The Christmas Menagerie: a heartwarming Christmas romance

By Minna Howard

Amelia usually loves Christmas, but this year is her first one alone since her husband passed away – though she's not quite by herself. Somehow, she's been lumbered with a menagerie of pets over the holidays, no thanks to the new village vet closing the local kennels.

Between a parrot, two tortoises and god-knows-how-many baby mice, Amelia ends up seeing a lot more of Jules the vet than she planned to. And despite her neighbours' fury for the man who shut down a local institution, she can't help enjoying every moment she spends with Jules.

She tells herself it doesn't really matter as surely Jules will be driven out of the village by this time next year. But as Amelia's about to discover...

...love isn't just for Christmas!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
• Release date: Nov 5, 2020
• ISBN: 9781789541588

Minna Howard

Minna has had an exciting career in fashion journalism and now writes full time, whilst enjoying time with her grandsons and working as an occasional film and TV extra. She lives in London.

Book preview

1

‘So, the girls won’t be with you for Christmas? Well of course, Amelia, you’re welcome to come and stay with us… if you’ve nowhere better to go,’ Tania said, even though Amelia had not suggested it.

‘We can squeeze you in somewhere, though Pippa and Joe are here with the kids, Matt and his new girlfriend and my dreaded ma-in-law,’ Tania’s voice changed to one of doom, ‘with her latest man.’

Amelia guessed that her older sister was frantically reorganising her table plan as they spoke. Tania was surely the most ‘hostess with the mostest’ she’d ever known. Her mind must have spun into overdrive by now, searching for a single man to make up her Christmas table, if she came to stay.

‘That’s sweet of you to ask me, Tania, but there are lots of friends around who’ll be entertaining, and I might give a party. Anyway, it is only one day after all, and getting to you might be difficult, if there’s snow and all.’ Amelia loved her sister and tolerated Garth, her husband, but she was worn ragged by their children and worse still, aggravated by Tania’s mother-in-law. The idea of all of them being cooped up, even snowed in, in their not very large house, faraway in Scotland, depressed her; she’d far rather visit in the summer, without the ma-in-law. Anyway, it wasn’t as if she’d rung her to ask if she could stay, but to tell her she’d ordered a side of smoked salmon, to be delivered to them as her Christmas present to the family.

If only Christmas fell on a lovely summer’s day. Travelling at Christmas time by herself, along with the icy darkness, would be a nightmare.

But once she’d refused her sister’s lacklustre invitation to stay with them over the festivities, Amelia felt rather flat and lonely. She enjoyed her own company, but there was something about being alone on Christmas Day, that felt worse than being alone on any other day in the year.

Esmond, her beloved, much older husband, had died almost four years ago around Easter time. Their daughters, Sophie and Grania, were then still at home. They had stayed with Tania and her family for Christmas, the first year without Esmond, gone to her favourite aunt the following year, and joined friends in a chalet, skiing, last year, as they had just bought this house, and it needed a lot doing to it and looked like a building site. This was the first Christmas that they had planned to spend here, but this year everything had changed.

Sophie, who’d recently moved in with Dom, her new fiancé, was staying with his parents far away in Cornwall. There had been a suggestion that Amelia might join them for Christmas, but she’d made an excuse to get out of it. She didn’t know Dom’s parents and felt shy at having to stay with strangers, so she told Sophie she’d be happy at home. She did not expect her daughters to include her in everything. They’d been wonderful supporting her after their father’s death, but it was now time to stand on her own feet and be a bit more like Grania, who’d been the first to escape from their grieving family and was now bumming round India and not due back until the spring.

Amelia admired her for doing so, and when Sophie asked if she’d mind if she spent Christmas with Dom’s family, she assured both her daughters that she was fine about them making other plans for Christmas this year. She knew they weren’t purposely cutting her out at this time, and though she missed them dreadfully, it was only right that they could fly free. Besides there were lots of friendly people around, and perhaps she’d have a party and invite them all over.

Christmas was in two weeks and she’d recently discovered that most of her local friends were also going away this year. This included Vero, one of her best friends, who was partly responsible for her moving to Suffolk from London. It was her and her family’s turn to stay with her in-laws, so they wouldn’t be around for her to invite them here, or for them to ask her to theirs. She’d refused her sister’s open invitation, so she must make the best of it and have Christmas on her own. At least she could watch the programmes she liked on the television, without having to haggle with the girls or spend hours in the kitchen grappling with the turkey.

