Page 10 of An Island in the Sun

Their eyes locked, neither of them saying anything for a moment, both seemingly confused.

Fudge broke the spell, emerging from the bedroom, clattering past Tabitha and running straight up to the stranger.

The man dropped his gaze from her and turned his attention to Fudge. He crouched down and tickled him beneath his chin. ‘Hey there, buddy.’

Perhaps she was still asleep and dreaming; this was beyond weird.

The man looked up. ‘I’m Raff,’ he said in a way that sounded as if it should mean something to her.

‘Okay,’ she said slowly, ‘butwhoare you?’

‘Rufus and Cordelia, they’re my parents.’

Tabitha frowned. Now she was properly confused. She opened her mouth to say something, then closed it again.

Raff sighed. ‘Let me guess, they failed to mention me.’

Tabitha folded her arms, suddenly conscious that she was in just a vest top and pyjama shorts. ‘Not a word,’ she said. Despite having spent an evening with them, they hadn’t once mentioned having a son and she hadn’t thought to ask if they had children. They’d come across as a wealthy, childless couple, enjoying life to the full. ‘But, regardless of that, you’ve just waltzed in in the middle of the night, and I’m 100 per cent certain you shouldn’t be here. So, you need to either leave, or explain to me what the hell’s going on and then leave.’

Raff stroked Fudge’s head and stood up. ‘I will, but I’m parched. I’m going to put the kettle on. You want something?’

She looked at him in a way that she hoped conveyed she thought he was mad. ‘Um, no. I’ll say it again. It’s the middle of the night!’

Raff shrugged. ‘Suit yourself.’

He walked purposefully towards the kitchen. Fudge looked wide-eyed at Tabitha, then turned and trotted after him.

In a daze, with her heart still thudding, she retreated to the bedroom, chucked a hoodie on over her pyjama vest and pulled on some socks. Bailey was still in his basket snoring, oblivious to the intruder. She left him sleeping – wishing that was exactly what she was doing – and walked with trepidation to the living room.

The lamps were on and through the wall of glass the silver-white glimmer of the moon broke up the darkness. The kettle was boiling and the sound of rummaging drifted from the kitchen. A large khaki rucksack, pinned with badges from different countries, had been dumped next to the front door. Whoever Raff was, he seemed to be well travelled.

Tabitha twisted her hands, unsure what to do. She felt lost in a place that she’d just begun to feel at home in.Screw this, she thought. Regardless of who he claimed he was, she was in the right. With her mind made up and ready to demand that he leave, she marched across the living room towards the kitchen, just as Raff entered with a mug of steaming tea, Fudge trotting happily after him.

Unnerved by just how at home he seemed, Tabitha stopped in her tracks.

‘So much for a guard dog…’ she muttered as Raff brushed past, along with a waft of spiced aftershave that reminded her of her ex-boyfriend Lewis.

‘They’re Cavaliers, they love everyone,’ Raff said, sitting down on the sofa. Fudge jumped up next to him and looked at him lovingly. ‘Seriously, if I was an axe-wielding murderer, he’d still come up to me wagging his tail.’

‘You’re so not helping.’ Tabitha folded her arms. She’d lost any sense of control and Raff looked as comfortable as Fudge did.

‘So,’ Raff said, switching his attention from Fudge to her. ‘I’ve told you who I am, but who are you?’

Tabitha’s nostrils flared. The feeling that she was in any real danger had begun to ebb away, but her discomfort remained and she was mightily pissed off to be questioned like this in the middle of the night.

She opened her mouth to say something, then closed it again. With annoyance, she realised the sooner she explained why she was here, the sooner she could get rid of him.

‘I’m house sitting and looking after Fudge, Bailey and Misty while your… while Rufus and Cordelia are away.’

‘And your name is…?’ He looked at her expectantly, a slight smile twitching his lips as if he was finding the whole situation amusing.

‘Tabitha.’

Raff leaned forward, placed his mug on the coffee table, stood up and held out his hand. ‘Well, it’s good to meet you, Tabitha.’

Tabitha kept her arms firmly folded. ‘If they’re your parents, how do you not know that they’re away and I was staying?’

Raff grunted and glanced at Fudge. ‘I knew they were going away; I just didn’t know about you. Last time they went on holiday, they took Misty to a cattery and the dogs got looked after somewhere else. I thought they’d be doing the same thing this time.’

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