A Dad of His Own Read online

  ‘He hasn’t eaten him, he’s a trained gun dog with a very soft mouth,’ he said. ‘I’d say there’s not much wrong with him, he’s just had an adventure.’

  Freddie listened gravely to him, his thin body still shuddering from his tears. He turned to Felix who was looking the other way, slightly panting with exertion.

  ‘You found him, Felix,’ he said, bending down and patting him with his free hand. ‘You found Ozzie for me.’

  Twenty-Two

  A wave of relief at Ozzie’s return swept round the group. Most of them owned pets when they were children and many still did and understood what special companions they were. Felix received much praise for his gallant effort and nonchalantly wagged his tail as if wondering what the fuss was about before dashing off again on another mission.

  Julius went with Freddie to put Ozzie back in his cage. ‘I should think he’ll be pretty tired after all that,’ he said. ‘I’d leave him to sleep a while, but let’s make sure his cage is secure and he can’t get out again.’ The two of them went together through the flat and out the back to the shed, while Anna, feeling weak with relief that Ozzie was safely back, set to making coffee and tea for the workers outside as a small thank you for stopping their work to look for the guinea pig.

  Daisy, having helped Anna make and hand round the hot drinks, realised that after such a drama, the trip to the village she’d planned for the three of them would not now take place. She decided to go down to see the damage for herself.

  ‘It’s quite bright now so I thought I’d take some photographs… Surreptitiously of course, I don’t want to upset anyone, but I want to be able to show Philly and Sidney when they get back. You must stay here with Freddie after his ordeal with Ozzie. I won’t be long. Do you need anything from the shop?’

  ‘No, thanks. You go, Daise, while it’s light,’ Anna said, suggesting that the workers come in out of the bitter cold for a moment, but as their boots were muddy they said they were happy to stay outside. To her surprise, Cathie seemed friendlier towards her than she had before, helping to hand round biscuits, and, looking round the group, Anna realised that Simon wasn’t there.

  Julius, having seen to it that Ozzie was securely back in his cage and checked there weren’t any escape holes, came back into the flat and Freddie insisted that he go in the living room to look at his vehicles he’d made from Lego. Anna handed him a mug of coffee.

  ‘Thanks, just what I need after such a drama,’ he smiled at her, cradling the warm mug in his hands.

  Freddie crept close to Anna, wrapping himself around her. She could feel he was still in shock over Ozzie’s escape.

  ‘We can’t thank you and Felix enough,’ she said to Julius, feeling rather wobbly herself, ‘I can’t believe he got so far.’

  ‘We don’t know how long he was out,’ Julius said, ‘I’ve checked his cage and everywhere in the shed looks fine. Perhaps his cage was not closed properly.’

  Listening to him, Freddie, his face anguished, said, ‘P’haps I didn’t shut his cage properly, I was in such a hurry to come out and help.’

  ‘Maybe that’s what happened. So remember next time, however much in a hurry you are, you must make sure Ozzie is secure,’ Julius smiled at Freddie. ‘Lessons are often learnt the hard way, but at least this one has a happy ending. Ozzie seems none the worse, though it was very scary for a while until Felix found him.’

  ‘He’s so clever to track him down like that,’ Anna said, stroking Freddie’s hair.

  ‘I gave him some of Ozzie’s straw to smell, so he knew what he was looking for,’ Julius said. ‘He could have been out a couple of hours, made straight for the drawbridge, out into the wild world.’ Julius smiled at her and there was a softness about his gaze that soothed her.

  Her emotions shifted and unconsciously she found she’d leant a little closer to him, could almost feel the warmth of him against her and then with a blast of cold air, the front door opened and Simon’s voice cut through the mood.

  ‘Julius, are you here?’

  ‘Yes,’ Julius drained his coffee. ‘Just settling Ozzie back in his home.’ He strode across the room and out into the hall.

  ‘I heard all about it, clever Felix,’ Simon said, still standing in the hall on the doormat in his boots.

  Hearing his voice, Freddie ran to see him. ‘Felix carried him in his mouth, I thought he’d eat him, but he’s a gun dog, so he’s trained not to hurt the birds he picks up. Will Rusty do the same, will you train him to do that?’

