‘My dear Tess, you really must think; more haste less speed, you know,’ Gran said. ‘I understand why you want to get things moving, but no landlord worth his salt is going to let a girl of your age rent his property. Everything will have to be done in my name, and until I’m out of hospital and able to visit the planning authorities I’m afraid we shall have to play a waiting game.’

Tess knew that her face had fallen, but she also knew that Gran was talking sense, so she smiled when Albert patted her shoulder. ‘I’ll do anything I can to help the pair of you, you know that,’ he said. ‘But Edie’s right, as always. However, I will talk to the landlord and sort out the rent for the flat and the shop together, because it would be too bad if someone else turned up and took over the property. What’s more, Mr Egbert is a sensible man, and knows probably better than most the importance of choosing a gap in the market for any new venture.’ He saw Tess raise her eyebrows, and explained: ‘There isn’t another pet shop for miles around, which means you won’t have aggressive competition trying to get rid of you by underpricing – meaning that if you have a rabbit for sale at five bob the competition would offer theirs for three and six. Do you understand?’

‘Yes, I do,’ Tess said thankfully. ‘What a lucky thing for us that you know all the tricks of the trade, Albert.’ She turned to Gran. ‘What do you think, Gran? Aside from having to wait, do you feel we could succeed with a pet shop? Farm dogs and cats are always having puppies and kittens, rabbits breed like billyo, and goldfish are ten a penny; look at the number they hand out as prizes on the hoopla stalls, and most of the poor little things die because the kids who win them don’t understand their needs. I mean to get hold of an old typewriter so I can type out lists of how to look after the animals, birds and fish we sell in our shop. Then I’ll Roneo the lists and put them in a pile on the counter.’

Albert laughed. ‘Miss Williams, you think of everything,’ he said. He turned to Gran. ‘Isn’t she an example to us all, Edie? Yesterday morning the words “pet shop” weren’t in her vocabulary. Today she could run one unaided and make her fortune.’

Chapter Ten

IT TOOK TIME, as both Gran and Albert had said it would. Christmas passed and the New Year was well advanced before at last they were able to start preparing their new premises. Gran’s leg was still weak and she could only manage the stairs up to the flat provided someone walked behind her to steady her from step to step, but despite this Tess, impatient as always, wanted to start buying in her stock, for though the kittens were now young cats and had gone off to good homes, there were as yet no other creatures residing in what they had decided to call Tess’s Pets.