‘I’m sorry, Jacqueline?—’
‘Darling, I’m not sure?—’
‘But I wanted Fallon to?—’
‘What rot! I was going to ask her?—’
‘It sounds amazing, Jacqueline, but?—’
Yes, everyone spoke up for me, giving Mum a reason why I couldn’t possibly spend the morning with a tube up my bottom, then having the entire experience plastered all over social media.I looked around the table, grinning, then raised my hands in the air helplessly.
‘Sorry, Mum, as you can see, I’m rushed off my feet. In demand.’ Luckily, I had managed to hear what everyone’s rapid excuses for me were, and I seized on a couple. ‘I’m going to the sanctuary with Alexander and Theo this morning and then I’m meeting Constance for lunch in a pub on the moors. All that walking will tire me, so I plan to spend a quiet afternoon making some preliminary plans for your engagement party. Sorry.’
‘Your loss. Maybe we can do it another day.’
‘Mum, to be honest, I think I’malwaysgoing to be too busy for a colonic cleanse.’
She would have continued arguing her corner, but Douglas swept in heroically.
‘Actually, darling, I was hoping that we could spend the first day of being an engaged couple doing something special? I have booked lunch and an overnight stay at The Mottled Dog in Charlington.’
‘Oh, Douglas!’ She clapped her hands girlishly, my colon forgotten, thank goodness. ‘That’s the one with two Michelin stars – however did you get a reservation?’
‘You’re not the only one with contacts,’ he said, smiling. ‘Come on, let’s go and ringThe Timesto put in our announcement, then we can think about what to pack.’
They left the room, and the rest of us grinned at each other.
‘Your father is an absolute genius,’ I said. ‘As for my plans today, nobody has to hold me to what I said in the line of fire, but thank you all for saving me.’
‘Does that mean you’re not coming to the sanctuary?’ asked Theo, looking disappointed.
I glanced at Alexander, then smiled.
‘I’d love to come. I need to see how my baby bunnies are getting on.’
‘Yay!’ shouted Theo, punching the air in a way that made me feel flattered. ‘I’m going to go and get ready!’
‘And I’d still like to have that lunch with you,’ said Constance. ‘I’ll be nose to the grindstone this morning, so a brisk walk over the moors and a good plate of food at the end of it will be just what I need. Do you want to join us, Coco?’
She shook her head.
‘No, thanks. I’ve got exciting news of my own. I’m going into York to speak to someone who needs a last-minute caterer for a dinner party at the weekend. A friend of a friend put us in touch, so I hope it comes off. Oh, and talking of last minute, Fallon, if you need someone to cater Dad and Jacqueline’s party, I’d be glad to help.’
I could have hugged her.
‘That would be amazing, thank you so much. If you’re around this afternoon, maybe we could have a look at some ideas?’
She agreed, and we all started to clear up breakfast. As I stacked plates, I thought how lucky – not to mention surprised – I was that this holiday was turning out so well. Even after such a short time I’d miss the Knights when I went back to London.
When we arrived at Sadie’s, even I could see the change in Theo. He jumped out of the car almost before it had stopped and ran to ring on the doorbell of the house. Linnet appeared, pulling on her coat, and the two of them ran around to the sanctuary. By the time Sadie appeared at the door, there was no sign of the two children.
‘Gone already, have they?’ she asked, tugging a deep purple knitted hat down to her eyes. ‘They’ve palled up, those two. It’s been great having Theo come to visit, and I can’t pretend that the extra helping hands of whoever brings him aren’t welcome.’
We started walking around to the sanctuary, at a more sedate pace than the children.
‘I can’t imagine my mother being much help,’ I said, trying to imagine her pushing raw chick meat into the gullet of a towel-swaddled owl.
‘You’d be surprised,’ said Sadie, pushing open the door of the room where the bunnies we fed last time were kept. ‘She’s not squeamish, so she makes a great vet’s nurse. She assisted me with an amputation the other day – poor fox had been hit by a car. There’d be plenty of people fainting at the sight, but she was interested, and very competent.’
