'Colin never goes. He could for a change.'

'Colin works his own way, and we put up with it. He has a big client list and there are some who will only have Colin visit, so that says something in his favour, doesn't it? I'll do my best.' Miriam made a few notes on a piece of paper in a file marked Visiting Lists. `Be good. Bye-bye.'

And that, thought Miriam, is the final straw. Joy had to come back, because she, Miriam, was not up to dealing with difficult people. She always felt so sorry for them that she usually ended up apologizing to them for their own bad temper. Today a dust-up between two clients, the cat that escaped and the hamster that died in Valentine's hands - it was all getting too much. Joy would have taken it in her stride, but she, Miriam Price, just wasn't up to it. The clients having an argument this afternoon in the waiting room had used up all her resources.

It had all begun with Miranda Costello bringing in her Goliath without a leash. `He's well behaved, Mrs Price, he always does as he's told. Bunged him in the van and never gave it a thought.'

'Do keep tight hold, Miranda. They're all nervous when they come in here, anything could happen. Would you like me to bring a leash in from the back? We do have a few spare ones.'

' No, no, he'll be OK.' Miranda settled herself in the very last of the chairs. Her Goliath was the smallest adult Yorkshire Terrier anyone had ever seen. But in his mind he was the very largest dog anyone had ever seen, positively of donkey pro„portions. He sat quietly beside Miranda, looking as though butter wouldn't melt in his mouth. Eventually he laid down and apparently went to sleep.

Then, in came a client of Valentine's accompanied by her Llaza Apso named Chang, his long fur beautifully groomed and resplendent. His collar and lead were a bright scarlet and it set off his superior looks beautifully.
`I'm Mrs Bookbinder. I have an appointment at three with Valentine Dedic. It's my first time. I'm a new client, moved to Barleybridge a few months ago.'

Miriam checked the name on the computer. `That's right. Do take a seat. He won't be long.'

'I hope not. To me three o'clock is three o'clock and not half past.'
`Indeed. The thing is, we had a road accident in a short while ago and everything's got delayed.'

'Your problems are not mine, whoever you are. I'm under pressure like everyone else.'

`Of course, of course. Do sit down, please.'

`I won't, I shall stand. Tell him, please, I'm here.'

`I'm afraid I can't, he has a client in.'

`Then I shall go and interrupt. Three o'clock is three o'clock, and it is three o'clock.' Mrs Bookbinder drew herself up to her full height and began heading for Valentine's consulting room.

`Don't you think it would be better to wait your turn?' Miranda Costello said. Ever a champion of the Practice, she couldn't tolerate this client's haughty manner towards Miriam.

Mrs Bookbinder paused and turned to look at Miranda. As different as cheese and chalk they were. Miranda in one of her more eccentric get-ups and Mrs Bookbinder only too well aware she was dressed to kill. But then she always was. One shouldn't leave the house looking as though one had just finished scrubbing the kitchen floor, not that she ever did, but the principle was the same.

'And who might you be?' She gave Chang a tug on his leash and Miranda Costello the benefit of one of her `put down' stares.

`A client with better manners than you apparently. Now sit down and shut up and wait like everybody else.'

Chang didn't notice that Goliath was keeping an eye on him, so being the brave dog he was, he began to growl at the angry tone of Miranda's retort.

Goliath sprang to life, jumped down from his chair and in an instant had Chang by the scruff. He hung on as though his life depended on it. Chang went to pieces; he positively crumpled to the floor. Goliath, not yet ready to accept his victory, kept growling and hanging on. Miranda shouted, `Goliath! Come!' But he completed ignored her.

`Get him off! Get him off!' Mrs Bookbinder shouted. `He'll kill him!'
Miranda got to her feet and tried to catch hold of Goliath's collar, but Goliath knew a trick or two. He hadn't subdued all Miranda's other dogs by giving in at the first move. He clung on and, exerting all his strength, he began swirling about so that Chang was slewing across the floor, unable to resist.

Stephie appeared at that moment and saw that a bucket of water would do the trick. She disappeared in the back and returned in a moment carrying the old firebucket filled to the brim. She threw it on the pair of them and it landed fair and square on its target except Mrs Bookbinder had, at that moment, decided to bend over and try to pull Goliath away. The water soaked her all the way down the front of her smart imitation Astrakhan fur jacket.

