‘And was it all right to leave them now? They’re both well?’ Although to Fran the puppies were the most important thing, she accepted that human babies mattered too.
June beamed. ‘They are! Both fit as fleas now; although the baby is small, she’s doing really well. But you? Was it hard for you to drop everything for these little scraps?’
‘I was only too happy to help,’ Fran said. ‘Antony has been so generous to me.’
‘He’s such a lovely man, isn’t he?’ Sipping her tea, with Betsy on her lap, June had relaxed. ‘Not everyone sees that side of him. They think he’s all business, business, business.’
‘How did you get to meet him?’ Fran was delighted to be able to find out more about Antony.
‘He’s friends with our son. He used to spend school holidays with us when his parents first went to live in Switzerland, where his mother still lives. Although he came from a very different background, he was always very happy to muck in. We farm in a small way and have always had collies.’ She kissed the pup and put it back before picking up anotherone.‘He could never have a dog at home, so he had one with us. Great working dog, she was.’
‘I’m sure he was only too happy to help,’ said Fran.
‘Antony, yes, but you? I can’t tell you how glad I am—’
‘June.’ Jack’s warning to his wife not to say too much was like the barely audible growl of a dog who has no desire to use force but could if it wanted.
‘No, but, Jack, this lovely girl has dropped everything to look after our puppies – you wouldn’t have got the other one doing that.’
‘She means Ant’s wife,’ said Jack, apparently resigned to his wife’s need to have a good moan about someone in Antony’s past she’d never considered good enough for him.
‘She was only interested in his money and his property,’ said June. ‘You’re not at all like her.’
Fran couldn’t help laughing. ‘I’m sure I’m not! I’m sure she was well groomed and glamorous.’
‘She was that all right,’ said June, caressing a tiny black head with her finger. ‘Spent a fortune on clothes and was far too thin. Not at all pretty, like you.’
‘Well, thank you. But Antony and I – well, we’re not together, we’re just friends.’
‘Huh,’ said Jack gruffly. ‘He must think a lot of you to trust you with these little perishers.’
‘He’sright, you know,’ said June, patting Fran’s hand. ‘So I hope you’re single. I couldn’t go through Antony’s heart being broken again.’
‘He didn’t make a big fuss about it,’ objected Jack. ‘Doesn’t wear his heart on his sleeve.’
‘No, but he was suffering,’ said June. ‘I knew it.’ She put down her mug. ‘Now, I’ll just use the facilities and then we should get this lot home. We’re hoping their mum will take more kindly to them now she’s over the op.’
‘I’m going to miss all this,’ said Fran, suddenly aware it was true.
‘Come and see them whenever you’ve a moment,’ said June and got to her feet.
As well as feeling dizzy after two nights of very broken sleep, Fran felt a bit flat, packing up to go back home. She wanted to see Antony again, to share the feeling of satisfaction of handing the puppies back, safe and ever so slightly bigger than they had been. Instead she had the prospect of Roy to return to.
However, when she parked the car, a very excited Issi came to the door. ‘Come quickly! The first calf of the season. It’s being born right now.’ Then her excitement faded. ‘Oh, you’ll be shattered. You’ll just want a bath and a nap.’
At one time, not very long ago really, a shower and a nap would have been Fran’s first option. Butsincecaring for the puppies, so small and defenceless, the thought of seeing an animal being born wasn’t faintly disgusting and scary: it was wonderful.
‘Just lead me to the cow in labour,’ Fran said. ‘Although not if she’ll be put off by my being there.’
‘She won’t notice,’ said Issi, thrilled by Fran’s willingness to join her. ‘Come on!’
ChapterSixteen
Fran took the time to put on her coat as a stiff breeze had got up, giving the emerging spring a reminder that winter still had some teeth. Then she followed Issi down the path to the shed.
‘We have to be very quiet and calm,’ said Issi. ‘This is a first calving and the mother is very special.’
‘I know about the very quiet and calm bit,’ said Fran, slightly hurt that Issi had forgotten where she’d just come from but understanding that her friend was very caught up in the moment.
