The Daily Dormouse. (aka Bike) Part 1074 by Angharad Copyright © 2010 Angharad All Rights Reserved.

“H–h–hello?” I squeaked down the phone.

“Hello, is that Cathy? I’m sorry I don’t have your other name.”

“Yes, I’m Cathy, Cathy Cameron.”

“I don’t think we’ve met but I feel I almost know you.” She sounded confident, compared to my terrified state.

“You do?” my voice went squeaky again, so what must she have thought of me.

“Oh yes, Daisy and Paul told me so much about you and how you helped both of them to cope with the accident, and how you helped me, too.”

“Did I?”

“Yes you did, and I’m grateful to be able to say thank you personally.”

“I don’t think I did very much.”

“Dr Rose said you were very self-effacing.”

“He did? I mean, did he?”

“He also said you were honouring a promise you made to Daisy when she was in hospital.”

“I did say that when I got married she could be one of my bridesmaids, it was offered as a promise.”

“I think it’s incredibly sweet of you. I’m sure she’d love to, if only to thank you for the help you gave her.”

“I was hoping she might find the experience fun as well.”

“I’m sure she will. When is the wedding?”

“It isn’t actually a wedding, it’s a wedding blessing–but with all the trimmings. We actually got married a few months ago, but my in-laws wanted to put on a bit of a show, so we’re organising one for them. I haven’t got a date yet but it will be end of August early September.”

“Oh okay, as far as I know we’re available. Where is it?”

“At Stanebury.”

“Where’s Stanebury, it sounds like Wiltshire.”

“No, it’s a little further north than Wiltshire, it’s in Scotland.”

“Scotland–that’s funny, because we nearly went to Scotland for our holiday this year. Your in-laws live up there do they?”

“They have a place up there,” I tried not to frighten her off. When you tell people it’s a castle they tend to go all funny and run away.

“Oh well, we get to see a bit of Scotland, a few old castles and things.”

“Indeed, there’s a castle at Stanebury.”

“This isn’t going to be in the castle is it?”

“Actually, yes.”

“Crikey, how posh–Daisy will be impressed. She’s never been to an event in a castle. Your in-laws must be quite rich.”

“They’re quite comfortable, I think the phrase is, and as they want this blessing up there, they’re paying for most of it.”

“Wow, I wish my parents in-law had been, we scrimped and saved for all ours ourselves.”

“Our actual wedding was a relatively small affair, this will be a bit grander.”

“How many bridesmaids are you having?”

“Six.”

“Cor, what ages are they?”

“One of sixteen, one of ten, two aged six and one five year old; plus Daisy if she wants to come.”

“I’m sure she will. Look could we meet sometime–I’m happy to come to you if you’re busy, or we could meet somewhere convenient to both of us.”

“I have the girls off school at the moment, though Julie could watch them for an hour, but maybe Daisy would like to meet them as they’ll be her fellow bridesmaids, or should that be sister bridesmaids? So would you like to come over?”

“I’d love to.”

“What about lunch tomorrow?”

“I don’t want to put you to any bother.”

“Come for lunch tomorrow, say about half past twelve?”

“That’s really kind of you. Daisy said you were a nice lady, she was right.”

“I try to be–I don’t always succeed, but I try.”

“Is that more self-effacement?”

“I like to believe it’s honesty, admitting my flaws.”

“As long as they don’t blind you to your good points.”

I gave her directions and we agreed to meet tomorrow. I got on with preparing the dinner, a lasagne with a fresh fruit salad dessert. I’d tell the others over dinner what was happening tomorrow.

They were all happy with my arrangements, only Stella had anything to ask, perhaps because she’s lived with the Cameron wealth for her whole life, she knew some of the pitfalls attached to it. “You told them we were using a castle as a venue, you didn’t mention it was our castle, did you?”

“No, I thought that might scare her off.”

“It does, they either think you’re some relic of the late mediaeval period or some nouveau riche who acquired their money selling drugs or guns.”

“You mean you’re not?”

“Good lord no, we did it when it was both fashionable and legal, now it’s neither, besides being so passé.” Goodness, how can you be so snobbish about snobbery?

So the next morning, we set off with the Cameron cycling club, and did a ten mile ride, came back, had breakfast and after showering and dressing, I set the chores each would do.

Although the weather was warm, I was going to do soup. Trish was in charge of making a loaf for the purpose. Livvie was looking after tidying up, and Billie and Danny helping me make the soup.

Julie went with Stella to the supermarket to get the necessary constituents for a new fresh fruit salad, melon, kiwi fruit, apple, that sort of stuff; plus some fresh double cream and some butter for the bread–we always use Flora, but it’s nice to have the choice of butter if you prefer it.

When they got back, Julie and Mima did the fruit salad, and we left the soup–carrot and coriander–to keep warm. I did a second loaf because I felt with all of us there, we could quite easily run out of bread.

By midday we were pretty well ready to receive visitors, the place looked tidy, we put some fresh flowers in the vase as a table centre, the place looked and smelt clean–in fact it smelt of fresh baked bread, yummy.

The kids were all clean and tidy, the girls were all wearing a little bit of makeup and some perfume, Danny was in his clean jeans–did I have to plead with him? He succumbed to threats about sharp pointy bits of metal to stick in his socks, or a lack of them if he misbehaved–I won’t be able to use that too often.

The food was ready, and I suddenly looked at my own clothes–I was wearing my jeans and old tee shirt–poo. I ran upstairs and changed into a pair of cut-offs in green embroidered material and a near enough matching shirt top. I threw on some makeup and a squirt of smellies, put on some jewellery and my watch, tidied up my hair and went down.

“I do like Calvin Klein clothes on you,” said Stella.

“Are they? I hadn’t noticed–they just saved me having to shave my legs.”

“A likely story,” she huffed and just then a car drove into the driveway and parked alongside Stella’s Ford.

“They’re here,” shouted an excited Trish.

“I take it, that’s them,” observed Stella as we watched a woman–heavily pregnant, waddle up the drive holding hands with a girl aged about six.

“She didn’t say anything about being pregnant,” I commented.

“Does that make a difference?” asked Stella.

“Of course not, but we could have gone to her to make it easier.”

“Would it be easier to feed the five thousand or drive a couple of miles to meet them?” Stella asked drily.

“Oh well, here goes, stand by your beds, guys,” I shouted to the kids who looked at me as if I was completely barmy. Sometimes I think I am.