  Simon laughed, ‘Well, he’s a different kind of dog. I’m afraid terriers are more likely to kill things, but I’ll try and stop him from doing so.’

  Julius, bending down to put on his boots, said, ‘So how are things going, have you sorted the evergreens for the arch with Gail?’

  ‘Yes, I was just coming to measure it, so she can make some sketches and decide how it will look and how much foliage she needs,’ he said. ‘We’ll do it the night before and with the cold it will stay fresh and she’ll put in any flowers or other decorations the next morning. I just need to double-check where it’s to go, and also work out where all the cars will park.’ They went back outside.

  Freddie, now recovered from Ozzie’s escape, ran out after them and stayed there with them until it was almost dark, leaving Anna some welcome time to herself to recover from their ordeal.

  Luke brought him back to the flat. ‘We’re just clearing up now and Freddie’s getting cold, but we’ll be back tomorrow and he can help again then, if he wants.’ He smiled at him. ‘What a day we’ve had, but I’m glad Ozzie is safely back.’

  As Luke left, a car shot over the drawbridge and into the quadrangle. It could only be one person driving like that: Daisy coming back from the village. She parked by the flat and got out.

  ‘Is Ozzie OK after his adventure?’ she asked Freddie.

  ‘Think so, I’ll go and check later, I’ve been helping them get ready for the old people getting married,’ Freddie said.

  ‘Old people?’ Daisy said with mock dismay. ‘There’s still hope for me then.’ She turned to Anna. ‘I took quite a few pictures in the village,’ she said as Anna shooed Freddie into his room to put on dry clothes. ‘It’s tragic the damage that has been done. It’s got too dark and cold to do much more, bring on springtime, it’s barely four o’clock but it could be midnight,’ she grumbled.

  Freddie, still pulling on his dry clothes, called out that he wanted to show her the things he’d made. ‘Come and look, I know you’ll like them.’

  ‘I will when I’ve got a cup of tea,’ Daisy promised, ‘I’m cold to my innards.’

  Anna made them both a cup of tea and Freddie some hot chocolate. It was so good to be with such an old friend. Though Anna liked the new people she’d met here, she realised how much she’d missed the people she was closest to. It was a pity that Grania hadn’t stayed as well, though she wouldn’t be surprised if they’d ganged up on her, determined to find Freddie a dad.

  Daisy took her tea into the living room and asked Freddie to explain his creation before joining Anna in the kitchen for a gossip. They’d just settled down when they heard a car arrive and, going to the window, Anna said, ‘It’s Lucy, I’d quite forgotten she was coming over to decorate the wedding cake and to bring flour and stuff for me to bake some Epiphany cakes, you know, Gateaux des Rois. Perhaps you can help me with these, Daisy?’

  ‘I haven’t baked for ages, it will be fun, but won’t they be a tad early? The Epiphany is on the 6th of January, that’s a week away,’ Daisy said.

  ‘I know, but apparently some people like them earlier,’ Anna said.

  ‘We have to make pastry, don’t we? It’s so much better than ready-made. How many do we need?’ Daisy asked.

  ‘Not sure, Lucy will tell us,’ Anna said, opening the door.

  ‘Are you sure it’s a good time?’ Lucy asked as she entered the flat. Freddie bounced over, hoping she’d brought Benny and was disappointed that she had not.

/>   ‘Ozzie escaped but Felix found him and brought him back to me,’ Freddie said breathlessly.

  ‘Goodness, and how clever of Felix to find him,’ Lucy said when she heard the story. ‘You must make sure he can’t get out again.’

  Freddie nodded solemnly. ‘And my godmother, Daisy, has come,’ Freddie pointed at Daisy standing in the doorway to the kitchen. ‘One of my other godmothers, Grania, came too, she brought us a hamper, but she went away again.’

  ‘You sound as if you’ve been very busy, I hope I’m not intruding,’ Lucy glanced enquiringly at Anna.

  ‘Of course not, come in. Daisy used to be a great cake baker when we shared a flat at uni, so between us we can get some Gateaux des Rois baked, leaving you to get on with the wedding cake,’ Anna said.

  ‘That would be kind, it’s such a pain not having the shop to work in,’ Lucy said, putting down a basket on the side. ‘I’ve bought the ingredients,’ she said, taking out packets of flour, ground almonds, eggs, butter, sugar, a bottle of brandy and the tiny figures of kings and queens that were hidden in the cake.

