The Famous Five Reunited with Friends

Chapter 5: Resentment - but relief!

  At around eight o'clock that evening, George staggered out of her car with a bulging bag, her car keys and a puppy under one arm. Anne immediately rushed at her and plucked the wriggling dog out of her arms.

  "Oh! What a dear little dog! Hello, puppy! You're getting a friend! What's your name, dog?"

  "His name is Bounce." wheezed George, placing her bag down in the lift and shutting the door with Anne.

  "Bounce! What a gorgeous name for a gorgeous dog! Oh... I wonder how Timothy will get on with him..."

  "We're about to find out. Let's just hope that he doesn't take to him like that little dog belonging to Mrs Stick. Just introduce them slowly and let them notice each other."

  At first, Timothy was so entranced by the tempting meaty smells coming from George's bag that he barely noticed the intruder. Then he shot one look at the fluffy golden creature and let out a warning growl. The wriggling dog froze and flattened itself onto the floor. Timothy bared his teeth and snarled and with one quick, deft movement, he pounced! Yelping, Anne scooped up the puppy and yelled.

  "Down, Timothy! You bad dog! Bad Timothy!"

  "You can hardly blame him, Anne. He's hardly met another dog in his life, so it's not surprising that he reacted this way. We're simply going to have to find another home for him." Julian said, taking the big mongrel by the collar and hauling him back. 

  "Isn't there official stuff you have to do? Like microchips and all that other nonsense?" Richard said.

  "It's the law, here in 2016." Julian said "I've been Googling it. We need to take him to a vet and get him implanted with a microchip, like Timothy."

  "The law's gone mad! Timmy survived without one of those gadgets all through his life and even on all our adventures I never lost him!" George scoffed.

  "Well, there's all sorts of cunning and evil people around these days. Even ones that would steal a dog. And it's better to be safe than sorry, George, so tomorrow morning I'll phone the vet and get a quick appointment for Doggy. For now, lets put Doggy-"

  "His name is Bounce." Anne informed him primly.

  "Let's put Bounce into the kitchen and shut him in so that Timothy can't get at him. Then we can advertise for a new home for him."

  Ding!

  This time it was Anne's Messenger that popped up with a message. She held Bounce in one hand and read it.

  "It's Jo, saying that we need to do it again sometime. Do you think she would like Bounce?"

  "NO." said George "I wouldn't trust that girl anywhere near a defenceless little puppy."

  "You saw how well she handled those snakes - and those horses, George!" Richard, ever at the girl's defence, piped up.

  "When?"

  "When we went camping and she turned up with the fairfolk. You can't deny she was a natural with those creatures."

  George subsided, muttering.

  "I'll text her." Anne said, tapping away expertly "Fancy... a... golden retriever... puppy?"

  They unpacked the nicely-wrapped up loaves of bread and the bone. There was also a whole Dorset apple cake, some rough home-made scones and a sliding treacle tart wrapped up in the bag too, now slightly squashed by two big bottles of ginger beer.

  "Goodness! Wherever did you get all these things from?" Anne exclaimed in wonder.

  "Well, the cake and scones are from Joanna, who's now semi-retired and living next door to Kirrin Cottage."

  "Dear old Joanna..." Richard said wistfully "The best cook in the world... she must be about eighty by now, surely?"

  "Seventy-nine, actually. The treacle pie was from the baker. He always lavishes gifts on me, every time I go to Kirrin. Probably because I'm the owner of the island and I'll inherit Kirrin Cottage and everything like that from Mother and Father. Although... I hope you haven't forgotten that you guys all have a piece of the island too!"

  "I wouldn't mind a piece of that pie, actually..." Richard said. George was saved from replying by Anne's phone.

  "Jo says she'd love a golden retriever puppy."

  Everyone looked at each other.

  "Where do we go from here?" George said, looking at Julian. Since he was the oldest - though only by a year or so - they all tended to look at him for instructions.

  "I guess we should meet up with her tomorrow - don't groan, George, she's nice enough - and organise stuff. I'll leave that to you, Anne."

  "Oh goody! I like organising things!"

  And with that, they all packed up and went to bed.