Home to Roost by Tessa Hainsworth

Author:Tessa Hainsworth
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
ISBN: 9781409052142
Publisher: Random House

CHAPTER EIGHT

A Mermaid’s Ear and Other Wonders

I’M IN POLDOWE a week or so later, delivering to the main street of the village, when a van screeches to a stop next to me and Guy jumps out. ‘Tessa, hey, all right then?’

‘Fine, Guy, how about you?’

‘I’m good. Uh, you got any post for Clara? I thought I could pop it down to her. Save you a trip, y’know.’

‘Are you on your way there, then?’

‘Well, um, yeah. Or no. That is, I’ve not picked up any cats lately. Not been any about, things have been slow on that front. So I haven’t seen her, y’know? Not in the last week or so.’

‘Guy, you don’t need the excuse of cats to call on her, do you? I thought you were friends?’

He blushes, looks down, mumbles something I can’t hear. Oh dear, he’s in a bad way. ‘Guy, what’s up? I can’t understand what you’re saying.’

He speaks up, and a garble of words rush out. ‘Well, that’s the thing. We were. Friends, y’know. I used to drop in on her all the time, even without cats. Just to chat, y’know?’

‘Yes, I do know, Guy. I used to see you two at her place, when I dropped in the post. So what’s wrong? Aren’t you friends any more?’

He’s blushing and twitching and staring at his feet again. Goodness, he really is in a state. To save him from more misery I say gently, ‘Here, Guy, here’s a leaflet about eye tests or something you can give her, that’s all the post today. But it’s something.’

He takes the junk mail with such joy that I think he’s going to swoop me up and swing me round. He gibbers some kind of thank you and starts heading towards Clara’s house but instead turns in a rush, scaring some sparrows pecking on a grassy lawn nearby. ‘Tessa, you’ve been such a great friend to us, to me and Clara. I got to tell you, you’ll think I’m bonkers though.’

‘Not at all,’ I say in my kindest, most understanding voice. ‘Tell me everything,’ I say, even though this isn’t exactly the right spot for a chummy conversation, on the main street of a small village with the locals walking about, eager to start a friendly chat. As we’ve been speaking, a couple have already greeted us on the way to the shop and it won’t be long before someone joins us, I’m sure.

Guy obviously feels the same way for he grabs my arm and pulls me across the road to the church, mumbling something about getting a bit of privacy. Just in time, too, for out of the corner of my eye I can see Ginger lurking in front of her house, glancing surreptitiously at us. More than one of the windows of the nearby houses have curtains twitching, too. Not that I blame them. Guy is so noticeable with his wild bushy hair and wide smile that you can’t help but look twice when he passes. And for

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