pleats.
‘He’s the cleaner’s boy,’ Olivia explained. ‘She’s upstairs tackling a mountain of ironing. She’s much more efficient than I am. I always end up with more creases than when I started when I attempt the ironing, and I once managed to burn an entire cuff off one of Dudley’s Thomas Pink shirts.’ She laughed, and Nina couldn’t help smiling at the confession.
‘Come on through and sit down.’ Olivia said, leading the way to the living room at the front of the house, a bright airy room with walls the colour of a summer sky and honey-coloured floorboards. ‘Now, I’ll just release poor Ziggy before he bursts a blood vessel in excitement.’ Olivia took a deep breath. ‘I should warn you, he’s a bit lively and he’ll probably jump up, but he’s very friendly.’
Before Nina could protest or even ask what exactly Ziggy was, Olivia had left the room and a dreadful scraping and whining could be heard from further along the hallway.
‘ No – you’ll be nice and calm now, won’t you? Ziggy? Ziggy! Nina – he’s on his waaaay!’ Olivia called. Benji got up from where he’d flopped down on the rug in front of the fireplace and dived behind a chair in the corner of the room as an enormous hairy dog came hurtling in and launched itself at Nina.
‘Oh!’ she cried, as the apricot-coloured face pushed itself towards her in instant adoration. ‘ Oh! ’
‘Nina! Are you all right in there?’ Olivia’s voice came from the hallway.
‘He’s a bit—’ Nina couldn’t speak because her mouth was full of fur.
‘Ziggy – down! DOWN! Oh, why doesn’t he do what I say? I’m having such problems with him.’
‘I’ve never seen a dog quite like him,’ Nina said. ‘What is he?’
‘One of these Labradoodles,’ Olivia said. ‘He was so cute as a puppy – like a little teddy bear. I didn’t realise he’d grow to be quite so huge!’
‘Oh, but he’s wonderful.’
Olivia smiled. ‘He is. I know. But if only he’d do what he’s told!’
Nina patted the soft apricot head and smiled at the flappy ears and the lolling tongue. ‘He’s gorgeous!’
As if knowing he was being admired, Ziggy let out a volley of barks and bounced up on his hind legs again.
‘Okay – that’s enough, Ziggy!’ Olivia cried, pulling the dog off Nina and dragging him out of the room.
Nina brushed herself down and sat on one of the huge sofas and felt herself sinking back into a kingdom of cushions.
‘I’ll get us some tea,’ Olivia shouted from the hallway.
It was only then that Benji emerged, obviously realising that it was safe to come out from behind the chair.
‘And how old are you, Benji?’ Nina asked, her voice quiet and non-threatening. He didn’t reply but continued to stare at her in the most unnerving way. ‘I bet you like this house, don’t you?’ Nina continued, undeterred. ‘Especially Prince Caspian?’ she said, pointing to the rocking horse by the window. ‘Isn’t he wonderful? I bet you like riding him?’
Benji’s small grey eyes stared at her as if she were quite mad.
Nina looked over at the rocking horse. Poor old Prince Caspian. He didn’t look so regal these days. What was left of his mane looked limp and wiry and, if Benji were indeed to use him as a plaything, he would very soon be completely bald.
‘Have you finished your drink?’ she asked, rapidly running out of things to say to the boy, and wishing Olivia would hurry up with the tea things. She’d always adored children, and usually got on well with them, but it seemed that she didn’t have the knack with this particular little boy. Perhaps, she thought, she should just pick up one of the magazines on the table in front and ignore him completely.
‘Yes!’ his small voice suddenly piped.
‘What?’ she asked in surprise.
‘Finish drink.’
‘Oh, I see.’
Conversation completed, he turned around and bombed out of the room to his own soundtrack of an aeroplane.
‘Benji!’ Olivia shrieked
‘He’s the cleaner’s boy,’ Olivia explained. ‘She’s upstairs tackling a mountain of ironing. She’s much more efficient than I am. I always end up with more creases than when I started when I attempt the ironing, and I once managed to burn an entire cuff off one of Dudley’s Thomas Pink shirts.’ She laughed, and Nina couldn’t help smiling at the confession.
‘Come on through and sit down.’ Olivia said, leading the way to the living room at the front of the house, a bright airy room with walls the colour of a summer sky and honey-coloured floorboards. ‘Now, I’ll just release poor Ziggy before he bursts a blood vessel in excitement.’ Olivia took a deep breath. ‘I should warn you, he’s a bit lively and he’ll probably jump up, but he’s very friendly.’
Before Nina could protest or even ask what exactly Ziggy was, Olivia had left the room and a dreadful scraping and whining could be heard from further along the hallway.
‘ No – you’ll be nice and calm now, won’t you? Ziggy? Ziggy! Nina – he’s on his waaaay!’ Olivia called. Benji got up from where he’d flopped down on the rug in front of the fireplace and dived behind a chair in the corner of the room as an enormous hairy dog came hurtling in and launched itself at Nina.
‘Oh!’ she cried, as the apricot-coloured face pushed itself towards her in instant adoration. ‘ Oh! ’
‘Nina! Are you all right in there?’ Olivia’s voice came from the hallway.
‘He’s a bit—’ Nina couldn’t speak because her mouth was full of fur.
‘Ziggy – down! DOWN! Oh, why doesn’t he do what I say? I’m having such problems with him.’
‘I’ve never seen a dog quite like him,’ Nina said. ‘What is he?’
‘One of these Labradoodles,’ Olivia said. ‘He was so cute as a puppy – like a little teddy bear. I didn’t realise he’d grow to be quite so huge!’
‘Oh, but he’s wonderful.’
Olivia smiled. ‘He is. I know. But if only he’d do what he’s told!’
Nina patted the soft apricot head and smiled at the flappy ears and the lolling tongue. ‘He’s gorgeous!’
As if knowing he was being admired, Ziggy let out a volley of barks and bounced up on his hind legs again.
‘Okay – that’s enough, Ziggy!’ Olivia cried, pulling the dog off Nina and dragging him out of the room.
Nina brushed herself down and sat on one of the huge sofas and felt herself sinking back into a kingdom of cushions.
‘I’ll get us some tea,’ Olivia shouted from the hallway.
It was only then that Benji emerged, obviously realising that it was safe to come out from behind the chair.
‘And how old are you, Benji?’ Nina asked, her voice quiet and non-threatening. He didn’t reply but continued to stare at her in the most unnerving way. ‘I bet you like this house, don’t you?’ Nina continued, undeterred. ‘Especially Prince Caspian?’ she said, pointing to the rocking horse by the window. ‘Isn’t he wonderful? I bet you like riding him?’
Benji’s small grey eyes stared at her as if she were quite mad.
Nina looked over at the rocking horse. Poor old Prince Caspian. He didn’t look so regal these days. What was left of his mane looked limp and wiry and, if Benji were indeed to use him as a plaything, he would very soon be completely bald.
‘Have you finished your drink?’ she asked, rapidly running out of things to say to the boy, and wishing Olivia would hurry up with the tea things. She’d always adored children, and usually got on well with them, but it seemed that she didn’t have the knack with this particular little boy. Perhaps, she thought, she should just pick up one of the magazines on the table in front and ignore him completely.
‘Yes!’ his small voice suddenly piped.
‘What?’ she asked in surprise.
‘Finish drink.’
‘Oh, I see.’
Conversation completed, he turned around and bombed out of the room to his own soundtrack of an aeroplane.
‘Benji!’ Olivia shrieked
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