I felt much cheerier as I trotted out into the gardens with Sarah the next morning. The Palace, after all, had a lot going for it – and I might as well enjoy it. Waking up with Candy in my basket this time, curled around me for warmth, might possibly have had something to do with my good mood, too.
After we’d finished looking at the decorations the night before, Candy and I had retreated back to the Corgi Room, where we found Willow and Vulcan already asleep. Not ready for the night to end, we’d jumped up into my basket, where Candy had whispered stories of royal celebrations and palaces for me, until I’d fallen asleep.
I’d almost forgotten about spotting Jack and Claire altogether, for a time.
After Sarah had fed us that morning, I’d smiled a goodbye at Candy, and followed the housemaid out to keep her company while she worked. But I had high hopes that Candy would fancy another storytelling session again tonight!
As Sarah and I walked out into the gardens we found Oliver waiting for us, a little way along our usual path.
‘Good morning, you two,’ he said, smiling widely as he spotted us. ‘Thought I might meet you guys here.’
Sarah’s answering smile was every bit as bright. ‘Isn’t it a beautiful day?’ She tipped her head up to stare at the bright blue skies, and let the weak winter sun shine on her face.
‘They’re saying it might snow later.’ Oliver fell into step beside us as we continued our walk. ‘I can’t believe it though – look how blue that sky is.’
Sarah shook her head. ‘No. They’re right. I can almost smell it. I just wish it would hurry up.’
Oliver laughed. ‘You sound like a child waiting to build a snowman.’
‘And what’s wrong with that?’ She raised her eyebrows as she waited for an answer.
‘Nothing at all,’ Oliver replied, very sensibly, in my opinion.
We carried on down the path, the three of us walking in step. In so many ways, it felt like the perfect, normal morning – I hoped they would carry on doing this for years to come. Everything seemed perfectly in place.
Which, really, should have been my first sign that it was all about to come crashing down around our ears.
‘Sarah?’ A footman I didn’t recognise approached us. ‘Sarah Morgan?’
She frowned as he grew closer. ‘Is there a problem?’ I could hear the nerves in her voice. Oliver obviously did, too, because he reached out to squeeze her hand.
‘There’s someone at the side entrance demanding to see you,’ the footman said, apologetically. ‘I tried to get him to call you, but he won’t leave. I’m sorry, but I think you’re going to have to deal with him.’
‘Of course.’ Sarah’s frown deepened as we all made our way towards the side entrance.
‘Any idea who it could be?’ Oliver asked.
‘None at all.’
‘I wouldn’t worry about it.’ Oliver gave her a reassuring smile, then let go of Sarah’s hand, but he still stayed close by her side. I was glad. For all Oliver’s reassuring words, I had a very bad feeling about this.
And I was right. As usual.
As we reached the door, Sarah stopped, suddenly, in her tracks, as the man who’d come calling for her came into view. He was wearing jeans and a jumper under a thick jacket, and shifting from foot to foot as if he was cold. Or nervous.
‘David.’ Sarah’s eyes were huge with surprise.
‘Your ex,’ Oliver said, his voice tight.
‘I don’t … I don’t know what he’s doing here.’ Sarah sounded lost and confused. I pressed up against her leg to reassure her that I was still there.
‘I thought that might be the case. But since he says he’s not leaving until you talk to him, I suggest you find out,’ the footman said, opening the gate to let David in. ‘I’ll be on hand if you need any help with him.’
‘Sarah!’ David rushed forward and swept Sarah up into a hug. Oliver stepped back, his smile long gone and his eyes serious.
‘What are you doing here?’ Sarah asked, her face muffled against David’s shoulder. I couldn’t quite tell if she was pleased to see him or not. I’d assumed she wouldn’t be, but she hadn’t pushed him away.
From the look on Oliver’s face, he wasn’t sure either.
‘I’ll … I’ll catch up with you later, Sarah,’ Oliver said.
Sarah spun round, pulling away from David’s arms. ‘Oh, yes. Of course. Thanks, Oliver.’ Then she turned back to David.
