When Jean reached the kitchen Ray turned to her and said, “Got a bit of a problem.”
“What sort of problem?” asked Jean.
“George,” said Ray.
“Oh dear God.” She had to sit down very quickly. What had George done to himself this time?
“Afraid he’s gone missing,” said Ray.
She was going to pass out. In front of the caterers. In front of Ray. She took a deep breath and George’s head flashed past the window like some kind of supernatural apparition. She thought she might be losing her mind.
The kitchen door banged open and George burst in. She yelped but he took no notice whatsoever, just sprinted into the hallway and up the stairs.
Jean and Ray looked at each other for a few seconds.
She heard Ed saying, “That, I think, was Katie’s father.”
Ray said, “I’ll go and see what he’s up to.”
She sat for a minute or two, gathering her wits. Then the door banged open a second time and it was Eileen and Ronnie and their blessed Labrador and what with thinking George might be dead then being scared out of her wits by George himself she snapped and said, “Get that bloody dog out of my kitchen,” which was not diplomatic.