Chapter 9
Bella could feel the hot creep of embarrassment stealing its way up her cheeks as she realised her mistake. ‘Monty? As in Jack Hathaway’s cat? That Monty?’
‘You have more than one resident by that name?’ Noah, whose expression had been alternating between confusion and irritation for the past few minutes, now looked insufferably smug that he’d got one over on her.
‘You’d be surprised,’ Bella shot back. ‘Pet names are like kids’ names – they go in trends, although Monty’s a perennial favourite.’ She put Brutus’s paperwork back into the document wallet so that she had a reason to look away from Noah, and something to do with her hands.
‘Well, be that as it may, I was hoping that Mollie would be here so we could discuss what’s going to happen to him.’
Bella chanced a glance back at Noah, and despite the fact they’d been at cross purposes for the past few minutes, she couldn’t help feeling sorry for him.
He looked tired. She knew, from what Mollie had told her, that he lived in London, and despite what she’d said to Will the night before at the Star and Telescope, Jack had been loved by his family.
Although Noah didn’t look familiar, Mollie had also told her that Jack’s eldest grandson had been in the habit of visiting him regularly when he’d lived in the cottage.
She’d been working fewer evenings at the tail end of last year and assumed that was why she hadn’t recognised him.
Now she’d connected the dots, she felt very awkward about what she’d said to Will.
‘I’m sorry about your granddad,’ she said quietly. ‘Mollie said he was a lovely man.’
Noah gave her a brief smile. ‘Thanks. He was.’
‘And,’ Bella paused, ‘I’m sorry if I spoke out of turn last night in the pub.
I didn’t mean anything by it.’ She wished she hadn’t filed Brutus’s paperwork away again, so she’d have something else to fiddle with.
Apologies didn’t come easy to her, and she felt distinctly uncomfortable making this one.
She’d spoken without thinking last night, not for the first time.
She had a tendency to be rather more direct than a lot of people found comfortable.
‘It’s all right. If I was looking at the situation from the outside, I’d probably have jumped to some of the same conclusions, too. And you’ve been looking after Monty for months – he’s not the easiest of guests, I’m sure.’
Bella, relieved at the lighter tone in Noah’s voice, gave a nervous laugh.
‘You could say that. He’s got a particular gift for swiping people when they get too close, and even though he’s mellowed a bit since he’s been here, he’s a feisty one when he gets a mood on.
’ She paused before adding, ‘I think he misses Jack.’
A look of sadness flickered in Noah’s eyes as Bella looked directly at him again. ‘You must miss him, too,’ she added softly.
‘I do.’
There was a slight pause between them. It felt as though peace had been restored, after the misunderstandings, and Bella’s heart expanded with sympathy for Noah.
It was never easy losing someone you loved, and she got the distinct impression, despite what she’d said last night, that Noah was grieving.
‘Well, even though Mollie’s not here to talk you through Monty’s longer-term options, I can do that, if you’d like.’ She gave him what she hoped was an encouraging smile. ‘I’m sure you’d like to get things sorted before you have to head home again.’
‘Actually, I’m here for the rest of the weekend,’ Noah replied. ‘I wanted to come down and work out what needed to be done with Grandpa’s cottage, and the stuff that’s left in it, and it seemed sensible to try to sort out Monty at the same time.’
‘Would you like to see him?’
As the question hung in the air between them, Bella saw Noah’s expression change from carefully friendly to something more apprehensive. Surely he couldn’t be that nervous of a geriatric, bad-tempered moggy, could he?
‘I’m not sure that’s a good idea,’ Noah replied. ‘I mean, what if he recognises me and it upsets him? I wouldn’t want him to end up being an even more difficult inmate than he is already.’
‘Oh, I wouldn’t worry about that,’ Bella replied lightly. ‘I’m sure he’d like it. You could pop in and there wouldn’t be any harm done.’
‘Maybe a bit later,’ Noah replied. Bella was a decent judge of character, but she couldn’t quite work out why Noah was being so reticent.
Perhaps he did just feel guilty about leaving Monty in the cattery for so long?
Maybe he was worried about getting attached to the old cat, so soon after his grandfather had died?
It might even be that he didn’t want contact with Monty because he was intending to ask Mollie to re-home him, and he didn’t want to take responsibility for the crotchety Bengal.
‘Well, if you change your mind at any point, you’re very welcome.
’ She smiled at him again, and as she did, she realised what gorgeous dark eyes he had.
Although he looked tired, his deep brown irises were flecked with green.
Blinking, she tried to focus on the here and now.
Paddy, the landlord of the Star and Telescope, was always telling her off for getting sidetracked, and now definitely wasn’t the time.
‘Noah Hathaway, how wonderful to see you!’ Mollie’s distinctive tones echoed from the doorway as she arrived back at the centre. ‘I wasn’t expecting you until later.’
‘I got a bit ahead of myself,’ Noah replied. Bella watched as Mollie strode across the reception, and shook Noah’s hand vigorously, putting her other hand sympathetically on his shoulder.
‘I don’t think I’ve seen you since poor Jack’s funeral. I’m so sorry for his loss. How are you and the rest of the family.’
‘Oh, you know,’ Noah replied politely. ‘Coping.’
Mollie turned her attention to where Bella was standing behind the counter. ‘I see you’ve met our lovely Bella. She’s been looking after Monty beautifully since he began his little holiday with us. He’s not the easiest of creatures, as you’re well aware, but he’s taken a real shine to her.’
Bella blushed at the compliment. Mollie had a way of making everyone feel special when she was around. It was a kind of magic that Bella herself wished she possessed.
‘I’m not sure that’s entirely accurate,’ she protested gently. ‘I mean, just because he’s stopped trying to bite me every time I change his litter tray, it doesn’t mean he’s turned over a new leaf!’
‘That’s as may be, but a cat like Monty finds it difficult to make bonds with people,’ Mollie replied. ‘And Bella here’s got further with him than most.’
‘Maybe you should adopt him?’ Noah suggested, and from the look in his eyes, Bella knew he was only half joking.
‘I would if I could, but I’m, er, not in a very stable living position myself at the moment.’ Bella didn’t want to elaborate to a stranger, but Mollie lifted a perfectly plucked eyebrow.
‘You’ll have to fill me in later,’ Mollie said. ‘I’m sorry, love, I forgot to put Noah’s appointment in the diary. If Hannah and Liam come in while we’re chatting, could you sort Brutus out and get him ready to go?’
‘Of course.’
Mollie turned back to Noah. ‘In the meantime, come through to the office. We’ve got Monty’s future to discuss, haven’t we?’
Bella couldn’t help but smile as Noah, who’d been so on the defensive when he’d come in, trotted obediently after Mollie when she led the way to her small office off reception.
She got the impression that Mollie and Noah must go way back, probably because of Jack’s long residency in Lower Brambleton, and resolved to ask Mollie when she got her on her own a bit later.
The thing about living in a small Somerset village was that sooner or later you always bumped into people who knew someone, who knew someone else, who turned out to be your sister’s best friend from primary school or your ex-boyfriend’s ex-girlfriend from Sixth Form, or some other connection.
These bonds were often made light of in films, books and television, but they were what sustained small places like this, and Bella had learned enough since she’d been living here not to question their strength and power.
But that curiosity would have to wait. For now, she had the rest of the rescue residents to see and a couple of boarders to feed.
As she headed back off to the furry inhabitants of Purrfect Paws, though, she couldn’t help wondering whether Mollie and Noah had come to any conclusions about where poor Monty would be going next.