Chapter 21 #2
‘No, and I haven’t told Heath. I know Simon isn’t the type to confront him about it, but Heath would.
And Stacey knows if she tells Simon, he’s bound to say something to Heath.
So we agreed it was better to keep schtum.
The last thing we want is one of them in the hospital – and Chantal’s brother looks as if he could do a decent job of that. ’
‘We had a run-in with him on the hills walking Grizzle,’ Zoe said. ‘And Alex didn’t take to him – I had the same thought, trust me. So, what do you think I should do?’
‘I don’t know. I wasn’t going to tell you.’
‘I’m glad you did, but I think you’re right – we need to keep the men out of it. Well, our men. I might have to speak to my dad.’
‘Could you talk to Chantal?’
Zoe shook her head. ‘I don’t think so. I mean, it’s her brother, isn’t it?
I know how I’d react if someone came to me with that sort of accusation about my brother – it would be hard to believe.
Though I don’t know what I’ll say, even if I do see my dad.
I mean, OK, Lennon came on a bit heavy, and he can’t control what’s in his pants – or his dog.
It’s not like that’s breaking news – there are plenty out there like that, and he hasn’t actually committed a crime. ’
‘If you’d seen how shaken Stacey was, you might think differently.’
‘Yes, but it’s still her word against his, and that’s hard to do anything with.’ Zoe sat up. ‘I suppose I could speak to Lennon.’
Ottilie stared at her. ‘And say what?’
‘Just tell him how small Thimblebury is, how bad behaviour is soon found out and that he needs to cool it. I also need to find out just how long he’s intending to stay.
Nobody’s told me.’ Zoe paused, thoughtful.
‘You know, at the wedding my brother said something that stuck with me. He said he felt as if Chantal’s family had some kind of weird hold over my dad, and I’m beginning to think it might be true.
Because my dad would never have had someone like Lennon around, not the dad I know anyway.
There’s a reason he’s being so tolerant. ’
‘He is Chantal’s brother,’ Ottilie said. ‘Maybe that’s all it is.’
‘I suppose it could be, but it doesn’t seem that way.
God knows what the truth is. I can’t even say I’ll get to the bottom of it if I go and see them, but I might be able to work out some of what’s going on.
And in fairness, it’s about time I went over – I’ve just been too busy to visit since they moved in, and I ought to take a housewarming gift. It’s a perfect excuse.’
‘What about Alex? He’ll expect to go with you, won’t he? So if you don’t want him to know about any of this, how are you going to pull off a solo visit?’
Zoe shrugged. ‘I’ll think of something. I’m going to have to.’
Ottilie looked sceptical, and Zoe tried not to think that she might be right to.
As Zoe drove back up to Hilltop, she grinned at the sight of Victor’s Land Rover behind her, pulling a livestock trailer.
It had to be the new rescue alpaca, the pregnant one he’d told them he was going to pick up.
The stresses of the past week or so were instantly forgotten, replaced by a childish excitement.
She peeped her horn and waved, and the rear-view mirror showed him waving back, his bushy hair and bushier beard almost obscuring his face, a big smile only peeking out amongst it.
When their paths eventually diverged so that he could go to Daffodil Farm and her to Hilltop, she decided to turn the car around and follow him. He pulled up a couple of minutes later in the yard, and Zoe did the same.
‘Ah!’ he greeted as she got out of the car. ‘You’ve missed me so much you just had to come and say hello, is that it?’
‘I didn’t even know you’d gone,’ Zoe said with a light laugh. ‘I don’t know what you’re talking about.’
‘Oh, so if it’s not me, then you must be desperate to see someone else…’
He went round to the back of the trailer and leaned into the opening, murmuring soothing words to the animal inside. Zoe walked over and stood on tiptoes, trying to see in.
‘Give her a minute,’ Victor said. ‘Let her get used to having stopped. When she’s calm, she can come out and say hello.’
Zoe could only make out the fuzz of a black head. ‘Oh she’s black! Is she black all over, or black and white? Or something different?’
‘She’s got a couple of white patches, but mostly black. Right pretty, she is.’
Just then, Corrine came out of the house to greet them. She offered Victor a brief kiss and then turned to Zoe. ‘How are you, my love? How’s Billie and Louisa?’
‘They’re fine,’ Zoe said. ‘Louisa is putting on weight nicely. Billie’s tired a lot, but she’s coping.’
It wasn’t her place to mention that Billie might not be coping, not yet, and certainly not to Corrine.
She knew Corrine wouldn’t gossip, but it still wasn’t appropriate.
It was bad enough she’d involved Georgia, who, unlike Emilia, had no professional need to know, but that had been done precisely because she was in the unique position of being able to help.
Again, Zoe was certain Corrine would want to and perhaps could, but in this instance that wasn’t the point.
