Emily by Jilly Cooper Page A

still in Glasgow. He’d be back later, in time for Coco’s party.
        ‘Why bother to come back home at all?’ I said, and slammed down the telephone, all my good resolutions gone to pot. How the hell was I to fill in the time until he got back? I refused to cry. I decided to drive into Penlorren and buy Buster a present.
        Two miles from home I suddenly realized I’d come out without my purse, and decided to turn round and get it. The road was icy and inches deep in snow. My U-turn was disastrously unsuccessful. The next thing, I was stuck across the road, the wheels whirring up snow every time I pressed the accelerator.
        Suddenly, round the corner, a dark blue car came hurtling towards me at breakneck speed. It was upon me, it must crash into me. There was no stopping it.
        It was all over in a flash. The dark blue car swung miraculously to the right, its mudguard only scraping the front of my car, and came to a halt in a little ditch just beyond.
        Trust my luck. It was my old enemy Finn Maclean who got out of the car, all red hair and lowered black brows, jaw corners and narrow, infuriated eyes. ‘What the blazes do you think…’ he began, then he realized it was me, took a deep breath and said, ‘God, I might have known.’
        He looked me over in a way that made me feel very small, and hot and uncomfortable.
        ‘I couldn’t help it,’ I blurted out, still shaking from shock.
        ‘That’s what I’m complaining of,’ he said wearily. ‘I’m sure you couldn’t help it, only an imbecile would have attempted to turn a car round here.’
        ‘I’ve said I’m sorry,’ I said, colouring hotly. ‘Anyway, you were driving much too fast and my car skidded. No one could have moved it.’
        ‘Get out,’ said Finn brusquely.
        I got out. He got in and turned the car immediately. Then he got out and held the door open for me.
        ‘It’s quite easy,’ he said, infuriatingly. ‘You were just using too much choke.’
        It was the last straw. I got into the car, just looked at him and burst into tears; then, crashing the gears, I roared off home. God knows how I got back with the whole countryside swimming with tears.
        I don’t know how long I cried, but long enough to make me look as ugly as sin. Then I noticed the potted plant Coco had given me for Christmas. It looked limp and dejected.
        ‘Needs a bit of love and attention, like me,’ I said dismally, and getting up, I got a watering can and gave it some water.
        Then I remembered someone had once told me if you watered rush mats it brought out the green. I heard a step. I must have left the door open. Hoping by some miracle it might be Rory, I looked up. It was Finn Maclean.
        ‘Don’t you come cat-footing in here,’ I snarled.
        Then I realized how stupid it must look, me standing there watering carpets in the middle of the drawing-room.
        ‘I’m not quite off my rocker,’ I said weakly. ‘It’s meant to bring out the green in the rushes.’
        Finn began to laugh.
        ‘Whenever I see you you’re either tearing up roses with your teeth, trying to block the traffic, or watering carpets. How come you’re such a nutcase?’
        ‘I don’t know,’ I muttered. ‘I think I was dropped as an adult.’
        ‘You’re going to water the whole floor in a minute,’ he said, taking the watering can away from me.
        For a minute he looked at me consideringly. Aware how puffy and red my eyes were, I gazed at my feet. Then he said, ‘I came to apologize for biting your head off this morning. I was tired, I hadn’t been to bed. Still, it was no excuse, and I’m sorry.’
        I was so surprised I sat down on the sofa.
        ‘That’s all right,’ I said, ‘I had a lousy night too, otherwise I wouldn’t have cried.’
        ‘Where’s Rory?’
        ‘In Glasgow.’
        ‘I’m going over to Mullin this afternoon to see a patient, why don’t