Chapter 19
‘What’s this?’ asked Bridie’s dad.
Bridie was on her way out of the house with her suitcase when her dad caught her leaving. She halted. Talk about déjà vu. ‘I said I’d stay one more night. I’m leaving today – remember?’
‘But you haven’t even had breakfast.’
‘I had a slice of toast. I was up before you guys.’ Contrary to her expectations, Bridie had not had a good night’s sleep.
She’d expected that now she had a job, and a flat to move into, she’d have the best night’s sleep, but of course she hadn’t.
All that the temporary job and temporary flat had done was confirm to her the mess her life was in.
She was in her thirties and relying on the kindness of strangers.
And family. It had hit her in the early hours that if it wasn’t Hannah ora her parents, it would be her grandad.
He’d put her up in a heartbeat, which reminded her that she really needed to call him.
He was bound to be worrying about her after hearing what had happened.
She wished he’d agreed to come to her dad’s retirement party in a fortnight. Then at least she could speak to him in person. Perhaps she could persuade him to come when she gave him a call.
Bridie stepped forward and gave her dad a hug. ‘Where’s Mum?’
‘Sorting through the post in the kitchen over a morning cuppa.’
Bridie shouted out, ‘Bye, Mum.’ She waited a moment, exchanging a glance with her dad, hoping her mum would step out of the kitchen and give her a hug too before she left.
‘Wait – Bridie!’
Bridie and her dad exchanged a smile as her mum rushed out of the kitchen. ‘Here – you have a letter.’ She thrust it at Bridie.
‘Oh, right. I don’t want any correspondence from Julian, thank you.’ She didn’t know why he’d be writing to her. Because I’ve blocked him on my phone, she thought.
‘It’s not from Julian.’
‘How do you know – did you open it?’ Bridie asked defensively.
‘Of course not. There’s a name and address on the back.’
‘It looks rather official,’ commented her dad.
‘Yes, that’s what I thought,’ her mum added. ‘It’s from a solicitor.’
Bridie had plucked the letter out of her hand and was about to wheel her case to the car when she stopped. ‘A solicitor? What would they want with me?’ She swallowed, thinking, Oh, god – the theatre is suing me for breach of contract. Can they do that even though I was fired?
‘Is something wrong?’ her dad asked.
Bridie let out a little laugh. ‘Nothing, nothing at all.’ Her dad had just retired, and she knew he and her mum were looking forward to spending time together now they were both retired. The last thing they needed was more problems in their life.
She had a thought as she loaded her suitcase into the back of her car.
She’d seen the sign in Cobblers Yard for free legal advice, and Hannah had mentioned the drop-in centre.
What had she said? A problem shared is a problem halved.
The thing was, she wasn’t about to share it with her mum and dad.
They’d only get upset and then offer her whatever money she needed to get out of the fix of her own making.
Her sister came to mind. The last thing she needed was to give Kate any more ammunition to use against her.
She put a brave face on for the benefit of her parents, thinking that the letter must have been sent by mistake, to the wrong person.
They followed her to her car. She got a hug from both parents and was told to promise to come straight back if things didn’t work out.
‘I’ll be fine.’ She put her suitcase in the boot of her car and slipped the letter into her coat pocket. She was about to get in the car when she remembered something. Her parents had retreated to the front door and were standing there waving. ‘Wait!’ She ran back to the front door.
They exchanged a glance. Her dad said, ‘Did you forget something?’
‘Yes. I need to say goodbye to Barney.’
Her dad grinned. ‘Let me go and fetch him.’
She saw her parents going in and out of the rooms downstairs. She heard her mum say, ‘Where did you see him last after you came in with him from the garden early this morning?’
‘I left him in his crate in the conservatory.’
‘With the conservatory door closed, I hope.’
‘Um … you know I don’t remember.’
‘Oh, Rufus. How many times. We can’t just have him wandering round willy nilly anywhere he wants.’
‘But it’s his home too.’
Is it? thought Bridie. Her mum was very, very houseproud. The last thing she’d ever wanted was an animal in the house. Unless she changed, which Bridie couldn’t imagine. Unfortunately, Bridie just could not see how having a puppy was going to work.
Bridie looked up the stairs. ‘Oh, no.’ She slipped off her shoes and ran up the stairs.
Barney was just where she expected him to be, all Labrador cuteness, snuggled on her bed, chewing the end of her duvet.
‘Oh, Barney. You’re going to get us both in big trouble.
’ She sat on the bed, and Barney came waddling over to sit on her lap and lick her nose.
‘I’ve got to leave today. Well, I don’t have to, but you see, this opportunity has come up, and …
and I think it’s only fair on my parents. ’
Barney cocked his head to one side, listening.
‘You understand, don’t you?’ Of course he didn’t. He was a dog.
She heard her mum storming up the stairs.
She knew it was her, because she was saying to her husband, as his heavy footfall followed hers up the stairs, ‘If I find the dog upstairs again, I’m afraid I just can’t have it.
In fact, he was a big mistake. Totally irresponsible of your work colleagues to buy you a puppy.
I just don’t see how he’s going to fit into our lifestyle.
We want to do some travelling, join clubs, go out with our friends.
Have long coffee mornings. What are we going to do with him? ’
‘I know, I know.’
‘Rufus, I’m afraid he’ll have to go to a shelter to be rehomed.’
She heard her dad sigh heavily. ‘I knew I wouldn’t be able to keep him. I just knew it.’
