Page 43 of Best Summer Ever

‘We are pleased,’ said Mum. ‘We think it’s wonderful that you’re so occupied, but while you’re—’

‘Please don’t tell me you’re about to give me the wholewhile you’re under our roofspeech, Mum,’ I rudely interrupted. ‘I’m twenty-eight, not eighteen.’

‘Start acting like it then,’ she said crossly.

I realised how childish my sarcastic tone had sounded.

‘I’m sorry. But I did text to say I was staying out.’

‘But having assumed you were with Penny, we were worried when she rang asking for you,’ Mum pushed on. ‘We had no idea where you were. Anything could have happened to you.’

‘So why didn’t you call me and ask where I was?’ I couldn’t stop myself pouting.

‘Because we were trying to treat you like you’re twenty-eight, not eighteen,’ Dad sardonically piped up, as he pushed back his chair. ‘I need to get to work, and I think it best if we draw a line under this conversation. It’s no business of ours where you spent the night, Daisy, but if you’re going to use your friend as an alibi—’

‘But I didn’t!’ I hotly objected.

‘Cover story then,’ Dad angrily said, ‘whatever. Then make sure she knows about it first, okay? It’ll save a lot of grief in the long run.’

‘Right,’ I said, even though I hadn’t done that either. ‘Duly noted.’

Later in the day, I was still seething, so rather than attempt to apologise to Josh, I headed out for a walk around the estate instead. I was still avoiding the garden and was marching along the drive when Algy, practically bent double on the side of it, came into view.

‘You’re not still looking for that cat, Algy, are you?’ I asked, as I got closer.

Having been so caught up with Josh, the pub and latterly the café, I’d completely reneged on my promise to keep an eye on the man I considered my surrogate grandad and hoped this might be a fortuitous opportunity to make amends.

‘I am,’ Algy said, sounding upset as he pushed back the plants closest to the drive with his walking stick in the hope that the feline might happen to be sheltering there. ‘There’s no sign of my little girl, Luna, anywhere.’

I wasn’t sure the cat’s sex had been confirmed or that it actually had a name, but I went along with what Algy said.

‘Is she still eating the food you’re putting out?’ I asked him.

‘Something’seating the food I’m putting out,’ he told me, ‘but I’ve no idea if it’s her. Could be a fox for all I know. Could be a fox that’s had the cat.’

I stepped closer and linked my arm through his. He seemed to have shrunk in the time I’d been away and it took me amoment to match my pace to his slower one as we moved along the drive to the side of the manor. The stick was a new development too, but I assumed he would only be using it until he was properly and confidently back on his feet.

‘I daresay the fox would be more interested in your hens than a stray cat,’ I tried to say comfortingly, ‘though their place is like a fortress and it can’t possibly get in.’

Dad had created a huge fox-proof area for the hens to roam in and I knew he personally shut the coop up every evening, just to be on the safe side.

‘I suggested to Mum and Dad that you should set up a camera,’ I continued.

‘A security camera?’ Algy frowned, stopping to look at me.

‘No,’ I said, ‘a wildlife one. You could set it up so it’s trained on the food bowl. That way you’d know for certain what’s been visiting.’

‘That’s an inspired idea,’ Algy gasped, immediately brightening. ‘Why ever didn’t they mention it? Where can we get one of those from?’

‘We can order one online easily enough,’ I told him. ‘And I can set it up for you, if you like.’

‘Let’s do that,’ he said, setting off again and quickening his pace a little. ‘Let’s do that right now.’

Within minutes we were installed in his office, which wasn’t as organised and tidy as the last time I’d been in there, and I was searching for a basic camera, which was all we’d need. I could hear the drone of the vacuum coming from somewhere above us and hoped Mum wasn’t about to descend. I’d had enough of parents for one morning.

‘It’ll be here tomorrow,’ I said, once the order had beenconfirmed. ‘You might have to wait until later on for me to set it up though as I’ve promised to do Penny a favour in the day, but we’ll soon know if your cat, your Luna, is still in the vicinity.’

‘You’re very kind to humour an old man,’ Algy said, whisking the email confirmation off the printer. ‘I think most of my schemes and fancies are more of a hindrance to everyone now I’m over the hill and can’t action them myself.’

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