Ten days before Christmas, Amelia ran into her nearest neighbour, Stacy, in the butcher’s, looking harassed. ‘I don’t know what to do,’ Stacy greeted her. ‘We were all set to go and stay with Neal and Jenny for Christmas, but the kennels where we booked Ziggy have suddenly closed down, got some bug or something. I don’t really know why, it’s a bit hush hush. Anyway, we can’t take him with us as their ancient dog is too territorial and not best pleased that he’s been upstaged by a baby. They are in a bit of a state with the baby coming early and all. I don’t know what to do with him. Jenny’s mother is not well, and they need us there to help out.’

She looked so stressed; her eyes wild with despair. Amelia knew how much she wanted to go and help with her first grandchild, be with them, at such a special time as Christmas. Ziggy was a mixed-breed terrier, a friendly, mischievous dog.

She heard herself saying, ‘If you’re really stuck, I could have him. How long are you away?’

Stacy’s troubled face instantly relaxed. ‘Oh, Amelia, could you really? He’s no trouble. Though I quite understand if you can’t, if you’ve got people coming and all.’ She looked frantic again.

Rather regretting her offer, Amelia felt she couldn’t backtrack now. Stacy was a good friend and had helped her and her girls settle into the village when they’d moved here from London. She’d been talking about this Christmas for ages, wondering if the baby would come before or after it, or even on Christmas Day. Her first grandchild, a son, had been born a few days ago and naturally she longed to see him. Amelia liked Ziggy, she could take him for walks and things, and it was only a week after all. He wouldn’t be much trouble, surely?

‘Yes, I’ll have him, Stacy. Bring him round before you go.’

‘Oh, thank you, Amelia, you’re a star.’ Stacy hugged her. ‘The worry has kept me awake for nights, thank you so much.’

The news that Amelia was staying at home over Christmas spread around the village like wildfire.

Ten-year-old Bryony knocked on her door and asked hesitatingly if she could possibly have their pet mice, Stripy and Caramel, to stay. ‘Or just go into the house and feed them, Mum will give you a key,’ she said. ‘We were going to take them to Granny as the place we used to go to has suddenly closed over Christmas, only she’s got a new cat,’ she explained. ‘And cats eat mice.’

‘I suppose they do.’ Amelia wondered how she could refuse. The Stewarts lived about twenty minutes from her by car, which would be a bore if she had to keep having to go there to feed the mice. She could see Charlotte, Bryony’s mother sitting in the car up the road.

Bryony caught her gaze, saying, ‘George is kicking off, so Mum sent me to ask.’

‘When are you going away and for how long?’ Amelia felt trapped. She’d offered to have Ziggy, so word must have got around that as she was staying here for Christmas, she could be prevailed upon to help out by taking in peoples’ pets. How many more might she have, now that the kennels had closed?

Five days before Christmas Amelia felt she was in charge of a menagerie. Ziggy had taken over the house at once, choosing to have his bed beside the radiator in the kitchen, the mice were in the garden shed, beside the garage where she’d put Bill and Ben, two tortoises. They’d been dropped off by their child owner, Micky, who said they needed to be inside and liked lettuce. The au pair who helped him carry in a small pen and some straw seemed unable to speak or understand a word of English, so Amelia couldn’t question her about them as she knew nothing about tortoises herself.

‘Yup, and other raw stuff, when they’re awake,’ Micky said vaguely, thrusting a rather battered box of chocolates at her. ‘Mum says thank you and to give you these.’

‘Oh, thanks, and when will you be back to collect them… the tortoises?’ Amelia felt rather desperate, wondering how many more pets might be palmed off on her.

‘Not sure, we’re going skiing, staying with Granny and Grandpa. Mum said she’d ring you but she’s at work now. Frantic, she said,’ he spouted as if quoting lines in a play, slightly frowning as if trying to remember if there was anything else he was supposed to tell her.

The au pair, large, pale and docile, could add nothing to the conversation and Amelia, knowing how hard, Pia, Micky’s single mother worked, and how much she needed the break, staying with her parents who lived near the mountains in France, hadn’t the heart to refuse.

The next pet to arrive was Osbert, a rather aristocratic, ginger cat who she’d occasionally fed when his owner, Gloria, once a young and sexy actress, now middle-aged, was making her yearly trip to Yorkshire to stay with her sister and her large family. She didn’t get as many parts as she used to in her youth, though she lived in hope that she’d be ‘discovered’ again.

Osbert spent much of the day prowling about the neighbourhood but as it was getting dark and cold now, he disdainfully came into her house, and after checking it out, firmly chose to make his billet in Amelia’s bedroom.

