Chapter 5
Chapter Five
At the sanctuary’s medical centre, Vicky had finished clearing out the last litter tray, not her favourite task, and moved swiftly onto helping Ilias, a black and white bruiser of a cat with an eye infection.
There’d be no spectacular lunch overlooking the harbour at Suzie’s pad today, even though her stomach was telling her it was ready and willing.
She’d left Suzie with a more than serviceable stage wardrobe that was stuffed with leather and denim, but could also be dressed up with flowing silk shirts, little striped neckties and biker boots, stuff she herself would never wear in a million years.
Her clothes were all pastels or printed with different fruits. It had started years ago as a pathetic attempt to cheer herself up from the outside in, and it had stuck. Maybe, she thought, she should think about getting a few bits of leather herself.
The trousers she’d hastily repaired for Suzie, which seemed special to her in some way, were definitely still in the mix. They didn’t know each other well enough yet for her to press her new friend into revealing why they meant so much, but she hoped they’d get there one day.
It wasn’t just Suzie keeping her secrets close. The questions about her marriage had thrown Vicky a little. She wasn’t ready to talk about the gory details of her life with Ian just yet, but her new friend was someone she thought she could confide in when the time was right.
She had no idea at all as to where Suzie could discreetly practise her singing skills, but she was hoping to go for her lunchtime walk in – she glanced at her phone– precisely five minutes and scout out the surrounding area after she’d eaten.
Thankfully, one potential problem had already been solved.
Suzie had messaged to let her know she’d persuaded her elder son, Giannis, to go with her as her temporary manager, as everyone else was bringing an entourage.
A job as Suzie’s manager was something Vicky would have loved, but she couldn’t just abandon her work at the sanctuary and swan off for a week, although she was determined to make it to one of the gigs and see some of Athens as well.
Ilias the cat yelped briefly as she carefully squeezed the drops into his eyes. The infection was definitely clearing up. At this rate, he’d only need a couple more days of treatment.
‘Good boy, well done.’
Angeliki had been on duty yesterday and had shown her how to administer the drops in a calm and helpful way, rather than shouting at her for doing something wrong, like Alex.
They’d had a quick catch-up. It was more than thirty years since she and Angeliki had been housemates, but they always snapped right back into it.
Memories of the two of them sitting at the kitchen table with cups of coffee or large glasses of wine and talking about everything from poorly animals to potential boyfriends could still make her smile.
It was only her meeting Ian that broke up their happy little home. And look where that had got her.
Both she and Suzie had been invited to Angeliki and Nick’s new place for the Easter feast the following week, which sounded like it would be epic.
Her heart had sunk this morning when she’d spotted Alex fiddling about in the staff kitchen. It had even stopped her going in there and making her usual mid-morning coffee, for fear of bumping into him. Going without her coffee always put her in a bad mood, and he was the one to blame.
A phone was ringing somewhere inside the main building. It was even louder than the sound of running water from the tap where she stood washing her hands.
A quick check on her phone told her it was time to take her sandwich and bottle of water to the top field and sit in the sun.
She was striding out to the right and away from the outbuildings when the sight of a dishevelled Maeve rushing into the courtyard and gesticulating stopped her in her tracks.
‘Emergency! Emergency! Is anyone around?’
Vicky changed direction at the same time as Alex bowled out of the kitchen with a half-eaten pie in his hand. Being considerably closer, he reached the older woman’s side a few seconds before her. His low, deep voice was distinctive.
‘What’s wrong?’
‘It’s a rescue call. A sighting of a bag of kittens up at the old Georgiou place. They’re in a pretty bad state. Can you go now? The couple who found them will wait until you get there.’
Alex put his hand on Maeve’s arm.
‘OK, don’t worry. Of course I’ll leave immediately.’
He swallowed the last of his pie and looked all round him, as if expecting more people to appear magically.
‘Who shall I take with me? It sounds like a two-person job.’
Vicky gave him a hard stare. Apparently she’d become invisible overnight. What am I, chopped liver? was on the tip of her tongue, but luckily Maeve spoke first.
‘Take Vicky, of course. She’s right here.’
Alex looked at her eventually and gave the impression that she was the very last person he wanted at his side.
