All was quiet in the house. The Sun had risen well over an hour earlier. The hum of London grew as the city started a new day.
There were two occupants of the house. For one of them this was a day to celebrate. For the other, the prospect of walkies, rabbits to chase and food was normal.
In a bedroom at the front of the three-storey terraced house, Vivienne Carter was wide awake. Today was her sixtieth birthday, plus it was the first day of what she’d been calling her ‘afterlife’. She’d just retired from her job as very senior official at the HMRC in the ‘Collections Department’. The previous day which had been a rather sad occasion. Vivienne, could have carried on working for at least six more years until she qualified for a state pension but she’d had enough of work, commuting and putting up with the incompetence of other people for far too long so she'd decided several months before to call it a day when she turned sixty years of age.
That morning, Vivienne was just lying in her bed looking at a crack in the ceiling putting off the inevitable. She knew that she’d have to get someone in to fix it. She’d been saying that for the past three years. It hadn’t gotten any bigger so she’d deemed it not that important in the grand scheme of things.
The stillness of the house was cruely ended by the sound of her alarm clock going off.
An arm appeared out from under the duvet and hit the snooze button first time. Years of practice had made it second nature.
‘Five more minutes’, she muttered to herself but inside, she was cursing the fact that she’d forgotten to cancel the alarm the previous day.
For a few moments, the house returned to silence.
Then Vivienne heard the sounds of her dog, Betty coming up the stairs. The alarm was her signal that her mistress was about to get out of bed, give her some food and take her for her morning walkies.
Reluctantly, she got out of bed and let her dog into the room.
“Hello Betty. Pleased to see me then?”
Betty’s tail was thumping gently on the wooden floor and her lead was in her mouth. She was clearly saying ‘hang breakfast, it is time for walkies’ to her mistress.
“Soon, Betty, soon.”
The rhythmic thumping stopped and her face looked up at her mistress as if to say 'really? Do I have to wait? Again?"
A few minutes later, Vivienne sat down at her dressing table. She liked this piece of furniture. It had been the only item of furniture to survive a bomb in WW2. Back then it had been in a house near the Spitfire Factory in Southampton. Her Grandfather worked at the Docks and her Grandmother worked at the factory assembling undercarriages which luckily meant that no one was in the house at the time of the raid. For some reason the dressing table had survived. The blast hadn’t even broken the mirror which was looking a little worse for wear after all these years but Vivienne didn’t mind one little bit.
Vivienne looked at herself in the mirror and sighed as she surveyed the damage as she called it. Her hair was streaked with grey. It had been a long time since she’d had a style change let alone the application of some colour.
It seemed that the bags under her eyes were growing daily and there were more than a few lines or wrinklies as her mother had called them on her face.
“Could do with some work!” she said out loud as she began to apply some moisturiser.
Most days Vivienne wore little or no makeup but today was her Birthday and her two daughters had arranged a party even though Vivienne had specifically told them not to. That was them through and through. Part of her was dreading having to dress up and be paraded as the ‘birthday girl’ when she’d far rather be walking Betty on Hampstead Heath as was the norm for a Saturday. After a good walk, she'd meet up with a number of dog owners and have a coffee at the cafe before heading home for lunch. For a moment she wondered if any of them would miss her that day. Then she thought 'probably not'. London was that sort of place.
But… today was different. For a moment she cursed being sixty. Vivienne hated the thought of getting old.
She said to herself,
“After today, I will do things differently. I will not let myself vegetate like so many others who retire.”
Her words sounded all well and good but at that specific point in time, she had absolutely no idea what he was going to do with the rest of her life. Then the words of a song from her favourite films came into her mind, ' Que Sera Sera (whatever will be, will be) '. She smiled as the hummed the tune to that so simple song to herself as she brushed her long, long hair.
Once she’d gotten dressed and had half a cup of tea, Vivienne called Betty.
“Walkies Betty!”
Her trusty companion let out a small ‘yap’. Vivienne smiled when she realised that it was coming from the hallway. Betty was waiting for her, lead in mouth at the side of the front door.
With a smile on her face, Vivienne put on her coat and shoes and knelt down to take the lead from her pet.
Betty knew the rules of the game and didn’t let go of the lead at the first attempt.
“No lead means no Walkies!”
Betty let Vivienne take the lead from her mouth and clip it to her collar.
“Right my girl. Forty minutes then breakfast. Mama has a lot to do today.”
Her pet gave a small bark as the door opened. Betty tried to leap down to the steps but Vivienne held her back. This very same thing happened each and every time they went out the front door.
It was nearly an hour before Vivienne and Betty returned home. Betty had been somewhat reluctant to ‘do her business’. She had been more interested in chasing the other dogs than going to the toilet.
Vivienne pressed the button on the Coffee Percolator before even taking off her coat and walking boots. Betty’s prevarication over doing her ‘business’ had put her morning out of kilter. She was all behind and in sore need of some Coffee just to get the day back into some sort of focus.
While the Coffee was brewing, Vivienne fed Betty and sighed. She’d just remembered what lay ahead for her in just a few hours’ time.
Clouds of doom and gloom appeared in her mind. Now that she was retired she had time to do all those things she’d been promising herself that she’d do when this day came.
Over a large cup of what she called ‘Fully Leaded’ Coffee, Vivienne wondered what her darling daughters had in store for her that day. They’d been very circumspect about what they’d planned and exactly who or was that whom they’d invited. All that they say was that they were holding a party in her honour.
Vivienne knew one thing and that was none of her friends from the Wednesday night Bridge Club were going. He feelings of dread were interrupted by the arrival of the Post.
“Well Betty, lets’ go and see who has remembered what day this is?”
Betty padded along the hall after her mistress.
There were six envelopes lying on the mat. Vivienne sighed when she saw that only two were Birthday Cards. The rest were either bills or bank statements. She was rather old fashioned in that respect. She preferred paper statements that were properly filed so that when things went wrong as they invariably did, she had all the evidence to hand. Old habits and years collecting Taxes did that to you.
Vivienne sat down with the two birthday cards. The handwriting gave her no real clues.
She sniffed them in the hope of detecting a perfume but there was nothing their either.
“Oh well, nothing for it eh Betty?”
Betty let out a little yap at the sound of her name.
Vivienne tore open the Envelopes. The first was a generic cheap card shop card. She opened it and read the words.
“Happy Birthday Ms Carter. May your retirement be as unhappy as you made me with your investigations.”
Vivienne chuckled at the name on the bottom.
“George Bradbury, Resident of HMP Maidstone, for the next 12 months.”
George Bradbury had crossed her path three times in her working life. Each time, she had gained the upper hand in their battles. The last was when two years earlier, Mr Bradbury had been sent down for five years for particularly ingenious VAT carousel fraud.
She looked at the Envelope again. It had been sent to the HQ of the HMRC with the words ‘Please Forward’ on the bottom.
Vivienne poured herself another mug of Coffee and raised it to her former foe.
“Thank you George! Don’t count your chickens because my replacement knows all about your little scams.”
Then she picked up the second card and opened it.
“Thank you, Dennis.”
Then she looked down at Betty.
“Well, at least someone I know has remembered me.”
The card had read, “Well done Vivienne. You just bid and made 7NT redoubled with a lay down”. It had been from her Bridge Partner, Dennis Barnes. The league season had ended a few weeks before and they would not meet up again until September.
The simple act of receiving the card from her bridge partner had made Vivienne happy. Dennis was a very shy and private man. They’d been partners for almost four years yet she knew very little about him other than the fact that he now lived in Muswell Hill and had lost his wife to cancer about six years ago. They had clicked as partners almost immediately. His job as an actuary and hers with the HMRC meant that figures were their lives so card counting was second nature to them. They regularly challenged for the top spot in the local league rankings.
Vivienne sat back with a sigh. She looked at the clock. It was still early. The habit of getting up at six would take a while to overcome.
“All in good time, all in good time,” she muttered.
Betty let out an agreeing yelp.
“I know Betty. I know. We will have plenty of time together from now on.”
Vivienne knelt down and gave Betty a hug. Betty responded by licking her face.
Their moment of joy together was cruelly disturbed by the front door bell.
Betty dashed towards the door grabbing her lead on the way. To her, every time the door opened there was a chance that it was time for walkies. No matter how many times it ended up not being walkies she carried on hoping.
“No walkies now Betty. We have things to do,” said Vivienne as she grabbed hold of her pet.
With her free hand, she opened the door.
“Vivienne Carter?” said a man wearing a Delivery Company Uniform. Brown top and grey shorts.
“That’s me.”
“Sign here,” he said thrusting a tablet at her.
Vivienne squiggled a bad approximation of her signature with her index finger and took the box that the man offered her.
“Thanks,” she said but he was already halfway towards his equally Brown Delivery Van.
Vivienne grunted as she turned away from the road, a dog under one arm and a cardboard box under the other. She kicked the door closed with her heel.
“Ok Betty,” said Vivienne as she put her dog down.
“Who has sent me something on this auspicious day? What can it be eh? A magic wand that would make me forty years younger?”
Betty didn’t answer.
“Do I have a secret admirer?”
“What do you think it is Betty?”
Betty was more interested in the contents of her water bowl now that more walkies were not going to happen any time soon.
Vivienne found some scissors and cut the copious amounts of tape that had been used to seal the box.
With that done, she opened the box.
“Oh!” she exclaimed.
Someone had sent her something to wear. There was a note tucked into the garment. She opened it with some anticipation. As she read it, that disappeared in a flash.
“Mum,
We got this with you in mind to wear at the party.
Suzanne (and Janice)”
Vivienne looked at the bits of whatever they’d chosen for her with an increasing feeling of dread.
Slowly, she pulled back the tissue wrapping and saw a jacket. When she saw the size, she groaned. She was a size 8-10. The label on the jacket said 16. Then she saw the label on the inside.
“Really? They expect me to wear this? They have another thing coming.”
After putting down the Jacket, she pulled out the matching skirt. It was also a size 16. It was also long… very long and totally plain. She held it against her waist. The hem was looked to be about three inches off the floor. It was far too long for her but that was not the worst thing about the ‘suit’. That was the colour. It was Beige!
Vivienne hated Beige with a vengeance. So many tourists of her age and older that visited Central London wore that particular colour, that the rebel in her was determined not to follow suit.
The thing that annoyed her more than anything was that her daughters bless their non-cotton bio degradable socks, knew that fact very well. Then for them to think that she would willingly wear something costing a few pounds from a charity shop was well beyond the pale.
Vivienne took the suit upstairs and put it in one of the spare bedrooms and made a mental note to take it to a Charity Shop in a few days.
When she returned to her kitchen, Vivienne made herself another cup of Coffee. Betty was taking one of her regular ‘dog naps’. The arrival of the package from her daughters made her think that this brief moment of peace was merely the calm before the storm so she relaxed and tried to make the most of it.
Even though she was expecting her daughters to appear at some point that day, Vivienne was far from ready when they came for her.
That might sound a bit dramatic but given her deliberately slow start to the day and their obscenely early arrival, she was nowhere near ready for the day ahead.
There was so much still to do before she was ready to face the world at her Birthday Shindig but her family seemed to have other ideas on that front.
Vivienne’s two daughters plus all their children arrived at precisely five past nine with all their children in tow. That makes nine in total. Suzanne was driving their Matte Black Audi Q7 ‘Panzerwagen’. It was just large enough for her, her husband and their five offspring. I shuddered to think what they’d so when child number six arrived in four or so months.
Janice was with her two children, Kitty and Mort. Vivienne had asked herself many times what child in the 21st Century wants to be saddled with the name Kitty. Mort or short for Morten was an old name on her husbands’ side so she tended to forgive them for that.
She knew as soon as they arrived that all hope of escape was futile. She glanced at the clock. Five past frigging nine in the morning and the party wasn’t due to start until midday.
Betty had ran to the door lead in her mouth at the first sound of visitors. Vivienne followed close behind her and made sure that she didn’t escape as she was wants to do when lots of people arrived en-masse.
With Betty clipped to her lead, she opened the door.
Her visitors were as she expected, her daughters and grandchildren. In they marched with not so much as a ‘Hello Mum’ or even a ‘Happy Birthday’ from any of them. Plus, they walked all over her clean floor in their wet shoes. Their mothers herded the children straight into the front room. Within a few seconds, the sounds of the opening scene from ‘Frozen’ could be heard. Suzanne must have bought it on memory stick. Talk about coming prepared. Feelings of impending doom spread throughout her body.
For a moment, she was very tempted just to put her coat on and do an ‘exit stage left’ with Betty. Common sense prevailed as she was not dressed for going out, and her hair could do with seeing a brush but that didn’t matter. What mattered to her was that her handbag plus purse, car keys and phone inside was in the kitchen. Before she knew it, Suzanne was already at work in there busy making her brood something to eat.
Vivienne looked on in amazement and thought … ‘God woman, you only live the other side of Hampstead Heath and you have waited until now to give them breakfast!’.
Vivienne wandered into the kitchen. Janice was making tut-tut sounds as she peered into the fridge. For half a second, Vivienne thought that she’d joined her sister in going Vegan.
Then she chuckled. Both families drove cars with leather upholstery and it was clear that both of them were wearing designer leather boots and carried large bags that were clearly made of some form of animal hide.
“What are you looking for love?”
“No Bacon I see?”
“Your dear sister threw it out on Wednesday when she informed me of what will be happening today.”
“I left some Vegan Bacon in its place!” piped up Suzanne.
“Yeah you did and even Betty turned her nose up to it just like all that Vegan dog food you left behind after Christmas. It went in the bin as well.”
“It is good for you Mum.”
“Crap. According to you this apparently old and decrepit woman is beyond saving and needs to be put out of her misery or did I dream that I had to throw out numerous brochures for retirement villages and equity release?”
Vivienne didn’t wait for her daughters to respond. She grabbed her purse, keys and coat and headed for the front door.
Janice chased after her saying,
“Where are you going?”
Vivienne turned to her daughter with a smile on her face.
“Where? I think I’ll go and invade your house. I may make myself some lunch and sit around doing nothing for the rest of the day. Why? Don’t say that you object?”
Janice was speechless.
“You and your sister come here hours before my so called, party and proceed to take over my home. Not one of you wished me ‘Happy Birthday’ or even said ‘Hello Mum!’ or ‘Hello Gran’. That is rudeness at its highest degree.”
“Calm down Mum! We don’t want you ending up in Hospital again. Think of your blood pressure.”
Vivienne had been in Hospital almost nine years before with stress induced Angina and high Blood Pressure. The doctors had recommended she take some exercise. The appearance of Betty and their long walks together had seen her BP reduce as well as shedding all the weight she’d put in since she stopped being a teenager.
“My BP is perfectly normal thank you very much. I’m going out with Betty for a walk. I want all of you gone by the time I return understood. If you want to take me to this event you have planned then come back at midday and not a minute earlier. Do I make myself clear?”
Janice went red in the face.
“And you can clear up the kitchen before you go.”
Vivienne put on her coat and left her children to stew. Betty leapt down the steps eager at having another walk so early in the day.
Vivienne returned to her home just before 11:00. The place was empty and silent apart from the sound of Betty padding along the wooden floor of the hallway towards the kitchen. Vivienne followed.
She sighed when she saw the mess that had been left behind. That was really taking the piss in her eyes. This was supposed to be her special day and … Vivienne was mad enough to swear.
There was half eaten food everywhere but in the bin. Tomato Sauce was smeared all over the Fridge door, several of the drawers and there was a pile of something unmentionable on the flood. It wasn’t a pretty site.
“Fuck!”
After giving Betty some water and putting the kettle on for herself, she went upstairs in order to continue trying to decide what to wear for the afternoon. The disaster area that was the kitchen could wait for a bit.
Her level of anger grew when she saw what was lying on her bed. The beige two-piece suit. She’d left it in an adjoining room. Now it was on her bed. The message was clear. She should wear it for the party.
“Some birthday present that is,” she muttered to herself.
“I never liked C&A when they were in business and there is no way I’m going to wear that monstrosity even if it had fitted me!”
She heard Betty come bounding up the stairs. At least she had one friend in the world.
Vivienne sat on her bed and let Betty sit on her lap. As she stroked her canine companion, she remembered back to the time when she’d decided that getting a dog would help both her physical and mental fitness. She’d gone along to the Animal Shelter just to take a look. She’d also just broken up with last boyfriend, David. He was fun to be with but not the marrying kind. That was it as far as men and her were concerned. She’d turned to a dog and had not regretted it one little bit.
The visit to the rescue centre was pretty daunting for a first timer. There were so many dogs waiting to be rescued that it was hard to decide on any individual. They all seemed so cute and loveable. That was until she saw this small dog all on its own in a cage. For her it was love at first sight.
The staff had named the puppy ‘Betty’ after the TV Show ‘Ugly Betty’. It was the last of the litter and had one ear quite a bit longer than the other which for a supposedly pedigree Cocker Spaniel, was not good for owners wanting to breed from the puppies.
All the others in the litter had found a home but Betty had had been passed over and if she was not rescued very soon then she’d have to be put down. That immediately sold it to Vivienne. Betty came home with her that day and for the past nine years, she was there for her especially at times like this.
“What am I going to do Betty?” said Vivienne.
“What did I do to deserve children who have grown up so badly?”
Betty reached up and licked Vivienne face.
“I know you love me Betty. I’m sure that somewhere in their hearts my children feel the same but they really have a strange way of saying it.”
Vivienne looked at the clock. She’d have to decide on what to wear very soon or her daughters would be back and suggesting that she wore the 2-piece that she was at that moment sitting on.
With a sigh, she gently put Betty onto the floor and went in search of something to wear.
Vivienne’s wardrobe was depressing to look at. Just a few days before and she’d had no problem about selecting what to wear for work. Now… nothing was shouting out ‘wear me’. She mentally added ‘clear my wardrobe out’ to her list of things to do sooner rather than later list.
After some deliberation she made up her mind. Black Trousers with Black Shoes and a colourful printed silk shirt up top. The top would go well with her dark green jacket.
“Well Betty. It looks like I have something to wear for the afternoon. I’m going to have to leave you here I’m afraid but I’ll be back before dark and we can go out together. I’ve got the feeling that it won’t go well but short of leaving the country right now, I can’t get out of this thing that my darling daughters have lined up for me.”
Betty heard the word ‘out’ and her tail started thumping the floor.
“Later Betty, later.”
Vivienne breathed a sigh of relief as she opened the front door. Her children, Kitty and Mort were not with her.
“Why aren’t you ready Mum?” was her immediate reaction when she saw her mother in her dressing gown and slippers.
“Didn’t I say not to return before Midday? What time is it now?”
Janice didn’t answer.
“While I go upstairs and get dressed, you can do the dishes. You and your sister made the mess so you can clear up. If you don’t do them, I’m not going. Got it?”
“Mum!”
“Why are you being like this?”
Vivienne smiled.
“If you don’t know then god help the both of you. As I said earlier, not one of you has said Happy Birthday and it is half over already. Then… that monstrosity from C&A… I’m never ever going to wear that. Not only is it several sizes too big for me, it is Beige! When was the last time you saw me wearing that colour eh?”
Janice seemed to have switched off.
“Don’t listen to me then.”
Then she stormed off upstairs closely followed by Betty.
When she returned at exactly twelve o’clock, Janice was sitting in the kitchen reading the paper. The dishes had not been touched.
“Didn’t I ask you to do the dishes?”
“Not with these nails I’m not. I only had them done yesterday.”
Vivienne looked at her daughters nails. Not only were they very long but seemed to have small stones embedded near the tips.
“We have been on at you for ages to get a dishwasher. It saves so much time.”
“Pah!” said Vivienne. She was not impressed.
Janice stood up and put her coat on.
“It is time we were going.”
“You can go. I’ll follow in my car.”
“But Mum! That means you can’t have a drink? It is your birthday after all?”
“And I’ll decide if I want to have a drink or not. As I clearly told you and your sister many, many times that I didn’t want a party but neither of you listened did you. I’m only going to go because no matter what, you are both my daughters.”
With that, Vivienne put on her coat and grabbed her purse and car keys. Janice meekly followed. Her daughter knew that it was not going to turn out well if she pursued this much more so she shut up and let her Mother lock up the house behind them.
[to be continued]
[Authors note]
The inspiration for this story came from an exercise we were given during a Creative Writing Weekend at West Dean (https://www.westdean.org.uk) College in January 2020. The task was to create a character. I realised that I’d never written about someone who is retired. Vivienne was the result. This is by far the longest story I’ve ever written and one of the most enjoyable. In all, the first draft took me less than five weeks.
A word of warning. This story is not about a Transgendered person or person although one who will be familiar to my readers makes several appearances as the story unfolds.
[At the party that is being held at an Hotel in Muswell Hill]
“Come on Mum! Why don’t you want to say some words to all your friends? They have taken a lot of trouble to be here today.” said her eldest daughter Janice.
Her voice was rather strained as if she was pleading with her mother.
Vivienne grunted.
“Why won’t you do it? Jan and I spent a lot of time and money setting up this party in your honour,” said her other daughter Suzanne.
Vivienne just shook her head and tried to walk away. She had not wanted this or any other celebration to mark her becoming an ‘old person’. Reaching the age of Sixty was no cause for any celebration in her eyes. What had made it even worse was that her beloved daughters had even invited her philandering former husband Rex to attend. He’d arrived along with his fourth wife Tammy, who seemed to be even younger than their children. It was as if he was deliberately trying to rub her nose in the mire yet again. Then she realised that it was him just being him and he’d never change.
Janice wasn’t taking no for an answer. She literally backed Viv into a corner by tapping her wine glass with a spoon in order to get everyone’s attention.
“I’m sure you’d all like to hear a few words from our ‘Birthday Girl’… I give you my darling mother Vivienne.”
There was a smattering of applause from the room.
Vivienne glared at her daughters and reluctantly stepped forward to face the guests.
“I want to thank you for coming along today. My daughters arranged this thing despite me telling them in no uncertain terms that I didn’t want anything to happen but that fell on deaf ears as usual but, I find it strange that none of my friends have been invited. I wonder why?”
There were a few surprised faces in the crowd.
“Now that I have reached this milestone in my life and according to my grandchildren, have been put out to pasture, I am going to do things very differently from now on. I am going to live my life as I see fit and not according to some stereotype. For starters, I am certainly not going to wear those clothes that my dear daughters selected for me to wear today. I never wore anything from C&A when they were in business and I am not going to start now. Do I look anywhere near a size 16? Exactly and if that monstrosity is the only present they give me today then I really will know that they have lost the plot.”
There was some tittering in the audience so Vivienne carried on.
“Someone else might get some wear out of them but it won’t be me but honestly, they need to be cut up and used as rags. Then there is the fact that I am most certainly not a person who wears beige. I never have been and never will. Having to wear Grey’s and Black’s for work was one thing but now that I am free of that I can choose what I want to wear. If I want to wander around the house naked then I can. It is my house so why not eh? At the very least, what I wear in future will be a lot more colourful.”
A few people more tittered. It appeared to be mostly the men but their partners soon snuffed that out. Like her daughters, it was obvious that those present were mostly what you could call ‘prudish’ when it came to how they were dressed. Mostly blacks and greys. Only Rex’s latest wife was in anyway daringly dressed. Her vibrant pink outfit really stood out amongst the sea of drab.
Vivienne took another deep breath before continuing. She wasn’t used to giving speeches and she was now deep into thinking on he feet or what you might call ‘winging it’. What she’d planned to say had lasted all of ten seconds. Nevertheless, she carried on.
“As I said, I’m going to live my life differently. Being a so-called woman of Leisure, I no longer have to be in London.”
She looked at her daughters. They were not enjoying her tirade one little bit. Good! She thought. So, she addressed her next little rant to them.
“So… my dear daughters, after your frankly insulting visit to me this morning where not one of you even said ‘hello’ let alone, ‘Happy Birthday Mum’, I’ve decided that I’m going to sell up and move away which means I won’t be around to babysit my lovely grandchildren but girls, an hour is about anyone can put up with their astonishingly bad behaviour. Tammy, who for those who don’t know is not yet five told me to ‘Fuck Off’ last week when I suggested that watching ‘Breaking Bad’ was not really suitable for someone of her age.”
She paused to let that sink in.
“As I said, I will be moving away from London. I don’t know where yet but there are two things that I do know. The first is that whatever place I buy, there won’t be room for my daughters and their broods to descend on me for a freebie holiday. You all came over for last Christmas and only left when it was time for the children to return to school. Did I get any contributions towards the food or heating? Like hell I did. I’m sorry my darling, that was the last straw. Your days of sponging off me are over unless you want to bring a tent and camp that is? I’m sure that wherever I go, there will be a field nearby that you could use.”
Both of her daughters had a virtual phobia towards the outdoors.
“Secondly, I won’t be leaving a forwarding address to anyone but my Solicitor. I am not going to let my dear and well-meaning daughters organise my life from here on in and I certainly do not want to follow your advice and move into some bland identikit retirement apartment as you clearly want me too. Yes Janice, those not so subtle brochures you keep leaving around my house were noticed no, I didn’t read them and digest the wonderful details of retirement apartments where there isn’t room to swing a cat. Furthermore, I know that you want the money from my house sale so that you can move house again but as the yanks say, ‘not on my dime you ain’t’. Those expensive brochures went for recycling the day after to left them. As for your hints about me not being able to manage the house… I managed very well last week and I will manage again next week. I might have retired but walking Betty keeps me pretty fit thank you.”
Everyone looked at Janice. She cringed with embarrassment.
“Then Suzi, like your sister, there were those not so subtle hints about releasing some equity in my home in order to help you move to a larger house. If you won’t use contraception and keep getting pregnant, then Suzi, that is your problem not mine. I scrimped and saved in order to bring you two up with only the occasional financial help from their Father. Don’t forget that I paid for your University Education and even lent you the deposits on your first homes. Why don’t you ask your dear father to help out? After all, he owns how many virtual properties in Hackney, Tower Hamlets and Deptford? I think it was about fifty the last time his company filed their accounts which are more than a year overdue. He seems to have all the money not me. How else can he afford to have homes in Islington, Buckinghamshire, Greece and Florida if he does not have some spare cash. Go on girls, ask him. He might even say yes.”
“Yes, I’m ranting but I am also totally sane. The full medical I had two weeks ago showed that I was very sane and actually pretty fit for a person of my age. Now that I’m not working I can do what the hell I like with my life. I’m not going to sit down, watch TV and basically ‘wait for god’ to come calling. If I want to sell up here and buy something out in the middle of nowhere then I can and there is nothing anyone can do to stop me. I’m going to enjoy my life and if that means spending money and that is my money I’m talking about, then bring it on.”
Vivienne then looked directly at Suzanne who was standing by the birthday cake that had a single candle on the top. The green colour of the icing told Vivienne what was inside. It was just one of the cakes that she served in her Café. As if adding a single candle would make it special.
“You might be my daughter Suzanne, but I will not eat your vegan courgette and coriander birthday cake. To me, it tastes like rough sawdust. Always has done and always will. To be honest, you can take it along with your skinny soya or almond milk decaf latte and shove it up where it hurts. Only God knows where you got the idea that it is what I want to drink when I come into your Coffee shop. You keep trying to fob me off with crap and then have the nerve to want to charge me getting on for five quid for it even if I didn’t ask for it.”
Suzanne visibly cringed.
“I’m going to end now and exit stage left. As I said at the outset, I didn’t want this thing here today, I’ll let you all enjoy it. You can all take those presents back to where you got them as I really don’t want them but thanks for the thought. When I leave here, I’m going home and then I’m going to take Betty for a long walk and to hell with you all. I’ve been trying to tell my daughters about my plans for months but they have just put their collective fingers in their ears and not listened one little bit which is a trait you have clearly inherited from your dear philandering Father. I’m done with you trying to organise my life, my retirement and your desire to get your hands on my money. Henceforth, the bank of Mum is now permanently closed.”
Vivienne stopped talking and headed for the exit. Just like Moses and the Red Sea, a path opened up for her and allowed her to escape with her head held high.
Betty was very pleased to see her mistress when she arrived home from the disastrous party if you could call it that… She was waiting by the front door, lead in mouth and her tail rhythmically thumping on the polished wooden floor.
“Later Betty.”
Vivienne could swear that Betty looked disappointed that she wasn’t going out for walkies.
“We are going to the country. Lots of walkies there my girl.”
Her tail thumping rhythm sped up when Betty heard the word walkies.
As Vivienne turned out of her street and onto the main road, she allowed herself a virtual fist pump. There, going in the other direction and obviously heading for her home was her daughter Janice and her useless twat of a husband Mark. That man was in Vivienne’s opinion, a waste of space but he’d been Janice’s choice and that was that. Their car was waiting at the lights to turn into the street where Vivienne was leaving. She knew that it would take them at least a couple of minutes to turn around and to get back on her tail again. By that time, she’d be long gone. Vivienne didn’t help their quest to find her by taking a few shortcuts that took her towards Maida Vale and the north end of Shepherds Bush.
Vivienne was headed for the A40 as her way out of London. She thought to herself, ‘I might be sixty but I am far from ready to stop living. Far from it. This is truly the first day of the rest of my life’.
Her enthusiasm didn’t last long. She’d not even reached the Hanger Lane Junction with the North Circular road when she came to a grinding halt in a queue of traffic.
Every few minutes, the queue moved a little bit. Out of frustration more than anything else, Vivienne turned on the Radio and tuned it to a local news station. She didn’t have to wait long before a traffic report told her that the road was closed in the westbound direction right outside the old Hoover factory. This was just a mile or so down the road from her present position. The news report went on to say that a car had caught fire and it was predicted that the road would be closed for several hours as some of the road surface needed to be replaced.
“So much for the Cotswolds,” she muttered to herself. Betty yelped from behind her.
“Yes Betty, I’m still here.”
Vivienne knew that there was only one way out and that was to turn left or right onto the North Circular at the Hangar Lane Junction that was a few hundred yards ahead of her. Vivienne chose to go south. Her thinking that was to get onto the M4 at Chiswick and head westwards that way.
As many people know from bitter experience, the A 406 North Circular Road is to be avoided at the best of times especially the section between the A40 at Hangar Lane and the A4 at Chiswick. Even at weekends it can be hell especially around the Chiswick roundabout.
Vivienne tried to use the SatNav to find a way of avoiding the A 406/A4 junction. She found one that would take through Acton. When she reached the A4, it was jammed going west so she carried on into Chiswick. It looked to her that she was going to end up on the M3 rather than the M40.
“Beggars can’t be choosers,” she muttered.
Betty piped up just to let her know that she was still with her.
“Mother is here Betty,” she called out.
Vivienne made good progress but the slow traffic was hitting the battery of her car pretty hard.
As she passed under the M25/M3 Junction near, she realised that while the just over one-hundred-and-thirty-mile range of her car was perfect for nipping around the city but was not ideal for a trip to the country especially as she had no idea where she was going to end up. She was also starting to wonder if it was the right vehicle for a trip to… where she knew not where. She laughed said out loud,
“I Know Not Where the Road Will Lead.”
That’s as far as she got. Sunday School was a long time ago. They used to sing that hymn almost every other week.
Vivienne was struggling to get the charger working with her car when another Electric Vehicle pulled in beside her. There were two ‘electron pumps’ as she called the charging points.
The driver got out and gave her a smile. She relaxed. It was a woman of around thirty years of age.
Vivienne watched in awe as other woman plugged in a cable and fiddled with her phone and then she heard a fairly loud clunk from the charger as it powered up to begin work. The woman smiled and locked her car.
The woman began to walk away but stopped before she’d gone very far. After a moment’s hesitation, she came back.
“Are you ok? You look as if you are having a problem with the charger?”
Vivienne was slightly thrown by her directness.
“Yes… yes I am. I’ve never used one of these before. I… I normally charge at home.”
The other woman smiled.
“It is quite easy once you know how.”
“That’s just it. I’m a bit of a fish out of water at the moment.”
“Well then we need to get the river of electrons flowing into your car so that you can breathe normally.”
Vivienne could tell that she was trying to put her at ease.
“Do you have the app on your phone?”
“I think so. I loaded a whole raft of them when I got the car.”
“Can I take a look?”
Vivienne handed the woman her phone after turning off ‘Airplane Mode’.
When it connected to the network, it seemed to go mad.
“It looks like a lot of people have been trying to get in touch with you?”
“Yeah. My daughters. I’m in their bad books but they’ll get over it.”
Then Vivienne added,
“Eventually.”
“Sometimes, families can be a real pain in the you know where,” said the woman as she fiddled with Vivienne’s phone.
“Oh good, you have the app all already setup. All you need is your credit card.”
Vivienne produced the card she vaguely remembered using for this and a few other apps.
“Put in the security number from the back and you are all set to go.”
She did as she told. A few seconds later, the charger started to power up.
“There you are it is charging.”
“Fancy a coffee? My treat,” the other woman added.
“Don’t you have to be somewhere yourself?” asked Vivienne.
She laughed.
“When my car has enough juice to get me there, yes I do but I’m in no rush now. I had to drop dear two friends off at Heathrow. We were attending a wedding in Norfolk. Now I’m going down to Devon for the weekend and then I’m going to be visiting some businesses but generally taking things easy. I’ve been a taxi service these past few days.”
‘If you are sure…? I don’t want to be any trouble.”
“You are no trouble. We all had to start somewhere with these things. I didn’t get it right straight away.”
“Forgive me for asking, but you seem rather unprepared mentally for going away in your car?”
She was right on the nail.
“Guilty as charged. It was a very spur of the moment thing. Mostly to get away from my Daughters. I’m afraid I had an almighty rant at them earlier.”
“Where are you heading?”
Drat! Vivienne thought to herself as she tried to think of a destination.
“Well, I was intending to head out towards the Cotswolds but the A40 was closed at Hangar Lane. Somehow, I found myself on the road to Kew Bridge in Chiswick and saw the signs for the M3, so here I am.”
“What about you?” asked Vivienne.
“As I said, I’m going down to South Devon. I’m attending the opening of a new Pub and Restaurant on Sunday,” replied the woman.
Then she added,
“Do you have somewhere to stay tonight?”
That threw Vivienne a bit.
“To be honest, I don’t know. My original plan was to stay somewhere like Stow on the Wold but I’m not really familiar with this part of the country.”
The other woman smiled back at Vivienne.
“Lets’ get that Coffee? While we wait for our cars to charge?”
“Ok, why not. But I’ll need to let Betty out for a bit.”
A yelp came from inside Vivienne’s car.
The woman smiled.
“There are some tables outside. Why don’t you take Betty there while I get the drinks? What’s your poison?”
The word ‘poison’ threw Vivienne for a second.
“Tea, milk and no sugar thanks.”
“Great. I’ll be back in a few minutes.”
Vivienne turned to look at Betty. Her gaze what just as I’d seen her that first day.
“Come on Betty. Time for a stretch,” she said as she opened the hatchback.
Betty didn’t argue one little bit.
Vivienne was beginning to wonder what was happening as the time ticked by and the other woman hadn’t appeared. Her car was still parked there right next to Vivienne’s. She had to admit to herself that the vivid blue colour of her car was stunning compared to hers.
Then she saw the other woman appearing out of the building. She smiled when she saw Vivienne.
“Sorry for being so long. There was a coach party of older folk who could not make up their mind in the queue ahead of me.”
“It does not matter. I just looked at this app thing and it was saying that my car was only forty percent charged.”
“Those chargers tend to time you out after 45 to 50 minutes.”
“Oh? I didn’t know.”
“Just one of the things you learn about using an Electric Vehicle. Be prepared…”
“I feel so inadequate.”
She smiled back at me.
“Nonsense. As I said, I was just like you a while back. You will soon pick up all the tricks.”
“I hope so.”
“I’m Maxine. Maxine Forsythe by the way,” said the woman.
“Vivienne Carter. Thanks again for your help.”
“No problem Vivienne. Now do you have any idea about where you are staying tonight?”
“Not really,” replied Vivienne hoping not to sound too depressed.
“The traffic going past Stonehenge is sure to be heavy what with it being a Bank Holiday Weekend. I generally divert through Salisbury and Blandford Forum when going down to Devon.”
“Oh?”
“I know somewhere to stay just outside Salisbury. Very close to Sarum, the old roman town.”
“Will they have room?”
“I’m sure they will. There is a pub next door that has a charger and the food isn’t bad either. Being a country pub, they are also dog friendly.”
Then she hesitated before adding,
“If you don’t mind staying at a B&B that is run by two gay men that is?”
She’d thrown Vivienne once again.
“I don’t think so.”
“Good. Let me give them a call. Their names are Duncan and Charles. Really nice people. Both of them are graphic artists. I’ve used them a few times professionally so that’s how I know them.”
Without waiting for Vivienne to react, she pulled out a number from her contacts list and pressed ‘call’.
“Hello Dunc!” said Maxine.
“I’m fine. What about you two?”
“Good. Do you have anyone staying tonight?”
“You don’t? Great. I have a client for you. Her name is Vivienne. She drives a Leaf and has a delightful dog called Betty.”
“We are at Sutton Scotney Services giving our cars a charge. Half an hour more for that then just under hour for her to find you? Is that ok?”
She put her hand over the microphone.
“Are you ok with me reserving you a room?”
“Thanks. Please go ahead.”
“That’s settled then Dunc. I’ll give her all the details of how to find you and all that.”
“No, I’m going down to Devon tonight. I’ll drop by on my way back next Sunday. Do you want your usual order?”
“Good. See you then.”
Maxine finished the call and smiled at Vivienne.
“That’s all settled. Let me text you their details? You can put their Postcode into your SatNav and it will take you right to them. You can’t miss the pub.”
“What usual order? If you don’t mind me asking?”
She chuckled.
“Oh that. If I’m passing near to their place on my way back from Devon, I usually bring them some smoked Mackerel from the smokie in the village where this Pub is that I’m going to on Sunday… That’s tomorrow. My… how the days fly by when you are enjoying yourselfß.”
Vivienne’s almost closed life seemed to be so… inadequate when compared to this confident young woman. She began to envy her.
Her brief encounter with Maxine had made Vivienne even more determined not to sit and vegetate in some… The words would not come. Whatever it was, she knew that sort of life it wasn’t for her. The events of the day had been bad almost from the start when her daughters arrived but seemed to be brightening up at last.
[to be continued]
Forty-five minutes after they’d met at the services, Vivienne and Maxine said goodbye to each other. Even in that short time, they’d become friends.
“Are you sure that I won’t be a pain in the neck? I’m not exactly a country person.” asked Vivienne.
“Not at all. It will be nice to have some company for the week.”
“And you don’t mind about Betty?”
“Not at all. She seems to like me.”
Vivienne thought for a couple of seconds.
“Very well then. It is a deal.”
Maxine smiled.
“Good. I’ll make sure that there is a room for you for the week.”
“How much will it cost?”
Maxine grinned.
“Zero, zilch, nada. I own a good chunk of the Hotel which means that I do have a say in what goes on. In return for that, you can be my companion for the week. That does not mean having to stay silent. You seem like an astute person so comments will be most welcome. Consider the cost of the room being payment in kind for your consultancy during the week.”
Vivienne smiled.
“I’ll try not to put my foot in it.”
“Don’t worry at all. I’m just starting to work on a big project and any input you can provide will be useful even if you have to say, don’t be a stupid idiot Maxine, it will never work.”
“Are you sure?”
“I’m sure.”
“Then I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Good. The opening ceremony is at two. Just make yourself known that you are my guest.”
Vivienne watched Maxine drive off and started to wonder if she should do a runner back to London. She wasn’t used to people being so nice to her. It was rather unsettling.
Maxine had not gone very long before Vivienne had started to feel a bit guilty. Her new friend had taken the trouble to arrange for somewhere for her to stay that night and seemed genuinely interested in Vivienne despite their difference in ages. Vivienne had almost felt like a teenager again with Maxine seeming to know everyone and everything.
“She was only trying to be kind to me wasn’t she Betty,” muttered Vivienne as she loaded Betty into her cage.
It took less than an hour for Vivienne to find the home of Duncan and Charles. Just as Maxine had explained, there was a Pub next door and she could see a charger in the corner of the car park.
She drove the car into their driveway. As she came to a halt, the front door opened and a man walked out. He smiled at Vivienne.
She got out of the car. He was waiting for her.
“You must be Vivienne,” he said.
“I’m Duncan. Welcome to our home.”
“Thanks. I don’t want to put anyone out.”
“You aren’t putting anyone out. Besides, any friend of Maxine is a friend of us isn’t that true Charles.”
The other half of their partnership had joined Duncan.
“That is very true Duncan dear. Let us get you unpacked and then I’ll get your car onto charge.”
“Are you sure that it is all right with the people at the pub?”
“Absolutely. We are only a B&B. Most of our visitors go to the Pub for their evening meal.”
Vivienne hesitated a moment.
“Duncan here will be serving behind the bar so he’ll keep an eye out for you. The locals are not that untrained you know,” said Charles by way of re-assurance.
Once Vivienne realised what he’d said, she relaxed.
“Besides, I hear that you have a nice friendly dog with you. I can look after it while you are eating.”
“Ok. Thanks. Her name is Betty.”
Charles proved to be a natural with Betty. Betty was loving the attention that she was receiving.
“Betty likes you,” remarked Vivienne.
“I think she does, doesn’t she?” replied Charles as Betty licked his face.
Vivienne left Betty with Charles who was making a real fuss of her and went the few yards to the pub.
Duncan was behind the bar doing what barmen and women the world over do when not serving a customer in that he was polishing a glass.
“What will it be?” he asked.
“You don’t have to worry about driving tonight.”
“That’s true. I think I’ll have a glass of Merlot please.”
“Large?”
“Why not. As you say, I don’t have to drive.”
As Duncan poured the wine, he asked,
“Is Betty ok?”
Vivienne laughed.
“I think Charles is in danger of being licked to death.”
Duncan put the glass of wine on the counter.
“He loves dogs but clearing up after them for more than a day or so is another matter entirely.”
Vivienne laughed.
“I know what you mean. My Daughter Janice once volunteered to look after Betty for a long weekend. She lasted until Saturday Morning. Then I got a phone call ‘Help!’. The problem was that I was in Venice. She just had to lump it and do her best until I returned. She put Betty into a Kennel and washed her hands of it. Betty got her own back by peeing all over her shoes the next time she visited us. Then… she tried to stiff me with the bill for a new pair of shoes.”
“Your Daughters seem to be a right piece of work.”
“I’m certainly not in their good books. Before I left London, I gave them both barrels. They needed to be told and in public how I felt about them and what they were trying to wheedle me into doing.”
Duncan laughed.
“My parents did that to me when I married Charles. What I never had, I can’t miss now can I?”
“That’s very true,” replied Vivienne.
Just then four more people walked into the Bar.
Duncan let out an audible sigh.
“Please go and find a table. I’ll bring the menu over when I have served them. The old guy is a right PITA. Nothing we do is ever right for them. Just sit back and watch a professional complainer at work.”
Vivienne found a table well away from where the newcomers had seated themselves.
As the evening progressed, Vivienne got an education in the art of ‘Complaining over Nothing’. Duncan got the brunt of it for no good reason. Nothing was beyond the man when it came to complaining. He took Duncan to task for serving him tap water when that was what he specifically ordered.
When Vivienne had eaten a very nice Steak Pie washed down with another pub staple, ‘Sticky Toffee Pudding’, she went up to the bar to pay the bill.
When Duncan handed her the change, Vivienne said,
“Can you give me a large pitcher of water?”
Duncan stepped back from the bar and smiled.
“You aren’t? Are You?”
Vivienne grinned. That was answer enough.
Duncan put the full pitcher of water on the bar.
“Thanks Duncan. That guy is just as you said a royal PITA.”
Then she took the pitcher and walked over to the table where the party of four were seated.
“Hey you!” said Vivienne in a deliberately loud voice.
They all turned to look at her.
“You four with all your complaining over frankly nothing ruined my evening. In fact, it has been the icing on the cake of a truly rotten birthday. So, I’m going to ruin yours in return.”
Then she poured the water over their obvious leader.
Not one of them made a sound.
Vivienne put the now empty pitcher down on their table.
“If I were you, I’d pay your bill and leave before the barman sets the dogs on you. They really don’t like people who come into a place like this, order a meal with zero intention of paying the bill. I’ve seen many people like you try this on in London. Your moves were so obvious that it was almost laughable.”
Not one of them moved.
“Or does the barman have to call the Police? So far, I’ve seen plenty of evidence of intent to defraud this fine establishment. I’ll happily be a witness for the prosecution.”
As if by magic, a number of banknotes appeared on the table. Then they stood up and started to walk towards the door. Duncan had emerged from behind the bar. He took all their photographs.
“You are all banned. For life.”
They disappeared. The other customers to a man and woman started clapping.
Vivienne sat down shaking.
Duncan returned with a large Scotch.
“I think you need this. That was some… That took some guts.”
“I didn’t know what happened. I just felt that something had to be done.”
“Well Vivienne, you did good. Real Good. You can some back anytime you like.”
“Thanks Duncan but I really don’t know what came over me just now.”
He laughed.
“Vivienne, could this be you coming out of your shell at long last?”
She didn’t answer.
“Was what you said about it being your birthday?”
“Yes. Sixty today I’m afraid.”
“Nothing to be afraid of at all.”
He smiled.
“If I’m as feisty as you when I’m your age then I’ll be happy.”
“I’m not normally like this but thanks for the compliment.”
Vivienne drove down to Devon the next morning feeling good. Betty was on good form as well and the sun was shining so for her, all was well with the world.
