‘What!’ I ask. ‘What is it?’
‘Well, one mystery is over. You cannot doubt this is about you any more! Take a look.’ She points to the top of the page. ‘“Dearest Lilou”.’
‘It really is for me.’
Geneviève reads the first entry. ‘It’s a poem about unrequited love!’
‘Let me read it!’ I take the diary from her hands and scan the loopy handwriting. A warmth spreads through me at the sight of my name at the top of the page. The poem is evocative and sweet, an ode to a woman he loves but to whom he doesn’t have the courage to admit how he feels, for fear of rejection. ‘It’s got to be Benoit. He’s the shy one.’ When he speaks, he often says startlingly beautiful sentiments before freezing up. When we discuss anything domestic, like solutions for Minou, he’s practical and confident, as long as we don’t veer far off those sorts of conversations into anything personal. I’d thought that could be politeness. But what if it is that he’s unsure in my presence, like I so often am around men these days?
‘I don’t know,’ Geneviève says. ‘It could be Pascale. His gruff exterior might be a front.’
‘What about the handwriting? Won’t that give us a clue?’
‘Ooh, oui,of course!’
‘We need to compare the handwriting of all the correspondence that have arrived, but they’re in my desk at the market.’
She clucks her tongue, frustrated at the wait. ‘How about tomorrow I go on a little fact-finding mission? I’ll get Pascale and Benoit to do a writing sample for me and we can compare.’
‘How will you manage that?’
With a smirk, she says ‘I have my ways.’
I laugh and take a sip of my wine. My mind spins with scenarios and lands on another issue. ‘If whoever it is finds out I’m Cupid, will it change their mind about me?’
‘Ma Cherie, how could it? If they love you, then they love all of you.’
‘Love?Really,Geneviève?’
‘Oui. It’s love they’ve written about here.’
‘But which one is it?’
‘We’ll see.’
Minou lets out a plaintive meow. ‘What is it, my little friend?’ I tickle his ears as he gazes mournfully outside. ‘Are you missing the cemetery?’
As his wounds heal and he recuperates, I get the feeling my shoe-box size apartment isn’t going to be enough for my tabby friend. ‘Would you like go for a walk, Geneviève? Minou needs a bit of air.’
‘And how do you suggest we walk a cat?’
I smother a grin. ‘We’ve got a cat pack. I’ve drawn the line at buying a pram, that’s possibly one step too far.’
‘A pram?’ She shakes her head. Minou meows again as if trying to tell us something. ‘Let’s take him for a stroll, Lilou. He does seem to want to go out.’
28
I’m at the vet bright and early with Minou for his check-up. The temperamental beast rolls on his back, making it easy for her to examine him. ‘He’s healing remarkably well,’ the vet says. ‘Administer the remaining meds and keep an eye on his water and food intake, but I’d say he’s almost back to normal, albeit with a few more scars to tell the tale. Without you looking after him it would have been a different outcome for Minou.’
‘Merci. I’ve loved having him as a house guest, although I’m not convinced he’s enjoyed it as much.’ I fill her in on his nighttime shenanigans and the destruction around the apartment. The times he goes quiet or the evenings where he lets out haunting meows as if he’s calling for someone, or something.
‘He’s used to hunting, catching his prey at night when the cemetery is empty of people and filled with rodents, so it will take some time for him to adjust to apartment living. You’ve done everything right buying all those stimulating cat toys and taking him out in the cat pack. You could always adopt another cat, although you’d have to allow them to meet and see if they get along first. There’s also the option of fostering. That way, if thereareany dominance problems, the foster cat can go backinto the shelter. But it’d give both cats a chance to be social and live in a much better environment than the shelter can provide. Fostering is a great way to help strays get the warmth and love they need before they’re officially adopted.’
‘I’ll speak to Guillaume about it. We’re co-parenting and I’m not sure what his thoughts on the matter will be.’ Going from one cat to two before he’s even had his new house guest stay might be pushing the limits, but already the idea appeals to me.
She grins. ‘I love the co-parent idea. Actually, another stray was handed in yesterday. She was found wandering the streets, apparently. We’ve looked her over and are waiting for the cat shelter to pick her up. Would you like to see her? Aside from being dehydrated and covered in fleas, she’s in good shape. We’ve given her flea treatment and she’s been on a drip to rehydrate. She’s already been sterilised at some point, so there’s no need to worry about any of that. Why not meet her while we’ve got Minou here? He could too – to assess if they’re a good fit? No pressure of course, but it will be beneficial to monitor the cats’ behaviour towards one another if you do consider fostering her.’
‘Sure, let’s meet her. What do you say, Minou?’ He covers his eyes with a paw. ‘He can be quite a diva.’