Last to arrive and the most complicated was Jamie and Wilfred’s parrot, Cleopatra.

‘We heard through the old grapevine, you were the guardian angel of pets over Christmas as the kennels have mysteriously closed for the holiday. Please can we add Cleo to your happy home?’ Jamie greeted her, lugging in a case of champagne as a thank you, while Wilfred and a friend brought in a large, gilded cage containing a bad-tempered-looking, blue and yellow macaw. They hovered rather awkwardly in the hall with it, while waiting to see where she would lodge.

‘We are only away until the New Year and she’s so good, she’ll be no trouble and add a touch of…’ Jamie glanced round with a hint of disdain. ‘A touch of elegance to your home.’

‘But I have all these other pets, and the girls aren’t here to help me this year.’ Amelia felt frenzied, though she remembered how kind and welcoming the two men had been when they moved in and how they’d found her a wonderful builder who did not over charge and always turned up for work, until it was finished. She supposed she did owe them one, and she was having a very quiet time at home this year, so she could surely manage.

‘She’ll be no trouble, darling,’ Wilfred echoed.

‘As you say you’re not entertaining over Christmas, will it be all right if she goes in the dining room, and looks out at the garden? Anyway, she loves parties if you do decide to have one,’ Jamie said, waving in Wilfred and the friend with the cage.

Amelia followed them into the room, watching them settle Cleo by the window, Jamie checking for draughts before deciding on the exact place to put her cage. She wondered if she was the only person left here in their small community, and what would happen if anything went wrong, and how many more animals might arrive.

‘You’ll be fine, Amelia.’ Jamie hugged her. ‘You won’t need him but here’s the name of the vet should Cleo get a tiny cold or be off her food or something. But I’m sure she’ll be fine. Thank you so much, you’re an angel.’ He blew her a kiss as he went over to settle Cleo in her new abode.

Cleo was squawking madly now, alerting Ziggy, who’d suddenly appeared. He barked frantically at her, making her squawk even louder.

‘Go away, Ziggy.’ Wilfred, who knew him, shooed him away. ‘I think you should shut the door, Amelia, if you’re not around so he can’t bother her. Otherwise, leave the door open so she knows you are about. And let her fly round the room every day, though make sure Ziggy is safely shut away first.’ He looked a little anxious now, trying to catch his partner’s eye, but Jamie was staring out at the garden, the lawn scattered with golden leaves. He pointed out various dormant shrubs to his friend, before turning to her and saying, ‘Your garden is a little bleak, darling. I’ll come and plant some winter shrubs with a bit of colour in for you when we get back.’ The two men were garden designers, who also ran a gardening centre.

‘Thank you. I’d love that. We had so much to do to the house, I haven’t got round to doing much to the garden yet. I’ve been sort of waiting to see what might come up.’

‘Wishful thinking, Amelia, unless you happen to like weeds,’ Jamie said. ‘We are the people you need. I’ll book you in when we get back, we’ll do it as a favour for having Cleo.’ He smiled. ‘We’re really grateful. We’re flying out to friends in the South of France and we were so upset when we heard that the kennels, where we’ve left her before, has closed. We’d so hate not to go.’

‘I’ll do my best with her,’ Amelia said warily, suspecting that Cleo was something of a diva. ‘I don’t know the kennels; do you know why they closed? So many people seemed to be relying on them to take their pets over Christmas.’

‘We’ve all relied on it for years. Dodi and Jim have run it for ages, but Dodi just said it was not possible this time. She didn’t say much, rang off quite abruptly, I thought.’ He looked a bit miffed. ‘Anyway, it’s wonderful that you have come to our aid, dear Amelia. We’d hate to have to give up our holiday,’ Jamie said warmly.

‘I’ll do my best.’ Amelia repeated, feeling rather overwhelmed, as if her house had suddenly turned into a zoo.

Jamie brought in Cleo’s food and a few ‘treats’ and Wilfred explained when to give them to her. There was also an elaborately wrapped present in gold paper and tied with a red and gold ribbon.

For a second Amelia wondered if it was for her, though they’d already given her a case of champagne which was more than generous.

‘This is Cleo’s Christmas present.’ Wilfred hid it behind the sideboard. ‘Please give it to her on Christmas Day. She might need some help opening it, though she loves ripping coloured paper with her beak.’

‘Yes, of course I will.’ Amelia wondered what it was, though she suspected they wouldn’t tell her in front of Cleo and spoil the surprise.

