The Daily Dormouse. (aka Bike) Part 1532 by Angharad Copyright © 2011 Angharad All Rights Reserved.

I sat with my tea and sent a text to Julie. ‘Did u know Jenny had left?’ We were chatting about the television last night, when I got a response.

‘No, wen?’

‘Last nite’

‘Ur jokin’

‘Wish I was’

‘O bugga’

Simon came home after taking Danny to school. I showed him the letter and made him some coffee. “Looks a bit dumb to me, who is this bloke?”

“Simon, I know no more than you do. I’m concerned in the way that she has done this–so secretively. It worries me, either that she had some problem here or she was tricked or coerced into doing it. I had no idea she was unhappy, so if she was she didn’t make it known to me.”

“She said nothing to me, although she looked rather smart with her new hairdo.” The fact that he had noticed it was something in itself.

“That would back up the idea that she had something going on.”

“It wasn’t me coming, was it?” asked Caroline.

“I doubt it, but as I said before, if it was, then perhaps it’s just as well. I suspect the letter is as she says and she’s run off with some bloke.”

“Is she still renting the baby’s house?”

“No, she never did really do that–I let that to a couple of women students via a letting agency.”

“Not your students, are they?”

“I have no idea, I have nothing to do with it, as long as Catherine has an income from it and all the repairs are looked after. Have you let your cottage again?” I asked Simon.

“I think someone from the bank has it, or did. Someone is in there as far as I know.”

“How many houses have you lot got?” asked Caroline her eyes almost on stalks.

“Let’s see, I have my cottage and a villa on Menorca,” Simon said after pretending to count several on his fingers. “This is the property magnate,” he said pointing at me.

“I’m holding one or two in trust for the kids. “I have a house in Southsea, my parent’s place in Bristol, the Drummond’s house in Portsmouth, and another which I look after for someone else.”

“See, told you, and she calls me a capitalist,” Simon joked.

“You give capitalism a bad name,” quipped Stella, coming back and switching on the kettle.

“Where’s the robot?” Simon asked noting she was on her own.

“Having a nap, so any more goss on Jenny?”

“Nope, I can’t believe that she left without any notice or that she left us in the lurch like that.” I was still in a state of mild shock.

“Does seem atypical,” observed Stella, remaking cups of tea and a coffee for Simon, “And none of us seem to have heard she was even in a relationship, not even Julie?”

“No, I texted her and she said not. It is out of character, and it worries me, she was almost family.”

“You get too maternal, Cathy,” Stella gently reprimanded me. “She was a bit naive in some ways, and especially with men. That other bloke, the navy one, he was a waste of space, wasn’t he?”

“Didn’t he get a bit physical once or twice?” I wasn’t sure and hoped to stir other’s memories.

“Can’t remember, so it can’t have been that bad.” Stella stirred her tea, if not her memory.

“Don’t look at me, I have no idea what you girls get up to.” Simon decided he’d spent long enough in the hen party. “I’m going to see if I can get the mower working.” He finished his coffee and went out to the garage.

Remember this place is an old farmhouse, and the one garage is an ancient barn, not quite the size of a tithe barn, but pretty big. It will take several cars, the sit and ride mower, plus loads of other bits and pieces. In one part, an upper floor was added for the storage of seed and other perishables, and it was made as rat proof as they could make it. Maureen turned it into a secure storage place within the barn, also making it frost proof and replacing an old rotting window frame with a modern UPVC type. I don’t think we got planning permission for that, but you can’t see it easily, so no one from the council has said anything.

We did think about turning the secure room into an office, but then we did the extension and the need seemed to be less urgent. The problem of heating it was the major reason we didn’t do it, but when the builders were here doing the extension, we did get the roof insulated and plastered, so it might be more feasible one day perhaps to let. It’s not a priority as you will gather.

“I’ve never seen the barn open,” said Caroline, so I sent her off to help Simon.

“Most of the women I know wouldn’t be that interested in an old barn,” Stella poured some more teas. “I mean, what’s in there apart from that old wreck of yours?”

“That old wreck is quite valuable, and is wrapped up in sheets of plastic to keep the dust off.”

“I thought it was to keep Simon’s paws off it.”

“That as well; did I tell you Danny asked if he could drive it when he was older?”

“Nothing like making your position known at the earliest possible moment; what did you say?”

“True. I told him I’d think about it later.”

“I’m surprised Julie wasn’t after it.”

“Oh she was, but I told her to get some insurance quotes.”

“Oh, disappointed was she?”

“I think she decided that if she saved a few hundred a month, she’d be able to run it for three months in ten years time.”

“It’s only an old Jaguar.”

“Yeah, only an old Jaguar, but in mint condition, and doubling in price every four or five years.”

“Perhaps you should put your current one in mothballs now then?”

“I don’t think so, Stella, it’s too nice a drive.”

“Better than the Porsche?”

“If I’m honest, yes.”

“Ooh, get you.” She made a silly face and we both laughed.

“Cor, that barn is something else, isn’t it?” said Caroline as she returned to us.

“Yeah, it’s our super spider store. None of them got you then?” Stella teased.

“Uh, no.” Caroline looked very suspiciously at Stella and we both laughed.

“She’s winding you up,” I informed our helper, “She doesn’t like spiders, and assumes that no one else does either.”

“Can’t say I’m too fond of them,” Caroline confessed.

“Pity, there’s one in your hair,” Stella pointed to her.

“Where?” Caroline brushed at her hair with both hands. I hadn’t seen one so I suspect Stella was teasing again. Spiders, at least our native species, don’t worry me, although one or two are reputedly able to bite through human skin, I’ve never had a problem handling them. I can’t say I like the idea of one walking over my pillow in bed, but I’m not as bad as Simon, who hates them and who once fell out of bed avoiding one.

If you spend your time as an undergrad poking about in all sorts of environments looking for bugs and vertebrates, you learn to accept the odd creepy crawly as a fact of life–though I did squeal once or twice at first, and I still don’t like ticks and biting insects.

“I suppose I’d better make some bread, I bought the stuff on the way home and I have some nice mousetrap to eat with it for lunch.”

“Better hurry then, it’s nearly eleven,” urged Stella, so I went and loaded the bread maker.

“What’s mousetrap?” I heard Caroline asking Stella.

“Cheese, usually Cheddar.”

“Of course–sorry, you must think I’m stupid.”

“Only for working here, but don’t worry about it.”