Fox. Bill Robertson

Fox.

      ‘Hi Col, you look disgustingly happy and healthy. Welcome. John’s in the study just finishing a phone call. He won’t be long. Would you like a stubby?’

      ‘Yep, just one. Dinner smells great. What’s on?’ said Fox as he stepped forward and swept Caroline into his arms with a giant bear hug.

      ‘Garlic bread, lamb and apple cider stew, minted peas, baby carrots and spuds in their jackets followed by home-made apple crumble and cream. So … this is Lucy is it? Put her down a minute love, I want to see what she does.’

      Judy placed Lucy on the floor and they all laughed as she yipped in her puppy bark and ran about madly sniffing this and bumping that.

      ‘How old did you say she was Col?’

      ‘Fourteen weeks with all her first round jabs complete. Here’s the papers.’ He passed across a thick envelope. ‘Her next immunisation is due in two weeks and, they’ve been paid for. Pedigree papers are there too, pure bred golden Labrador.’

      Then, as if by magic, Belle, the family’s antique black Labrador, entered the kitchen, stopped and gave a single deep bark. Lucy darted across the floor and began leaping and dancing around her, yipping and nipping in delight. Stoically, Belle stood her ground and eyed Caroline with a look that said, ‘How could you do this to me! At my age. What an upstart!’

      ‘Put the dogs out the back will you please Judy. Belle can show Lucy the ropes.’

      ‘Oh Mum, she’s only just arrived. Can’t she have permission on her first night?’

      ‘NO! That’s what I mean about learning the ropes.’

      Judy looked imploringly at Fox who shrugged and grinned. ‘Don’t look at me mate, your mum’s the boss here.’

      ‘Thank you very much Mr Fox! And here was I thinking I’d trained this house to run exactly as I needed.’ John McNulty walked into the kitchen, hand extended, smiling. ‘Good to see you Fox. I see Caro’s got you a beer. So, this is the new addition to the family, eh? She looks pretty lively.’

      ‘G’day John. Yep, this is Lucy. Jason and Jenny in too?

      ‘No, Jason’s still in the eastern states at Melbourne uni but Jenny should be home in the next ten minutes. She’s been out on the water all day as part of her studies. Said she’d be home at seven.’

      ‘Dad, can we leave Lucy inside until Jen’s home?’

      ‘What did your mother say?’ he asked, catching Caroline’s sly wink.

      Suddenly, there was more high pitched barking as footsteps came down the hallway and Jennifer entered the kitchen. A flurry of golden fur launched itself into the air yapping and licking the new arrival, stopping only to piddle with excitement.

      ‘And who is this?’ asked the lissom, auburn haired girl in her well-modulated voice.

      ‘Jenny, meet Lucy,’ said Fox stepping forward to give the beautiful girl a warm hug and kiss. ‘She’s your new play thing and Belle’s nightmare.’

      When they’d finished laughing at the antics of the little dog Caroline said, ‘Sorry Judy, just joking Poppet. Of course you can have her inside, Belle’s here most of the time why not Lucy. But do please clean up that puddle. Tea will be about ten minutes.’

      Fox walked off to the bathroom to wash before tea and heard Jenny ask, ‘What happened to your car Mum?’ Caroline’s response was lost in the hiss of splashing water.

      Over dinner, conversation bubbled backwards and forwards between Fox’s impending journey overseas and family activities: a medical professorship, the children’s studies and Caroline’s recent promotion to Senior Sergeant sub-charge at Fremantle. During a lull in conversation Fox asked, ‘Did I hear Jenny suggest there’s something wrong with your car, Caroline?’

      ‘Oh some ratbag ran a key or something all along the passenger side and gouged the duco. Don’t know when it happened. I noticed it when I was shopping at Booragoon this afternoon. It wasn’t there at the weekend because Judy and I washed the car so it’s happened some time in the last three days.’

      ‘Yes, and I think that’s strange,’ said Judy, ‘when I got my bike to ride home from school this afternoon both brake cables were disconnected. Fortunately they weren’t broken and Tory Stephenson fixed them for me.’

      ‘You should have mentioned that earlier, Judy,’ said Caroline frowning, ‘that’s dangerous. Were they alright when you went to school this morning?’

      ‘Yeah, they were fine.’

      ‘I’ll have a word to the headmaster. We can’t have students doing stuff like that, it’s irresponsible.’

      ‘What about the car?’ asked John, ‘insurance?’

      ‘No, it’s not worth losing the no-claim bonus. I’ll get a price from a couple of local repair shops in Freo.’

      At ten, on the grounds of a follow-up exercise at Rottnest Island, Fox excused himself with a promise to attend a final dinner before leaving for the UK.