Amelia was determined not to start a row with Sophie by discouraging her from getting involved, or even starting a fight with Jules for closing down the kennels. It was lovely to have here her for a while, she hadn’t seen her for nearly two months, but the thought of having to contend with her determination to wage war on Jules with Rufus exhausted Amelia.
Sophie was a great one for ‘causes’. At uni there was always something she was fighting for like fox hunting, battery chickens, water aid and many others, and now she’d turned her sights on Jules.
All the animals save Ziggy and Osbert were now safely back home with their families. Amelia had rather enjoyed having them, it had given her a purpose and company over the Christmas period, her first spent alone in her life.
Gloria, Osbert’s owner, was picking him up that evening, and then there would only be Ziggy left, who she’d become quite attached to. In his simple, doggy way, he’d always been pleased to see her, unlike Osbert who was very choosy, and thought himself far too superior to make a fuss of her.
Sophie, sensing her mood, said firmly, a look of determination on her face, ‘Rufus hasn’t seen the kennels for a while, so he doesn’t know what he needs to do to get them going again. He might take it over himself, or anyway find someone younger than his aunt and uncle to help them. After all, it is their home as well as their livelihood and it must be saved.’ She stood in the middle of the hall, her voice strong and determined to save the day.
Amelia sighed, overwhelmed by Sophie’s zeal. ‘I think you’d better find out the truth of it all before you start this crusade, love. I understand from some people that it was high time for the old couple to retire.’
‘That’s not the point, Mum. They were both still working, doing a valuable service to the community.’ Once on a crusade, Sophie was like a dog with a bone and would not let go.
‘I’m sure Jules would not have closed it down unless he had a very good reason,’ Amelia said firmly turning to escape upstairs.
‘How do you know that, Mum?’ Sophie demanded, moving closer to her. ‘You said you never knew the place existed until it closed, and people dumped their pets on you. And why should it be you? There must be dozens more people around who could have done it, and at the very least Jules could have taken them in.’
‘It seemed there was a mass exodus in the district over Christmas this year. Not everyone had a pet, of course, but if they weren’t here, they couldn’t help out.’ Amelia was tired of the argument. ‘I’ll miss Ziggy, though.’ she watched him chasing his tail in the garden. ‘He’s a great character.’
‘I don’t know why you had to ask Jules here, you seem to be getting quite friendly with him.’ Sophie had the air of a maiden aunt warning her not to fraternise with unsuitable men.
Her tone made Amelia laugh. ‘Really, love you are making far too much of this. I happened to see him and his son, Dickon, filling up with petrol. I told them about the mice, and he came to take the male one away from his babies, or he might eat them, which I didn’t know could happen. It was Dickon who asked me to Christmas lunch at his great-uncle’s house. It was sweet of him and I had a great time, that’s it,’ Amelia said firmly wanting to finish the conversation.
‘But, Mum, just because you spent Christmas Day with Jules’s family doesn’t mean he was in the right. Surely he could have found other people to help them until Rufus arrived?’ Sophie was building up to one of her battles, fighting for the underdog.
It was a relief when they were disturbed by the telephone. It was David calling to remind her that he had asked her to a concert; with everything else it had slipped her mind. At least Sophie was here for a while so that was a good enough reason to dissuade him if he should hope to try to seduce her again. Maybe he had just been lonely at New Year, and he had got the message and wouldn’t try it on again.
‘Thank you, David, I’d love that. I haven’t been there before.’
‘Good, I’ll pick you up about six, we can have a quick supper before it starts,’ he said. ‘All well otherwise, got rid of the animals?’
‘Almost.’
He laughed and said he looked forward to seeing her, leaving her feeling warm and wanted… though only as a friend.
Gloria turned up that evening with a huge bunch of flowers that must have been flown in from somewhere warm. In her youth she’d been beautiful and given many parts in films playing the love interest but as time passed and she got older, those parts diminished and she only got small roles now, but she was resilient and cheerful, always hoping something or someone, in the form of a rich, faithful man would turn up and claim her.
Osbert gave her the cold shoulder, annoyed that he had been abandoned here, and went back upstairs to Amelia’s bedroom to sulk.
‘He’ll be all right soon,’ Gloria said. ‘He was like this when I left him at the kennels, but he soon forgives me. Thank you so much for taking care of him. As you know I was in Yorkshire, with my sister and her brood of children.’ She rolled her eyes. ‘Whenever I feel sad that I missed out on a family I think of her. Her babies were beautiful and I used to envy her and wish I had some of my own, though it never seemed to be the right time with the film parts I had, but now they are adolescents they are impossible: drinking, out all night, unsuitable friends, just like I used to be.’ She laughed. ‘I couldn’t hack it now.’
Sophie came into the room and Amelia introduced her.
‘I saw you in an old film the other day. The one about the girlfriend giving up her lover so he could look after his dying wife, it was shown on television,’ Sophie said excitedly, her eyes shining as she looked at her. She had been looking forward to meeting Gloria.
‘Thank you but that was a long time ago,’ Gloria said rather wistfully.
‘It was so sad, though noble really, we all cried,’ Sophie went on.
‘I’m glad you enjoyed it,’ Gloria said.
‘So, what are you in now?’ Sophie went on, obviously not knowing that Gloria was now only playing bit parts, if she were lucky.
‘I was in Holby City and I’m hoping for a part in Midsomer Murders,’ she answered, getting up from the sofa, moving towards the door as if she wanted to avoid more questions about her work. ‘But I mustn’t hold you up any longer. I’ll take Osbert home, if he’ll forgive me for leaving him with you.’ She smiled. ‘Shall I go up and get him?’
‘Yes, it’s probably best if you go. He chose to camp in my room which is at the end of the passage. The door’s open, you can’t miss it,’ Amelia said.
‘I’ll come with you,’ Sophie offered, still starstruck.
When Gloria and Osbert had left, Osbert’s mood slightly softening at his owner’s return, Amelia said, ‘It must be hard when you get older as a once popular actor, no longer getting one of the main parts. I saw her in Holby, she was just a patient with a couple of lines to say.’
‘But she’s still beautiful,’ Sophie said.
‘True, but she’s no longer young.’
‘But older women fall in love and things, it doesn’t all stop when you’re thirty or forty, or even older. I hope not anyway,’ Sophie said. ‘I mean you could still meet someone else, Mum, you never know. We all wish Dad was here, but he was much older than you and it doesn’t seem fair you might live another…’ She paused, scrutinised her a moment. ‘At least thirty years on your own.’
‘Well, I’m not looking for anyone,’ Amelia said, wondering what Sophie would think of David when he turned up to take her to the concert. Though she didn’t see him as a lover at all, but he could be a good friend.