Cleo squawked again and ruffled her feathers and both men ran to sooth her. Amelia knew nothing about parrots, though the men had left a thick folder of information about her, so she could read up about her care. Amelia rather hoped they might change their mind and take Cleo away with them, but they did not. Finally, having made profuse goodbyes to her and an almost tearful one to Cleo, they went on their way.

She knew her daughters were feeling a little guilty at not being with her for Christmas, even though she’d assured them she’d be fine, she didn’t need them to change their plans just to be with her. She’d told them that she’d ask in the neighbours and her old friend Vero and her family, not knowing then that most of them would be away. She sent the girls pictures of all the animals left in her care. ‘House full. Owners away.’ She wrote under them.

Heavens, Mum, what an imposition. How can you possibly manage them all? Sophie emailed back.

‘Of course I can do it, it’s only for a few days, and you’ll be back for some of them,’ Amelia explained, relieved that Sophie would soon be here to help her.

2

Dom had been so pleased when she agreed to spend Christmas with his family and Mum had been fine about it, but Sophie felt guilty leaving her on her own. ‘Now you’re engaged you are going to be part of his family and he is in ours, so I think that’s a great idea, darling,’ Mum had enthused, going on to say she’d be fine, after all she’d see her for New Year. ‘Anyway, it’s a good time for you to get to know Dom’s parents… your in-laws to be,’ she’d finished.

Some joke! They were mainly the trouble. She’d met them briefly a couple of times when they’d come to London from their home in Cornwall and it had been fine, but now stuck here in the cold, dark winter, with them and his sister, Jade, and Vince, her creepy boyfriend, Sophie longed to be home with Mum. With Christmas Day fast approaching she felt upset that Mum would be alone. If only Dad was still here.

She put on her coat and woolly hat, and went out in the garden, through the gate and up on to the cliffs above the sea. The waves were crashing on the shore, the smell of salt in the air. It was a beautiful place, the dramatic sweep of the land, the pale, winter sun dancing on the water. If only she and Dom were here alone together, it would be heaven. She took out her mobile and rang home.

‘Hi, Mum, are you okay?’

‘Busy running round after all these animals, but otherwise yes. I’m a bit nervous about Cleo, Jamie and Wilfred’s parrot, she’s quite a diva.’ Her mum laughed. ‘So, how are you? It must be lovely down there, wild and romantic. You said they live by the sea.’

‘It’s beautiful… it’s just…’ She sighed. ‘They fight all the time, squabble over the slightest thing, and Dom’s sister, Jade, has this weird boyfriend, who keeps lurching my way. I’m certainly not encouraging him, but she thinks I am, so she keeps throwing me dirty looks. He’s a creep, positively the last person I’d want to be with.’

There was silence for a moment, and she wondered if Mum could hear her. She wasn’t sure how good the signal was out here. She was about to ask, when she came back.

‘You know what families are like, love. I expect people might say that of us at times. And Christmas is quite a fraught time, Sophie, not to mention all being cooped up together in the winter, with people you hardly know.’ She paused and then went on, ‘Though as Dom’s family, they are sort of yours too, now you are engaged. Dad would remind you of that. It will all work out, you’ll see. And how is Dom? He’s surely looking after you,’ she finished bracingly.

Sophie sighed. Trust Mum not to understand. Dad might not have either, but he was much older, though she couldn’t accuse him of thinking women had to succumb to men, or their husbands or anything bizarre like that. But it was true, now they were engaged to be married she would be part of Dom’s family as he was of hers. That hadn’t crossed her mind when he had proposed. He’d even gone down on one knee though having got a fit of the giggles, he’d fallen over and she’d fallen on top of him and the whole thing had ended up in a joyful muddle of limbs.

‘He is, ’course he is, but he’s off with his mates a lot of the time, men he’s grown up with. They go on pub crawls together, and I could go with them, though I hate doing that. I know he barely sees them now he lives in London and he’s hardly ever here. But I wish I was home with you and all those animals.’ She was hit suddenly by a swirl of homesickness.

Mum put on her ‘sensible’ voice, as she suspected she would. ‘I’m sure things will work out, darling. You’ve just got to all get used to each other, and it’s winter, so more difficult being cooped up inside together, but you and Dom love each other and that’s the most important thing.’

‘I know… but we’re never alone. His mother doesn’t believe in people sleeping in the same room until they are married. He creeps into my bed sometimes. After all we are living together in London and…’ She heard a shout and there was Dom coming towards her, for once on his own.

‘Here he comes now. I’d better