Page 98 of The Day After Christmas
‘You really have got it all figured out.’
‘Well, not everything. We still need to work out what to do with our animals here. We’ll need a rehoming drive I think, try and rehome as many as we can and then take the rest with us.’
There it was.
‘So you’re definitely closing this place down then.’
‘Harry gave me the choice. He’s happy to sell Valerie’s place and give me the money from that sale to pay for this place… butnow I keep thinking about being with donkeys. By the sea. It’s got under my skin.’
‘Guernsey tends to do that. Which you’d know if you’d actually been. Don’t you think this is all a bit rash?’
Andrea’s eyes flashed with excitement. ‘That’s what makes it so exhilarating. I’m getting older and it’s about time I had an adventure. It’s got sea, sun, cliff walks, great food, and lots of animals to rescue. What more could I want?’
‘But what if you hate it there? Not everyone likes island life.’
Andrea had the grace to look as if she was seriously considering this perspective.
‘But what if I love it there?’
‘Fair point.’ Felicity sighed. She knew Andrea well enough to know there wasn’t going to be any changing her mind now. And especially not when she saw the island for herself. As much as Felicity hated to admit it, as much as she wanted to be mad with them all right now, deep down in her heart, or maybe even further, perhaps in the pit of her stomach, there was a kernel of excitement she just couldn’t ignore. Could they really do this? And how could she arrange to take Sophie and Tristan with her?
CHAPTER 47
Andrea had clearly warned James he was about to be in BIG trouble because when Felicity got home that night, she found him on the floor in the lounge surrounded by sofa cushions which he had upended on all sides. In fact she could barely see him at all except for a tuft of his blond hair, but she knew he was in there because the cats were hurling themselves at the structure on all sides. Whether they were trying to get inside or knock it down was anyone’s guess.
Felicity sat on the armchair and tried to keep her voice gentle. ‘Did you build a fort?’
After a beat a voice came from inside. ‘It’s more a castle, I like to think.’
‘It’s very impressive. But it won’t protect you this time I’m afraid.’
‘Are you sure about that?’ came the voice again. ‘It’s very well built.’ As he said those words Bobby hurled himself at one corner and knocked an entire side down flat. James hastily reached to pull it back up but Felicity had already seized the moment and jumped onto it with a deftness that surprised even herself. She crossed her legs to steady herself and looked across at James, who was sitting with his back against the sofa frame, his facetense. Holly immediately waltzed in and curled up in his lap. He rubbed her little ginger ears absent-mindedly.
‘Halt, who goes there?’ he said, his voice wobbly.
‘You look braver than you sound,’ she said.
‘I’m a bit worried I’m about to get a strip torn off me.’
Felicity pretended to look at her watch. ‘Not straight away. I thought we could at least talk first.’
‘Phew. Okay. Talking I can do.’
‘Are we doing it in the fort?’
‘I think so, yes,’ said James. So Felicity crawled a little further in and leant against his side. He wrapped an arm around her shoulder and made a happy sighing sound into her ear. A sound she loved so much she forgot to be mad for just a bit.
‘So, Mr Penguin Man. We’re moving to Guernsey, huh?’ she said, eventually.
‘Not necessarily. I mean, only if you want to. I’m so sorry, Felicity. I should have told you. I should have asked. I should have… done it differently.’
Felicity sighed and ruffled Holly’s ears. ‘I know why you did it like that.’
‘I don’t want you to think we all went behind your back.’
‘Well you did, didn’t you?’
‘Not in a bad way. Not really. We just thought you might not like the idea.’
