I felt Archie tremble. We got up. We waited, looking back at the intruder.

“It’s that damn fox,” hissed Lesley, from the depths of her lounger. She put a hand to her mouth.

Nathan’s panama hat slid to the ground and stayed there.

“We have vermin in the garden, Nathan. Do something!”

But before Nathan could pick up his hat, the fox had leapt out of the pool and was bounding straight towards the party. With a snap, two chocolate biscuits disappeared from Nathan’s plate. We caught a glimpse of a bushy tail. Then the fox took off again over the water feature, showering us dogs, and disappeared into thickets of ivy.

“Well I’ll be damned,” said Archie.

Only a faint flutter through the undergrowth bore witness to the fox’s exit.

“We have a predator in our midst, son,” Archie went on.

He gave a low growl. We were both shaken.

Lesley brought her red legs over the edge of her lounger. “What are you going to do about this, Nathan?” she bellowed. “We have a resident fox in the bushes tame enough to steal your biscuits. He’ll be in the house next!”

“Give us a break, Lesley,” Nathan said, his voice muffled. He covered his face again with his hat. “Urban foxes need a bite to eat.”

Lesley thumped her lounger.
“URBAN FOXES NEED A BITE TO EAT!” she shouted. “I’m sick of it, Julia … I really am ..!”

Archie came closer to me. His teeth were big in the sun as he spoke.

“No good relying on this pantomime couple,” he said to me. It’s war from now on between this piece of wild life and myself” he said.

I lay weakly on my side. I was still recovering.

“Count me in,” I panted.

“I already have,” replied Archie.