Шейла Нортон: Oliver The Cat Who Saved Christmas

‘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…’

‘No. Please – if I haven’t frightened you off,’ he said, with a little sad smile, ‘please do bring the children again. Caroline does need to make friends, and Laura’s right, it was kind of you to visit. Thank you.’

I followed Laura as she showed Sarah and the girls to the front door, apologising quietly for the scene, as she called it.

‘Please don’t worry,’ Sarah said. ‘I do understand.’

I took the opportunity to scoot out of the front door myself. But as they walked off down the drive, I slunk round to the big windows where I normally went in and out. I wanted to make sure Julian wasn’t going to tell Laura off after everyone had gone.

But, to my surprise, there was a totally different kind of scene going on in the room. While Caroline was engrossed with her new Christmas toys, Julian put both front paws round Laura and pulled her very close to him. I couldn’t hear what he was saying – he was talking right into her ear. But she was quite pink in the face and smiley. And his mouth was moving slowly down from her ear to her lips …

At least he didn’t seem to be angry anymore. I went home feeling much happier!

It didn’t take long for word to get around. Sarah got on the phone to Anne, the one they called Brown Owl, and next thing I knew, she turned up with a couple of the other Foxes and their mums, and everyone started chatting about how they could take the children to visit Caroline.

‘I’m going to draw a picture for Caroline,’ Rose said, getting out her crayons.

‘I’m going to make her a Christmas card,’ Grace said.

‘Me too,’ said one of the other Foxes, and the children all clustered around the table, sharing out paper and crayons and pens.

‘We should stagger our visits,’ Anne said. ‘We don’t want to overwhelm the poor child by all turning up together.’

‘That’s a good idea,’ Sarah agreed. ‘Let’s get our diaries out and get ourselves organised.’

‘It will be lovely for Caroline to make some friends before she starts school,’ Anne said. ‘And perhaps she’ll be well enough to join Guides by the time Grace moves up. They can start together. Thank goodness her father’s seen sense. She must have felt so isolated, poor thing.’

‘I can understand it, though,’ Sarah said. ‘He was beside himself with worry about her. I don’t think he’s really a miserable person at all. He’s just had a lot of unhappiness.’ She grinned suddenly. ‘But do you know what? I think that nurse, Laura, has a soft spot for him. And he might not show it, but I suspect he feels the same way.’

I lay back in my hammock, purring to myself with a secret happiness. I didn’t know where Laura’s soft spot might be, but I knew for sure that it was true they liked each other. I was the only one who’d seen the evidence with my own eyes.

Later that evening, after dinner, I was paying my usual visit to Nicky and Daniel’s house, when Sarah turned up to share the news with them about what had happened at the Big House.

‘Poor little girl,’ Nicky sympathised. ‘But how lovely that you’re taking all the children round there to play with her now.’

‘Yes. I actually feel sorry for her dad, too, now.’

‘I’ll be meeting him myself soon,’ Daniel said. ‘I haven’t had a chance to tell you this yet, Nick, but the handyman, Harry, apparently recommended me to him after I did the work on his van. Mr Smythe wants me to service his car. Well, he’s actually got two cars – a Mercedes, and a smaller one he uses to commute to the station. Harry called me today to say he wants me to go over there after Christmas to talk to him about it.’

‘Oh, well done, Dan, that’s great.’ Nicky gave him a kiss. ‘Maybe he’ll want them both serviced regularly – and you’ve got the bodywork on Harry’s van to do, too.’

‘I’m really pleased for you.’ Sarah smiled. ‘It all helps, doesn’t it. And you enjoy doing it, anyway. Perhaps you’ll have a look at our car when you get the chance. Martin keeps complaining that it turns over too slowly, or something.’

‘Of course I will.’ Daniel looked like the cat that got the cream. I knew exactly how that felt.

The next day was the children’s last day at school, and Sarah brought them along to the Big House again after they’d finished. I was already there, of course, cuddled up with Caroline, and at first I was horrified to hear the Julian man coming home early again. But Laura and Caroline just smiled at each other and told Sarah that it was absolutely fine now, and he was home early because he was doing something called winding down for Christmas.

Sure enough, he was like a completely different human. He came into the room full of smiles, giving Caroline a big hug and kiss, and touching Laura on her paw in a way that made me think he wanted to stroke her.

‘Good to see you again,’ he said to Sarah and the children. ‘ And our little furry friend there.’

I nearly fell off the sofa in surprise. Was this really the same male who’d half-strangled me and called me a dirty, flea-ridden animal? I thought he hated cats?

‘I actually quite like cats, you know,’ he went on as if I’d spoken out loud in Human. ‘At least, I used to, before I became so … well, overly obsessed with hygiene, I suppose, because of Caroline’s illness.’

‘Oh, Daddy, can we have one?’ Caroline said. ‘I love Oliver so much, and it’s so lovely that he comes to see me, but he’s not mine, and I’d love a little cat of my own.’

‘Well, I don’t know about that.’ He frowned. ‘I’ll have to think about it. Maybe after Christmas.’ He turned to Sarah, obviously keen to change the subject. ‘Apparently some of the other little girls are coming to visit Caroline tomorrow. Children from the Brownie pack.’

‘Yes. They’re in the same Six as Grace and Rose.’

‘Caroline’s been so excited about it,’ he said. ‘She used to love Brownies, didn’t you, darling?’

‘Yes, Daddy. And I want to join this Brownie pack, now I’ve met Grace and Rose and heard all about it. Can I? Please?’

‘We … e … ll…’

‘She is getting stronger,’ Laura said. ‘Perhaps, after Christmas, I could take her along to a meeting, at least, and stay with her? She could just watch – she wouldn’t have to run around or anything.’

‘That would be lovely,’ Sarah said, ‘but the Brownies aren’t having proper pack meetings now. We’re just having meetings for each Six, separately, in each other’s houses, because…’

‘Oh, yes – because of the fire. Grace told me,’ Caroline said. ‘There’s no village hall for them to meet in, Daddy.’