Country Wives (3 page)

She nodded her head vigorously. “If I have my way you will.”

Exasperated by her rudeness, Colin said, “Please! Leave it, leave it.” By his tone it was obvious he knew she would ignore his protest.

“I hadn’t realized you owned the practice.”

Slightly taken aback by his directness, she paused a moment and then answered him, “I do have a large say in the matter but then money talks, doesn’t it?”

“Are you always so unpleasant to people you don’t know?”

“I beg your pardon?”

“I said are you always so unpleasant to people you’ve never met before?”

“Unpleasant? I believe in calling a spade a spade and so do you, judging by what you said to Lord Askew yesterday morning.”

“I hadn’t realized you were there?”

“I wasn’t. Colin told me.”

“Ah!”

Miriam called out for help in the kitchen from Mungo and asked Joy to seat everybody.

In the general mêlée of Joy’s organizing everyone, Dan deftly separated himself from Letty and managed to find a seat next to Zoe. “Hello, Zoe, how are you?”

“More to the point, how are you?” Lowering her voice, she added, “She really is the absolute limit. I don’t know how Colin puts up with her.”

“He seems well laid back.”

“One day the worm will turn, believe me. One can put up with so much and then …”

“Water?”

Zoe nodded. Dan poured her a glass of water, and wishing not to become involved too deeply in practice politics, he asked, “Are you hoping to come back to work after the baby?”

“Of course.”

“How will you manage?”

“My mother lives with me. Between us we shall cope.”

Dan hesitated. “I hadn’t … I didn’t know…”

“There’s no need to tiptoe delicately around the matter, I’m unmarried and intend staying so, this”—she waved vaguely in the direction of her bump—“is a momentary blip.”

“I see. That’s a new word for a baby. Blip.”

“I hear a hint of disapproval. You can disapprove as much as you like. I don’t really care.”

“I’m old-fashioned enough to believe that two are better than one where babies are concerned.”

“There will be two. My mother and I.”

They were interrupted by the soup arriving.

Miriam came to sit down and put herself out to make him feel comfortable. She was an astute and caring hostess and a thoughtful conversationalist, and after a few minutes of her
company, Dan dismissed his clashes with Zoe and Letty as more a misfortune on their part than his.

“Where were you working before you came here, Dan?”

“Here and there. In the the Gulf, the Caribbean, in the States. But now I’m home for good.”

“You mean in England for good.”

Dan nodded. “That’s right.”

“Good, I’m glad. There comes a time when gadding about all over the place is just not enough anymore, and one longs to put down one’s roots. Is that how you feel?”

There was a slight hesitation, then Dan answered firmly, “It is.”

“That’s lovely. I am pleased. Is the flat all right? I paid a company to clean it and everything; they’re usually very good. If there is anything you’re short of let me know. The flat is my particular charge, you see, so any problems, see Miriam.”

Dan, who had been about to reply, got beaten to it by Letty. “He won’t be here long enough to know if anything’s missing.”

Colin touched her arm and said, “Now, Letty; now, Letty.”

Miriam flushed. Dan saw her agitation and felt concerned. She was too sweet to have to suffer this kind of unpleasantness. Visibly angry, Miriam said, “Letty, I expect my guests to put themselves out to be
charming
while they are in my home, even if they’re … not charming.” She stood up and began to collect the soup plates.

Dan said loudly, “That soup was delicious, Miriam, if I might say so, some of the best I’ve had.”

“Thank you. I shan’t be long with the main course. It’s all ready.”

Joy bounced up to give her a hand and they both disappeared into the kitchen.

A long silence fell because those still sitting at the table had been surprised by the sharpness of Miriam’s retort to Letty.

It was Duncan who saved the day. “My cat, Tiger, shall I have her spayed when the time comes? Do you advise it, Mungo?”

“Question is, do you want kittens?”

“No.”

“Then have it done; it’s the only way.”

“Have I the right?”

“Right to what?”

“Have I the right to have her snipped? I wouldn’t want to have the snipping job done, so have I the right to have the cat done. It’s not as if I can ask her permission, is it?”

A wave of laughter went round the table, except for Letty, who pulled a disapproving face.
What else could the woman expect when sitting at a table dominated by members of the veterinary profession
, thought Dan.

