The Weekly Dormouse. (aka Bike, est. 2007) Part 3321 by Angharad Copyright© 2021 Angharad

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This is a work of fiction any mention of real people, places or institutions is purely coincidental and does not imply that they are as suggested in the story.
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Sarah was upstairs with Danni and one or two f the others when Stella arrived back. She scowled at me and silently pushed past me and went up to her rooms. She has two adjoining rooms with an en suite. They're quite large rooms so she has a bed and sofa in her room with a small table and her girls have single beds and a table and two chairs plus a small sofa in their room.

I can only guess that either someone had annoyed her or she'd discovered I'd allowed another gender different person to share the house with us. That I'd not been able to recruit someone to help me with housework and occasional child sitting, didn't seem to figure in her reasoning, just I'd let another weirdo come to stay with us.

I let her cool off and said nothing. Sarah came down with Danni, they'd been hanging up her clothes and putting the bags in the top of the wardrobe. Each of the bedrooms have wardrobes, a bed, a washbasin and a small table and chair, plus an easy chair of some sort. The tables mean that the occupant can sit and read or work on a laptop or tablet or even write in a book. Sarah was going to need that facility as well as somewhere she could call her own for her stay with us.

"Wassup with Antie Stella?" asked Danni who said she'd said hello and was ignored by her usually favourite aunt.

"Not sure, but she's certainly got a wasp in her knickers," I replied switching the kettle on. "Anyone for tea?" The two girls answered that they would like one. I continued making the beverages while they chatted between themselves. "Once we've drunk this I'll show you what I want to do for me and where everything's kept. Danni knows most of it, so if you get stuck, ask her or the older girls or David. He's pretty good and as you discovered earlier, very approachable.

"It's like living in a self-contained community," said Sarah sipping her tea.

"It's a family," I replied, "so even more tightly bound than a community."

"Yeah, Mum's the boss," said Danni smirking.

"Oh, I understand that," said Sarah, "She pays me and is helping me to get to uni next year, so I have no problem with that."

"Yeah, she did the same with Jacquie, din't you, Mum?"

"Din't? I think I'm wasting my money at that wretched school, none of you talk properly. The word is, didn't."

"Oh, I din't know that," said Danni trying to wind me up.

Stella came down and saw Sarah in the kitchen and turned about and went back out again. I couldn't make my mind up whether to go and speak to her or see if her puerile behaviour was going to continue.

"What's the matter with her?" asked Livvie wandering into the kitchen after Stella stalked out.

"I think her pomposity just exploded," said Danni.

"Oops," squeaked Livvie as Stella stormed back into the kitchen and screeched at our football genius.

"Think it's funny, do you, living with a load of freaks and weirdos, I told you I was unhappy with you employing another one but you went ahead and did it."

"Stella, that is totally uncalled for, the only one who is acting strangely is you." I challenged my sister in law.

"Right that does it, either she goes or I do," she said almost hysterically pointing at Sarah.

"Is that your final word on this?" I asked.

"Yes," she snapped folding her arms.

"I'd think a bit more carefully if I were you," I said quietly trying to give her an out but she wasn't in the mood for discussion or diplomacy.

"So which is it then?" she demanded.

"The girl is staying," said placing myself between them.

"What? You'd support an outsider against your family?"

"Sarah is not an outsider, she's coming here to help me with the house and to study."

"Why can't you find a proper girl, there must be thousands of them out there?"

"I tried if you remember, no one was interested." I wasn't giving way to her bombast and unless she calmed down, I'd be more likely to show her the door, Stella that is."

"Well, I'm not paying anything towards her, and I don't want her anywhere near my girls."

"For goodness sake, Stella will you listen to yourself?" I said which was probably the wrong thing but I was sick of having her challenging my position in the house. I made the decisions regarding the domestic arrangements including hiring and firing of staff."

"Yes, the last time you hired a young woman you ended up adopting her," she almost growled at me.

"You were quite happy to avail yourself of her assistance, if I recall," I retorted.

"Well, that won't happen with this creature," she gesticulated at the table.

"Where are your manners, Stella, for a public school educated woman, they seem signally absent.

"What?" she screeched, "as if you'd know anyway," she sneered.

"Sit down and have a cup of tea you dingbat, before you explode," I said pointing at the table, "Let's discuss this like adults. Sarah is on the payroll, so calm down and let's discuss this like two adults."

She huffed and puffed eventually sat down avoiding the space next to Sarah.

"Have I done anything to offend you, Lady Cameron?" asked Sarah in a very reasonable voice, "because if I have, I apologise unreservedly."

Stella stared at her then looked away.

"Well answer the girl," I insisted.

"No," snapped Stella.

"I'm the one who did that," I said passing my sister in law a mug of tea.

"I'm sorry you don't like me," said Sarah with tears now dripping down her face.

"I don't dislike you," said Stella seeing that she'd hurt the girl.

"I can't help who or what I am," Sarah was now weeping and Danni put her arm around her and they both rose from the table and went out of the kitchen.

I sat down and said nothing as I knew anything I added would likely set Stella off like an incendiary bomb. She stared at her mug on the table and a tear dripped off her chin and plopped in her lap. I let her reflect on what had happened, I wasn't going to make it easy but neither was I trying to make it worse. We sat in silence for several minutes, then she looked at me wit tears running down her face.

"She's going to stay, isn't she?"

"I hope so."

"I made a fool of myself, didn't I?"

"Is that a rhetorical question?"

She shrugged. "I'm sorry I made a scene, it was wrong of me and she's right, she can't help who or what she is, anymore than you can."

"It's not me you need to apologise to," I said.

"Mummy, Sarah's packing all her clothes," said a breathless Livvie, "Danni's trying to stop her."

