‘I’m Tess and this Barney, and we’re very happy to welcome you to Hollyhocks. Let me show you to The Garden Retreat.’
She led them through the side gates that led to the annexe and their reactions at seeing the pretty cottage garden and the little wooden lodge nestling amongst the greenery was gratifying.
‘Oh my goodness, this is so beautiful,’ said Rosemary. ‘What a gorgeous setting and it’s so peaceful too. This will be ideal, thank you.’
‘I’ve left you a welcome package on the side, along with some fresh milk, tea and coffee, but if there’s anything else you need then please just knock at my door. I hope you have a wonderful stay.’
She was on tenterhooks for the rest of the day, half hoping that they might knock on the door with an easily solvable problem, but she didn’t hear from them, which she took to be a good sign. A little later, she spotted them, all dressed up in their best finery, as they walked down the driveway, on their way to the wedding. It was only later that day after some lunch when Tess gravitated to the orangery and sank down onto the squashy sofa, feeling tired after her early start and all the jobs she’d completed, that she looked around her to see where Barney was. Normally, he was at her side, tracking her every move, but his absence made her realise that she hadn’t seen him in a while.
‘Barney!’ she called his name loud, half expecting him to come running in from his hiding place, to hear the familiar sound of his claws scrabbling against the hard floors, but there was nothing. She got up and wandered around the ground floor, searching out his usual haunts, then she went upstairs with a little more urgency, wondering if he’d taken a nap on one of the beds. Perhaps he was missing Hannah, who had stayed out at friend’s overnight, and was staging a protest, but he wasn’t to be found curled up on her bed, or any of the other beds. Dashing down the stairs, she called out his name again, but she knew it was futile.
She went straight out the orangery doors, realising that she’d let the dog into the garden earlier, but couldn’t remember him coming back in again, and that’s when her heart sank as she looked all around her, spotting the open garden gate that her guests would have used when they left the property. A sense of dread filled her chest. Barney had escaped once before, when he was still a puppy, sneaking into a neighbouring garden and then making his bid for freedom. He had gone missing for over two hours and it had been the worse two hours of Tess’s life. It had instilled such a fear in the whole family that they had all been extra vigilant ever since, making sure all the outdoor gates were locked. She chided herself for making such a basic error. It wasn’t her guests’ fault. She should have checked that the gate was closed before putting Barney out there, but it simply hadn’t occurred to her. Now, she ran out to the front of the house in the vague hope that the dog might be there, happily mooching about, but knowing Barney as she did, she suspected he would be long gone and that created a huge problem. She really didn’t know where to look first.
Running inside the house, she grabbed her phone before dashing around to Dilly’s, so relieved when she found her at home, and then explained, breathlessly, what had happened.
‘Oh, Barney! Where’s he gone, the little devil? Do you want me to come with you to find him?’
‘Would you mind staying here and keeping an eye out for him? Just in case he decides to come home? I’ll go down into the village and ask if anyone has seen him, and if not then I’ll probably head over to the woods, where we usually walk.’
‘Okay, well try not to worry.’ Dilly placed a comforting hand on Tess’s forearm.
That was easier said than done. All she could think about was Barney, lying hidden in a ditch somewhere, injured and hurt. She took a couple of deep breaths to steady her breathing.
‘I’m sure he’ll be having the time of his life somewhere.’ Dilly was doing her best to reassure Tess.
‘I hope so. Honestly, when I find him, I’m not going to let him out of my sight again. I can’t bear to think what?—’
Dilly stopped her, holding up a hand.
‘Don’t even think about it. He’ll be fine. You go. I’ll call you if there’s any news from this end and let me know if you find him.’
‘Thanks, Dilly. You’re a lifesaver,’ she called over her shoulder as she went dashing down the lane.
Dilly was only trying to make her feel better with her words of reassurance, but how could she know that Barney would be okay? Although it was only a quiet spot, it still attracted a lot of visitors and tourists, especially at the weekends, who might be more taken with the gorgeous sights of the local scenery than concentrating on the road.
Anyone she passed, she would ask.
‘Have you seen Barney? He’s a beagle.’ And if she was greeted with a blank look, she would go on and describe her little friend in more detail. ‘He’s about this big,’ bending down to hold her hand the required distance off the ground. ‘He’s white and black, with a sweet brown face and ears, and a white-tipped tail. If you do see him, do you think you could ring me?’
Thank goodness for her new business cards for The Garden Annexe, which she handed out to every person that she spoke to, in the hope that one of them must run into Barney sooner or later.
It was hard for her to keep a handle on her emotions when she spoke about the dog that had been her biggest support over the last four years. She’d first got Barney when Hannah was preparing to leave for university and Tess had not relished the idea of an empty nest. A cute little puppy had been the ideal distraction, and she and Barney had bonded immediately, even if the ensuing chaos and destruction were challenging to deal with at times. He was a master thief and would pinch anything he could get his paws on: food from the table, the remote control, Charles’s new tennis racket, and most desirable of all to Barney, Charles dirty socks, which he delighted in stealing and burying in the flower beds in the garden.
Puppy training classes and agility sessions had gone some way to expending some of that irrepressible energy and had helped to develop a closer bond between Tess and Barney. He was definitely her dog, while Charles would often look on, muttering with disdain about Barney’s latest antics.
She wasn’t sure how she would have got through the last six months without Barney. He had been there for her in the darkest moments; she’d cried into his fur on many occasions and he’d listened to her sorrowful outpourings as she railed against the unfairness of it all. Now, the thought of losing him struck a chord of fear through her that she hadn’t even experienced when Charles had left.
Reaching the main high street, and having asked everyone that she came across if they’d seen Barney, and receiving the same disappointing answer every time, she stood with her back to the row of stone cottages, looking across to the other side of the river, trying to think where he might have gone. In fairness, he knew his way around the local area, but that didn’t mean he wouldn’t wander further afield given the opportunity. Having asked in the shop and the little library attached to the village hall, where Tess helped out, she decided, on a last-minute whim, to knock on Michael’s door.
‘Hi, I’m so sorry to disturb you, but it’s Barney; he’s gone missing.’ She explained the whole story for the umpteenth time, reciting it off by heart now, the telling of it making her feel worse each time.
‘Well, listen, Monty and I were just about to head out for our walk so why don’t we come with you? You never know, Monty might be able to flush Barney out.’
Tess was hugely relieved and buoyed by Michael’s offer. Most of all, she needed the moral support and walking through the woods and across the fields, they both took it in turns to call out Barney’s name, hoping that he might poke his little head out of a bush and all would be forgiven. Poor Monty was confused by the calls, as he kept stopping to look at them both, his ears cocked, his expression earnest as though he was desperate to do what he could to please them, but not knowing what.
‘It’s no good; he’s not here, is he?’ Tess said after they’d walked for about an hour. ‘I think it’s probably best if I head home.’ She’d already called Dilly to see if there was any news from her end, but she had nothing to report either. ‘I’ll call Hannah and see if we can get some posts up on social media. Someone I met recommended doing that.’
‘Good idea and I’ll walk down to the other end of the village and knock on a few doors.’