Bridie looked at the door, shocked. She looked at the cute pup, and thought, they can’t be serious.
Her dad said, ‘I really thought it wouldn’t come to that and we’d manage.’
‘I know, sweetheart, but you can see how impractical it is. We’re not the sort of retired people who are just going to potter in our garden and go for a bracing walk along the beach.
We want to do things, and a dog is a commitment, and a tie, and it’s not going to work.
And the longer he’s here, the more attached you’re going to become. I think today’s the day.’
The day for what? thought Bridie, hearing them walking along the hallway towards her bedroom.
Instinctively, she pulled the pup close just as her parents knocked on her door.
‘Go away!’ Bridie said, surprised that she sounded like a petulant teenager.
They walked in anyway, just like they’d always done when she was a teenager.
‘Haven’t you heard of boundaries?’ she asked.
She got the same response as when she was a teenager. ‘This is our house, so we can go where we please.’
They both stopped in the doorway and exchanged a glance. Her dad said, ‘I do believe the pup has found his hooman.’
Her mum turned to him. ‘What on earth are you on about?’
‘Well, just look at Barney.’
Bridie looked at the pup settled in her lap, her eyes widening when she realised what her dad meant. ‘Oh, no, no, no. I can’t take on a puppy. And besides, I’ve got nowhere to live.’
‘You’ve got the flat you’re moving into.’
‘But I don’t even know if the landlady will accept dogs. And there’s no garden. And ….’ And Bridie could think of a million and one reasons why it was absolutely not a good idea whatsoever to take him with her.
Ten minutes later she was in the car, with the puppy in his crate in the back, along with all his dog bowls, food, toys and other paraphernalia – all because her mum had issued an ultimatum: it was her or the animal shelter.
‘Can I come and visit?’ Bridie’s dad asked as she got in the car.
‘Of course you can, Dad. But the thing is, I haven’t even asked my landlady if this is okay.’
He chortled, ‘How could she possibly resist a cutie like him?’ She noticed tears in her dad’s eyes. ‘I’ll be round as often as I can as well, so you’ll hardly go a day without seeing your pup,’ she said.
‘My pup?’
‘I’m looking at this as just temporary. Mum will come round. She just hasn’t got over the shock of you bringing him home on your last day at work. You know what she’s like – she likes to plan for everything.’
Her dad said, ‘That’s true.’
‘Except for me, of course. I’m like your pup.’
‘What do you mean?’
‘I wasn’t planned, was I?’ Bridie knew the story. They’d had Jeremy and Kate, and then along came a little bundle of joy they hadn’t planned for. She said, ‘I’ll take good care of him. But if it doesn’t work out with the flat, you’ll have to have him back.’
Her dad looked over at her mum standing in the doorway, arms folded, barring the way as if she could hear their conversation.
‘Let’s cross that bridge when we come to it – if we come to it,’ he said.
Bridie started the engine, hoping she wouldn’t be back sooner than she’d expected. It wasn’t as though she could smuggle Barney into the flat.
‘You haven’t opened that letter yet, then?’ Rufus asked.
Bridie frowned. ‘What letter?’
‘You know, the one from the solicitor.’
Bridie shook her head. ‘I’m sure it’s nothing.’ She glanced over her shoulder at Barney settled in his crate on the back seat.
‘You will let me know if it’s … something.’
She could tell he was choosing his words carefully. Bridie nodded.
‘Will you invite me round when you’re settled?’ he said. ‘I want to know where my daughter is living.’
‘Of course, Dad.’ She smiled knowingly. He was already missing Barney.
His eyes drifted to Barney. ‘I’m not just going to miss Barney, if that’s what you’re thinking.’ He sighed. ‘I must say this is all rather sudden, you moving out. I thought you’d be staying with us a lot longer – certainly more than just the weekend.’
She had an inkling why he wanted her to stay. She was a distraction, and losing her and his puppy on the first official day of his retirement – it was Monday – was not the best outcome.
‘You’d only just arrived,’ Rufus complained. ‘Where did you say you’re going?’
‘Cobblers Yard in Aldeburgh. I’ve got a flat above the art and craft shop where I’ve got a little job, all thanks to a very kind shop owner called Hannah.’
‘Cobblers Yard?’
‘Remember the little shopping yard down the lane between two shops in the high street? There’s a book shop, charity shop, art and craft shop, flower shop, music shop—’
That reminded Bridie that she still had to buy him a retirement present, and she’d forgotten to bring home flowers for her mum, and a book for her dad – although none of that was surprising after she’d broken down in front of Hannah and had then been offered a lifeline – the job and flat all at once.
‘Yes, yes – I remember Cobblers Yard.’
Bridie noticed her dad’s tone had changed somewhat.
‘Why did you have to get a job and a flat there, of all places?’
‘What’s wrong with Cobblers Yard?’
‘Rufus! Are you joining me for breakfast?’
Bridie shifted her gaze to her mum, who was still standing at the front door in her pyjamas and dressing gown.
Rufus glanced over his shoulder. ‘I’m coming!’
‘Bye, Dad.’ Bridie got out of the car, stood on tiptoes and kissed him on the cheek.
‘See you soon, sweetheart. Give me a call if you open that letter and it’s something … untoward.’
Bridie nodded. She got back into the car and reversed it out of the driveway, wondering if she should have opened the official-looking letter before she left in case it was something …
untoward. She quickly forgot about the letter when her thoughts turned to her dad’s puzzling reaction to Cobblers Yard – why did you have to get a job and a flat there – of all places?