The Daily Dormouse. (aka Bike) Part 1901 by Angharad Copyright © 2012 Angharad All Rights Reserved.

I have no idea what time it was when we got to bed. Ingrid and Hannah were all for leaving that night. I asked them to wait and David stayed with them. The girls were scared, and Tom went up and read to them until the four of them fell asleep.

I spoke with Simon about offering Ingrid a job. “Oh yeah and five minutes later she’s calling you Mummy and we have an even bigger family.”

“Don’t be ridiculous. What I have in mind is for her to work with David some of the time and to do general housework the rest of the time. I intend to ask Stella for a contribution towards her salary. We throw in the cottage as a tied one and that gives Jacquie the chance to enrol in an access course to go to university.”

“Ask her to come in,” he said, and I went and fetched her. “My wife has made a suggestion to me which I shall put to you as a proposition–you’re not obliged to answer tonight, especially as we’ve been just a trifle distracted.”

“Yeah, moppin’ up blood is real good fun.”

“I think cleaning up yours would have been even less so.” Simon indicated she should remember that I’d saved her life–possibly.

“Okay–what’s this proposition?”

“We offer you a job, working with David in the kitchen–so he can teach you some cookery–and working in the house, helping with housework and childcare. In return, we pay you ten thousand a year and throw in the cottage. It would be unspecified hours, but some days it would be quiet and others it could be quite intense.”

“Wow–I dunno if I feel safe here after tonight.”

“I also thought we could possibly get Hannah into the same school that my three girls attend–I think we could arrange a scholarship with a top up. Obviously, if you leave here, I’m afraid we’d not be able to continue the top up.”

“I dunno–not sure she’d fit in a posh school.”

“The girls there are not all posh ones and the education is very good. I’m sure you’d like to see her make something of her life, an education is the best way of helping her.”

“Why are you being so nice to me–us?”

“Because I can, and because we all hate bullies and abuse of anyone. Furthermore, I’d like to see Hannah have a chance at life, and although I’m not for one moment suggesting you couldn’t give her one, I think I could help you. I lost a daughter about her age.”

“I’m sorry.I dunno, I’m still not sure about how safe I feel.”

“The men didn’t break into the house they entered because someone opened the door. The doors are all security doors, even with a battering ram they’ll give you a few minutes to get away. All the windows are reinforced safety glass. I can’t say no one would get into your cottage, but it would take them a few minutes and it’s unusual for no one to be in the house here.”

“What if they cut the phone lines?”

“Everyone has a mobile these days. No one trying to get you will have the technology to block those. Besides, the gates are usually closed and they’re electronic and we do have CCTV on the outside of the drive and the house and the cottages are also alarmed.”

“Can I think about it–you know–talk it over with Han?”

“As it’s Christmas in a couple of days and we’ll have loads of food, and we usually have plenty of fun as well, why don’t you stay until after Christmas and give us an answer then? You can help David or me, and Hannah will have someone to play with.”

“Can I say a provisional yes to the Christmas bit?”

“If you have alternative plans, that’s fine. We can drop you at a National Bus stop or the station.”

“Can I speak with Han, first?”

“Of course.” She gathered her daughter, and David escorted them over to the cottages. I glanced at the clock, it was nearly three. I yawned and Simon copied me.

“Is she going to stay?” he asked me.

“I would for the package we were offering.”

“Bugger, and I thought I had to marry you to make you stay.”

“Either that or learn to use the washing machine and the microwave.”

“That’s women’s work,” he said and ran up the stairs.

The next day we were a bit slow to get going. I left Simon in charge of the kids while Stella and I went into town and bought a few more presents for Ingrid and Hannah. “You going to give them these anyway?” asked Stella as we added to the treasure trove in the boot of the Jaguar.

“Yes, these I will, the laptop maybe not if they don’t stay for Christmas.”

“There’s a laptop as well? Bloody hell, Cathy, you’re gonna kill ’em with kindness.”

We had lunch out and when we got home discovered that Jacquie had got the lunch, as David had taken Ingrid and Hannah out to do some shopping. Simon was quite peeved–we had to have something from the freezer and shop bread.”

I pretended I was playing the violin to accompany his tragedy, then had to step back smartly as he swiped at me. “Fancy David deserting his post?” he remarked.

“Come off it Simon, you could open a tin of beans and make some toast. You weren’t going to starve–Trish would have told you what to do, or even Sammi–where is she?” I looked around and she was noticeable by her absence.

“Gone to meet Julie and Phoebe at the salon, she was getting a trim I think.”

“How are they going to get three home in Julie’s car?”

“How would I know?”

“I’ll send her a text.” I did and she said Sammi had gone to do some shopping and would find her own way back.

David, Ingrid and Hannah returned mid afternoon and he immediately set about making dinner. A short while later Ingrid and Hannah came over and Ingrid helped David in the kitchen while I got Hannah to assist the other girls in decorating the Christmas tree–yeah, I never learn and I am determined I’m not going to get pine needles in a personal place this year.
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Simon and Danny set about cleaning out the fireplace and bringing in a whole basket of logs which they stacked against the wall, still in the hearth, then repeated the exercise another three times. If we lit a fire, no one would have to go out for logs for days. He brought in a pile of kindling and stacked that in the hearth with some newspaper.

The girls finished the tree and this year the lights worked. Si and Danny, supervised by Tom, then put lights in a couple of small trees in the drive. It was beginning to feel like Christmas might happen after all.

Andy Bond arrived just before dinner and I almost coaxed him to stay. “I’ve been sent as a peace envoy.”

“Oh?” What could this mean?

“Yeah, it’s unlikely they’re going to charge you with assault, as the depositions and statements suggest you were defending your family/household against what could have been a fatal attack. The marks on Ingrid’s throat demonstrated he was using quite a lot of pressure. However, if you’re found using a bow again, they might not be so lenient next time.”

“Okay, I’ll get a Kalashnikov–I think you can buy them for a few hundred in Pakistan.”

“Cathy, be reasonable. You’ve shot about ten people here now.”

“Each one of them deserved it and I didn’t start it.”

“I know, I know–look, like I said, I’m just the messenger.”

He went off with a couple of bottles of wine as a Christmas present from Simon. When I asked Simon if he thought a crossbow would count as something different and he suggested it wouldn’t, they’re already considered offensive weapons and besides, they take too long to reload compared to a longbow. He had a point.