The Guesthouse at Lobster Bay by Annie Robertson

Author:Annie Robertson [Robertson, Annie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Welbeck Publishing
Published: 2021-07-07T18:30:00+00:00

Outside the vet, Aidan opened the boot of the car and carefully lifted Wilbur out, who made no effort to struggle.

‘I don’t know how you manage to carry him,’ said Emma, admiring not only Aidan’s strength but the gentleness with which he held him too. ‘I’d need a forklift truck to do the same.’

‘It isn’t easy,’ he said, concentrating on the task, his arm and neck muscles straining. Emma ran ahead to open the double doors to the surgery.

‘Hi, I’m—’ said Emma, going over to the semi-circular reception desk.

‘You must be Emma,’ said the receptionist, immediately coming out from behind the desk and going to Wilbur, who Aidan placed on the floor.

‘Right . . .’ said Emma, perplexed as to how the vet’s receptionist knew her.

‘Hilda told us you’d be looking after Wilbur.’ She crouched down beside Wilbur and put her face close to his. ‘What’s the matter, big fella? You not feeling so well?’ she said, in a coochy-coo sort of voice, as if talking to a baby. Aidan flashed a look at Emma that said ‘this woman is bananas’, making her snigger.

‘He’s been vomiting and then his back legs went from under him.’

‘Poor guy,’ said the receptionist, stroking his ears. ‘We’d better have Cameron take a look at you.’

The receptionist disappeared through a door to the back of the surgery and moments later a burly man in scrubs appeared and approached Emma.

‘I’m Cameron,’ he said, in a voice that was both assertive and reassuring. He shook both Emma’s and Aidan’s hands. ‘I’ll be looking after Wilbur today. How’s he doing?’

‘Not great, he seems really weak,’ said Emma, surprised by just how worried she felt.

Cameron knelt down next to Wilbur and put his stethoscope to the dog’s chest.

‘How long’s he been like this?’

‘I only noticed him vomit for the first time about half an hour ago, but he may have been sick in the garden too.’

‘Has he eaten anything that he shouldn’t have?’

‘I don’t think so,’ said Emma, watching the vet check his eyes, nose and mouth.

‘He might have picked something up at the beach last night,’ said Aidan. ‘We weren’t watching him all the time.’

‘Like what?’ Emma asked, feeling an immediate sense of blame.

‘Dead fish, parasitic saltwater, palm oil, to name but a few,’ said Cameron, who was now feeling Wilbur’s stomach.

‘I had no idea a trip to the beach could be so hazardous,’ said Emma, hoping the vet wouldn’t think her negligent.

‘It’s not your fault,’ he said, standing up. ‘We can’t be watching them every hour of the day, and Wilbur has a history of eating things he’s not supposed to.’

‘Will he be okay?’ asked Emma, pleased to know that this had happened on Hilda’s watch too, and praying that Cameron would say yes. The prospect of having to tell Hilda that she’d killed her precious dog was more than Emma could bear.

‘Everything points to dehydration, but I’ll keep him in overnight for observations, just to be sure.’

‘Thank you,’ said Emma, her shoulders dropping by about a foot. Aidan

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