  ‘I’ve just been down to the village and I’m shocked at the state of it,’ Daisy said. ‘Anna says no one is telling my aunt and uncle about it and I’m grateful for that.’

  ‘There’s no point in worrying them, I know they’d want to cut short their trip to help, even though the castle is not affected, and Julius is being amazing,’ Lucy said as she made up some white icing to pipe delicate patterns on the cake while Daisy and Anna watched her with admiration.

  There was a knock on the door and Anna opened it to find Simon and Julius stood there.

  ‘It’s just started raining, do you mind if we stand in the hall just a moment while we discuss the arch, we’ve got a plan here and it’s getting wet. We’ve almost finished for today,’ Julius said.

  ‘Of course, have a cup of something,’ Anna said. Their faces were raw from the wind and they blew on their hands to warm them.

  ‘Thanks, that would be lovely, but we’ll stay here on the mat,’ Julius said, ‘and not mess up your floor.’

  Simon was in full flow about how the arch was to be decorated and the lighting dealt with. Freddie called for them to come into the living room to see the new truck he had built and Daisy, who’d been chatting to Lucy, crossed the hall towards them. Anna saw how Daisy and Simon looked at each other; their eyes caught and for a moment it felt as if an electric current ran between the two of them.

  This current was quickly dispersed by the shot of cold air heralding Cathie’s arrival and Julius saying that they must be careful about the weight of the decorations on the arch in case it toppled over. Cathie, her eyes fixed on Simon, said she needed his opinion on the height of some of the shrubs and whether there’d be lights twisting through their branches.

  Daisy was pulled away by Freddie to see what he had built in the living room, and Anna, feeling flustered at what she thought she’d seen between Daisy and Simon, heard herself asking if any of them still outside working would like a hot drink as well, as it must be so cold out there.

  ‘I’m sure that would be very welcome,’ Simon said. ‘It’s got very cold now.’

  ‘Cathie, perhaps you could go and count how many people would like a drink, please,’ Julius smiled at Anna. ‘If that’s no trouble, I thought we’d be finished by now.’

  ‘Of course it isn’t.’ Anna went back to the kitchen to look for some mugs.

  Cathie looked annoyed, turned on her heel and walked out, leaving the front door open, which Simon hastily shut behind her.

  Anna and Daisy made a jug of coffee and had hot water and teabags ready for those who wanted tea. It was a good thing she’d bought more milk and she was happy to share the large tin of biscuits so that she wasn’t tempted to go on eating them herself.

  Daisy was uncharacteristically quiet, but Anna thought better than to mention it. She’d expected her to make some mention of Simon, ask what his role was with the castle, but she did not. In the past when she’d met a man she fancied she’d go on about him, describing his looks, his charms and perhaps, as some people suggested, she talked them up so much that reality soon brought them down with a bump.

  Simon, Luke, Cathie, Julius, along with a few other members of staff, crowded into the hall in their stockinged feet, their boots lined up outside the front door. Their faces were all flushed from the cold.

  Daisy handed round the biscuits, and when she came to Simon, who was not for that moment shielded by Cathie who’d gone to the loo, there passed a look of wonder between them as if she were offering him a plate of jewels.

  He said to her slightly breathlessly, ‘So you are Philly’s niece, she often speaks about you. It’s great to meet you.’

  Anna, who was talking to Julius, having asked him how he could train a dog to be so gentle with a small animal or a bird, strained to hear Daisy, her eyes exploring his face as if wanting to memorise it, say almost regretfully, ‘I’m going very early tomorrow to Scotland to see my family, I just thought I’d do a detour and see how it’s going with Anna on my way.’

  ‘Oh, I see.’ Simon sounded disappointed, but he went on, ‘Of course Scotland is the place to go for New Year isn’t it?’

  ‘I suppose so,’ Daisy dropped her voice, going on to say something else that Anna couldn’t decipher.

  Julius was still chatting to Anna. ‘Some breeds of dogs are better at it than others… Oh, I see I’m boring you… I…’

  ‘No, you’re not at all, sorry I just wanted to know when Daisy was leaving,’ Anna blurted, upset by the look of discomfort on Julius’s face.