I watched Oliver walk away, his shoulders slumped, and hoped that all my hard work hadn’t been for nothing.
Sarah led David into the gardens, so they could walk while they talked. I trotted along at Sarah’s side, of course, my lead still in her hand. I’d been half afraid she might send me back to the Corgi Room. I really didn’t want to leave her alone with her ex-boyfriend, though.
He didn’t look much like Oliver, I thought, studying him. He had dark hair, but that was about where the similarities ended. He was shorter, softer, and his blue eyes were weak and watery. When Oliver looked at you, there was no weakness at all. Oliver knew what he wanted, and he worked hard to get it. David, from what little I knew of him from Sarah, didn’t know a good thing when he had it. Even if I hadn’t known anything about him, my stomach told me he wasn’t someone to be trusted.
I had to find a way to get Sarah away from him.
‘Why are you here, David?’ Sarah asked again, when we were a little way away from the Palace, and any prying eyes. She’d stopped walking in the middle of the path, right by one of my favourite bushes to explore.
I tugged on my lead a little, but Sarah stood firm, staring at David. Oh, I didn’t like this at all.
Twisting my head round, I tried to see if there was any way I could wiggle free from the lead attached to my collar. Then I could run for the bush, and Sarah would have to follow me, and she’d forget all about this David fellow.
‘I saw the card you sent to Mum,’ he said, his voice overeager. ‘And of course, I knew what it meant.’
Sarah’s eyes narrowed. ‘Which was?’
I glanced around me again, still looking for an escape, a way to get Sarah away. Maybe if I pulled really hard, really suddenly … I was just studying the best places to run for, when something else caught my eye. Was that someone standing behind the bush, listening in?
‘It meant that you were still thinking about me, even though you moved all the way to London. That we were still linked. Still meant to be together.’ David leaned in closer, and I dashed round to stand between them, so he couldn’t get too close to my Sarah. Or, Oliver’s Sarah, more accurately. ‘I knew it meant that you loved me too.’
‘Wait, what?’ Sarah took a step back, and David almost tripped over me trying to stay close to her. That was surprisingly gratifying.
But then something else grabbed my attention. Had that bush just moved? Yes! It had. There was definitely someone hiding there. But who? And why?
I stared at the mass of green leaves, until I caught a glimpse of red hair, and then the side of a woman’s face.
Jessica. What was she doing here? From the little I knew about her, I couldn’t help but think she was probably looking for another way to cause trouble for Sarah, after Oliver foiled her plot at the corridor party.
But I couldn’t worry about that right now. I had to get Sarah away from David, before he ruined everything for her and Oliver.
‘I made a mistake, letting you go,’ David said, his tone sincere. I still didn’t believe him, though. Nobody who could make Sarah feel as small as he had deserved any second chances at all, as far as I was concerned. ‘I know that now. I realised, when you were gone, how much I still love you. And when I saw that card, I knew it was a sign – a sign that you felt the same. And so, of course I had to come.’
His foot connected with my side as he tried to push me out of the way to get closer to Sarah. I yelped, indignantly, but by the time I’d turned round to consider giving him a good nip on the ankle, it was too late.
David was kissing Sarah.
His hands pressed against her back, holding her tight against him, and I couldn’t see Sarah’s expression at all because his stupid big head was in the way. I barked, as loud as I could, trying to get Sarah to snap out of whatever thrall he had her in, but it was no good.
This was terrible! I hadn’t put all this effort in to showing Sarah how great life at the Palace could be, and how much she deserved that, only to have her go back to the man who told her the exact opposite.
And then, just to make things worse, Jessica stepped out from behind the bush, a vicious smile on her face. I tried to dart away from Sarah to chase Jessica, to stop her before she did anything to get Sarah into trouble. But Sarah still held my lead tight, and I wasn’t going anywhere.
With one last look at the kissing couple, Jessica raced towards the Palace before Sarah even knew she was there. And I was very afraid that I knew exactly where she was going – or rather, who she was going to tell about all she’d seen.
Oliver.
This was a disaster.