Page 56 of Summer at the Château
‘You did, but—’
‘Stop worrying, one of your problems has been solved. Let’s go and collect a new one. Do you need to set the satnav?’
Justine shook her head. ‘No, we go past Camping dans La Forêt for two hundred metres and take the left turn. Carole says it’s a terrible track full of potholes and seems to go on forever down into the valley.’
Ten minutes later, they were bouncing down the nightmare track with Justine doing her best to miss the worst of the potholes and ruts. The farmhouse though, at the end of the lane, was beautiful and well maintained. ‘Maybe the drive is next on their list to receive some TLC,’ Charlie said.
The farmer’s wife came out to greet them and invited them into the kitchen, where they found the puppy snuggled up in a basket with a couple of kittens.
‘I don’t suppose you’d like a kitten as well?’ she asked hopefully.
Justine shook her head at the same time as Charlie said, ‘Yes. Good idea. We’ll take them both.’
‘Does the puppy have a name yet?’ Justine asked.
‘No, you get to choose.’
‘Ferdie will love that,’ Justine said.
The kittens were boxed and put in the car, the basket they were all in was given as a gift and the puppy with no name had a collar and lead on and was sitting on Charlie’s lap happily in the front seat.
‘I’ll have to get a car harness,’ Justine said. ‘Or maybe a cage for the back of the car.’
‘We’ll go shopping tomorrow morning and buy everything we need.’
As they drove back up the rough track, Justine looked at Charlie, stroking the puppy and whispering endearments to him.
‘I can’t believe you wanted the kittens too.’
‘I like kittens. Besides, they’ll keep the mice down at the château. Grandma likes cats too.’
‘We’d better stop in the village and buy some dog and cat food,’ Justine said. ‘And then decide where we’re going to hide the puppy. I think maybe the locked barn until Ferdie gets back. There’s a box in there and I’ve got a blanket she can have, that way the kittens can keep the basket.’
Pixie and Gwen were in the kitchen when they walked in with both the puppy and the kittens.
‘Grandma, Pixie, I’ve got you both a present. You can decide amongst yourselves who has which,’ and Charlie opened the cat box and handed one kitten to Gwen and the other to Pixie. ‘They need names. And this is no-name puppy. He’s going in the barn for now until Ferdie comes home.’
* * *
The afternoon of Ferdie’s birthday was a fun-filled one. Ferdie’s gentleness and delight with the puppy was wonderful to see. The moment Lola arrived he showed her the puppy and the two of them played all afternoon until the puppy fell asleep exhausted.
Ferdie’s face when Charlie carried out his fort birthday cake, with a candle in each of the four towers, was a picture. Justine managed to catch a photograph on her iPad, which she promised herself she’d print out, he looked so happy.
Pixie was at her side as Ferdie blew out the candles. ‘May I have a copy of that photo?‘
‘Of course. I’ll print one out for you.’
‘Thanks. If only Frank could have been here with us to celebrate.’
Justine smiled sadly. ‘At least the three most important women in Ferdie’s life are here together,’ she said quietly, looking across to where her mum was standing with William. ‘His mum and his two grandmothers, not to mention a great-grandmother,’ she added as a smiling Gwen joined them.
‘True,’ Pixie said. ‘I need to have a word with Brigitte,’ and she made to move away, when Gwen stopped her.
‘When you’ve had your word, will you invite her and William to lunch with us tomorrow. Charlie is doing a barbecue.’
‘I’m not sure they’ll still be here for lunch tomorrow,’ Justine said. ‘I think they may be leaving about midday.’
‘Lunch can be at midday and they can leave at two,’ Gwen said. ‘Or stay another night. Go,’ she indicated to Pixie, ‘and make sure they agree.’
