon could have all his specialist equipment. There was no way he would fail to see how perfect this could be.
As well as the pasties, Seb had brought a bottle of cola and, pouring it into three plastic tumblers, he handed them out. ‘I think we should have a toast,’ he said. ‘To Mandy and to Hope Meadows!’
‘Absolutely.’ Helen lifted her drink. ‘To Hope Meadows.’
Raising her mug in return, Mandy grinned before she took a swig of her fizz. Few drinks had ever tasted better.
Chapter Thirteen
‘That will be seventy-two pounds and fourteen pence,’ Mandy said. Putting down the cat basket she had been clutching, Mrs Hastings began rooting in her handbag.
‘Worth every penny to have peace of mind.’ She handed Mandy her credit card. ‘I really thought that Cara had broken her leg.’
Mandy glanced down to where Cara’s small feline face was peeking out of the basket at her. The fees they charged at Animal Ark were lower than Mandy had been used to in Leeds, but asking for money was still something she found challenging. She couldn’t help but feel grateful to people like Mrs Hastings, who really seemed to value the care that she tried so hard to offer.
‘Thank you very much,’ she said, following Welford’s hairdresser to the door and opening it for her.
Evening surgery was winding towards its conclusion. It had been hectic. Adam had been called out to a horse with choke. Emily had been busy for the past forty-five minutes with a dog that had tangled itself in barbed wire and had several wounds that needed to be stitched. Peeking into the waiting-room, Mandy was pleased to see Maureen Gill.
‘Hello, Mrs Gill. Were you hoping to see Rachel? I’m afraid she’s helping Mum at the moment.’ Rachel Farmer, the evening receptionist, was assisting Emily with the injured dog.
‘That’s okay,’ Mrs Gill replied. ‘She’ll be round later to see Brandon, I’m sure.’ The receptionist was engaged to Brandon, Mrs Gill’s son.
‘And this must be Muffy?’ Mandy had seen the dog’s name on the computer screen and bent down to say hello, but as she crossed the room, the little animal bared her teeth and growled.
‘She needs her vaccination,’ said Mrs Gill, looking worried. ‘It’s a bit overdue, but I’m afraid she d
oesn’t like coming, as you see.’
‘She does look frightened,’ Mandy agreed. The little terrier had stopped growling, but was hiding behind her owner’s leg. All Mandy could see was a wary brown eye and a topknot of hair. Rather than call Mrs Gill through to the consulting room, Mandy walked over and sat down near the older woman. She sat close enough that they could chat without raising their voices, but far enough from Muffy so as not to seem frightening.
‘Right, Mrs Gill,’ she explained. ‘I want to sit here and chat for a few minutes. I’m going to feed Muffy a few treats, if that’s all right. I want to see if we can get her to calm down before we try to do anything with her.’
‘Oh!’ The client looked surprised. ‘Okay. If you think it will help. Poor thing.’ She reached down and stroked the tiny head. ‘She does get herself so wound up.’
Mandy dropped a treat on the floor, a little in front of Muffy. Rather than staring at the dog, she continued to speak to Mrs Gill. ‘We’ll see if she’ll take these,’ she said. ‘They’re hickory smoke flavoured. Most dogs seem to love them, but if not, we’ve plenty of other things to try.’ From the corner of her eye, she saw Muffy creep out from under the seat, sniff at the chew and tentatively pick it up, before scuttling back into her hiding place. Still without looking at her, Mandy reached out and dropped another piece.
‘Is this a new thing?’ Mrs Gill asked.
Mandy nodded, noting that once again Muffy was starting to inch forwards. ‘The idea is to change a visit to the vets from frightening to fun,’ she said. ‘It might be difficult today because we’ve got to get Muffy vaccinated, but in future, you would be welcome to come in to the clinic for no reason at all. Get her used to coming in without anything bad happening.’ She dropped another piece of chew and Muffy came forward more quickly this time.