It was just as well that her phone was switched off. The number of increasingly irate messages from her daughters was rapidly filling up her message inbox.
She found the Pub and parked nearby. The place was a hive of activity with the preparations for the grand opening. She couldn’t see any sign of Maxine but she wasn’t worried. It was a lovely day so she walked Betty through the village and up to the nearby clifftop. There was a bench there so she sat down and basked in the sun. It was very pleasant and a far cry from her part of London.
She used the time and pleasant surroundings to think about the whole concept of moving down to this part of the country. She tried to imagine the scene before her with a storm in full force. That whole thing frankly terrified her so one condition for where she bought was that it was sheltered from the prevailing South Westerly winds.
At a little after two, Vivienne could see some formalities taking place outside the Hotel.
“Time to go Betty. Then we can get you some water.”
Things were a bit hectic at the Pub. The local Mayor who was supposed to be performing the opening ceremony had gone AWOL. No one knew where she was. The local School Band was trying their best to keep everyone entertained but it was soon obvious that they had a rather limited repertoire of tunes.
Vivienne watched from afar as two women tried to get things going. She guessed that they were Maxine’s partners, Nina and Belinda. She couldn’t see Maxine anywhere.
Some form of order was restored and Nina did the honours in the absence of the Mayor. Then everyone headed inside for the free food and drink.
Vivienne was a little unsure about what to do next when Nina saw her.
“Are you Vivienne?”
“That’s me? I was looking for Maxine?”
“She’s out looking for the Mayoress. She texted a few minutes ago that she has found her. Her car was in an accident with a Horsebox. It does not look like either of them are going to be here anytime soon.”
“Oh.”
The worried look on Vivienne face told Nina everything she needed to know.
“Why don’t you head on up to the Hotel. They are expecting you and your room will be ready. I’m sure that Maxine will be around before dinner. Jules, our Chef has had his arm twisted by Maxine to do something special.”
“I really don’t want to be any trouble.”
Nina laughed.
“That’s exactly what Maxine said that you’d say. You aren’t any trouble at all believe me. When you get to the Hotel, plug your car in to charge. We now have eight chargers but I expect Maxine told you that.”
Maxine hadn’t gone into any detail other than to say that there was a place to charge her car at the Hotel.
Vivienne looked down at Betty.
“What do you think Betty? Time for a little nap?”
Betty wagged her tail. As she did this most times when anyone spoke directly to her, it was difficult to know if she understood or not.
“Ok, then we’ll head on up to the Hotel.”
“Good. I hope that the food runs out soon then most of the freeloaders will head off to another watering hole.”
“Aren’t you serving in the Restaurant tonight?”
“No, we properly start on Tuesday. We won’t be serving on Monday evenings. Maxine has booked a table for the two of you for Wednesday,” said Nina.
“It seems that she has everything organised?”
“That’s Maxine through and through but if you come up with better ideas then don’t hesitate to mention them. She’s a pretty flexible sort of person once you get to know her.”
“Yes I am. Are you Betty?”
Betty was sitting in her travelling cage in the back of Maxine’s car. She responded with a little ‘yelp’.
“She’s ready. Where are we going? Please don’t say ‘wait and see’. My father used to do that with me and it drove me mad.”
Maxine chuckled.
“Our first stop is at the farm where the bacon that you are for Breakfast comes from. They have just started a new project that might interest you.”
Maxine didn’t elaborate but the presence of a large crane at the farm told her that the project work was in full swing.
That was the way things went for the first part of the week. They’d visit a supplier to the hotel and discussions relating to Maxine’s big plan would eschew. Gradually Vivienne got a picture of what she was planning on doing. It all seemed very ambitious but as she got to know Maxine more, she realised that she knew what she was doing. She commented on many of the specifics and asked a lot of questions.
“That’s why I asked you along. Having someone to ask those stupidly obvious questions is perfect. It allows me to refine my plan,” said Maxine as they ate a truly delicious Lunch at a Pub on the edge of Dartmoor.
“Where to next?” asked Vivienne.
“Something completely different. We are going to visit a place that is totally off the grid. The man that runs it is a bit of a mystery but he supplies us and a good few other places in the area with all the herbs the chefs need to help them work their magic.”
“Sounds interesting. That will be a change from talking about digesters and sludge and all manner of really smelly stuff.”
“I see what you mean,” commented Vivienne as Maxine drove up a narrow track that led to the smallholding of the Herb Grower.
“The wood on the left is a coppice. He makes Charcoal in the Winter and sells it at the Farmers Markets in the Summer.”
Vivienne looked and could see where some trees had been cut down the previous autumn. New shoots were already growing.
“Here we are,” she said as the car came out of the trees and into a small valley.
“Oh!” remarked Vivienne.
The whole place could have been taken from the lid of an old Biscuit Tin or a painting by Constable. A Thatched Cottage stood on one side of the valley. A wisp of smoke rose from the Chimney. Chickens, Ducks and Geese roamed freely. Then she saw the owner.
She almost let out a swear word. He was a hunk that would put many other hunks to shame. The man’s body was tanned. The sort of deep tan you can only get from working outside for extended periods. He was sitting near the door to the cottage making something from wood. There wasn’t a power tool to be seen.
Then she realised that she couldn’t see any electricity supply to the place.
“I can see what you mean by ‘off grid’.”
“There isn’t any electricity other than what a couple of Solar Panels and a Waterwheel can generate and a few old car batteries can store.” remarked Maxine.
The man had seen them. He stood up and gave them a wave.
“Come on Vivienne, lets’ go and meet Jacques.”
Vivienne was in a bit of a daze. She was having feeling that she’d never had before. That unnerved her. Just looking at him, with his toned body and fantastic looks made her go all funny inside. His six pack did not come from a gym.
As she got out of Maxine’s car, she realised that he wasn’t young. Her estimate was that he was ten or twelve years her junior. Far too old to be called a ‘toy-boy’. She stopped dead and admonished herself for having visions of them together and …
She shuddered.
Then she put on her best smile and followed Maxine towards Jacques.
The next half hour was hard, really hard for her. Parts of her body were reacting to him in ways that she’d never experienced as a hormone laden teenager.
Despite these feelings she managed to have at least a semi-coherent conversation with him about his plants and where he sold them.
When they left, Maxine drove down to the end of the lane and stopped.
“Recovered?”
Vivienne tried to make light of it.
“I really don’t know what you mean?” she replied indignantly.
“Come off it Vivienne, I could see you undress him even before we got out of the car.”
Vivienne just lowered her eyes to the floor.
“He is a bit of a hunk isn’t he?”
“That’s a point of view I can readily concur with.”
Maxine leaned over and touched Vivienne’s hand very gently. She almost withdrew it but didn’t.
“I’d jump into bed with him in an instant if I fancied men,” she said calmly.
“But you were married?”
“I was and I loved Adrian. He was gay and… well, it was a marriage of convenience. Yes, we had sex and I enjoyed it but I’m very much more interested in women.”
Maxine saw the look of concern on Vivienne’s face.
“Don’t worry Vivienne. You aren’t my type but I think that Jacques is very much yours… am I right?”
Slowly, the answer came.
“Yes but…?”
“He didn’t run a mile from you so there might be hope for you yet?”
“He does not know me from Adam or Eve.”
“He is very much like me in that he can read people like a book. He read me in less than thirty seconds the first time we met.”
“Read you? Oh, that you are a Lesbian?”
Maxine smiled.
“That’s only part of the story. I’m Trans.”
Vivienne could not believe what she’d just heard.
“I was an unemployed loser called Tom until a strange sequence of events led me to start living as a woman. Then I did some work that led me to meet Adrian and the rest is history.”
“But… you said that you are a widow?”
“That I am. He died some eighteen months ago.”
Vivienne was totally confused by just about everything they’d seen and done that afternoon.
“Time to get back and make ourselves pretty. We have a table at the Pub with our name on it don’t we?”
“What do you think?” she asked Vivienne as that tucked into their main course.
“That Lamb just melts in the mouth.”
“I told you it would.”
“Would you like to eat Jacques?”
Vivienne almost choked on the mouthful that she was chewing.
“I really don’t know what you mean?”
The grin on Maxine’s face told Vivienne that her leg was being pulled.
“Come on now Vivienne, it was obvious that you fancy him.”
“So? I’m a lot older than him…”
“You obviously failed to see how he reacted to you. I’ve never seen him take even more than a passing interest in other women. Until now that is…”
“How many visitors a week does he get to his smallholding?”
Maxine grinned.
“Then we’ll have to go to the Farmers Market on Saturday. Then you’ll see what I mean.”
She added,
“There will be a chance to get some supplies to take home with you on Sunday… As well as observing him in action. He puts on his French Accent and charms the customers into buying his plants and charcoal.”
Vivienne wanted to see him in action but was really not keen on making an exhibition of herself by gawping at Jacques in a public place.
“Live a little. Break free of the chains of conformity!”
Vivienne chuckled.
“It is all well and good for you to say it. I’m old enough to be your mother and have been conditioned to conform and not make waves.”
“So?”
“It is easy for you. It isn’t for me.”
Maxine laughed.
“I broke the habit of a lifetime when I told my daughters what to do with themselves. That will do for a while… I think?”
“You don’t sound convinced?”
“Let me just say that since my Birthday, I have been operating well outside my comfort zone. I’m sure that I’ll crash and burn sooner or later and I’d rather do that at home.”
Maxine laughed and raised her glass to Vivienne.
“I am so glad that I stopped to help you on Saturday. You really are an interesting woman Vivienne. I’m sure that there is another person inside you just waiting to escape given the chance.”
Vivienne laughed.
“My daughters probably think that she’s escaped already and needs to be locked up by the men in white coats.”
“Your daughters needed more than a verbal dressing down if you ask me. “
“Oh, don’t worry Maxine. The way they are going, the end won’t be far away. I tried telling them but they think that they know better. That was part of why I had that little rant at them the other day.”
“Jacques’s stall should be just around the corner,” said Maxine.
Vivienne was interested in some Spelt Flour that a stall was selling.
“Let me buy some of this. It makes great bread,” replied Vivienne.
Maxine just smiled. Cooking was really not one of her strong points. She was far more of a ‘Fling it all in a Pot’ and hope for the best sort of person. She’d tried to make bread once and failed miserably. That had deterred her from ever trying again.
“Where did you say Jacques was?” asked Vivienne having completed the transaction for the flour.
“This way.”
As they approached the stall, something wasn’t right. Jacques seemed to be limping as he moved around collecting the plants that he was selling.
“Hello Jacques,” said Vivienne.
A huge smile appeared on his face.
“Can I interest you two lovely ladies in some fine herbs?” he said in a broken French accent.
They both laughed. When they’d visited him a few days before, his voice was very English. Now he was turning on the charm that only a person with a proper French accent do.
“I’ll bet that accent makes a sale more often than not? Oui?” remarked Maxine.
“But Oui. Can I tempt you?”
“What’s wrong with your foot?”
“Ah that. I was trying to round up the Geese last night and one decided that it was not going to cooperate. In chasing after her, I put my foot down an old rabbit hole. It is nothing. A slight sprain that’s all.”
Vivienne shook her head.
“You need some help.”
Then she turned to Maxine.
“You know what I want to buy. Can you get it for me while I help Jacques in his time of need?”
Maxine was watching Jacques face. She was also trying hard not to laugh.
“See you later. Good luck,” she said as she turned away and disappeared into the crowd.
Vivienne took her cue and went around the other side of the stall.
“Now. Why don’t you take the money while I get the plants from the rack?”
Jacques was trying to say something but failed. Before he could object, another customer appeared.
“That’s the last of the rack stowed,” said Vivienne.
“Thank you again Vivienne, your help was… just that I needed,” said Jacques.
“It was a pleasure to help out. Maxine and I will come back to your place and help you unload. Isn’t that right Maxine.”
Maxine had made herself scarce until the trading session was over. She’d bought all the things that she and Vivienne had talked about before the coming to the market. Then she’d gone for a walk along the nearby River Dart. She didn’t want to be a 3rd wheel. She admired the way that Vivienne just took control. Jacques didn’t stand a chance once she got going but it was obvious that they worked well together. The way that they’d just gelled as a team impressed Maxine no end. There was a good deal of banter between them and their customers that seemed to work wonders with the sales.
Maxine returned in time to help clear up. It was obvious that Jacques was starting to struggle but being that sort of man, he refused to complain.
“Yes, we will,” said Maxine.
“We’ll help you unload and get everything put away. Do you have any elasticated bandages at home?”
“I don’t think so.”
“Then I’ll drop into the Chemists and get some. That ankle needs some support.
Jacques made as if he was going to argue but the looks on the faces of the two women told him to shut the hell up.
“That was an interesting week,” said Maxine over breakfast the following morning.
“I hope I didn’t ask too many dumb questions?”
“Vivienne, you did exactly what I wanted. You asked all sorts of questions that has allowed me to make great strides in my project. Some things… Well most will need a lot more work and that is thanks to you. I’ll collate everything when I get home and I should be able to present it to the Board at our next meeting in a couple of months.”
Vivienne looked a bit lost. The week had literally flown by. Betty had been walked and pampered and walked and was one happy dog. She’d seen things that were totally new to her and had met some very interesting people.
“Are you any closer to deciding where you are going to move too?” asked Maxine.
Vivienne smiled.
“You really like Jacques, don’t you?”
“I do. I think he likes me but…”
“You’d like it to go a lot further?”
Vivienne went red in the face. She’d had a particularly erotic dream the night before that involved her and Jacques and some boots.
“You really do, don’t you?”
“Maxine, he’s ten years younger than me for heavens’ sake.”
“Vivienne, you really don’t look your age. Look at your legs. They are as thin as drainpipes. There are many women half your age that would literally kill to get a pair like that. You are a wonderful intelligent and funny woman so… Plus it is obvious that Jacques likes you.”
“I know but…?”
“Going to the next stage terrifies the life out of you?”
“Yes, and that’s all I’m going to say on the subject. Understand!”
Maxine grinned.
“Yes, Madam Vivienne!”
The two women laughed. All was well between them.
Despite their age difference they’d become really firm friends.
[half an hour later in the Hotel Car Park]
“Thanks again for all your help this week,” said Maxine after they’d finished loading up their cars.
“I really enjoyed it and thanks for all your help with charging my car.”
“You should be able to make Morrison’s in Wincanton on one charge. An hour there for lunch and you can easily get home.”
“That’s the plan,” agreed Vivienne.
Then Maxine gave Vivienne a big hug.
“He’ll come around. Don’t be a stranger down here. Get that house of yours on the market and give London the finger!”
“Thanks Maxine. I’ll get things going very soon,” replied Vivienne as she recalled the dream from the night before. It had been a long time since she’d had a dream like that.
[to be continued]
[Eight days after Vivienne’s disastrous Birthday Party]
“Come on Betty, in you go,” said Vivienne as she opened the front door to her home.
The Spaniel ran through the open door and into the hallway and skidded to a halt on the polished wood floor in front of the kitchen door. Her tail started wagging furiously. She knew what was waiting for her on the other side when her mistress opened the door for her.
“I can see that someone is very happy to be home again aren't you Betty?”
Betty yelped as Vivienne bent down and picked up the pile of mail from the door mat. A brief scan of the envelopes told her that there wasn’t anything particularly urgent that couldn’t wait until the next day so she dumped them on the table at the side of the door.
Betty was as expected, siting patiently by the kitchen door. Her tail rhythmically beat on the floor. Normal service as far as she was concerned had resumed.
“Just a minute Betty.”
Vivienne put the mail down on the hall table and walked over to Betty. She knelt down and kissed her dog’s head.
“I know you are hungry Betty, but you will to wait a little longer.”
Vivienne opened the door and Betty dashed into the Kitchen. Her food bowl was clearly devoid of anything edible but that didn’t stop her from thoroughly investigating it. With the investigation complete, Betty resumed her habit of showing her displeasure at not having any food waiting for her by pushing her bowl around the kitchen floor.
All the hopes that Vivienne had had of returning home and collapsing in a heap disappeared down the drain but the smile on her face said that she really didn’t mind all that much.
After a slight hesitation, Vivienne opened a tin of food for Betty and then filled her water bowl. With Betty fully occupied she returned to her car and began to unload it. Her thoughts turned to the pile of washing and ironing that lay in wait.
‘That’s one downside of going away and not getting any laundry done while away’, she muttered to herself.
Two trips back and forth to the car and she was able to close the front door and shut the world out. The sights and smells of home welcomed her back. The place had been home for her while her children had grownup and would be missed when she eventually left it for pastures new.
One of the things that had immediately hit home hard while on her travels was that this place was far too big for her now that she’d retired. If truth be told, it had been too big for a long time. She needed to downsize but not to some tiny matchbox sized retirement apartment in London and of that, Vivienne had been absolutely certain since the moment her daughters had started leaving brochures around her home whenever they came to visit.
Once she’d put things away upstairs, she went down to the Kitchen. Betty was lying in her basket. The mess on the floor around her food and water bowls told her that at least one resident of the house was very happy with life.
“Oh Betty. What are we going to do eh? So many choices. So many decisions to make.”
After a sigh, she opened the fridge. There were a couple of Baking Potatoes and some Cheese. The Milk seemed to have turned solid. Other than some Tomato Puree, it was bare.
“Well Betty, it looks like I’m going to have to go shopping.”
Betty looked at her with that ‘does that mean walkies?’ look on her face.
“Sorry Betty. Later I promise.”
She looked sad and laid down in her basket again.
The problem with Sundays is the limited time the Supermarket is open. Vivienne only had twenty minutes to get to the nearest one and get some essentials before the 4pm closing time.
She picked up her car keys and handbag and headed for the hallway where her coat hung on a peg.
She didn’t get very far. As she approached the front door, she saw a figure approaching from the other side. Vivienne, let out an audible groan. The last thing she needed were visitors and especially a visit from her lovely but so frustrating daughters.
She opened the front door before whoever it was could ring the bell.
“Oh, hello Janice. I’m just on my way out. I need to get to the supermarket before they close.”
“Mum!” said Janice angrily.
“Where the hell have you been?”
“Away. That’s where I’ve been and now I’m back. Well I will be when I get some food in. Now if you don’t mind? I must go or they’ll be closed.”
Vivienne, didn’t wait for an answer and walked past her towards her car.
“Mum! Wait. Where have you been? We were worried about you.”
She turned and faced her daughter.
“I am perfectly able to look after myself. I am not in my grave yet. Not by a long chalk. I’ve been away and have met some really nice and interesting people. A big change from here.”
“Have you met a man? Who is he? Is he after your money?”
The crassness of her words made Vivienne laugh.
“I did meet several men. As for my money, most of them had far more than I’ll ever have but they were all very happily married. It wasn’t the sort of sordid trip you might have imagined it to be.”
For once Janice emulated a drowning fish so Vivienne took advantage of her daughters temporary silence.
“I really must go but I have to say that the Lake District is very nice at this time of year. You really must take your family up there. Isn’t Barbados a little passé these days?”
Vivienne felt pleased at the little dig about Janice’s preferred holiday destination as well as giving her a lot of disinformation about where she’d been. She made it to her car without further interruption and drove off having resisted looking back at Janice. She hoped that her little ‘diversion’ would keep her and her other daughter Suzanne quiet for a while but somehow, she doubted it. That was just the end of ‘round 1’.
“Hello Betty!” she called out upon her return. There had been no sign of Janice outside her home and as far as she could see her car was nowhere to be seen. It became clear that Janice had gone but, Vivienne’s gut feeling told her that this wouldn’t be the case for very long.
“I have dinner for you and for me. Let me get these things packed away and we can relax.”
Betty returned her a little yelp and settled down in her basket once more.
Once all the groceries were put away, Vivienne made herself a cup of tea and opened a small cake that she’d bought at the shops. The silence that settled over the house apart from the gentle sound of Betty snoring, calmed Vivienne down. She felt good to be home but deep down, Vivienne knew that this could well to be the calm before the storm.
She looked at the clock. 4:50 on a Sunday afternoon. She guesstimated that she had until seven before the storm that would be when both of her daughters descended on her home in search of answers. They’d be demanding where she’d been, who she’d seen and then it would switch to something like ‘how could I be so stupid/gullible?’. She’d endured their version of the infamous ‘Spanish Inquisition’ ten years earlier when she’d taken off and walked from Sandbanks (near Poole in Dorset) to West Bay (near Bridport) without telling them. Her only communication to them had been a postcard from Osmington Mills which as far as her daughters were concerned might as well have been on the moon.
“Well, stuff them”, thought Vivienne. She’d had a great time away and free of having to return to work that would be always nagging her after the first couple of days. It had been strange at first but in the end very refreshing and to have someone to share it with made a real difference.
Travelling around with Maxine had been a total change. To be with someone who was really interested in her thoughts and opinions without trying to score political points was a nice change. If you added to the fact that Maxine was a woman of the world and business but also a genuinely nice person to boot, the past week would be a week to remember for a long time.
Vivienne debated cooking herself a meal but she decided that some cheese and biscuits with some of the chutney that she’d bought at the farmers market the previous day plus a glass of wine bought at the Vineyard in Devon would do just fine.
As she ate the excellent cheese, she wondered what exactly she’d end up telling the combined might of her daughters in a few hours. Would she dare tell them the truth or could she get away with being slightly circumspect if not downright devious?
In the end, Vivienne decided to be circumspect with what information she gave her daughters. They’d be told the truth at the right time and this was not it, not by a long chalk. Jacques was at the moment work in progress and they didn’t need to know about him unril she was good and ready. Naturally, they wouldn’t like it but that was to be expected. Ever since she’d told them that she was going to be taking early retirement they’d made the collective decision that they were in charge of Vivienne’s life from then on but had neglected to ask her if that was what she wanted. Or… as it became clear later on, they were more interested in the equity that she had tied up in her home. For some reason they were under the impression that Vivienne still had a mortgage of around fifty thousand left to pay. They were wrong, so wrong. She’d paid that off several years before but for some reason she’d neglected to tell her dear daughters. Their questions relating to the outstanding balance on this mysterious mortgage had told her loud and clear that they were being driven more by money than love for their mother. They really took after their father in that respect.
She smiled to herself when she remembered the reason why she’d not told them that she’d paid off her Mortgage. Around the time, Suzanne was looking for finance to set up her Café. Vivienne had felt it far too risky a venture and had initially declined. Suzanne had wanted to borrow twenty thousand from her mother at zero percent interest. In return, Vivienne had offered her five grand at 5% but she declined the very generous offer. She’d found some financing from somewhere and was making a go of it but it was never really as busy as the eight or nine other Coffee Shops within half a mile. Her recent conversion to veganism was fine with some but most people which included Vivienne, preferred normal milk with their tea not almond or soya substitute. Still, if she made it work in the long term without help from the bank of Mum then great.
The chiming of the clock in the front room brought her thoughts back to the here and now. Vivienne had to work out in words what was that she was not going to tell her daughters. Naturally, she didn’t want to tell them a barefaced lie. Her daughters were not that stupid, which meant that she had to tell them enough to hopefully satisfy their demands at the present time.
As Vivienne cleared away the remains of the cheese and biscuits, she worked out how she’d approach their grilling. A phrase from somewhere she knew not where came to mind and it seemed very apt for her present situation.
“Telling the truth is very liberating but we all love a mystery and a bit of a mystery is good for the soul.”
Vivienne knew one thing for certain and that was that she was most certainly not going to tell them about Jacques. That would be the mystery part as well as continuing the lie that she’d been to the lake district. She’d tell them about meeting a businesswoman and visiting some food producers but it was Jacques that would have to remain ‘top secret’.
The moment they found about him they would immediately jump to totally the wrong conclusions. They would only find out about him when the time was right and this was not the right time. If her relationship with him in the end amounted to nothing then they really didn’t need to know about him. But she’d felt something every time they’d met during her time in Devon. The fact that he was around ten years her junior did not matter to her one little bit and what had surprised her, was that it didn’t matter to him either.
Betty leapt off Vivienne’s lap and went to greet the front door. She’d never really gotten used to the polished wood floor of the hallway. As Vivienne followed Betty, she did wonder if she actually enjoyed sliding along the floor? It brought a brief smiled to Vivienne’s face as she opened the door. It was but a brief diversion from the task ahead.
Janice and Suzanne had looks that could kill on their faces as they marched in. Not even a trace of ‘Hello Mum. How are you?’.
Vivienne closed the door behind them and went into the front room. They’d headed for the kitchen and had made it all the way there before they realised that she wasn’t following them. Strike one for the Mother.
She’d sat down and let Betty sit beside her with her head lying on her legs by the time they came into the room.
They sat down and stared at their mother.
“Well?” asked Suzanne.
“Well what?” replied Vivienne know full well what they were on about.
“What have you to say for yourself? Disappearing off like that without a word about where you were going.”
She managed a little smile.
“As I didn’t have a clue about where I was going how could I let you know in advance?”
“Why didn’t you answer your phone? We called dozens of times while you were away.”
“I know you called. At first, I was driving so I could not answer. If you don’t know, it is against the law. Then I just put it on silent. After a bit, I just switched it off entirely. I had other things to do other than calling you five times a day.”
“Why?” asked Janice.
“Why what?”
“Why did you run off like that?”
Vivienne sighed.
“I thought I made myself perfectly clear that I was not happy with you two. I don’t want you trying to organise me let alone my life. I might be retired but I am far from either senile or about to start pushing up the daisies. Isn’t that good enough for you? Oh, and as I said, trying to make me wear something that is at least a decade old and from a charity shop and in a colour that you both know I hate was really beyond the pale.”
Suzanne looked at Janice who nodded her head.
“Where did you go then? We were worried about you.”
“Bollocks you were.”
“Mother!” exclaimed Janice.
“Where did you go then?” repeated Suzanne.
“I ended up in Cumbria. I met someone who was very nice to me. Very nice indeed.”
“Who is he and what does he want? I hope it isn’t money?” demanded Suzanne.
Vivienne had been expecting that sort of question. She smiled before replying.
“During my trip, I spent a little under one hundred pounds during the whole time I was away and the person who was so nice to me is also a multi-millionaire and they didn’t want any money from me. There were interested in me for my opinion and my company and most certainly not my money!”
“Don’t give me that!” said Janice.
“I can see a glint in your eyes.”
I glared at her before answering.
“The glint was because they are a very nice and honest person. They are making something of their life and are not beholden to anyone. We visited a number of places and I offered my thoughts on them. For that I had a room in a very nice Hotel and excellent company during my stay. Oh, and that person is very close to your age and has made something of themselves by sheer hard work. They do not owe anyone a penny and was recently at a wedding of a Billionaire. That good enough for you?”
“Who is he then?” demanded Suzanne.
“It isn’t a ‘he’, it is a ‘she’ and before you even think that I’ve become a lesbian, my I remind you that I am old enough to be her mother and that she is recently widowed. Beyond that is for me to know. If I told you who she is then you’d immediately get the wrong end of the stick and jump to all sorts of conclusions but don’t let me stop you doing that as it is clear that is all you are interested in.”
This defiance on Vivienne’s part had the desired effect at least temporarily.
“Changing the subject, things are going to change around here from now on.”
“Eh? What do you mean?” asked Janice.
“What I mean is that I am most certainly not going to tolerate what happened on the morning of my birthday.”
“What do you mean?” asked Suzanne.
“Don’t you know? You really don’t know do you? I thought I’d made myself perfectly clear during my little rant at the party.”
They looked at each other with blank faces.
“The pair of you turned up with my grandchildren and marched in and took over the place. Not one of you said ‘Hello Mum’ or even ‘Happy Birthday’. You then plonked them down in front of the TV and started making them breakfast. Did anyone think to ask me first? No, you didn’t.”
“Then tonight, you just marched in without waiting to be asked. I know that you grew up here but this is not your home any longer. It is mine and mine alone.”
Her daughters looked rather guilty. Strike two for the Mother.
“Is it any wonder that I sounded off at you that afternoon. It seemed to me that you had deliberately conspired together that once I’d retired, I was to then be mollycoddled and as soon as possible, put out to pasture in a retirement complex. That my dear daughters, is most certainly not going to happen this side of me popping my clogs.”
“But Mum?” remarked Janice.
“No ‘But Mum’. This is my very own personal BREXIT moment. I am taking back control. I am going to do things my way from now on. If I want to sell up and move then that will be my decision. If I want to shave off all my hair and join the Hari Krishna people on Oxford Street, then it will be my decision. If I want to get another job then that will also be my decision. I may have retired but I am not in my dotage. Not by a long chalk. That means my dear Daughters, back off, show your mother some respect and let me enjoy my retirement as I see fit.”
“Now if you don’t mind, I need to walk Betty before it gets dark. I’ve had a long day and I was up pretty early this morning and what with the long drive back down to London, I’m feeling a bit bushed.”
Vivienne got up and walked out of the front room. She opened the front door and stood there making with her arms crossed making perfectly clear that they should leave.
Her daughter left the house but not before giving her a glare as if to say, ‘you have not heard the last of this’.
‘Bring it on’ is what Vivienne would say if asked. Where she’d been, what she’d seen and the people she’d met in the past week had given her a totally new perspective on things and her life in general.
Vivienne shut the door behind her daughter with a deliberate ‘thud’ and immediately dashed upstairs where from the small bedroom that was next to hers, she could see the pair of them arguing and gesticulating. There was a lot of pointing back towards the house. It was obvious to her that they were blaming her for everything.
She left them too it and went to get ready to take Betty out for her evening walk.
By the time Vivienne opened the front door with Betty on her lead, her daughters had given up arguing and had left. She breathed a sigh of relief but she knew that it was only a temporary ceasefire.
“Let’s go Betty. Round two to me I think!”
She looked up at her mistress wagging her tail. Her eyes looked happy.
“Thank you for your support Betty.”
She then knelt down and gave her a hug. Betty licked her face in return.
[to be continued]
“That’s the last of the washing on Betty. Want to go for a walk?”
Her lovable companion wagged her tail and looked up at her mistress with doleful eyes.
Vivienne smiled back at her companion.
“Ok then. Go find your lead.”
Betty took off like a rocket only to completely miss the lead that was hanging over the bannister at the bottom of the stairs and thumped into the front door. She bounced off, turned around and grabbed the lead on her way back to her.
“Well done Betty. Next time, please try to grab it first time.”
The pair often played a little game with her lead. Vivienne had even begun to think that she wasn’t even trying to get it on the way down the hall within a month or so her acquiring Betty.
Vivienne put on her coat and shoes and walked down the hall. Then she remembered she’d left her keys and purse in the kitchen. Betty immediately thought that they weren’t going for a walk and tried to block Vivienne’s way.
“Just getting my keys Betty. Then we’ll be off.”
After grabbing the items she headed for the front door once again.
Betty dashed past her and slid into it. Undeterred, she moved to one side of the door and waited for her mistress to open it.
She knew Betty’s little game. If she didn’t have her clipped to her lead, she’d be off the instant she opened the door.
Vivienne secured her lead and only then opened the front door. Betty pulled her out of the house with just enough time to slam the front door behind her. Their little game was underway.
It was a beautiful day for a long walk over Hampstead Heath and Parliament Hill Fields. Betty was in fine form and Vivienne estimated that they’d covered at least four miles before she called a halt and bought herself a cup of tea at the café on the Heath. The café provided bowls of water for the numerous dog walkers. Betty emptied one within a minute or two.
Vivienne sat outside in the warm sun feeling at peace with the world. Inevitably, her thoughts drifted back to the previous week.
[the previous Wednesday]
“Wow!” exclaimed Vivienne as she remembered seeing that small valley for the first time.
“Yeah, it hits you like that the first time you come here.”
Maxine had been totally correct despite Vivienne’s warnings. Vivienne was slightly stunned by the scene that lay before her. The terms ‘Picture Postcard’ or ‘Chocolate Box’ were totally inadequate description for the scene. The view before her seemed to be more like a slightly updated image that Constable or a Turner would paint. The words, ‘Stunningly beautiful’ really did not do justice to what that lay before them. The few wisps of smoke that emerged from the thatched cottage and the flocks of chickens and geese that roamed freely just enhanced it even more.
Then she’d seen Jacques for the first time. In that instant, she’d lost her heart to him. Suddenly, the teenage girl in her surfaced from a long, long slumber. Apart from the fact that he’d lost a good deal of his lovely if not downright sexy heart turning French accent he was a perfect specimen of a real man.
After giving them the tour, he’d invited them into his cottage to taste something that he’d made. What she’d tasted was a pure delight. He’d made some Beetroot, Raspberry and Mint Chutney.
He served it on some homemade bread with some local cheese with a glass of Devon Cider to wash it all down.
She’d never had anything like it before. The sweetness of the Beetroot and the sharpness of the Raspberry with a hint of Mint thrown in for good measure was like nectar to Vivienne’s tastebuds.
“Everything in the Chutney apart from the Raspberry Vinegar comes from right outside that door,” he’d said proudly.
For some reason she could not get Jacques and his Chutney out of her mind. Both of them had made a lasting impression on her.
[back to the present day]
Betty started to lick Vivienne’s face which rudely interrupted her daydreaming.
“Betty! I could have done without that. I was thinking about Jacques and his chutney.”
Betty whimpered and licked her mistress again. Her tongue was very dry.
“Do you want some more water?”
Betty’s expression told her that she did.
“Come on then girl,” said Vivienne as she stood up.
Once they’d both had a really good drink, they began their walk home. The memory of Jacques had started to rekindle a lot of thoughts that Vivienne had pushed to the very farthest recesses of her mind.
But for some strange reason, they refused to stay there for more than a few minutes at a time. This was not only disturbing but wonderful at the same time.
That evening Vivienne just picked at her food. Part of her psyche had been screaming at her for being downright foolish and she should not have the sort of thoughts that were rattling around in her mind at her age. The other part of her demanded that she phoned him right there and then.
A fly on the wall would that seen Vivvienne’s body language say loud and clear that she was tempted to just drop everything and go back down to Devon. However, she also knew that she was probably stark raving bonkers to think that a man such as Jacques would even be interested in her as a business partner let alone… a romantic one. For a moment, she was seventeen-year-old again and she’d just met Rex for the first time.
That was so long ago that she’d thought that the feelings she’d had in Devon had been wiped from her body forever. Just recalling the vision of Jacques at work with an axe had made Vivienne feel all gooey inside.
Then there was the guilt. Most people thought that a person like Vivienne should not have the sorts of feelings that she was having but just not right and proper for a woman of her age. True Love is supposed to be the sole preserve of the under thirties or that is what everyone is told virtually each and every day by the media.
Her virtual self-deprecation was interrupted by something brushing against her legs.
At her feet was Betty with her lead in her mouth. Her tail thumped rhythmically on the polished wooden floor.
Vivienne glanced at the clock on the wall. It read 19:23.
“Time for walkies then Betty,” said Vivienne as she stood up.
Betty disappeared at a great rate of knots towards the front door.
Vivienne took her time to get ready. Her mind wasn’t really on walking even though it was a fine evening. The walk itself was quite eventful as Betty kept pulling at her lead. It was as if she knew that Vivienne was not her usual self and she wanted to drag her mistress back to normality.
“I know you want to run Betty but I’m not in the mood.”
Naturally Betty being Betty, didn’t listen to her mistress.
After an extended tug-of-war, Vivienne just gave up fighting and decided to just go with her. Betty pulled and pulled and she did her best to keep up with her dog. By the time Betty ran out of puff, Vivienne had been breathing hard for several hundred yards so she was glad that Betty had finally called time on their race across the heath.
Vivienne sat down on a bench to gather her breath. She guessed that she had about fifteen minutes before the sun went to sleep for the day.
Betty’s tongue was still hanging out of one side of her mouth.
“Thank you, Betty. I needed that. And now you need some water, don’t you?”
She looked around and realised that they were close to the ‘Dog Pond’. This is a place created for dogs to enjoy the water without disturbing the wildlife that inhabits the Heath. There was also a water trough for dogs there.
“Come on Betty. Let’s get you some water then we can head off home.
Vivienne’s mind was still troubled the following morning. She’d fallen asleep thinking of Jacques muscled body working in the fields. It had to her eternal shame been a very good sleep. It was either that or the evening workout that Betty had given her. Either way, she slept right through the night for the first time in a long time which couldn’t be all bad.
Betty was still curled up in her basket when Vivienne came downstairs.
Vivienne made herself her usual early morning cup of tea as quietly as she could. Betty didn’t move. This was not like her.
Vivienne knelt down and touched her pet. The briefest touch was all she needed to realise that Betty had passed away in the night.
Vivienne looked at her little body and felt really sad.
“Betty, may you go to Doggy Heaven and be made most welcome. You have been my companion all these years and given me your love in return for lots of walks and lots of food. It was a small price to pay for the joy that you have given me.”
She stood up and looked down at the body of her pet.
“I will never forget you Betty. Never to be forgotten.”
If it wasn’t so early in the day, she would have raised a glass to her lovable and distinctly mad companion but that would have to wait until later.
With a very heavy heart, she phoned the Dog Crematorium. They told her that they would be around later that day to collect Betty and any other items of hers that she wanted to dispose of at the same time.
Vivienne knew that it would be really hard not to have Betty by her side all the time. Once again, she visualised Betty sliding along the hall floor with her ears looking like immature wings and crashing into the front door with her lead in her mouth. Betty never whimpered no matter how hard the impact was. Those memories would stay with her forever. She wondered if she could ever find another companion as crazy and as devoted as Betty had been? The immediate answer was never in a million years.
There were still the marks from her early efforts to stop herself in the wooden floor. Most had polished out over the years but a few were pretty deep. After a bit she just stopped trying to stop herself until she hit the mat that was just inside the door. That dog was mad but she… she loved her to bits.
Vivienne was in no doubt that really going to miss Betty and her eccentricities.
As she gathered Betty’s toys and lead together Vivienne began to wonder if she could ever find a replacement for Betty. The more that Vivienne thought about it the more it became clear that she would be mad to even try at least for the time being.
While Vivienne was gathering up Betty’s toys, she remembered the words that the people at the rescue centre had said. ‘Dogs are like People. In the main, no two dogs are alike. Even brothers and sisters from the same litter are often totally different individuals.’
Betty and Vivienne had bonded in an instant. That in itself, told her that if she did get another dog then it would not be a Cocker Spaniel. It had to be a very different breed entirely. She would have to accept that the memories of Betty would mean that any other dog would always be compared to her predecessor.
After a bit of searching, Vivienne found Betty’s little ‘doggy coat’ that she’d bought for her on a whim once. Betty had hated it from the outset even if it kept the rain off her coat. After two outings with it, she’d chewed the belly strap into nothing. That stopped Vivienne from putting it on her ever again but for some strange reason, she’d never thrown it away. A few other toys were the same. Betty had a mind of her own and was never shy of telling Vivienne of her displeasure at some new item presented to her by her mistress.
This session of deep thought and introspection about Betty had also caused Vivienne to start looking around her home. Vivienne and her husband Rex had moved into the property when it was pretty much a wreck some thirty plus years ago. They’d spent a year and almost every penny they earned making it habitable. Those early years had been happy for them all and with the birth of their daughters just eighteen months apart everything seemed perfect. Then Rex had gotten itchy feet and moved on. To his credit, he didn’t want his part of the house in the divorce. He’d been making lots of money as a property developer so he paid Vivienne off. She was able to keep the house and a reduced mortgage in return for letting him go.
She smiled to herself when three years later his business empire crashed and left him with almost nothing. She often wondered if that episode could have been averted if he had not been so generous with their divorce settlement. A few years later Vivienne discovered that he’d been sleeping around since well before the birth of Suzanne and that a good number of his business deals were somewhat shady but not quite illegal.
That last snippet of information had been given to her when she was being recruited into the HMRC a couple of years after their Divorce. Thankfully, Rex’s somewhat chequered past hadn’t counted against Vivienne and had subsequently worked for them for almost thirty years.
Returning her thoughts back to the here and now, Vivienne knew that she’d accumulated a lot of stuff over the years. All her girls toys were up in the loft. She’d kept them just in case their own children had wanted them. Unfortunately, they turned their collective noses up at any ‘hand-me-downs’ so there they’d remained to this day. If she was going to move then she’d have to do a lot of ‘stuff’ reduction or downsizing before she moved on. She smiled as she remembered the current buzzword for this.
“Decluttering,” she said out loud.
The house was eerily silent. Normally Betty would have responded but... Vivienne sighed. This was the new normal for her home.
Vivienne slowly started to shed a few tears. She looked around her home and realised that this episode of her life was going to end one way or another. She’d already told her daughters many times about her intention to move away after her retirement and now, she’d found an area that she liked, more by luck than of trying but it seemed perfect for her.
With the sudden passing of Betty it was even easier for her to leave as she didn’t have to consider the needs of her lovable companion in deciding where she lived in the future. All Vivienne knew for sure was that wherever she went it would not be some retirement complex with a load of others just ‘Waiting for God’. At least, not for another decade or so.
Vivienne managed a laugh through tearful eyes as she recalled watching that TV series. That and ‘The Last of the Summer Wine’ showed the sort of retirement that she would love to have. She had been pretty normal and had conformed with the norm all her working life. She wondered for an instant if it was time for her to rebel a bit and not really care about what others thought about her?
The question remained about if she could actually or rather dare she actually do something as radical as that?
[to be continued]
The ‘pet funeral’ people came and collected Betty later that day. It was hard for Vivienne to say goodbye to her lovable pet. As they prepared her body for transportation Vivienne realised that they’d not spent one night apart since she’d first came into her life almost nine years before. It really would be strange without the ‘Madness of Queen Betty’ to keep her entertained.
The people that came for her could well have been undertakers. They were dressed in black and spoke reverently in hushed tones about Betty and what Vivienne wanted done with her. After some discussion, Vivienne agreed to be there for Betty's final journey in two days’ time. She expressed that wish as it only felt fitting that Betty deserved a proper send off as thanks for the part she had played in her life these past years.
The house seemed even emptier now that the last vestiges of Betty had gone. All that remained were her hairs and the scratches on the hall floor. She wondered if she’d have to get that sorted out before she could sell the place.
Sell! What on earth had she been thinking?
Then she remembered her recent trip to Devon and Jacques. Even now and with what had happened with Betty just thinking about him caused her arms to become covered in goosebumps.
“Oh, you stupid woman. Why would a man ten years younger than me even be remotely interested in an old has been like me?” or words to that effect had been muttered to herself more than once each and every day since she’d returned from Devon.
Then Vivienne was certain that she heard a ‘yelp’ coming from the kitchen. She knew that it was one of Betty’s ‘don’t do that’ sounds.
Vivienne looked up at the ceiling thinking…
“Ok Betty. I know you are watching over me. I shall try my best to think positive from now on.”
Without Betty to walk and to cuddle up with, Vivienne felt very listless. She knew that she should be doing something but she didn’t have a clue as to what it was. For the umpteenth time she looked at her watch. That in-between time of day that was too late for ‘tea’ and too early for ‘dinner’.
“Sod it!” She exclaimed with a vengeance.
Vivienne went out for a walk even if Betty wasn’t at her side or pulling at her lead. She wasn’t going to stop taking exercise now that Betty had passed.
Vivienne returned home just before seven that evening. Still feeling listless, she broke the habit of a virtual lifetime and went to get a Chinese Take Away. Getting ‘carry out’ was something that she hadn’t done in years. Betty seemed to be allergic to something in Chinese Food so she had avoided it for years now she could indulge without fear for her pet’s health.
Vivienne sat down at the kitchen table full of anticipation at being able to eat the forbidden fruit but almost immediately, she began to feel guilty about eating the one food that she could not eat while Betty had been her companion. Angry with herself, she pushed it to one side without taking even a mouthful.
Later that evening and with the food cold, she felt awful throwing away all that perfectly good food but her appetite had disappeared down the drain just like the Sweet and Sour Sauce.
A rumbling stomach told her that she had to eat something but all that remained in her fridge was some of that excellent handmade cheese from Devon. Vivienne made herself a Cheese and Pickled Beetroot Sandwich. Then she poured herself a glass of wine. That made her feel a lot less guilty so she made a toast.
“To you Betty and thanks for everything.”
The next day dawned and more out of habit than everything, she kept listening out for Betty to come up the stairs and wake her mistress up with a good face licking. It would take her a long time to get that and many more pleasant memories out of her system, if she ever could.
Vivienne spent the best part of the morning trying to take an inventory of the contents of the house. All the advice she’d read on the internet about downsizing had said to start with making a list of what you have got. She managed to get half of the smallest bedroom done before she got so depressed that she gave up and went downstairs.
“This is going to take forever,” she muttered to herself as she headed downstairs trying to think of another way to do this.
After a bite to eat for Lunch, Vivienne started to make a few lists. The first one contained items of food for her larder and fridge. At the moment she didn’t have the enthusiasm for cooking. This was very strange for her but probably just a reaction to losing Betty so unexpectedly.
The second list contained all the things that needed doing before and if she sold the house.
Before long, both lists contained at least twenty items. Vivienne reviewed them and added a couple more items when she remembered a flyer that had been shoved through the letterbox about six months previously. The flyer was an advert for companies to do this sort of thing for you.
It didn’t take her long to find a number of companies that specialised in both Downsizing and making a home perfect for prospective buyers. Their services didn’t come cheap. Far from it. Vivienne wondered if this was the reason, they had been trying to drum up business from the more well healed parts of the City. That got her thinking again about Devon and what might lie there waiting for her should she move.
