‘Ugh,’ Billie said. ‘What a way to put it.’
‘I really want to see the new one,’ Maisie said.
‘I know.’ Victor smiled. ‘And you will. Alpaca are pregnant for almost a year, you know, so there’s plenty of time.’
‘Oh God, yes,’ Zoe said. ‘You’ll have had your baby way before hers arrives…How far along is your new one?’ she asked Victor. ‘Have you got a name for her yet?’
‘We have,’ Victor said. ‘She’s going to be called Dandelion, and she’s three months gone. It’s a sad story, actually. Comes from a farm up in the Highlands. Farmer had a stroke and can’t manage them anymore. They’ve managed to rehome most closer to, but they’ve been struggling with Dandelion. Vet’s fees put people off, I imagine.’
‘Imagine how many people will want to come and see the baby,’ Zoe said. ‘You won’t be able to cope with all the visitors.’
‘I think I’ll keep it to myself for the foreseeable,’ Victor said, ‘for that very reason. I’m happy for bigger visitor numbers, but the most important thing is keeping the baby safe. Perhaps when it’s older, beginning of next year, I might be happy to advertise we have a young ’un at the farm.
‘Never had a pregnant one in with the others before – not sure what to expect.’
Zoe smiled. ‘If anyone can make it work, you can.’
Victor scratched his head and gave her a lopsided smile. ‘Appreciate that.’ He looked at his watch. ‘Sorry to shift you, young ’un’ – he looked at Maisie – ‘but if you want that lift, we ought to go. Corrine will be throwing my pie in the bin; I’m already late enough to have the crust burning.’
‘Oh, sorry…’ Maisie began to collect her things.
‘No need for sorry, only saying.’
‘I’ll see you at the weekend, yeah?’ Billie gave Maisie a brief hug.
Zoe was taken slightly aback and yet warmed by it. In her experience, Billie wasn’t generally a hugger. She wasn’t even one for being overly open with her emotions, so this was new. Zoe wondered where it had come from – had Billie instigated this current state between them or had Maisie? Either way, Zoe was delighted to see that the pairing she’d tentatively hoped would help both young women was taking them into a friendship she could never have seen coming.
‘Yes, if you’re up for it. Shall I come here?’
‘I’ll text you.’
Maisie nodded with a grateful smile, and Zoe had to wonder if this was becoming the most valuable relationship in her young life so far. She was sure Maisie’s family loved her, of course, and that she must have friends of some description, but she didn’t seem to have people around her with any common sense. Neither did the people around her appear to have her best interests at heart. Perhaps Zoe was being too judgemental, and sometimes she told herself she was, but she had only ever acted on the evidence in front of her eyes in the way she thought best for the women in her care, and Maisie was no exception. Zoe had thought Maisie needed more support than she had, and she’d wanted to help her get it. She just never expected that support to come from Billie, who had gone from closed and damaged to open and caring in the most sudden and unexpected way.
With a great deal of bustle, Victor and Maisie bid everyone goodbye, and once they were gone, the kitchen seemed a good deal quieter. Apart from Grizzle, who’d been disturbed from a sleep in his basket and was now fussing around Billie. She stroked him absently as she looked up at her dad.
‘I’ll reheat the food now if you’re hungry.’
‘I’ll do it.’ He got up from his chair. ‘You cooked it; the least I can do is warm it up. Can I tempt you with another portion?’
‘You might be able to,’ Billie said. ‘For some reason, I’ve been starving this week. I could eat about ten meals a day.’
‘I think that might be called eating for two,’ Zoe said, giving her a playful nudge.
‘I’ll put so much weight on…’ she began to reply, until Zoe stopped her.
‘No! You’re beginning to sound like Maisie, obsessed with weight, and you know my feelings on that!’
‘Yeah, I know. I’m not that daft. Anyway, I don’t think I could diet even if I wanted to – I’m too hungry. I’d be walking down in my sleep to get food.’
An hour in the company of Alex and Billie had been enough to help Zoe forget about her dad’s upcoming nuptials. Almost. Or perhaps it was simply that Zoe had tried to forget and so had thrown herself into conversation so vigorously that it was easier to ignore.
‘I think…’ Alex said as he began to clear away the dishes from the table, ‘I might have found everything that’s out there.’
‘So you’re going to start building?’ Zoe sipped at her water. ‘The archaeologist is happy with that?’
‘They haven’t asked to come and dig, so…’ Alex shrugged. ‘They did that survey thing…can’t quite remember what it’s called, but it’s the thing with radio waves or something. Anyway,they did that and I’ve pulled up a few bits, and it’s all gone quiet. I’d say that’s my cue to go ahead and start on the camping pods.’
‘So,’ Billie put in, ‘you haven’t emailed him to check?’