But the water had achieved Stephie's objective and the two dogs separated, soaked to the skin.

Miranda could do nothing but laugh, which positively ignited Mrs Bookbinder's anger. `You've thrown water all over my fur coat. You blithering idiot! You stupid girl! Look at it, ruined. Out of a filthy bucket too! Chang, my little darling. Come to Mummy.'

Stephie stood open-mouthed, too surprised to apologize. Miriam rushed out from behind the reception desk and began a full-scale diplomatic onslaught on Mrs Bookbinder.

`I am so sorry. Please don't blame Stephie, it's our standard practice when dogs fight. It's the only way, believe me. Now look, I'll go get a towel and we'll dry your coat as best we can. Hold on to Chang's leash, and you, Miranda, hang on to Goliath. We don't want a repeat performance.'

Miriam had hurried away, glad for an excuse to remove herself from the scene. She found a dog towel freshly laundered but a bit holey and, bracing herself, returned to reception.

Goliath was confidently perched on Miranda's knee, surveying Chang from a great height with what looked like a smirk on his face. Miriam began rubbing the worst of the wet from Mrs Bookbinder's fur coat.
`I shall sue. I shall. First, this person for that nasty little dog being out of control and second, the practice for not taking sufficient precautions for the safety of the animals on these premises.'

Miranda couldn't take her seriously. `For heaven's sakes. Just a bit of a dust-up, that's all. They were both to blame.'

'Chang did not start this fight.'

`He shouldn't have growled at Goliath. In any case, you're going to look a mite foolish bringing a case against a Yorkshire Terrier as small as he is. Couldn't hurt a flea. You'd get laughed out of court.'

`Don't you think I won't, because I will, he's totally out of control is that dog of yours, he should be put down, the sooner the - '

To Miriam's great relief, Valentine popped his head out of his consulting-room door at that moment and called out `Chang Bookbinder'.
Valentine Dedic was lean and handsome in a very obviously Eastern European way and Miriam had never seen him looking more engaging than he did right now. With his thick, jet-black hair in one of its more turbulent moods, and those splendidly expressive deep, dark-brown eyes of his looking straight at Mrs Bookbinder, he smiled, showing all his beautifully even, snow-white teeth. She noticed Mrs Bookbinder's immediate reaction. Thank God it wasn't Graham or Rhodri, they couldn't hold a candle to Valentine where good looks were concerned, Miriam thought. Valentine bowed slightly, in the Continental manner, and stood aside to make room for her to pass through his door. Mrs Bookbinder, glad she'd made the effort to dress well, visibly melted and swanned towards him. If it had been a film there would have been violins playing as she disappeared into the consulting room.

But Miriam hadn't had quite such a successful ending to her experience, for it had left her shaking with nerves. That was when she decided she'd have a word with Mungo.

So Mungo heard all about it when they'd finished their evening meal. `Because of all that, I want Joy back. In fact, she's got to come back, the place isn't the same without her. We all need her. So something has to be done. If Duncan doesn't reappear she'll need the money; savings don't last for ever. Shall I go see her again, do you think?'

`I've admired the way you've tackled Joy's job, my love. But at the same time I know it's not you. Looks as though I shall have to do something serious about it. No time tomorrow, busy all day, I'll go right now.' He got to his feet and kissed Miriam, saying, `You've been a brick, and I love you for it.'

'Are you sure, on top of a busy day?'

'I'm sure. But don't expect success. At the very least I might find out if she intends coming back or not.'

Mungo drove to Joy's thinking she might not even let him in. He parked his car out of sight round the bend just as Miriam had done, got out and walked round to the front door and pressed the bell. He heard Joy's footsteps on the tiled floor of the hall and got his foot ready to jam in the door if she threatened to close it when she saw who was there.

He barely recognized her. She stared at him for a moment, opened the door wider and let him in. It was her hair, always so curly and pretty around her face, but now kind of stringy, and she'd lost weight, and it made her look… well… old. Was it only two weeks since she'd stormed out? No, it must be more. Even her sweater wasn't in Joy's usual kind of pristine cleanliness.

`Joy? It's me.'

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