Another wave of guilt descended over her. Vivienne’s gaze went towards where Betty should have been. Her basket was gone. The cupboard that contained all her dog food was still there but it was all out of sight. Sadly, yet another job was added to the house ‘todo’ list.
“This won’t do,” Vienne said to herself for the umpteenth time that day.
Ten minutes later Vivienne was out of the house and heading for the shops. Her internal autopilot had kicked in and she soon found herself heading for the place that she normally shopped in Cricklewood. She shopped there simply because she could get all her shopping and have some lunch while her car got a free charge. If she spent two hours in the shop and cafe, she’d arrive home with more power in the battery than when she’d left.
Once she realised where she was heading, Vivienne disengaged her menta ‘autopilot’, and changed direction. This time, her destination was Highgate Village. She intended to shop at a smaller store and do some browsing at the offices of several Estate Agents that were within a few yards of the store. She’d had this sudden urge to know how much ‘Chez Vivienne’ was worth after thirty plus years.
The pound signs that accompanied the urge was a mistake waiting to happen. The first two agents were really only interested in giving her a valuation if she agreed to give them a three-month sole agency on the sale. When Vivienne calmly pointed out the signs in the window stating that they would give free no obligation valuations, they quoted dates at least three weeks in the future. No wonder that profession is amongst the most hated in the country. Vivienne left them with a firm ‘I’ll think about it’.
She really didn’t need to think about it. Her answer was an emphatic NO. They obviously thought that Vivienne Carter was born yesterday or had no head for figures.
Just then, it came on to rain so Vivienne went home.
If anyone had told Vivienne just how attached she’d get to the animal before she rescued Betty, she might not have adopted the decidedly lovable canine. Vivienne felt somewhat ashamed that she’d become more attached to her four-legged companion that she’d had ever been to her children. They both had been a pain right from the day they could walk. There were many times before they started school that she wished them dead. Even then, they’d not settled down.
Suzanne was regularly reported for being disruptive in her early years at school. She would just not accept anything that she was being taught without arguing the toss over its authenticity or validity. Even experiments that showed things like Newtons ‘Laws of Motion’ were tossed aside as being poppycock or even worse.
Thankfully, she settled down in her later years at Secondary School but her body language clearly said that she believed everything was a con. By the time that Suzanne was no longer a teenager, she’d found a home with the conspiracists who believed that NASA’s Moon Landings were all filmed on a Hollywood ‘Back Lot’ and worse. She wasn’t quite a flat earther but very close.
In hindsight, Vivienne should have seen Suzanne’s conversion to her version of Veganism aged sixteen coming. Vivienne often wondered if they’d bonded a lot more if this side of her personality would have been less well developed. As the older of the two Suzanne had Janice following her every move but thankfully not quite as extreme. As Janice grew up she became only interested in money and spending it and even better if It was someone else’s cash.
When Betty came into Vivienne’s life, there was someone to bond to and love unconditionally and get loved in return. Betty had one advantage over her children in that she never fought back. As long as Betty was fed, watered, groomed and above all walked at least twice a day, she was happy. In return she’d give her mistress all the love that her own children had failed to return.
At the day wore on she wondered and not for the first time, if she should have ever had children. Being a mother is hard work at the best of times and it soon became clear that Vivienne was not really cut out to be the nurturing sort but with two children to care for she did her best. Her parents, god rest their dear departed souls had tried their hardest to whip her into shape so to speak but it didn’t work very well. Still, she’d managed and even held down a decent job that allowed them to live reasonably well and in a very nice part of the city. Not splashing out on expensive holidays or luxuries helped but there was always a cry for more from her children.
Vivienne’s period of introspection was tempered by trying to figure out what to wear. She had a black two piece that She’d worn to funerals in the past but it didn’t seem suitable for Betty. In the end she went for something a bit more colourful and selected a bright blue skirt and a very flowery top. Betty had liked the skirt a lot. You could tell that from the marks of her wet tongue on it that even several washes with added stain remover had not entirely erased.
“Hello?” she said trying to sound neutral.
“Yes, I’m not at home.”
“I’m over in Epping Forest.”
“Well, if you must know, Betty died the other day and I’m just about to attend her cremation.”
“Yes, I know it is a lot of money but to be perfectly frank, I don’t care what you think. She was my dog and if I want to give her a good send-off then I’ll do it. Besides, I won more than the cost of the funeral on Premium Bonds last year.”
“Well, my darling, what was the reason for your call?”
“No, I haven’t come to my senses and yes, I did visit a couple of Estate Agents recently. Didn’t I say to you and everyone that I was going to move away?”
“No, my home isn’t up for sale at this point in time. Why? Do you want to buy it?”
“Look darling, I have to go. It is time for the ceremony. Bye.”
She ended the call and…
“Grrrrr. Now she’s spying on me. The sooner I’m away from this place the better.”
She closed her eyes and counted backwards from one hundred to one, just to calm down.
It didn’t entirely work so with another curse aimed at her daughter; she went into the crematorium after deliberately leaving her phone in the car.
Vivienne managed to keep the tears at bay until Betty’s little coffin started to disappear from view. She’d said a few last words to her. Her doggy face was a model of serenity. She was at peace with the world.
“Goodbye Betty. I’ll never forget you and what pleasure you gave me.”
Vivienne than sat quietly for a few minutes before returning to her car.
The brief moments of hoped for solitude were ended by the sound of her phone ringing well before she reached the car. She didn’t really care who it was at that moment. She picked the cursed thing up and swore at herself for not switching the dammed thing off before going into the Crematorium.
As she held the phone in her hand, the ringing stopped. Taking advantage of the moment, she switched it into ‘Flight Mode’. The display told her that there had been eight calls and four messages left on voicemail. She didn’t need to look closely but it was obvious that all the calls and messages had been from her daughters. They could wait until later, much later.
After getting her mind into gear, she headed for home and got stuck in the evening rush hour. This would be one thing that she would not miss when she moved away from London.
As Vivienne neared home and found herself sitting in yet another traffic queue, she started thinking about the woman she’d met on the way to Devon. Despite her being half her age, Maxine Forsythe was doing something positive with her life. Her career as a Collector of Taxes had been mostly the opposite. Her job was to come down heavy of people abusing the system and extract as much as she could from them in as short as time as possible and to hell with what effect that had on their families. Issuing ‘Winding up orders’ had been just a normal activity for her and her team.
For the first time since she’d retired, Vivienne began to miss the work even if at times it caused so much heartache to those close to the offenders.
Then she cursed herself. She’d used the word ‘was’ as if she was still employed. Habits of a lifetime and all that. There were lighter moments when Inspectors screwed up. When they did, it was usually a big mess and it was up to people like her to sort out. The rare times when she told a person or a business that the HMRC got it wrong, were moments to saviour but they were so rare in comparison to those who deserved to be taken to the cleaners. Yet, there was Maxine working with businesses and helping them grow and prosper without being a ‘Vulture Capitalist’ and saddling them with loads and loads of debt before moving on. Vivienne suddenly felt as if the majority of her whole working life had been wasted.
Being melancholy is not normally her thing. Betty had…
Betty had been there to drag her mistress out of these sorts of ‘fugs’. Now she wasn’t there any longer, Vivienne needed to find a new purpose in life.
As soon as Vivienne walked through to her front door, she realised that when shopping she’d forgotten to buy any milk.
Vivienne sank to her knees and had a good cry. It had been that sort of day.
[to be continued]
Vivienne’s not so good day wasn’t over. At a little after seven that evening the front door bell rang.
As she entered the hallway, Vivienne could see two figures through the frosted glass on the door. It was either someone trying to convert her to their religion or it was her beloved daughters. For once, she really hoped that the former had chosen to try their luck with her rather than her daughters.
If it was the latter then it was to be expected given the virtual deluge of calls and messages that had been sent in her direction since the phone call with her daughter just before Betty's Funeral.
Vivienne opened the door just a little bit. Her heart sank when she saw her two daughters standing there. Their combined body language told here that this was not a social call.
“Mum! What is this about Betty?” demanded Janice.
“Aren’t you going to let us in? It is our home after all,” added Suzanne.
“As I have made it clear this is my home and has not been yours for quite a few years. Both of you have your own homes and families. At the moment I don’t want any company thank you very much.”
“But Betty?” pleaded Janice.
“Yes?”
“Suzi said that she had passed.”
“If you mean died… then yes she did. She just didn’t wake up the other morning. She was getting on a bit in doggy years. I had her cremated this afternoon. That is all there is to be said on the matter.”
They looked at each other and then back at their Mother.
“We are worried about you. Now that Betty has gone. We know how much you loved her.”
Vivienne managed a small chuckle.
“If you think that I’m going mad, crazy, bonkers or even just plain unhinged then you are very much mistaken.”
Then she looked Suzanne right in the eye.
“As for selling this place… I am going to sell up and move away. I have told you both that several times now but for some reason, you don’t seem to understand me. If either of you want to buy the place then now is the time to speak up. If not then I’ll put it on the market within a few weeks.”
“But Mum? This is your home?” said Janice.
“Yes, it is my home and it has been a good home to me and to both of you in the past. Now that I’m retired, I don’t need this place. To be perfectly honest, I’ve been putting this day off for more years than I can remember. That means, I’m going to move on to pastures new and begin the next part of my life. What I do or where I go is still to be decided but rest assured, I will be leaving London.”
“But Mum?” said Suzanne.
“Stop right there. I want to hear no more ‘but Mum’ from either of you both now and in the future. You have your own lives and families that need your care and love. I need a new challenge. I am most certainly not going to stay here and fester thinking about past times. That is in my opinion, a sure-fire way of not lasting six months… Or is that what you want eh?”
“Why won’t you let us in?” asked Janice changing the subject.
Vivienne tried but failed to stop a sigh coming out of her mouth.
“As I have said, this is my home. If I want to invite you in then I will. I’m done with you two just waltzing in and literally taking over my home. Both of you should think back to the morning of my Birthday party and think what you did and didn’t do. You couldn’t be bothered to wash the dishes that you dirtied after I specifically asked you to do just that but no you couldn’t be bothered. Then once you have both apologised for how you have behaved, I might just let you in again. Until then, this is as far as you go. This is your very own ‘naughty step’.”
They both looked aghast as if they wanted to say ‘how dare you treat us like little children’ but thankfully they didn’t say a word.
“Now if you don’t mind, I have a pile of ironing to do.”
Both of them were still stunned into silence by Vivienne’s positiveness or spite or whatever but it worked.
“Give my love to all my grandchildren. Good night.”
Vivienne shut the door in their faces and retreated towards the kitchen.
When she turned to look back at them, they were still there but from the sounds that penetrated the door, they were arguing with each other. That was really not that unusual. They’d always fought as children over everything and anything apart from spending money and long as it was not their money that was being spent.
It was only later that evening that Vivienne started to regret her choice of words and action.
“Oh well,” she said to herself.
“What’s done is done. They needed a bit of a telling off but…”
Vivienne realised that she’d ‘told off’ her daughters more times in the past three weeks than she’d done… Then she remembered back and recalled the telling off’s that they’d received when they were teenagers mostly for staying out too late on school nights.
“’Some things never change’ followed by ‘will they ever properly grow up?’,” she thought to herself.
Vivienne carried on with her ironing… it wasn’t a huge pile but her daughters didn’t know that. Once she had put everything away Vivienne sat down in her living room and looked around.
There was really very little that she could not do without if she was really severe with the downsizing. The kitchen was a different matter. That was where she’d always gone to escape the world. If she’d had a bad day at the office she would put on some music and do some baking or if it was really bad, she’d make some bread. Beating the hell out of some dough is very therapeutic.
Getting rid of much of her cooking gadgets and utensils would be hard. It all depended upon the size of the kitchen that she would have in her new home. One of the main reasons for rejecting any of the retirement homes that her dearly beloved daughters had suggested to her was the miniscule size of the kitchens. The bedrooms were not much better. Once a bed any larger than a 2ft 6in single was in there, there really wasn’t room to swing a mouse let alone a cat and the operators wanted close to three hundred grand for what Vivienne had called a half-sized matchbox.
That night, Vivienne fell asleep happy in her own mind that I’d made the decision to move. This was now her former home. Where and when she’d go was a different matter entirely although Devon was pretty high on the list.
Vivienne smiled to herself when she admitted to herself that it was the only item on the list.
During the night she found herself wide awake for some reason. This was in danger of becoming a habit.
The house was quiet. The sound of the city was muted. She knew from past experience, that it should be between 02:00 and 04:00. She turned over to look at the bedside clock. It read 03:23.
Despite not having all that much sleep, she was unable to drop off again. Instead, she began to think once again about her trip to Devon. There was an opportunity there but she could just not see what it was. Close to dawn, she did fall asleep having made the decision to meet up with the woman who had sort of taken her under her wing during her trip. It couldn’t hurt to sound her out about a few things.
Habits of a lifetime die hard. Vivienne went out for a walk the following morning. She even met a few of the regular dog walkers. A few commented on her lack of a dog. They all felt sad when she told them about Betty. They’d all shared many walks and a good number of Coffee’s at the local Café over the years.
Several asked if her was going to get another dog. Vivienne gave them as non-committal a reply as she could.
“At the moment I’m not. I well might be moving away from London entirely.”
At least the walk got her out of the house and gave her some much-needed exercise. It also allowed her time to think about what she should do about the house. The two Estate Agents in Highgate Village, that she’d already visited, were a dead loss so she had to take a different path.
As Vivienne neared her home, noticed a removal van parked at the side of the road. A team of men were at work. They were emptying a house just a few hundred yards away from her destination. Vivienne thought nothing of it at the time and passed by on the other side of the road.
She had almost reached the end of the road when something occurred to her. A sort of ‘what if’ moment. She turned around and looked back at the people taking things out of the house. It seemed that there were three men working and a fourth man watching the proceedings. She wondered if this was the owner. No time like the present to ask about the service that they’d received from the agents.
Vivienne, walked up to the man who was watching the removers.
“Excuse me,” she said.
The man turned to look at her.
“Is this your home?”
“Yes. Well, for the next few hours it is. Why do you ask?”
“I hope that I’m not intruding but I was wondering about the Estate Agents you used to sell your property. I’ve tried a couple of places in Highgate Village and they were only interested in giving a valuation if I signed up to them as sole agents despite signs to the contrary in their windows.”
A smile spread across his face.
“I think I know exactly who you mean. We didn’t like their attitude much like you have found out for yourself.”
“What about the one you used? I can see their board with a ‘Sold’ sign on it.”
“They were very professional indeed. They gave us a discount for eight weeks sole agency. We received the first offer in less than two weeks of it being on the market.”
“Would you recommend them?”
“Sure.”
“Thanks for that. I know where their office is. I’ll drop by later today.”
“Ask for Gavin Thurston. He did everything we asked from him. Very professional and courteous.”
Vivienne smiled.
“One last question if you don’t mind?”
“Fire away.”
“Did you… do what they call ‘stage’ your home?”
He laughed.
“It wasn’t possible. Not with three under sixes to contend with. What they saw it what they get warts and all. The new owners have two under-fives so it didn’t matter too much when it came to the price.”
“Thanks for your time. I won’t hold you up any longer. I have a better idea about what to do next about selling my house.”
He looked at me strangely.
“I’ve seen you walking your dog on the Heath. We have an Irish Setter.”
“Oh yes. I remember her. Full of life.”
“That’s her all right. Where is your dog? A Cocker Spaniel is my memory is correct?”
“That’s Betty. She died in her sleep at the start of the week. She wasn’t a young dog so it was to be sort of expected.”
“Oh, I’m sad to hear about it. Are you going to get another one?”
“Not yet. I’m going to get moved first. Then? I don’t know. I shall just have to see. I grew very attached to Betty.”
“Don’t I know it. Rosie is totally part of our family. I don’t know what the kids will do when it is Rosie’s time. Like Betty, she’s getting on a bit in ‘Doggy years’.”
“Thanks again for your time.”
“My pleasure.”
Vivienne walked away feeling much happier about what she needed to do next.
The next morning, Mr Gavin Thurston arrived with clipboard and laser ranger in hand to look over Vivienne’s home. He’d been pleased with the recommendation from his now former client.
After the usual humming, ahhing and telling her all the problems with the place which she already knew only too well especially about it being rather tired, he completed his survey.
“I think that you may well get between two point eight or two point nine in its present state.”
Vivienne knew that he was talking about millions of pounds.
“And if I get it staged?”
“Much the same really. Let me be honest Ms Carter. Homes like this one that are structurally solid but are a bit tired and dated when it comes to the décor, fixtures and fittings, are best sold without any window dressing. Any discerning buyer will see right through any tarting up you might do right now. Unless you were to modernise the place yourself from top to bottom which would take three to six months and cost upwards of fifty grand, it really isn’t worth it. After all that my revised estimate would be a maximum of three million. Then there is every chance that the buyer would rip out the new kitchen and bathroom right away. I take it you want a reasonably quick sale?”
“Well yes I do but there is a lot of work to do before I could move out. As I said, I have been here more than thirty years. That’s thirty years of ‘stuff’ I need to sort through.”
“That isn’t all that unusual. One of my more recent clients simply moved into a two-bedroom flat and only removed what they found they needed. After three months, they sold off the rest of the contents for charity. I’m not saying that this is the right solution for you but it was a way of concentrating the mind about exactly what they needed in their new home.”
“That is certainly an idea worth considering.”
“Do you have a place lined up already?”
Vivienne chuckled.
“I don’t. I’m not totally sure where I’ll be going to. It might be that a lot of things go into storage. The only thing I do know is that wherever it is that I end up putting down new roots, it will be well away from London.”
He laughed.
“Most of my clients are doing the same. Conversely, there is still great demand for properties from people coming to the city.”
Vivienne laughed.
“It keeps you in a job does it not?”
It was his turn grin back at her.
“It does indeed.”
Then he looked at her with a straight face.
“Do we have your business? Do you want us to handle the sale of the property on the terms we discussed yesterday?”
Vivienne looked him up and down. Then she made up her mind.
“Yes. Yes, I do.”
“Good. Could you come into the Office later to sign the agency forms? I think I can get a photographer out on Monday or Tuesday if that is ok with you?”
“I think so. It will give me a chance to get at least a few rooms reasonable.”
Vivienne showed Mr Thurston out the front door a few minutes later and almost straight away began to feel rather sad. She’d taken the first step towards moving on with her life. This chapter of the book on her life was starting to close quite rapidly.
With a photographer due at 11:00 on Monday, Vivienne spent the weekend tidying and cleaning her home from top to bottom. It is amazing how many cobwebs seem to magically appear as soon as you get the dusters out. Then there are the spiders that return five minutes after you had cleaned that exact spot.
By the time she called it a day on Sunday afternoon, Vivienne was exhausted. There was a big pile of things to take to the recycling centre for first thing the following morning but as far as she could see, the place was as good as it would get without a major overhaul.
The exercise had driven it home to her that she really did have a lot of stuff. Lots of that stuff that hadn’t been used in years. Instead of selling or recycling or donating it, she’d just kept it on the off chance that it could be useful in the future. Naturally 99% of it never got used again. More than once she asked herself if we as a race were naturally hoarders. Even her daughters had kept all the baby clothes that their children had worn. Originally, she’d hoped that they would get reused with the next child but no, they got all new stuff because that was what all the other ‘yummy mummies’ at their playgroups and nurseries were doing and keeping up with those other ‘yummy mummies’ was what they did.
Vivienne laughed at the term ‘yummy mummy’. There had been no such thing or label when her daughters were under five or at least no one said it publicly. Now it seemed more of a badge of pride.
With the house clean, Vivienne took a long bath and relaxed. If there was one thing about the house that she was going to miss, then it was this bath. It was at least eighty years old. It was big enough to bathe all the children at once which meant that for her, she could actually float if she filed it right up. That was a joy that she’d miss wherever she’d eventually end up moving to. She’d seen the baths that the houses where her daughters lived and they were tiny, really tiny by comparison.
As Vivienne gently floated in the warm water, she began to wonder if she could do a deal with the people who bought the house to sell her the bath if they were going to rip out the bathroom. Then she could take it with her to her new home.
Then she laughed at herself for being so silly. What if the bathroom at her new place was the size of a postage stamp? There would be no room for the bath.
Then she began to fantasise about having the bath outside rather like a ‘Hot Tub’ with the water heated by the sun. That certainly would be different. Then she laughed at the absurdity of the idea.
After more than an hour of savouring the luxury of her bath, the water started getting cold so Vivienne reluctantly climbed out, dried off.
As she put on her nightdress, she wondered how many more times she’d have the luxury of a long bath in her home. Part of her wanted it to happen many more times but the more pragmatic side of her wanted it all over sooner rather than later.
[to be continued]
The Photographer from the Estate Agency, a still wet behind the ears youngster named Neil Thomas, finished packing up his gear and then left Vivienne alone. A job that should have taken under an hour had taken three hours. For some unfathomable reason, he insisted on using a full studio flash rig even in the Bathroom where there really wasn’t the room to swing a cat let alone all the kit that he’d brought with him. From what little he’d said during the visit, he was clearly more used to taking pictures of the very large houses that only the mega rich of Hampstead could afford. Still, it was at their cost not hers. If she wasn’t happy with the promotion material she could take her business to another agency.
As she showed him out the front door, Vivienne said,
“Thanks for coming today Neil. Please tell Mr Thurston that I’ll be in the Office on Thursday to go through the photos.”
His departure left Vivienne at a bit of a loose end for the rest of the day. She knew that there was a whole heap of sorting out to be done. Although she knew that eventually, it would have to be done but it could wait for another few days.
After grabbing a quick bite to eat and drink before she made a phone call. She’d already put in motion the process of selling her home. Now it was time to start the process of changing her appearance. The old one was years past its sell by date. Her diaries contained many references to this desire over the years although, the frequency of those entries had decline in recent years.
During their time in Devon together, Maxine had mentioned the really great hairdresser that she used. After her previous negative experience with hair Salons, she needed somewhere that would look after her rather than trying to impose a totally inappropriate style on her. Maxine’s words had rekindled that desire and it was time to take her up on her offer helping her get a new hairstyle.
“Hello Maxine. This is Vivienne.”
“I’m fine. You?”
“On our journey around Devon, you talked about this super hairdresser that you used…”
“Yes, that’s her. I wondered if I could get her number?”
“Yes, I’ve finally decided on a change in style. As I told you, my last visit to the salon didn’t end very well. They botched the cut and still had the nerve to charge me for the damage. That was nearly three years ago and I’ve not been back. Your hair looked so good and… I thought?”
“You are? When?”
“Could I sort of tag along?”
“Where?”
“Sorry, I sort of assumed that you lived in London. The dealer name and phone number on your car number-plate is from Croydon.”
“Oh. I see. You never really said where you lived. Still, I’m not doing anything so it won’t be a problem.”
“No. I’ll come down. I can take the train if you can text me the address I’ll see you tomorrow afternoon.”
“Thanks Maxine. I owe you big time.”
“Don’t be so modest. Out little sojourn in Devon really helped me get a new focus for the next part of my life.”
Her phone bleeped. Vivienne looked at the message before speaking to Maxine again.
“Thanks Maxine, I just got your text. See you tomorrow.”
The following afternoon, a slightly nervous Vivienne pushed open the door to the Salon. She could not see anyone inside.
“Hello? Is there anybody there?”
“We’re in the back,” came a voice.
She went inside and closed the door behind her.
A woman whom Vivienne assumed was the owner, Bea appeared from a small office.
“You must be Vivienne. Maxine has been telling me all about you. I’m Bea, welcome to my salon.”
“All good I hope?”
“Yes. You really made an impression on her.”
“Oh dear,” said Vivienne fearing the worst.
“All good I can assure you,” came a voice from the Office. She could tell that it belonged to Maxine.
“I’ll be out in a minute,” said the voice.
Vivienne looked around at the empty Salon. Bea noticed this.
“Once a quarter on a Wednesday afternoon, Maxine comes over and we do the books. I give my girls the afternoon off so we can work in peace.”
“Oh, I didn’t mean to interrupt your work.”
Bea smiled.
“Nonsense. Since Maxine took an interest in my business, the books have always been easy. She’s a real whizz with figures. Saves me a whole heap of aggro I can tell you so, giving you a new hairdo won’t be a problem.”
She smiled.
“To be honest, it is always the worst part about running a small business. Maxine sorted me out. I’d been doing so many things wrong it was rather embarrassing I can tell you. That woman is pure gold when it comes to accounts.”
Vivienne smiled. She’d been about the best in her department when it came to reading accounts and uncovering the lies and half-truths that they often held.
Just then Maxine appeared from the Office.
“That the VAT return all done and submitted. Everything is setup for next month and the Payroll is all done,” said Maxine.
“What is it that you were thinking of having done?” said Bea switching back to the reason for Vivienne’s journey to Horley.
Vivienne smiled back at Bea and reached up and unpinned her hair and shook it loose.
It was longer than she’d had it even as a girl. Now it reached almost to her waist.
“That’s quite some length,” said Bea
“Yeah. I had a bit of a disagreement with my last hairdresser over how much he wanted to cut off. They didn’t do what I wanted. They decided that I was going to have a really short style. I cottoned on to what they were doing and told them to stop. They left it in a worse state then when I went in and then even had the nerve to try to charge me. I told them that I wasn’t paying for a botch job so I walked out. That was now that I think about it, closer to four than three years ago. I just started wearing it up all the time and ignoring it. That was until I met Maxine here. She persuaded me to let my hair down for once. I rather enjoyed it but it really showed how grey I’d become and that just would not do for the long term”
Bea laughed.
“Sometimes those latest trends do more harm than good. It didn’t last very long after London Fashion Week was over if my memory serves me right. All the models ended up wearing wigs 24/7 until their hair grew out again.”
There were smiles all around.
“I need to get something a little easier to handle. I’ve not really had a change of style for nearly twenty years.”
Bea grinned.
“Then we shall have to create the new you then.”
“Where’s Betty? You didn’t leave her at home, did you?” asked Maxine.
“I’m afraid that she died this time last week.”
“Oh, you poor thing, I know how attached to her you were. What happened?”
“She passed away in her sleep.”
“At least she didn’t suffer then?”
“A small mercy. But… I was thinking of changing my hair colour,” said Vivienne changing the subject
“What did you have in mind?”
“This,” she said getting her phone out.
The picture she pulled up showed an image of Betty.
“I have always loved the colour. I also want a more manageable style.”
“But your hair is so long?” said Bea.
“And I’m not a ten-year old girl. Something like a page-boy bob if that is possible but with a fringe. Like those silent movie stars wore.”
Bea who had been gently brushing Vivienne’s hair out stepped back. Then she came to face her.
“Are you sure? It is a big step?”
“I’m starting a new episode in my life. I want to look my best for going forward.”
“And she has a man to impress,” added Maxine with an evil grin on her face.
“Really? Well then we’d better make you look your best.”
“What Maxine says is perfectly correct but he does not know anything about it.”
Bea stopped her searching for the right colour in an instant.
“Ooohhh! Please tell all?” she said grinning from ear to ear.
“There is nothing to tell,” Vivienne said slightly indignantly.
Maxine laughed.
“Maxine! Don’t you dare!” said Vivienne.
Then the absurdity of it all sank home.
They all had a good laugh.
“Well? What do you think?” asked Bea.
Vivienne did a bit of preening as she viewed herself in the mirror.
“Pretty good. No, make that very good. Thank you, Bea. Everything that Maxine said about you is true. You are a wizard.”
“Is someone taking my name in vain?” came Maxine’s voice from the Office.
“Far from it,” she said.
“This woman is a genius with hair.”
Then Vivienne sighed.
“What’s up?” asked Maxine who had emerged from the office.
“Just my nails and lashes.”
All three of them started to laugh.
“Rome wasn’t built in a day,” said Bea when we’d calmed down.
“There must be dozens of places in London who can sort you out?”
“Yeah but… I’ve never had them done before.”
There was an agonising silence in the salon before Maxine said.
“Then Bea will just have to fit you in tomorrow morning… Won’t you Bea?”
An expression of panic appeared momentarily on her face. Then slowly, a smile replaced the fear.
“As long as we start early. I mean at eight sharp! I have a load of regulars coming in from just after nine.”
It was Vivienne’s turn to show some anxiety.
“I don’t know if I can get here that early?”
“Then you will just have to stay the night at my place,” said Maxine.
“I couldn’t possibly impose on you like that.”
“Nonsense. Besides, I want to know what you are going to do about Jacques?”
“Me?”
“Yes, you Vivienne. Don’t tell me that you haven’t thought about him even once since you returned from Devon?”
The smile on Maxine’s face told Vivienne that she was rather enjoying this.
“Well… Yes, I have but…”
“But nothing. I want to know how you plan to get him.”
“Get him? I’m going to do nothing of the sort. Besides, there is a lot of things to do and sort out before I could even think of going to visit him. If I move to Devon that it. Who knows… I might even go to Norfolk.”
Maxine laughed.
“I know someone in Norfolk who would be only too happy to have you working for them even if it is part time.”
“Is there anywhere that you don’t have contacts?”
Maxine smiled back at me.
“Scotland is a bit light. But seriously, Vivienne, if you went to Norfolk, just give me a bell and I’ll provide you with an introduction to a good friend of mine. He’s setting up a charitable foundation. You might have heard of him, Garth Sampson.”
Vivienne had indeed heard of the American Billionaire.
“You can’t be serious?”
“She’s very serious,” piped up Bea.
“I did the works for the new Mrs Sampson the day before their recent wedding. She was like you in many respects, devoted to her job and getting a haircut was of secondary importance.”
It was then that Vivienne realised just how fortunate she’d been to run into Maxine when she did.
“I was only saying Norfolk as somewhere that is not Devon.”
“I know you were but our time together in Devon gave me an insight into what you were thinking and if there is anything I can do to make your divorce from London easier then all you need to do is ask. Who knows eh? I might just follow you down there…”
She didn’t know what to say. Maxine had left her stumped yet again.
“Why don’t you take Vivienne to the Fox? It is Curry Night tonight,” said Bea.
“That’s a good idea,” replied Maxine.
Maxine turned to me.
“Well Vivienne? Are you game?”
She really didn’t have an alternative.
“Ok, if it isn’t too much trouble.”
“That’s settled then,” said Maxine.
Over an excellent Curry that evening at the pub, Maxine probed Vivienne gently about her intentions towards Jacques.
“But I know nothing about him at all. He’s very reticent about sharing his past,” she remarked.
“He is that,” said Maxine.
“That probably means that there is something not good in it. Don’t try to pry it out of him. Men are infamous for clamming up when put on the spot. They keep things bottled up far too much.”
“I know. My ex… Well the less said about that the better.”
“Then don’t confront him until you are best friends.”
Then she grinned.
“That won’t stop you from doing a little research about him before you go down to Devon.”
“I haven’t said that I am going to move to Devon.”
“Yet!” grinned Maxine.
That didn’t stop Vivienne.
“But someone like you has all sorts of contacts. Why not see what you can find out eh? To me, there is something in his past that he wants to stay buried. If it is horrible then isn’t it better to know now rather than later? Ask yourself, why didn’t he go back to France when he left London? I’d want to know before I entered into anything more than ‘hello and how are you’. If you get my meaning?”
She was right of course.
“Most of what you say would be illegal even for the Police unless they had warrants and the like.”
“But there is this wonderful thing out there called the Internet. Pretty well everyone has some sort of footprint there for everyone to see.”
“Well, I don’t. As you know, I don’t do Social Media. In my job it was considered unethical.”
“You aren’t in a job now remember?”
“Even so, I would not know where to start without using my contacts as you put them. I have to admit that I had people working for me that did all that stuff.”
“Then it is a good time to learn isn’t it?” grinned Maxine.
“It is all well and good for you to sit here and say that. You grew up with computers. Until ten years ago I never used one outside of the office. I only got one at home then because I found that I could get discounts by doing stuff online. Most of the time its sits there in the corner gathering dust. Most weeks, I don’t use it at all but I have to admit that I have given it a good deal of use these past few weeks.”
Maxine smiled at Vivienne.
“I sort of gathered that from our little trip together. Isn’t now a good time to learn? Now that you have an objective… there is a purpose for you to make the thing work for you.”
Vivienne still wasn’t convinced so she decided to change the subject.
“About tomorrow?”
She smiled back at her again.
“All setup. I’ll drop you at Bea’s place and you can get to the station from there when you are done.”
“I’ve been thinking. Could you call Bea and tell her that I’ve changed my mind. I think I need to get used to this hair first.”
Maxine laughed.
“That won’t be a problem. Bea will understand. Whenever you decide to go forward, just call Bea and she’ll take care of you.”
“About that and today?”
“Yes, what?”
“Bea said that ‘it was all taken care of’. I can’t take freebies from you two. The two of you are in business, together aren’t you?”
“We are in business. I invested some money in her business. In fact, I’m her landlord. Anything she does to my hair, lashes or nails just gets deducted from the amount she owes me. The same goes for you. It really is nothing in the grand scheme of things.”
She let out a small laugh.
“And before the Taxman in you takes over, it is nothing different to me paying her for say a set of nails and then she giving me the money straight back and I deducting it from her loan balance. We record every transaction. There is nothing underhand about it. At least that’s what my accountant and the Tax Inspector who looked at the books nine months ago said. At long at it is recorded there is no benefit in kind which is impossible as I’m not an employee of hers.”
“But???”
“No buts Vivienne. Can’t a friend do a good turn to another friend without making an issue of it?”
“That’s not what I meant.”
“I’d better call Bea and then I can take you to the station,” said Maxine changing the subject.
It was quite late when Vivienne arrived home that evening. She was both surprised and pleased to see a ‘For Sale’ board up outside her front gate. It was a reminder that she needed to go into the agents to approved the photos the next day.
Getting to sleep was difficult that night. For one thing, she no longer had the nightly ritual of brushing out her very long hair to perform. That had been part of her nightly routine for years. Twenty minutes sitting calmly and brushing her hair had been all part of her relaxing her body and preparing her mind for sleep. That was not needed any longer just like taking Betty for a walk before bedtime. Things were really changing in Vivienne’s little world.
Her new much shorter hair style needed little more than two to three minutes brushing before bed, and she was done. Then there was what Maxine had said about Jacques rattling around in her head. Vivienne knew exactly what she needed to do but she was very reluctant to start something off that might lead to problems for Jacques.
Living totally off the grid like he’d chosen was hard for Vivienne to really grasp. She soon reasoned that no one did it without good reason. She wondered if his reason was money and if she went and made some inquiries, she could end up stirring up a hornets nest for no good reason.
Vivienne tried to put him out of her mind and think of the good times she’d had with Betty.
She fell asleep but it didn’t last. Vivienne came around at a little after 03:00. All she could think of was Jacques. It was no good. She had to do something but what that something was, was something she really, really didn’t want to do.
[to be continued]
Vivienne had been nagged by the thought of some dark secret or secrets that Jacques was hiding refused to go away. His good looks and charming personality were tempered by this as yet unanswered question. She preferred to think that someone like him could not be all bad.
This was, of course, complete and utter bollocks naturally… but it sounded rather nice to her.
Nevertheless, and despite her trying all sorts of things to distract her, she could not settle down at all the next morning. At other times like this, she’d have taken Betty for a marathon walk until both of them were unable to walk another step. Then they'd take a taxi back home from wherever they’d ended up, and have a hot bath together. Betty had loved a good bath.
As Vivienne looked towards where Betty's basket used to be, the sigh that came out of her mouth showed that she missed her dog an awful lot. Far more than she would ever admit to anyone but that was life and until she got settled wherever that was any thoughts of a replacement… Betty could never be replaced. Any thoughts relating to getting another dog would have to wait for the time being at least.
Just before eleven, Vivienne began to get herself ready to go to the Estate Agents as she’d promised. She almost stopped and called for Betty but stopped herself in time. With a sigh and a shrug, she put on her coat and opened the front door.
As she stepped outside, something didn’t feel quite right. Then she saw it.
The ‘For Sale’ sign had been pulled down and its post snapped in half.
“Bloody vandals…” she muttered to herself.
There wasn’t much to do but leave it where it was and head off to the Agents.
It didn’t take very long for Vivienne and Mr Thurston to agree on the best photos to use for the flyers and online album. Then she broached the subject of the vandalised sign.
“I saw the ‘For Sale’ board when I returned home last night. The problem is that it had been vandalised by the time I left this morning. It had been ripped out and the pole snapped in half.”
This news didn't phase him at all.
“Don’t worry about that Ms Carter. These things happen all the time. A few years back some students were found to have a collection of over one hundred different agents boards. It was all part of a competition that they were in with another college.”
Vivienne smiled before saying,
“Vandalism is another thing entirely. It shouldn’t happen.”
“True but some people don’t like other people owning nice things.”
His words hit the nail right on the head. He could have been talking about Vivienne’s two daughters.
“That is very true. True but sad nevertheless.”
“I’ll get another board put up tomorrow morning,” agreed Mr Thurston.
“When will the details go up on your website?”
He smiled at me.
“There is already a placeholder there. It has the details and the price but no pictures. We’ll get them uploaded later today and the downloadable flyer will be done for tomorrow.”
“Has there been any interest so far?”
“It is too early to say. Lots of people are looking at the site but rarely linger very long on a property until the pictures are there to back up the text. A picture is worth ten thousand words in this business.”
“Ok thanks.”
“Have you got yourself a solicitor lined up yet? For the conveyancing?”
“I’ll get onto that today. I’ll drop off the details when I have one sorted out.”
"Good. Then we are all set. To be honest, I don't think it will take very long to sell at that price."
Vivienne smiled back at him.
“That’s what I’m hoping but I’m not going to give it away… if you get my meaning.”
He grinned.
“I do Ms Carter, I do.”
Vivienne had prevaricated about engaging the services of a Solicitor for one reason and one reason only. That was simply that she hated the profession with one exception, her BFF, Verity May.
Verity had been working abroad for a few years when she and Rex got divorced otherwise, she would have used her services for the case. The ones she’d ended up using had tried to rob her blind during her divorce from Rex. That had left a bitter taste in her mouth that had lingered to this day. In the end, she took them to court for not releasing all the money that the financial settlement had stipulated. Rex had paid it in good faith but her scumbag of a lawyer decided that he’d withhold his fees from it and would not turn over the full amount until she agreed to that. The fees were way beyond what she’d agreed to, so she had no choice. Vivienne was left with no choice but to sue. The lawyer lost and received a severe reprimand from the Law Society. Even so, he flat out refused to pay her costs despite the judge awarding them to Vivienne’s side. This time, she’d obtained a high court writ and sent the Bailiffs into their offices. Only then did they pay up. The resulting loss of reputation thanks to the comprehensive coverage in the local media meant that his business foundered less than a year later after she’d had a quiet word with a Tax Inspector. The resulting audit of their accounts revealed a veritable litany of malpractice. A successful fraud case saw the three partners each spend over three years in jail. It was an act of somewhat bittersweet revenge but in general, the whole of the legal profession gave Vivienne a bad taste in her mouth.
That bad taste was right there front and centre in Vivienne’s mouth as she walked into the offices of Hammond, Grey and Strauss, Solicitors in Camden. She’d been told sometime before by another dog walker that they’d done a good job with her house sale. On that recommendation, she’d arranged to visit them to discuss the work that she needed doing.
Forty-Nine minutes later, she walked out of their offices, feeling a lot happier. Their standard ‘seller’ contract was just about perfect for her needs and the fees were all laid out in terms that were easy to understand. That was a very different experience from her last encounter with the profession.
Once Vivienne had returned home, she sent the details of the partner, a Ms Grey would be handling her sale with the Estate Agents.
Vivienne was then faced with the monumental task of downsizing.
As she pondered the monumental task that lay in front of her, Vivienne remembered reading an article on it and it said to take one item from each room and put it aside. If you have not found a need to use it within a week then it could be disposed of.
The problem was that living in a home for well over a quarter of a century, you seem to acquire so many bits that you really can’t do without or at least think that you can’t do without.
Then she had an idea and did some searching on the internet.
Within an hour she’d spoken to three ‘downsizing’ specialist companies. They were going to send someone around to scope the job. Vivienne didn’t like the fact that two of them were going to charge her £150 for the privilege of giving her a quote for the job but if she wanted at least two opinions and quotes then that is what she’d have to bite her lip and go with it.
Despite some glowing recommendations Vivienne wasn’t altogether convinced about these companies and the services that they offered but if it made sense to her then she’d go for it.
The next morning, Vivienne was woken up by the men arriving to put up the new ‘For Sale’ board. This time, the pole was made of a metal tube and not a bit of wood. She could see that they were determined not to let this one end up, looking like its predecessor. After half an hour they went away seemingly happy with their work.
Vivienne went out and inspected their work after she’d had some breakfast. It looked pretty solid and was bolted to her front gate post. As the posts for the gate were sunk almost three feet into the ground and then concreted in place she felt sure that it could survive the vandals should they decide to return.
When Vivienne returned to the kitchen, she had another tinge of sadness. The whole house seemed so silent without Betty. Vivienne knew deep down that she’d have to get another dog sooner or later but felt it was the wrong thing to do just before she moved house. Betty had taken more than three months to get used to her new home so it would be wrong to get a new puppy and then move home just as her new pet was getting used to one home only to be taken to another one wherever that might be.
Thinking about Betty brought her thoughts back to Jacques. He’d made a great fuss over Betty when she just ignored his ducks, chickens and geese. Betty had plenty of experience with birds from the heath. She knew that Geese and Swans were bad news so she’d given up trying to chase them after the third close encounter with the snapping beak of a Canada Goose mother protecting her chicks. After that Betty had kept a good distance from any bird larger than a Blackbird.
Jacques didn’t seem to have any pets. It was fairly clear to her from her visit and seeing him at the Farmers Market that the income from his plant sales was what he lived on from week to week. That led her to wonder… no, imagine all sorts of things about him and his life and how he’d ended up here. She didn’t believe his tale about Asthma because he used copious amounts of straw as bedding for his animals and to keep slugs and snails away from his plants. Vivienne knew from first-hand experience as a child just how dusty straw could be.
All this cogitation and imagining eventually led her to come to a decision. There was a mystery and it needed solving. Vivienne knew just the person who could give her some help along the way.
With a hopeful look on her face, she picked up the phone and called one of her former colleagues.
“Hello Alec, it’s Vivienne.”
“I’m doing fine. You?”
“Yes, retirement has been very busy. I’ve decided to sell up and move out of London.”
“It looks like I’ll probably end up Devon. That’s why I called. I need your help.”
“This is NSFW [2] I’m afraid. Do you still go to ‘The Hole in the Wall’[1] after work on Fridays before you get the train home?”
“That’s great. I’ll see you there. Say 6:30.”
“No, it won’t come back to bite you. I’ll tell you tomorrow. See you then.”
Vivienne ended the call and found that she’d hardly breathed the whole time that she was on the phone to Alec. She was asking her best… or rather former best investigator to break some rules for her so that she could satisfy her inquisitiveness. There are ways to obtain information about someone what did not leave an electronic trail if you knew where to look. Vivienne knew thanks to her job, that the HMRC had huge amounts of historic information about people that were not kept on a computer. No computer means little or no trail and therefore, no comeback
Her former team had used this data source all the time when starting an investigation into someone suspected of Tax Evasion or other wrongdoing so for Alec to look up some data for her would not arouse any suspicion whatsoever. Looking at this data gave them a historical perspective right at the start of an investigation. It often made looking at any current breaches of the rule and even illegalities a lot easier to spot. The sad part was that many other departments ignored this huge source of data but it meant that Vivienne’s team had the top clean-up rate in the whole of the HMRC.
The only possibly fly in the ointment was that her successor could well have changed everything around in the few weeks since she’d retired.
Thinking about her replacement made her shiver. If ever there was a modern embodiment of the fictional Mr Macawber, then Reginald Fox was him down to a ‘T’. He looked slimy and had little beady eyes that were behind ‘granny’ glasses that naturally had very thick lenses. Without them on, he was as blind as a bat. He also sported a comb-over hairstyle that would give the one worn by President Donald Trump a good run for its money.
No one in the department liked him or would even give him the time of day. He was useless at the job yet somehow, he’d managed to wheedle himself into becoming the successor to Vivienne. His devotion to nitpicking knew no bounds. She knew that it would not be long before the likes of Alec and the rest of the team either put in for transfers or left the HMRC entirely. She’d seen the effect that people like him had on others at first hand. Her boss at her job previous to the HMRC was Macawber and Fagin rolled into one. She lasted just long enough to get another job.
Her successor was a weasel of a man named, Reginald Fox. He had an HMRC wide reputation for being a boot licker/ass crawler yet the powers that be thought him perfect to take over her job. She was just glad to be out the place but she did feel more than a bit sorry for those she’d left behind.
Her thought process was interrupted by the front doorbell ringing. She wasn’t expecting anyone so if it was someone trying to get her to spend thousands on a new drive or anything like that they’d get sent away with a flea in their ear.
She opened the door to find her daughter Janice. Vivienne smiled at her daughter. Janice made a move to come into the house but Vivienne stood in her way.
"Hello, Mum. Can I come in?"
Vivienne’s smile broadened.
“Yes, come in.”
Janice waited for her to close the door. All very proper. Vivienne began to wonder if those stern words she’s said to her daughters had started to sink in.
“Please go on through to the kitchen,” Vivienne said quietly.
Once they were in the kitchen, she took Janice’s jacket and hung it up. Then she sat down. Janice followed suit. She noticed that it had that ‘new’ smell about it. That was not unusual for her daughter.
