The Weekly Dormouse. (aka Bike, est. 2007) Part 3357 by Angharad Copyright© 2022 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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Breakfast was fraught the next morning the girls perhaps picking up on my tension as I contemplated what I would say to Sister Maria. In all probability she would agree with everything I said but in case she didn't I was prepared to take retaliatory action.

Danni and Trish took the bus as I loaded everybody else into my Jag and we drove to the convent. It was quite crowded and there seemed to be a premium for parking spaces that morning, in fact, I had t wait until someone pulled out their 'Chelsea tractor' before I could find space for my car. We all piled out and I held some hands as we advanced across the playground. I happened to spot Sister Maria and asked if I could have a word with her, she looked at her watch and said it would have to be a quick one because she had a meeting in half an hour. I assured it would or alternatively I could pull the girls out instead.

"This is obviously of importance to you," she said rather pointedly.

"It is more important than you realise."

"Look, I have this meeting in half an hour it should be over by 10.30 could we talk then?"

"!0.30 it is, I shall see you then." I marched back to the car and felt frustrated that the head of steam I had building up had not been released and I was angry and aggressive when I got to my office about twenty minutes later.

"Who's taken your lollipop?" asked Diane after I bashed about and swore at things in my office. She placed a mug of tea on my desk.

"Why does there have to be something wrong?" I said pulling my laptop out of my bag and flinging the bag over my shoulder.

"Because even you aren't usually as bad tempered as this."

"Just watch me," I almost dared her.

"Cathy, what is the matter?"

"Just go and do your typing and leave me alone," I replied to her, I didn't want help I just wanted to thump a headmistress and a schoolgirl.

"I see, so it's either about Simon or the girls, or one of them. Am I right or am I right."

"Just leave my private life alone and do what your paid for," I said in high dudgeon.

"It's the girls or one of them."

I just frowned, "Why can't you mind your own business?" I threw back at her.

"One of the girls then, trouble in school or one of them not settling here, as you haven't been dashing off to the physics department or sent for anyone, it can't be Danielle or Trish, therefore it must be one of those in school. I doubt it's one of the younger ones so it has to be Livvie, Meems or Hannah. Seeing as you just flinched at me mention of Hannah's name it has to be her. Care to share?"

"It's not up for discussion," I said flatly.

"Okay, when the stress gets to you you'll regret this opportunity to talk."

"What are you on about?"

"You having a heart- attack or a stroke."

"Why is that important to you?"

"Because you're the best boss I ever had, you care about people and fight tooth and nail for them and you happen to be my friend despite all your failings."

"What failings?" I said loudly.

"How long have you got?"

"What?" I declared.

"See too quick to jump to conclusions, unless it's a scientific experiment, then you wait for it to end before forming half -cocked ideas about it."

"How dare you?" I snapped.

"Quite easily."

"You are close to impertinence."

"Must be losing my touch then, what's Hannah been up to now>"

"She was threatened with expulsion for fighting."

"What little Hannah? She's relatively harmless and usually quite calm, someone must have provoked her."

"They did," I said.

"It can't over something involving you so it is either something she did or her previous mother."

"You're like Sherlock bloody Holmes."

"I happen to like my boss and what upsets her unsettles me, I like an easy life so I try to keep you calm."

"I knew you were manipulative, but it's more than I suspected."

"Good secretary anticipates her boss, that's all it is."

"I didn't realise," was all I could say. It seemed I was the more academic of the two of us but she could read me like a book, it was like having a wife in work, no that was too horrid to contemplate.

"So what has Hannah been up to?"

"Some girl called her a 'Whore's Daughter'."

"Ah, now you rage makes sense."

"It was possibly a throw away but she reacted, so no they know what upsets her."

"It upsets me too."

"Of course it does, it's spiteful, it's meant to hurt."

I looked at my watch, "I have to go and have words with the headmistress."

"Hmm, good luck, just stay calm."

"Until I've buried the body I might be a little anxious."

She simply laughed and waved as I left. I drove straight to St Claire's parked the car and strode into the office.

"Ah, Lady Cameron, how can I help," said the school secretary.

"I have an appointment with the headmistress."

"Oh, her meeting has overrun, I'll tell her you're here." I nodded.

