While Franceska was watching Aleksy and Tommy play on the beach, I went to the utility room. The builders had finished downstairs for now and were in the attic. I was careful to keep out of their way. They were all very nice, but they had big feet and tools which looked quite dangerous. The utility room was a bit of a draw to me still, there was definitely an alien smell which kept bugging me. I sniffed around, and felt baffled. I still could have sworn it was the scent of a cat, but not me or George— or even Chanel. And although I hadn’t seen another cat around here, the scent hadn’t faded while we’d been living here. It was a mystery.
I fleetingly wondered if, when I was sleeping with Claire, another cat was sneaking in through the cat flap and I decided to stay up tonight to make sure. Jonathan would be with Claire anyway and he wasn’t as keen on me sleeping on their bed as Claire was — I knew he’d probably banish me to my bed on the landing. I felt a little bit better having a plan of sorts, and I was determined to get to the bottom of the smell, so I decided to go and check on George. Boy that kitten could sulk for England, I thought as I made my way upstairs.
I looked in the boys’ room, but there was no sign of him. Not under the bed where Toby slept, or on the bed itself. He hadn’t climbed up onto the top bunks either. I felt a bit panicked as I ran around the rest of the upstairs, even braving the builders to check the attic, but he was nowhere to be found. I boundeddownstairs, checking every room, but he wasn’t there. My heart sank. Not only did I feel panicked but I also believed I knew exactly where George was.
I remembered Andrea saying she was in the house to the left, so I turned in that direction out of the house, feeling the rain soaking into my fur straight away. Wasting no time, I crawled under a hedge, where there seemed to be the best access, and found myself in the neatest garden I’d ever seen. Andrea’s house wasn’t like ours, it was taller, squarer, the windows were huge. It also looked a bit grander. Why on earth would she want our house when hers was definitely more suited to her? Thankfully, I found George huddled under one of the windowsills. He was sheepish when he saw me.
‘Sorry, Dad, but I was going to come back before you’d noticed I’d gone.’ Yes, that would work. Honestly, my boy still had a lot to learn.
I wasn’t sure how to play this. I knew that he was besotted with the awful Chanel but also I needed him to understand that he shouldn’t be out on his own. After all, the last time I left him alone he’d been catnapped, but I also knew that he was a little older now and would want more freedom, a bitlike Aleksy. Being a parent was so hard, getting the balance right was difficult.
‘George, I do understand you wanted to see Chanel, but we are in a new place and we don’t know it very well, so I would be happier if you stayed with me, at least for a while.’ I hoped I didn’t sound too angry. ‘But if you have to go off then you must tell me exactly where you’ll be.’I tried to be conciliatory.
‘Oh, Dad, I am sorry but she is so beautiful, and I just needed to see her lovely face.’ Oh boy, he had it bad.
‘And have you seen her?’ I asked, softening. I was a romantic cat and so I didn’t want to underestimate his feelings. I understood about love, after all.
‘Yes, she stood at the window! She was making a lot of noise but I didn’t really know what she was trying to say.’
I guessed she was telling him to get lost.
‘Did she sound angry?’ I asked, treading carefully.
‘Well some might say she did, but I think she was just teasing me. Although she did wave her tail at me angrily before she jumped down and ran off. I sat on the windowsill for a while but she didn’t come back.’
‘And you got soaked.’ Oh my poor boy. ‘Look, George, come home with me now, get dried off and warm and I promise that as soon as it clears up we’ll go for a lovely walk,’ I coaxed.
‘OK, I will see her soon though, won’t I?’ he said.
‘Yes, son, you will.’ We ran back to the hedge, and I saw George safely through the gap. I was about to follow him when something, or someone, caught my eye. At the back of the house, Andrea was standing under a wooden shelter with what looked like one of our builders. I crawled a little closer, straining my eyes. I was sure it was one of the younger ones, Liam, I think he was called. He was wearing his scruffy builder clothes and a big jacket. She was laughing and then she put a hand on his shoulder and he turned red. What the hell was he doing with her? I was about to move closer when George called out.
‘Dad, come on, I’m hungry.’
I took a last look at Liam and Andrea and wondered what on earth they were doing together. I felt as if there was something, something big. Being a perceptive cat, I was pretty sure, what with George’s inappropriate crush, Andrea’s determination to get her hands on our house, and the funny cat smell in the utility room, there was a lot going on. Mysteries were apaw. I could feel it in my fur.
‘I can’t believe you dragged us to Devon with the promise of sunshine and it’s raining,’ Jonathan moaned as he swung Summer around.
‘Gosh, is this a record? You’ve been here five minutes and you’re already complaining,’ Claire teased.
I rubbed against his legs; I’d missed Jonathan, I’d missed all the men actually.
Polly had picked them up from the train station just after lunch and we had all been incredibly excited when they arrived. The children had been hyper, and George and I could barely contain ourselves. The cottage did suddenly feel smaller with the men in it, but it also felt more like home. Polly showed them the work done so far and introduced them to the builders. I went with them while they inspected the attic. It wasn’t looking bad actually. Walls were being built and there was a landing which would lead into each room. As it stretched across the whole house, it was big, but the ceilings were a bit lower, making it perfect for the children I guessed. I was excited suddenly, as I saw the transformation happening. It might take a while — apparently these things did — but you could see the difference already, even within the space of a week. The men seemed to be happy with the work and Jonathan even said, ‘Good job,’ to Colin. Praise indeed.
It had also been decided that we were going to have fish and chips for supper. There was a local chip shop, which was normal for a seaside village apparently, and George and I were very excited as we were both pretty sure we’d get some fish.
Claire and Jonathan went to collect supper. They had a big umbrella which was kept on the porch, and George and I looked out of the window and saw them go. I felt warm and fuzzy despite the horrible weather; it was going to be such a wonderful weekend. As long as George didn’t keep running off to see Chanel, that was.
‘You cannot beat fish and chips by the proper sea,’ Matt said, as everyone was crowded round the table. They just managed to fit, although it was a squash and Summer had to sit on Jonathan’s lap, and Martha on Matt’s.
‘It’s not exactly the sea, darling,’ Polly said. ‘It’s the estuary.’
‘Yes but it’s water and beach, so near enough surely?’ Tomasz said.
‘Near enough,’ Franceska laughed. ‘Isn’t this fabulous us all together like this,’ she said, beaming.
‘We love it here,’ Aleksy said. ‘We made some friends already and the beach is the coolest thing ever.’ His eyes were shining with excitement. ‘And, Dad, we went paddleboarding, and it’s not as easy as it looks.’
‘Really? It does look pretty easy,’ Jonathan said.
‘Maybe you should try,’ Aleksy suggested with a giggle.
‘Yes, Jon, why don’t I book you a lesson?’ Claire suggested with a smile.