Chapter 46
Whether it was luck, skill or some form of divine intervention, Daisy didn’t know, but somehow, they arrived at the mooring right on schedule. They were in London. Actually in London. People were milling about on the canal side in suits, with their phones pressed to their ears, or little Bluetooth earbuds bulging out the sides of their heads. It was crazy to think that she had been one of these people not so long ago. Moving from day to day, merely in a state of existence. Not really living, the way she had been doing these past few months. And the heat of work clothes? Ties and buttoned-up collars. There were even some women in tights. How were people doing it? Daisy was struggling in just shorts and a T-shirt. Yes, no matter how chaotic today had been, there was no way she wanted to go back to that old way of life.
Daisy knew exactly what painting she was going to do for her watercolour diary that evening, although painting would have to wait until later, as it was only as she tied and hitched up the boat that she realised they hadn’t eaten anything since breakfast. Apparently, Yvonne was thinking the same thing.
‘I thought I’d cook tonight,’ she said. ‘You know, say thank you for bringing me along with you. And apologise, you know, for the slight miscalculation.’
‘You don’t need to apologise, really, Yvonne,’ Daisy assured her. ‘It’s my fault. I shouldn’t have put so much on you. Not when I was calling myself the skipper. If anyone needs to apologise, it should be me.’
‘Well, why don’t I cook us dinner tonight, and we’ll call it quits. It’ll make up for all the shortbread I’ve eaten, too.’
It was clear Yvonne wanted to cook a meal, and truthfully, Daisy was more than happy to let her. She was exhausted and wanted nothing more than to curl up and sleep. Probably all the way through until the next morning. And yet someone had a different idea.
The dog was once again pacing back and forth, but this wasn’t like he’d been doing earlier. For the first time Daisy had known, he was whining. High-pitched and sorrowful sounding.
‘What’s wrong with you?’ Daisy asked. ‘Are you hungry too? Well, I’ll get you some food in a minute.’
‘I think you’ll find it’s something else he needs,’ Yvonne said subtly. ‘Poor thing’s been on the boat all day, and he’s not used the bathroom once. I think you need to give him a walk.’
Daisy groaned. Of course she did. How on earth could she have forgotten something like that? Dogs needed walks and toilet breaks, though the fact he hadn’t gone all day only confirmed in her mind that he had to have been properly house-trained before.
‘You’re right,’ she said, realising her nap was going to have to wait. ‘Come on, let’s go. Walky times.’
The moment the dog stepped off the September Rose, he yanked on the lead. A second later, he relived himself against the edge of a signpost. Daisy looked around, embarrassed. She’d seen hundreds of dogs cock their legs in Wildflower Lock, sometimes – and upsettingly – against the September Rose, but she’d never been on this side of it before. Surrounded by passers-by in their suits. What she needed was to get to a park. Get to places where they could have a proper walk. After the distance he’d been running previously, following the boat along the riverside, he probably had a ton of energy ready to burn off. A quick search on her phone told Daisy there was a park only four minutes away.
‘Well, I guess that’s where we’re going,’ she said to the dog at her side ‘Although I’m going to need to make a phone call on the way, so make sure you behave, okay?’