The Daily Dormouse. (aka Bike) Part 1236 by Angharad Copyright © 2011 Angharad All Rights Reserved.

After lunch, I took Danny to get some more school trousers. It was bit last minute but better than him saying tomorrow that he had none to wear. Honestly, boys-they can be so irritating. While we were looking at his wardrobe, I checked his blazer, and that had seen better days. Trish and Livvie came along as well, while Billie and Meems stayed behind with Jenny and the baby.

I parked the Cayenne outside the outfitters and we all trouped into the shop. The place was heaving with mainly boys and their parents buying various bits of the school uniform. Eventually, we were served and despite his protests, I had Danny measured for new trousers and a blazer. While we were at it, I got a new school badge for his blazer and a new tie. That little lot came to over two hundred pounds–how poor families manage, I really don’t know.

Once we’d dumped the stuff in the car we were off again to the shopping mall for shoes for the three I had with me, I’d have to check Billie and Meems when we got home. By the time we had new shoes for this three, I’d spent another hundred and fifty pounds but at least I knew their feet would be warm and dry for a few more months.

We did some food shopping and when we were coming out of the supermarket, we saw Tom drive past with a woman in the car with him. I felt a mixture of emotions, I was glad for him–he deserves someone of his own age to share his life–at the same time I felt jealous–hey, that’s my daddy you’re with.

By the time we managed to pull out in the traffic he’d long gone, but instead of going home, I dropped by the university. As there were no dormice to see, I left the kids watching a DVD, yes the car has those on the back of the front seats.

Pippa made quite a fuss of me as we hadn’t met since Christmas when I nearly froze to death in the snow and had to dig the car out. Had I thought about it, I could have dropped her spade back to her.

“What are you doing here?” she asked me.

“Prying.”

“Oh,” she said and gave me a conspiratorial smirk.

“Who’s Daddy going out with?”

“Hasn’t he told you?”

“Obviously not, or I wouldn’t be asking you, would I?”

“This is true,” she chuckled. “I know something you don’t know.”

“Come on, spill the beans or I’ll bring Trish in and she’ll knock up some truth drug from the chemicals in the cleaning cupboard.”

“I’ll bet she could, too–takes after her mother, too clever for her own good at times.”

I nearly said something about not knowing her mother when I realised Pippa was talking about me, not Trish’s birth mother. “If I was that clever, I’d know already.”

“It’s no big secret.”

“Not to those in the know.”

“Honestly, you’d think it was a government secret.”

“It’s far more important than those, those only cause wars or tax rises, this is my daddy we’re talking about.”

“Relax, he’s not going to kick you out and install his girlfriend.”

“I wasn’t even thinking about that, I’m just concerned that he’s as happy as he can be.”

“Hence the snooping and attempted coercion?”

“Yeah.”

“Okay, I’ll tell you. The mystery lady is Diana Dawes.”

“I thought she was dead,” I thought of the old British starlet, Diana Dors or Diana Fluck as I recall she was originally named.

“No, this one is alive and well and currently married to the Vice Chancellor.”

“So he’s knocking off the Vice Chancellor’s wife–he’s got more neck or should that be balls, than I thought he had. Sadly he’s also got less sense. It’ll end in tears.”

“Cathy, he’s not knocking off anyone’s wife. Sir Godrick Dawes is out in India trying to drum up customers to fund the university, so Tom is entertaining her while he’s away–Dawes suggested it himself. He and Tom are old friends, they were at Edinburgh together: he’s a biochemist, if you remember?”

“I know he owns Dawes Bio-Industries and is worth a fortune.”

“As if you’re not.”

“I’m not, Simon might be, but it’s all tied up in the bank.”

“Which he’ll inherit.”

“Don’t forget he’s got a sister.”

“And a wife and so many children he doesn’t know what to do,” she laughed.

“The ones I know about are under control...” I said quietly and she took a moment to work out what I’d said before she roared with laughter.

“He’ll shoot you,” she chuckled, “casting nasturtiums.”

“I suspect he’s a lousy shot, he used to go up to their estate every Christmas and hasn’t shot a peasant yet.”

“Is that because it’s a grouse moor? Oh peasant–yes, very funny.”

“I’d better get out and sort out the kids before they wreck my car.”

“Is that the same one you got stuck in on Christmas night?”

“Yes, I’m having a snow plough and tank tracks fitted for next year.”

“I’d have thought you’d have changed it for something else by now.”

“Pippa, it cost Si an arm and a leg, if I so much as get dirt on it he grumbles at me.”

“I’m getting a little car,” she beamed at me.

“Oh well once you do, you’ll have to come over more often.”

“If that’s an invite, I will.”

“Bring the boys with you.”

“I’ll have a choice?” she asked and we both laughed.

“What sort of car?”

“One that goes, I hope.”

“I hope so too, what make is it?”

“I don’t know, it’s blue–oh, is it a Skoda or something like that?”

“They make very good cars these days.”

“It’s two years old.”

“Oh good for you, I wish you years of safe and carefree motoring.”

“Thanks.”

“I’d better go, got half the brood in the car–they haven’t been fed recently, they’ll be eating the leather seats.” I gave her a hug and went back to the car, the cartoons had just ended.

“Anything to eat, Mummy, I’m starvin’?” Danny asked as I opened the driver’s door.

“We’re going straight home before the ice cream melts.”

“Can we have some ice cream when we get home, Mummy?” called two little girls from behind me.

“What’s the magic word?”

“Please. Please may we have some ice cream?” said Trish’s voice.

“Let’s get home first, shall we and I expect some help unloading the car.”

The traffic was clogging up for the rush hour and I was relieved when we turned into the drive. I parked the car and we were just unloading it, when Billie and Meems came out to help us. Many hands make work light, or is that lamps–I can never remember. Anyhow, I was just closing the boot down and about to bleep it, when a motorbike went past the house like a low flying jet. We all stood and stared in disbelief, as much as anything because none of us could believe anything could go that fast and still be earthbound.

Moments later a police car followed by another came whizzing past and then I heard the police helicopter, or Copper Chopper as the kids call it, but I’ve also heard it called The Flying Pig.

“That motorbike was going too fast, wasn’t he?” offered Livvie.

“I should say, probably twice as fast as the speed limit.”

“Gosh, that’s dangerous, isn’t it, Mummy?”

“Yes, very dangerous. C’mon, let’s get the shopping in before the ice cream melts.”