The Daily Dormouse. (aka Bike, est. 2007) Part 2468 by Angharad Copyright© 2014 Angharad All Rights Reserved.

“They don’t, I was joking, but I bet you’d be good at it.”

“I didn’t appreciate your joke.”

“I’m sorry, Mummy.” She looked close to tears, “You will still come?”

“I said I would, didn’t I?”

“Yes,” she burst into tears and I opened my arms and she threw herself into my hug. “I’m sorry, Mummy.” She sobbed for a few minutes.

“Please don’t ever do something like that again.”

“I won’t, Mummy, I promise.”

I considered her well enough chastened to stick to her word. I wanted to go to see her receive recognition for her efforts, but I wouldn’t have presented the prizes, not to a group I didn’t know. Presenting them to Trish’s school had been different, Sister Maria had asked me herself months before. Still, I suppose if this lot had wanted me they’d have asked some time ago. I know nothing about beauty therapy or hairdressing, other than using them now and again, so I’d have been the wrong person to ask. Phoebe went off to her room and I went up to change.

Returning downstairs in a pair of jeans and sweatshirt, I went to my study and dealt with some correspondence before David called us to dinner. In bed that night I told Simon of Phoebe’s practical joke and all he did was snigger.

“I didn’t think it was very funny.”

“You’ve gotta lighten up, babes.”

“I felt cross that they were asking me via Phoebe not approaching me directly.”

“Would you have done it then?”

“I might have if no one else could be found, and if I’d been just presenting prizes or doing a talk before hand. The latter requires some planning.”

“You’re a natural at that sort of thing, I couldn’t do it, more yer rugby club piss up—now that’s my sort of level.”

“Yuck.”

“Someone’s gotta do it.”

I decided that as long as it wasn’t me who was asked, I really didn’t care who did the rugby club celebration, and fell asleep. Thankfully, I didn’t recall dreaming of doing naked presentations to the rugby club, so I suspect I probably didn’t. That really would have been a nightmare.

The morning got underway and after showering and dressing I woke the girls, got them showered and dressed and down to breakfast. It suddenly occurred to me that on Monday I had to do my welcome speech to the new students. I needed to talk to Tom to see what was required. I’d get Delia to speak with Pippa as she would probably be familiar with the format. I really didn’t fancy it but it seemed it was part of my job. I seemed to recollect that I also had to do a series of lectures but couldn’t remember on what or when having been too busy with the business of keeping my department safe from the management accountants and other pirates.

I had dressed in jeans and top and was going to change in work, then decided I’d come home at lunch and change then. Simon would then pick me up from home and we’d get to the college for half past two. We had a plan.

“You’re very casual today,” commented Delia. I wasn’t sure if she approved or not. I had some messy jobs in mind for the morning, including supervising the cleaning of the dormouse hibernation cages. We do it with bleach because that kills most things and then wash that off with gallons of water. I had my wellies in the boot of the car as well. “You remember you rescheduled your meeting with the Vice Chancellor?”

“What today?”

“Yes, Professor.”

“What time?”

“Um, ten minutes.”

Wonderful. Just frigging wonderful. Oh well, he’ll probably have a poor opinion of me anyway, tough titty. Dominic Gasgoine had a reputation for being a crabby old git. I asked Delia to produce coffee and biscuits just after he arrived. I also asked her to find the minutes or correspondence of any meetings he’d had with Tom. She was midway through doing a search of the filing cabinets when the crabby old git arrived.

Politeness meant I welcomed him, apologising for my informal attire due to supervising the cage cleaning afterwards. He smiled and told me he was glad to see a hands on scientist running his most successful department. I nearly collapsed in shock.

“Cathy, if I might call you that, I was delighted when you agreed to cover for Tom. You’re one of the most dynamic teachers in the place, and your films and reputation have driven up the recruitment of students by a hundred per cent in the last two years. I believe your foray into public speaking has also enhanced your reputation, and your sterling work with the mammal survey has done much to improve and enhance the reputation of the university. Like many of the younger establishments, we’ve laboured against the more traditional universities reputations, but by giving us this lead project and such a prestigious one, we’ve drawn lots of external interest and who knows where that could take us academically, perhaps one day even to the Russell group.”

Wow, he seems to approve of me.

“I asked for this meeting with you just to say how pleased I was you agreed to become acting head of department, because I’m sure it’s a good career move for you as well. My spies tell me you’ve nearly finished your second film, which I look forward to seeing. I also wanted to make it known that if you need support for any further projects which we can use to spread the word outside our own ivory tower, then do please call on me.”

He stayed half an hour drank a mug of coffee and ate half a pack of biscuits, but he seemed to approve of me and what I was doing. Tom called by afterwards and ate the other half of the biscuits. He was pleased that Gasgoine had been so positive and warned me to keep him on board because he could stymie everything I wanted to do otherwise. I don’t usually do brown nosing, but accepted his advice as that of experience. One of the things which I despise about academia is the petty politics and yet it looked as if I had to play the game like everyone else.

“Are ye comin’ tae lunch?”

“I can’t, Daddy, have to dash off to see Phoebe collect the best stylist prize at college.”

“Aye, she’s a guid kid and deserves some recognition. D’ya want me tae collect the bairns frae school?”

“That would be brilliant if you could.” It was one thing I could relieve from Jacquie’s task list which I was sure she’d appreciate. She does such a lot to help and I do appreciate it.

As it turned out I didn’t have time to start the cage cleaning, but I did have time for a bacon roll at home, which was delish. Then a quick feed of Lizzie a hug for Cate and I changed just in time for Simon to collect me and off we went to see Phoebe get her prize.