Page 32 of A New Family at Puddleduck Farm (Puddleduck Farm #6)

It was Archie who let them in. ‘Hey, Sam. Hey, Phoebe. It’s really good to see you. You should come and see us more often. Isn’t the snow brilliant? I can’t believe it’s stopped already. Dad…’ he called over his shoulder. ‘They’re here.’

‘Well, let them in then.’ Rufus appeared in the hallway behind his son. ‘Good afternoon. Come in, come in, out of the snow. It’s a cold old day.’ He pecked Phoebe on the cheek, shook Sam’s hand and smiled at Lily, who was looking at him wide-eyed. ‘Hello, beautiful.’

They followed him into a magnificent high-ceilinged room with pale cornices and a huge inglenook fireplace where a roaring fire crackled away, spitting sparks into the chimney and chucking out warmth.

A fire guard protected it from every angle, Phoebe was relieved to see.

Since she’d had a little one, she saw the world through the ultra-safety-conscious eyes of a mum.

It had always been a welcoming room, but it was even more welcoming than she remembered.

As she looked around, she realised it wasn’t just the fire that made the room so warm; the décor had changed too since the old lord had died.

Light-coloured modern blinds had replaced the heavy old brocade curtains, and the dark wood furniture was gone.

The room had a different vibe altogether than she remembered.

It had been transformed from dark Victoriana drabness to modern country living.

Emilia’s touch, no doubt. It certainly worked. It looked beautiful. They’d been here at a New Year’s Eve party the year before last and she hadn’t noticed the changes then. They must be more recent.

Before she had time to comment, Emilia herself appeared carrying Francesca. ‘’Ello. It is such pleasure to see you.’ Her voice still had a Germanic accent. ‘Sit down, please. I will make coffee. Ja? Or is it tea for afternoon?’ She looked at Rufus for confirmation.

‘It’s whatever our guests would like,’ he said. ‘We have both. Which would you prefer? I’ll get it.’

They settled on tea and Rufus disappeared to make it.

Phoebe had worried it might be awkward being here, but it wasn’t at all because the two little girls quickly became the focus of attention.

‘What age is beautiful Lily?’ Emilia asked, cooing over the baby.

‘She’s nearly six months,’ Phoebe told her proudly.

‘Chesska is nearly eighteen months old. A big gap now but not very much in the future.’ Emilia beamed. ‘They will become friends when they know they are next-door neighbours.’

‘I hope they will,’ Phoebe said, even though she thought the chances of the two little girls mixing in the same circles were probably remote.

‘They will have Archie to introduce them,’ Emilia said, clearly not oblivious to Phoebe’s train of thought. ‘He will be the link.’

On the other side of the room, Archie rolled his eyes. ‘I expect animals will be the link. Lily can invite Chesska to see the neddies. And then Chesska can invite Lily to have a tea party in the bluebell wood. Girl stuff.’

‘Why is this girl stuff? Do you not like tea and scones?’ Emilia turned towards Phoebe. ‘You settle argument for me, please. Does this word rhyme with gone, like skon or is it skone, like bone.’

‘It rhymes with bones, old, dead bones, bleached white by the midday sun,’ Archie chanted gleefully, and they all laughed because it was clear he wasn’t at all interested in pronunciation, just the shock value of old dead bones.

Phoebe was glad he wasn’t yet quite as mature as he seemed.

She missed the young mischievous Archie who had regularly sneaked across the fields from Beechbrook House to see the donkeys at Puddleduck Farm without telling his father.

Rufus came back in with a tray on which was a teapot and five cups and a plate of delicious-looking pale golden scones.

‘I caught the end of that conversation and I can confirm that it’s definitely skon , as in gone.’

Everyone shook their heads as Rufus put the tray on the table with a little clunk.

‘Somebody help me out here,’ he added, and glanced at Sam, who put his hands up in mock defence.

‘Don’t ask me. I just like eating them.’

Rufus chuckled. ‘Very sensible. I couldn’t agree more. And these are homemade.’

‘Oh, wow.’ Phoebe’s mouth watered as the scent of warm, freshly baked scone hit her nostrils. ‘They smell amazing. How do you have time with a little one?’

‘I am not a veterinarian,’ Emilia replied promptly. She pointed to a jar on the tray. ‘It is family effort. Rufus make this lavender jelly.’

