Wuthering Dormice (aka Bike) Part 809 by Angharad

I fell to my knees and was engulfed by my three children, all of us in tears and hugging and kissing like there was no tomorrow–which given the way things were happening, could be possible. I was so happy for that instant, my feelings were of unconstrained joyfulness.

I don’t know how long we hugged and kissed and cried, but I didn’t care, Trish and Livvie and Mima were all here and safe and I could touch them, it wasn’t a dream. Simon came and joined our group hug, there were tears in his eyes too. Why had I been separated from these beautiful children? And I felt a growing urge inside me, that I would never be kept away from them by anything to which we hadn’t all agreed in future. I would destroy anything which tried to do so again. For now, I was just so pleased to see them and hug them, and touch them and speak with them.

When finally, I rose from hugging my kids to hug Tom and Stella and baby Puddin’, the other adults broke out into spontaneous applause. All I wanted to do was to take my family away, far away from everyone and spend time with them. However, I knew that was not likely to be what was planned for us.

“Thank you, whoever was responsible for keeping my family safe, but please never take them away from me again.” I said loudly to everyone present.

“Cathy,” said Henry, it’s a very complex story to tell you at the moment, but we suggest...”

“Who’s we?” I asked not prepared to accept any sort of the usual crap of which Henry was so full.

“We, are the bank, the intelligence services and the police.”

“I see, Uncle Tom Cobbley and all?” I replied sarcastically.

He looked embarrassed, and actually stared at his feet for a moment–“You were such targets, we had to keep the children safe...”

“While I played decoy?”

“We didn’t intend it to happen that way, honestly, it’s just things got a bit out of control.”

“You knew where Simon was all along, didn’t you?”

“No I didn’t, nor did I know that MI5 were aware of where he was and had him under surveillance. They wanted to draw out the Soviets.”

“Soviets? Henry, the Cold War is over. Fancy letting your own son be bait for a bunch of bandits–as for the security services, they are about as competent as the Keystone Cops–I’m sure Laurel and Hardy would have done a better job than the Flower Pot Men.”

“Flower Pot Men? Who are they?”

“Some clowns from MI5 called Bill and Ben.”

“George,” Henry gesticulated to our host, “Do you know this Bill and Ben of whom Cathy is talking?”

“His real name is Ambrose–the Bill character, and the dotty old biddy who fancies herself as Annie Oakley, Myrtle Kingston.”

“They’re not with us, Myrtle Kingston is surely retired by now, she’s well over sixty.”

“If I see her again, I shall permanently retire her,” I said with venom.

“They’re MI6...”

“Gee whiz, they could have introduced me to James Bond after all,” I said mischievously.

“Cathy, James Bond only ever existed in the mind of Ian Flemming, he’s a fictional character.”

“I know, and he’s probably the last person I’d want to meet, nevertheless, his department was involved.”

“It looks that way, but they are supposed to be spreading mayhem abroad, not here...”

“Don’t tell me, that’s your job?” I asked facetiously.

“Yes–no, home security is our job, they play away.”

“Well, I’m not impressed,” I said folding my arms, only to have Livvie and Trish pull a hand until I had them clamped against my legs.

“Don’t go away again, Mummy,” said Trish and Livvie nodded her agreement and they both began to cry, which set me off again.

“Look, you must want to spend some time with your children, who must admit, are a credit to you and Simon.” He sneaked off before I could ask him any further awkward questions. Henry sloped off with him.

“Cathy, would you like to take your girls into the garden room,” asked Hilary, “It’s a bit more private and you could go out into the garden as well if you wanted to. Lunch is at two.”

“Thank you so much, Hilary.”

“It’s through here,” she led off and I followed with three little ones close behind, all hanging on to my skirts. We went down a corridor of wainscoted walls and family portraits suddenly turning into another room, though which we walked and into a huge conservatory, complete with grape vine and orange trees. It looked like something that belonged at Hampton Court Palace.

“Wow, Hilary, this is some garden room.”

“Yes, it’s lovely isn’t it, I come in here when I want to think, you know, when I have a difficult letter to write, that sort of thing.”

“Do you write many, then?”

“I’m involved with several charities, especially those of the Church of England.”

“So, you know the Archbishop then?”

“Do you mean, Canterbury or York?”

“Dear old Rowan.”

“Do you know him?”

“No, I’ve never met him, but I get the impression that he’s a really nice chap who should be an academic not a politician.”

“Oh, he’s got a very difficult job at the moment. Would you like to meet him, I’m sure he’d love to have you on one of his charities.”

“I have this little difficulty.”

“You do? I’m sure we could resolve it for you.”

“I don’t actually believe in a supreme being, unless one means Barack Obama.”

“Good lord, you’re an atheist?”

“I prefer to use agnostic, when there’s evidence of the man upstairs, I’ll concede defeat once I’ve looked at it.”

“Aren’t these three miracles here before you evidence enough? Wasn’t bearing them a miracle in itself?”

“Hilary, these children aren’t mine biologically, I foster them and am hoping to adopt them before long. I know it’s what they want, unless they’ve changed their minds in the last few days.”

“But all they’ve done is talk about their mummy and daddy for the last day or so, especially when we told them we hoped to get you here soon. They couldn’t love you like that if you weren’t their natural mother, could they? I mean they are so sisterly towards each other.”

“Their parents, especially their mothers were ineffectual or absent. I treated them as I would want to be treated and we seem to have bonded very quickly.”

“Mummy, Kiki wants to see you,” I bent down to pat the spaniel who was wagging her tail so hard, her face was getting slapped every so often by it, as were my legs.

“Thanks, Meems, can you take her out in the garden for a few minutes but don’t let her poo anywhere.”

“Yes, Mummy, come on Twish, we can take h’wout.” The three of them disappeared into the garden.

“I am astonished, Henry and Tom seem such proud grandparents.”

“Yes, I know and I’m really pleased for them.”