"Willow's Missing Tail" 22

There was just over an hour and a half left before sunset when the doorbell played Beethoven’s Für Elise.

Perfidia’s eyes widened and she looked at Martha. “I think that’s Jon.”

“Do you want me to answer the door?”

“No, I’ll get it.”

Daphne noticed the odd look of concern on her cousin’s face. “Hey if you’re worried about my being here, I promise I won’t even smile at him,” she said with a teasing chuckle but Perfidia didn’t even glance her way. “What’s up with her?” she asked Martha.

“Nothing we can help her with.”

 

Perfidia took a deep breath and opened the front door but it wasn’t Jon standing on the doorstep; her smile widened.

“It’s so nice to see you Dillon; come on in we’re just about to have dinner.”

“I don’t want to intrude but Jon told me Martha was here.”

“You saw Jon? Where?” she asked looking past him and with a sinking heart noticed Jon’s car in her driveway; he was just getting out of it.

“He drove me over; I hope it’s okay that I stopped here to see Martha.” Something shifted inside his jacket and he held his hand against it but Perfidia’s focus was on the man exiting the car so she didn’t notice.

“Of course it’s okay,” she mumbled to Dillon and opened the door wider and was about to direct him to the dining room but Jon was walking up the steps. He looked up and she felt a gut punch of guilt.

Jon stepped onto the landing and smiled at her. “Mmmm, something smells delicious.”

“We’re having beef bourguignon,” she said without enthusiasm.

“I’m sure it’s delicious too, but I meant…you smell delicious; new perfume?” he whispered leaning in to kiss her.

Perfidia pulled back before his lips touched hers and his eyes questioned the action. “Something wrong…?”

“No, everything is fine,” she lied, turning the bracelet on her wrist, feeling it weaving its romance around him. She pulled it off her wrist as she ushered him and Dillon into the house. “Go on into the dining room” she instructed as she walked towards the stairs.

“Where are you going?” Jon asked.

“I’ll be right there; I…I have to take care of something first,” she said; her hand fisted over the bracelet.

His eyes probed hers. “I hope everything’s alright.”

“Everything’s fine,” she chuckled in an attempted to sound casual and walked back to him. She kissed his cheek but before he could change the dynamic of that chaste kiss she walked away and said over here shoulder, “Go inside; I promise I won’t be long.” Then she ran up the stairs.

 

Jon watched her retreat and mulled over possible reasons for her odd behavior.

“Are we going in or are you waiting here?” Dillon asked Jon as he shifted the something under his jacket to a comfortable position.

“There’s no point waiting here,” he mumbled and besides, I can’t wait to see Martha’s reaction to your showing up with…,” he nodded to Dillon’s jacket, “That surprise.”

I’m not thrilled to have to unveil it in company but my interview was the last minute and I had no time to make arrangements other than a flight here….Do you think she’ll understand?”

Jon chuckled and shook his head, “Not on your life, Pal”

“Thanks,” Dillon grumbled and shifted the warm bundle wiggling under his jacket.

 

Martha was setting the large dinning room table with Perfidia’s fine china when she looked up and saw Dillon enter the room; she nearly dropped an heirloom plate.

“Dillon? What are doing here?” Her voice was filled with happy surprise.

“I was looking for you at your house.”

“I’m not home.”

“No kidding, but it was luck that I happened to run into Jon in town; he told me you were at Perfidia’s. I hope it's alright that I just showed up here.”

“Of course not, I’m happy you’re here,” Martha said gently placing the last plate on the table before walking over to him. She was fully focused on him and noticed there was an odd addition to his usually symmetrical physique.

“What have you got under your coat?” she asked, wondering what he was hiding there.

Willow had been watching from a corner of the room and her low meow sent a warning to her human.

Martha scrutinized his lumpy jacket with a new look of concern. “Willow doesn’t approve of whatever you have under there; so what is it?”

“About that,” he said sheepishly, “I‘d tried to call you all day to tell you, but you didn’t pick up. I was called for a final interview for that job near here and had to fly out immediately this afternoon. So…I had no one to leave my…pet with and I had to bring him along.”

“Him? Your pet? I didn’t know you had a pet.” Martha reached to move the jacket aside when a small furry head peeked out at her. She sucked in her breath at the sight of it.

“It’s a dog!”

“Yes. Martha meet Frankie, my dachshund.” Dillon introduced them as he took Frankie fully out of his jacket and cradled him in his arms. “He’s very friendly and he likes cats…I think.”

At that moment Frankie spied Willow and Willow’s icy stare and threatening tail made Frankie growl low in his throat; it was clearly a warning.

“Oh, I can see how much he likes cats.” Martha scoffed.

 “I thought he would, but he’s never actually been exposed to them.”

“What were you thinking getting a dog and then bringing him here? Couldn’t you have left him with your brother?”

“I would have but Percival wasn’t home either. He and Miriam have gone on holiday to Bermuda. I think he’s going to propose.” Dillon whispered the last.

“That’s lovely but…when did you…why did you get a dog?” Martha asked as she studied  the dog in question and noticed there was something in the way the dog looked at Willow. It wasn’t just the typical dog to cat reaction; there was more going on. Then her eyes widened as they lifted from the canine to Dillon; she had a pretty good guess what the non-typical something was.

“Your dog is a familiar, isn’t he?” she accused.

“What makes you think that?”

“Your dog makes me think that and you’re not actually disputing it, are you?”

Dillon shrugged and shook his head.

“How could you Dillon? How could you bring a canine familiar here? You know Willow won’t tolerate it and I should tell you, Perfidia has a familiar too, his name is Chaos.”

“So there are two familiars here-”

“There are four….all cats.” Martha stated with a harsh look.

“Four cats…?” Dillon whistled and Frankie flicked his ears at the thought of it.

“Three months of whatever this between us…why have you never mentioned your talented pet?” Martha asked, seething with annoyance.

“I should have,” Dillon shifted the dog in his arms.

“How long have you had him?” Martha inquired.

“A little over a year; he showed up on my doorstep every night for a week; I had to take him in the weather was getting cooler and…I’m sorry Martha. I should have mentioned Frankie to you last summer.”

Martha felt a distance settling between them at his lack of openness. How could they consider a life together when he hid things from her? And Willow would never accept another familiar in her house, and never one in a canine body. It was obvious they weren’t in the comfortable relationship she’d been dreaming about, not at all.

She sighed heavily with frustration. “So, you have a dog familiar and I have a cat, a cat that will never accept your dog; where does that leave us?”

“We can work this out Martha; I know we can. But I should have told you sooner about Frankie. I brought him along because I had to see you, to tell you the good news.”

“Good news?” Martha pointed looked at Frankie.

The dog whimpered and licked her hand.

Martha didn’t dislike dogs but she did dislike the fact Dillon hadn’t been honest with her…again, and shades of that humiliating summer were rushing back to her.

Dillon had to concede this hopeful visit was a failure.

“Martha, I accepted the job offer and wanted you to know. I’ll soon to be a very close neighbor but maybe, you no longer want that…”

Martha stared at him, taking in what he’d said and not feeling the elation she would have only an hour ago.

“I should go,” he whispered and turned to leave.

Martha reached out and touched his arm; he turned back to her.

“No, you’re here and you should stay for dinner. I’m not sure how this evening will turn out with a dog in the mix; it’s already more complicated than you know but…I want you to stay. We’ll have to have a long talk about this new twist in our lives later but for now, let’s see if your pet can behave himself in a world of talented cats.”