Mr Strong,” and Mr Strong said, “Well hello, Tomasso,” which I think is Italian.
There was a special tea waiting on the table with little sandwiches and cakes and I wondered when we were going to eat it, but Uncle Mike and Dad and Mr Strong kept on talking and Dad was looking very cheerful, so that was good. Mum said that Angie was supposed to be dropped off by someone and they were late, but just then the doorbell rang. I could hear Mum’s voice in the hall, and Angie’s, and someone else’s, which seemed to go on rather. Then there was a sort of thump, and then the door flew open and Angie just stood there. She was holding something in her arms and she shouted, “Traraa!” like someone in the circus and then she threw out her arms and the thing jumped across the room, and it was Snowflake.
Dad said, “Angie, what on earth …?” and then the front door banged and Mum came in and said, “It was Miss Bennet, she was in a terrible state …” and Angie said, “We’ve got to look after Snowflake because poor Miss Bennet’s mother is ill and Miss Bennet has to go and look after her, and I told her you wouldn’t mind and she’s given me a list of all the things Snowflake likes to eat.”
Uncle Mike laughed, but I could see he didn’t really think it was funny, and he said, “Well, Gordon, there you see it, ha ha, that’s family life.” But Mr Strong didn’t say anything. He was standing absolutely still and looking down at Snowflake, who was peeing on his trouser leg.
I’m not quite sure what happened next. I think Dad made a sort of lunge at Snowflake, but he must have tripped, and he and Mr Strong both fell over. Mr Strong was left half kneeling on the floor, but Dad was stretched right out on his stomach, reaching out for Snowflake, who’d got away, of course, and I saw Mr Strong looking down at Dad and sort of measuring him. It was a bit like measuring Snowflake, only he was doing it in his head and frowning.
Uncle Mike helped Mr Strong up and Dad got up too and everybody was apologising and fussing about Mr Strong’s trousers. They were pale grey but almost black where Snowflake had peed on them, and I think they were beginning to smell a bit too. Uncle Mike was still trying to pretend that it was funny, but it wasn’t a bit convincing.
At last Uncle Mike said in his pretend-jolly voice, “Well, after all this I think we deserve some tea,” but Mr Strong said it had been delightful meeting us all, but now he must go.
Mum said, “Won’t you just stay for a quick cup?” and Mr Strong said, no he was sorry, and Uncle Mike said, “Then let me drive you,” and Mr Strong said, “Thank you, but my driver is outside. I’ll be in touch.” And then he had to push past Angie who had got hold of Snowflake and was standing in his way by the door, and he gave a sort of shudder and left.
After this nobody said anything for a bit. We heard Mr Strong’s car drive off, and then Dad said, “Well, that’s that.”
Uncle Mike said, “It probably wouldn’t have worked anyway. You’re a good three inches taller than him and he spotted it, of course. Mind you, being peed on by a rabbit didn’t help.”
Angie said, “It wasn’t Snowflake’s fault. Mr Strong was staring at it. Snowflake hates being stared at.” Then she made a soppy face and said, “Poor bunny.”
I looked at Mum, and I could see that, like me, she was thinking that now there wouldn’t be much money for Christmas presents. I wouldn’t have minded so much, only I really, really need that bicycle. The one I’ve got is about six sizes too small for me. So I shouted at Angie. I shouted, “Poor bunny! Ha! I spit on it,” which is what the villain in one of Mr Strong’s old movies always said, and Angie screamed, “Mum! Tommy said he’d spit on Snowflake!”
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