Page 56 of The Holiday Cottage

And there was Ava, of course. It was hard for anyone to be reserved or awkward around Ava.

She checked that everything was in order with the lunch, and then they pulled on coats and boots and ventured outside.

Snow blanketed the fields and clung to trees and hedges. Soon the ground would be stamped with footprints, but for now it glittered, pristine and untouched.

After the fresh fall of snow the air was cold and crisp. It made eyes water and cheeks turn pink, but Ava didn’t care as she skipped happily toward the field where the alpacas lived, tugging Imogen by the hand as if she’d known her for her whole life and not just five minutes.

“They have a shed to live in for when it’s really cold, but they like being outdoors too, and they have fur so it’s like wearing a coat the whole time.” Ava clambered onto the first bar of the gate and called across the field. “Benson!” Her high-pitched voice carried through the air and all the alpacas immediately headed for the gate.

“The big brown one is Benson. Isn’t he lovely?” Ava poked her little arm through the bars of the gate, and Iris approached.

“Be gentle, Ava.”

“I’m gentle. He’s very friendly,” Ava told Imogen, “and in the summer we take him for walks. When I grow up I’m going to have a hundred alpacas.”

“A hundred alpacas and ten Christmas trees.” After the initial shock of having carrots thrust at her, Imogen seemed smitten with the little girl. “You’re going to need a big garden for that.”

“I’m going to live in the country like Nanna.” She climbed a few more bars of the gate and reached out to Benson, who nudged her with his nose.

“He obviously likes you a lot.” Imogen placed a steadying hand on Ava’s back as she wobbled on the gate.

The protective gesture brought a lump to Dorothy’s throat. She felt a rush of emotion and she caught Sara’s eye.

She didn’t know what her daughter was thinking, but she had a good idea.

Ava was holding Imogen’s hand and Dorothy felt a warm glow as she listened to Imogen engaging her in conversation.

“Do you have a favorite alpaca?”

Ava shook her head hard. “I love them all the same. If I had a favorite, that might make the others sad.”

“Are they related to each other?”

“Basil and Sage are brothers. That’s Basil.” Ava pointed to the cream alpaca at the back of the herd. “The other brown one is Sage, then there’s Dill and Pepper. Pepper is short for Peppermint. They’re all named after herbs except for Benson.”

Imogen studied the alpacas. “Can they jump out?”

Dorothy joined them. “They’ve never tried. Miles, our vet, tells me they’re rather reluctant jumpers. Either way, I’ve never seen them bother the fence at all.”

“What about foxes?”

“Oh, they see off foxes.” Dorothy rubbed Benson’s neck gently. “They work as a team. They make quite a din. But we try and keep away animals that could spread bovine tuberculosis, like badgers.”

Imogen gave Benson a tentative stroke. “They have such thick coats.”

“Yes. And that can conceal problems, so we watch out for that. They were in a terrible state when they arrived with me, although not Benson. He was well cared for.”

“What happened with Benson?”

“He was one of three, but the other two sadly died. Alpacas don’t like to be alone. They’re herd animals,” Dorothy told her. “Miles tells me they should never be kept in herds of less than three, which is why he asked if I’d take him.”

“I’m a herd animal,” Ava said. “I have a sister. We’re fine being a two. We don’t need to be three. Do you have a sister, Imogen?”

“No. It’s just me,” Imogen said. “I’m an only child.”

“What’s an only child?”

“It means my mother only had one child and no more. I don’t have brothers or sisters.”

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