"Oh," I gasped, I'd hoped she wouldn't.

"I'll go," said Stella and went to go upstairs.

"Is that wise?" asked Livvie.

I shrugged and followed as quickly as I could. I got to Sarah's room moments after Stella. "I owe you an apology," she said to the youngster, "and I'd like you to stay."

"What after you said? I may be transgender but I try to conduct myself like a lady." Sarah was crying again, "How could you say such awful things to me and in front of Auntie Cathy, now she's a true lady."

I thought I saw Stella twitch for a moment but she didn't. "Look, I'm sorry, I've had an awful day, which is no excuse but it didn't help. I realise you can't help who or what you are and I shouldn't have said what I did. I take it all back and I'd like you to stay, Cathy needs you and I see you get on well with all the others. If anyone should leave it should be me."

"But you can't Lady Cameron, you have two little girls, it would be better if I went. I'll get a cab and go back to Peter's. I'll phone Anne and say it hasn't worked out."

"Right," I said firmly," You and you in my study please," I pointed to Stella and Sarah. "Make us three mugs of tea, Danielle, will you?" As I followed them downstairs I told Livvie to rehang Sarah's clothing in the wardrobe, pushing my luck, perhaps but I'm known as a bit of a risk taker.

Once the three of us were in my study I shut the door. "No one leaves here until we've sorted this out. I am not interested in what's gone on before just what is now and in the future. Who wants to start?"

Stella raised her finger at Sarah indicating she should keep quiet. "I can't undo what happened out there but I'd like us to try and put it behind us. I'd like Sarah to stay and to help around the place and that includes my children at times, for which I'll pay towards her salary." I nearly fell over, Stella spending her own money, what else will happen?

"I hope that she can forgive me and I'll do everything I can to make her welcome."

Sarah's red eyes looked on in astonishment. "I'm not sure I want to stay, I'm sorry, Auntie Cathy, I knew I shouldn't have pushed you to have me over Christmas."

"You didn't, Sarah, I discussed it with your mother, if you recall and I decided having an extra pair of hands at Christmas would be useful. So it was my decision."

"Sounds like a good one," said Stella wiping her eyes with the tissues she saw on the coffee table.

Sarah looked as if she wasn't at all sure she believed her. In her shoes, I'd probably have felt the same. It was an irrational attack and so unlike Stella, who if you will remember encouraged me to become Cathy and never ceased to be my major supporter. I know at times she's grumbled about the numbers of transgender children I had allowed or encouraged to live with us, but she knew it was because no one else would have them and really, she was a very kind hearted soul.

The door was knocked and Danielle handed me a tray of teas. I thanked her and shut the door.

"I don't know what to say," said Sarah.

"I'd like you to stay," said Stella, "nothing like that will ever happen again, I promise."

"Christmas is usually good fun here, but with so many of us, it's also hard work. You up for a bit of fun and hard work?" I asked her directly.

She paused for a moment before nodding her response. We finished drinking our teas and I asked Stella and Sarah to shake hands to confirm their truce. Stella pulled her into a hug and thanked her for staying.

I was about to open the door and announce the outcome of our peace negotiations when Stella said, "Do you have a tablet, you know, iPad thingies?"

Sarah shook her head, "No I have my lappie."

"I'll get you one for Christmas as a peace offering."

"That's not necessary, really it isn't, Lady Cameron," said Sarah.

"I insist and my name is Stella."

"Thank you, La-um-Stella." They both smiled and went out of my study with arms linked, so pre-empting my announcement of a peace treaty. In an hour, Sarah was helping Puddin' with something when I overheard her say to Sarah, "You call Auntie Cathy, Auntie, why don't you call my mummy Auntie as well?"

Stella overheard the question and kept quietly in the background. "Because your mummy asked me to call her by her name. I call Cathy, Auntie Cathie because she's like a second mother to me."

"I think you should call mummy Auntie, too."

"I don't think I've earned that appellation, Pud," Stella said to her daughter, "I'm not a natural angel, like your auntie."

"No, you're a star," I said and had to turn away before Puddin' saw me smirking.

I got everyone to agree that we didn't mention the incident to anyone who hadn't been present, which meant Simon, Daddy and the girls who were out with them taht day. As far as I know, nothing was said about it, so some of us can keep a secret.

It was two weeks before Christmas and while I'd bought many of my presents online, Mr Bezos didn't get all of it. I needed to go shopping in shops, and since the lock down I'd worn a mask while in shops or anywhere else indoors with strangers, for instance moving about the university. Sadly, not all the students followed suit, some of them believing that Omicron was a mild infection, though we had notices up advising they had vaccinations and that people were still in hospital beds because they hadn't been vaccinated.

Henry continued to stay well, though he'd eased off his schedule and had hired a new PA, a man, to help him do all he needed. He now had three PAs, his long time one and two younger ones. He made sure they knew, that they were his assistants and people like Simon and I as directors and board members, were still several levels above them. Henry had learned from Simon that we'd employed a young help around the home and who was also a nursery nurse and was trying to do some study to enter university. He apparently told Si, that he was glad I'd found someone however temporary it was because he'd thought I was looking a bit peaky at the last board meeting. That might have been because I'd been up half the night revising a paper I'd written for the meeting because I came into some new data from newly published research. I also discovered that hedgehogs suffer from MRSA infections - not surprising given their ecology. What I didn't know, was that they also carried a fungus that secreted an antibiotic which killed the bacteria off - until the bacteria evolved to deal with the antibiotic and developed immunity, thereby showing the constant competition between such things in nature and not just in medicine.

Oh well, back to trying to get some time to finish my Christmas shopping, I do love this silly season, not.