“I wasn’t expecting you today. Is anything wrong?”
"Are you actually going to do it then?"
“Do what?” she said innocently knowing full well what Janice was talking about.
“Sell my home, that’s what.”
“Darling, you have to accept that this isn’t your home anymore. You have a perfectly good family home in Crouch End. After all, that is where you live with your husband and children. This isn't your home now and hasn’t been for well over ten years besides, I have been telling you and your sister for years that I would move away when I retired.”
“But… I grew up here.”
“You did. That’s perfectly true. Then you moved on with your life. Now it is time for me to do the same.”
“Where are you going?”
“I don’t have a clue.”
“That’s crap Mum and you know it.”
“No, it isn’t. I have not even started to look at properties yet. I haven’t looked at even one property and that includes on-line. If you want to check my computer then please go right ahead. The only property company you will find is the one handling the sale and those two jerks from Highgate Village.”
She pushed the keyboard towards her daughter.
“I’m sure that you know my password. After all, how many times did you order stuff in my name when you were short of a few quid while at University eh?”
Janice didn’t take up her offer but carried on the offensive.
“Then you know where you are going then?”
“That’s it, I really don't know where I'm going to end up. I have had a job offer from a charity in Norfolk. I might go there but I have not thought about it in detail at the moment."
That was a bit of a fib but Janice would never know it.
“Mum! You know very well that most charities don't pay very well at all. How will you live?"
“I’ll live very well thank you very much. What with the money that this place will give me and my pension I’ll be very comfortable.”
“But your pension won’t start until you are what? Sixty-Six or Sixty-Seven.”
“That’s my state pension. I can start receiving my HMRC pension anytime I want. I’ll get by so you don’t have to worry about me. Besides, I’ll have the money from this place to fall back on.”
Then Vivienne decided to change tack a bit.
“Did Suzanne put you up to this? You know how crazy she gets when she’s pregnant.”
“She didn’t know that I was coming here today but I do know that she’s hopping mad at you over this whole business. She is of the opinion that she deserves one-third of that three million or so that this place is on the market for."
"Suzanne is certainly keeping her ear to the ground then. I only agreed to the photos yesterday."
“I have to agree with her, she does have a point.”
“You mean to say that you think that you deserve the same share of money from the sale as your sister, don’t you?”
“Well? Don’t we?”
“No, you don’t. Let me make things perfectly clear to you.”
Vivienne stood up. Janice started to do the same.
“Stay there. I’m only going to fetch something from my office.”
She went upstairs feeling mad. She’d been thinking about money matters and Janice’s words had just made up my mind for her.
Vivienne returned to the kitchen carrying two sheets of paper.
She sat down and put her hand over the papers which were turned over so that her daughter could not read it until Vivienne deemed it to be appropriate.
“Did nothing of what I said at my Birthday Party sink in? I’m done handing over loads of money to you two and getting nothing in return for it?”
Janice sat there with a blank expression on her face.
“Do you remember signing this?”
She turned over the first sheet of paper.
Janice read it and pushed it back to her mother.
“So?”
"So? Is that all you can say? The document that you signed of which this is a copy clearly states that the deposit for your first house was provided by me and that I could request its return at any time after three years. That means my dear daughter, you owe me twenty-five grand plus interest. Do you want me to go to court to get it back?”
“Mum! You wouldn’t… would you?”
"If you and your sister don't back off then I'll have no alternative but to take steps to recover the debt that you and she have."
“But you are our mother?”
“And I clearly remember saying that ‘The Bank of Mum is closed’ when I spoke at my so-called birthday party or did you simply tune anything I said out? Yet here you are less than three weeks later demanding each of you to receive one-third of the money I'm going to get for the sale of this house?"
“We… We didn’t mean it like that?”
“Er… How else can it be interpreted? I don’t think that there is any scope for misunderstanding. As a result, I was toying with making some changes to my will.”
Vivienne turned over the second sheet of paper.
"As a result of the demands of that you and your sister have made, these are the changes that I will be making to my will. Until today, they had been just ideas but now? Coming out and asking for what amounts to a million quid from me was truly the last straw.”
When she’d finished speaking, Vivienne pushed the paper over so that Janice could read what it said.
Janice read the document. The expression on her face told Vivienne that it was hitting home hard.
“You can’t do this. Mum, you really can’t.”
“I can and I will. As a result of what has happened here today, I’ll be making this official later today.”
“But… it says that Suzanne and I are to get nothing in the event of your death.”
“That is perfectly correct. My current will, as you well know, has provision for you both to receive a few hundred thousand from my estate. The remainder goes to charity. This codicil changes that and specifically excludes either of you from benefitting from my estate.”
“Why? Why are you doing this?”
“Isn’t it rather obvious? You come here and as bold as brass asked me for the best part of a million quid because you and your sister think that you deserve it? That really is a bit rich after all that I've done for both of you in financial terms over the years."
Janice couldn’t look her mother in the eye. Her gaze went to the floor.
“You do remember. I’ve let your debt to me slide but I could easily go to court with the documents you signed and get a lien on your home. Then you would have fun trying to sell it. You can tell your sister that I’d do it to hers as well. You know how I am when it comes to money. I don’t make jokes when money is involved. My job taught me that money is no laughing matter.”
“Mum! You wouldn’t? Would you?”
“I won’t go to court at the moment but anymore demands such as this and I will. You should know not to mess with me when it comes to money. I didn't spend all my working life at the HMRC not to know how money can corrupt people. I'm not going to let my money corrupt my daughters."
“Mum? Corrupt is rather strong.”
"Ok, influence then. The root of all evil is money. Frankly, I'd rather give it all away than let you two squander it. Neither of you is very good at balancing the books, are you?”
“That’s nothing to do with you.”
"Really? What is your total credit card debt these days? That jacket must have cost a few hundred if that Marc Jacobs label is anything to go by. How much do you earn? I taught both of you to live within your means yet both of you have failed miserably in that respect. Well, my love as I said very clearly at my birthday party, the bank of ‘Mum’ is closed and for good.”
Janice was fuming. Her face had gone red, bright red.
“I think you had better leave before you say or do something you might regret.”
Janice stormed out of the kitchen only to return a moment later to grab her coat.
Vivienne followed her to the front door which she slammed shut in her face. She opened it and looked out.
Vivienne had to smile as she watched her daughter try to destroy the ‘For Sale’ sign. After a few seconds, she saw her mother watching and gave up.
She waited until Janice had driven away before going back inside. As she closed the door behind her, Vivienne wondered if Janice would manage to get home to Crouch End before crashing her car such was her mental state.
Vivienne returned to her kitchen and washed up the breakfast dishes. Her phone remained silent so she assumed that Janice had made it home unscathed.
After drinking a cup of tea, Vivienne picked up the phone and called an old friend of hers who just happened to be a lawyer who specialised in Wills and Probate. She was the current executor of her estate.
"Hello, Verity.”
“I’m fine. You?”
“Look Verity, I need to add a codicil to my will. If I send the text over could I pop in later tomorrow and sign it?”
“It is rather urgent. I’m cutting my daughters entirely out of my will.”
Vivienne managed a slight chuckled at Verity’s reply.
“I’ll tell you all about it over dinner if you are free?”
“Good. I’ll see you later. Just before five then?”
“Ok bye.”
She ended the call and found that she was visibly shaking. That was it. It had taken long enough but finally, she’d burned the bridges with her daughters.
The more that they messed with her, the more she fancied Jacques and …
“And to hell with any risks that might ensue…” she muttered to herself.
This was a very different Vivienne from the one that said goodbye to the HMRC just a few weeks before.
[to be continued]
[1] “The Hole in the Wall” is a pub just outside the front of London’s Waterloo Station. It is in a couple of the arches of the railway viaduct that leads to the nearby Charing Cross Station.
[2] NSFW = Not Safe For Work.
Vivienne met with Verity late the next day at her offices on Victoria Street. They’d been at Boarding School together and had become firm friends when they both got struck down with Measles at the same time. Being the sole occupants of a Boarding School Sick-bay over the Easter holidays was no fun so they’d gotten up to all sorts of mischief together. That bond had lasted until Vivienne had gotten married. Verity had been her Maid of Honour at her wedding to Rex.
A couple of years later, Verity went off and married Iain who was an Outdoor Pursuits and Scuba Diving Teacher. The couple moved to a place just outside of Inverness in Scotland and then in 1993, they’d gone to the Middle East splitting, their time between Abu Dhabi and Doha. They’d only returned to Scotland about twenty years before. Not long after that, her husband Iain had died in a climbing accident on the Isle of Skye. After trying various jobs in Scotland, she’d landed a plum job in Central London and they’d been meeting up every few months ever since. She’d remarried after a few years. Her second husband was an Accountant at a major Consultancy with offices in Charing Cross.
Vivienne had made her executor of her will not long after she’d come south.
Over an excellent meal in a Spanish Restaurant in Pimlico, the pair talked about old times until they’d finished eating.
“Down to business I suppose?” Vivienne said as Verity removed a file from her briefcase.
She smiled back at her and opened the file.
“I’ve made the changes you requested. All you need to do is sign them.”
As Vivienne signed them, she took a photo of her friend scrawling obligatory signature.
“I’ll clip a print of this to the codicil. Then we are done.”
Vivienne passed the paperback to Verity who then put it in the file and rested her hands on the top of it. A typical lawyer pose, and one that Vivienne had seen many times when she was at the HMRC. She'd even used it herself on several occasions to good effect.
“Are you sure that you want to do this? They are your flesh and blood after all…”
“And they are your God-children. Don’t forget that.”
“I never did.”
"I know that you didn't but these past few years they have been more and more about money. Suzanne is making a total hash of her business and is pregnant yet again. Janice is at least twenty thousand in debt due to her spending on clothes. I tried my hardest as their mother to instil the value of money into them but it had no effect on their actions."
“But…?”
"No, if’s or buts Verity. Their actions over the past weeks and months have led me to this decision. The last straw was Janice demanding that I split the money from the sale of my house three ways. I'd thought that this might be what they had been wanting for some considerable time. What with hints about moving into a retirement apartment and downsizing and then this… I didn't want to do this but they have left me no choice. She really had some cheek to ask me to my face for the money after I’d made it totally clear that the ‘Bank of Mum’ was closed. It was a pity that you could not have come to my Birthday Party. If you had then you would have seen the real start of the end as far as my daughters are concerned.”
"It is very, very sad that it has had to come to this,” said Verity.
“I am sad about it. I’m also resolute. They were told very clearly more than five years ago that I was done bailing them out of their financial messes and that they had to stand on their own two feet from now on. I’ve lost count of the times I’ve said a firm and unequivocal ‘No’ to them since. They just won’t listen. To be honest Verity, I’m done with them. I’m almost ashamed to be their Mother.”
“What about their husbands?”
"Ah, those two useless apologies for men! My girls have them wrapped around their little fingers. I’ll say that in their support that they chose well. They both come from money but it is too bad that neither of them can get their hands on it until one or more of their parents pops their clogs which might from what they told me, be some considerable time.”
“How come?”
She looked over the top of her glasses at Verity.
“Ok, I get it.”
“Where are you going now that your place is up for sale?”
Vivienne sat back in her chair and smiled.
“Ok, who is he and where does he live? And don’t try to leave anything out. I know you too well…”
“His name is Jacques and he runs a smallholding in Devon. He grows a few hundred different species of herb and spices and makes his own charcoal. He sells these at Farmers Markets and supplies a few Hotels and Restaurants in the area.”
“Jacques eh? French, I take it?”
“Yep. And hunky and about ten years younger than me.”
“Does he know that you fancy the hell out of him?”
“I don’t know. That’s why I’m going down there next week.”
“And if he says no? What then?”
“I have a verbal job offer with a Charity that is starting up in Norfolk. Nothing firm but I am not putting all my eggs in one basket so to speak.”
"Just be careful Viv. You know how best-laid plans and all that can suddenly end up in nothing."
“I do know that and I’m being careful.”
She looked Vivienne in the eyes.
“And you can’t get the idea of Jacques bonking the hell out of you morning noon and night, out of your mind?”
She felt herself go red in the face. Verity knew Vivienne far too well. They’d traded fantasies many times when they were at Boarding School and the same University together all those years ago.
“Something like that.”
“It is nice to see the inner woman in you has not been killed off by all those years collecting taxes…”
Both of them laughed as they left the Restaurant arm-in-arm.
“Oh well, it takes all sorts.”
Because of the melee, she decided to move her meeting place to somewhere a little quieter or that was what she’d hoped.
“The Hole is mobbed. Ascot Races! Far too noisy. Meet me at the Mezzanine at the Station."
A few minutes later he replied.
“Ok. Just leaving now.”
Vivienne guessed he’d take about twenty minutes to walk to Bank and get a train ‘down the drain’ to Waterloo[1] and get to here she was waiting. She found somewhere to sit and wait for him.
The concourse below was packed with people going home from their jobs, people returning from the Races and people going away for the weekend. Many were anxiously waiting for the next train to their destination to be allocated a platform. As soon as a platform number came up on the huge displays, a throng of travellers headed for the ticket barriers. Some would be lucky to get a seat. Others faced standing the whole way to their destination, such if the life of a London Commuter.
Vivienne sighed and felt glad that she didn’t have to face anymore commutes to work on the Northern Line. It is packed even at off-peak times and during the rush hours, the City Branch trains were jammed from well before seven-thirty in the morning. That was all in the past. She’d done it for nigh on thirty-five years apart from when she was very pregnant and a month after giving birth. No more thankfully.
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a platform number come up for a train to Salisbury and Exeter. Devon seemed so near yet so far. She wondered if Jacques would be at the Farmers Market that was due to be held just a few stops down the line beyond Exeter, in Totnes the next day. She knew where she’d rather be.
Her daydreaming was interrupted by the arrival of Alec Brown, her former assistant. Vivienne saw him coming up the escalator from the main concourse.
“Hi Alec,” she said.
“You are looking good Viv. I can see that retirement is agreeing with you.”
“Thanks, but early days yet. Far too busy to get bored. I’m getting out of London.”
“Good for you. What nice sunny place are you heading for? I know you talked about Portugal a while back?”
“Portugal was no more than some wishful thinking. I nearly got trapped by that bastard Irishman, Donal Patrick. He wanted my money but at the time I was far too blind to see it. Luckily, I realised what he wanted just in time but we got him for VAT fraud as payback. No, this time is it a little closer to home. South Devon is the place I’m likely to be heading to. That leads me to what I wanted to ask you.”
She smiled at Alec and pushed a slip of paper over to him.
Alec looked at it.
“Jacques Chelon?”
“He’s about 10 years younger than me. He lives totally off the grid on a smallholding near Totnes but he has some money from somewhere but I’d really like to know a little more about him before… well you can guess why. He used to live and work somewhere in the City until about ten years ago. There can’t be that many people with his name in the country so it should not be that hard to track him down.”
Alec didn’t say anything so she carried on.
“Nothing electronic. Just use the microfiche records. We have done this many times. I just want some background. He said that he worked here in the Insurance Industry and left because he suffered from Asthma. That’s the bit I’m not sure on. He said that he’s been down there for close on ten years so all I’m looking for is a bit of history like who he worked for before leaving London.”
Alec nodded his head.
“Can you do it?”
He sighed.
“Of course, I’ll try but our new ‘dear leader’ is changing a lot of things. We have to account for almost every minute of our time now. He just wants cases to go to court. None of this trying to find a settlement that is acceptable to everyone.”
“Ah. I get it. He wants a knighthood then?”
Alec smiled.
“That’s the current feeling. He thinks that the more people he sends to jail, the greater chance he has of getting one.”
“What does his boss think of that?”
“He’s not that happy. As you know, he’s measured on the amount of money flowing into the HMRC’s Coffers but Reginald Fox is different. He’s a stickler for process. If I want to access the old records I have to fill out a requisition with a case number and everything. God knows why he wants this information is beyond me.”
“He just wants everyone to know who is the boss. A useless prick if you ask me. Give it your best but if you can’t, then you can’t. Don’t take any risks on my behalf.”
“I will. I’ll probably be going to use the archive next Wednesday or Thursday. The Lawrence Services Case is coming up for appeal and the CPS wants every ‘I’ dotted and every ‘t’ crossed in triplicate. Our new dear leader won’t be able to stop me doing the bidding of the CPS given how obsessed he is with sending cases to trial. I’ll be down there most of the day so spending a few minutes on this will be a welcome break and he won’t suspect a thing.”
"Thanks, Alec. I'll say it again, please don’t take any risks on my behalf. Understand!”
“I got you loud and clear.”
Alec looked at his watch.
“I’d better go. There should be a Haslemere, train in ten minutes.”
"Thanks, Alec. Give my regards to Dianna."
“I will.”
He took a step and stopped.
“We all miss you. We’d have you back in a flash if it meant getting rid of Reggie Kray.”
It took her a moment. Then she realised what he’d said.
“Reggie Kray? That’s a good one.”
“Well, he does act like he rules the world at times. That’s why he is called that behind his back naturally.”
“It does seem quite apt.”
Vivienne smiled.
“You had better go. Platform 14 for the Portsmouth via Guildford train.”
“Thanks. Take care.”
“You too Alec.”
Alec disappeared towards the escalator that would take him down to the platform and his train home. Vivienne sat there watching the people below for a few minutes before making her way down to join them on the concourse and then carried on down into the Underground and her Northern Line Tube home.
When she arrived home, she felt that there was something awry. Then she noticed it. The ‘For Sale’ sign had gone.
She shook her head in amazement. The metal pole was there but the sign on the top had been hacked off. Vivienne knew right away, that one or both of her daughters was responsible. This made her wonder if she'd be getting a visit from Suzanne in the near future? It was then that she decided to cancel the appointments with the 'downsizing' companies and go down to Devon for a few days.
As she sat at her computer and prepared to cancel the appointments for the following Wednesday, she started to have second thoughts. She realised that she could still go down to Devon and be back in time for those appointments.
After a few minutes of dithering and navel-gazing, Vivienne decided to go to Devon early the following morning.
With that decision clear in her mind, she put her car onto charge so that there would be a full battery in the morning. Then she went and packed a bag for her trip to Devon.
After getting something to eat, Vivienne looked at the clock. It was almost nine and neither Suzanne nor Janice had appeared so it looked like she'd escaped, for the time being, another inquisition from her daughters. Small mercies and all that but it enabled her to go to bed in a pretty relaxed state of mind apart from dreaming about Jacques.
[to be continued]
[1] ‘The Drain’ is what the ‘Waterloo and City Line’ is often referred to. This is a short line on the London Underground line that runs only between Waterloo Station and Bank Station.
The sun was just poking its head above the horizon as Vivienne left home the next morning. She had high hopes for the weekend despite not having anywhere to stay for the next few days. The traffic was light at that early hour. It was just before 05:45 when she reached the start of the M3 close to Kempton Park Racecourse. The battery gauge on the dash told her that the battery in her car would get her to the charger at the Supermarket in Wincanton just as she’d planned. She hoped that she could get a late breakfast while the car was also fed but with electrons rather than her choice of Sausage, Bacon, Eggs and Hash Browns all washed down with a large cup of tea.
Once again, Vivienne had to thank Maxine for giving her all sorts of tips about driving an Electric Car including about using a few different web sites and phone apps to help her plan longer trips. She’d never had to worry about it before as she had a charger at home and she had never covered anywhere close to the full range of the car in a single day. That was then and things were a lot different now and would be for the foreseeable future.
The M3/A303 traffic was pretty light even at the notorious Stonehenge bottleneck so she arrived at the supermarket without incident and with 10% of battery remaining and when she found the charger parking spot empty, Vivienne allowed herself a small smile.
The app on her phone told her that in just over thirty minutes she’d have a full battery again. Now it was time for her to get some breakfast.
Feeling refreshed and ready for the next part of the journey, she stopped the charging and disconnected the cable. The display on the dash said that the battery was 95% full. That would be more than enough to get her to Totnes. She planned on getting a charge there and also to find a place to stay for the next three nights.
As soon as Vivienne turned onto the A303 and almost immediately passed a sign giving the distance to Exeter, she started to have doubts about her possible infatuation with Jacques. What would happen if she messed it all up or that he wasn’t interested in an old hag like her. What if he was gay?
All sorts of doom scenarios went through her mind as she carried on towards Exeter. As a result, she nearly missed the turning that leads to the M5 because of the machinations that were going on in her mind.
“Don’t be such a wimp,” she told herself as she negotiated joining the Motorway near the Somerset town of Taunton.
With a full battery and a few hours to kill before her room for the night was ready, Vivienne headed south which was the general direction of Jacques’s smallholding.
Vivienne had remembered the directions that Maxine had given her on the previous trip to the area and she soon found the turning for his place. She stopped the car and marked the location in the car’s SatNav. As she did so, she hoped that she wasn’t putting the cart before the horse. Nevertheless, she started up the track that led to his home.
When she arrived, it was obvious that Jacques’s Land Rover wasn’t there. The place was deserted apart from his motley collection of Chickens, Ducks and Geese. No smoke rose from the chimney that poked its head through the thick thatch of the roof. It looked abandoned as far as human life was concerned.
The still air lent an air of peace and tranquillity, apart from a load of Crows that were nesting in some nearby trees and the chatter of Chaffinches and other small birds as they came to the bird feeder that hung near the back door to the cottage. The feeder was full so it appeared that someone was visiting to care for the birds. That pleased Vivienne but it didn’t answer her question, ‘Where was Jacques?’.
The place was just as she’d remembered it but there was one very essential thing missing… Jacques himself.
A feeling of disappointment came over her. Then she realised that she should not have expected him to be there waiting for her especially as he didn’t know that Vivienne was coming.
Vivienne returned to her car and after turning around, she drove slowly down the track as if she was hoping to run into him coming the other way. No such luck. The track ahead remained empty as did the road both to the left and to the right.
Indecision took over when she reached the road. Should she turn left or should she turn right?
Turning left won her mental toss of a coin and she found her way back to Totnes. After parking the car at the Supermarket charger, she headed for one of the several Estate Agents that she’d passed earlier in her wander around the town centre.
Even though Vivienne clearly said that she was browsing they were all reluctant to give out property details unless she registered with them. For a moment, Vivienne was very, very tempted to give them Suzanne’s address but she resisted and gave them the information they desired. Doing that would tell them where she was moving to so she resisted.
The newly awakened devil on her shoulder made her think…
“What if I went to places like say Cumbria, West Wales and North Yorkshire and registered with Agents there and used her daughters addresses on the registrations.”
The idea seemed very appealing indeed but she put that particular little devil back in its cage for the time being and went into the Agents Office.
Their eyes lit up when they saw her address on her details. It was obvious that the pound signs were flashing before their eyes. Vivienne soon put them in their place.
“I am looking to radically downsize but I certainly don’t want a pokey little retirement apartment. If I wanted one of them I could take my pick within a couple of miles of where I’m living now. I want something that is not in the town and has a decent electricity supply, not some bit of wet string.”
Then she added,
“I might be selling a property that is worth several million pounds but I’m giving two-thirds of it to my Daughters. That means, don’t go trying to sell me a mansion. I am a single woman and can spot sales pressure a mile off. Before I retired, I worked for the HMRC as a Tax Inspector so I’ve heard about every chat-up line in the book as a few more besides.”
The bit about giving money to her daughters was a total lie but she hoped that it would stop the jackpot signs from flashing before their eyes.”
The agent, one Duncan Phelps looked surprised when she described in more detail, the sort of property that would be ideal for her.
“I’ve not had that as a priority item before?” he said pointing to her list of essentials.
“I drive an electric car and I will be getting something a little larger than my Nissan Leaf very soon. That means a larger battery which needs a 100amp domestic supply for the charger. If the property has at least 2.5kW of Solar already installed then that’s even better.”
The agent still hadn’t gotten with Vivienne’s train of thought. Well, it wasn’t all hers but she was using very much the same words that Maxine and her had talked about on Vivienne’s previous visit to the area.
“Do you have such a property on your books?”
“I don’t know. Your requirements are a little unusual to say the least.”
“Really? If they are unusual now then in the near future they will become very common.”
“I don’t get why they would?”
Vivienne just managed to avoid a sigh.
“Don’t you know that the Government will be banning the sale of new Petrol- or Diesel-powered cars by 2035[1]? They could very well decide to make it earlier.”
He still looked bewildered. One of his colleagues tittered.
“Never going to happen,” he muttered.
She smiled back at him.
“If that is your attitude, then I’ll take my business elsewhere. Perhaps the agents next door won’t be as out of touch as you clearly are. Petrol and Diesel engine cars are just like the fuel they use, Dinosaurs.”
Vivienne was surprised at just how direct her words were. A lot of what Maxine had said and what she’d read since had really changed her mind on many things to do with Climate Change.
A newly invigorated Vivienne didn’t wait for any reaction but walked out without another word and straight into the next agents. Maxine’s words about conventional cars had proved very useful. She’d only bought her Leaf because it had zero road fund license, was exempt from the London Congestion Charge and she could charge it at home. That was enough to get her to buy it even though her daughters poo-pooed the thing at every opportunity.
The visit to the second agent’s was altogether more successful. The Lead Agent, a Kathy Morris agreed that Vivienne’s desires were perfectly understandable but as far as she knew there were no properties with even Solar Panels on the market at the present time in the area and in the price bracket that Vivienne was thinking of.
“You may well have to install them yourself?” she commented.
“Oh well, one can hope. My current home has twelve panels. Saves me a lot of money when it comes to charging my car. If fact, they produce more electricity in a year than I consume even with charging the car.”
Kathy gave her flyers for half a dozen properties ‘just to look at and to get a feel for the market in the area’.
That was much more the sort of guidance that Vivienne was looking for.
“Thanks very much Ms Morris. I’m down here until Tuesday morning on this visit. If there is anything that interests me, I’ll be back to arrange a viewing.”
Vivienne left the shop full of hope for the future.
After returning to her car, Vivienne started to look at the properties that were on offer. None of them leapt off the page and said ‘Look at me! Buy Me’. She began to realise that she needed to visit a few more agents as well as those who were mostly ‘Internet-Based’ in order to cover the market a little more thoroughly.
Vivienne looked at her watch. It was just before four in the afternoon and she was starting to feel a little tired. The lure of the Hotel was starting to win over both her mind and body. A nice bath or shower and a forty-winks would set her up for a nice dinner this evening.
The Shower was great as was the brief nap that followed it but, the Hotel Restaurant was playing host to a very rowdy wedding reception. She lasted less than five minutes before she followed all the others out not only of the Restaurant but the Hotel itself.
Vivienne wandered into the centre of the town. Most places were pretty busy. It was Saturday night after all. In order to quell her hunger pains, she went to the Chippy and bought herself a ‘Fish Supper’. Vivienne sat in a garden near the river and ate the excellent fish. The chips tasted pretty good as well.
It was getting late when she returned to the Hotel, the wedding reception guests had either dispersed or gone onto somewhere else to continue getting ‘rat-arsed’. The place was much, much quieter so she went into the bar for a night-cap.
After a glass of red wine, she went to bed hoping that the drunks would not wake her up too often.
Once she was lying in bed her mind inevitably turned back to the subject of Jacques. She wondered where he was when she turned up unannounced. Just before falling asleep, she reasoned that he was probably out making a delivery and she should not be so … so bloody stupid to think that he’d be there for a random visitor at a moments notice. He hardly knew her from Adam…
A new day dawned. It wasn’t bright and clear like the forecast said it would be. Instead, there were overcast skies with that steady drizzle that seems to be able to penetrate most rainproof jackets after about half an hour.
Vivienne took one look at the weather and shivered. Putting that out of her mind, she took advantage of the breakfast buffet and had seconds. Her plans for the day didn’t include a stop for lunch so she ‘struck while the iron was hot’.
With a full stomach and her car with a fully charged battery, she was set for the day. was Her intention for the day, was to scour the area for suitable properties. Anywhere with a ‘For Sale’ sign outside was at that point in time, fair game. It wasn’t until she saw the stalls being set up for the Farmers Market that she realised that she’d forgotten all about it.
Putting aside her quest for a new home for a while, she wandered past the stalls that were being prepared for business until she found the place where Jacques stall had been at the last market. The space was reserved for him but was empty. It looked like he wasn’t coming. That made Vivienne a little worried.
From the time little she’d spent with him and from what Maxine had added, she had realised that he was a man of habit. Going to the Farmers market was an important part of his life. She’d seen him use the cash from the sale of herbs pay for the groceries he’d need for the next week or so. If that was the extent of his income then it explained a lot. Living off-grid and with such a low profile was just about all he could manage given the amount of money that she’d seen him take at the previous market.
Yet, he seemed pretty happy. Happy at not having to worry about all the things that bind us to our gadgets and things. Gadgets that were supposed to make our lives easier yet most of the time, they just got in the way, or simply did not work as they should.
Vivienne stood alone for several minutes in the drizzle looking at the empty space. All she could think was that Jacques was a man of mystery and that was part of what made her so interested in him and his life.
She walked back to her car wondering what she should do next. The absence of Jacques from the market made her revise her plans for the rest of the day. Vivienne decided to spend the day looking for houses between Totnes and the lower parts of Dartmoor. At the end of the day, she would make another visit to Jacques home.
Vivienne spent well over an hour driving down a number of narrow roads with high hedges on each side. This seemed to be typical for the area. Thankfully, there was little traffic to interrupt her wandering. In this time, she noted down a number of properties and marked their location on the Ordnance Survey map that she’d bought the last time that she was down here. She remembered professing… no admitting to Maxine that she’d never been in this part of the country before. Maxine had admonished Vivienne for being a Londoner. Vivienne had felt rather indignant at her suggestion until she’d had realised that Maxine was pulling her leg.
Nevertheless, she’d bought a map of the area at the first opportunity. Maxine had marked some places of interest on it. One of those was the location of Jacques Smallholding.
Vivienne had parked up in the entrance to a field and was looking at the map after marking a very possible property when she realised that his place was less than a mile away. In an instant, she decided that it was the right time to see if he was there and if he was if he was not ill or something.
It only took her a few minutes to get to his smallholding. Almost right away, she could see that it was deserted. One again, his Land Rover was nowhere to be seen. She stopped her car almost in the same place as she’d done before and then simply sat there for a few minutes feeling rather sad that he wasn’t around.
After nearly ten minutes, she got out of the car and listened. Just as before there was nothing but the sounds of nature. The Wind. The Birds in the trees. The ducks and chickens searching for their next meal. Even with the damp conditions, the place was beautiful calming and actually quite serene after all the hustle and bustle of London which seemed a million miles away at that point in time.
Part of Vivienne’s mind was telling her to stay right there until her returned. The other part was telling her that it was hopeless and stupid to wait for something that might never happen.
Feeling torn between the two options, she felt into her coat pocket and pulled out a boiled sweet. She’d always been partial to a Mint Humbug. Instead of just one, two came out of the pocket. One dropped to the floor.
As she bent down to pick it up, she noticed one of her footsteps from the previous day. The problem was that it had been partially destroyed by a tyre track. She looked at the tread pattern of her tyres and it was clear they were different and she also knew that they were also too narrow for his Land Rover. Someone else had been here since Vivienne was last here.
That worried her a little. More than that, it was somewhat unsettling. Who had been here? Why had they been here?
Then she stopped. What was she thinking? At that point in time, she had no claim on Jacques at all. If he chooses to go away for a few days and arrange for someone to come along to feed his animals and to water his plants, what business is it of hers?
She suddenly felt so small… Very much a ‘Silly Billy’.[2]
[to be continued]
[1] The date is now 2030. It was changed in late 2020
[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silly_Billy
Once Vivienne had gotten over feeling so foolish, a silly old woman and a dozen other even more derogatory things she suddenly felt a little lost. This sort of thing was all new to her. Back in London, her life had been framed by routine. Walk Betty, go to work, come home, walk Betty and go to bed. Rinse and repeat every day with a slight variation at the weekend.
Standing there with nature alive all around her made her realise that she was very much out of her comfort zone.
Sure, she reasoned, she'd started the hunt for a new home but if she was brutally honest with herself, that part of her reasoning for this trip was pretty bogus. She… she just wanted to see if Jacques was in the least bit interested in her before she made a total fool of herself.
It had been a long time since she'd felt even remotely like this. An incident with Roger 'the Todger' Jones behind the bike sheds at school was the one. In that, she'd nearly lost her virginity to him. Roger was the serial 'virgin robber' of the school. He boasted that he'd conquered all but one of the girls in her year. That one was Vivienne. He'd been determined to 'complete the set' like his two elder brothers had done before him in previous years.
She'd only escaped being his final conquest when a parent appeared looking for their son's bicycle. Although she'd kept her virginity, he put it around that Vivienne Young as she was then, was a 'frigid bitch'. That ended up hurting her an awful lot more than if he'd succeeded in his quest.
Those were just the same feelings that she was experiencing right now.
Once again, the words of the old pop-song, 'We Gotta Get Out of this Place' [1] came into her mind.
She had to get away from the smallholding before she became too morbid.
One of the things on her bucket list was to walk all 630 miles of it from Sandbanks to Minehead. For her 50th Birthday, she'd walked the part from Sandbanks to Portland Bill and all along Chesil Beach to West Bay in Dorset. That was about one-sixth of it. One of the advantages of moving down to this part of the world was that getting to parts of the path would be a lot easier than if she was living in London. It remained to be seen if she would ever complete the walk but she could chalk up a few more miles of the path and clear her head at the same time.
Feeling happier with life in general, Vivienne walked back to her car with the sun shining and in doing so, she began to see things in a different light. How true that vision was as yet unknown but she knew that she needed to expedite the sale of her house and move away from London even if it meant renting somewhere for a while.
Once she was back in her Hotel and over a most welcome cup of tea in the bar, she checked her emails. There was one from Gavin Thurston, the Estate Agent. He reported that he'd done two viewings of her home that day and that one of them wanted to return for a second viewing the following Wednesday afternoon if that time was convenient with her. she replied to him stating that it was.
There was another email from an address that she'd never seen before. It had only arrived a few minutes before she'd returned to the Hotel. She almost marked it as junk but something made her open it. After a few seconds, she was really glad that she had opened it.
"Dear Vivienne,
I am so sorry to have missed your visits to my home. I'm fine. I am away on business for the next few days. A neighbour of mine is looking after my plants and animals so you don't have to worry about them. She saw your car visit earlier today but was unable to get to you before you'd disappeared.
I heard through the grapevine that you are starting to look for houses. There is a property that might interest you that is not far from mine. It isn't listed with an agent yet but I'm sure that you and the owner could reach a deal if you put your minds to it. When I'm back home, I'll have a word with the owner so don't fret (that's such a lovely word isn't it?) about finding anywhere for the time being.
I had some free time today and please don't get angry with me, I twisted the arm of your estate agent and viewed your home. No, I'm not moving back to London but I wanted to see your home. Where people live and how their home is furnished and used says a lot about them. I was not disappointed at all. I didn't find any trace of Betty apart from some tins of dog food in the cupboard. Mr Thurston told me that she'd recently died. I'm am so sorry. You had a great understanding with her and she really liked me and got on with my flock. I hope that you get another dog when you are settled in my neck of the woods.
I also told Mr Thurston that the asking price was too low. He agreed with me so it might be a good idea to have a word with him upon your return to London.
I know that these few words leave you with more questions than they have answered but I'm sure that whatever they are can be answered easily when my business has concluded.
Jacques.
PS The email address that this came from is a throwaway one. I'll try to explain it all when we meet again."
Vivienne sat there feeling slightly dazed and confused. She read the email several more times and he was right… The problem was that the email asked many more questions than it had answered. There was only one person who could help answer them aside from Jacques and that was Maxine. After all, it was Maxine that had introduced them in the first place.
With some renewed determination, she picked up her phone and pulled out Maxine's number from her contacts list. She was about to make the call but she put the phone down. She had no idea what to say to her other than 'Jacques sent me an email…'.
Vivienne was also one of those people who liked to speak to people in person. She'd done many a deal with suspected Tax Evaders in the past by getting them and their lawyers in front of her and giving it to them straight. Settle or face jail time. We'd have all the paperwork in place to send to the CPS all done and in plain sight on the table in front of us. Invariably, they'd cave in and settle up there and then. Only twice did the lawyer call the HMRC's bluff and want to look at the paperwork. Once they'd seen that it was for real they got their client to cave in. Vivienne was a creature of habit so she needed to speak to Maxine in person.
Instead of calling Maxine and despite feeling like a bit of a wimp, she sent a text asking for a meeting the next day. Maxine replied an interminable hour later, agreeing to a meeting at 4 pm at a Coffee Shop just off 'The Strand'. Vivienne knew from the days that she'd spent with Maxine, that she didn't come into the city very often. Vivienne assumed that she had some business in London and that it would be concluded by then. Feeling a lot better she replied agreeing to the meeting.
After getting changed, Vivienne went down to dinner. On the way, she informed the Hotel that she would be leaving the next morning. They asked if there was anything wrong with her room or the hotel. Vivienne just replied,
"My business here has concluded for the time being and I must be back in London for a business meeting tomorrow afternoon."
Vivienne's trip back to London was ok, if you count being held up at Stonehenge due to the sheer volume of traffic on the road as being ok, then… Even with them and the inevitable queues on the M25 and A40, she made it home just before 2 pm. After putting her car onto charge, she made herself a cheese and ham sandwich washed down with a cup of tea. Then she sat in the kitchen trying to gather her thoughts and exactly what questions she was going to ask Maxine in just a couple of hours.
Vivienne found the silence of her home was deafening. One part of her mind was always listening for Betty. That confirmed to her that the sooner she was gone from the place the better, the sooner she could leave the ghost of Betty behind, the sooner she could start life again.
She knew that the meeting with Maxine wasn't going to be easy. Vivienne didn't want to put Maxine on the spot with regards to her relationship with Jacques. She'd seen far too many friendships break up over men. Even though Maxine was a new friend, and about half her age, she was far more worldly-wise than almost anyone she knew that was twice Maxine's age.
As she got herself ready to go out once again, she wondered if she'd fall back into the habits of almost a lifetime of working for the HMRC. There, using direct and unambiguous questions had been part of her job for so long that it was hard to be subtle and nice and just plain chatty with friends. She resolved to try her best to play it cool with her but knowing how Maxine could read people she didn't have any great hope of it lasting very long at all.
At five to four that afternoon, Vivienne walked out of Trafalgar Square exit of Charing Cross Tube station and began to walk eastwards along the north side of 'The Strand'. Vivienne's mind was more concerned with what questions she was going to ask Maxine than where she was going. As she passed the entrance to one building, someone emerged from it and right into her path. Vivienne felt a bit indignant until she realised exactly who it was.
"Jacques? What..?"
[to be continued]
[Authors Note]
Yes, I know that this is a very short chapter but… as I was writing it, I decided to change who Vivienne was going to meet but she didn't know it until it was about to happen. When a cliff-hanger comes and bites you where it hurts… you gotta let it happen. {that's my excuse anyway}
Because of the shortness of this chapter, Part 13 will be posted on Monday.
[1] We Gotta Get Out of this Place:
This was a song by the British Pop (more blues than Pop) group, 'The Animals'.
"Ja… Jacques? What are you doing here?" said a very startled and surprised Vivienne after they'd almost bumped into each other on 'The Strand'.
He smiled back at her. Any worries that she might have had just disappeared in an instant. His smile did that to her. Again!
"Meeting you," he replied.
"But…?"
"You were supposed to be meeting Maxine, weren't you?"
"Yes but?"
"Vivienne, there is so much that I want to tell you but…"
"You can't?"
"Not at the moment I can't. Shall we go somewhere a little less public and talk?"
"I was supposed to meet Maxine at a Coffee Shop just up the road," said Vivienne desperately trying to get her mind back into some sort of order.
Jacques smiled back at her.
There was that smile again. Vivienne was really glad that she was wearing a jacket with sleeves. The goosebumps on her arms were an obvious giveaway. Just a smile from him had a really unnerving effect on her again.
"I know of a much nicer and far quieter place just around the corner. Shall we go?"
He offered his arm to her. She put hers in his without even thinking that it might be a bad idea.
Together they walked about 150 yards along 'The Strand' and then turned left. A few doors along the street was a small Bistro. Jacques opened the door for her to go inside before him.
The place was empty apart from one waiter who was drying glasses behind the bar. He looked up and saw Jacques. The waiter smiled. Vivienne could see that it was a smile of friendship.
"Monsieur Jacques! It has been a long time Oui?"
"Bonjour Mathieu. It has been a while."
"Are you back in town now?"
"Sorry, Mathieu. Tomorrow is my last day then it is back to the country. Can we have two coffee's, please? Not too string if you understand?"
"Coming right up!"
Then Jacques turned to Vivienne.
"Mathieu is an old friend of mine from France. Please take a seat. He'll bring us our drinks."
Vivienne just sat down and let him take total control of the situation. She knew she shouldn't but as in their first meeting, she just felt like putty in his hands. This was a new experience for her. She'd been in control of her life for so long that she actually felt uncomfortable for all of one second.
Jacques sat down opposite her and smiled.
That shiver ran through Vivienne's body again.
"Where's Maxine?" She asked in a very croaky voice.
"Part of the things that I have to tell you is that Maxine and I have worked together several times over the past few years. She has been helping me with something and we were watching our work come to fruition when your text arrived last night."
"What sort of work? Her business, as far as I know, has nothing to do with your smallholding?"
"I'll come to that later. She showed me your text. Then she said and I quote, 'Don't you think that it is time to put the poor woman out of her misery. It is obvious that she's smitten by you. So?'"
"And that's why you are here instead of her?"
"I am and…"
Michel arrived with two coffees. When he'd returned to the bar, Jacques carried on.
"I'm here because I want to be here. Maxine made it abundantly clear to me that have a lot of explaining to do but it was her that put me on the spot last night. She is one hell of a woman and if she was interested in men then who knows eh? But she isn't and that is why we work so well together. After she'd set up the meeting this afternoon, she told me straight that if I didn't get to know you a lot, lot better then, I was an absolute fool. Well, words to that effect but that woman can match any Frenchman when it comes to swearing in French. She let me have it right between the eyes in my own language which believe me, hurts right to the core. As a result of her haranguing of me, I spent a lot of the night thinking and the more I thought, the clearer it became that she was right. I called her earlier and said that I would meet you instead of her. You could almost hear her going 'Yessssssss!' down the phone."
"But what business do you do together? You run a smallholding and she runs an investment company?"
Jacques looked down at the table for a second. Then he looked me in the eyes.
"I'm sort of retired, but like you, I used to work for the Government. Officially, I work for the Ministry of Supply."
"Ministry of Supply?"
Vivienne racker her brains for some reference to that department. Then it came to her.
"Wasn't that the name of a Government Department that controlled production in WW2?"
"It was and it has never really gone away. These days, it has just around a hundred people working for it in one way or another."
"But you said that you had to leave London due to illness? Asthma or something?"
"That's my cover story and most people accept it. But, yes, I did become ill. I had a total mental meltdown back in 2008. The combination of the financial crash, my wife dying in a diving accident and a host of other things all came together and I lost it big time. I even tried to end my life but thankfully someone came to my rescue and put me back on the right track. After that, I spent nearly a year undergoing treatment. Even then it was obvious that I could not resume my old job on a full-time basis. The stress was too much. My Doctors told me to get away from London and chill out or else. You can guess what the else was so, I came to a deal with my bosses that I'd be kept on the payroll in return for dealing with cases that were causing problems to the rest of the team or where someone was needed to go undercover."
Jacques paused to take a sip from his coffee.
"Are you with me so far?"
"Sort of," said Vivienne in as convincing a voice as she could muster.
"As I said, the Docs basically told me to get the hell out of town so… I ended up in Devon and bought my place in with the proceeds from the sale of our flat in Hackney and the life insurance from my Wife's death. I've been down there ever since but three or four times a year, I return to London to work like I have been this past week. It was one of those jobs where I met Maxine for the first time. She is a real magician when it comes to company books. She sees things that others would miss. Most forensic accountants can't come anywhere close to her skills. That's probably because she isn't one. She looks beyond the figures."
He looked down at the table again.
"Then I met you. When Maxine introduced us that day you visited my home, I felt something that I thought that I'd never experience again. I tried to tell myself that I was being silly and everything else but it just would not go away. Then there is the fact that you are a lot older than me but still, I felt attracted to you in a way that I have not been since I met my late wife. Am I making any sense or am I rambling like an old fool? The day after you came back to London, Maxine called me and told me that you had told her that you felt something towards me. I can tell you, that one phone call turned my life upside down, inside out."
Vivienne smiled back at Jacques.
"I sort of understand but why you didn't go back to France once you got back on your feet."
"There is nothing really left for me in France. My parents went to live on the Island of Reunion and won't move back. I never liked it there and left to go to University in Paris as soon as I could. I annoyed them by studying English then I came to work here and have pretty well burned my bridges with them or at least that is what they seem to be saying when I speak to them on the phone. To them, I have let 'La Republic' down."
"What about BREXIT? Won't you have to leave or do something?"
Jacques laughed.
"Working for the Ministry required me to become a British Citizen. I have dual nationality which can be useful at times when I'm working for the Ministry. That was over twenty-five years ago so no, I won't have to leave. Don't you want me to stay?"
'Oh shit!' Vivienne thought to herself. 'He has really put me on the spot now'.
"No, I don't. Besides, you seem very happy living the simple life down in Devon."
"I do but… it does get lonely at times.
Vivienne knew exactly what he meant.
