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‘Of course we will,’ Claire reassured. ‘Look, let’s mull it over tonight and then get together after school tomorrow to see what we’ve come up with.’

‘Meow.’ That was fine, I had twenty-four hours to come up with the best idea ever.

While George and I paid our pre-bed visit to the garden I filled him in.

‘So, they want to raise money for charity?’ he asked.

‘Yes and it’s Christmas so I think we should have a Christmas theme,’ I explained.

‘And involve the community, like the Sunday Lunch Club has done?’ he said.

‘Yes. Oh what about we have homeless people come to lunch as well as our regulars?’

‘But Dad, you said that they’re raising money for the local shelter, which already feeds people,’ George pointed out. I was glad he’d been paying attention. ‘And they all go there for help already so we need to give them the money we raise.’

‘Oh yes, of course. Um, right, it’s harder than I thought.’

‘I know, Dad, but you’ll come up with something, you always do.’

‘Thanks son.’ I was so touched he had faith in me and I was determined not to let him down. I hoped that I would have a very good night’s sleep and then wake up full of inspiration. I was going to come up with the best ever idea, of that I was determined.

Chapter Seven

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Iwoke early with excitement rippling through my fur, and as I opened my eyes and stretched, I remembered that we had a new friend to meet. I hoped that she had good taste in food, and also, as she was on her own, I hoped she wasn’t too lonely. But if she was she had come to the right road. We specialised in helping lonely people. I had been thinking about Aleksy and Connie and their idea for raising money, but I had to put it aside to make a new friend. I told myself I would go back to it later.

George actually saw it as his job. Last year I caught him visiting Harold when he was ill in hospital, and it turned out that whilst there he had managed to cheer up people who didn’t have any visitors and were feeling very down. He said it was his career. I managed to get him fired, with Pickles’ help – accidentally of course, as I was just worried about him, but that’s another story. The point was that George, who was very much my son, liked to reach out a helping paw to those who needed it and this woman, newly moved into our street and on her own, would probably be one of those people.

I was impatient as I waited for George to get up. He slept in Toby’s room, something he’d established when Toby first came to live with us and didn’t sleep well. Now, although Toby slept better than anyone else in the family, George still always slept in there, curled up at the end of his bed. It was very sweet.

I did my ablutions as I waited, tempted to wake George, but knowing it was too early for us to go anyway. You see, I might be a grown-up but I still got overexcited at times. There was a kitten in all of us, I believed. Finally, George emerged with Toby, who was rubbing his eyes. The house was about to spring to life, and the morning routine would begin.

‘Why can’t I find any socks?’ Jonathan shouted as he emerged from the shower.

‘They are all in your sock drawer,’ Claire replied, far more patiently than he deserved.

‘Mummy, I don’t feel well I think I better stay home from school,’ Summer groaned, as she did most mornings.

‘If you have all your limbs then you’re going to school,’ Claire replied. ‘Now both of you get dressed and then come down for breakfast.’

‘I can’t find my pants,’ Toby said.

‘They’re where they always are, Tobe,’ Claire replied. I honestly don’t know how she managed to keep so calm.

George and I headed downstairs for breakfast.

‘Right, can we go now?’ I asked after we’d eaten. I was bouncing around like a kitten. Not only did I want to avoid the chaos of the morning, which seemed to be ramped up today for some reason, but I was eager to go and check this new person out. I could barely contain myself.

‘She might not be up yet, it’s still early. Look, it’s even dark outside, Dad,’ George said. For once he was trying to contain me, rather than vice versa.

‘But we can stake the flat out, and then at least we’ll be ready for when she does emerge.’ I was pretty much an expert on people and knew that if, for example, the curtains were open or a light was on, she would be up. And even if she didn’t have a job, she would have to go out at some point. I was happy to wait for as long as it took.

‘Fine, but don’t expect me to hang around all day waiting for someone we don’t even know,’ George said. He was grumpy this morning, but I hoped he’d cheer up when we set off.

‘George, everyone is someone we don’t know until we meet them,’ I pointed out, but he just flicked his tail at me and stalked over to the cat flap.