Mungo stopped laughing long enough to say, “Look here, Duncan, it isn’t very long since you mocked me at this very table for loving my Perkins and here you are treating Tiger as if she were a human being. She isn’t; she has no soul, no aspirations for the future, no knowledge of what she’s having done, no thinking ‘God! Now I shall never be a mother; why is he doing this to me?’ So blessed well get it done for her sake. Come on, man. There’s no debate.”

“Isn’t there?”

Duncan asked Zoe and she agreed with Mungo. He asked Dan and he said, “Having litter after litter of kittens is cruelty in the extreme, and finding homes for them all even more cruel for yourself. There’s no debate, like Mungo said.”

“I’m not too sure.”

Dan replied emphatically, “Well, I am. In fact, come to think of it, there are plenty of human beings who could do to be snipped, never mind the odd cat.”

“She isn’t an odd cat, she’s my cat,” Duncan protested.

“Your cat or not, I would have her snipped. She’ll never know the difference, and the world will be dozens of unwanted cats the fewer. Two-minute job. Bring her in tomorrow and I’ll do it for her.”

Panicking, Duncan said quickly, “No, no, she’s too young yet.”

“Well, when she’s old enough I’ll do it and …”

Zoe forcefully interrupted him. “Was ‘plenty of human beings’ a reference to me?”

Dan laughed. “About human beings having the snip? Come to think of it, there can’t be that much difference between doing a cat and a human being. If you want snipping, Zoe, after your blip has arrived, just say the word. It could be a first. You wouldn’t need to wait for months; we could slip you in between ops.” He pretended to look at the operations diary, using his hands as though flicking through the pages. “Let’s see. Valentine has a castration at eleven-thirty a spay at twelve, would twelve-thirty suit you? How about it, Mungo? Neutering human beings could open up a whole new world for us humble vets.”

Mungo, enjoying his joke, didn’t get a chance to answer because Zoe got there first. “Did you say that to illustrate yet again your disapproval of me being a single mother?”

“The manner in which you conduct your life is none of my business, though I do have a right to my opinion.”

Zoe, losing her temper with him, demanded, “Well, let’s hear it, then.”

“I don’t think it a subject for the dinner table.”

“I do.”

Dan looked at her, saying quietly, “Very well, I’ll state my case. I think it is the height of selfishness for young women to want a baby purely for their own satisfaction, and that, unfortunately, is very often the case. I understand that some single mothers don’t even tell the man they have made use of about
the birth. That is appalling. Babies are not a fashion accessory, nor are they there to be born simply because their mothers need someone to love. They do not ask to be born; but when they do come, they deserve the very best from two parents. I do not know the circumstances of the conception of your blip; so I cannot judge, can I?”

By the end of his statement Dan was speaking loudly and the others couldn’t help but hear. It seemed odd to everyone that he should have such strong views on the matter, and more than one seated at the table intuitively surmised that there was more to Dan’s views than just an opinion aired.

They were all embarrassed into silence by his outburst. Only Zoe was distressed by it, because he had so accurately put his finger on her own feelings about becoming pregnant.

Miriam broke the spell they were under by bringing in the main course: a huge dish of beautifully presented crown of lamb surrounded by roasted vegetables, which Mungo took from her and placed at his end of the table. Joy followed with a couple of tureens and the two of them sat down. Miriam said, “I’ve just had a thought; you’re not vegetarian, are you, Dan? I never thought to ask.”

“No, I’m not and that lamb looks delicious.” He watched the admirable, almost elegant way in which Mungo carved and served the lamb, and thought how much he liked the man—he was so honest and straightforward and compassionate. It hardly seemed fair that so many enviable qualities should be concentrated in one person. Dan caught Letty watching him, and he met her ice-cold gaze boldly. He smiled and raised his glass to her, but her eyes slid away from him as she completely ignored his gesture. He realized he’d made more than one enemy tonight.

The dinner party never quite recovered after the argument between Zoe and Dan, and he wasn’t the only one glad when people began to leave.

