The Daily Dormouse. (aka Bike, est. 2007) Part 2118 by Angharad Copyright © 2013 Angharad All Rights Reserved.

I hate formal occasions, but here we were Simon and I with all the children around us in front of a large group of people. Simon welcomed them to the dance and said there’d be low alcohol drinks available free and food later, but as people lived all over the place these days, he wasn’t prepared to encourage them to drink and drive. There were some groans but most of them seemed to understand his logic.

The DJ started playing music and people went to the bars or stood about talking. Of course Trish and Livvie, assisted by Meems started the dancing bopping and suddenly jiving to the music. I was astonished–they were jiving, Trish being slightly smaller took the girl’s part and Livvie was spinning her about like a top. Then it was Trish and Mima, with Mima dancing the girl’s part while Trish spun her around, then the three of them were dancing together with a whole crowd clapping them to the music. Finally the track ended and everyone applauded. They’d obviously been practicing because it certainly wasn’t spontaneous, it was too polished for that.

After the three musketeers had strutted their stuff, the rest of the dance goers took to the floor and it looked as if everyone was having a good time. I stood watching with Simon, his arm around my waist and he was pleased with how it was all going. But like the rest of my life, it couldn’t last, could it? What happened however, shocked us all.

In the middle of a slowish dance a middle aged man strode onto the dance floor and grabbed a young woman by the wrist, dragged her away from the young man she was dancing with and then slapped her across the face.

“Hoo dare ye show me up like this?” shouted the man and I assumed it was his daughter or wife. It wasn’t, it was his son. I nearly dislocated my jaw my mouth fell open so wide.

The man grabbed her hair and it came off in his hand, it was a wig. Gasps ran through the audience. “Look at ye, dressed up like a dog’s dinner, ye bring shame on me an’ yer mither. Hoo dare ye? Mixing wi’ these decent people, ye unnatural thing, ye can get oot o’ ma hoose, I niver want ye back,” he ranted and shoved her so hard she fell over.

“Do something,” I said pushing Simon. He went to the stage and I rushed to help the young ‘lady’ who was escorted by her partner off the dance floor. I led them back to the house and sent Trish to find Phoebe.

Simon had the father escorted out of the dance telling him he’d see him tomorrow. Then he told everyone to ignore what had happened that Stanebury estates was an equal opportunities employer regardless of belief, gender, sexual orientation, colour or any other difference.

The music started again and Simon followed us into the kitchen. The young ‘woman’ was crying, making a mess of her makeup and her partner was alternately fuming and sympathetic.

Phoebe arrived having missed the fireworks, so that concerned me a little–what was she up to? Doubtless Trishlock Holmes would tell me later. I got her to tidy up our victim, to sort her wig and makeup while I talked with the boyfriend.

It seems that we had yet another transgender person present–well there had to be a hundred there–but even so it was pushing things from a statistical viewpoint. The boyfriend’s name was Callum and he’d known Althea as boy who wasn’t quite right for years. They were sixteen and once Alistair had explained about Althea, everything had become clear. They liked each other but more as brother and sister and he helped her become Althea whenever they had a chance, so when the dance happened, she was eligible to come through her father who worked on the estate, though he didn’t get wind of what she was doing until her sister told him. He apparently knew of her cross-dressing but because he belonged to a narrow minded Presbyterian church, or kirk, he tried to beat it out of her. He failed of course and was only going to succeed in either driving her to suicide or to leaving home.

The housekeeper witnessed the incident and said they had room in the servants quarter Althea could use for a while, to which Simon added, “As long as she needs it.” Callum shook Simon’s hand and thanked him.

When I asked Callum what his family would say when they heard what had happened, he shrugged, “They know and like Althea, so it won’t make any difference.”

Althea appeared having been restored to her pristine condition, actually she now looked much better, Phoebe’s skill with the wig and makeup having improved things, I told them to go back out there and enjoy themselves. Simon led the way showing the management was supporting them, which is one better than saying it. Instead of people avoiding them, they got a round of applause and Simon told her to keep a dance for him, which had them all cheering.