‘I remember only too well what hard work it is,’ Corrine said. ‘It gets easier; I’m sure it will for Billie. And she’s got you and Alex, so she’s lucky.’
‘Alex is great with Louisa,’ Zoe said. ‘Absolutely adores her.’
‘As it should be,’ Corrine said with a smile. ‘Can you stay for a cup of tea?’
‘I’m sure I could find the time.’
‘Shall I pour you one?’ Corrine asked Victor.
‘Not for a minute, love,’ he replied. ‘I’ve got one or two things to do out here. I’ll be in shortly.’
Zoe hung back for a minute as Corrine went inside. ‘Are you taking her up to the field tonight?’
‘I don’t think so. I want to be there as she settles in. Just in case there are any domestics.’
‘You mean one of the others might not like her?’
‘Nothing not to like!’ he said with a grin. ‘She’s an angel. Still, it doesn’t hurt to watch a while, make sure everyone plays nice. Come on…’ he said, waving a hand at the ramp that led to the door of the trailer. ‘I’ll let you have a quick peek; I know you’re dying to see her.’
Zoe wasn’t tall enough to see in, and so Victor ended up opening the trailer a crack to allow her to look. ‘Aww, she’s so cute! Smaller than the others, isn’t she?’
‘A bit on the dainty side, but I’m sure she’ll hold her own. What she lacks in size, she makes up for in attitude. Remind you of anyone?’
Zoe laughed. ‘I can’t imagine who you mean. What did you say her name was?’
‘Dandelion.’
‘It’s so cute – I love it.’
‘She’s going to be a very nice addition to my little family,’ he said with a satisfied nod.
Zoe stepped back to allow him to fasten the trailer again. ‘How long until she has her baby?’
‘A good while yet. It’ll be the end of the year.
I’ve got the vet coming up to look at her tomorrow, and he’ll give us something more exact.
The fella I picked her up from didn’t seem to know much about anything.
I felt sorry for his misfortune and all that, but between you and me, he shouldn’t have been keeping animals at all – nothing bigger than a goldfish anyway.
She’ll be better off here.’ His expression turned serious.
‘I don’t have a problem with your dad having guests to stay at Kestrel Cottage, you know. ’
Zoe frowned. ‘I didn’t think…’ She wondered where this was about to go.
‘And I certainly don’t have a problem with your dad; he’s a great fella.
Chantal, too – lovely girl. I hope they weren’t offended when I went over, but there’s a code when you’re in the countryside, and everyone has to follow it.
I didn’t mean to offend, but someone has to say something. We’re all right, aren’t we?’
‘God, yes!’ Zoe said, confused. Clearly Victor had felt the need to see her dad over some complaint, but what? And he seemed to think Zoe’s dad had told her about it. ‘What’s happened? I haven’t had a chance to see him since they moved in.’
‘So he hasn’t told you?’
‘No.’
‘But you know they’ve got that fella staying with them?’
‘Lennon? Yes, he’s Chantal’s brother.’
‘Only I had to have a word with him about the dog. It’s not that I mind anyone having pets in Kestrel – we’ve got enough animals around here, and I’m an animal lover myself – but you’ve got to keep some kind of control.’
Zoe’s eyes widened. ‘What did he do?’
‘It weren’t here,’ Victor said. ‘Sam’s farm – over the hill. Spooked some of his sheep. Sam chased him off and saw them walk back this way. Described the dog to me and I thought, well, there’s only one dog I’ve seen looks like that around here.’
‘Dad was OK about it?’
‘Oh aye, said it wouldn’t happen again. I didn’t see Chantal’s brother.’
Zoe decided it was probably just as well.
Should she mention to Victor that Grizzle had been spooked by Lennon’s dog too?
Should she warn him it might be a tendency?
But she decided Victor was an old hand at the farming life and he must have run into situations like this before, so he’d know how to protect his livestock.
The second question was, how much of this should she tell Alex, who’d already taken a dislike to Lennon?
Even if she tried to keep it to herself, there was every chance it would come up in conversation the next time Alex and Victor chatted – which they did often.
‘Tea’s ready!’ Corrine called from the open kitchen window.
‘Should I talk to Lennon?’ Zoe asked Victor, after signalling to Corrine she’d heard.
‘I shouldn’t think so. I’m sure your dad has had a word. He said he would. Right understanding about it, he was. Said he was very sorry and all that.’
‘I’m sure he was,’ Zoe said. She had no doubt her dad would have been reasonable about it, but Lennon was another matter entirely.
After a brief internal tussle, she decided to watch and wait.
After all, Victor had been to see her dad about Lennon’s dog, and perhaps that would be enough to make her dad do something about it.
She certainly didn’t want to come across as overcritical of everything he did, and she didn’t want to make him and Chantal feel unwelcome, which they might do if it seemed as though the entire village was queuing up to complain to them.