He hugged her, hard, as if he needed comfort. ‘You came. But I’m going to tell you what you’re in for so you can go home again, and Seb can miss the wedding.’ He took her by the arm. ‘Come and see.’
He led her to the fireplace where the wood burner was blasting out heat. There was a large cardboard box. In the box were lying several very shiny black tubes. She realised what they were after a second.
‘Oh my God,’ she whispered. ‘Puppies!’
He nodded. ‘Only a few hours old.’
‘But where’s their mother?’
‘She had a caesarean and rejected them, unfortunately. It happens. We’re having to hand-rear them.’
‘We?’
He laughed softly. ‘Currently, you and me. Come with me into the kitchen and I’ll explain while I get the next feed ready. They have to be fed every two hours and it takes an hour.’
Fran bit back her second ‘Oh my God’ since she’d got there.
Antony’shuge kitchen had acquired a few new bits of equipment since she’d cooked in it. There were several tiny bottles, scales, a large tub of puppy milk, plastic jugs and a couple of thermos flasks.
She watched as Antony measured out spoonfuls of dried milk into a jug and set it on the scales.
‘The pups belong to some very old friends who were almost like parents to me when I was growing up. Their daughter was like my younger sister. Their dog – the pups’ mother – is a brilliant working collie, so apart from anything else, these puppies are potentially very valuable.’
He went over to the kettle and poured a little of the water over his wrist. ‘If you use boiling water it doesn’t mix properly,’ he explained. ‘June and Jack had to go to their daughter’s, who’s just had a baby. Unfortunately there are a few problems with the baby. They were torn, so I said I’d do the pups.’
‘And you can’t manage on your own? I can imagine! Well, I’m more than happy to help.’
He looked at her intently. ‘Tonight you help, but tomorrow – well, I’ve got to go to London. You’ll be on your own for twenty-four hours. This is a major favour I’m asking, Fran. It’s more than anything I’ve done for you.’
She shook her head. ‘I don’t agree. You’ve done so much: the track, the cheese room—’
He interrupted her. ‘If you’ve got more than enough money, spending a bit of it isn’t anyhardship.I’m asking you to give me hours of your time and to go without sleep.’ He paused. ‘Looking after these puppies is very labour-intensive. I’m going to get you to help me with one feed and then we’ll see how you get on. It’s not only feeding we’ve got to do. They can’t wee and poo without help. We have to get them to do that too.’
‘So when did you learn to do all this?’ she said as between them they carried the hot water, the bottles, a jug of milk and the thermoses through to the sitting room.
‘Today. June took me through it. She’s done it before when Millie – that’s the mum – had a huge litter and they had to hand-rear a couple. But this is something else.’
‘Goodness.’
‘Their vet didn’t recommend them hand-rearing those pups but not even the hardest-hearted vet would let a whole litter die.’
‘Of course not! Not even if they weren’t remotely valuable. They’re new life!’
Antony nodded and just for a moment it looked as if he wanted to kiss her but something made him hold back. ‘I knew you’d get that. I really don’t know anyone else who’d understand and be prepared to do it all for these tiny little creatures. They’re so … dependent.’
Fran cleared the gathering tears from her throat. ‘I’m so glad you asked me.’
‘Oh,I forgot,’ said Antony. ‘We have to wash our hands before we start.’
As Fran scrubbed her hands in the well-tiled but slightly chilly downstairs loo, she reminded herself that Antony had chosen her because she was kind and efficient, not because he liked her – not in that way.
ChapterFifteen
Fran and Antony were in the sitting room, about to start the feeding session.
‘Here’s a clipboard,’ Antony said. ‘It’s got all the pups’ markings on it so we can tell them apart. Thank goodness they’re collies and have white patches. We’d have to put nail varnish or something on them if they were Labs.’
‘It’s sort of cosy, isn’t it?’ Fran paused. ‘And yet a bit like a hospital ward. Cosy because of the warmth and the low lighting, I suppose, but also efficient.’