My good deed for the day over, I slipped off my shoes and sat down to share a cuppa with Mrs Cuddy to ‘restore us to vigour’ she’d said smiling. Fifteen minutes later I was outside telling Simon the food was coming out and to be ready to announce it in five minutes. The caterers were busy laying out a huge buffet meal in an adjacent marquee.

Before I could escape he grabbed me and hauled me onto the dance floor for a rock and roll number and we showed Trish and Livvie we could jive a bit too. Just as well, because it was about the only dance I could do without risking his foot health, and in three inch stilettos, that was a serious risk.

When the record finished, Simon announced the food was ready and as people moved towards the marquee, the live band came on to the stage and began tuning up–they were obviously doing a set after the food. I suspected, I’d be better off avoiding the noise, it hurt my ears–or it did in uni. Mind you I could cope with a full symphony orchestra — a la proms, but not a pop group and their five hundred watt amps.

The food smelt good, so I followed the queue into the tent where I saw a much happier looking Althea chatting with several people while Callum went for food for the two. I also noticed Danni standing with a boy, whom I presumed was Richard Ralph, waiting to get their food and they weren’t standing as if they were new acquaintances. I really wasn’t sure what was going on in Danni’s mind at all, but my saturation therapy certainly wasn’t working the way I expected it to.

The three younger girls had worked their way to the front of the queue and turned around with plates stacked with sausages and cheese on sticks, with crisps and tiny sandwiches. They wouldn’t need any supper; that was certain. They stopped to talk with Danni and the boy and again it seemed perfectly normal. So that had to be Richard Raph.

Then I was distracted by a couple of the staff telling me how much they were enjoying themselves and that Ali’s dad was total prat. Then Simon pushed in alongside me and we waited our turn for food in the queue. I had some salad, some cheese and onion on sticks and a couple of tuna rolls–tiny little rolls but they had the magic ingredient, so if there were any left later I’d have some more.

The eating over, the band was introduced and suddenly the night was rent by bass guitars and more. The dancing was country style, square dances and such with a caller so it wasn’t quite as bad as I’d expected, but why is it as soon as I get on a dance floor I can’t remember which is right and left. I embarrassed myself for a few minutes then withdrew on the pretence of checking the little one.

As I returned to the fray, I mean the dance, I saw a red headed man skulking at the food tent. I sent for the constable we’d had attached for the evening and pointed him out. “That’s him, that’s Jimmy O’Dare,” and he rushed towards the fugitive who grabbed a knife from the table which had been used for cutting a gateau and grabbed the nearest person to him, it was Phoebe. My heart sank and people began screaming. Two or three of the men approached O’Dare but he threatened to hurt Phoebe, if he did, I’d see he regretted it as long as he lived, so for several seconds at least.

He backed towards the rear of the tent and I saw Trish running away squealing, except the squeals didn’t sound quite right, she was up to something. Goodness, we could end up with two of my children at risk of being hostages or hurt. I moved towards the man who was now holding the knife against Phoebe’s throat. I felt like threatening him, but that wouldn’t have helped.

I spotted a shadow behind the tent and looked down, a pair of hands were tying his boot laces together–Trish, she’s something else. I moved closer to O’Dare and Phoebe. I noticed Danni and Richard were edging closer too, they were standing next to a bowl of apples.

I walked up to the man and demanded he release my daughter. He laughed and moved to step towards me, stumbled and in that split second I snatched Phoebe and threw both of us onto the carpet on the ground, as soon as I did, Danni and Richard pelted the man with apples, Simon and two other of the men, together with the young copper jumped him and he was wrestled to the ground and handcuffed. No one was hurt, Phoebe had quite a scare, Danni showed why she plays cricket and Trish scared the life out of me yet again.

Yes all in all, the Stanebury dance 2013 had proven to be a very exciting night.