She made a short call and two minutes later the door opened and two parents and a girl appeared and walked away. "Sorry about that, please Lady C, come in, oh Susie two coffees please.

I waited for the coffee to arrive before saying anything and took a sip of mine. "That wasn't the Cavendish family?"

"Good guess."

"Had I known that I'd have given them a piece of my mind."

"Lots of problems that girl, I really do worry about her sometimes."

"You know she called Hannah a whore's daughter, it's why Hannah slapped her."

"No I didn't but it doesn't surprise me."

"But you know Hannah isn't easily provoked."

"I do," she replied.

"So why did you threaten to suspend her when the other girl is the problem?"

"I'm not telling you this but little Linda Cavendish has real problems, this is the third school in six months."

"Why id she pick on my Hannah and why did she know about Hannah's original mother?"

"The straight answer is she didn't it was a generalised insult which struck gold. It will be a bugger to try and get her to forget it."

"If you don't I shall withdraw my girls."

"That's a bit of an overreaction, isn't it."

"You didn't have to deal with an upset adolescent all evening."

"No I do it all day, every day and it can be anything up to five hundred of the little buggers."

"Only five hundred, my day job encompasses several thousand of the acne and angst brigade."

"I thought yours were all supposed to be adults?"

"They don't appear to read the script."

"Oh, bad luck."

"Yes, if it wasn't for bad luck I'd have none at all."

"Boom boom," she finished off my punchline.

"So what do we do about the Cavendish girl?"

"You don't have to do anything," she said pointedly.

"I do if it impacts my girls again."

"It won't."

"What's wrong with her?"

"You know I can't tell you it's all confidential."

I sat for a moment and thought about the girl and I saw her in my mind's eye, it wasn't pretty. "When was she abused?"

"Who said she was?"

"She was by an uncle who later killed himself."

"How do know that?"

"He got away with it for five years possibly more, didn't he?"

"Where did you get this from?"

"I have my sources," I said as I didn't know if she knew of my alternative lifestyle other than healing.

"Oh, " she said but commented no further.

"What about therapy?"

"She's seen umpteen and resist them all because she felt it was her fault it happened."

"It's never the fault of the victim especially a child one."

"We both know that but she doesn't or doesn't want to."

"How much are you able to do for her?"

"She sees the school counsellor, it's all we can do"

"Any progress?"

"Perhaps a little, it's a long job."

"May I see her?"

"No, I can't let that happen."

"I think I could help her."

"How?"

"I think my healing could help."

"But I can't let you do anything."

"My body is telling me I could do something."

"Sorry, Cathy, I just can't let it happen."

"What if she had to come and see you and I just happened to be waiting to see you and she just happened to sit next to me?"

"What do you mean?"

"Just send for her and be unable to see her immediately."

"What?"

"I'll be outside, waiting for you."

"what?"

"Do it."

I went out to the secretary's office, "When Linda comes make her sit next to me but imply Sister Maria is on the phone or something so we both have to wait, then don't take any notice of what else happens."

"Um, okay, I think." I was seated apparently waiting and twiddling my thumbs as Linda Cavendish arrived.

"Sister Maria sent for me."

"Oh, yes, Linda do take a seat she won't be long.

The girl sat beside me and I felt the energy moving between us. "Gosh, I feel hot," she said and promptly collapsed in her chair. I Placed my hands over her head and in a moment I had tuned into her memory, it wasn't a pretty sight and I erased memories of the abuse like it was page after page of it. Just the abuse was erased and the way her mind remembered it afterwards. I told her she had had a great weight lifted off her shoulders and no longer would she be oppressed by it and her memories of her childhood would be happy ones. I felt the energy flow stop and told her wake up in five minutes, then I left.

I knew that my healing could only have good consequences because it comes with love and from the feminine principle so I didn't need to wait around to see how successful it was.

Later that evening Hannah came to see me, "Did you say anything to Linda Cavendish because she bumped into me and I thought she wanted more trouble and instead she apologised for what she said earlier."

"Oh, that's good, maybe she was her period and was just prickly."

"Yeah, maybe that's what it was," she sort of agreed with me. "Actually, she seems quite nice."

"Oh, good," I said as she left me smiling smugly to myself.