‘Really?’ Phoebe glanced at him curiously. ‘I didn’t know you made jelly – er – jam?’

‘Strictly speaking, it’s lavender jelly and I don’t personally make it.

’ He shot her a wry smile. ‘Emilia means that it’s made from our lavender.

We experimented with some food-grade lavender last year.

We thought we’d branch out, if you’ll excuse the pun.

I know strawberry jam is traditional but lavender also goes really well with skons .

Skones ,’ he amended as Archie opened his mouth to object.

It did go really well, as they found out a few minutes later, having also had the discussion of cream or jam on the scone first. No one agreed on that either, but it was all very good-natured banter.

Even Chesska liked the lavender jelly, it transpired, and Lily, who they’d just started weaning onto solids, happily ate a tiny piece of buttery golden scone.

After they’d finished their impromptu afternoon tea, they talked about lots of other things.

The animals at Puddleduck Pets and how the rehoming was going.

Phoebe told them about the dog field, which Rufus said was a brilliant idea.

This led naturally on to the subject of Chloe and Spot, who Archie had told them were confined to the kitchen when they had guests round.

‘They don’t mind. They came riding with me earlier. They’re both whacked out and really filthy. You can come and say hello to them before you go if you like? We’re going back out to play in the snow before it melts.’

‘I’d love to,’ Phoebe told him, knowing he was too polite to say overtly that he was in a hurry to disappear, but knowing he must be longing to get outside again.

The chatter was so easy and natural as they played with the children on the thick golden carpet of the big old room that Phoebe almost forgot why they’d come round. It wasn’t until Archie asked them if anyone had ever responded to the lost kitten photo that she was jolted into remembering.

‘Um, no. Natasha would have told you, love, but… there was something I wanted to ask you. All of you, actually. This is going to seem a little random but I want to know if any of you recognise this picture. Hang on. I’ll find it.

’ She rummaged in her bag and pulled out her phone and scrolled through.

It didn’t take long. Her photo gallery contained a mixture of photos of Lily and photos of animal ailments so the picture of Mr Smarmy Ski Jacket that she’d got Eddie to send over stuck out like a thorn bush in an English country garden.

She turned the phone round towards Archie. ‘Does he look familiar at all?’

Archie studied the photo for a few seconds before frowning and shaking his head. ‘I don’t think so. Why? What’s he got to do with our kittens?’

‘He’s a local breeder. That’s all.’ Phoebe showed Rufus. ‘I don’t suppose you recognise him, do you?’

‘No. I certainly didn’t buy Emilia’s kittens from him. They came from a woman on the other side of Southampton. I did a fair bit of research before I got them, and she had a good reputation.’

Emilia’s face shadowed and Phoebe felt a little guilty that she’d brought up the subject. Especially as it was clearly a dead end. ‘Can I look?’ she asked, getting up from the floor where she’d been playing with Chesska.

‘Of course.’ Phoebe passed her the phone and was surprised when she did a double take.

‘I know this man. Pfff. I do not like him. He is bully.’

Phoebe’s heart started to beat extra fast. ‘How do you know him?’ She hoped to God that Emilia hadn’t arranged to buy more kittens from him – or if she had that it wasn’t too late to renege on the deal.

‘He is boyfriend of Carmel. I often hear him shout at her when he comes to the house to collect her. I tell her, you must not let a man talk to you this way. He is not good man.’ She pursed her lips.

Phoebe couldn’t imagine any man having the audacity to shout at Emilia.

Even when she’d been working as Archie’s live-in nanny she’d had the bearing of a haughty princess.

Phoebe hadn’t been surprised at all when she’d discovered that Emilia was actually related to the Prince of Liechtenstein and had a title of her own.

‘Who’s Carmel?’ Sam asked.

‘Carmel is our cleaner,’ Rufus answered him. ‘What’s all this about?’

Phoebe’s head was now spinning as she remembered the discussion the Dashwood family had had at Christmas. It had been Maggie who’d mooted the idea that Emilia’s kittens may have been stolen by someone who regularly visited the house.

It had seemed odd that two lots could have been stolen, but now it made total sense.

‘How long has Carmel been your cleaner?’ Phoebe looked at Emilia and the younger woman frowned.

‘She has been helping me since Chesska arrived. This is a big house to clean.’ There was a defensive note in her voice.