Mungo called him over to his side of the room as he was about to go. “A word, please, before you disappear, Dan.” He led the way back into the dining room and closed the door. “Askew has rung me to say he is not requiring our services anymore. He’s going to the practice in the High Street. He claims you trespassed this morning, and he is threatening you with police action. He also says that there is nothing wrong with the horse and that what you said, you said out of malice.”

Dan raised his eyebrows in surprise. “Do you believe him?”

“I don’t know what to believe. You tell me.”

“OK, in his opinion I did trespass, but like I said, the cow merited further attention; and in all conscience I gave it that attention this morning, nothing more, nothing less. I wasn’t able to apologize because his lordship hadn’t got back from his ride when I was ready to leave, but I shall do it in writing tomorrow. As for the horse, I know I am right and his vet is wrong.” Dan shrugged his shoulders. “But there we are. There is the possibility of doing something about it if it is treated immediately. To ignore it will cut short its career quick smart.”

“I see. Well, do not lose me any more accounts. We can’t afford it.”

“I’ll do my best.”

“We’ve advertised the job, by the way.”

“Fair enough. I quite understand.”

“Take no notice of Letty. No one else does.”

“I won’t. She’s a bitch.”

Mungo’s head came up with a jerk. “She’s right, though, about the practice losing money when we lose clients, and don’t forget that.”

“Mm. Goodnight and thank you for a lovely meal. Much appreciated.”

“Thank Miriam before you go. She does all the work and it was her idea. I’m taking Perkins out. OK.”

Dan found Miriam making a start on stacking the dishwasher. “I’m a whizz at stacking dishwashers. May I?”

“Lovely man, making an offer like that, but I have a strict rule: first-time guests may not help clear up.”

“I doubt there’ll be a second time.”

“You wait and see.” She took his hand and held it between both her own. “Welcome to the practice from me. Goodnight.”

“Goodnight, Miriam.”

D
an, heartened by Miriam’s obvious approval of him, set off next morning to begin his calls with new heart. Before he’d gone to bed after the dinner party, he’d penned a groveling apology to Lord Askew, which had gone against his temperament to do but which he’d seen the necessity for. He’d taken it with him to the practice to post, with a copy to Mungo.

He was only halfway to the village of Wootton when the engine cut out and he came to a halt. Nothing he could do would make it start again, so he rang in to Barleybridge and asked Stephie to ring the garage for him and request them to come to the rescue. He cursed himself for not having called there the previous day, but it was too late now.

Dan went to sit on the fence beside the road and enjoy the early morning air. He’d forgotten how beautiful even a November morning in England could be; the sun wasn’t shining but it was reasonably bright, and his view of the roofs and spires of Barleybridge to his right and the great sweep of woodland in front of him was very pleasing. There was something about the countryside here at home which fed the soul. Dry, arid plains,
for all their feeling of space and freedom, didn’t enrich him, but this did. He contemplated living here and decided once again that if it came about, he’d jump at the chance.

His reverie was eventually broken by the rumble of a van approaching from his left. Even before it slurred to a halt in the middle of the road, he could see it was patently almost derelict; one headlight was missing and it was difficult to ascertain its original color. All along the side nearest to Dan was a massive dent, which must have hindered the opening of the door. A head encased in a balaclava with slits in it poked out from the gap where the driver’s window should have been. “I recognize that Land Rover; you must be Scott’s replacement?”

Dan slid off the fence and crossed the verge to speak to him. “That’s right. I’m Dan Brown.”

“I’m Phil Parsons. Applegate Farm. Nice to meet you, Dan. What’s up? Enjoying the air. Nought to do?”

“Plenty to do, but I’ve broken down.”

“I’ll give you a lift into Barleybridge; Blossom and me’s off shopping, it being market day.”

The head of the said Blossom appeared from behind Phil Parsons and gave Dan a shock. Her peroxided hair appeared to have reached the very heights of dazzle. That, combined with her lavishly applied electric-blue eye shadow, her dark plum-colored lipstick and her yard upon yard of cheap gilt jewelry, gave Dan the distinct impression that she was a lady ever on the lookout for “talent.” If they were husband and wife, or partners, the two were the most incompatible pair he had ever come across: she a painted doll and he … well, he didn’t know what Phil was because you couldn’t see for his headgear, but he could smell him from where he stood.