‘I got a bit ahead of myself,’ Noah replied. Bella watched as Mollie strode across the reception, and shook Noah’s hand vigorously, putting her other hand sympathetically on his shoulder.
‘I don’t think I’ve seen you since poor Jack’s funeral. I’m so sorry for his loss. How are you and the rest of the family.’
‘Oh, you know,’ Noah replied politely. ‘Coping.’
Mollie turned her attention to where Bella was standing behind the counter. ‘I see you’ve met our lovely Bella. She’s been looking after Monty beautifully since he began his little holiday with us. He’s not the easiest of creatures, as you’re well aware, but he’s taken a real shine to her.’
Bella blushed at the compliment. Mollie had a way of making everyone feel special when she was around. It was a kind of magic that Bella herself wished she possessed.
‘I’m not sure that’s entirely accurate,’ she protested gently. ‘I mean, just because he’s stopped trying to bite me every time I change his litter tray, it doesn’t mean he’s turned over a new leaf!’
‘That’s as may be, but a cat like Monty finds it difficult to make bonds with people,’ Mollie replied. ‘And Bella here’s got further with him than most.’
‘Maybe you should adopt him?’ Noah suggested, and from the look in his eyes, Bella knew he was only half joking.
‘I would if I could, but I’m, er, not in a very stable living position myself at the moment.’ Bella didn’t want to elaborate to a stranger, but Mollie lifted a perfectly plucked eyebrow.
‘You’ll have to fill me in later,’ Mollie said. ‘I’m sorry, love, I forgot to put Noah’s appointment in the diary. If Hannah and Liam come in while we’re chatting, could you sort Brutus out and get him ready to go?’
‘Of course.’
Mollie turned back to Noah. ‘In the meantime, come through to the office. We’ve got Monty’s future to discuss, haven’t we?’
Bella couldn’t help but smile as Noah, who’d been so on the defensive when he’d come in, trotted obediently after Mollie when she led the way to her small office off reception. She got the impression that Mollie and Noah must go way back, probably because of Jack’s long residency in Lower Brambleton, and resolved to ask Mollie when she got her on her own a bit later. The thing about living in a small Somerset village was that sooner or later you always bumped into people who knew someone, who knew someone else, who turned out to be your sister’s best friend from primary school or your ex-boyfriend’s ex-girlfriend from Sixth Form, or some other connection. These bonds were often made light of in films, books and television, but they were what sustained small places like this, and Bella had learned enough since she’d been living here not to question their strength and power.
But that curiosity would have to wait. For now, she had the rest of the rescue residents to see and a couple of boarders to feed. As she headed back off to the furry inhabitants of Purrfect Paws, though, she couldn’t help wondering whether Mollie and Noah had come to any conclusions about where poor Monty would be going next.
10
‘Well, it is good to see you.’ Mollie settled behind her small desk in the office and Noah took a seat in the surprisingly comfortable chair on the other side of it. ‘You must have had a lot on, lately, what with your business and Jack’s estate to sort out.’
Noah nodded. ‘It’s been hectic, yes. But I couldn’t put things off any longer.’
Mollie looked at him shrewdly. Noah had known Mollie since he’d begun visiting his grandfather as a boy, and he rather got the feeling that she was weighing him up. ‘You’ve worked hard to build that business in a very competitive market. Jack was proud of you, you know.’
Noah felt his throat growing tight at the compliment. Jack had lent him the money to start up the estate agency when the bank he’d applied to had turned him down, and although he’d paid his grandfather back, with interest, the gesture had meant the world to him at the time. Now, he’d hand it all back over for one more minute with his grandfather.
‘Thank you,’ he replied quietly.
‘In fact,’ Mollie continued, ‘the only thing he loved as much as you boys was Monty. And poor Monty misses him so much.’ She looked intently at Noah. ‘Have you and your brothers decided what to do with him?’
‘I was hoping you might be able to give us some help,’ Noah said. ‘I, er, suppose him staying here is out of the question?’
Mollie stayed silent for a beat or two. Noah could see from her pensive expression that she was debating how to put her next ideas to him.
‘He’s welcome to stay, of course,’ she began. ‘But can I be honest with you, Noah? It’s going to cost a lot to keep him here. Boarding rates are going to increase in September, and although Monty gets a discount as a long-term resident, it’s going to cost you.’
‘Money’s not a problem,’ Noah said quickly. ‘I’m more than willing to pay for his care.’
Mollie regarded him again, and her direct stare made Noah feel as though she was looking at the boy he was from years ago, rather than the person he was now. ‘It’s not just about the money, Noah.’
‘What is it about, then?’
‘Your grandfather loved Monty. He gave that cat the very best life he could while he was his owner. It doesn’t seem fair for Monty now to be living out his days in a pen, with only a small outdoor space, when he was used to having the run of the cottage and its garden. We all love him, but he needs a proper home, with an owner who can care for him for the time he has left. If you’re not going to be his new owner, then perhaps it’s best we try to re-home him, don’t you think?’
Noah felt a pang of the guilt he’d been trying to suppress ever since he crossed the threshold of Purrfect Paws. ‘I can’t take him with me,’ he said flatly. ‘I live in London, and I’ve only got a balcony. I might not know as much as you about Bengals, but I do know they like to climb. He’d be on the roof, or worse, falling off it, in the time it took me to buy his favourite cat food. It’s not practical.’
Mollie nodded. ‘I see that. And your brothers?’
