Read Echoes of the Dance for Free Online

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    Roly came in through the French doors as Daisy appeared at the other door. He was so dazzled by the sun and water that he frowned for a moment, wondering who she was.
    â€˜I heard the kettle singing,’ she was saying cheerfully, ‘and Bevis was still waiting for me to show me the way. Wasn’t that nice of him?’
    â€˜Bevis is a great gentleman.’ Roly began to make the tea. ‘He is kind and he likes people to be happy.’
    Daisy was staring appreciatively around, one hand still on Bevis’s head.
    â€˜What a fantastic room. And I love that galleried landing at the end. But tell me,’ she sat down carefully on one of the chairs at the table, ‘why Bevis doesn’t like stairs.’
    â€˜No-one quite knows why he reacts so strongly but we feel he must have been beaten quite badly when he was a puppy for going upstairs. We didn’t have him until he was fifteen months old. When his owners divorced, neither wanted to take him into their new lives. He was very nervous to begin with but he’s a much more confident fellow now. Apart from the stairs.’
    He put the teapot on the table and saw that Daisy was staring at him, shocked.
    â€˜That’s terrible,’ she said. ‘Who would do a thing like that?’
    Roly made a little face. ‘People lose it, sometimes. And dogs are easy targets.’
    She shivered, bending down to give Bevis a hug. ‘So you rescued him,’ she prompted, as though helping along with a story. ‘But how did you know about him in the first place? And what happened then?’
    â€˜Some friends of mine knew the couple in question. I thought Uncle Bernard might like a friend so I met Bevis and decided to keep him. We’d just moved back from London, the two of us, and there was plenty of room for another dog. Once he was settled I looked up the local rescue society and agreed to foster other dogs until homes could be found for them.’
    â€˜And you haven’t been tempted to keep any of the others?’
    â€˜Not yet. There has to be a very special rapport.’ He passed her a mug of tea. ‘We’ve got lots of decent people ready to give homes to them, I’m glad to say.’
    â€˜What about Floss?’ asked Daisy.
    They both looked at Floss, who was sitting on her rug watching the scene rather wistfully until Roly clicked his fingers and she came to him readily.
    â€˜Floss is grieving and she needs someone who understands that,’ he said. ‘I might be tempted, she’s got such a sweet temperament, but I have someone in mind for Floss.’
    Watching him, Daisy saw an odd expression – tender and secretive – flicker across his face, and she was seized with curiosity. She thought: It’s a woman and he’s in love with her.
    â€˜And you think this person will understand how Floss feels?’ she said. He glanced at her and she grinned back at him. ‘Am I asking too many questions?’ she asked. ‘I don’t mean to be intrusive but I’m like the Elephant’s Child, I’m afraid.’
    He smiled. ‘You haven’t got the nose for it,’ he said lightly. ‘But, yes, I think Kate will understand. She’s grieving too. She lost her husband recently and then her dear old dog followed suit. I think she and Floss were made for each other. She’s coming over tomorrow to meet her. Anyway, enough of dogs for the moment. Tell me about yourself. I know you trained in London with Mim, but what happened after that?’
    She accepted his change of direction very readily and made him laugh with descriptions of the jobs she’d taken – especially one as an usher in a theatre when times were really hard – before joining the Upstage Dance Company. He poured more tea whilst she described the flat in Henrietta Street, the glories of Bath and her bitter disappointment at being left behind when the company went on