Wuthering Dormice (aka Bike) Part 871 by Angharad Copyright © 2010 Angharad All Rights Reserved.

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I tossed and turned that night, the idea of meeting up with Luke worried me. We had nothing in common except biology, and I was essentially an ecologist, while he was a hands on, cut ‘em up and see type of marine biologist. Last time I saw him, he was in his element–inside the body of an elephant seal he was dissecting. Simon’s offer was very attractive, I could do with a new outfit, but Julie needed new clothes more than I did.

I resolved to turn him down the next day when I had time. Of course I forgot–well I got bogged down in life–with six kids, things tend to be a bit fraught, and Julie wasn’t being as much help as I’d hoped–in fact she had more needs at times than those she was supposed to be looking after. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say she had more issues than Readers Digest.

It might also be worth mentioning that once or twice I saw Trish counselling Julie–she had more experience of living the life test, which is essentially what Julie was doing–although nobody had said so in such direct terms.

I think she was learning from Livvie, too–I watched her copying how Livvie did things. Maybe I should be an anthropologist–although what are they but biologists who are too posh to admit they only study one ape?

The days passed quickly, probably because I was so busy looking after six kids. Any plans we’d had for New Year went by the board–we had too many children to make it viable to plan anything.

I know that’s no excuse, and we could have a proper Hogmanay if we planned it properly. I mean, it’s not as if I don’t have enough expertise in the family. In all fairness, we were invited to a party at the hotel in Southsea, and I urged Tom and Simon to go and take Stella, and I’d look after the baby. They wouldn’t go without me, and I wasn’t going to let the youngsters stay up that late. I suppose Julie could have gone, although I’d have been worried if she had gone, she was still a work in progress and her gesture and attitude was sometimes inappropriate for her apparent role.

Next time, I decided, we’d try and plan a proper Hogmanay party and invite some people round as well, get some records of Scottish country dance music and get some lessons for the girls and myself so we can all have fun.

Instead, what we did was open a bottle of sparkling wine–Asti spumante, I think and drank a quick toast at midnight, then we went to bed. I did allow Julie to partake–she was miffed that I wouldn’t allow her to go to meet her friends in the town centre and she sulked most of the night–texting and talking to Michelle and Tracie until just before midnight.

It was as we went to bed on New Year’s morning that Simon reminded me about Perryman.”When are you going to see your old friend at Southampton?”

“Who?”

“The one I told you I’d buy you a new dress for.”

“Oh him–I haven’t spoken to him since.”

“Why not? Go on–knock him dead.”

“I don’t know about that, if he’s just curious about meeting up with someone who’s changed over, I’m sure there are plenty in Southampton for him to ogle.”

“Send him a copy of your film.”

“Of course–Simon, you are a genius.” I hugged him and even kissed him–well he is my husband. I resolved to send him a copy of my dormouse film, which he should have seen if he was a real biologist–if only to criticise.

Simon started stroking my breast and I ignored him, when he started on the other one, I turned over–I was knackered. “Huh–even us geniuses have physical needs you know,” he sighed and I giggled myself awake–so the bugger got his wicked way, but only by promising to do the breakfast.

I think he did it with Danny and Billy, with Trish and Livvie coming in to me for a cuddle. Not sure where Meems was–possibly downstairs–she does like being with Simon. I knew that Julie wouldn’t be up for several hours–a la teenager. Hence my disappointment at her level of help. I wondered if this was what was to come with the others?

I sent Luke a DVD of my film courtesy of the university at Southampton and hoped he’d get it before too long.
I then sent him an email.

Dear Luke,
Thanks for contacting me. You were wondering how I was these days. If you’d watched my dormouse film on BBC, you’d have known and what I was doing. I’ve sent you a copy of the film on DVD.
I wish you well in your new job, but feel that the past has little relevance to me these days, so I won’t be accepting your offer to meet.

Yours,

Cathy.

So I didn’t get to buy a new dress courtesy of Simon. Oh well another time.

I took the girls to school on the fourth of January and was relieved to discover I had some time to myself–until I realised I had an hour to get Julie up and to Stephanie’s clinic.

“Oh, Mummy, it’s so early.”

“You have five minutes to get into the shower and get yourself dressed unless you want to run out of hormones?”

“No–I don’t.”

“You have to see Dr Cauldwell in less than an hour.”

She fairly flew out of bed and into the shower and was out and drying herself twelve minutes later. I helped her with her hair–mainly for time’s sake, she threw on some clothes and ate her toast as I drove her towards the clinic. She actually did her makeup in the car park–I wouldn’t wait for her.

On the drive there–I laid down some ground rules. “You are going to cease this laziness immediately, or you’re no use to me.”

The look on her face was priceless. It was sheer horror. “What d’you mean, Mummy?”

“I mean that I shall send you back to your original parents. You were meant to come to my house to help me, but you’re less help than even the boys are. So from tomorrow, you’re going to change that, or next week you’ll be back with your birth mother.”

“You wouldn’t, would you?” Moisture was beginning to pool in her eyes.

“Try me.”

“Okay, Mummy, I’ll do anything, just don’t send me back there.”

“Promise?”

“Absolutely, I promise.”

“Actions speak louder than words, we’ll get you an alarm clock for tomorrow–one that wakes the dead–no, better than that–one that wakes teenagers.”

Stephanie seemed pleased with her progress, it was me who wasn’t, but maybe that was in hand. While we were having a coffee in a well known chain of supermarkets coffee shop, my phone rang.

It was Tom, which was unusual in itself. I was quite concerned but he reassured me that he was okay, it was the mammal survey. “There’s a big meeting here tomorrow, Southampton are smelling blood and as we get government funding, they want some of thae action. I need ye here tae fecht oor corner wi’ me.”

“Of course, what time?”

“The meetin’ is frae eleven, so I’ll need ye here wi me when I go in to work.”

“I’ll need you to see the girls off tomorrow to school, I have to go to a meeting all day. I’ll leave you a list of things I want you to do, okay?” I said to Julie.

“Yeah, sure, Mummy.”

“I’ll arrange for a cab to take the girls to school, the boys go on the bus anyway,” I said to Tom.

“Sorry, hen, ye culd tak them first, then come on tae thae university.”

“Okay, we’ll do that then. I suppose you’ll want me dressed tidily?”

“Och, o’ course I dae, ye’re Lady Cameron thae noo, I expect ye tae show it.”

“Yes, Daddy.” I sighed and shut my phone. “C’mon kiddo, I need a new suit and shoes or boots.”

“Yay, canni’ve a new skirt, Mummy?”

“We’ll see.” We walked quickly to the car and had we had more time, I’d have liked to go to Salisbury or even Southampton for a change, instead we headed for the town centre and the best Portsmouth could offer Simon’s credit card–it had been burning a hole in my pocket for days.

In a small boutique down towards the quay I found a delicious crushed velvet suit in a deep rose pink, it was seemingly made for me, and with a grey silk blouse it looked absolutely perfect. I matched it with some grey court shoes and a pair of grey high heeled boots. Julie was in awe of my taste and spending power, and she profited by a red mini skirt for behaving herself.