It brought back uncomfortable memories of not being picked for the netball team.
Being tall, she should have been a shoo-in, but being the clumsiest girl in the class had worked against her time after time.
‘OK.’
His voice was downbeat, but Vicky managed to stay silent. It was the kittens that were important here, not her hurt feelings. Alex stared at her trainers.
‘Are you okay with rough terrain? The quickest way is to walk. It’s about half a mile.’
‘I think I can cope.’
Did he think she’d keel over at the thought of a spot of hiking? She’d show him.
‘If you’re sure.’
He was still managing to give the impression she might hold him back somehow, which was quite a skill. He took one last look around, but most people were off at lunch after their busy mornings. His shoulders slumped before her eyes.
‘I’ll grab my bag. Can you get the silver blankets, some water, the really small bottles with the pre-prepared milk for newborns, a foldable box, plus a rucksack to put it all in. We really don’t know what we’re going to find. Meet me back here in five.’
It was like some sort of memory game. He’d walked off before she’d even had the chance to reply. A ‘please’ was obviously out of the question. Vicky saluted his departing back, which brought a small smile from Maeve’s lips, and softened her worry lines.
‘Come with me. I’ll show you where everything is. And make sure you wear a hat and use protection; the sun’s hot today.’
She’d need protecting from Alex, that was for sure.
All geared up, Vicky was determined to match the blistering pace he set as they exited through the gate and ate up the first field.
‘Everything OK?’
‘Sure.’
Her energy needed to be conserved for helping the cats, not wasted chatting to him. However, she didn’t appear to be in any imminent danger of Alex pestering her for conversation.
The variety of spring flowers everywhere was astonishing, even so close to the sea. If circumstances had been different, she’d have loved to stop, but she could imagine the reaction she’d get if she bent down to have a proper look.
Red poppies grew all along the coast, and the contrast between their vibrant blooms, the green of the grasses and the blue of the sea was stunning.
The back garden of the Victorian terrace she’d shared with her husband and daughter had been her sanctuary, somewhere to escape to when life inside the house became unbearable, so she was well up on her plants.
As the metres flew by under her feet, she also spotted purple and pink anemones, the odd wild orchid and cyclamen and low bushes with either pink or white flowers. She thought they were called rock roses and she’d have liked to check but didn’t ask for fear of being considered frivolous.
With the rucksack heavy on her back, the sweat trickled down her face and neck and into her T-shirt as the sun beat down. She’d probably smell to high heaven when they eventually got there. Not that the kittens would care, if they were still alive.
The thought that they might be on the brink of death spurred her on. Eventually the ruins of a grand old house appeared ahead. It was set back from the beach and the coastal path, and surrounded by acres of land, a faded jewel in a sea of roughly marked-out fields.
Alex waved his arm.
‘Over there!’
Yes, she probably could have worked that out for herself, as it was the only building for miles, but she just nodded.
Alex headed off to the left, and she followed in his footsteps. A ragged barbed-wire fence came into view, broken down in places and strewn with bits of old cloth and tufts of wool from passing sheep. Neglected wasn’t the word. Totally abandoned was more like it.
Alex beckoned her over to a spot at the back of the beach by the trees.
‘This is the best place to get in. It’s the biggest gap in the fence. I used to play here as a child.’
Solemn-faced Alex as a little boy, laughing and running around with his buddies, was tough to imagine.
He held back a tree branch for her as she pushed through the overgrown grasses on the other side and spotted a couple frantically waving.
Alex’s voice was barely above a whisper.
‘As soon as we reach the kittens, can you get those two out of the way while I do preliminary checks? Maeve will have told them not to touch the animals until we get here. If possible, ask them to leave altogether. We don’t need any distractions.’
‘OK.’
He was like a couple of the bossier male doctors she’d worked with, assuming she’d solve any problems and cater to their every need.
They sprinted the last few metres and reached a middle-aged couple dressed for hiking. The woman had obviously been crying.
‘Thank God you’re here. The poor little things.’
The sobbing had started again, and the man’s arms went round his wife’s shoulders. The woman’s accent told Vicky they were probably Scandinavian.
Vicky carefully moved them to one side.