Caroline didn’t look particularly cheerful either, although Laura was doing her best to sound bright and chirpy. The room looked lovely, with a really big Christmas tree like we used to have in the pub, and lots of pretty decorations, but Caroline had a long face like a cat with a toothache.
‘I’m so bored,’ she moaned.
‘But Oliver’s come to play with you,’ Laura said.
‘I know. But I want friends to play with. It’s not fair. I never get to see anyone. When can I start the new school? I won’t have any friends there – nobody will know me.’
‘You’ll soon make friends when you’re well enough to go. Hopefully before too long.’
We played together as usual, although Caroline didn’t quite seem to have her heart in it and I found it difficult to keep myself from jumping up and having a play with the baubles on the lower branches of the Christmas tree. I did manage one quick swipe while Laura wasn’t looking, but Caroline whispered No, Oliver, you mustn’t! so I reluctantly left it alone. Then, just as we’d both snuggled down for our rest, there was a sudden loud banging noise that made me jump up out of Caroline’s blanket in fright. At least it made her giggle.
‘It’s only the door knocker, Oliver!’ she said. ‘Who’s that, Laura?’
‘I’ve no idea.’
Laura left the room, and I hid back under the blanket. I was still supposed to be a secret, remember, and we’d never had other visitors before when I was there. We both lay quietly, listening to Laura talking to someone at the front door.
‘Oh!’ she was saying. ‘Well, that’s very kind of you. Um … did Mr Smythe tell you about her illness? Only, I know he doesn’t talk to many people about it.’
‘No,’ said the other voice – and I popped my head out of the blanket in surprise. It was Sarah! ‘To be honest, we heard … from another source. I don’t want to get anyone into trouble for gossiping or anything, if it’s supposed to be kept quiet, but, well, we felt so sorry for the little girl – being ill, and new to the area, not having any friends. Especially at this time of the year.’
‘You’re very kind,’ Laura said again. ‘Would you like to come in and meet Caroline?’
‘Are you sure that’d be all right?’
‘Well, I think it’d be nice for her. She’d love to have some visitors.’
Caroline and I were blinking at each other in surprise. And the next thing we knew, there they were, in the room with us – not just Sarah but also Grace, and little Rose, still in their school uniforms, and clutching some wrapped-up parcels!
‘It’s Ollie!’ Grace said, staring at me.
‘Yes.’ Sarah smiled. ‘We heard he’d been visiting.’
‘Oh, so you’re the family he’s staying with! Harry – our handyman – said he’d found out Oliver was the pub cat and was being looked after for the landlord since the fire.’ Laura reached out and stroked my head. ‘Caroline loves seeing him. But I’m afraid I’d get into trouble with her father if he found him here again.’
‘We won’t tell anyone, will we, children,’ Sarah said very seriously, and they both shook their heads. They were staring at Caroline. I suppose they were surprised by the lack of fur on her head.
‘It’s all right,’ she said, sitting up on the sofa. ‘My hair fell out because of the medicine they gave me to make me better, but it’s starting to come back now.’
‘So are you better now?’ Rose asked shyly.
‘Getting better,’ Caroline said. ‘I’m just bored now.’
‘These are for you.’ Grace held out one of the wrapped-up boxes. ‘They’re for Christmas, from us.’
‘Oh!’ Caroline went all pink. ‘Thank you! Should we put them under the Christmas tree, Laura?’
‘You can open them now if you’d like to,’ Sarah said. ‘If Laura says that’s all right.’
Grace and Rose crowded round and the three girls laughed together as the paper was ripped off the boxes. Me, I had a great time rolling on the floor with the ribbon they’d been tied up with, and jumping after the screwed-up wrapping paper, which made them all laugh even more. I think we were all feeling more cheered up, then. Sarah and Laura sat on the other sofa together drinking coffee and chatting, and the girls played with the new toys and talked about school and hospital and Christmas and Brownies – and eventually I fell asleep in front of the fire. It was lovely. I must have got there later than usual, and it was now at least halfway through the afternoon because the girls had finished school. But I didn’t realise quite how late it was, until I woke up with a start to hear the front door opening.
‘Oh my God!’ Laura gasped, jumping to her feet. ‘He’s home early.’
‘Shall we go?’ Sarah asked – but there was no time for anyone, even me, to go anywhere. Caroline’s angry father was already there, in the doorway, looking around at us all, going redder in the face every minute.
‘What the hell…?’ he began, but Laura went to stand in front of him, her paws on her hips.
‘Don’t start, Julian!’ she said, in a very cross voice. ‘Don’t you dare start, in front of these kind people who’ve come, out of the goodness of their hearts, to visit your bored, lonely daughter and bring her these presents because they understood – yes, they understood better than you do – how she must be feeling.’
‘What?’ he stuttered.
‘Yes! Look at her. Look at how happy she is, how much healthier she looks, just from having some company, some children to play with for a couple of hours. It’s what she needs now, Julian, and I’m not going to apologise for allowing it, nor for allowing the cat to come back, either. He’s living with this lovely family, and he’s not dirty, or carrying germs, he’s a nice little cat and he does Caroline good. If you don’t like it, you’d better sack me right now, because I refuse to carry on keeping your daughter languishing here on her own for one single day longer.’
As she finished, she suddenly clasped her paw to her mouth and took a step backwards, like she’d only just realised who she was talking to. We all stood still, frozen like statues, staring at the Julian man.
‘We’d better go,’ Sarah said again. ‘Come on, children.’
‘No,’ he said, putting out a paw to stop her. ‘Don’t.’ His voice sounded like a cat being strangled. ‘Please, don’t rush off. It was kind of you to call on Caroline, and … thank you for the presents. Please don’t think me horribly rude. I’m just…’
‘He’s just been worried about Caroline,’ Laura said, in a shaky voice now, staring at him. ‘That’s all.’
‘Yes. I have. Worried sick. But Laura’s right. I’m sorry. I should have let Caroline have some company. I can see how much happier she looks today. I’m sorry, darling,’ he added with a funny choking noise like he was going to cry – and he ran to take hold of Caroline and hug her really hard. ‘I’ll try to be different.’
‘It’s OK, Daddy,’ she said. ‘I know you were just trying to look after me. But I’m getting better now.’
‘I know you are. Thank God.’ He made the choking noise again. ‘Her mother…’ he added, looking up at Sarah. ‘You see, I lost her mother, and then, when Caroline got sick too…’
‘I’m so sorry to hear that,’ Sarah said, putting a paw on his arm. ‘It must have been an awful time for you. I’m so glad to hear Caroline’s getting better, but if you’d prefer us not to come again…’