  Cathie returned from the bathroom and immediately took up her place beside Simon. Meanwhile Julius finished his drink, before giving the call to arms and leading everyone outside again in the cold to tidy up before it got too dark.

  Lucy finished her work on the cake and said if he liked, she’d take Freddie home with her to play with Benny. ‘He’d be fascinated to hear of Ozzie’s adventure,’ she said.

  ‘I’d like to go, can I Mum?’

  Freddie, to her relief seemed to have got over his shock and was enjoying the attention over Ozzie’s outing. ‘Of course, I’ll come and get you in an hour or so and Daisy and I will get baking,’ Anna said, going to fetch Freddie’s hat and coat and going out with him to Lucy’s car and waving as they set off.

  Twenty-Three

  Anna and Daisy set to making the Gateaux des Rois for Lucy, so Anna could take them to her when she went to fetch Freddie.

  Anna was annoyed with herself for feeling a ridiculous sense of ownership of the people she’d met here, namely Simon, she confessed to herself. Watching Daisy filling the baking tin with the cake mixture, she said, hoping she sounded nonchalant, ‘You seem to be quite taken with Simon, Daise.’

  Daisy, scraping the mixing bowl clean of the almond cream into the last pastry case with a spatula, tried to appear disinterested without much success. She and Anna had been friends since they were dropped, clinging to their mothers, at playgroup. She knew her too well, and Daisy could not hide the flush in her cheeks and the shine in her eyes. ‘Don’t know what gave you that idea.’ She bent down to put into the oven her cake, and the three others that stood ready to go, setting the timer for twenty-five minutes. She stood up and faced her. ‘Everyone’s so nice, I love Luke, he’s so friendly… and Julius, poor man, has such a load of responsibility on his shoulders.’

  ‘He does, and so what about Simon, what do you think of him?’ Anna wouldn’t give up.

  ‘He’s lovely too; you’re lucky having them around. I suppose seeing them every day working on the estate you get to know them quite well. I can see that Freddie adores them, especially Julius after Felix found Ozzie.’ Daisy shot Anna one of her looks which Anna knew usually heralded a question. ‘Is he fixed up, married, whatever?’

  Anna was not surprised, though couldn’t help being annoyed by her remark. All three of Freddie’s godmothers were bound to try and grant his wish of
a dad, but she and Freddie were leaving here in a couple of weeks and it was not likely anyone here would oblige. ‘I’ve no idea. Lucy says people prefer to keep their love lives under wraps, which I can understand,’ Anna said firmly. ‘I’ve been thinking about moving close to Robert after the summer term. It’s lovely up there and Freddie fits in well with his family and he says that I’m sure to get a teaching job.’

  Daisy frowned, ‘I think that’s a bit drastic. I mean, you like living in London.’

  ‘I do, but having seen how much Freddie loves the freedom of the country I think it might be the best for him.’

  ‘Well, you must do what you think,’ Daisy said. ‘Shall we bake another couple of cakes? There’s still some ingredients left.’

  ‘I’ll ask Lucy when I take this lot over,’ Anna said. ‘And perhaps we could make some tomorrow before you set off?’

  ‘I must leave here early, though I’d love to stay on another day with you and Freddie, but Mum’s not too well and it upsets her if plans are changed,’ Daisy said briskly as if reminding herself that her obligations to her family came first. ‘I’ll come back later, perhaps for a weekend to welcome Philly and Sidney back.’

  ‘Good idea,’ Anna said, surprised that Daisy was not quizzing her about what she knew about Simon. There was something between them, a flash of attraction, which could burn out in an instant or smoulder on for a lifetime. You never knew how these things would turn out.

  Gary came to mind, how passionately they had loved each other before he’d been snatched away. She said, ‘Hypothetical question, Daisy. Do you think Gary would have been a good father?’ Seeing Daisy’s surprise at her question, she went on quickly, ‘I mean finding out we were expecting a baby when we’d agreed to wait a while until we started a family. How do you think he’d have taken it? I know he’d love him now, when he’s a real person you can do things with, but me going through pregnancy and then having a tiny baby would sort of change the dynamics between us and I wouldn’t be so instantly available to do things with him.’