The Daily Dormouse. (aka Bike) Part 1579 by Angharad Copyright © 2011 Angharad All Rights Reserved.

New Year came and went without much ceremony. The kids went back to school, and Julie, who’d been working over some of the Christmas period, also went back to work. She was due to finish on January 7th and go into to hospital the following day. She opted to work because she felt guilty about being off for six or eight weeks, but her boss was quite happy. It appeared that Tash had started at the salon and made up the numbers of stylists required to keep it functioning. Julie was still the apprentice, but the other girls said they would cover her absence, which given how prima donna some stylists can be, showed how much Julie had integrated into the salon. She actually loved it there, nearly as much as she did her bed–and that was before Tash was sleeping in it.

“So when I’ve been done, Tash and me can have a full relationship?” Julie tried to pin me down.

“If that’s what you want, I suppose as no one can get pregnant, just don’t push your luck and please respect the privacy and sensitivities of other members of the family.”

“Oh great, when can she move in with me?”

“Julie, she can stay occasionally. She isn’t moving in with us.”

“But she’s good with the girls, and Danny thinks she’s beautiful too.”

“I don’t care. If you want to start a living together relationship, you need to get a place of your own.”

“Like how am I supposed to find a place on what I earn?”

“Welcome to real life, this is what the world is like, I’m afraid.”

“That’s alright for you to talk, you’ve got two or three houses.”

“When I was doing my master’s degree, I was living in a bedsit and after paying my rent, I had twelve pounds a week to live on.”

“So why didn’t your dad pay for you?”

“A bit like your natural father. We didn’t see eye to eye and consequently we didn’t speak much, either.”

“Still, twelve quid is as much as I have to spend each week.”

“Out of that I had to pay for my food and any extras I wanted, which was why when I suddenly got pushed into transitioning by Stella, I had very few clothes to do it with.”

“So how did you manage?”

“Stella did give me a pile of her castoffs which were like pennies from heaven. Some were very expensive things which had hardly been worn if at all.”

“Wow, good ol’ Auntie Stella.”

“My dad, after Mum died, gave me a cheque for a thousand pounds.”

“Kewel, now why can’t my dad do that?”

“Probably because he’s just forked out goodness knows how much for your surgery.”

“Oh yeah–but you haven’t?”

“I beg your pardon?”

She blushed and decided not to risk it.

“Julie, it’s my responsibility to provide you with adequate food and shelter until you leave the house to set up your own place. I’m not obliged to pay your alternative accommodation as well. Setting up a place of your own is known as showing your independence. If you’re being subbed by either Daddy or me, or anyone else, you haven’t achieved independence.”

“But you were subbed,” she said back angrily.

“I wasn’t. I just told you I was living in a horrid bedsit owned by a charity who help students who can’t afford anything better.”

“When did you move in here with Gramps?”

“Much later, I’d finished my degree and was working for the university.”

“I’ll bet you were earning more than me.”

“I wouldn’t bet on it, I was only doing so many hours a week until Gramps found some funding to pay me more.”

“What about when he got the money from the government after the dinner party?”

“What about it?”

“He told me the only reason Portsmouth got the project was because you charmed the pants off the undersecretary. Did you have to sleep with him more than once?”

“The only person I’ve slept with is Daddy.”

“That isn’t how Gramps tells it.”

“Well that’s the truth.” I felt very hurt that Tom had told fibs about me, even if it sounded like a good story. If he was telling Julie who else did he tell that? She dashed off and it was quite a bit later when she returned.

“Sorry, Mummy, he said you only stayed with Daddy, but he meant you were such an influential member of his team, and because you were very pretty too, the politician guy fancied you and gave you some extra funding.”

“Oh, did he now? Did he tell you I wrote most of his proposal for the survey?”

“Oh I knew that already, he tells everyone that. We all know you’re a clever dick–um–less.” She blushed, “Gotta go.”

“A clever what?”

“Byeee,” she called.

Caroline was once again in Southampton, and I was making do as best I could, doing bits and pieces about the house and bits of my teaching plan–I started the same day Julie was having surgery. Things felt manic, and when at tea time Caroline waltzed in I was ready for a showdown.

“Are you cooking tonight?” she asked.

“Why?”

“I just wondered if I needed to fix myself something to eat.”

“How is Jenny?”

“She’s okay, why?”

“I thought you might be doing her therapy?”

“No, I go to sit with her and talk.”

“All day?”

“Well it takes an hour or so to get there and another one back, why?”

“I could have done with some help in the house today.”

“Sorry, but my first priority is Jenny.”

“Are you resigning from here then?”

“I thought you were going to get the cowshed converted for us?”

“Only if you were still working here, or that she wanted to come and live here.”

“She does, I was going to come as her helper.”

“I see.” The bare faced effrontery took my breath away for a moment.

“So you won’t be working here then?”

“No–I’ll be looking after Jenny, won’t I?”

“That wasn’t how I saw it, Caroline.”

“So you’re withdrawing your offer then?”

“I didn’t make the one you think you thought you heard me say. I offered to convert the cow-byre on the understanding that you’d still be working here, and assisting Jenny as and when. I was hoping that she’d be well enough to undertake some jobs as well.”

“We’re not your slaves you know.”

“I’m well aware of that.”

“It doesn’t look like it.”

“I’m sorry, Caroline, but I think I need you to think very carefully about your position here.”

“You’re sacking me?”

“I’m asking you to decide your priorities.”

“I told you, Jenny is my priority.”

“And you’re not prepared to work your trips to Southampton around your duties here?”

“Not if you’re going to be so unhelpful–I can see what you’re up to, trying to get out of spending some money–you rich bastards are all the same.”

“I’ve already asked Maureen for quotes, so I’m ready to push ahead with the cow-byre conversion.”

“Yeah but it isn’t for me an’ Jenny is it? It’s for Julie and Tash–I know how you lot work.”

“No it isn’t. I hadn’t even thought of it for that reason.”

“You can’t lie to me–so she can babysit your spoilt brats and you can stuff your job just as far up your arse or fanny as you can reach. I’m going.” She stormed off up the stairs stamping as she went.

Stella came in a few minutes later. “What’s the problem with Caroline?”

“She accused me of all sorts of things and told me to stick my job where a monkey puts his nuts.”

“Charming–so who’s going to look after the house?”

“I have no idea, I’ll have to get an agency in to babysit Catherine for me.”

“Can’t you take her to work with you–stick her in a big dormouse cage or a large specimen jar?”

“I don’t suppose you could sit her until I can find someone?”

“I’m an aristocrat, darling, not a nursemaid.” With that she turned on her heel and sauntered off leaving me speechless.

“I’ve packed up all my stuff, I’ll come back and move it as soon as I have somewhere to keep it. Here’s your key.” Caroline placed it on the table rather forcefully and picking up two bags, went out the back door and walked down the drive.