The Diamond Dad

'Then why didn't you check the legal position before you bought it?'

'I have lawyers whose job it is to do just that and, believe me, heads will roll.' He rose from the sofa. 'I'm going to make some phone calls in the study.'

Faye returned to work at her computer, trying to shrug mentally and tell herself that if Garth wanted to make his son totally disillusioned with him, it wasn't her fault. Perhaps Adrian really did need to discover how low his lather could sink.

But the thought of the little boy's pain kept intruding and made it impossible to concentrate. His unhappy face was there before her inner eye, but it kept getting mixed up with Garth's face. Her husband was heading for disaster and he couldn't see it. But when it was too late and Adrian wanted nothing more to do with him, then his suffering would begin.

It was his own fault, her reasonable mind argued. He'd put their marriage on the basis of a business deal. It was time he learned the true cost of business.

If only her heart could be reasonable! It ached for her child's pain, and somehow Garth's pain was in there too, complicating everything.

She worked late, forcing herself to concentrate on figures that meant nothing beside her inner turmoil. At last she got up and went downstairs. She must make at least one more effort to help Garth see what he was doing.

But the study was in darkness. Faye could hear movement coming from his little monastic bedroom, but she stopped with her hand on the knob. Garth slept naked and, however much they'd quarrelled in the past, the sight of his head on the pillow, tousled and vulnerable- looking, had always been able to melt her heart. She couldn't bring herself to go in there.

Guiltily she realized that she'd been too preoccupied to notice the passage of time and she hadn't said goodnight to the children. She looked in on Adrian, kissed him in his sleep and crept out. But she could hear a soft murmuring from Cindy's room, as though the child was talking to someone.

'I thought so,' she said, looking around the door.

Barker was sprawled on the bed, contending with Cindy for the available space. 'Out, dog!' she commanded. 'No sleeping in here!'

Barker eyed her, and stayed where he was.

'Off!' Faye insisted, pointing to the door.

'Oh, please let him stay, Mummy,' Cindy begged.

'Not a chance. Apart from the fact that it's unhygienic, where would you sleep? You're clinging on to the edge as it is.'

'I don't mind clinging on to the edge-'

'Cindy, I'm not arguing about this. Barker has to go. Come along, make him get off.'

Cindy slid her toes beneath Barker and wriggled them, which was usually enough to make him jump down. Not this time. Cindy wriggled her toes again, but he only regarded her reproachfully. She wriggled harder, and he merely settled down more deeply.

'He doesn't want to,' Cindy said unarguably. 'It took him ages to get up. He walked around and around the bed as if he wasn't sure he could do it.'

'Oh, you are an awkward animal!' Faye sighed, putting her arms around him and heaving. Barker tried to take root, but the bedspread was slippery and he slid helplessly off onto the floor. He landed heavily and let out a squeal of pain.

'Mummy, Mummy, you hurt him!' Cindy said, jumping out of bed and throwing her arms about Barker's neck. 'You hurt him, you hurt him,' she repeated in tears.

'Darling, I didn't mean to,' Faye protested, almost as distressed as the child, for Barker was now making a pitiful wailing noise. 'Oh, you poor old boy! What did I do? I'm so sorry.'

Garth and Adrian came in, alerted by the noise.

Adrian tried to entice the dog to his feet with a titbit, but Barker seemed unable to move, even for food. That was when they knew something was really wrong.

'Mummy!' Cindy cried hysterically.

'All right, I know who can help,' Faye assured her.

Garth followed her into her bedroom, but when she reached for the telephone he stopped her. 'Who are you calling?'

'Kendall. He's a vet.'

'Barker is registered with an excellent animal hospi- tal.'

'But it's late at night. He's in pain. He can't wait until morning.'

'He won't have to. They have a night service. I'll call them.'

'And take the poor animal there in the car, when he's like this? Oh, no! If I call Ken he'll come and see him here.'

He seized her wrist, his eyes blazing. 'Faye, that man is my enemy and hell will freeze over before I ask him for help, let alone have him in this house. I'll call the vet and get someone out here.'

He made the call at once and after a few moments handed Faye the phone. 'You'd better explain,' he said.

Faye described what had happened and the night duty vet, a pleasant-sounding woman called Miss McGeorge, said, 'That sounds familiar. If I'm right it's not serious, but I'll know more when I've seen him. Expect me in ten minutes.'

'She's coming,' Faye said as she hung up.

'So there's no need for your friend.'

'As it happens, no!' She eyed him accusingly. 'Would you really have let that poor dog suffer till morning lather than ask Kendall?' 'You obviously think I would.'

'Hell will freeze over-' she reminded him.

'Look, I don't know what I'd have done.'

'Even for Cindy?'

'I told you, I don't know,' he snapped.

Miss McGeorge arrived soon, listened to the story, then gently coaxed Barker to his feet.

'His back legs seemed a little stiff this afternoon,' Faye said self-reproachfully. 'I wish I'd called you then, but I wasn't quite sure.'

Miss McGeorge took hold of one of Barker's back legs and waggled it slightly. From under the thick fur came the sound of a sharp crack.

'Just as I thought,' she said. 'He's got a touch of arthritis. It tends to happen to elderly dogs.'

'Can you make it go away?' Cindy asked anxiously.

'I can make his pain go away,' Miss McGeorge promised. 'I can't cure the arthritis, but I'll give him an injection that will make it stop hurting for tonight. Bring him to the surgery on Monday and I'll decide what pills he needs.'

Her cheerful manner had its effect and soon after she'd given the injection and departed, Barker was visibly better. The children coaxed him back to his basket, settled him for the night and were finally persuaded to return to bed.

Faye slept for an hour, then instinct prompted her to rise and go quietly downstairs to the place where Barker's basket was kept.

'And what are you two doing down here?' she asked unnecessarily.

Two small faces looked up guiltily, then quickly assumed innocent expressions.

'We were checking that he's all right, Mummy,' Adrian said, adding cheekily, 'Just like you.'

Cindy tactfully smothered her giggle and Faye said, 'All right, funny man, how is he?'

'He's just been out into the garden,' Cindy said. 'I think he's all right.'

'What's going on?' Garth asked sleepily, appearing in his dressing gown.

They all explained and he knelt down to scratch the invalid's head. Cindy and Adrian offered biscuits, which were accepted, and Garth observed, 'He's going to make the most of this.'

'Daddy,' Cindy reproached him. 'That's not kind.'

'It's a plain statement of fact. Now his pain's gone he's loving the attention.'

'But you will take him back to the vet for his pills?' she asked worriedly.

'Of course I will.'

'He means that / will,' Faye said lightly. 'Daddy has to be at work.'

Garth shrugged. 'If we can set off first thing, I don't mind being an hour late.'

The children looked gratified and Adrian said, 'Thanks for calling the vet, Daddy. Is it very expensive if they come out late?'

'Never mind that.'

'But I can help, from my pocket money.'

'So can I,' Cindy volunteered eagerly.

Garth ruffled her hair. 'You've already had next week's in advance, both of you. You're too young to start getting into debt. Let me take care of Barker.'

Adrian grinned. 'Thanks, Dad.'

Garth grinned back and suddenly they looked uncannily alike, although they didn't share a single feature.