I had asked several people if they knew anyone missing a cat. Yorca had been with us for three days, almost all the time.

A friend gave me a large cardboard box and I drilled holes in the side. I placed Yorca a towel in the box and she didn’t bat an eye-lid.

I put the box on the bike rack and one hand held the box and one held the bike – the bike taking the weight. The vet’s wasn’t far thankfully.

Within two minutes the vet had found her tattoo (as plain as day in her ear!) and telephoned the owners. He gave me their phone number too.

Funnily enough, she lives not half a kilometre away, on the other side of the canal. We had stayed in the farm’s Gite when we first arrived here in St Jean de Losne.  We had met Jane a few times – a lovely lady. I had her daughter’s number and rang her.

She was so happy to hear from us. “Lily usually wanders off for a few days, but I was just starting to get worried now.” I could hear her relief.

Lily (better name that Yorca!), was given run of the boat for her last day. I must say that the sanding was particularly dusty that day, on the boat, as it made my eyes water…. especially when I said my farewells do this dear little cat.

Jane collected Lily and off she went. Lily waited until 3 am to visit us again that night! It was very tough, but we didn’t let her in and didn’t feed her the following morning.

Today, she trotted off towards home again. Every twenty-or-so strides she’d stop and look back…debating…wondering if we’d change our minds…was there food? I was stoic, a farm life is far better than a life with Noel and I – besides she wasn’t ours.

That dust was stirring in my eyes again! But it needn’t for now . . . . Lilly is with us most days and (I assume) hunts at night. We do not feed her, but as I type she is on my lap purring away . . . . in a few days when we leave, I am sure that dust will be swirling again…