‘You’re supposed to be on my side.’
Grandpa touched my arm. ‘It’s Christmas, Rachel, and the fellas are hungry. Let’s give them some of this delicious food.’
Ben and Tom’s faces lit up when Grandpa announced they could help themselves to what was left.
Layla came into the kitchen with Zac on her hip. Her face looked creased and shadowy as she warmed his milk. ‘Hurry up and heat, I don’t have all day,’ she muttered, clearly exasperated. Once he had his bottle she came over to the table.
‘Are you okay?’ I asked.
She checked her phone. ‘I’m meeting someone later. Just a bit nervous.’
‘Ryan?’
‘God, no – I am not speaking to him.’ She took out her phone. ‘I got to take Zac to my friend’s house and then meet him…’ She stopped and gave me an awkward look.
‘You got a date?’
She shook her head. ‘No.’
‘There’s loads of food left over from breakfast.’
She shrugged. ‘I’m not hungry.’
There was something she wasn’t telling me. Anxiety nibbled away at me. I hoped she wasn’t in any kind of trouble. Even though I’d only known Layla for a few days, I liked her a lot and I would worry about this conversation for the rest of the day.
Once Zac had finished his bottle and been fed some yoghurt with chopped up banana, she took him away upstairs and they left soon after.
I cleared away breakfast and took Humphrey out in the snow in the grounds at the back of the manor house. As I trudged, I thought about Layla and how young she was to be living such a turbulent life. The urge to help her in some way when my sister returned was strong.
Humphrey and I were at the top end of the back garden. He was busy burrowing into a snow drift when his ears shot up like two antennae. I remembered Grandpa talking about his ears going up like two satellite receivers. He was going to run away. I tried to grab him, but he shot past me. ‘HUMPHREY,’ I roared and gave chase. He sped across the garden and raced across the driveway.
Running in snow is hard and it’s even tougher when you notice a familiar tall builder staring at you from the side of the house.
I ignored him and carried on half running and half stumbling through the snow. I wanted to give up and let Humphrey go but Ben’s gaze was on me. In my head, all I could hear were his words, ‘She’s struggling to control both an out-of-control relative and dog.’ I was not going to give him the satisfaction of admitting I couldn’t control Humphrey.
‘Are you okay, Rachel?’ Ben shouted as I raced past him with a heaving chest and a pink face. Humphrey was a brown speck in the distance, travelling at a high speed.
‘I’m fine!’ I shouted as Humphrey disappeared. I wished I’d not eaten a large breakfast to punish a certain builder. In my side a painful stitch made its presence known. Staggering down the driveway, I clasped my abdomen and gasped for air. Humphrey would get such a telling off when I got hold of him. All dog treats were going to be banned.
I was seconds away from giving up on chasing Humphrey when I heard shouts and barks coming from the road. Panic took hold of me. Oh God – had Humphrey been run over.
‘Humphrey!’ I screamed and picked up the pace. The gates were open. On the road outside was a car which had smashed into the tree on the opposite side.
Humphrey was barking and jumping up at the driver window. A terrifying thought flared across my mind.Did Humphrey charge into the road and cause the car to swerve and crash?Ignoring my stitch, I ran as fast as I could towards the car.
An older woman was stood on the verge holding on to a bored looking Labrador and staring in horror at the car. ‘I don’t have a phone,’ she cried. ‘We were passing when I saw the car across the road and heard that dog barking. Someone is trapped inside.’
I felt my back pocket. Damn! My phone was still in the living room. Running back to the house would take me ages. I could try the row of cottages up the road. Ben wouldn’t be in – he was back at the manor house – but his neighbours might be.
As if by magic I turned around and there was Ben. Relief flooded through me and washed away my earlier irritation. He must have followed as I chased Humphrey. His phone was pressed to his ear. ‘There’s been a road accident.’
The driver was slumped over his steering wheel. I tried to open his car door, but couldn’t. Hearing me tugging on the door made him lift his head and turn towards me. His ashen white face and trembling hands against the wheel made tears rush to my eyes. ‘Help,’ he mouthed.
Ben was still on the phone to the emergency services. He also tried to yank open the car door, but it wouldn’t budge.
I pulled at the passenger side door. To my relief it opened, and I climbed inside.
The driver cast me a weak smile. His forehead had a nasty bloodied gash to it and a column of red was trickling down his face. ‘I can’t feel my leg,’ he croaked.