"I know just what you mean. Betty was always there for me…"
"You really miss her, don't you?"
"I do miss that mad, crazy dog. I'll probably get another one when I'm settled in Devon."
He smiled back at her. She drank some more of the excellent Coffee to try to steady her nerves.
"What did you think of my email?"
Vivienne chuckled.
"Most of it has been overtaken by events hasn't it?"
He nodded.
"But I'd like to look into this property," added Vivienne.
He grinned.
"It is just through the wood at the back of my Polytunnel."
"It must be well hidden then?"
"It is. Sylvia has been wanting to sell for some time but only to someone who will look after the place. She built it herself over twenty years ago but she's getting on a bit now. She is the one looking after my place while I'm away."
That sounded ideal to her.
"I'll let you introduce me to her when I'm down in Devon again."
"I hope that you didn't feel offended by me visiting your home?" said Jacques changing the subject.
Vivienne smiled.
"I was at first but once I'd calmed down, I realised that it didn't really matter. By putting it on the market, I am inviting people to see it warts and all."
Then she added,
"You are right about the price but I want a quick sale. My daughters are still angry with me. One or other of them keeps removing the 'For Sale' sign so the sooner that I've sold the place and can move out the better."
"Is there anything stopping you from just moving out?"
She laughed.
"Only the little matter of all my things."
Jacques looked Vivienne in the eye and then leaned over and gently kissed her on the lips. If she'd been wearing one of those smartwatches that monitors heart rates it would have been showing all sorts of alarms. That one little kiss sealed her fate.
"Sorry about that. I hope you didn't mind?"
"There is no need to be sorry about anything and no, I didn't mind," she replied once she'd engaged her brain and her mouth. Then she added,
"We aren't teenagers, are we? But for some reason I feel like one again. That first kiss with your first serious boyfriend all over again."
He laughed.
"That is sort of how I feel right now. It has been a long time since…"
Vivienne reached over and took his hand.
"Don't worry. It has been just as long for me too, if not longer."
Then she said,
"I have some people who specialise in Downsizing coming around on Wednesday," changing the subject before things got awkward.
"Then engage the best and tell them that you are moving into a one-bed flat in Docklands."
"They aren't cheap by any means."
"So? If I know Sylvia, she'll want about five hundred for her place. That leaves you over two million just sitting around waiting for someone to spend it."
Vivienne sat back. She hadn't really thought about it like that.
"But," said Jacques,
"I don't think that it will burn a hole in your pocket judging by what I saw in your home. You are pretty frugal with spending. Much like me really."
It hurt her to hear that but only for a second or so. He was right. Her house was 'tired' according to the Estate Agent. It really did need a top to bottom redecoration which meant that any buyer could leave their mark on it without feeling guilty.
"I've always been pretty frugal, unlike my daughters."
Jacques laughed.
"They do seem to be rather different from you."
"They take after their father. He's the spendthrift of the family."
There was a pause. The only sound was the hum of traffic from outside.
"Where do we go from here?" She asked.
Jacques thought for a second. Then he reached over and took her hand.
"I've got a load of paperwork to finish then I'm going back to Devon on Wednesday morning."
Vivienne's hopes for a romantic evening disappeared down the drain.
"You have those people coming on Wednesday. Why don't you let them do their thing? Pack what you want to keep and leave the rest to them. Anything that you don't take with you can easily be replaced."
"Then what?"
"Come down to Devon and start your new life. Isn't that what you want to do? Why delay it? What is there left for you in London now that you have burned your bridges with your daughters."
Vivienne really didn't have an answer to that. He was right.
Suddenly, she realised that he was basically telling her to be close to him. No man had been as firm with her for decades. She'd thought that she'd hate anyone telling her what to do because she had been her own mistress for so long but for some reason, she didn't mind at all.
"I'll need to come back to sign things," said Vivienne.
Jacques chuckled.
"I believe that there is this thing called the Royal Mail. I understand that it can be used to carry documents from one part of the country to another…" he said jokingly.
Vivienne looked at him sternly for all of half a second. His smile told her that he was teasing with her but he was right. She didn't need to be here much at all. She could let others sort her house out. She could take her clothes and a few belongings and decamp to Devon.
The question was… was she brave enough to do it.
"Why are you hesitating?" asked Jacques.
"Ten years ago, I knew that I had to get out of town but could not decide how to go about it. In the end, I just left after giving instructions to my Solicitor to sort out everything on my behalf. Yes, it cost me money but I needed to go and leave my pretty torrid recent past behind. I see very much the same situation with you. You know that you want to go but it seems that you want to control things too much. That was the old you from what Maxine has told me about your old life. You controlled and were in control of your life perfectly. You had to because of the responsibility of your job and to care for Betty. You don't have any of that hanging over you now. Everything I see and feel about you is that you want to break free of your old life but something is holding you back."
Vivienne sat there trying to hold back a few tears. What Jacques had said was so true that it hurt. She needed to let go but after nearly 30 years of holding things together, it was hard.
"Are you worried about things not working out with us?"
Through two teary eyes, she nodded.
"Think positive. You will have money in the bank and a nice place to live in a lovely part of the country. What's not to like eh?"
"But…"
"Stop trying to find reasons why you should say no. Look for the reasons to say yes. One of them is sitting on the other side of the table from you."
Vivienne let removed her hand from his grasp and went in search of a handkerchief.
Suddenly there was a perfectly clean one being thrust into her hand.
"Tha… thank you."
Jacques sat there patiently waiting for her to sort herself out. It took her a couple of minutes.
"Sorry about that."
"There is nothing to be sorry about. A large part of me really didn't want to leave London. My wife's ashes are scattered here. I finally accepted that it wasn't good for my health and went. I visit her marker every time I return so she is not forgotten but as time goes by, it is getting harder and harder to stay here even if it is just for a week or so. I really miss waking up to the chorus of birdsong and my animals."
Vivienne knew exactly what he meant. She knew that she'd made the decision to move and was now trying to find reasons not to go. It was clear to her that most of it was down to a deep fear of failing in her relationship with Jacques. Yet, some of the dreams she'd been having about him made a total mockery of that.
"Yes… Yes, you are right. I'll do that."
Jacques took hold of her hands again.
"You know what to do next. Don't rush but get it done sooner or later. Choose the right company to downsize your home and then leave. When I decided to leave, I just packed a rucksack and a single suitcase and took the next long-distance train from Paddington. It happened to be going to Penzance. That's where I bought a ticket to but I liked the scenery in the area so I simply got off at Totnes and stayed. If it had been going to Swansea I might have ended up in Pembrokeshire or if it was going to Hereford… Well, you can guess the rest."
Vivienne nodded her head.
"For you, it will be a bit different. You have your car and also know at least one person in the area. I'm sure that Maxine can arrange a room for you at the hotel that she owns a good chunk of while you get yourself sorted out. But for the sake of your sanity, please cut those ties to this frankly toxic city as soon as you can. From what you have said, those daughters of yours are really the needle tipped with Polonium. They are pure poison."
Vivienne sat upright in her chair. She wiped the last of the tears away from her eyes.
"You are right. Right in just about everything you saw and it is hard for me to be told what to do. I've been the boss for more years than I care to remember. That makes it hard to let go of things but I'm going to do it and see what happens. Yes, it is time for me to walk on the wild side for once in my life."
Then she leaned forward and kissed Jacques. It lasted for well over a minute. Vivienne really didn't want it to end. She didn't want to let him go but common sense prevailed but she made sure that they kissed again before she headed down into the Tube and … home.
All she could think of on her journey was how her heart had reacted to his kiss. It had been a very long time since she'd felt anything remotely like that.
[to be continued]
The arrival of the supposed ‘Downsizing Experts’ the following day proved to be rather an anti-climax. They talked the talk but didn’t really persuade Vivienne that the services that they offered were what she really needed.
Their estimates of the costs for their services based upon their inspection of her home and garden made Vivienne gasp with surprise.
“That is an awful lot. It seems rather excessive,” she said to one of the three companies.
“That is our estimate. You have rather a lot of things. Just sorting and cataloguing it all will take us at least a week.
“And then you’ll consign most of it to a skip? I see the costs for that are more than double what I can hire a couple of men for myself and that includes the land-fill taxes.”
They couldn’t answer that. They left shortly afterwards.
Vivienne had done her homework but the encounters had not taken her any farther forward in her quest to move house.
All three of the companies had failed her benchmarks in at least one critical point. That left her with a choice. Should she accept a sub-standard company that was going to charge her an arm and a leg or should she just get the house cleared and be done with it and start again in Devon with just what she could pack into her car. Jacques’s words about how he’d left London kept ringing in her ear.
It was at times like this that she would have taken Betty for a walk which would have allowed her to clear her head. Keeping Betty under control had the effect of pushing whatever was troubling her to the very back of her mind until it was ready to be dealt with in a logical and practical manner.
Vivienne went out for a walk but it failed to resolve anything at all. She was really missing the distraction of Betty at times like this.
After returning home and having a cup of tea, Vivienne wandered around her home looking at it again. As she went from room to room, she began to have an idea. It was based upon something that Jacques had said during their meeting.
When she came downstairs she went into her Dining room. She stood there with her hands on her hips. Gradually, a smile appeared on her face as she remembered something else from her first encounter with Jacques down in Devon.
"Thanks, Jacques. I now know what I need to do.”
The next morning Vivienne started on her task of sorting out what she was going to take with her to Devon. The plan was to go through the house and anything that she wanted to take, she'd put in the Dining Room. She started at the top of the house and worked down.
During the process that took two days, she found more than a few things that she’d forgotten she’d ever had.
Sorting out her office had taken all of the first morning. By the end of it, there was a huge pile of papers on the floor that needed shredding.
“Lunch first I think…” she muttered to herself.
At the end of the first day, Vivienne had been through the top floor of her home. She was being very pernickety with what she took downstairs. Even so, there was a considerable pile of ‘stuff’ in her dining room. Admittedly, a sizeable portion of them was made up of her clothes.
“That needs another sort!” she said to herself as age looked at the pile.
While she was waiting for her evening meal to cook, Vivienne sorted through a pile of cuttings from newspapers that went back almost twenty years. Most of them were of the ‘why the hell did I save that?’ but two pages caught her eye.
“I remember that,” she said as she looked at two pictures of Dita Von Tesse. She was wearing a Burlesque costume. 'Costume' was hardly adequate to describe the Corset, Stockings and Heels that she was wearing. Her tiny waist was what had attracted Vivienne to the article in the first place. That and the stockings. Her boyfriend at the time had wanted her to wear them but they’d broken up over his demand to move into her place far too early in the relationship before she’d taken the plunge and tried them out.
Those pages definitely didn’t go in the rubbish pile.
That evening Vivienne ate her meal with a distinctly wistful look on her face.
The next day followed the pattern of the first. By the end of the process, the hallway was almost impassable due to the sheer number of bags that were destined for the local recycling centre.
The dining room was full of things that needed another even more vigorous sort.
“That can wait until tomorrow.”
Then she laughed as she surveyed the mess in her normally pristine home.
“It is going to get worse before it gets better my girl so you had better get used to it,” she muttered to herself.
Then she admonished herself. She was talking to herself again. In the past, she would have talked to Betty but Betty was no longer with her. The sooner she was out of this place the better. There were signs and indeed memories of Betty in almost every nook and cranny of the house.
Vivienne had just returned from her second trip to the Council Recycling Centre the following morning when her phone rang. She could see that it was her Estate Agent, Gavin Thurston.
“Good morning Mr Thurston. What can I do for you?”
“You do? At the moment, it isn’t a very good time. I’m doing a lot of sorting out and… well, you know downsizing. I’ve just returned from the Recycling Centre.”
“If you are sure that they won’t mind seeing a lot of mess then yes. I will have enough for another trip to the ‘tip’ in about an hour.”
“Good. I’ll be out of your way in an hour.”
She put the phone down and smiled to herself. Another couple were coming to view the house.
Then she looked around and was disheartened by the mess that was all around her.
The next hour was one of feverish activity. She loaded up her car for the next trip and did her best to make the place reasonably tidy. She could see where she’d been but was not happy at just how messy the place was. She’d become a bit of a neat freak over the years. Everything had a place and woe betide it if the ‘Devil of Mess and Clutter’ dared move somewhere else. That would have to change if she moved into a small cottage. Compromises would most certainly have to be made. Then she remembered what Jacques had said about how he’d left London. One suitcase and a backpack. There was no way that she could do the same.
Then she stopped fussing over some stuff for a moment. Could she really just take one carload and leave the rest behind to be cleared by one of the many 'house clearance' companies that operated all over London? That would be a challenge and it would mean leaving behind a lot of things that she'd had and coveted for years.
“No sense in dwelling over that my girl. I have to be out of here in five minutes,” she muttered to herself. This muttering was becoming something of a habit.
After a little bit more tidying, Vivienne left home and went to the Recycling Centre for the third time that day. After she’d dropped off the items, she went over to the supermarket in Cricklewood to get a few items of shopping, have lunch and get a bit of a charge for her car.
After she'd been away for two hours, she returned home. She could see the signs that she'd had visitors. Cupboards in the kitchen had been opened. One of them needed a particular knack to get it closed again. The person who had looked inside had left it open.
She could see that some of her curtains had been moved. It was almost as if her visitors were measuring up the windows for their own curtains. She toyed with phoning the estate agent but decided against it as she didn't want to seem too keen to make a sale.
She was just starting to load it into her car in the hope of getting rid of it before the 'tip' closed at 4:00 pm when her phone rang. It was the estate agent.
"Hello, again Mr Thurston."
“They did? That’s nice to know.”
“Hold on a moment. I’m just loading the car up for another trip to the ‘tip’. Let me lock it and go back inside.”
She had loaded one of the large loudspeaker cabinets into the back of her small car. It was obvious that she’d need another two trips to get rid of it all. After locking the car, she went back into the house and sat down in the kitchen. After a brief pause, she picked up the phone.
“Sorry about that. Please tell me that again.”
The smile on her face showed that it was good news.
“Thanks for that Mr Thurston. If they are in that much of a hurry then I need to consult my solicitor to see how we can best move things forward. Provisionally I accept the offer but I will confirm this in the morning if that is acceptable to the prospective buyers?”
There was a pause while he relayed the message to them.
“They will? Then that’s good. I’ll call you in the morning. Now, I really must get this load to the tip before they close for the day.”
“Eh? I don’t understand?”
“Oh, I see. It is the hi-fi system that my former husband bought thirty-odd years ago."
“They do? I think it works. But I’ll leave it to one side for today.”
Vivienne listened to what Mr Thurston was saying.
“I see. If we can do a deal with the purchase in the timeframe that they want then once the deposit is in escrow then I see no reason for them not to come to see it and to test it for themselves.”
Vivienne’s eyes nearly popped out of their sockets when she heard what Mr Thurston was saying.
“I think that it is best to let our respective legal representatives sort things out. If you could let my people know the details of their people today then, when I speak to my Solicitor in the morning she’ll have all the facts at her disposal. Is that ok with them?”
"No thank you, Mr Thurston. I'll call you as soon as I know anything in the morning."
“Yes, bye for now.”
Vivienne was glad that she was sitting down otherwise she'd probably have fallen over. It appeared that she'd sold the house and the bonus was that that monstrosity of a Hi-Fi system that she was about to take for recycling was to be included in the sale.
Apparently, the prospective buyers had seen the bits of equipment and had seen some value in them. It seemed a shame to dispose of them in that case.
“Sod it. I accept and I’m out of here.”
[The next day]
Vivienne went into overdrive once she’d called the solicitor handling the sale and the agent to tell him the good news.
Then she emailed the three downsizing companies and told them that she was not going to need their services. After that, Vivienne called a few ‘House Clearance’ companies to get them to quote for clearing her house. She’d decided to leave it empty. The new owners could furnish the place to their liking and not be beholden to her tired remnants apart from the Hi-Fi.
She spent the rest of the day sorting through her most cherished belongings and whittling them down to a far more reasonable volume. Some of the things that she was resigned to losing, were very personal to her and leaving them behind was going to be hard but if she was going to start a new life, she needed to leave as much of her past one as she could bear behind in London.
Then there was the little matter of all of her kitchen things. There was just far too much to take with her especially if she was going to live with Jacques.
Vivienne sat down thinking… “Don’t be stupid. Two or three kisses and some holding hands and I’m already moving in with him.”
After another session of mental self-flagellation, Vivienne decided that she was indeed being a silly love-struck old woman. Even if her relationship with Jacques did not work out, she could replace all of her prized kitchen items online. The only thing that she was not going to leave for the house clearers was her set of Japanese Kitchen Knives. One of them had cost her over £100. They were all kept in a fine leather roll in a bottom drawer.
Vivienne had bought them a few years before after a visit to a proper Sushi Bar and saw how seemingly effortless the chef had cut through even the very tough Shark Skin. They'd proved to be worth every penny but were only brought out on very special occasions and certainly not when her children and grandchildren were visiting.
Vivienne let out a sigh. Those special occasions had been few and far between.
“I wonder if Jacques will appreciate my cooking?”
Then she mentally kicked herself. She was getting ahead of herself again.
Nevertheless, they were going with her along with some wooden measuring spoons that her grandfather made for her grandmother as a wedding present. They were made from some teak that he’d bought when he was Royal Marine Officer and was posted to Singapore before WW2.
By the end of the day, she had reduced the pile of ‘for Devon’ to about a quarter of what it had been at the start of the day. Vivienne felt pretty pleased with her work.
[the following day]
While Vivienne was waiting for the first of the house clearance companies to arrive, she tried fitting everything that she’d selected to move with her into her car. That exercise failed miserably. There was just too much for her small car.
She resigned herself to either hiring a ‘Man with a Van’ or carrying out an even more radical downsizing. She returned everything to the house and decided that the former was the solution. If she didn’t end up with Jacques or bought a house which would not happen overnight, it could all go into storage until there was room for it wherever that might be.
The people from the two-house clearance companies turned up together instead of an hour apart. Vivienne soon realised that this was good in that she only had to explain things once. She told them to question her but not to mention costs. Those could be discussed individually at the end of the tour. Reluctantly, they agreed to it.
Vivienne took them through the house so that they could gauge the size of the problem. At the end of the tour, she pointed out that the back room was not to be emptied. Finally, she took them outside one by one and got them to quote a price and a date for doing the work.
Back in the kitchen, she faced the two men.
“Thanks for coming today. Actually, the two of you being here at the same time made it a lot easier for me. You have exactly the same information upon which you based your quote.”
The two men looked at each other with surprisingly nervous expressions on their faces.
"I have come to a decision and I have selected you, Mr Stavros, to do the work. I'm sorry Mr Akers, I needed it done before you could fit me in. Thanks for coming."
To her surprise, the loser, Mr Steve Akers smiled.
“Thank you, Ms Palmer. It is not often that a potential client makes up their mind so quickly.”
He shook hands with the winner, Mr Andrew Stavros and left.
“Now Mr Stavros, are we on for the agreed date?”
“Yes, Ms Palmer. Thanks for choosing my company. Will you be here for the removal?”
“Oh yes. I would not miss it for the world or at least that is my intent. How long do you think it will take?”
“As I said when we were outside, it will take two days with three of my men working.”
“Ok. As long as the kitchen and my bedroom are the last to go.”
He smiled back at Vivienne.
“You are the client. I’m glad that you are going to be here. We find that many clients see items that they want as they go out the front door. As we say, ‘when it’s gone, it’s gone’.”
"I hope I don't do too much of that. I don't have a lot of space where I'm likely to be moving to."
He smiled.
“That isn’t uncommon. May I ask where you are going?”
“Cromer,” replied Vivienne picking a name out of her memory.
"A one-bedroom apartment overlooking the sea."
“We’ll bear that in mind when taking things out.”
“Then I’ll see you for the big empty. Will you be here?”
“At the start. I always like to introduce my team to the client. That way you aren’t faced with three strange men turning up and saying, ‘Hey Missus, we are here to clear your home’. It can be unsettling to some people.”
“I understand perfectly,” said Vivienne as she showed him the door.
She returned to the kitchen and looked around. She would be sad to see her little home from home, disappear almost in a flash. Over the years, she’d spent a lot of time in that room second, only to her bedroom.
Then she smiled,
"Learning to cook on a wood-fired stove will be a whole different experience," she muttered to herself.
After arriving in Devon late the following morning, Vivienne went straight to Jacques’s place. Her car was almost full to bursting with her things. She’d smiled several times when she’d realised that it held far less than half of all her ‘worldly good and chattels’. The remainder would have to be dealt with after the house had been cleared at the end of the following week.
Her good mood didn’t last when she arrived at the end of the drive up to Jacques’s smallholding. She saw him with his arms wrapped around another woman. His Land Rover and another car almost filled the small parking area. If there was room to turn around and flee, she would have done so in an instant.
Jacques had seen her arrival and hurried over to the parking area. He stood in front of the car and effectively stopped Vivienne from leaving. Slowly some tears formed in her eyes. She was thinking ‘how stupid could she have been’.
In the end, there was nothing for it but to switch off her car and get out. Tears were streaming down her face now.
“Vivienne. Can I introduce you to my daughter, Gabrielle?”
At that moment, Vivienne felt about an inch high.
“But…?” muttered Vivienne.
“Gabrielle came over from Paris to give me some bad news. My father died three days ago on Reunion and before you say it, yes, I’m an idiot for not having a phone.”
Vivienne’s ‘autopilot’ took over and she found herself with her arms wrapped around Jacques. She hugged him for well over ten seconds before letting go.
Gabrielle had made her way to them. Vivienne could see the family resemblance in a flash.
“You never told me that you had a daughter?”
“That’s because Papa and I have not always been very close,” said Gabrielle before her father could answer.
“That’s true and it is mostly my fault,” said Jacques.
“What happened to your Father?” asked Vivienne.
“He had Cancer of the Liver. He refused to come back to Paris to get a transplant,” said Gabrielle.
“Papa didn’t even know that he was ill. I was told not to tell Papa by my Grand Mama.”
It seemed to Vivienne there and then that Jacques’s family was as disjointed as her own.
“I came over on the Ferry to Portsmouth last night and arrived here just before you.”
“I’m going to have to go to Reunion for the Funeral,” said Jacques with a tone of resignation in his voice.
“There is a flight from Paris tonight,” said Gabrielle.
“Then you had better go and pack. How will you get to Paris?” asked Vivienne.
“I will take the train to London then Eurostar to Paris,” he replied.
“What about booking seats and all that?” asked Vivienne.
"We had better go into Totnes and try to book everything. The phone signal is a lot better there," said Vivienne.
“Papa?”
“Thank you, Vivienne. I’m sorry that I can’t stay.”
Vivienne managed a small smile.
“You have to be with your mother at a time like this,” said Vivienne.
Then she looked at Gabrielle.
“What about you? Are you going to go as well?”
"Gabrielle hates flying," said her father.
“It is true. I will take the ferry back to France tonight. I have a very bad fear of flying after a really bad flight back from Reunion some years ago.”
“I’ll leave you two here to get acquainted while I pack for the trip,” said Jacques.
He disappeared off towards his cottage without waiting for an answer.
“Papa told me about you when he called me from London last week. I am sorry that we could not have met in better… times. Oui?”
“Your English is very good,” commented Vivienne.
"Papa insists that we speak it when we are together. Otherwise, I get little practice outside of Fashion Week."
“Are you in the Fashion Industry then?”
“Just a minor way. I help organise the events. I think you call it ‘Hospitality’.”
Vivienne chuckled.
“That is as good a name as anything.”
Jacques appeared carrying a small bag.
“I have everything. What I don’t have, I can get in Reunion.”
“What about a suit? For the funeral?” asked Vivienne.
“I’ll rent one there. That’s what most people do on the island,” he replied.
Vivienne looked at Gabrielle.
“My car is full. Can we take your car?”
“Oui, but I will need directions.”
“We will need to stop off at Sylvia’s,” said Jacques.
Gabrielle looked concerned.
“Sylvia is my neighbour. She looks after this place while I’m away.”
Vivienne started to say something but stopped herself just in time.
“Let us go then.”
Half an hour later, they were in Totnes. Gabrielle parked in the Supermarket car park while Vivienne looked up train times. Gabrielle looked at the flight booking.
“There is a seat in Business Class,” she said after a few minutes.
“And there is space on a Eurostar train that stops at Charles de Gaulle,” added Vivienne.
“What is the cost of the flight?” asked Jacques.
“Don’t worry about that. I have just sold my house. I’ll pay for the flight,” said Vivienne.
“I can’t ask you to do that?”
“Do you have a credit card that could cover the cost of getting to Reunion?” asked Vivienne.
Slowly, he shook his head.
“Then it is settled. I’ll pay for the tickets,”
The two women took control as if they’d been friends for years and didn’t let Jacques argue. After a few feeble attempts, he simply gave up.
There was a train to London due in twenty minutes. That would give Jacques plenty of time to connect to the Eurostar train to Paris and his almost twelve-hour flight to Reunion.
Both of the women in his life either hugged or kissed him or both, goodbye outside the station. Jacques went red in the face. He clearly was not used to this sort of attention in Public.
They watched his train disappear towards London in silence.
Gabrielle looked at her watch.
“I need to go. The Ferry won’t wait for anyone.”
“Do you have room for another one?”
“Pardon?”
“I’d like to go to Paris. There are some things that I’d like to buy.”
Gabrielle looked strangely at Vivienne.
“And it will give me a chance to get to know you a little. There is so much about your Papa that I don’t know.”
Gabrielle looked Vivienne up and down. Gabrielle was exceedingly well dressed. Vivienne was very dressed down by comparison.
“Yes, I need a brand new look and where better to get it than in Paris eh? Perhaps you can help me get it? I could use someone with a good understanding of the fashion business to help me get a total makeover when it comes to clothes.”
Gabrielle smiled.
"It would be a nice change to travel with someone," said Gabrielle.
"Same here especially someone who can give me some decent advice on so many things."
After looking puzzled for a moment, Gabrielle smiled and said,
“Oui. You are correct. Then it is time to leave, n'est-ce pas?”
[to be continued]
The three-and-a-half-hour journey from Totnes to Portsmouth allowed the two women to begin the process of getting to know each other.
At first, Gabrielle was a little defensive towards her father.
Then Vivienne said,
"As I said when we were back in Totnes, I've just sold my home in London. In a few weeks, I will have the equivalent of more than three million Euro in my bank. I'm not after any money that Jacques may or may not have but this is not about that."
"I'm not going to try to change him. He clearly loves the lifestyle he has adopted. I know some of the reasons for it and I accept that. I have two very protective… no make that, overly protective daughters of my own. They'd love to get their hands on my money but they aren't going to get any more than I let them have. I'd rather give it all away to charity first."
Then she turned to look Gabrielle right in the face.
“I think I fell in love with your father almost from the moment I first saw him. He has stirred things in me that I have not felt since I was younger than you are right now. I know that he has feelings for me. I'm willing to give us a chance to build a relationship. If it does not work out then so be it but just being with him again has made me feel more alive than I have felt in years."
Gabrielle didn’t answer right away.
They were just approaching the turn off of the M5 near Taunton when she answered.
"You know about my Mama. Papa has never really gotten over her death. They were childhood sweethearts so her death hit him very hard. I…
I don't want him hurt again."
“That is the last thing that I want to do. I will let him run things.”
Gabrielle laughed.
“Back there you just took over did you not?”
“We took over because the situation needed us to. Your father had just heard some very bad news which as we both saw, threw him completely. We did what we did because someone needed to take control of the situation so that he could make the trip to Reunion in good time.”
Vivienne briefly hesitated before saying,
"If your father wants me to run through his stream naked then I will do it. And we’ll laugh about it later.”
After a few seconds, Gabrielle started to laugh.
That one sentence certainly broke the ice between them.
They retired to their cabins in good spirits. Vivienne was impressed with Gabrielle.
“What is it that you want to buy in Paris and why could you not have got whatever it is in London?” asked Gabrielle over an early Breakfast of Coffee and freshly baked Croissants.
After a slight hesitation, Vivienne produced the cuttings that she’d made more years before than she wanted to remember.
“I saw this many years ago and fell in love with that costume.”
Gabrielle looked at the slightly yellowed and creased pages for several seconds. Then she began to smile. Then she laughed.
“That certainly is different. It is not what I was expecting, nowhere near. Vivienne, you are quite unlike any English Woman I have ever met.”
“Then I want some shoes but not just any shoes. I’ve been wearing flats for the last twenty years. Jacques is at least 15cm taller than me. Not just shoes but some boots.”
Vivienne sighed.
"Yes, I could probably get pretty well everything I want in London but I've never really been shopping in Paris and the opportunity presented itself and you didn't say no now did you? Besides, it allows us to get to know each other a lot better."
Gabrielle sat back at the table and laughed again.
“Are you sure that you are really soixante and not seize?”
Vivienne laughed.
"I certainly don't feel sixty now and I'm the same dress size that I was when I was sixteen."
“What sort of boots do you want?”
“Thigh high with heels,” whispered Vivienne. Then she put her hand on the very top of her thigh.
Gabrielle reached over and took hold of Vivienne's hand.
"You really are a sixteen-year-old again."
“Look Gabrielle, I know that I’m probably going to make a total idiot of myself but since I met Jacques, all those adolescent fantasies have been coming back to me. I’ve even been dreaming about them.”
“You are… what is the word, émietter with my father.”
She fiddled with her phone.
“Ah yes, émietter, it means smitten.”
Vivienne felt herself go very red in the face. Her face told Gabrielle far more than any words could ever hope to do.
As usual, Vivienne countered by saying,
"I don't want to be any trouble."
Her host smiled.
"I want you to look your best when you wear whatever it is that you buy here for my Father. I'd also like to be a fly on the wall if you look anything like that cutting does."
They’d both had a good laugh at that prospect.
Gabrielle had said many times to Vivienne, that she did not need to wear a corset but Vivienne was equally firm on the matter.
“I want to do this for me. If I can’t stand the thing then it is my problem and no one else’s. At least I can say that I tried.”
Gabrielle could not answer that so instead, she accepted that this slightly mad and certainly eccentric Englishwoman was going to be part of her father’s life for the immediate future if not longer.
Jacques called Gabrielle over Skype from his Mother’s home later that afternoon. He was calling to let her know that he’d made it safely.
“Papa, I have someone with me that you might like to say hello to.”
She handed Vivienne the phone.
“Bonsoir Jacques,” she said quietly.
…
“Yes, it is me. I travelled over with Gabrielle.”
…
“I’m going to do some shopping now that I am about to become a woman of means.”
“When is the Funeral and how is your Mother?” said Vivienne deliberately changing the subject.
…
"That is good to know. Take all the time you need to be with your mother."
…
"Yes, I will."
She handed the phone back to Gabrielle.
“Do not worry Papa. I will take very good care of her,” said Gabrielle.
After the call had ended, Gabrielle said,
"I think we should go shopping. At least do some what you call, 'Window Shopping'."
“Nervous?”
“Very,” replied Vivienne after she’d swallowed hard.
Gabrielle took hold of Vivienne’s hand and led her towards the shop.
Gabrielle's intention was to support her new friend but Vivienne was having nothing of it. Vivienne just marched right into the shop and made
sure that the door was closed behind them both.
“Mesdames, comment puis-je vous servire aujourd'hui?” said a man who was clearly wearing a corset.
“Monsieur, ma amie Anglaise a envie d'acheter un corset,” replied Gabrielle.
"Ah! I am Henri. I am the corsetiere. Welcome to my shop. Madame has come to the right place but I have to say from what I see before me, that you do not need one."
Gabrielle chuckled.
“That is what I have been telling my friend but she is insistent. Show Monsieur Henri the cutting.”
Vivienne extracted the cutting from her handbag and handed it to Henri.
“Ah! That is beautiful. It is an American product but I can produce something very similar if Madam desires it.”
He stepped back and looked Vivienne up and down. She started to feel that he was undressing her. It started to make her uncomfortable.
“Madame? Am I correct in assuming that you have never worn a corset before? Your whole posture shouts to me that you are a... a corset virgin.”
Gabrielle tried hard but could not stop herself from sniggering.
“That is correct Henri. Is this going to be a problem?”
“Madam, wearing a proper corset is a way of life. Like you say that ‘a dog is not just for Christmas’, a proper corset … becomes part of you and your very existence.”
"Henri, I am willing to try. If I can't experience what it is like to be tight-laced then I can't tell one way or the other now can I?"
It was Henri’s turn to laugh.
“Touché madam. Would it be possible to take your measurements?”
“Yes, it would. What do you want me to do?”
“Please come through to my fitting room. Your friend can come along as well.”
He led them into a back room. There was a full-length mirror on three of walls. All of them were covered up with white sheets.
"Please go into the changing room and remove all your clothes apart from your underwear. Then come back here and we can begin the process."
Vivienne went behind the curtain that separated the two parts of the room and removed her shoes and then her clothes apart from her bra and knickers. Feeling slightly embarrassed she returned to the main part of the room.
“Please hold on to the bar over your head,” said Henri.
She did as she was told. What happened next surprised her. Henri operated a switch. An electric motor whirred and the bar moved upwards. For a few milli-seconds Vivienne thought about letting go but she decided to hang on. The bar rose until her toes were just touching the floor. Then the motor stopped.
“Good. Now Madam, please continue to breathe normally.”
Henri proceeded to measure Vivienne’s torso in a dozen different ways. His final measurement was around her waist.
“Madam. Please breathe in as much as possible.”
Vivienne sucked her stomach in as far as she could.
"Now breathe out and hold your breath."
Henri made some more notes on his notepad.
“Voila... I am done,” said Henri as he operated the switch again and lowered Vivienne to the floor.
“Please Madam, you may get dressed again. Then join me in the shop.”
Henri disappeared into the shop.
Gabrielle smiled.
"How was it?"
“He has cold hands!”
They both chuckled.
Vivienne and Gabrielle returned to the shop. Henri was working on his computer.
“Just a moment and I will have it done.”
He didn’t explain what 'done' was.
A printer burst into life. Less than a minute, two sheets of paper popped out of the printer into the tray.
“Madame, this is your current body profile,” he said showing them a silhouette.
“This is what it could look like after wearing one of my creations for a year.”
The second page showed a far more curvaceous figure.
“Madame, you have a very slim waist but you can get some curves if you work at it. But… Madame, for the best effect, you may need to enhance your top line.”
Vivienne had no idea what he meant by her ‘top line’. She’d heard the term used on dancing shows such as ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ but otherwise, she had no idea what he was talking about.
Gabrielle on the other hand knew exactly what he was talking about.
“Vivienne, he means your bust.”
“The Mademoiselle is correct. The woman in the picture has much larger ones than you. They are not too large but appear that way due to her narrow waist.”
Not for the first time, Vivienne went very red in the face.
“Madame, it is nothing to be ashamed of. Many of my customers find that a reduction in the waist and an appropriate increase of the top line go very well together but first, you need to understand what wearing a proper corset is a way of life and a shape like that does not happen overnight.”
“What do you think?” he asked.
“What do I need to do next?”
“Madame, Rome was not built in a day. We start your journey at the beginning with a training corset.”
Then he added,
"As I am sure that you are aware, beauty does not come cheap."
"Monsieur Henri, the cost is not a problem. Time is an issue."
“What my friend is saying is that she is only in Paris for a limited amount of time on this visit.”
“Ah, I understand. You can return when needed?”
“Yes. At the moment, I am living in London so I can easily come to Paris for a day.”
Henri shook his head.
“Madame, my creations use the finest steel stays. The security systems at the airport and on Eurostar go mad when one of my customers goes through them. The best way is to travel by car.”
“I understand Henri. Where do I start?”
“Tomorrow Madame, tomorrow. Please return after two in the afternoon and I will have your first garment available.”
Vivienne smiled.
"But first Madame, there is a little matter of my fee?"
A newly confident Vivienne didn’t hesitate. She pulled out her purse and extracted a good number of Twenty Euro notes. She handed them over to Henri.
“Will that do on account?”
“Madam, that will be more than enough for this part of your journey to the shape that you desire.”
"Neither did I, to begin with. But while I was hanging there I told myself not to be a wimp. Once I'd convinced myself that I was doing the right thing, then the rest was easy."
Gabrielle’s opinion of Vivienne had risen considerably that afternoon.
“Perhaps we can find a shop that sells boots?”
Gabrielle tried not to smile.
“If you are talking about ankle boots then I know of a place near the Metro.”
“That will do for a start.”
"But if you could find somewhere for the other ones. I saw some being worn by models at a few events in the last Fashion Week. "
“I know the ones you mean. It was my company that put on at least one the shows. Building the runway, the lights, the catering and all that.”
Vivienne had forgotten about Gabrielle’s job.
"I've completely forgotten about your job. Don't you have to get back to it?" said Vivienne feeling slightly guilty.
Gabrielle smiled back.
“It is all right. I’m the boss so I gave myself the week off. It is our quiet period as we are between Fashion Weeks. Things will start to get busy at the beginning of July.”
Gabrielle went up several more notches in Vivienne’s estimation.
“Lets’ find me some boots and then I’ll take you out for dinner tonight. I could not help but notice that you have next to no food in your apartment.”
It was Gabrielle’s turn to re-assess Vivienne. She’d grown to really like this woman who was almost old enough to be her grandmother.
Vivienne found a pair of ankle boots in the third shop that met her expectations. Once again, Gabrielle was amazed at Vivienne's behaviour as she bought three pairs, one red, one black leather and one pair of patent leather.
“Nothing ventured, nothing gained. I’m going to have to break them in sooner or, later aren’t I?”
“Now Gabrielle, do you have something vaguely dressy for me to wear? I feel like dressing up a bit.”
“Do you have any particular colour in mind?”
“Anything as long as it is not Black, Grey or Beige…”
Vivienne had told Gabrielle about the disastrous birthday party on the journey into Paris earlier that day.
They both had a good laugh as they selected something for both of them to wear that night.
“Still there.”
“You were struggling coming up the stairs.”
“Ok, don’t rub it in. I enjoyed the evening. That’s what matters isn’t, it?”
Pate, French Bread and some of Jacques’s excellent Chutney was just the job for them. Jacques had given her some just before they’d left his home.
As they left to return to Monsieur Henri’s, Gabrielle asked,
"It isn't too late to back out you know?"
Vivienne chuckled.
“It is something that I have to do. If it fails then all I’ve lost is a bit of money and some… no, a good deal of pride and your father will have a good laugh non?”
To her surprise, Vivienne received a hug from Gabriella.
“What’s that for?”
“Doing something I would not do...”
“Perhaps?”
The two of them laughed as they went down the stairs and out into the street.
Henri was holding up a plain black corset. It was highly elasticated but with some boning.
“Thank you, Henri. I will do my best.”
Henri placed the garment around Vivienne’s waist and clipped the busk together.
“I’m going to pull the laces together. It won’t be tight.”
He removed all the slack in the laces.
“Now jiggle the garment around so that it fits nicely over the hips.’
Vivienne did as she was told.
"That's more comfortable already."
“Good. Now I’ll tighten the laces. If your friend wants to watch me do this, she can help you until you get used to it.”
Vivienne felt the restriction around her waist increase.
“Madame, please don’t hold your breath.”
Vivienne hadn’t realised that she was doing just that. She let it out. As she did so, Henri tightened the laces even more.
Vivienne grunted.
“Good. That will be tight enough for today. Now I will show you how to tie the laces off.”
Less than a minute later, it was done.
“Welcome to the wonderful world of corset wearing,” said Henri.
Without waiting for Vivienne to respond, Henri removed the covers on the Mirrors.
“Madame, what do you think?”
“It feels strange but reasonably comfortable.”
Henri chuckled.
“Madame, that is because I have not tightened the laces very much. For the next few days, don’t tighten them up too much. Let the garment start to shape itself to your body. Only then, should you start to tighten the laces. Do you understand this?”
“I do Monsieur Henri. A little at a time.”
“Very good. When you have worn this for at least a month and want to proceed with a more substantial garment, please let me know and we will start making it for you.”
“Now, I will leave you to get dressed and Madame’s, you are both welcome here at any time.”
“So far so good but I’m looking forward to taking this off tonight.”
Gabrielle laughed.
“Didn’t you hear what Henri said? You are to wear it all the time except when taking a bath or shower.”
Vivienne grunted and settled Henri’s bill.
“Come on, there is a wonderful shop just around the corner,” said Gabrielle as she walked rapidly off.
Vivienne knew that her friend was testing her willpower. She’d always been up for a challenge but this was different but enjoyable none the less.
Over lunch at a café near the famous ‘Metropolitan’ Metro Station, Vivienne said,
"All that remains is to get some unmentionables."
For a second, Gabrielle did not quite understand what her guest was talking about. Then she realised that Vivienne was playing word games with her.
She laughed.
"Ah, you mean desirable underwear to tempt my Father on his return?"
“Yes and no.”
“These past few days have been very liberating for me. I have a new wardrobe which I can’t wait to get home to start wearing but I need the finishing touches.”
Vivienne then leaned forward and whispered into Gabrielle’s ear.
“I’m done wearing underwear. What I want are some stockings and a suspender belt or two.”
Gabrielle looked shocked.
“I am leaving my past behind me. I have been conventional for far too long. No more tights except in very cold weather. From now on it is stockings only. I mean proper ones. With seams and everything.”
“My friend, you continue to amaze me.”
"I am continuing to amaze myself. If someone had said to me a month ago that I'd be sitting here in Paris, wearing a corset then I would have laughed in their face. Some of what I'm doing has been inside me for decades. It has been repressed and now the dragon is loose."
“On a rampage more like. Are you sure that your credit card can take more hammering?”
“Oh yes. I paid it all off last night.”
Gabrielle looked long and hard at Vivienne.
“My poor father will not know what has happened to you when he returns.”
“Good. I want to surprise him each and every day. I’m done being boring.”
“I cannot imagine you ever being boring.”
“Oh, but I was. That was my life except when I was with Betty. Then I could be free as she’d let me. No, I want to go a lot further. I have no job to worry about. I want to walk at least a bit on the wild side before it is too late.”
“Come on then. I know just the place to start.”
“There is only one place left. It is near the Moulin Rouge. I’ve never been there myself but some of the models have talked about it.”
“Lead on Gabrielle. I’m sure that we can find what I’m looking for here somewhere.”
Gabrielle hailed a taxi and they were off.
The shop turned out to be where many of the top Burlesque Artists shopped. Asking for a very specific type of stocking did not ruffle any feathers at all.
“Madam, I think this is what you are looking for,” said the assistant as she produced a packet.
Vivienne looked at them.
She didn’t comment but handed over a twenty euro note.
"I'd like to try these on."
Vivienne went into the cubicle and returned almost immediately.
"A suspender belt please?"
The assistant found a belt that had been returned due to a faulty seam. Vivienne disappeared behind the curtain once more.
When she appeared, her face told both Gabrielle and the assistant that she was happy.
“How are my seams?” she asked as she turned around.
“They are perfect,” said Gabrielle.
“They come right up to the top on my thigh. That is perfect for what I want,” said Vivienne.
Then she disappeared back into the cubicle grinning from ear to ear.
When she returned, she asked the assistant,
“How many pairs just like this do you have?”
This confused the assistant until Gabrielle stepped in and spoke to her in French. The assistant disappeared into the stockroom at the back shaking her head.
“You are mad you know that,” whispered Gabrielle to Vivienne.
“Yes. We British are well known for our eccentricity.”
“Excentricité!” exclaimed Gabrielle.
"It is such a lovely word. Yes, Vivienne, you are both mad and eccentric."
The assistant returned with a box.
“Madam, nous avons trent-six paires de stocks.”
“Perfect,” said Vivienne.
"I'll take them all plus the pair that I'm wearing and the suspender belt. Please add two more belts like it to the bundle."
The assistant did a double-take. She shook her head again and made the sale.
That evening back at Gabrielle’s apartment, Vivienne wore her highest heels, stockings and the corset as well as a summer dress and petticoat that they’d bought that morning as they ate the excellent meal that Gabrielle had made.
“That look is certainly different. I wonder if my father could handle it?”
Vivienne laughed.
“I’m not finished yet.”
Gabrielle put up her hand.
“Please do not tell me. I do not think I can take any more.”
Vivienne leaned forward and took Gabrielle’s hand.
“I might be mad and eccentric but I love your father. I want us to be happy together. Do I have your approval?”
Gabrielle thought for a moment before answering.
“My father needs some excitement in his life. If you can make him happy then yes, I give you my approval but something in me says that you will do what you want regardless of what I say? Est-ce que j'ai raison”
Vivienne’s school French had sunk in enough to know what Gabrielle had said.
“I want us to be friends so thank you for being so patient with me these past few days.”
“It has been different and fun. Thank you, Vivienne.”
“Don’t be a stranger over in Devon ok.”
“I won’t, you can be certain of that. Now, my friend, I think it is time to get some sleep. You have a train to catch in the morning."
[to be continued]
Vivienne’s return to London from Paris was rather strange. It was strange in that she actually felt rather naked without the corset wrapped tightly around her body. Even after just a few days, it had started to be part of her. Then there were the brand new two suitcases that held all her purchases. If her daughters could see inside, then they’d probably keel over on the spot. She had spent quite a lot of money but Vivienne had plenty and it wasn’t as if she’d be going shopping in Paris every day or London for much longer.
With a Coffee and a Croissant in front of her, she watched the French countryside flash by with some regret. She had loved being in Paris with Gabrielle. For something that had been done on the spur of the moment, it had been wonderful. To spend the time with Jacques's daughter had been a delight and despite Vivienne's eccentricities, Gabrielle had played the perfect host and guide. Vivienne resolved to return the favour when she next came to visit.
