think, Tessa?’ my aunt asks as she peruses the walls, which are painted a dull shade of mushroom. Not waiting for me to form an opinion, she goes on, ‘You can use it as either the living room or main bedroom. We thought the room at the front would make a useful office combined with a reception area. There’s another room slightly smaller than this one, a kitchenette and a bathroom. It’s basic, but there’s everything there that you need.’
‘I suppose you’ll need someone living on site.’
‘That’s the idea.’ Fifi reaches out for my arm. ‘So, if you can beg, steal or borrow a bed and a microwave, you can move in tomorrow.’
‘Me?’
‘Yes, you. Oh, darling, why did you think I brought you here? I can’t find you a job as a vet nurse, so I’m offering you the position of manager in return for rent-free accommodation, the use of a vehicle and a salary of …’ She mentions a figure that’s much less than I could earn if I returned to practice. ‘I can’t offer you any more than that. Chastity was a generous benefactor, but the money has to be eked out.’
‘It’s such a shock.’
‘I can’t say that it’s the answer to all your prayers. It won’t be much help with your financial position, but it does solve the immediate problem of finding somewhere to live.’
‘Are you sure?’ I gaze around at the house. It isn’t up to much, that’s true, but it’s close to home and, as my dad would say, beggars can’t be choosers. Finding new homes for stray and unwanted animals would be a fresh challenge, something different and potentially very rewarding, and it would give me the time and space to decide what to do in the longer term, but I hope this isn’t special treatment. ‘I don’t want you offering me this opportunity because you feel sorry for me,’ I continue.
‘Tessa, you would be doing me and Talyton Animal Rescue a great favour. You’re a qualified nurse, you care for animals and their welfare, and you’re good with people.’
‘I’m not so good at reading character,’ I say ruefully.
‘Some people are more devious than others,’ Fifi says, and I wonder if she’s thinking of Nathan or herself. ‘If you can run a vet practice, you can organise the Sanctuary.’
‘I haven’t run a practice single-handed before.’ I’ve dealt with difficult clients, grappled with smoking autoclaves and kept trainee vet nurses in line. I’ve babysat vets too, especially the ones straight out of vet school, some of whom didn’t appear to know one end of a syringe from the other.
‘You’ll need to keep the volunteers in order and raise funds to keep the centre going.’
‘I thought the committee did the fund-raising?’
‘Oh, we do, but we’ll need a lot of input from you. There’ll be an open day and a ball this summer. That’s what we’ve decided on so far.’
‘It sounds fun.’ It will keep my mind off Nathan and my money worries. It will give me a focus.
‘I have a whole army of volunteers willing and able to help you out, and it’s a year’s contract, so you’ll be secure for a while.’
‘A year?’ I say slowly. ‘I’m not sure.’ I start to backtrack as doubts come scuttling like rats into my mind. ‘I haven’t got any experience of running a rescue centre. I don’t want to let you down.’
‘I’m certain you wouldn’t. Tessa, do think about it. You don’t have to give me an answer now. Tomorrow morning will do.’
‘That isn’t much time.’
‘We have animals waiting to move in. Our foster homes, as I said to DJ, are full. Other local rescue charities are chock-a-block. We are desperate. In fact, for the first time, we’re thinking the unthinkable.’ Fifi looks at me, her eyes growing bright with tears. ‘We’ll have to choose between them. Imagine that.’
‘It won’t come to that.’ I rest my arm around my aunt’s narrow shoulders. ‘No vet I know will agree to put down a healthy animal, unless they’re a danger to people or
‘I suppose you’ll need someone living on site.’
‘That’s the idea.’ Fifi reaches out for my arm. ‘So, if you can beg, steal or borrow a bed and a microwave, you can move in tomorrow.’
‘Me?’
‘Yes, you. Oh, darling, why did you think I brought you here? I can’t find you a job as a vet nurse, so I’m offering you the position of manager in return for rent-free accommodation, the use of a vehicle and a salary of …’ She mentions a figure that’s much less than I could earn if I returned to practice. ‘I can’t offer you any more than that. Chastity was a generous benefactor, but the money has to be eked out.’
‘It’s such a shock.’
‘I can’t say that it’s the answer to all your prayers. It won’t be much help with your financial position, but it does solve the immediate problem of finding somewhere to live.’
‘Are you sure?’ I gaze around at the house. It isn’t up to much, that’s true, but it’s close to home and, as my dad would say, beggars can’t be choosers. Finding new homes for stray and unwanted animals would be a fresh challenge, something different and potentially very rewarding, and it would give me the time and space to decide what to do in the longer term, but I hope this isn’t special treatment. ‘I don’t want you offering me this opportunity because you feel sorry for me,’ I continue.
‘Tessa, you would be doing me and Talyton Animal Rescue a great favour. You’re a qualified nurse, you care for animals and their welfare, and you’re good with people.’
‘I’m not so good at reading character,’ I say ruefully.
‘Some people are more devious than others,’ Fifi says, and I wonder if she’s thinking of Nathan or herself. ‘If you can run a vet practice, you can organise the Sanctuary.’
‘I haven’t run a practice single-handed before.’ I’ve dealt with difficult clients, grappled with smoking autoclaves and kept trainee vet nurses in line. I’ve babysat vets too, especially the ones straight out of vet school, some of whom didn’t appear to know one end of a syringe from the other.
‘You’ll need to keep the volunteers in order and raise funds to keep the centre going.’
‘I thought the committee did the fund-raising?’
‘Oh, we do, but we’ll need a lot of input from you. There’ll be an open day and a ball this summer. That’s what we’ve decided on so far.’
‘It sounds fun.’ It will keep my mind off Nathan and my money worries. It will give me a focus.
‘I have a whole army of volunteers willing and able to help you out, and it’s a year’s contract, so you’ll be secure for a while.’
‘A year?’ I say slowly. ‘I’m not sure.’ I start to backtrack as doubts come scuttling like rats into my mind. ‘I haven’t got any experience of running a rescue centre. I don’t want to let you down.’
‘I’m certain you wouldn’t. Tessa, do think about it. You don’t have to give me an answer now. Tomorrow morning will do.’
‘That isn’t much time.’
‘We have animals waiting to move in. Our foster homes, as I said to DJ, are full. Other local rescue charities are chock-a-block. We are desperate. In fact, for the first time, we’re thinking the unthinkable.’ Fifi looks at me, her eyes growing bright with tears. ‘We’ll have to choose between them. Imagine that.’
‘It won’t come to that.’ I rest my arm around my aunt’s narrow shoulders. ‘No vet I know will agree to put down a healthy animal, unless they’re a danger to people or
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