Contents
Chapter One
Overview
Jane Trevally contemplates selling her decaying ancestral home, Rosebery Hall, but is overwhelmed after an estate agent’s visit. On a walk, she rescues a starving white terrier and learns via a microchip that he belongs to a London owner. Jane decides to travel to Hampstead, yet grows attached when the dog settles easily at home.
Summary
On May 8, 2026, Jane Trevally invites estate agent Chloe Flint to assess Rosebery Hall, the deteriorating Georgian house Jane inherited after her family’s deaths. Chloe discusses potential buyers and renovations, but after she leaves, Jane’s anxiety and grief surface and she breaks down.
Seeking calm, Jane walks her four dogs through bluebell woods and photographs Brian. Hearing barking, she discovers a friendly, underfed white terrier without a tag. Concluding he’s been lost for at least a day, Jane leashes him and brings him home to feed him separately from her pack.
At the local vet, Hester scans the dog’s microchip and identifies him as Hugo Tucker, registered to a Mr. Tucker in London NW3. Unable to reach the owner by phone, Jane offers to take Hugo to London, planning to combine it with a visit to her nearby stepson.
That night, Hugo sleeps peacefully in Jane’s bed alongside Reggie and Bluto. Jane resolves that if Mr. Tucker cannot be found in Hampstead, she will keep Hugo, intensifying her conflict between letting go of the past and embracing new attachments.
Who Appears
- Jane TrevallyOwner of Rosebery Hall; considers selling, rescues a lost dog, and plans to find its London owner.
- Hugo TuckerUnderfed, friendly white terrier found in the woods; microchip links him to a London owner.
- Chloe FlintEstate agent who tours Rosebery Hall and discusses buyers and renovations, triggering Jane’s emotional turmoil.
- HesterSentimental local vet who scans Hugo’s chip and identifies his registered owner.
- BrianJane’s fox-red Labrador; featured in a photo during the walk.
- BlutoOne of Jane’s dogs; barks at the discovery and later shares Jane’s bed with Hugo.
- ReggieJane’s oldest dog; wary of play, later shares the bed with Hugo.