Vivienne had promised Gabrielle that she would carry on wearing the corset. At first, she got frustrated when lacing it up. Gabrielle had helped her out but now it was down to her and her alone to get it right. After a couple of aborted efforts, it began to feel part of her again. She also wore stockings every day even under her leggings that were just more practical for sorting out the things she really could not do without. Most of her clothing that was in the back room ended up at the recycling centre. She had to keep reminding herself that she had a car full of things down in Devon.
Her solicitor gave her updates on the progress of the sale. The first week in July was the date that both sides had agreed too for the completion of the sale. All the monies for the purchase were sitting in the solicitor's escrow account. That was perfect for her but she hoped that Jacques would be back from Reunion in time.
This end date spurred Vivienne onto completing her own remodelling. She visited Maxine and Bea for a set of lashes and nails. She knew that the nails would not last long but it was a new experience for her to have extensions to her fingers.
Over dinner that night at Maxine’s, Vivienne recounted the trip to Paris.
“What is there left to do?” asked Maxine.
“You look fantastic and… well, I can’t think of much left.”
Vivienne looked down at the table before asking,
“I know this is a bit rude, but did you have implants? My Corsetiere suggested that I could to with a little more ‘top line’ if you get my meaning?”
Maxine laughed.
“My dear Vivienne, are you asking for a recommendation?”
She nodded her head.
“I had mine done in London so right on your doorstep.”
“Only if they can fit me in by early July. That’s when the sale of my house completes.”
“Then we shall give them a call first thing in the morning.”
Vivienne remained quiet for a bit.
“Is there something else?”
“Yes. But I’m mad so…”
“We are all a bit mad. It is what helps keep us sane.”
Vivienne picked up her phone and showed her a picture that she'd taken when Gabrielle and she had gone to the Tuileries Gardens one afternoon.
“Oh. I get you.”
“Can you help? Being a woman of the world so to speak?”
Maxine laughed.
“I’m hardly that but I think I might know someone who can help.”
“I did some research and found these,”
Vivienne showed Maxine a website.
“Oh! That is an interesting site.”
“I ordered this one.”
Maxine sat back and looked at Vivienne.
"When we first met, you were a little girl lost. Now, look at you. Am I to blame for this conversion?"
“You are most certainly not to blame,” said a grinning Vivienne
"Well, possibly just a bit. There has always been a person inside me waiting to come out. I repressed her for far too long. Meeting you and then Jacques and then Gabrielle has allowed ‘my little demon’ to escape and I want to enjoy it for as long as I can. Is this so wrong?”
“Far from it Vivienne. What does Jacques say to all this?”
“As far as I know, he knows nothing. Gabrielle told me yesterday that he's due back from Reunion at the end of next week.”
“The clock is ticking then?”
“It is.”
“Thanks,” replied Vivienne slightly nervously.
“Do you want me to come with you for moral support?”
“If you are not too busy. I know that you have all sorts of work to do.”
"That's one perk of being the boss. There is nothing that can't wait until tomorrow. Unless of course, it is time for a VAT payment but as it isn't then I'm good. Besides, I want to see this house of yours before you leave. Why don't we go up to town, have lunch, see your home and then go to the clinic?"
“Ok then. That’s a deal. There is one thing that you could do before we go?”
“Anything that isn’t illegal. What do you want me to do?”
"Can you tighten my laces? I mean tight.”
“This is going to be fun!” smirked Maxine.
“Mr Johannsen will see you now,” said the receptionist.
“Thanks,” said Vivienne as she got up.
She cursed Maxine for going too far with her tightening as standing up was a bit of a problem but it seemed to be getting easier as her body adjusted to the enhanced restrictions.
After the examination, the surgeon said,
“Are you going to continue wearing a corset after the operation?”
“That is my intention. I will be getting a more substantial one in a month or so. I want to have it as a half cup hence my wanting an increase before then.”
“You have clearly given this some thought,” said Mr Johannsen.
“I have.”
“I can take you from your current A/B to a B/C without them being too big or out of kilter with your body shape. Is that the sort of thing that you had in mind?”
“Yes. That’s it.”
"I have to say, Ms Carter, considering your age, you have very little sag.”
Vivienne felt a little hurt by his comment. He noticed a change in her body language.
"That is a good thing, Ms Carter. You have obviously been giving them all the support they need. Far too many women don't which is a shame and will only get worse once they have an enhanced bust."
“If I was to stop wearing a bra altogether?”
“Not really a good idea in the long term. However, if you have sufficient support from your corset then I do not see a problem for a good few years.”
“Thanks. When can it be done?”
“Is there some reason for the rush?”
“I’m selling my home in London and moving to Devon. I’d like to get it done before I move away.”
“I understand. Please wait a minute while I see what availability we have.”
The next two minutes seemed to drag by. He returned with a smile on his face.
“How about next Monday. Bright and early. If you are here by 08:00 then we can do the operation and if all is well post-op, you can go home late the next day.”
“That sounds good.”
“Naturally, no food or drink for 12 hours before you come in.”
“I understand.”
“Good. Then my secretary can book you in and I’ll see you next Monday.”
Vivienne left the clinic feeling a lot happier inside.
“It looks like you are going to get it all sorted before Jacques returns home,” said Maxine when Vivienne had told her the good news.
“That is the hope.”
“I think it is time for me to see this house that you are selling. Then I’ll treat you to lunch,” said Maxine.
“How many fingers am I holding up?” asked the nurse.
Vivienne opened her eyes. She felt so tired and her chest hurt.
“Two.”
“Good. Mr Johannsen said to tell you that everything went perfectly and that you can go home tomorrow provided that there are no complications in the night.”
Vivienne sagged back into the bed and closed her eyes.
“You have a visitor,” said the nurse sometime later.
“Tell them to go away. Come back next year.”
The nurse laughed.
“I’ll send them in.”
Vivienne drifted off to sleep before the visitor arrived.
When she came around again, she could tell that something was wrong. Someone was holding her hand.
Wearily, she opened her eyes and saw Jacques.
“Hello sleepy,” he said softly.
“What?”
She closed her eyes again desperately trying not to show how angry she felt at not being ready for him for his return.
“I flew in a few hours ago. I tried calling you but your phone went straight to voicemail. Then I spoke with Maxine and she told me that you were here.”
“But Gabrielle said that you were not coming back yet?” mumbled Vivienne.
“I know but my Mother sensed that I had something on my mind. Eventually, she prized it from me and… Well, it does not matter. I’m here now.”
He leaned over and gently kissed her on the lips.
She turned her face away. Her eyes were tightly closed.
“You didn’t have to do all this for me,” he said softly.
“It isn’t just for you. It is for me. Didn’t Gabrielle or Maxine tell you about ‘my little demon’?”
Jacques laughed.
“Maxine did and I love it. It reminds me of an old Fleetwood Mac song, ‘My little demon’.”
“You are just saying that. I’m just some mad, crazy old hag trying to turn the clock back. I’ve been so stupid.”
"I will hear none of that defeatist claptrap from you, my girl. You are not that sort of person."
“It is easy for you to say that.”
“It isn’t easy. Far from it.”
“Just you rest and I’ll be here to take you home tomorrow afternoon.”
Jacques kissed her again and quietly left Vivienne alone.
He didn’t see the tears that she shed later.
A new day dawned and Vivienne was feeling a lot better. She knew that she’d said some horrible things to Jacques but it was all a bit foggy. Mr Johannsen had told her that it was the effects of the anaesthetic and she should not worry about it.
Vivienne said nothing but really hoped that she had not embarrassed herself too much.
Jacques appeared just after lunch to collect Vivienne. He’d arranged for a car to take them to her home in North London. Vivienne was strangely quiet until they got to her home.
Waiting for them was a package. Vivienne nearly tripped over it as they entered the house. She’d forgotten about it and at that moment, wished that it would disappear in a puff of smoke.
Jacques made them some lunch. Vivienne had not really eaten anything for 36 hours but felt guilty about eating without her corset wrapped around her waist.
“I’m not that hungry,” she pleaded.
“Nonsense. You need to eat to get better.”
“It isn’t as if I have been ill now is it?”
“It does not matter. Eat!” commanded Jacques.
“And if you are thinking about your corset then the doctor said not to wear it until Friday.”
Vivienne wanted to fight him but knew deep down that he was just trying to help her.
“Gabrielle told me that you bought up half of Paris. I have to say that your tastes have expanded a lot since we first met.”
Vivienne shuddered. She was wondering what else Gabrielle had said.
Jacques noticed this.
“She didn’t tell me any of those deepest secrets that women share with each other if that is what you are thinking about…”
Vivienne had her doubts.
Without waiting for her, he opened the package that had arrived during her absence.
“This looks interesting,” said Jacques as he looked at the presentation case.
“Oh!” he exclaimed as he opened it and saw the contents.
“It is nothing,” said Vivienne.
“This is not nothing.”
Vivienne sighed.
“I was going to have it inscribed. Something like, ‘Je me donne à vous Jacques. Je suis à vous d'aimer et de jouer avec’.”
Jacques laughed.
“Sorry. The translation isn’t quite right but I understand the sentiment. Then what?”
“I had this mad dream that you would put it on me.”
“Like a wedding ring?”
Vivienne nodded her head.
“But it was a crazy dream.”
“Sometimes, dreams can come true.”
"But that wasn't all. Is there anything else in the package?"
Jacques looked and found a small velvet bag. He emptied the contents into the palm of his hand and smiled.
“My dear Vivienne, you have a side to you that I never dreamed possible.”
“You don’t mind?”
Jacques grinned and kissed her on the forehead.
“Not at all. I am interested to see where it might lead.”
“Are you sure? Sure, that you want to be associated with this crazy old bitch?”
“Crazy? Absolument. Old? So what. Bitch? Hardly.”
“Bollocks Jacques.”
Jacques decided to change the subject a bit.
“I spent an hour on the phone with Gabrielle last night. I hope you don’t mind, I sort of borrowed your phone from you when you were in the clinic. In the end, she told me what else you bought during your shopping spree with her. She was very reluctant to tell me but, in the end, she did and we both had a good laugh.”
“That’s great laughing at my expense.”
“No, my darling, not at your expense but rather at if you pardon the expression, the balls you had to waltz into a corset shop and then to buy those boots and I do look forward to you modelling them for me down in Devon and the total madness in buying all the shops stock of stockings. You really impressed Gabrielle and I know from past experiences that she isn't easily impressed what with her involved with Paris Fashion Week and everything."
“She also said for you to tell me about the underwear?”
“In another fit of total madness, I told her that I was done wearing it. When I came back from Paris I was as they say, ‘going commando’.”
“What else did she tell you?”
“There wasn’t a lot which means that she kept at least some of your secrets. Her words were, ‘for you to tell me and me to find out,’ whatever that means.”
“There is enough time for you to heal and for us to go down to Devon before your sale goes through.”
“What about your place and the farmers market? Haven’t you been away for too long already?”
“That’s exactly what Gabrielle said you’d say, either that or ‘I don’t want to be any trouble’.”
“Well?”
“You are probably right. I can’t impose on Sylvia for much longer.”
“Then go. I’ll be all right here. I promise.”
Jacques didn’t reply right away.
“Are you sure about this?”
"Yes, I am.”
He clearly didn’t want to go.
“There is one thing that you can do for me before you go?”
“Anything my dear. What is it?”
“Lace me into my corset. If I am going to wear one all the time then it will be good practice for you.”
“But the Doctor?”
“Hang the Doctor. I feel naked without it ok!”
Jacques laughed.
"Anything you say, Mistress!"
With Vivienne all nicely laced up, he took his leave but not before giving Vivienne a long passionate kiss.
Vivienne could not wait for her stitches to be removed. Ten days was an age to wait but the day arrived.
It ended up a bit of an anti-climax. Mr Johannsen was very pleased with the results of the operation.
“They will be sore for a few weeks yet so go carefully.”
"Thanks, Mr Johannsen."
“Please wear a sports bra for the next few weeks. Then you can go back to normal.”
Vivienne was about to say that would be not a problem but she thought better of it.
After leaving the Clinic, she headed straight down to Soho and an appointment she had to get her nipples pierced.
As she approached the shop, she recalled the determination that she'd had when she walked right into the Corset shop. She did exactly the same with this shop. No hesitation. She knew that if she had hesitated then she would not have done it.
Twenty-five minutes later she emerged with the deed done. She had with her a very strong set of instructions about how to care for them for the next four to six weeks.
The warnings about infection had made Vivienne very cautious about going too far too soon so she kept them clean almost to the point of them becoming sterile themselves.
On the other hand, she took a load of old financial papers into the garden one evening and burnt them. When the fire was well alight, she took every pair of knickers that she owned and ceremoniously burned them. All but one of her Bra’s followed. She’d found walking around wearing just a loose skirt with absolutely nothing underneath strangely liberating.
As she watched them burn she toasted the death of another part of her past. Then she drank another glass of an excellent Chiraz as she wondered what her daughters would make of her burning her knickers. Like Queen Victoria, they would not be amused.
The absence of her daughters was a bit worrying. Then she realised that as her car was still in Devon, they probably thought that she was still away. “Long may that remain!” she said to herself on more than one occasion.
Deciding to go was a real no-brainer for Vivienne. Her only regret was that she could not let Jacques know that she was coming. His lack of a phone was going to have to be sorted out sooner rather than later.
After packing a small case, Vivienne simply walked to the nearest bus stop and headed for Devon by train.
Four and a half hours later a Taxi dropped her off at the bottom of the track that led up to Jacques’s Smallholding.
As she walked up the hill, she remembered what had happened the last time she'd arrived at that very place. Since then she'd been to Paris, had her breasts done and… lots more besides. She was systematically destroying the little world that she'd built around herself over the years. It was more than a little world. It was more like a protective shield.
When she reached the top of the hill, she saw her car for the first time in a while. It was sitting right next to the Land Rover. To her relief, a thin wispy plume of smoke rose from the chimney of the cottage. Jacques was at home.
When she walked towards the cottage, she saw movement out of the corner of her eye. Jacques was working on the waterwheel.
Vivienne put down her bag and almost ran towards him. Several times she nearly broke into a run but just stopped herself.
“Play it cool woman!” she kept repeating to herself.
As she got close, she said,
“Need a hand?”
Jacques nearly jumped out of his skin. Then he saw her and a smile broke out on his face.
“I was wondering if I should start charging parking fees for your car?”
Vivienne stopped dead in her track. Then she saw the smirk on his face.
"Oh, you!"
That’s as far as she got. Their embrace lasted several minutes.
Vivienne stayed two nights with Jacques. She didn't want to leave but there some matters that needed her attention in London.
“I’ll be back as soon as my house is clear. All that will be left are the things I want to bring here.”
“When you come back, I’ll have a little surprise for you.”
“I like surprises. Want to give me a little hint?”
He answered her with a long kiss and sent her on her way. Vivienne had decided to leave her car in Devon. Jacques just smiled.
“Not having a car in my drive seems to keep my daughters from visiting just to give me hell. I can take a taxi or a bus if I need to go somewhere.”
Jacques didn’t seem convinced but let her have her way.
As her train left Totnes Station on its journey to London, he stood watching her with a huge smile on his face.
Vivienne’s solicitor gave her regular updates on the progress of the sale. The one downside was that every time she called, Vivienne had a virtual heart-attack as she feared that the process had broken down and she’d have to put the house up for sale again. Her fears were groundless but were there all the same.
She spent a lot of time breaking in all her new shoes and boots. Going downstairs in 5in heels proved a bit of a problem at first but Vivienne put her mind to it and soon got the hang of it.
On one fine day, Vivienne decided to wear one of the pairs of boots for a trip to the shops. She found a long skirt that hid the fact that they were really thigh high. After preening herself in the mirror, she headed out of the house intending to take the bus to the shops in Hampstead Village.
Vivienne had just come out of one shop when she nearly ran into one of the two people in the world she did not want to see, her daughter Janice.
“Mum? What are you doing here?”
"I could exactly say the same about you? This is hardly Victoria Street is it?"
“I’m going to the Dentist. What about you?”
“Just doing a bit of shopping as you can see,” said Vivienne holding up her shopping bag.
“Mum?”
“Yes?”
“What have you done?”
Janice was pointing at Vivienne’s nipples. Vivienne had somehow forgotten to put on her sports bra that morning.
“I had them pierced. So? Didn’t you have your tongue pierced before you were old enough?”
“How could you at your age?”
“My age? I’m not in my grave. Not for a long time if I have anything to say about it.”
“What are you wearing on your feet?”
Vivienne pulled up her skirt a bit to reveal a pair of black leather boots.
“These? I got them in Paris the other week. Do you like them?”
“Mum! Do you know how bad they are for your feet?”
“I do. Cool eh?”
Before Janice could ask another question, Vivienne said,
“The sale of my home will be completed in less than two weeks. I will be glad to get away from the pair of you. I didn't raise you to be so about 'me', 'me', 'me'. Just stop trying to organise my life ok. I've very happy with my life right now. Oh, and don't try to find me, I'm going to live totally off-grid. No phone, no internet, no nothing. You should try it sometime. It is very liberating."
“But Mum! We are only trying to look out for you in your old age.”
“I am not about to start pushing up the daisies just yet my dear. Not by a long chalk so just leave me be ok? I am enjoying my retirement and I’m not going to sit down and wait for the grim reaper. I am starting a totally new and different phase of my life outside London.”
Vivienne started to turn away but turned back to face her daughter.
“I’ve also stopped wearing any underwear so put that in Suzanne’s five quid vegan coffee and drink it.”
Vivienne then had to run to catch her bus. Despite the boots, she made it. She sat down with a huge grin on her face. She was imagining the phone call that Janice was making to Suzanne at that very moment.
By the time Vivienne got off the bus, she had a plan to thwart their next move.
That plan had been staring her in the face for days.
She was going down to Devon right away.
Once she was back home, she booked a mini-cab to take her to Paddington. Then she packed two cases with some essentials including the new makeup case that she’d bought in Paris.
The mini-cab arrived right on time. Vivienne climbed in the back and strapped herself in.
“Paddington, right?” asked the driver.
“That’s it.”
They’d only gone a few hundred metres when Vivienne spotted Janice’s SUV turning into her street. Vivienne ducked down out of sight. The driver started to slow down fearing that something was wrong.
“Keep going. That is my daughter’s car and I don’t want her to see me. She is a right pain in the ass if you get my meaning.”
“You’re the boss lady,” said the cabbie with a big smile on his face.
Vivienne arrived at the station full of hope. She looked at the departure board and saw that a Plymouth train was just about to leave from Platform 2. She saw that the next one was in half an hour.
Vivienne relaxed. That extra time would give her a chance to buy a ticket and grab something to eat for the journey.
Her phone buzzed again. It hadn't really stopped ringing since about five minutes after she'd met Janice. It seemed that one or the other of her daughters was taking it in turns to try to speak to her.
She put the phone in ‘flight mode’ and shoved it to the deepest recess of her handbag. As she did so, she muttered, ‘They can wait. I have more important things that need my attention at the moment.’
Twenty minutes later, Vivienne settled herself into a comfortable First-Class seat and started to take stock of her situation.
As the train was gliding out of the statin Vivienne suddenly had a moment of panic as she remembered that the house clearers were due the next day.
After extracting her phone and enabling it again, she started to make some phone calls.
By the time the train passed through Slough, it was all done and she could relax again. The house clearers would get the key from the estate agents for their work. She’d made it clear to the boss of the clearing company, Andrew Stavros that he was to make it abundantly clear to his team that anything going missing from the items she had put aside would mean that he would not get paid.
By the time the train pulled away from Reading Station, she knew what she had to do about her daughters.
Vivienne dug out her phone once more and disabled flight mode. Twenty-six missed calls her phone was saying. Then another text showing that there were ten messages on voicemail. She ignored all of them and composed a text to her Lawyer, Verity May.
“Verity, my offspring are on the warpath again. I'm sure that they'll be around to see you very soon. You know what to do. I've left town for a few days. I'll be back on Monday to clear the last of my stuff from the house. I'll see you for lunch for it is ok? Vivienne."
She pressed ‘Send’ and waited.
A few minutes later, the phone beeped again. At first, she thought that it was yet another message telling her about a missed call. Then she saw that it was from Verity.
"Understood. Enjoy the Country. Lunch? Camden Lock? You know where… at 1 pm. Verity."
Vivienne replied.
“Gotcha. See you then.”
This time, Vivienne switched her phone right off. She made a mental note to get a new SIM card ASAP. She also made a note to get a phone for Jacques at the same time.
The Taxi driver decided that the track up to Jacques place was too narrow and laden with pot-holes for him. Vivienne didn’t really disagree with that so she paid him off at the bottom of the lane.
Then she started to walk up the lane carrying one suitcase and dragging a wheeled bag behind her.
To her eternal relief, she saw some smoke rising from the chimney of the cottage. That told her that Jacques must be at home or close by. This raised her spirits no end.
She reached the top of the track and her car was exactly where she’d left it. Jacques’s Land Rover was parked next to it. She could not see him working in his Poly-tunnel so she walked down to the Cottage.
“Jacques! Are you here?” she called out.
There was no response.
She tried again.
“Jacques! It is me Vivienne!”
Still no response.
She walked into the kitchen of the Cottage. The door was wide open so she knew that he could not be that far away. She felt the Kettle that was on the edge of the wood-fired stove. It was warm. The mystery deepened.
Vivienne went back outside and called again,
“Jacques? Where are you?”
There was still no answer.
It was too much for Vivienne. She sat down on the chair that Jacques had made himself and began to cry.
The bravado that she'd displayed for the past week had finally caught up on her.
[to be continued]
Vivienne had no real idea exactly how long she’d been sitting outside the Cottage but it must have been a while. The sun was starting to go down behind the trees. The warmth of the day had long since passed.
A few goose-pimples had appeared on Vivienne's arms. These were the spur for her to stand up and go inside the cottage. It was marginally warmer inside but Vivienne was still cold inside. All she could think of… ‘where was Jacques?’ rapidly followed by 'I hope he is all right'.
She’d been inside the cottage for well over half an hour when she heard a sound from outside. It was the sound of Ducks and Geese quacking away. Something or someone had disturbed them.
Vivienne went outside and her heart skipped a beat. There was Jacques. He was rounding up the birds for the night. He looked up and saw Vivienne. A huge smile broke out on his face.
Once he’d finished with the birds and had closed the door to his poly-tunnel, he came over to the cottage.
“Well, hello! This is a nice surprise,” he said cheerily.
All the anger that Vivienne had been bottling up inside her melted away in a flash.
“Where have you been? I was getting worried.”
“I’m fine. I’ve been up in the woods finishing something off. How long have you been here?”
Vivienne looked at her watch.
“Over two hours.”
Then he saw her shiver.
“You must be getting cold. Let me make up the fire in the stove and get something to eat on. While I am doing that, you can tell me all about it. There is clearly something troubling you if those frown lines are anything to go by?”
Vivienne wasn’t going to be fobbed off like that. She stepped up to him and kissed him. He responded. They embraced for quite a while.
“I’m good now,” said Vivienne when they broke apart.”
Jacques made up the fire that was burning in the stove. It didn’t take long for the kitchen to become nice and warm. He was soon busy making some Vegetable soup.
“I wasn’t expecting you until next week at the earliest?”
“I know but things got a bit mad in London,” said Vivienne.
Now that she was warm, she took off her coat.
“I went out earlier to do some shopping. I was dressed like this.”
Jacques looked her up and down.
“Are you managing those boots all right?”
"So far, yes I am. When I was out I ran right into Janice. She took one look at this and went a bit mad."
Vivienne was pointing to the vivid outline of the rings in her nipples. The thin blouse did little to hide the fact that she’d had them pierced.
Jacques smiled.
“Do you like them?”
He grinned.
“I did wonder what that chain was for. Now I know,” he replied grinning.
“I tried not to but I’m afraid I let rip. She called her sister and they have been on the warpath ever since.”
“You need to get another phone number then?”
“I do and I’m going to do that tomorrow. I’ll get one for you. Just for us to use.”
Jacques didn’t look too pleased.
“Ok,” he replied but Vivienne wasn’t convinced.
“I went home, packed my bags and did a runner. So here I am. I hope you don’t mind?”
Jacques put down the knife that he was using to chop up some carrots and came over to Vivienne. He took her hands in his and looked her right in the eyes.
“Of course, I don’t mind. Things will be a little cramped for a bit but we’ll get used to it.”
Vivienne went a little red in the face as she remembered her parting words to Janice.
“I really did it this time with my daughters. She made me so angry with her attempts to control me that I told her that I’ve stopped wearing underwear. I burned all that I owned the other night. It felt rather liberating at the time. Now I’m not so sure…”
Jacques grinned.
"You are one of a kind, Vivienne. Please… don’t ever change.”
Vivienne undid her skirt and let it drop to the floor. Then she removed her blouse.
“Jacques, take me please?”
The dawn chorus woke Vivienne early the next morning. Jacques was lying beside her. His breathing told her that he was still fast asleep. It was then that she realised that she was still wearing the boots that she’d worn the previous day and had travelled down from London wearing them.
Their lovemaking had been gentle and passionate. Jacques was everything she’d imagined and more. Vivienne had let him dominate her throughout. It was everything that she’d ever imagined it would be. When he came inside her, a shudder went through every sinew of her body. It had been so long since the last time Rex had made love to her there were times before the last night that she’d wondered if she’d ever experience it again. Jacques had made her so happy.
Over breakfast, Vivienne said,
“Thank you for last night. It had been so long.”
Jacques took her hand and kissed it gently on the back.
“It has been a long time for me as well.”
Vivienne looked him right in the eye.
“You know that with me not wearing any knickers, you can do it anytime you like.”
Jacques seemed shocked by what she’d said.
“Are you sure about that?”
“What did those words that I was going to have engraved say? ‘I’m giving myself to you’. I mean it. I am yours to do with what you want.”
She looked down at the table before saying quietly.
“I have dreamed about this day for years. Any time you feel the urge then I am going to be there for you. I mean it. I want you to dominate me.”
“Do you know what you are saying? ‘Dominate’ is a very strong word?”
“I do. I really do.”
Then Vivienne groaned.
Jacques sat there saying nothing until Vivienne had gotten herself back together.
"Just thinking about it made me come again. I'm sorry about that."
Jacques looked her right in the eyes.
“It won’t be easy for me you know. To do what you want. You have a pretty strong character. That comes from bringing up two children and managing a career.”
“It won’t be easy for me as well. I want to be dependent on someone for the first time in my adult life. You can make all the important decisions but I will have some input so I’m not talking about ’50 Shades of Grey’ type of dominance. Sort of you being the main player and …”
“I think I am starting to understand the meaning behind those words.”
Vivienne took his hand and gripped it tightly.
“I know I’m just a crazy old woman who is as mad as a hatter but I’ve had these dreams for years and… and I felt that you might be the person to help me… help those dreams come true.”
“Years?”
“Decades more like.”
“I wrote it all down.”
“This is getting interesting???”
“This is my fantasy so I’m entitled to it aren’t I?”
“And I’m a bit part player then?”
"That's it, Jacques. You aren't. I'm in love with you and want to be with you for the rest of my like. Oh, I have tried so hard to convince myself that because of our age difference we could not be a couple but something in my brain says no and pushes those thoughts into the long grass. So here I am, deeply in love with you hoping that you are least feel something for me.”
Jacques sat there for a bit not saying anything. Then Vivienne noticed a wetness in the corner of his eyes.
“I’m sorry Jacques. I should not have come.”
“No Vivienne, this is where you should be. Right here with me."
Then he stood up and took hold of Vivienne’s hand.
“There is something that you need to see.”
“Where?”
“Up in the woods.”
Vivienne’s shoulders sank.
“I only have heels with me. That what you get for taking up with someone with only half a brain.”
“Those rather nice boots will do.”
“The ones I’ve been wearing since yesterday?”
“Perfect.”
Vivienne shook her head in bewilderment.
Jacques just took her hand in his and led them her of the Cottage.
They crossed the small stream that separated the Cottage from where Jacques grew his herbs and vegetables. Then he walked up towards the tree line. Vivienne saw a path leading up the hill. She took care with her heels as there were tree roots everywhere.
About seventy-five yards in, Vivienne saw a structure ahead.
“Is that where we are going?”
“That’s right. Are you managing ok?”
“If I tread carefully I’m fine.”
He squeezed her hand a little tighter.
It soon became clear to Vivienne, that the Structure was pretty old. It was in a clearing on its own. There were views back down into the valley. Vivienne could see the stream and the Waterwheel that was turning slowly.
"This is an old woodshed from when it was all coppiced. There used to be three charcoal kilns at the front."
He stepped up to a large pair of double doors and slid one open.
“This is the project I’ve been working on. I had hoped to finish it before you came down but… Well, you are here now so here it is.”
Vivienne could see some form of structure inside.
“What is it?”
“That my dear is our new home.”
“What about the cottage?”
“That is where we will officially live but this is for us. A lot more space,” said Jacques.
He’d been fiddling with something. Suddenly, the place was bathed in light.
“Wow!” said Vivienne.
“I built this totally inside the old barn. When I take the roof off there will be lots of light inside.”
Vivienne was, to put it bluntly, gobsmacked.
“I don’t know what to say.”
“Err… Thank you Jacques might be a start?”
Vivienne laughed and hit him on the arm. It wasn’t hard. But…
“Ouch. That hurt.”
“Wimp!”
“Come on, let me give you a guided tour.”
There really wasn’t much to see given the state of the building work.
“Where are the walls?”
“That’s it. There aren’t any apart from the bathroom and utility room. It is one big room. We can set it up as we please. A perfecty blank canvas."
Vivienne looked around the space. It was like a hall. The roof had exposed beams. The walls were made of a material that seemed strange to Vivienne. They were also very thick indeed. The side of the building that looked out over the valley was open but she saw large glass doors propped up in the corner.
She wandered over to the wall and to her surprise, they appeared to be made of straw.
“This looks like Straw?”
Jacques smiled.
“Correct. There is a lime plaster cover on both sides. They are almost sixty centimetres thick and give incredible insulation.”
Vivienne was in awe of what he’d done.
“How long have you been working on this?”
“About six years. I’ve been spending whatever time I can here but it has been hard to keep what I’m doing quiet.”
“Why? Shouldn’t this be on Grand Designs?”
“What’s that?”
“It is a TV show about people building these wonderful houses. But you don’t have a TV, do you?”
“That is one thing that I don’t miss… TV that is.”
Then he added,
“I need to keep it quiet because I don’t exactly have planning permission. I managed to get those doors shipped to a storage unit in Exeter. I borrowed a tractor and a flatbed trailer from a local farmer to bring them here. Only a tractor or something like my Land Rover can get up the path from the road to this place. It is even worse than the lane up to the Cottage.”
Vivienne was in awe of what Jacques had done.
“But…? What happens when you take the roof off? Won’t anyone flying overhead see a new building?”
Jacques shook his head.
“It will be disguised to look like the roof has simply fallen in.”
“What about services?”
“I’ve piped it into the waste system of the Cottage. As you know, that goes to a septic tank halfway down the track. There is a pump down there for water. Electricity is from the same Battery system as supplies the cottage.”
“I see a chimney. Won’t anyone looking see the smoke?”
“I operate three Charcoal Kilns remember. No one will notice one extra plume of smoke from my property.”
“What happens next?”
“I was hoping to get the windows fitted before you came down from London. With them in place, it will be weather tight. Then we can start working on the interior. Designing a kitchen and the like.”
“But all done on the quiet?”
"It was to be the home that Jacques Built. My Cottage needs a lot of work. The roof needs to be completely removed and the main beams supporting the roof replaced. I knew that when I bought the place. I also saw this here and knew right away what I needed to do. I just ran out of time. Sorry.”
Vivienne took his hand. She gave it a squeeze and then kissed him.
“Then it is time that this place was christened, don’t you?” said Vivienne as she dropped her skirt to the floor.
“What do we do next?” asked Vivienne when they returned to the Cottage.
“I think we should get you properly moved down here. Then we can work together on the house. Two pairs of hands are better than one, are they not?”
“Sounds like a plan. I told my lawyer that I will be back in London on Monday at the latest.”
“Then we go tomorrow…”
“We?”
Jacques smiled.
"Yes, we. We hire a van, drive up to London, load up everything you want to take and get the hell out of town. If we leave here early enough, we can be there and back in a day.”
“We?”
"Yes, we. We can share the driving and two pairs of hands are better than one when it comes to manual labour.”
“But…”
“Don’t you want my help?”
"What about the van? Where can we hire one?”
“We can go to Plymouth to rent one. I know where two of the major companies are located. We go in your car, get the van, drive back here and drop your car off. Then first thing tomorrow, we leave at the crack of dawn."
“I have people coming to clear the house. They are starting work tomorrow. I had to fix it with the agent to give them the key. I’d rather not be there while they are working.”
“Then we should get the van and go up to London tonight. Then we can be in and out before the house clearers arrive.”
“I don’t want to stay at my house. I’m sure that my dear daughters are keeping an eye open for me so that they can pounce and give me another slagging off.”
Jacques laughed.
“You do seem to have more than a bit of a downer on them, don’t you?”
“One day my dear, you will meet what are turning out to be the sisters from hell. The ‘Ugly Sisters’ from Cinderella have nothing on them believe me so, please don’t jump to any conclusions eh?”
Jacques gave Vivienne a kiss.
“Then we stay at a motel or hotel not that far away then? An early start should see us all loaded up by what? Seven?”
“How early is early?”
"What is the saying? Oh yes, 'up with the lark'. Say we leave the hotel at five, twenty minutes to your home, and an hour and a half to load up. Then we will be gone by seven. How does that sound?"
“Good. At least tomorrow is a school day. There will be less chance of running into my dear daughters. They have the school run and then they should be working but you never know do you?”
Jacques took Vivienne’s hand.
“I’ll be the ‘Man with the Van’ that you hired to do the move if anyone asks!”
Vivienne smiled.
“You are so kind to me.”
“I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
“What next?” asked Jacques as the buckled up their seat belts.
“I need to hand over the keys to the agent. Then we are free to go.”
“What time do they open?”
“Nine. That means we have time for a nice breakfast. I know just the place,” said Vivienne.
"Plus, it isn't on the route of my daughter's school run."
“Sounds good to me. Which way do we go?”
“To the bottom of the road and turn left,” said Vivienne.
"Ah, Ms Carter. Nice to see you again. Can I help you with something?" said Mr Thurston.
“I’ve come to drop off the keys. I’ve moved out. As you know, the clearers are coming very soon. Give them the keys you have and get them back when they are done.”
“Thanks. It is a change to get the keys so early.”
“I hired a ‘Man with a Van’ and today was the only day he could make it.”
“Good luck in your new home.”
“Lots of work needs to be done to make it truly a home but as they say, ‘Rome wasn’t built in a day’.”
“Indeed. Your daughters were in here yesterday asking me if I knew where you were moving to.”
“As you didn’t know, you couldn’t tell no lies?”
“That’s true but the taller one clearly didn’t believe me.”
“That’s Janice. She’s a paralegal so she thinks everyone lies all the time.”
“That explains it. Thanks again for dropping the keys off.”
“Thank you for getting it sold so quickly. You have the address of my Solicitor to send the bill?”
“Yes, we do.”
“They have the authority to pay it on my behalf so there should not be any delay in getting payment. They are aware that it will need to be paid pronto if you get my drift.”
"You are certainly trying to keep where you are going to a secret aren't you?"
Vivienne smiled.
“After meeting my Daughters yesterday, wouldn’t you do the same?”
He didn’t need to answer. The smile on his face clearly said ‘Yes’.
“Where too now?” asked Jacques as Vivienne got back into the Van.
“Home Jacques but take it steady.”
“Oui Madame!” he replied with a huge grin on his face.
The morning traffic was not in their favour but once they’d reached the M3, things calmed down considerably allowing both of them to relax.
Not long after they’d reached the A303 south of Basingstoke, Vivienne said,
“I think we deserve a comfort break. Sutton Scotney Services is not that far away.”
“Good idea Madame!”
Vivienne punched Jacques in the arm. She was so happy that she could not stop smiling.
“Is this the turning?” asked Jacques a few minutes later.
“Yes, that’s it.”
He slowed the van and took the slip road. They soon found the services got parked.
They walked into the Services Building hand in hand. Vivienne was feeling as if she was sixteen again.
Half an hour later, they emerged feeling refreshed and ready for the next part of their journey to Devon.
“I don’t think we should take the A303. We’ll probably get stuck at Stonehenge. There were signs about some roadworks between 09:00 and 16:00 today. We should take the A30 towards Salisbury,” said Vivienne.
Jacques looked at her oddly.
“How do you know all this?”
Vivienne smiled.
“You can blame Maxine. This is where we met for the first time. I was struggling to get my car charged. We had coffee much like we did today. She briefed me on the best ways to get down to Devon from here.”
Jacques relaxed.
“Ok boss.”
“Hey, who is driving this bit?”
Vivienne was at the wheel.
They left the service area in high spirits and took the A30 towards Salisbury.
“It looks like someone else has the same idea,” commented Vivienne.
“Eh?”
“That black Audi behind us. It was parked near us at the services.”
Jacques used the nearside wing mirror to see that indeed a black Audi A4 was following them.
Vivienne followed the A30 through Salisbury and headed west. It was turning into a nice evening.
Her hopes of getting back to Devon at a reasonable hour and without issue took a nosedive when Jacques said,
“That Audi is still there.”
“So?”
“Please don’t react but I think we are being followed.”
Vivienne’s grip on the steering wheel tightened.
“Couldn’t they just be going in the same direction as us?”
“He’s had plenty of opportunities to overtake us but for some reason, he hasn’t. Can I use your phone?”
“Sure. It is in my bag.”
Jacques fished Vivienne’s phone out of her copious handbag.
“The PIN code is 4606023,” said Vivienne.
“Thanks.”
Jacques entered the access code and proceeded to frantically press the keys. He was sending a text message. It pinged as the message was sent.
He put the phone down. Then he picked it up again. This time he was looking at a map of the road ahead.
“If you turn right about a mile ahead, we can get back onto the A303. We can see it he is following us or not.”
Vivienne saw the turning in good time. She signalled and made the turn. The Audi didn’t follow them.
“He’s not behind us now.”
She couldn’t see Jacques’s hands but he was clenching his left fist tightly. He was not trying to show his concern to Vivienne.
A few minutes after they’d rejoined the A303, the phone beeped.
“What do they say?”
“What?” asked Jacques.
“Whoever you sent that text to has replied? Yes?”
“They have. The Audi belongs to a Private Eye who does work for Janice’s firm.”
This time Vivienne showed her concern. She thumped the steering wheel with a free hand.
"He's not behind us now?" said Vivienne as they reached a section of a dual carriageway. All the cars that were behind them sped past.
“We are a long way from home so…”
“Don’t count our chickens?”
Jacques smiled and put his hand on Vivienne’s thigh. She smiled back but he could tell that is was very much an act on her part.
They’d just passed Wincanton when Vivienne said,
“He’s back.”
Jacques looked in the mirror and saw the same black Audi about 100 yards behind them.
He picked up the phone and sent two more texts.
“Keep going. Our friend will soon be getting a visit.”
Vivienne desperately wanted to ask what sort of visit Jacques meant but dared not to. She remembered the note from her ex-colleague Alec that was waiting for her when they went to her home to collect all her stuff. The contents backed up what he’d told her about his former career. His actions over the past hour or so had demonstrated that he still had many contacts in whatever Government Department he worked or had not worked for.
They were approaching the Naval Air Station at Yeovilton when two Police Cars with all lights flashing went past them going in the other direction. At first, Vivienne thought nothing of it but a few minutes later they returned and forced the Audi to stop.
“That gentleman is going to get his collar felt. There is an arrest warrant out for him from Derbyshire Police. He is wanted there for questioning concerning three cases of sexual harassment and threatening behaviour.”
“Did those messages say that?”
“They did indeed.”
Jacques picked up the phone and deleted them.
“We will need to have a little talk when we get back to Devon don’t you think?” stated Vivienne.
The tone of her voice told Jacques that he’d need to tell her everything he could about the rather murkier side of his past.
Jacques half-smiled.
"Yes, boss."
[to be continued]
The rest of their journey down to Devon was done in relative silence. It reinforced the reality that Jacques was going to have to do a lot of explaining to do later that evening.
The sun was still high in the sky when Jacques drove the Van up the track to their home.
“Why don’t we leave unloading until morning?” suggested Jacques.
“Good idea. I’m bushed,” replied Vivienne in a firm voice.
That was settled, so they just took the items that were in the cab and headed for the Cottage.
After the warmth of the day, the interior of the cottage seemed cold. The thick stone walls did that to the place. Jacques quickly got the stove going and right away, the kitchen seemed ten degrees warmer.
Neither of them wanted to be the first to talk. In the end, it was Vivienne who made the first move. The kettle was taking an age to boil.
“A friend of mine from work did some digging in the archives. He sent me his report. It was waiting for me when I got to the old place. Tell me what you think.”
She put the note that Alec had sent to her on the table in front of Jacques.
He read it. Several times, he nodded his head.
“This is all in the archives?”
“Yes, the paper kind that the Inland Revenue is famous for the world over. No computer searches were involved. They are always logged and the new boss apparently checks them every day for signs of time-wasting. That was something I never did.”
“That’s good to know.”
“Is what he said correct? Between what Alec and a few snippets that Maxine let slip, the only conclusion I can come to is that you are a spook?”
Jacques looked at the kettle. It still hadn’t boiled.
“Yes and no. Yes, because I worked for a Government Department that can be considered part of the Security Services but isn’t MI5 or MI6. No, because I never spied on anyone. I was a form of troubleshooter. I still am from time to time but you know that already. When MI5 or MI6 cocked up, we were often sent in to clean up. We also took on cases that they could not work on. They would send people undercover but we’d be even more in the shadows”
Jacques paused for a second or so before continuing.
“Do you remember the incident where the head of MI5 was assassinated a few hours after an apartment in Chelsea was hit by an RPG?”
“Yeah. We were on lockdown for almost a whole day. Why?”
“That RPG was aimed at the flat where two of my colleagues lived. They were a thorn in the side of a really bad international criminal gang leader. They later dealt with that leader and his plot to infiltrate the Government at the highest levels. I was already living here. I was and as far as I know, still very under the radar. I have no internet footprint whatsoever. That means I can go… sorry did go undercover and know that I could not be found out so to speak. I did just that and help clean up the remnants of his organisation in the UK. We also dismantled most of his European organisation with the help of the security services across the continent.”
Jacques laughed.
"I say we… I did very little but validate and cross-reference documents for almost three weeks. In the end, I had a total picture of the criminal organisation’s setup and distribution network. It was that we shared with Interpol.”
Jacques smiled at Vivienne.
“Yes, I say ‘did’. The afternoon we met in London, I’d been to see my boss and resigned. It was the first time I’d been to HQ since the day after my wife died. He accepted it once I told him that I was involved with someone and that they were coming to live with me in Devon. I didn’t need to say anything more than that. As a result, I’m on the payroll until the end of August. That’s why I was able to use the resources of the department today. It is another reason why I want to stay very much under the radar for as long as possible. If my picture gets widely published then… lets’ just say that one or two undesirables will want to settle some old scores.”
“But you said that you had been told to see me by Maxine?”
"We were working at her home in Reigate when your text arrived. We'd been going over some documents relating to something very illegal for a couple of days and she read me the riot act. The result was that I stayed one more night with her and came up to London the next morning. I visited my wife's grave in the morning and went into the office and handed in my resignation. Then I met you. Not quite where Maxine had planned but it worked out, in the end, didn't it?"
Vivienne took her time to digest what he’d said. The kettle still hadn’t boiled.
“Why didn’t you tell me all this before?”
"There is an awful lot that I can’t tell you but I was trying to find the right moment to brief you on my true background. The P.I. that followed us today sort of forced my hand. I think he must have been either watching your house or the estate agents. Either way, he is out of the picture for the time being.”
Then Jacques leaned over and took Vivienne’s hand in his.
"If you want to bail out we can sort that out tomorrow. Act in haste, repent at leisure.”
Vivienne smiled.
“I’m going nowhere. If anything, today has proved even more that my daughters are getting rather desperate. Who knows what they’ll do next? But I do know that we can’t sit here doing nothing. I haven’t forgiven you for keeping all that stuff to yourself, yet!”
Jacques had sort of expected Vivienne to be harder on him.
“What do you think we should do?”
Vivienne got up to make the tea. The Kettle had finally come to the boil.
With two mugs of tea on the table in front of them, she sat down.
“Change our names, get married and get the other house finished. Oh, and sell my car as far away from here as we can. Then I’ll buy another car. One with a lot more range. The less data that my daughters or their P.I. can use to track me down the better. I’m not on any social media platform. I never felt the need then we were told that we should not use our own names if we did use Facebook and the like. I thought that it was all a waste of time so I never signed up.”
Jacques smiled.
Before he could say anything, Vivienne said,
“When we get married, you can put that item I bought on me. That will be my wedding ring.”
That shocked Jacques.
“Are you sure about that?”
“I am. I saw several women in Paris wearing them. That’s what gave me the idea. Another trip to Paris to order some nice new corsets and you can spend some time with your daughter would be nice.”
“You seem to have it all worked out.”
Vivienne laughed.
