Читать книгу A Visitor at the Palace: The perfect feel-good royal romance to read this summer - Georgie Crawley, Georgie Crawley - Страница 10

‘We saw the Queen!’ Okay, so it had only been the briefest glimpse of a hat, and maybe a corgi’s ear, as the big, black car had pulled away from the Palace, but Claire was still jumping up and down like they’d had a personal audience.

‘And I got the whole thing,’ Jack added, as he stopped filming on his phone. ‘Granny will love this.’

‘She will,’ Amy agreed. Her mother, Granny Freida, was a huge fan of all things Royal. Jack had basically just secured the best Christmas presents for life in return for a viewing of that ninety second film and its half a second shot of Her Majesty.

Really, she couldn’t have planned this day better. The kids were happy and excited, she felt relaxed for the first time in months, and now they’d go and look at the lights and get some dinner, and it would all be lovely and perfect and the magical Christmas she’d been hoping for.

Dr Fitzgerald had been right. Focusing on the future was the way to go.

‘Where’s Henry?’ Jack asked, frowning, and Amy felt all that calm relaxation evaporate in an instant, as she was dragged back to the suddenly frightening present.

‘What do you mean? He was right here …’ Amy glanced down to where Henry had sat at her feet, calm and content, all day. Even in the cold, her palms were sweaty as she checked the lead in her hand. It was a retractable one and it was, of course, fully retracted. No dog attached. Because she’d taken Henry off his lead so he could have a race around St James’s Park, and then—

‘I forgot to put his lead back on.’ Amy’s heart thumped so hard in her chest she thought it might break free. ‘But … but he must be around here somewhere. He wouldn’t just wander off.’

Would he? Henry had been to all the standard puppy training classes, and was usually sensible enough to stay close when things were busy – mostly to make sure he didn’t miss out on any food. But an event like today, with all the noise and the pushing, and in such a strange place … Not to mention his recent habit of escaping out the front door whenever it was open. What if he’d run again?

And where could he have run to?

‘He could be anywhere,’ Jack said, sounding agonised.

She should have been more vigilant. More careful. More attentive. How could she have forgotten his lead? How could she have forgotten Henry, even if just long enough to watch the Queen drive away?

She’d failed him. Failed her family. She’d been an idiot to think she could do all this alone.

Despair gripped her as she looked desperately around her, hoping for the sight of a fluffy, stumpy tail, or a doggy grin.

Nothing.

No. Amy shook her head. She didn’t have time for despair. She had to be a parent again. To take charge.

After all, she was the only one left to do that, now.

‘We need to look for him. Call him,’ she said, thinking her way through a plan. ‘He always comes when he hears his name. Let’s split up. Jack, you take that side of the railings, Claire and I will take this side.’

The crowd was clearing now, as much as it ever did outside Buckingham Palace, and they could at least see the pavement between people. Keeping Claire close – the last thing she needed was to lose a child as well as a dog – Amy made her way along the railings, calling for Henry.

‘He couldn’t have run out into the road, or we’d have seen him,’ Claire said, following her. ‘So he has to be around here somewhere. Doesn’t he?’

‘Absolutely,’ Amy said, with much more confidence than she actually felt. ‘And even when he runs away to the park, he always stops to look back and check I’m following. He won’t have gone far. I’m sure we’ll find him in no time.’

Three hours later, as the train raced them home along the tracks, Amy wrapped an arm around Claire’s shoulders, her heart breaking at her daughter’s tears. Across from them, Jack sat sullenly, staring out of the window. He hadn’t looked her in the eye since the moment they realised Henry was missing.

The policeman they’d spoken to had been helpful, but not hopeful. London was just such a big city. Henry could be anywhere.

‘He’s microchipped,’ Amy had told them, desperately.

‘Well, if he turns up, at least they’ll know who he belongs to,’ the policeman had said, obviously trying not to emphasise the ‘if’.

‘He could have been stolen,’ Jack said, suddenly, setting Claire off with fresh waves of sobs. ‘Corgis are a popular breed. Someone could have dognapped him while we weren’t looking.’

‘Which means we’ll never see him again!’ Claire shot an accusing glare at her mother.

Amy didn’t blame her. It was all her fault. She’d been so busy congratulating herself on organising the perfect, magical day for her kids, without Jim, that she’d lost sight of what really mattered – them all spending the day together.

Including Henry.

He must be so scared, alone in the city, or with total strangers. He wouldn’t understand what was happening, or where they’d gone. He’d only know he wasn’t with them. That they’d left him behind.

Never mind the kids forgiving her – she’d never forgive herself for that.

Jack had gone back to staring out of the window, into the bitter, winter night. He might not have said much, but Amy knew he had to be just as upset as Claire was. Henry was his dog really, his and Jim’s. Jim had brought him home for Jack when Henry was just a puppy, and Jack only just turned ten. Ever since, training Henry, walking him, looking after him, had been something father and son had done together. But now, Jim had gone, leaving Henry behind to muddle through with the rest of them.

Jack had seemed to take his father’s leaving well, to start with, but as the weeks had gone on he’d withdrawn more and more into himself. He’d always talked about becoming a vet, and researched exactly which courses he’d need to take, what work experience would stand him in good stead for getting a place on his preferred course. He’d worked so hard, for the last two years, determined to get his dream job. But in the last few weeks, he seemed to have forgotten that it was ever even important to him.

But Henry … Henry had always mattered, to all of them. As much as he might frustrate her sometimes, Amy knew that Henry loved them all with that unfailing devotion that dogs had. She might not like him climbing on the beds, but she knew Claire slept better with Henry beside her. Not just Claire – Amy had woken a few times over the last six weeks to find Henry curled beside her, keeping her warm in Jim’s absence.

And Jack … Jack might not talk to her about how he was feeling, but she knew he talked to Henry, sometimes, when he thought no one could hear him. Who would he talk to now?

Amy watched Jack now, resting his head against the glass, his dark hair flopping over his forehead, and felt her heart ache for him. Her boy, almost all grown up – but not so grown up he didn’t still need his parents.

Didn’t need his father. And his dog.

Amy let her eyes close for a second, and tipped her head back to rest against the back of the seat. Just a moment to grieve and feel like all was lost.

Then she opened her eyes, straightened her spine, and got back to it.

Okay, so she’d reported Henry as missing, and made sure they knew he was microchipped. She’d searched the area, called his name, and tried to tempt him out with doggy treats. She’d spoken to every tourist in the vicinity of Buckingham Palace who could understand her and asked if they’d seen Henry.

She’d done everything she could, on the scene.

So the next question was, what could she do from home to bring Henry back to them?

The Walker family had already lost enough this year. She wasn’t about to give up another member of the family without a fight.

‘Okay, kids,’ she said, waiting until she had their full attention before continuing. ‘What we need next is a plan.’