‘Of course it is,’ Phoebe said quickly, shooting an anguished glance at Sam, who looked as though he was also now putting the jigsaw pieces of this mystery together. She willed him silently not to answer Rufus’s question.

They couldn’t just go accusing the Holts’ cleaner of being a kitten thief. Even if it did suddenly seem like a terrible possibility.

It would be awful for Emilia to think that her beloved kittens might have ended up in a kitten mill and were now being subjected to a life of misery as enforced brood cats.

Thankfully, Sam had understood Phoebe’s anguished look and he had switched his attention to Lily, who’d been on the floor but had just put up her arms for a daddy cuddle.

‘One of Phoebe’s clients had concerns about him being a reputable breeder, that’s all.’ Sam had put on his most reassuring voice. The one he kept for his most nervous riding pupils. All is well; there’s nothing to fear.

Rufus nodded silently. Luckily he’d been distracted by his daughter too. She’d been trying to get his attention. ‘Need pee, Daddy.’

‘Come on then, princess, let’s go and find your potty.’

Thank goodness for kids and their bladders, Phoebe thought as Rufus took Chesska out of the room.

Emilia wasn’t looking much more reassured, but not for the same reasons as Phoebe.

‘I wouldn’t buy a teacup from this bully,’ she said huffily. ‘He is not nice person.’

‘No.’ Phoebe blinked. ‘Why does Carmel go out with him?’

‘Pfff. I do not know. I suppose maybe he flatter her. He has big car. Big wallet too.’ She raised her eyebrows. ‘Some women are impressed by these things. Ja?’

‘What’s his name?’ Sam asked.

‘I call him Mr Slimy Balls,’ Emilia answered. ‘But his correct name is Duncan.’

‘Does he have a surname?’ Phoebe asked idly.

‘Jukes. His name is Duncan Jukes.’

So Natasha hadn’t been too far off the mark then.

Emilia lost interest in the conversation as Rufus came back through the door with Chesska, and Phoebe decided it seemed like a natural time for them to go home too.

Archie diverted them into the kitchen to see his two dogs and Phoebe stroked the little grey lurcher’s soft head and the black and white patched terrier, both of whom wagged, yawned and blinked sleepily at her.

Archie was right about them being worn out and filthy.

They looked like two dogs who’d had an excellent morning’s run.

And now they’d be playing in the snow with their young master.

They’d definitely landed on their paws at Beechbrook House.

‘Don’t leave it so long next time,’ Rufus said as they all trooped back out to the front door.

‘We won’t. And you do know you’re welcome at Puddleduck any time, don’t you? All of you,’ she told him. ‘We’d love to see you.’

‘Thank you.’

His eyes were warm, and as Emilia and Chesska came up to stand beside him and Archie stood on his other side, Phoebe had the impression when she looked back of a perfect little family.

She waited until they were driving back down the long drive once more before she glanced at Sam.

‘Thanks for not saying anything. I was so torn. Half of me wanted to demand they interrogate Carmel and ask her about those kittens and the other half of me knew we couldn’t just go jumping to conclusions.’

‘I know. I felt exactly the same. We need to find out more before we go diving in. But my gut tells me we’re on exactly the right track. Duncan Jukes must have taken those kittens. It’s too much of a coincidence.’

‘I can’t bear the thought of Emilia’s beautiful cats being used as breeding machines, though, Sam.’

He took his hand from the steering wheel and touched her knee. ‘Slowly slowly catchee monkey. The last thing we want to do is to scare him into shutting operations down and getting rid of all his cats. We still don’t know how Oscar got away.’

‘No, I was thinking it might be wise to warn Emilia not to say anything to Carmel about her boyfriend being a cat breeder. Just in case he realises we’re on to him.

I’ll message her later and say thank you for the tea.

I’ve still got her number. In fact, better still, I’ll phone her and make it crystal clear that she shouldn’t breathe a word.

I’ll tell her it’s part of an ongoing investigation and therefore top secret. ’

‘Which is close enough to the truth anyway.’

‘Mmm. The truth is I haven’t got a clue what to do next though.

’ Phoebe told him about Maggie’s Plan B.

‘We need to stay on the right side of the law, but Maggie’s right.

We also need to get into that garden and see what Duncan Jukes keeps in that shed of his.

I just have no idea how we’re going to manage it. ’

‘We’ll work something out,’ Sam said confidently.