“No. Far from it. Winging it more like.”
“I think that you are right… On all counts especially, the bit about winging it. We both are doing a lot of that at the moment. We are both well out of practice at this romance thing aren’t we?”
Vivienne took a sip of the hot tea. It was still too hot to drink.
Instead, she stood up and took hold of Jacques’s hands.
“Time for you to do your stuff and make me happy!”
He knew exactly what she meant. The smile on her face meant that he was more or less forgiven.
“No rest for the wicked then?”
They both laughed.
“I like being wicked,” said Vivienne as they headed towards the bedroom.
“Far too many years of being nice has led to a big deficit in the naughty column.”
Jacques and Vivienne returned the van to the rental company the next morning without issue. The rental van was a weak point in their desire to remain anonymous due to the fact that the rental company’s name was clearly visible to everyone. If someone inside the company could be persuaded to tell someone else where the van had been rented from and suddenly, Vivienne’s daughters would be much nearer to finding their mother.
While they were in Plymouth, Vivienne took the opportunity to get a new SIM for her phone plus a new phone and SIM for Jacques. She ensured that both phones were in her name. She gave her old address to the network operator. Technically, she still owned it as the sale had not quite completed. Hopefully, that was another dead end she was leaving for her daughters.
With the old SIM still in place, Vivienne called her lawyer, Verity May.
"Hello, Verity."
“We are doing good. I can’t say the same for my dear daughters. They put a P.I. on our tail yesterday when we came to London to collect the last of my things.”
“Yes. He followed us for quite a while. We lost him when his car was pulled over by the Police.”
“I have no idea why. One minute there he was. The next, his car was surrounded by Police.”
“How? Jacques recognised him from some work he did last year.”
The story she was telling was a lie but like all the best lies, it contained a good deal of truth.
“Yes, they do seem to be getting rather desperate. We need to take evasive action.”
“Oh, just simple things like changing our names, getting married. At least then, Jacques is my nearest family member and not them. I have a new phone number. I’ll text you with it after this call. Then my old number will be out of service after today.”
“I’ll get the address on my new driving licence changed to here. The same goes for the passport. Which I’ll need in a couple of weeks. I need to take another trip to Paris. I have some unfinished business that needs concluding.”
“Yes, I am much more confident. Having someone to talk things over with really helps.”
“Can you sort out all the forms and the like? Jacques and I will be coming up to London on Monday. Firstly, to sell my car. I’m not going to sell it down here. That is far too easy to track. Then can we meet at Paddington to sign everything? I'll also need a Royal Mail diversion thingy. I was looking forward to meeting for lunch but I think it is prudent that we spend as little time in the Capital as possible.”
“Yes, I am sure,” said Vivienne looking at Jacques and smiling.
"I have some documents that need safekeeping. The cost is not important. As long as I don’t know where they are then I can’t be forced to tell now can I?”
“The documents are all my diaries from the last thirty years. If what I think they are planning comes true then I’ll need them.”
“Why my dear Verity, to help me prove that I’m not stark raving mad and I’m really just a woman who is living out her fantasies.”
“That sounds as good a place as any. You sort it out. You have my power of attorney. I think now is a good time to start using it don’t you?”
“Yes Verity, I won’t. See you Monday. I’ll text you a time but probably between two and three.”
Vivienne hung up. Her heart was pounding.
“How did I do?”
“Very well. Are you sure that you haven’t been doing this for years?” replied Jacques.
Vivienne laughed.
“You have to remember that my job entailed getting blood out of many stones. Lying through my back teeth about what evidence we had was all part of the job. You’d be surprised at how quickly people cave in and pay up when presented with a few half-truths.”
Jacques gave her a look that said, ‘it is just as well that we are on the same side’.
Vivienne sighed.
“I need to call Janice. It is her birthday today.”
Jacques laughed.
“Rather you than me. You can use your laptop when we go into town to do the shopping. That way, she won’t have our new phone numbers.”
Vivienne gave him a long kiss.
“You are full of very good ideas my darling.”
Jacques laughed.
“That is the spook in me I’m afraid.”
Once the formalities were over, it didn’t take long for Janice to start sounding off about her lover Jacques.
“But Mum… he is so much younger than you?”
"That's rubbish and you know it. Ten years is nothing really. He's not a toyboy. He's fifty years old not fresh out of nappies! Besides, he makes me feel twenty-five again. Isn't that a good thing or are you trying to get me into my grave already?"
“That’s not what I meant and you know it.”
“I know nothing of the sort. All I do know is that he makes me happy both in and out of bed.”
Vivienne looked at her daughter’s image on the screen. She was wearing what appeared to be yet another brand-new outfit. Janice hadn’t hidden the price tag completely inside her collar.
"I can see that our lives have totally diverged. I failed to make you worldly-wise. How much did you spend on that outfit from Jasper Conran? Two hundred pounds? More? I have different priorities in life these days. So please excuse me, I have a chicken to catch otherwise we will not be eating much over the weekend!"
Vivienne hung up the call without waiting for Janice to say goodbye. She knew that she’d done her duty by saying ‘Happy Birthday’ to her daughter. The memory of how they’d treated her on her birthday still rankled with her. Neither of them had even now, said sorry and ‘Happy Birthday Mum!’.
Vivienne closed the laptop and went in search of Jacques feeling awful that she’d lost it again with her daughter and resorted to ranting at her.
Over the next two days, the couple worked together on the new house. Between them, they managed to get all of the remaining windows installed and make it finally watertight. The hard work had also allowed Vivienne to temporarily forget the issues with her daughter.
“They look good,” commented Vivienne.”
“They will be even better when I wire them up.”
“Wire them up?”
“Oh yeah. They are made using the same principle as the windows in the Boeing 787. They can be dimmed. Also, they are one-way glass. Why don’t you go outside and stand twenty metres away and then tell me what you see?”
Vivienne went outside and did as she was told.
She couldn't see anything that was going on inside. She came closer. It wasn't until she was just a few inches away from the glass before she could see Jacques making faces at her. She returned the compliment.
“You can wander around in just your corset if you want. No one can see you!”
Vivienne took that as an invitation to undress. As she was doing so, she laughed at how far she come and how much she’d changed in just a few short weeks.
She did a dance for Jacques who tried hard not to laugh.
He interrupted Vivienne with a kiss.
“You are one crazy woman. You know that?”
“Crazy in a nice way though!”
The following Saturday was Farmers Market day which meant that they rose at the crack of dawn to get things ready. Even so, it was a bit of a rush. There was not even time for breakfast before they had to leave to set up the stall.
"We can get something to eat once we are set up," said Vivienne.
“True. The stall two along from us makes a mean Pork Bun.”
“Good. My treat.”
"But we need the store set up before that,"
"Yes, Boss!"
They both grinned at each other.
With the two of them working hard, the market was a great success.
“We did well today,” said Jacques as he counted the takings that evening.
“That’s good. We can go shopping tomorrow.”
Jacques didn’t immediately respond.
“What’s the problem?”
“I’ve been thinking about your Daughters.”
Vivienne let Jacques continue.
“They are really determined to get you under their control, aren’t they?”
“It very much seems that way.”
“Then we need to fight them. Stop running away. Go after them and get them to put their cards on the table.”
Vivienne shook her head.
“Oh, I know what they want. They want my money. As my next of kin, they think that if they get me declared mentally incompetent they can put me away and then spend my money.”
“Why do you say that?”
“Let me get my diary. I have their hints and nudges all recorded.”
“What else is in them?”
Vivienne smiled.
"Oh, just all my fantasies. Some of what you have seen. It is all in there and a lot more. But ever since they started making suggestions about moving into a retirement complex, I have been recording all my interactions with them in some detail apart from the last few days that is.”
“Sounds like a Hollywood epic?”
"It all depends on which side of the camera you are on.”
Vivienne disappeared into the one-bedroom that the cottage possessed to retrieve the diaries from the ancient tin box that she’d transported them down from London in.
She soon reappeared carrying the box that held all of them.
“Here you go. Start about January the 19th,” said Vivienne handing over the diary marked 2018.
Vivienne didn’t sit down.
“I’m going to bed if that is all right. Knock yourself out. But once you have read that literary masterpiece, I’m sure that it will be clear what their plan is.”
“How will they get you declared mentally unfit?”
“They will need to get me assessed under the Mental Capacity Act for England and Wales.”
"It is pretty obvious that you have researched this to some depth?"
"I did. I know that I’m sane but a little eccentric as you have come to find out.”
Jacques smiled and picked up the Diary but didn’t open it.
“Are you sure that there aren’t things in here that I shouldn’t read?”
Vivienne smiled.
“Oh, you mean the dreams I had about doing nasty sexual things to you and you to me.”
Jacques was about to say something but didn’t. Out of courtesy, he waited until Vivienne had gone upstairs to bed before he said a few choice words in French under his breath.
Vivienne woke up the next morning and realised that something was wrong. Jacques was not lying next to her. Then she noticed that his part of the bed hadn’t been slept in.
She sank back into the bed. It didn’t take a genius to guess what Jacques had been doing pretty well all night. She hadn’t really thought that he’d read the lot but that is what must have happened.
Vivienne got dressed and went downstairs. Jacques was nowhere to be seen. Then she heard the Ducks. She went to the door and saw that he was feeding them. She felt relieved. Relived that he was still here after reading the ramblings of a slightly eccentric and slightly crazy old woman.
Vivienne then looked at the kitchen table. Three of her diaries were on the table beside the tin box. It looked as if Jacques had fallen asleep at the table. There were some papers with his handwriting on the table but she managed to not take a peek. Instead, she started to prepare breakfast for them both.
The twenty-odd chickens that lived on the smallholding, provided them with a plentiful supply of eggs. Six Eggs plus some fresh herbs went into a bowl along with some salt and pepper, and bingo! Omelette mix. She put the kettle on to boil and a pan on for the Omelettes. She was just pouring the tea when Jacques returned.
“Good morning darling,” said Vivienne.
“Tea and with a Cheese and Spring Onion Omelette?”
“Sounds good to me.”
Vivienne poured some of the mix into the pan and started to cook the dish. She added the cheese and spring onion mix right at the end and expertly folded it over.
“Did you sleep at the table?” she asked as she put two plates down on the table.
“Afraid so. I read your latest two diaries and then took two more at random. You don’t pull any punches in what you write do you?”
“If you look back to the start, you will see a different tone. In later years, they became a way of relieving the stress of the day.”
“That was pretty clear. Your writing style changes quite a bit.”
“And?”
“And what?” asked Jacques.
“And, you still want me here with you? With all my darkest secrets and everything?”
He finished drying his hands and came up behind Vivienne. He put his arms around her and kissed the back of her neck. She visibly shuddered.
“Hey stop that!”
“Don’t you like it?”
“Not while I have a heavy cast iron pan in one hand I don’t!”
Jacques backed away grinning from ear to ear.
Vivienne had her answer.
“It must have been hard for you to show me your diaries?” he asked when they’d finished eating.
“At first, I didn’t want to but I realised that I didn’t want any secrets between us as far as possible. Besides, you got to see all my fantasies, didn’t you?”
Jacques laughed.
“Some at least. Some of them are a pure delight. C’est Fantastique sounds much better.”
“Now you know where my craziness comes from.”
“I do but it is clear that your daughters don’t get it at all. Your documentation of their words and actions shows a clear pattern of behaviour and your increased resistance to what they are demanding.”
Vivienne leaned over and kissed Jacques.
“At least I have one person on my side… Or do you think that I’m losing my marbles?”
“I am on your side and no, you are not losing your marbles. But…”
Vivienne groaned.
“But,” said Jacques carrying on.
“I think you may well have to demonstrate your competency. Take this decision to give everything to Charity? They will certainly want to challenge that.”
“And they’ll get nowhere,” retorted Vivienne.
She looked in the box and pulled out her diary for 2009.
After some searching, she found the bit she wanted.
“Read this.”
Jacques read the section. It was for the day of Vivienne’s 50th Birthday.
“You told them that long ago that most of your money was going to Charity?”
“I did and my will that dates from a week or so later will validate that. I made some provision for my children. That Will remained in force until recently. That’s when I added the codicil to cut them out of it entirely.”
“If we get married then you will need a new will.”
Vivienne shook her head.
"I put a specific provision in the will for me getting hitched again. All it needs is another codicil signed by you for it to stand.”
“You are one careful woman Vivienne!”
“That’s because I almost got burned by a dirty rotten bastard the previous year. I escaped his clutches by the skin of my teeth so I decided to think again about my will. I decided there and then to make a condition of getting married again, that my wishes as detailed in the Will remain in force.”
She looked Jacques right in the eye.
“I hope you don’t mind that my darling?”
Jacques leaned over and kissed her.
“I don’t mind at all. I live a pretty simple life here. I’m sure that we can as well for a good few years to come.”
That reply caused Vivienne to come around to the other side of the table and straddle Jacques. After a hug and a long kiss, a few tears of happiness rolled down her cheeks.
When she’d recovered, Jacques said,
“When I was reading your 2018 diary, I got to thinking about what you suggested we do next.”
Vivienne was suddenly all ears.
"I agree with you in that we need to get married ASAP. Then I will become your legal guardian. As I will sign a declaration renouncing all current and future claims to your estate, I can’t be accused of marrying you for the money. I do think that we need to go on the offensive as regards your daughters go. To be honest, I think that we would be silly to wait for them to come after you and by implication me. If they can hire a Private Eye then so can we. If you are right and they are in trouble financially then putting that on the table may just cause them to back off.”
“That makes sense.”
“But you will have to appear to be living a very normal life until they are no longer a threat.”
“What do you mean?”
“Wear normal clothes including underwear and shoes. We’ll wear traditional wedding rings and be… a normal wife. All normal things. I’m sorry my darling but your eccentric lifestyle will have to be put on hold for the time being.”
Vivienne’s shoulders sagged.
She didn’t say anything for a while.
“I suppose you are right.”
“You need to talk to your lawyer. If she has your interests at heart then I’m sure that she’ll agree with me.”
“What about when we are here?”
“Especially when you are here. You never know when another PI might be around and capture everything on video.”
“I don’t want to.”
"I know you don't but I don't see any way out of it. If you want them out of your life once and for all then this is how I'd do it. We are meeting your lawyer on Monday, aren't we?"
“Yes, we are.”
“I think we should meet her but at her offices. Be open about you going there and consulting your legal representative. You have nothing to hide,”
Vivienne laughed.
“Only my corset and nipples…”
“Then you will have to wear clothes that keep them invisible as much as possible.”
“I was looking forward to going to Paris again,” said Vivienne looking slightly dejected.
“I know you were and we can still go but not just yet ok?”
“I suppose so.”
“Good. Now you need to update Verity when she’s in the office. Then we can start looking for a new car for you, can’t we?”
“I’m still selling my Leaf for cash.”
“Absolutely. Keep them guessing about what we are doing.”
“Sounds like we have a plan then?”
Jacques grinned.
“And the first step is for me to tighten your laces. Monsieur Henri will never forgive you if you don’t keep up with the plan.”
[to be continued]
Vivienne spoke at length on the phone with her lawyer, Verity May later that day. After some discussion of the downsides to the plan to change their names, Verity agreed with what Jacques had outlined. Their previously planned meeting for Monday was still going to take place but at her offices. That way, anyone watching her offices will see nothing out of the ordinary other than a client visiting their lawyer. Verity called it ‘scheming in plain sight’.
Verity had promised to have all the documents that Vivienne had requested ready for their signatures apart from a few missing details that would be filled in on the day.
That afternoon, Jacques and Vivienne went into Plymouth to do some grocery shopping. At the supermarket, the used a machine that produced Passport Photos while you wait. Those would be needed for the meeting in London for their new documentation.
Once their shopping was done, they went to the local Apple Store. There, they bought a replacement laptop for Vivienne as hers had somehow damaged its screen during the move to Devon. They also took the chance to use one of the demonstration computers to search for cars and also a place to sell Vivienne’s current vehicle.
“Can we be in London or close by so we can park the car and then at Verity’s by ten?” asked Vivienne after searching for places to sell her car on the spot. One of them in West London had a slot at 15:00 on the following Monday.
“We need to get everything done with Verity, and back to the car and have enough time to get to the car-buying site.”
“It should be doable if we park at Richmond. Once you have sold your car, we can get a cab to the dealers and drive off in your new car,” replied Jacques.
Vivienne had seen a car that was the same make, model and colour as Maxine’s.
“It should not need any work doing to it. The advert says that it has only done three thousand miles. It was probably the demonstrator for last years model,” commented Jacques.
“Do you like the colour?”
“What is it called again?”
“Caesium Blue. There is just something about that colour that makes me want to smile,” replied Vivienne.
“Then why not give them a call?”
Vivienne went outside to make the call to the dealers in West London.
She found the salesman a bit stiffy when she told him that the car was for her. Vivienne countered by saying that a close friend of hers drove one and she was a woman. Eventually, the dealer agreed to put a 'hold' on the car until the close of business on Monday. They also agreed to have it ready to drive away. They could apply for a road fund license online at the dealers. All that remained was for Vivienne to arrange insurance.
"All done. We have until 5 pm on Monday to either buy or pass on the car."
“Insurance?”
“I’ll need to arrange temporary cover from my current company.”
Jacques smiled.
“What are you waiting for? The car won’t be finished charging for another twenty minutes.”
Vivienne looked at the charging app display on her phone. Jacques was telling the truth so she went off to call here insurers. That took longer than she’d hoped. Because she was moving out of London, getting a much more powerful car and adding Jacques to the list of drivers, she needed a complete requote. She got a bit of a shock when she was told the price. It was more than double the cost of her current policy. She bit her teeth and said ok but not to put anything in place until she called them. They understood the situation which pleased her.
The last call she made was to the place that was hopefully going to buy her car. She booked it in for 3:00 pm on Monday. Their office was only two miles away from the car dealership so getting there would be easy.
“All done,” she said when she returned to the car.
Jacques was sitting with his eyes closed. He didn’t move.
Vivienne gently laughed but then felt a bit sorry for him. He was fast asleep. It was clear that he’d stayed up late the other night reading more of her diaries that he’d admitted.
As quietly as she could, she disconnected the charger and got into the driver’s seat.
Thankfully, as the car was electric, it was virtually silent until she put it into reverse. Then the reversing bleep started to sound. Vivienne froze for half a second but Jacques hadn’t moved. Then she saw that he’d put his seatbelt on. She could not remember if it was on when she’d returned to the car or not.
She shrugged her shoulders and drove out of the car park.
“I was just resting my eyes,” came a voice from her left.
“Really?”
“Could have fooled me?”
Jacques just grunted and kept his eyes closed. Vivienne did detect a slight smile appear on his face.
Once again, she said thank you to Maxine for introducing her to this marvellous man. That meeting had changed her life in so many ways and apart from her daughters, they were all positive.
Vivienne had just pulled into an ‘American Diner’ on the A303 east of Honiton. She was connecting the charger up to her car. Both of them were ready for some breakfast.
“Why don’t you go and take a look? I need to figure out how to use this charger.”
Jacques wandered off towards the diner leaving Vivienne wafting her credit card over the reader on the charger.
A minute later Vivienne joined him.
“It was so simple. Just plug in, swipe my contactless card and press start.”
“Good. They have just opened. Shall we go in?”
“Please. I could do with a cuppa or two.”
Over breakfast, Vivienne asked Jacques about the notes and sketches he’d made the other night.
“Just some doodles. We can think about them when we get your daughters off your back.”
“Come on darling, can’t you give me a hint or three?”
“No, I can’t!” said Jacques being firm with her for once.”
“Ohhhh. I like it when you get all like that,” joked Vivienne.
“Hello Verity, this is Jacques,” said Vivienne as they were shown into her office.
Vivienne could see Verity size up Jacques and possibly mentally undress him.
Verity smiled and shook his hand. Vivienne breathed a mental sigh of relief. Verity’s expression told her that she approved of Jacques.
“Please take a seat. I have everything ready as I can.”
With them seated, Verity became all ‘lawyery’.
“Why don’t we start with names? Vivienne?”
“Delphine… Delphine Dubois,” replied Vivienne hesitantly.
“One of my Grandmothers was called Delphine. She came to England after WW2 with her husband who’d been shot down in early 1944. Her family hid him until they were liberated.”
“You never said that you were part French?” exclaimed Jacques.
"My Grandfather, who was the one-shot down, was her second husband. Her first husband was killed in June 1940. My mother was very young when that happened and could never remember him.” [1]
Vivienne filled in some details on her computer screen. The printer at the side of her desk burst into life. Five sheets of paper came out. Verity stapled them together and turned her attention to Jacques.
“Jacques?”
“Michel La Fontaine. It was my great, great grandfathers name,” said Jacques.
Once a similar number of sheets had been printed, Verity called for two people to witness the signatures.
It was all so simple. Two minutes later, their names were changed. No more Vivienne, no more Jacques.
“Right,” said Verity.
“Now for the passports. I’ve filled in everything apart from your new names and your signatures. Your old ones please, and the photos.”
With the forms signed, Verity put them into separate envelopes along with their existing passports.
“I’ll put cheques for payment in later. Now for the driving licenses.”
Ten minutes later, they were done.
Verity put the remaining copies of the ‘Deed Poll’ that documented their change of names into another envelope and handed it to Delphine.
“I’ll pay the Mail Diversion online. They’ll send a verification copy to your old address.”
“That’s fine. I left your address as my contact for mail.”
“And I’ll forward that to you as we agreed.”
"Thanks, Verity," said Delphine.
“I think that there is something else? There is isn’t there?”
“You could always read me,” said Delphine.
“So?”
“It is my daughters.”
“Now why didn’t I think of that?”
Verity facepalmed herself.
All three of them laughed. Verity recovered first.
“What can I do to help?”
“They hired a P.I. to spy on us. We…”
Delphine looked at Michel who smiled.
“We want to do the same to them. Find out exactly how deep in the mire they are. You know the sort of thing?”
“Going on the offensive I see?”
“It can’t hurt provided that the Investigator can’t be traced back to you?”
Verity grinned.
“Not a problem. We have a law firm in Bristol that we use for work like this. They don’t come cheap though?”
Delphine smiled.
“I’ll transfer some more money to your bank today.”
"Thanks, Viv… Delphine.”
She sighed.
“It will take some time to stop calling you Vivienne after what is it? Fifty years?”
“Fifty-one years and eight months or thereabouts.”
Delphine stood up. Michel followed. Their business was done.
“Don’t be a stranger when this is all over,” said Delphine to Verity as they hugged each other.
“We won’t. Jerry does not need much of an excuse to get out of London.”
“I’ll keep you to that promise.”
"Hello, Michel. It is nice to meet you."
"Hello, Delphine. You do seem to remind me of someone? I think her name was Vivienne?"
“Vivienne? I don’t think I know anyone of that name?”
They hugged each other laughing.
When they broke apart, Delphine said,
“Thank you, Maxine. Thank you, for rescuing me. Thank you for introducing me to a wonderful man, a wonderful Frenchman named Michel,”
Then she whispered into his ear,
“If I was not wearing knickers you could have me right now,”
“Right here?”
“Yes, right here!”
Their moment of joy was spoilt by the arrival of a train with the word “Richmond” on the front.
[one and a half hours later]
“I’ve come to see this car,” said Delphine.
She showed the salesman a picture of the car on her phone.
“I’m afraid that is being held for someone,” said the man.
“Yes. That’s me. If you were to call the number that the caller gave then it will ring here.”
“Oh?”
“Can we see the car?”
“Oh yes, please come this way.”
Both of them gave the car a real thorough going over.
“Why is it for sale? These have not been on sale for very long?” asked Delphine.
“It was our demonstrator and is the 2019 Model. We have a 2020 model arriving next week.”
“Ok. It looks good. A friend of mine has one just like this and I liked it. Can I take it for a test drive?”
The salesman looked at Michel.
“I’m more of an old-style ‘Defender’ sort of person,” he replied guessing that the salesman was expecting it to be the man who would be buying the car.
“It is ready to go? Importantly, is the battery fully charged?”
“Yes. Our service people gave it the once over earlier and we cleaned it as well. The battery is almost fully charged. As you can see it is charging now.”
“Good. Can we do a short test drive? Just down the A4 for a bit would be fine.”
"That is possible. Don't you have a car to trade-in?"
“Oh no. I sold it just before we came here.”
“We could have given you a good price if it was any good.”
“That might be true but I had my reasons to want to do it this way,” said Delphine in a way that told the salesman that she was very clear in what she wanted and that no amount of sales flim-flam would shift her position.
[after the short test drive]
“That was fine," said Delphine. “I’ll take it.”
“Don’t you want to quibble over the price?” asked the salesman.
“Not really. I want to just do the paperwork, pay the money, get it insured and go. We have a long drive ahead of us.”
“Oh? Where too?” asked the salesman.
“Lampeter. That’s in West Wales, to the south of Aberystwyth. The capability to go off-road will be perfect for when we move into our new home. It is a little remote and the track up to it is not exactly flat.”
“Oh. I’ll get started on the paperwork.”
[Thirty minutes later]
“Ok, thanks. The cover starts from now?” said Delphine into her phone.
“That’s good. If you send me the new policy document by email I’ll pay the difference by bank transfer tomorrow.”
“Thanks. That’s all I need at the moment.”
Delphine hung up the call.
“That’s it darling, we are good to go. The car is insured for me to drive so is there no reason to hang around?”
“I don’t think so,” said Michel.
“Lets’ go then?”
"Yes, boss!"
“Glad to be back?” asked Michel as Delphine parked the new car next to his decidedly tatty Land Rover.
“Yes. London is just so noisy when you compare it to here. Smelly as well.”
“That’s why I love it here so much. What about you?”
“It is growing on me like you are,” said Delphine with a devilish grin on her face.
“About that?”
“Yes?”
“That bit of you that isn’t growing… It has gone as far as it can at the moment.”
“What do you mean?”
"The edges of your corset… they meet. Your waist is getting too small for it. I noticed it this morning.”
Vivienne who had just put the kettle on came and sat on Michel’s lap.
"Do you like it?"
He didn’t answer right away.
“At first, I didn’t.”
“But you have grown to like the new me?”
“I have but… Are you sure that you want to go smaller?”
“I do but not much. I want to look good and curvy for you. Finding that cutting again has given me some direction. It is something that I can only do myself. Yes, you lace me up every day but the rest is down to me and me alone. Can you understand that?”
“Your little demon?”
“One of them. There are at least two sitting on my shoulders.”
Michel laughed.
“Where do I sit? Which shoulder?”
It was Delphine’s turn to laugh.
“Neither. You sit right in my heart and…”
She looked down.
"Have you turned into a sex-mad nympho?"
“Maybe but we both have a lot of time to catch up for, don’t we?”
“We both do but we have to get over a few hurdles, first don’t we?”
“Then get our love nest finished as well?”
“Yes, there is that of course.”
“You haven’t really commented on my new little toy?” asked Delphine.
“Your car?”
“I’m thinking of calling her Vixen.”
Michel laughed.
“Not ‘Big Toy’”
Delphine hit Michel on the arm.
"What did you honestly think about her?"
“I’m just wondering how long it will be before you get your first speeding ticket.”
“I really do not know what you mean?”
“Pah. I suppose that you didn’t see three figures come up on the speedo near as we passed near the Thruxton Motor Racing Circuit on the A303 then?”
"Well… I had to see what she could do, didn't I? It was effortless wasn’t it?”
“Your face all the way home was one big smile. I guess if it makes you happy then that’s fine by me.”
“Don’t worry darling, once the Insurance is paid up you can drive it. I’m itching to try your Land Rover out.”
“Not in those heels you won’t.”
“Spoilsport!”
Delphine snuggled down in the bed feeling so happy that Michel was right next to her.
[to be continued]
[1] The story of Vivienne’s Grandfather in WW2 will be told in a forthcoming story.
While they waited for things beyond their control such as passports and driving licenses to be processed, Michel and Delphine worked together on the Smallholding and the new house.
Despite Delphine's protestations, she eventually gave in and started wearing a pair of dungarees and work boots. She refused point-blank to stop wearing stockings even though on some days, a pair of leggings were worn between them and the dungarees.
The work well and truly bonded them as a team. Michel introduced her to the delights of potting on herbs on a scale that she had never dreamed about. For once, she thanked whoever it was who had made her decide not to get her nails done for that advice. Her hands despite wearing gloves were usually ingrained with dirt by the end of the day. Ample supplies of hand cream helped repair the damage.
The physical activity they were doing naturally made her hungry. Whilst, her appetite was huge but could only take food in small amounts so she ended up snacking a lot. This amused Michel considerably.
Nevertheless, the day arrived when they had their new driving licenses and passports in their possession.
“We can plan the trip to Paris now,” suggested Michel.
Delphine shook her head.
“I think we should try to get married first and then use the trip as our honeymoon. What do you think?”
“That seems a good idea. It would be nice to get it done within a couple of weeks as it is Gabrielle’s Birthday. We have not celebrated it together for about five years.”
“That seems like we have a plan,” said Delphine.
“We can take my car,” she suggested.
“Are you sure that you can charge it in France?”
“I don’t know. I’ll need to investigate that. I remember seeing a Renault Zoe charging near Gabrielle’s apartment so the answer is probably yes but I’ll need to find out.”
“Where will we sail from?”
"Portsmouth to Le Havre or Caen. Those are closer to Paris than Roscoff or Saint-Malo."
“We should start getting things arranged. I think we can leave things for a few days. The recent fine weather has not only allowed us to catch up but we are ahead of planting and potting on of herbs for sale.”
Then Michel said,
“It might be good to give Gabrielle a call. She could visit their Monsieur Henri to see if he closes after Bastille Day. A lot of shops and businesses in Paris close up or offer reduced services until the beginning of September.”
Delphine kissed her lover.
“I like it when you make decisions.”
The temporary halt on work allowed Delphine to not only stop wearing the overalls but to try to get the skin on her hands back to something less like sandpaper. Their lovemaking also returned to something approaching normality.
Delphine was just not used to manual work and despite offers from Michel, she refused to remove her corset.
“I’ve started down this process and I’m as sure as hell going to complete it!”
Michel was also thinking about when they could move up to the new house. One of the first jobs that Michel had completed in the building was installing a shower right next to the rear entrance. There was a utility/boot room with a toilet and a walk-in shower attached. It was the only place where they could take a shower so they were forever going backwards and forwards to use the facility. Both of them didn’t want to be having to do that come the winter.
All the time they are down in Devon, the Private Investigator that Verity had hired on their behalf was working away. He was gathering quite a pile of useful information. After ten actual days of work, he turned his report into the associates of Verity who, in turn, passed it onto Delphine.
Verity had to read it from end to end twice before she totally understood just how deep in the financial mire Suzanne and Janice were.
After making two copies of the report she was preparing to send one to Delphine but decided that she needed to deliver it herself. She texted her client.
“Have the present you wanted. Am coming down by 09:30 from Paddington tomorrow. Ok?”
As soon as she read the text, Delphine knew that what Verity had to show her was pure dynamite. Getting Verity to travel outside of London on her own was usually next to impossible. That told her an awful lot about the situation. She responded.
“Great. See you soon. Lots to talk about.”
Michel was in the woods somewhere making something. She knew that it was his little world. A place where he could be on his own for a few hours. Delphine did not mind this one little bit. As they were living and working together, a few hours apart was good for them so, she resisted going in search of her lover. There was nothing to be done until the next day anyway.
A while later, the Mail Van came up the track. Delphine went out to meet it.
“Hello Delphine,” said the ‘Postie’, Charlie Sands. He lived in the next valley to them so was one of their neighbours.
“What have you got for me today then Charlie?”
“Three letters. One looks rather official. Is has been redirected?"
"Thanks, Charlie. Jacques is away in the woods somewhere."
The locals knew Michel as Jacques and they’d agreed not to go out of their way to correct them.
“I know. I saw the smoke from one of his charcoal kilns. Tell him that I said hello.”
“I will Charlie. Thanks.”
Delphine watched Charlie disappear down the track to continue with his deliveries.
She took one look at the letter that had been re-directed by the Post Office. It was for her, or rather the ‘old’ her. It was addressed to Vivienne Carter.
When she opened it, she knew immediately that it was bad news.
The words ‘Mental Health Competency Examination’ leapt off the page at her. Her dear darling daughters had really gone too far this time. It was just as well that Verity was coming down the next day.
After a period of contemplation, she sent a text to Verity.
“Daughters officially think I’m out of my mind and want me examined. Delphine.”
Verity replied a few minutes later.
“What I was expecting. Didn’t think that they’d move so quickly. Got it in hand. Speak Tomorrow.”
Her reply comforted Delphine a little bit but suddenly her whole future was looking rather bleak.
One look at her told him that something was wrong, very wrong. The sheet of paper in her hand was the clue.
He gently eased it out of her hand and read it.
As he did so, his heart sank. It was clear that her daughters were going for the jugular. They wanted Vivienne to attend a formal examination to assess her mental capacity. It was obvious that they wanted her to be declared unable to make decisions on her own behalf.
The thing was that the woman sitting opposite him had made probably made more decisions since she’d turned sixty than in the previous five or ten years combined. Most of them had been entirely sensible. Those that were not entirely sensible, were very much what she’d promised to do in her diaries. He could not see how… The decisions of the medical and legal professions were as much a mystery to him as to most of the population.
The only bright point was that the letter was addressed to Vivienne Carter. As Vivienne Carter no longer existed there would be a time delay while the other side realised that Delphine was Vivienne.
Michel sat down next to Delphine.
“Don’t worry my darling. Didn’t we sort of expect this?”
“But it is so soon. They must have been planning this from long before my birthday.”
“I agree and for that, they can never be forgiven. They have betrayed you. You didn’t bring them up to be like this.”
Delphine knew that he was right but she didn’t want to go there so she changed the subject.
“Verity is coming down tomorrow. She has the PI’s report.”
“Then my dear, there is nothing to be done until she is here.”
Delphine tried to smile but didn’t get very far.
“What were you doing today? Charlie the Postie said that you were down near the Charcoal Kilns but you don’t smell like it?”
“I was there making something from a nice bit of Ash. I got the fire going to make some tea.”
This time, Delphine did manage a smile.
“No Coffee then?”
“No, my darling, tea. Not everyone from 'La Belle France' drinks coffee all the time. Besides, I've been here almost as long as I lived in France."
Delphine managed to give Michel a brief kiss.
“That’s more like the woman I have come to know and love.”
Deep down inside, he knew that the woman in front of him was putting on an act of normality.
Delphine was still very subdued when Michel drove her car into Totnes to meet the train from London the next lunchtime.
“I’m so glad you came down. She’s a bit fragile I’m afraid.”
“I understand. I have some good news which may help cheer her up.”
“Here’s the car,” said Michel with a bit of pride in his voice.
Verity looked at it and smiled.
“So, this is her new toy then?”
“She’s called her ‘Vixen’.”
“Stands to reason. She was friends with a pretty tame Vixen when we were at school. She fed it scraps from her meals.”
“Ah, that makes sense now.”
They didn’t say much more until they reached the smallholding. Delphine wasn’t visible.
“She’s probably in the kitchen. She has hardly moved since the letter came yesterday.”
“I’d be worried if I’d received one like that but I have some good news.”
“Be better if I tell you both together.”
Michel was about to say ‘sounds rather ominous’ but held off.
"Thanks for coming down here today Verity," said Delphine.
“I needed to go through the report with you. It has a bearing on the other letter you received and then on how we respond.”
“But!” said Michel,
"I think Verity needs a little tour of the estate. Darling, why don't you show her around. Don't forget the new place. I'll get lunch ready. I know that it is a little late but it will help us all to relax a bit don't you think?"
“Come on Delphine. I’m eager to see your new home. From what I’ve seen so far, it is delightful.”
It was a slightly weary Delphine who got up from the table and led their guest outside.
Michel sank into a chair. The day was going to be hard going. He hoped that Verity’s presence would help lighten Delphine’s mood.
With the two women out of the way, Michel began to prepare some Lunch. They were having a 'Salad Nicoise'. The only things not produced at the smallholding was the rapeseed oil [1] and the smoked Mackerel which came from Cornwall, that replaced the normal Anchovies and Tuna. It was one of Delphine’s favourite meals especially with the inclusion of Duck Eggs instead of Hen’s Eggs.
When it was ready to serve, Michel went outside and sat in the sun. There was no sign of the women which was good. A few minutes later he heard the sound of voices then they appeared on the other side of the small valley.
Delphine waved at him. Michel waved back. His hopes for a successful outcome for the day had risen quite a bit.
Over Lunch, Verity outlined the report that the P.I. had produced. The financial figures were quite startling.
“Janice has over £30,000 worth of Credit Card debt. Mark has not even tried to reign in her shopping. He’s been having an affair with one of his colleagues from work but, he has even bigger problems of his own in that he is about to lose his job. As you know, he works for a Mobile Phone Company. They are rapidly offshoring every job they can. The pair are up shit creek and facing Bankruptcy. That also means that Janice will lose her job because her firm has a rule about not employing people who are Bankrupt of are in a family with an undischarged Bankrupt."
“They were warned,” said Delphine wearily.
“I told her time and time again that they were living way beyond their means. It is all in my Diaries.”
“Speaking of them, you didn’t bring them with you the last time you were up in London.”
“Sorry for that,” said Michel.
“We left here pretty early and left them sitting on the table. Can you take them with you?”
“Yes. If what Delphine has said, there is a clear pattern of behaviour in what Suzanne and Janice have been doing and that it leads to what they are doing now.”
“Don’t forget that instruction of mine from 2009,” said Delphine.
Michel looked blank.
“Suzanne wanted to start a business. In 2008/2009 we were in the middle of the banking crisis. It was next to impossible to find a financial institution that was lending money to anyone for anything. She came to me and wanted me to invest in her project. I told her right there and then, No. Then she went through what my income was and what she estimated my outgoings were. How she got all the facts I don’t know. Perhaps she went through my files but it scared me. I went to the solicitor who had drawn up my will and together we drew up an instruction. It was signed and witnessed and also duly notarized."
Verity took over.
“That instruction tells me as I’m now the named executor of her will and also have her power of attorney, to liquidate all of Vivienne’s, current Delphine’s financial holdings and donate it all to charity.”
Michel was stunned by this revelation.
"I was clearly as mad as a hatter even then?"
“No, you aren’t and that is why their move makes no sense until you understand why they want to get their hands on your assets.”
“What about Suzanne?” asked Michel.
“The report is very clear on that. Her café is teetering on the edge. She hasn't taken a salary for six months. Some suppliers are demanding cash on delivery. Both of your daughters are in a clear state of the financial meltdown."
“What about James, Suzanne’s husband?” asked Michel.
“Ah yes. He’s got a mistress. The PI said that he’s smitten by her and may very well leave Suzanne. As you know, his family are loaded and by all accounts not very impressed by the new lady in their son’s life.”
“They love Suzanne because she has provided the family with a male heir. They’ll stick by her if the marriage breaks down,” said Delphine.
“Her father in law more or less told me that at the Christening.”
“Even with all her brood?” asked Verity.
“Yes. Hubby is one of seven. Six sisters and him.”
“But her business is in the pits?” asked Delphine.
“It is. Someone is putting in just enough money to keep the wolves from the door but only just,” said Verity.
“My PI has tried to find the source of those funds but so far he’s drawn a blank.”
There was silence in the kitchen. Michel looked at Delphine. Some colour had returned to her cheeks.
“What do we do next?” asked Michel as he took Delphine’s hand in his.
“I take these diaries back to London and read them. I’ll make copies of the relevant bits that record the behaviour of Delphine’s daughters. I’ll take them and your instruction to me and put it to your daughters and their legal representatives. They won't have a leg to stand on when it comes to proceeding with any mental examination of you my dear Vivienne. Yes, Vivienne. To me, you have always been my friend right from the days of being quarantined together with Measles."
Delphine surprised Michel by giving Verity a huge hug. Tears were streaming down her face. All the stress of the previous 36 hours seemed to evaporate in just a few moments.
“We aren’t out of the woods yet but I’m sure that one section of the Mental Assessment Review process will stop them in their tracks,” said Verity.
“I don’t know it. What does it say?” asked Michel.
“It goes something like, ‘A person cannot be deemed to lack capacity solely because they make an 'unwise' decision.'. They seem to be assuming that your refusal to give them close on a million quid is your unwise decision. In over 35 years as a lawyer, I've yet to meet a Judge who would agree with them. I have your power of attorney. That will back up my case should it go any further which if you ask me, is a waste of time. I have a counter writ ready to go claiming your costs, as in my expenses in this matter. That will be the last thing that they'll want to see.”
“You are fighting fire with fire?” asked Michel.
“That is the only way to stop them. I bounced this off my partners and they agree with that assessment. So far, they have made all the running.”
Verity took hold of both their hands.
“The two of you have something very special going on here. Delphine, you have escaped London and found a wonderful man. When you get tired of him, then let me know. I know my hubby is a good man but as fucking boring as hell.”
Everyone laughed.
“There is one more thing,” said Verity.
“The not so little matter of the loans that you made to your daughters so that they could buy their first homes.”
“I thought that they were a gift?” asked Michel.
“Then if I had popped my clogs within the first seven years, they’d be liable to Income Tax on the whole lot,” said Delphine.
"I structured the money as a loan with seven years interest-free and then interest at Base Rate plus half a percent. That way it could not be construed as a gift by the people I worked for."
“I see,” said Michel.
“Am I right in assuming that they have not paid a penny back since?”
“That is correct.”
Verity had been searching through her papers. She found what she was looking for.
“Here you are. They now owe Delphine here over forty-four thousand pounds.”
“I don’t care about getting the money back. Can you put a lien on their property for that amount? I’ll sign the proceeds over to charity right here and now.”
Verity nodded her head.
“I think that this should be a weapon that we keep in reserve. They know that you have not forgotten about it but all those zero’s associated with the sale of your former home may well have made them go for broke so to speak?”
Delphine thought for several seconds before replying.
“Please go ahead and draw up the papers. You have my power of Attorney so you don’t need my signature to do it. I do like the idea of keeping them in reserve. If they definitely want me declared incompetent that badly then they’ll get a rude shock when they find that there is no money or at least not the amounts of money they were imagining and then they’ll find that they can’t sell their homes without paying my estate a load more money.”
"Thanks, Delphine. I'll start on them tomorrow."
"And my charitable donations?"
“All ready to go. I just need your signature and Michel can witness it.”
With all the signatures in place, Verity’s business in Devon was done.
“I have to say that this is just about the place to get out of London for. It is so quiet.”
“It took me almost a week to get used to the real sound of silence at night. I’m sure that there is a house with your name on it not far away?”
Verity laughed.
“I’m pretty much a city girl at heart and that’s where I’m staying for a while longer yet.”
“Don’t be a stranger here,” said Michel.
“You are always welcome. Now, can I interest you in some fresh herbs to take with you?”
Verity smiled.
“I’ll have some of that Basil that we had in the salad if I may. It is a lot more peppery than what you normally get in the shops.”
“My pleasure. I'll give you an established plant rather than leaves," said Michel.
Then he stood up and left the kitchen to find a suitable plant for Verity.
Delphine took Verity to the station a little later.
“How do you like my new car then?”
Verity grinned.
"You have really regressed back to being a teenager at times, haven’t you?”
Delphine smiled.
"In some way, I think I have. I'm enjoying my life for possibly the first time since my daughters were toddlers. Please don’t let them take this away.”
“I’m going to do my best.”
“That’s all I can ask.”
The two of them hugged each other in a way that only people who are lifelong friends can do.
Delphine watched Verity’s train disappear towards Exeter and London with a bit of a heavy heart. Her future was still up in the balance. She’d known what she wanted to do with her life ever since she’d met Jacques but her daughters clearly had different ideas. The next meeting with her daughters would not be pretty but it had to be done if only to allow her new life to flourish as she’d dreamed ever since that first meeting with Jacques.
[to be continued]
[1] I'm told that this is called 'canola oil' in the USA.
Michel was sitting in the Kitchen of the Cottage when Delphine returned from Totnes.
“Did she get the train ok?”
“Yes. We had plenty of time. In fact, we need not have rushed so much because it was five minutes late,” replied Delphine.
“This letter was in the post yesterday,” he said holding a letter.
"Oh sorry. There was one addressed to you. I clean forgot about them all what with being Verity here."
Michel handed her the letter.
“This is from the bank telling me that my account name has been changed,” said Delphine after she'd opened the envelope.
"That's what I sort of expected. Letters from banks are pretty easy to spot.
Michel then held up another letter.
“The other one concerns both of us.”
He showed it to Delphine. She really didn’t want to look at it in case it was bad news.
“It won’t bite you. It is good news, very good news indeed,” said Michel sensing her reluctance.
“Why don’t you tell me then?” replied Delphine with her eyes closed.
Michel took her hands in his.
“How does a week on Friday sound?”
“Sound for what?”
"Getting married of course. Don't you remember, we applied to the Torbay Register Office. They had a cancellation and can fit us in at three in the afternoon."
Delphine opened her eyes.
“Really?”
“Yes, really my darling.”
“But… how can I be ready in time?”
Michel laughed.
“Typical woman. Only thinking about herself. I have a part to play as well you know?”
“Sorry.”
“That’s all right. I was only joking. I know that weddings are more focussed on the bride. We don’t want much do we? Just a few people and then go somewhere nice afterwards for a meal.”
The part of Delphine that had regressed to a teenager was shouting to her, ‘Bigger and Better than anyone else’. The older wiser part was telling her in a calm, collective voice, ‘keep it simple stupid. There is less to go wrong given the short amount of time there is before the big day’.
