AllFreeNovel
Share Us
She stepped back to get a better look and gasped as a pair of eyes stared back at her. That wasn’t a squirrel, it was a black and white cat.
‘Hello,’ she said. ‘Where did you come from?’
The cat blinked at her for a moment then jumped down the branches until it reached the trunk and slid expertly down it. When it reached the grass, it waved its tail then sauntered over to her and started winding around her legs.
Ellie reached down and ran a hand over the cat’s soft fur and it purred in pleasure.
She noticed that it was wearing a collar so she reached for the name tag.
‘Oh hello, Mr Shakespaw.’
Meow
‘William Shakespaw. What a fantastic name for a cat!’
Meow
‘So you live around here then, William? Or is it Willy?’
Meow
‘Willy it is then. I don’t suppose you’re hungry, are you?’
At that, Willy stopped winding himself around her legs and ran towards the cottage as if he did this every day. Ellie had left the back door open so she chased after him, not sure if he would go inside alone. She didn’t have to wonder for long because by the time she got there, the cat had already gone indoors and was waiting for her by the fridge.
‘Did my aunt used to feed you?’ she asked, and Willy let out anothermeow. ‘I see. Well, I can’t blame her because you are adorable.’
Ellie opened the fridge and peered inside, not sure what she could give the cat. She had some cooked salmon in there, a block of butter, some cheese that looked a bit dry (so she decided to dispose of it) and a bag of mixed salad leaves. She could give him some salmon, she supposed. She placed the cheese that was wrapped in brown paper on the table behind her for a moment, and got the salmon out, but when she turned back, the block of cheese had gone.
She looked around, wondering if she’d dropped it or left it on a different surface but no, it was gone and so was the cat.
She closed the fridge and hurried to the back door and there, on the grass, was Willy with the block of cheese in front of him. He’d already got the paper off and was munching away on the corner of the block.
‘Willy! You can’t eat all that. You’ll be sick and… though I hate to say it, obese.’
The cat looked up at her for a moment then wrapped his mouth around the cheese and jogged off along the garden with it. She chased after him but he shot up a tree and disappeared among the yellow and orange leaves.
Ellie stood there with her hands on her hips, feeling like a helpless idiot.
Something bubbled in her stomach like gas and she placed a hand there, wondering if she was hungry herself. But soon a giggle escaped her mouth and more followed it. Before she knew what was happening, she was bent over her knees, laughing harder than she’d laughed in a long, long time.
‘A cat… that likes… likes… cheese!’
She laughed until tears ran down her face and she had to cross her legs to stop something running down her legs.
‘Ah well, best go to the loo then,’ she said, shuffling back along the garden towards the cottage. ‘Oh dear, oh dear. If that was a sign from you Aunty Iris then thanks very much. You have absolutely made my day. Who knew a cat could like cheese enough to steal a whole block and then drag it up a tree. Whata boilanda plague sorethat rascal William Shakespaw is.’ Saying his name out loud along with some Shakespearian insults she’d learnt a long time ago for a library event made her laugh all over again. She found that she was hoping the cat would make a return visit soon because she couldn’t wait to find out what he might end up doing next.
As she closed the washroom door behind her, she said out loud, ‘I think I’m really going to enjoy living here. So far it seems like there’s never a dull moment. I wonder who Willy belongs to, or in his case, who belongs to Willy.’
Chapter11
Ellie
The week passed blissfully for Ellie as she made apple and tomato chutney, apple and blackberry jam and apple and blackberry pies. On the Friday morning, she packed up some of the jars and pies ready to take them to Darcie’s. Her friend had told her that she had the day off work to prepare for a fashion show the following evening at the village hall and she’d said Ellie was welcome to join her for a coffee break at eleven if she fancied it.
When she reached Darcie’s home, she knocked on the door and waited. It was Friday morning so she knew the children would be at school and Ross would be at work.
When the door opened, Darcie stood there looking stressed. Her brown bob was sticking up at the back and she had dark shadows under her blue eyes. She gestured at the mobile phone tucked under her chin then waved Ellie inside.