The older, wiser part of her personality won the day.
“You are right. All we need is a few close friends plus Gabrielle naturally and keep it low key.”
"I understand that there is a great place in Exeter that hires out Wedding Dresses."
Delphine looked shocked.
"If you think that I'm going to get married in someone else's dress then you have another thing coming. I'll buy a new outfit. What about you? The suits that you have in the wardrobe are a bit past it from a user point of view and style for a wedding, even one as low key as ours.”
"I'll hire a suit. Nothing fancy. There really is not much of a need for one here is there?"
"Hey! Speak for yourself. I like dressing up. Back in London, being on my own I never really had the opportunity. Now with a hunky tanned French dude on my arm? No way am I going to not want to be wined and dined on a very regular basis."
Michel was slightly shocked by the directness on Delphine’s rebuttal.
“You will buy a new suit. Then you can get rid of those old ones. I don’t want to take them up to the new house ok?”
He realised that there were some things where Delphine was willing to accept his way of doing things without question but, when it came to her wedding, she was not moving even a fraction of an inch.
“How about I hire a suit and then get one made to measure? Then I know that it will fit me properly.”
“Fine but I’m holding you to that.”
Michel smiled. The ‘rock’ had spoken. He had been put in his place.
As he looked at the woman sitting opposite him he knew that she was quite fragile when it came to her daughters and would be until they too were put in their place once and for all.
“What became of the little mouse that first came here?”
“She grew up and became a big cat!”
Both of them laughed and fell into each other’s arms. Then they kissed.
“Who are we going to invite? Apart from Gabrielle that is?”
“Maxine and Verity?”
“That will give us enough witnesses.”
“What about rings?”
“I have mine, don’t I?” teased Delphine.
“I hardly think it is appropriate for being put on at the registry office. Then there is the little matter of the Mental Health examination. It would not do to arrive wearing that. Remember, we have to appear to be a very normal and slightly boring couple at least for a while don’t we.”
Delphine grinned.
"That would definitely make the registrar's day wouldn't it?"
"It would but you aren't a twenty-something. I'd like to be the one to put it on you in our new home at the appropriate time. A sort of christening present.”
“Is that the only present?”
Michel remained expressionless.
“I really don’t know what you mean?”
“Don’t give me that. I can read you like a book,” said Delphine.
"Yes, Boss."
“Yes, I have something in mind but I want it to be a surprise for when we move up there. In the interim, just be normal eh?”
“Spoilsport?”
“Appearances mean a lot. What if somehow your daughters got wind of the wedding and crashed it? Putting a collar on you would make them explode on the spot.”
Delphine responded with a really evil grin.
“That would solve my problem with them in a flash wouldn’t it?”
“Sometimes my dear Delphine, you are just evil. As I asked earlier, what happened to that sweet little mouse that came here with Maxine?”
“That mouse turned into a sweet lovable person who just happens to have a lot of unfulfilled desires. Is that so wrong?”
“No, my dear, it isn’t so wrong but some of those desires are hardly… shall we say mainstream, now are they?”
“Then it is just as well that we have a nice little hideaway then isn’t it? Then if I want to wander around virtually naked I can, can’t I?”
“That I will have to see…”
“In time my dear, in time.”
“Where will we have a meal? Torquay is not exactly our sort of place. Even Paignton is far too touristy at this time of year.” said Michel changing the subject.
“I’d suggest the Bistro in Dartmouth but they are closed at the moment. There was a burst water main outside last week and it flooded the cellar.”
Delphine knew the place that Michel was talking about. It was run by a team of young women. Michel supplied them with Herbs and Duck Eggs every week.
“Maxine will probably suggest the Hotel or the Pub down in the village. The one that she part-owns. That's not bad but… I’d like to go somewhere special. It is a special day after all?” said Michel continuing to outline some possibilities for their wedding lunch.
Delphine thought for a few moments.
“When I was travelling around with Maxine, she took me to this really great pub on Dartmoor. They served this Devon Lamb. It melted in the mouth.”
“The Pub?”
“No, the Lamb.”
“She said that it was all organic and the animals lived out on the moor. Stuff like that.”
“I think I know the place you are on about.”
“Well?”
"I'll see about booking a table for five then. If the ceremony is at three then it will be about half-past four to five before we get up onto the moor."
“Off you go then?”
“What are you going to do in the meantime?”
“You do want to eat something other than bread and cheese, tonight don’t you?”
Michel gave Delphine an affectionate kiss before going outside to make the call.
Delphine went off to Exeter by train two days later in search of something to wear for the ceremony. Michel went the other way to Plymouth to arrange to hire a suit. Neither of them wanted the other one to see what they'd be wearing. If an outsider listened in on the conversation they'd had over breakfast that morning, they come away thinking that there were two children trying to outdo each other. In reality, this was all part of the games they played that made their life together far more enjoyable.
When they met back at Totnes station upon the return from their shopping trips, Delphine was noticeably circumspect as to the success or failure of her trip. Michel on the other hand had arranged for the rental of a suit and had been measured for a new suit. He'd even bought some new shoes.
Delphine laughed.
“I look forward to seeing you wearing them in around the smallholding!”
Michel gave her a dirty look.
“What are you going to wear then?”
“All in hand my dear, all in hand.”
“Whose hand would that be then?”
“Gabrielle’s actually.”
“You called her?”
“Yes, and it was just as well that I did. You hadn’t.”
Michel looked a bit guilty.
“It didn’t feel right telling my daughter that ‘Papa is getting married again’. What did she say?”
“Yes.”
"Yes? Is that all? Should she have said more?"
Michel glared at Delphine.
“Oh, for heavens, sake woman! Stop playing with me… What did she really say?”
“I’ll tell you when we get home. I’m getting rather hungry and it is your turn to cook tonight…”
Michel glared at Delphine. Then he laughed.
Once again, he mentally thanked Maxine for bringing this crazy mad woman into his life.
“Right my irritating companion, what did my daughter say when you phoned her. And, don’t just say ‘yes’.”
Delphine pushed Michel towards the rather beaten up sofa that was on the far side of the kitchen. He knew what she wanted. He also knew that when she was satisfied, she’d tell him all he wanted to know. As he collapsed onto the couch, he wondered what he’d deserved to be so much in love with this nymphomaniac.
The springy couch had become one of their favourite places to have sex. Delphine would bounce up and down on him adding to the pleasure that both of them got from the coupling.
Delphine came a few bounces before Michel. With him still inside her, she collapsed on top of him. Her vaginal muscles contracted around his penis keeping it right where she wanted it to be.
After some extended kissing, she buried her head on his shoulder.
“Gabrielle said Yes after laughing her head off and saying, ‘about time too’. She approves so you need not have been nervous about calling her. When I was in Paris, she grilled me about my intentions towards you. I told her that I was in ‘Truly Madly Deeply’ in love with you and that I didn’t want to be with anyone else.”
“Is that all?”
“There is more.”
He didn't get a chance to ask as she kissed him again. Her vaginal muscles started to work on him as well.
“That feels so nice,” said Delphine when she broke off the kiss.
“I’m so glad to be of service but what did my daughter say apart from giving us her approval?”
“She also said that she would be coming to the wedding.”
Delphine felt Michel relax. All the tension that was in his body disappeared in a few seconds.
“She also said that she would be bringing someone with her. I pressed her as to who it was but she didn’t want to say much over the phone. From the noise going on in the background, I guessed that she was at work so I didn’t press her too much. I got the impression that she was slightly embarrassed about telling anyone about the person she was in a relationship with. She wasn’t in one when I was with her so my guess is that it is a relatively new thing.”
“You got no idea as to who it was?”
“Absolutely none but you know your daughter better than me. She keeps her company very close to her chest or at least that was the impression I got from my time with her.”
“I think you are right as usual my darling.”
“We’ll have to wait and see won’t we eh?”
“Are you going to let me go?”
Delphine looked at him with amazement.
“Down there?” he replied looking down.
She grinned.
“Don’t you like being inside lickle me?”
He kissed her to shut her up.
She relaxed her muscles and he was free.
Michel disappeared towards the toilet.
Delphine thought… ‘Men…!’.
Later that night when they were cuddled together in bed Michel whispered,
“You are getting a lot more control when we have sex. I like that.”
“Thank you my darling, happy to be of service.”
He fell asleep wondering exactly who was serving whom. It wasn’t as if he was worrying. To be able to have sex virtually on-demand with a willing partner would be the wet dream of many men his age and younger.
“When did Gabrielle say that they’d be here?” asked Michel as he glanced at the clock for the umpteenth time that morning.
It was two days before their wedding and he was getting nervous. Delphine on the other hand was very much more assured. She had constructed a comprehensive mental timetable for the whole event in her mind and so far, it was going very much according to plan. Gabrielle would be bringing Delphine’s dress for the big day with her from Paris. Her trip to Exeter the previous week had proved to be a fruitless exercise when it came for something to be married in. She had bought an outfit for later in the day. As far as she knew, Michel thought that it was that outfit that she was going to be married in. The phone call she’d made to Paris had spurred Gabrielle to seek out a particular dress for her soon to be step-mother.
“Her text said that they were leaving Portsmouth. That was more than three hours ago. Given the traffic around Southampton and Winchester at that time of the morning, I’d expect them to be here within the hour. Stop fretting my love. If she has run into problems then we’d be the first to know.”
“It is all right for you. She’s my only family for thousands of miles.”
“And I wish mine were stranded in the middle of the Gobi Desert right now. Then I’d be sure that they could not crash the wedding.”
Michel had tried many times to be mad at this crazy madwoman who had come into his life and turned it upside down, inside out. Every time he realised that he was so lucky that their paths had met when they did. The last weeks had been a real rollercoaster and one that he really didn't want to get off at least for the foreseeable future.
He knew that his life without Vivienne and now Delphine at his side would be very boring indeed. He was happier than he’d been at any time since before his first wife had died. There was no way that he was going to let her be taken away from him without a fight, a hell of a fight if it came to that.
As it turned out, Gabrielle didn't arrive until after 1 pm.
“We were starting to get worried about you,” said Michel as he greeted his daughter.
“Where is your guest?”
"Hello, Papa. Nice to see you again," said his daughter.
Behind Michel's back, Delphine was having a hard time stopping herself from laughing. As soon as she saw Gabrielle getting out of the car, she knew that she was different from before.
"Hello, my daughter. Where is he?"
“He is in Totnes making sure that our Hotel is right for the next few nights.”
She turned to Delphine.
“Why don’t you go into Totnes? You will know him when you see him. He has something for you, an early wedding present.”
Michel looked bemused.
“Nothing for you to worry about Papa. We have it all under control,” she said as she wrapped her arm in his.
He resigned himself to playing second fiddle to the two very important women in his life for the next few days. It was very little different from his last marriage apart from the mothers of the bride and groom being at war with each other about who had done the most to make it a success. His mother was not happy at him getting married again especially when he told her again that he would not be moving to Reunion to look after her. His Father’s family all came from the island and were constantly fussing over her which made him happy. His mind briefly turned to when all the problems with Delphine's daughters were finally resolved once and for good and he could take his bride to meet his mother.
His day-dreaming was ended when Delphine said,
"I'll leave you two alone for some quality father-daughter time. Don't forget that you are cooking tonight and it is for FOUR people."
“I know my dear. I didn’t go off at the crack of dawn yesterday to get the fish off the boat for nothing.”
“What are we having?” asked Gabrielle.
“Langoustines for starter and then Turbot. All caught in the sea not far from here. Delphine here has been telling me for days how not to cook it.”
He raised his eyebrows.
“As if a true-blooded Frenchman who spent a lot of his childhood living right next to the Indian Ocean does not know how to cook such a nice fish eh?”
Gabrielle laughed.
“I’ll lend a hand so Delphine, get yourself off to Totnes. He’s at the same hotel that you stayed in before."
Delphine gave Michel a goodbye kiss and left them alone.
Delphine walked into the foyer of the Hotel. For an instant, she could not believe who was waiting for her.
“Monsieur Henri?”
“Oui. That is me.”
“You are with Gabrielle?”
“Oui. Yes. We were actually what you call ‘dating’ for a little more than one month before you came to visit.”
Suddenly, a few things clicked into place in Delphine’s mind. Gabrielle had known where Henri’s shop was and had warned him. That’s why he was able to see them without delay. He knew that Vivienne was coming to buy a corset. She remembered Gabrielle making a phone call late the previous night. It must have been to Henri.
“I feel such a fool,” said Delphine.
"Non, my friend. We weren't really were a couple at that time. We had gone to dinner a few times. I met Gabrielle at the previous fashion week and we had worked well together. After your visit, we became… lovers.”
“And you got her to wear a corset? Oui?”
Henri smiled.
“She is just two weeks into her training. You, are far more advanced.”
“As you said, it is part of me now. I feel totally naked and exposed without it on.”
Henri smiled.
“Let us go to our room. I have your dress and… a new corset for you. A proper one.”
Delphine felt all excited inside as they walked towards the stairs and Henri’s room.
As she entered the room, her dress was right in front of her on a hangar that was draped over the curtain pole of one of the two windows in the room.
She let out a little gasp.
“That is perfect.”
“It took Gabrielle a bit of time to track it down but thanks to the cutting that you kept she eventually found the designer who made it. I have my sewing machine here so that I can make any adjustments.”
Delphine was anxious to try it on so she started to undress.
“Madam, I have a wedding present for you. Your first proper corset,” said Henri as he moved the dress to one side to reveal her new corset.
“I hope you like it.”
Delphine almost didn't want to touch it. The red silk with small flowers that were neatly embroidered on made it a work of art in her mind.
“It… it is beautiful.”
"Gabrielle gave me your latest measurements and I did the rest. It will be tight and stiff, to begin with like the other one."
“And in time it will mould itself to my body,” said Delphine smiling.
“I remember your words very well. This one is like an old friend now but…”
She turned around.
“See for yourself.”
Henri could see that in the waist, the corset was fully closed.
“You have done very well indeed. Gabrielle said that you were a determined lady and this is proof Non?”
“Thank you for the compliment,” said Delphine as she started to undo the lacing of her existing corset.
“Breathe out,” said Henri for the at least the tenth time.
As Delphine did so, he tightened the lacing a bit more.
“That will do for now,” as he looped the laces around her waist and tied them off.
“I feel as if I can never bend over again,” complained Delphine.
“That is because it is new and your body is fighting it. In a week, you will wonder what all the fuss was.”
“I hope so.”
“Can I try the dress on now?”
Henri smiled and took it off the hangar.
“What do you think?” he asked as Delphine looked at herself in the mirror.
“The waist needs to come in a bit and I need at least one more petticoat. Not too stiff but just to give it a bit more volume.”
She did a twirl.
“I think you are right. Gabrielle has several in her suitcase. Let me get them for you to try.”
As Henri opened her suitcase, Delphine asked.
“Are you serious about Gabrielle?”
“Oui. I have asked her to be my wife and to work with me in the business.”
“But, what about her company?”
“She will sell it to a competitor. That will not be a problem.”
His voice did not sound that convincing.
“You have doubts?”
“About wanting to marry her? Absolutement. No doubts at all. She has refused until she is properly trained.”
Delphine knew exactly what he meant.
“Which may take years?”
He nodded his head.
“I should have a word with her perhaps?”
“She is envious of you. She won’t say it but she is.”
“Why? I’m just a crazy old woman who is trying to live out a few of her fantasies.”
“Exactament. Part of her wants to do the same as you but she has an apartment in a fashionable part of Paris.”
“I understand,” said Delphine as she removed the dress.
"I would have had the same opinion until a few years ago. A short time ago, I came into more money than I knew what to do with. I gave most of it away to charity. What I never had I cannot miss but Gabrielle needs some security in case things between you go wrong. Do you agree?”
“Delphine, you are a woman of great wisdom.”
Delphine laughed as much as the corset would allow. Her laugher was enough to jiggle one of her breasts out of the just under half a cup that the corset had built into its body.
“Would you like me to make that impossible?” said Henri as he saw Delphine tuck the errant breast back in place.”
“How?”
“As you have your nipples pierced I could add a pin that runs from here to here through your piercing?”
“Please Henri,” said Delphine. Her heart had started pounding a bit more than normal.
“Then please let me undo your laces. I will spend the rest of the afternoon making the adjustments. If someone could collect me at six then it will be ready and we can go to Dinner. I understand that Michel is cooking?”
“He is and when he puts his mind to it, he is a very good cook.”
“He should be. He started training as a chef before he changed course and studied English and then he came to London.”
“Oh! I didn’t know,” said Delphine trying to avoid going red in the face with embarrassment. All those times when she’d chided Michel about his apparent lack of skill as a cook would come back to haunt her for a long time to come.
“He first met his late wife in Paris. Then, they ran into each other on the London Metro some years later and were married two months later.”
“Thank you, Henri. I will not mention it to him unless he brings it up himself.”
“Madam, what did I say about you being a wise person?”
[to be continued]
The morning of the wedding dawned bright and sunny. Delphine was first to stir. Her new corset was rubbing on her hip. Henri had been right in that it was a lot stiffer than her old one. The boning was much wider and stronger than the training corset.
As they were still sleeping in the cottage, she had to go up to the new house to get a shower. Michel had been up there most of the previous afternoon working on something. He’d been very evasive when she’d asked about whatever it was that he'd been working on.
As she walked into the still largely empty room, she could not see any signs of the work he'd been doing the previous day. She didn't linger as she had an appointment in Totnes at 08:30 for 'the works'. That was hair, especially her roots, lashes, nails and a full makeover. That was most of the morning taken care of. Then it was over to the hotel to get dressed for the event.
Michel was taking her car into Torquay after picking up Verity from the station. Maxine was taking her, Henri and Gabrielle to meet them at a car park close to the registry office.
After taking off her corset, she went for a shower.
While she was getting dry, Michel joined her.
"Hello, Darling. Getting yourself all sweet-smelling for the big day?"
“What do you think eh? Anyway, now that you are here, you can make yourself useful. I need lacing up, don’t I?”
Michel grinned. He knew his place at times like this. After all, a wedding day is all about the bride and the groom plays a distant second fiddle.
The trip to the Salon proved to be slow and very quite tedious. In the three hours that Delphine was there, they did what she wanted but it could have been done in half the time but she kept her concerns to herself. It was nowhere near as nice as ‘Bea Beautiful’. Delphine knew that Maxine had a winner there, she thought to herself more than once.
The makeover was very much tailored for someone of her age. This was not really what she wanted. Delphine tried to make them understand that she wanted to make a statement.
In the end, she just wanted to pay the bill and get the hell out of town so to speak.
Delphine walked out of the salon just before midday. Her hair, lashes and nails all looked good. Having lashes again made her remember her brief dalliance with false lashes when she was a teenager. They finally got the better of her and she gave up wearing them after a few weeks simply because they were too much trouble. The new ones were very different. No more fiddling with glue every morning. Success!
She went straight to the Hotel and up to Henri’s room.
“Ah Madam, welcome. Mademoiselle Maxine and Madam Verity are here. They arrived just now.”
Delphine came into the room and saw her friends. She looked positively dowdy compared to her friends. They both had huge smiles on their faces.
“I have completed the alterations to your dress.”
"Thanks, Henri," said Delphine as she sat on the bed gazing into space.
Maxine stood up and had a quick word with Henri. He nodded his head and left the three women alone.
Verity sat next to Delphine and took hold of one of her hands. Maxine did the same with the other one.
“Second thoughts?” asked Verity in a very soft voice.
Delphine nodded her head.
“It is perfectly natural,” said Maxine.
"I had a huge attack of the heebie-jeebies just an hour before I married Adrian. I was lucky in that I had two women to take my hand and steer me in the right direction. Oh wait, this is just like we have here and now!"
“What is so wrong about Michel?” asked Verity.
"Some people in the Salon were talking about a friend about my age who went off with what they called a 'toyboy'. It turned out that the man was only five years younger than the woman."
Maxine chuckled.
“Numpties.”
“What do you mean?”
“Age is not a barrier to love. That is a construct invented by the marketeers. Just like brainwashing us to believe that Blue is for Boys and Pink is for girls. These women… were they wearing beige by any chance?”
“Shit!” exclaimed Delphine.
“Are you sure that you were not hiding in the Salon?”
Maxine laughed.
“I do own half of a Salon myself remember. This sort of chatter goes on everywhere. I don't think you can avoid it. Bea just nods and goes with it.”
"I've been such a fool. Before going to Bea Beautiful, I hadn't been to a salon for years and years."
“No, you have not been a fool,” said Verity firmly.
Delphine closed her eyes for nearly a minute.
“Thank you,” she said softly.
“Think nothing of it. Bea calls those women the ‘old busybodies’ who think everyone else’s business is their business. If they knew that you were wearing a corset made in Paris and that the person who made it was close by, they’d all die on the spot due to apoplectic shock.”
Verity laughed.
“Maxine, don’t let me go back to London without getting the contact details for this Bea of yours. She sounds a wonderful person.”
"She is just that, Verity. That's why I invested in her business."
Maxine turned to Delphine.
“Ready to get ready?”
Delphine took a second to understand what Maxine had said.
"Oh, you!"
“Good, said Verity.
“Let’s get that dress off you and you into your wedding finery.”
With Henri supervising operations and the duo of Maxine and Verity providing the fine touches, Delphine was made into a beautiful bride to be. Maxine redid her makeup and even added a little flourish to Delphine’s eyes. She added two dashes of black eyeliner to the outside of the eyes. Then she gave redid her lips in a darker shade called ‘Femme Fatale’. Everyone approved of the look especially Delphine as it made the statement that she had intended.
Delphine's dress was inspired by late Victorian Afternoon Dresses with a bit of classic 'Laura Ashley' from the mid-1960's thrown in for good measure. 'Floaty, fine and fabulous' were Henri's description of it. Vivienne had seen it in one of the shops that they’d visited on her trip to Paris. There was a picture of it in one of Gabrielle’s magazines. Vivienne had ripped it out but the piece she removed did not have the name of the shop that sold it. Gabrielle had tracked it down and voila. There it was.
“You look fantastic,” said Verity.
“Thanks.”
“Nervous?” asked Maxine.
“Yeah but, that’s sort of normal isn’t it?”
Maxine gave Delphine's had a little squeeze.
“Is it about time we left?” said Verity.
Maxine looked at her phone.
“I think so.”
Michel and Gabrielle were waiting anxiously for Delphine and the others to arrive. He kept looking at his watch. Time seemed to have almost stopped.
“She’ll be here Papa.”
Michel didn’t answer.
“Were you like this when you married Mama?”
Michel chuckled and smiled.
“I didn’t have a chance. My father’s car broke down on the way to the ceremony. Your Mama and her Mother arrived first. You Grand Mama was not happy. I got a right earful for months afterwards. Then we found that your Mama was pregnant with you. Suddenly she changed and it was all sweetness and light. ‘Chalk and cheese’ is a great way to describe mothers and mothers in law.”
Before Gabrielle could pursue the matter farther, the bride and her party arrived.
Michel took yet another look at his watch.
“I…” then he stopped and tried again.
“You look fantastic my darling.”
Delphine smiled and took his hand.
“Shall we go and get married?”
Michel heaved a huge sigh of relief.
“Yes. Lets’ do that.”
The party went inside the building. As they did so, they failed to see a man in a grey hoodie who was standing close by, make a call on his mobile phone.
Half an hour later, Mr & Mrs La Fontaine emerged from the registry office grinning from ear to ear. Michel gave Delphine a brief kiss. Then all of them headed off towards the car park. The man in the grey hoodie was still there. This time, he’d taken some photos of their kiss.
As they disappeared, he made another phone call. Whoever was on the other end was not happy. The expression on his face showed a whole range of emotions as the call went on.
His ordeal only ended when Suzanne and Janice appeared and proceeded to give him a right slagging off to his face but by then, the wedding party were long gone. They’d ordered him to stay right where he was rather than following the wedding party to wherever they were holding the reception.
The meal was a great success. The slow-cooked roast lamb was beyond good and everyone had a good time.
There was one more duty to be performed before the day was done.
“Vivienne, did you bring the new wills?” asked Delphine.
“I did,” said Verity.
“What’s going on Dad?” asked Gabrielle.
“Now that we are married, any previous last will and testaments become invalid,” said Michel.
“Verity has drawn up a new will for each of us. We leave each other everything and if we both die everything goes to you?”
“What about Mama’s Daughters?”
Everyone had to think for a moment before they realised that Gabrielle was referring to Delphine’s daughters, Suzanne and Janice.
"That remains the same. Verity has donated two-thirds of the sale from my house in London to several charities that I’ve donated small sums of money to in the past. I know is that money is being spent as we speak and as such, it is well beyond the reach of my daughters. Verity has made sure of that,” said Delphine.
“And I could not be happier with that arrangement,” added Michel.
“Now if I can have some signatures?” asked Verity.
Michel and Delphine signed the documents. Maxine and Henri signed and witnessed them.
"Thank you, everyone," said Delphine.
“Thank you for being here for us today. You are all very special to both of us,” added Michel.
After saying their goodbyes, the happy couple left for a brief honeymoon just before seven in the evening. Maxine, Verity, Gabrielle and Henri waving them off.
When they returned from five days in Pembrokeshire, they were confronted by a letter that had been re-directed from Vivienne old home.
Delphine took one look at it and almost cried on the spot.
Michel took it and after reading it, he called Verity.
“Hello Verity, this is Michel.”
“Yes, we had a great time.”
“No, that not what I was calling about. We were being spied on when we got married. They even took photos.”
“Who else eh?”
"They are certainly getting very desperate. Delphine is the right state."
“We aren’t going anywhere.”
"Thanks, Verity. This needs to end right now if only for my wife's… sake."
“I’ll be here for her. Just do your best.”
Michel ended the coil and stood looking at his new wife. He was sad that her daughters were out to ruin their mother's life all because of some money. Money, was indee as the saying said, the root of all evil.
That said, he did ponder calling in a few favours from his old colleagues especially a rather cunning and decidedly ruthless couple who now lived very much as he was, out of the public eye. They had a cottage in the Ardnamurchan Peninsular[1]. The evil sisters could be made to disappear without a trace. All it would take to bring it about was a single phone call.
Those thoughts didn’t last very long. He had someone in dire need of his help sitting right in front of him.
Michel’s phone rang at nearly nine that night. Delphine had gone from a happy bride of five days to a sad reflection of herself inside ten minutes. Michel knew that it was just not her at all.
He stepped outside the Cottage to take the call.
"Hello, Verity."
“No, she’s just sitting there much the same.”
“I’m outside so we can talk freely.”
“No Verity, I don’t want to know who. I just want to know how this can be ended and we can just be another married couple.”
“They did? When and where?”
“Well done for that. They must think that they hold all the aces. They don’t do they?”
“Good. I’ll tell her in the morning.”
"Thanks, Verity. I'll call you tomorrow."
Michel ended the call. He stared out into the dusk wondering if the sound of hope that he’d detected in Verity’s voice was more than wishful thinking.
“Tell me what tomorrow?” came a voice from behind him.
Michel nearly jumped out of his skin.
“I didn’t hear you.”
“I know. So? What did Verity have to say?”
Come on inside and I’ll tell you.
Delphine seemed reluctant to move but Michel was firm but gentle with her and got her inside the cottage.
After shutting the door behind him, he sat his wife down and then sat facing her. He took hold of her hands and gently rubbed the back of them with his thumbs.
“Verity has arranged a meeting with them and their lawyers to as she put it, ‘lay all the cards on the table’. She got them to agree to hold it at her offices which they would not do if they were anyway unsure about their case.”
“But… but they….?”
“They think that they can prove that you are mentally incapable of managing your affairs. You aren’t and we have a lot of evidence that they have not seen yet that paints a very different picture.”
“But they could still win?”
“They won’t. I’m now part of the family but Verity said that she had something that will stop them dead in their tracks.”
“What?” asked Delphine suddenly very alert.
“I told her that we didn’t want to know. We’ll go to the meeting but I think we should be prepared to do a runner. St Pancras Station and a Eurostar to Paris is just a few stops away on the Victoria Line. Gabrielle will find somewhere for us to stay.”
“Really?”
“Yes, really Mrs La Fontaine. I signed up to be with you as you did for me. We are in this together so don’t go getting any ideas ok?”
Delphine tried hard but failed miserably.
“When?”
“Next Monday at midday.”
“I need to enjoy my last few days of freedom then?”
“You will be fine.”
“Said the hangman to the condemned prisoner.”
Michel had to laugh at that.
“What do you want to do?”
“I’ll think of something.”
[to be continued]
[1] This is where the main characters from my ‘Off The Books’ story retired to live.
Monday came around far too quickly for everyone. The previous evening Michel had taken Delphine out for a quiet meal at a Restaurant in Ashburton. Despite his best intentions, it had failed to lift her spirits.
“Last meal of the condemned?” muttered Delphine as she played with her desert.
“Stop talking like that or…!”
“Or what?”
“Please darling, just stop being so depressed. Tomorrow is only the first round. Even if they somehow come away and you have to be assessed then it won’t happen tomorrow or next week unless they pay through the nose and then Verity will appeal as it won’t have been impartial. There is a long way to go.”
“I just want it over and them out of my life for good.”
“Didn’t Verity say that she has a plan?”
“And what is that plan eh? Something’s not right I tell you. She would have told us if there was a plan that was any good at all.”
And so, it went on.
Neither of them had slept well despite having to get up early and get the first train of the day from Totnes to Paddington. Their neighbour, Janice was going to take them into town in time for the train but it still meant leaving her place at 05:30. They wanted to be in London as early as possible to give them as much time to prepare for the day ahead as they could.
The train journey was good apart from the last leg from Reading into the Capital. The train, even in 1st Class was full to bursting with commuters. Both of them had dozed for a good part of the journey. Michel was glad of this as he’d tried his best but had really not succeeded in getting Delphine out of the fug that had descended over her on Saturday evening after they'd rounded up the ducks and geese for their daily feed. There was always one that despite them being tempted with food that decided that they'd prefer to take their chances with the local foxes and be safe for the night. Vivienne had gone after one goose who had evaded all her attempts to catch her until Vivienne had slipped and had fallen face-first into some mud. Then the dastardly bird had capitulated almost as if it was laughing at her chaser. Michel had a good laugh at Vivienne's expense.
Michel was determined not to let that be their last day of happiness together.
Upon their arrival at Paddington, they took a Taxi to Verity’s offices rather than face the crowds on the Tube.
Verity welcomed them both with big hugs. She saw the look of dejection on her friends face.
“We will have none of that when we go into the conference room!” she stated firmly.
“That will send a message to them that they have won when the truth is far from that.”
“But what is the surprise you have lined up? You didn’t tell us. Why?”
Verity lost the smile on her face.
“I have a vital piece of evidence on its way. It should get here in time but I don’t know exactly when that will be. All I know that it is on its way.”
“What is it and where is it coming from?”
“I don’t want to tell you what it is as if you don’t know then you can’t tell them about it or even lie to them. It is better that you don’t know. As to where it is coming from? That is Australia. Someone is flying in today… this morning with it. That’s all I can say at the moment ok?”
Delphine wanted to try to get more out of her friend but Michel stopped her.
"Verity is right my darling. It is far better that we don't know at this stage. What we don’t know, we can’t lie about.”
The three of them spent the rest of the time working on their strategy. Verity was clear all along that it was down to the other side to cite enough examples of Delphine/Vivienne making incompetent decisions in the past few months that when put in front of a panel, they’d agree to her being medically examined. Verity was confident that she could counter all the examples that they knew about including the ones where she had her breast implants and then her nipples pierced.
“Ten years ago, it might have been considered odd for someone of your age to have implants or any body piercings other than in your ears but not now,” said Verity.
She had a whole raft of published data to back that up.
“If thousands of other women in the prime of their life are doing the same it can’t be considered a rash or ill-conceived decision now can it?”
Delphine had to agree to that.
Verity went a bright shade of red in the face.
“I had my nipples done last week.”
“Verity?” exclaimed Delphine.
“I know. Hubby loves them. His words were ‘why the hell didn’t you have them done years ago?’ Men eh?”
“They are my backup. If needs be, I’ll show them that you are not alone.”
Delphine managed a small smile so Verity carried on.
“As for totally cutting them out of your will then it is clear that your will of more than a decade ago, where you only gave them a small part of your estate shows that you were thinking ahead even then. To change your will to cut them out cannot be construed as a major change to the intent of the will. I deal with this stuff all day. I have huge amounts of precedent and decisions made in the Court of Appeal and even the Supreme Court to back this up.”
“What about the legal team that they have engaged?”
Verity laughed.
“Bottom feeders. I’d never heard of them until I consulted the Law Society Registry. It seems that they are doing this on a small retainer but with the hope that they can cream at least 20% off of your estate if they win. They have a win rate of less than 10%. Your instructions to me and my predecessor over the years are clear and unambiguous. They won’t get them shot down in any court in this country any time this century.”
Delphine was not convinced but had to accept that this was Verity's domain and she very much knew what she was talking about.
“They should be arriving about now. You two should stay here until I come and get you,” said Verity as the wall clock showed a quarter to twelve.
"If you need a comfort break, may I suggest that you take it now?"
“Any news on the arrival of that evidence?” asked Michel.
“Let me go and check.”
Michel went to the toilet while Verity checked with her people about the arrival of the evidence.
When they were all back together Verity said,
“It is on its way from Heathrow. ETA is 12:50 at the latest.”
That cheered Delphine up a bit. Not a lot, but she was in a better place mentally than she’d been in for the past 48 hours.
“They are in the conference room. It looks like Janice has been splashing the cash again with her clothes,” said Verity.
Michel began to stand up. Verity waved to him to sit down.
“Wait here for four minutes. Then come into the room next door. We make them wait just a little bit.”
Michel took hold of his Wife’s hand. It was cold despite it being a warm day.
[five minutes later]
“Ah here they are,” said Verity as Delphine and Michel walked into the room.
As they sat down, Verity made the introductions.
“This is Delphine and her husband Michel La Fontaine. This is…”
That was as far as she got.
“Rubbish. That’s my Mother Vivienne Carter,” spouted Suzanne.
“And that is some Froggie who has got her wrapped around his little finger,” added Janice for good measure.
Verity ignored her outburst.
“This is Sean Russel and Imogen Hughes. They are the legal representatives of Suzanne and Janice.”
“Aren’t you going to answer me?” demanded Suzanne.
Verity seemed to be in her element.
“If you would like to look at these three documents then we can continue.”
She extracted the two Deed Poll documents and their certificate of Marriage from her thick folder and passed it across the table to the lawyers of the other side.
They scanned the documents. Imogen spoke.
“These are legal changes of name and a perfectly legal Marriage Certificate.”
“But you knew that your mother had married again, didn’t you?” asked Verity.
She slid one of the photos that showed Delphine and Michel leaving the Registry Office.
“Suzanne, I am given to understand that you were present in Torquay on that day?”
“I was. If I could have stopped it then I would have.”
“On what grounds?” asked Verity.
“On the grounds that this impostor was going to take all her money and run! That’s what!”
“Those are not sufficient grounds to halt a legal wedding. I’m sure that your legal team would have advised you of that. Besides, Michel is very much here and he has no intention of running as you so crudely put it.”
Suzanne was starting to come to the boil. Delphine knew this.
“My dear, please calm down. It won’t be doing your baby any good. All this stress and for what? Nothing.” Said Delphine.
“Don’t go telling me what to do.”
"But my dear daughter, isn't that exactly what you are wanting to do to me? If you succeed then you will not only control my money but my life. Is that what you really, really want?"
Verity interrupted their exchange.
“As my client says, you want to take full control of her life. What you have stated very clearly in your filing is exactly that. Your mother has put in place measures to minimise this risk. You know very well that her will of 2009 makes a small provision for you and your children from her estate. That is not a sudden rash decision. Her recent decision to update the will with a legally binding codicil that cuts you out entirely but leaves the bequests to your children for when they come of age is also good. There are countless decisions in English Law that will back this up. These decisions may I remind you go right up to the Court of Appeal and beyond. Believe me, ladies, I know the law in this area very well.”
“Ms May,” said Imogen,
“We intend to fight this all the way. To the Supreme Court if needed.”
Verity smiled.
“All in the hope of getting your cut of my clients estate?”
No one moved.
"As to the value of that estate, I have a notarised instruction dating from 2009 that tells me to donate two-thirds of any monies received from the sale of her London home to charity. After clarification of that instruction with my client, I did exactly as she asked me to do nearly a decade ago. I have her signed re-affirmation of that decision here."
Verity passed the relevant documents over to the other side.
The two lawyers looked at them with surprise. Verity noticed this.
"My client's daughters knew of this long-standing decision from the outset but seem to have forgotten it for some reason.”
“Bollocks,” exclaimed Janice.
“It is most certainly not bollocks as you so crudely put it.”
Verity extracted Vivienne’s diary for 2009. She opened it at a marked page.
“This is the entry for your Mother’s Fiftieth birthday.”
Verity paused for effect.
"Had my daughters and their husbands around for dinner. Neither of them made any effort to dress up. It was almost as if they were coming on sufferance. I told them of my new will and of my decision to donate to charity. Then I mentioned that I might be moving. Janice agreed that it was a good idea as the house was far too big for one person. The pound signs in her eyes were evident as she asked me what I was going to do with it all. I told her that most of it would be going to charity. Specifically, Breast and Prostate cancer research charities as my parents had died from them. No one objected.”
Verity went on.
“The instruction to her lawyer is signed and notarised three days later.”
“That’s our money!” stuttered Suzanne.
“No, it isn’t! It is your mother’s,” countered Verity.
Just then the door to the room burst open and in walked Rex, Vivienne’s first husband.
“What is going on here!” he demanded.
“Who are you and why are you interrupting this conference?” asked Sean Hughes.
“This is Rex Carter. Vivienne’s former Husband and the father to Janice and Suzanne,” said Verity.
“Too dam right I am. There I am enjoying a holiday on the Barrier Reef when my lawyer calls me and tells me that my daughters are playing hardball with Vivienne’s life. That isn’t right. While Vivienne and I had many disagreements over the years, we always agreed on how our daughters were to be raised. She did a great job. Or so I thought until Vivienne’s rant at the birthday party. After the call, I sat and talked things over with my wife. The result was that I jumped on the first plane out of there and here I am.”
There was silence in the room.
Rex turned to his daughters.
“You two have really gone and done it this time. Janice, you came to me with a sob story and to cut a long story short, I gave you some money. It seems that it was all a pack of lies. Don’t try to fob me off. I had my people look into it while I was on the plane. You used that money as a retainer for these two ambulance chasers. Well, I’m not having it I tell you. Lying to me over money was the last straw.”
Susanne moved as if she was going to say something but Rex stopped her.
“Vivienne raised the two of you on her own and did a fucking fantastic job. Now you repay her like this? Shame on you. All those foreign school trips you went on? I paid for them. We might have not seen eye to eye about a lot of things but as far as bringing you up we were as one. She does not deserve this at all. As for being incapable of making proper decisions? You are totally wrong. She is starting to live a new life. If what my people say is anything to go by, it is a little unconventional but I see nothing wrong in that. As I said just now this ends and it ends now.”
He turned to the two lawyers representing his daughters.
“I want a full set of accounts in my possession by this time tomorrow. Every penny that you have spent on this case has to be accounted for or I will sue the bollocks off both of you. I want the outstanding balance from that retainer that you received paid to me by the end of the day tomorrow.”
He pulled out his wallet and gave them each a business card.
“Call my lawyer for details of how to refund the money.”
Then he turned back to his daughters.
“You two have turned out nasty pieces of work. I would not blame your mother one little bit if she got County Court Judgements against the two of you for the money that you owe her. Yes, she told me about the loans she gave you for the deposits on your first houses. I tried to stop her. I only wish that I’d been firmer but that’s the benefit of hindsight. From now on, I will not talk to you about money.”
Suzanne looked at Janice as if to say, what money.
“Short memories eh? Your mother reminded you about the loan that you each took from her for the deposits for your first house. Remember her little rant at the birthday party. I have to agree with every word she said. I’ll go one step farther and say that the ‘Bank of Dad’ is also closed to both of you for good.”
Both Suzanne and Janice were doing drowning fish impressions.
He turned to Verity and said,
"I suggest that you take out a lien on their homes. They won't be able to sell without settling those debts. My daughters have turned out to be a total disappointment. From now on, the bank of Dad and I hope the one of Mum as well is well and truly closed."
“Your next move is to tell these two shysters to get lost. Then get down on your knees and apologise to your mother,” said Rex in a final burst.
He stood there with his arms on his hips in a very threatening manner.
“I think we should leave,” said Imogen.
She gathered up her things. Reluctantly, her sidekick did the same.
“Remember what I said about the accounts. This time tomorrow I go to the Law Society with a formal complaint. From what my people tell me, they are getting rather fed up with complaints about ‘get rich quick ambulance chasers’. All they need is a final nudge and people like you will be drummed out of the Law Society for good.”
They left the room. Silence eschewed.
“Cat got your tongues?” asked Rex.
Neither of his daughters could look at him… or anyone.
“Yes, hang your head in shame. You deserve it, both of you.”
“As for you Janice… Another completely new outfit? Well, that’s what my people said.”
“What! You had me followed?”
“Why not eh? You are spending money that you don’t have. I have my grandchildren to think of. How much has your husband spent on clothes this year?”
“That’s not the point. I have to look good for my job.”
“Your job? You are a paralegal. You failed the bar… twice if I recall. You are not appearing before their Lordships are you?”
"I have to be in court quite a bit."
“And do any of your clients remark on your constantly changing wardrobe and think that it might be their money that is paying for it? Luckily, they aren’t. But my girl, you are in deep shit financially. I’m not going to bail you out. As I said just now, from here on in, you are on your own.”
"As for you Suzanne… I'm not going to subsidise your business any longer. I'm done. You won't be able to sweet talk me into propping it up. Vivienne was right about the five quid drinks. You are mad. The likes of Starbucks and Costa are expensive enough but your prices are on par with what I'd pay in a top hotel in Hong Kong, not Highgate Village. May I suggest that you toddle off home and come up with a plan to liquidate your business? I'd do it before the next quarter day or you'll be stiffed with the rent for the next three months which you won't have now will you."
Rex stood there glaring at his daughters.
“Before you go, I want it in writing that you are done with this stupidity. Verity?”
Verity smiled and produced two sheets of paper. She placed one in front of Suzanne and the other one in front of Janice. Then she put a pen at the side of each page.
“This is a binding agreement that prevents you from taking action of any form against your mother or her estate. It also states that you fully understand her decision to cut you out of her will.”
There was an icy silence in the room.
“Read and sign. The four of us will witness it.”
They didn’t move.
“I’m waiting…?” said Rex firmly.
Slowly, they each signed the documents.
The other four all signed and dated the documents.
Verity folded up one copy and after putting it into an envelope, she handed it to Suzanne.
“Good. Now I suggest you get home. There will be a school run to do before long!”
Without looking up, they left the room. The atmosphere suddenly got a lot warmer.
Rex sat down. He was quite red in the face even accounting for his tan.
“I’m bushed,” he said as he sat down.
"Effing flight was a bumpy as hell all the way from Shanghai."
“Shanghai? I thought that you were in Australia?” said Delphine.
“I was but you try getting a flight back here from the Gold Coast at short notice. I managed to get on a private jet that was flying empty to Shanghai and then took a flight here. I could not have been here on time otherwise. I'm glad that I did."
He looked at his former wife.
"You did not deserve that at all. They… Well, it is done now."
He looked at Michel.
“Look after her. She is something special. I was stupid all those years ago. Stupid to have played around and stupid to think that there was anyone anywhere near as good as Vivienne walking this planet. I have got pretty close now and Tammy is a good woman even if she has her ‘Blonde’ moments. I’m done playing around. She’s a keeper. She’s finishing her MBA in a few months and she’ll be coming into the business. Oh, and I’m done being a bastard in business. She has got me back on the straight and narrow which to date, only Vivienne came close.”
“Thanks for the vote of confidence Rex,” said Michel.
“That’s fair dinkum! To quote a bit of Aussie. I know you are a very special person and… well, you know it. I can tell by the way you look at her. She needs some excitement in her life. The bloody HMRC squeezes the life out of you if my encounters with them are anything to go by. Just let her loose from time to time. I know that she’ll pay you back many times over.”
Then he looked at Verity.
“Verity, thanks for getting my lawyer to call me. That report your PI did was excellent work. This little one did not need that sort of inquisition just when she was starting a new life.”
“Anytime Rex. I had to look after my best friend, didn’t I?”
“And you did just that. Send me the bill for all this. It is the least I could do.”
Delphine started to protest.
“No Vivienne or Delphine or whatever your name is today, I’m not having any arguments.”
Then Rex stood up. He came around the table and kissed Delphine. Then he did the same to Verity. He shook Michel's hand vigorously.
“I must be off. Just time to nip home, grab a shower and a change of clothes. Then I’m on a flight back to Sydney tonight.”
“Look us up if you are in Devon,” said Michel.
“We will.”
Then he was gone.
Delphine had been very quiet and subdued for quite some time. Verity looked at her friend and took hold of her hands.
“Sorry for not telling you. If you had known you would have not wanted him in the room but after the call we had at a very ungodly hour on Friday, I knew that he held the key to getting this all resolved here today and we did it.”
Michel put his arm around his wife.
“Those two don’t deserve a mother as nice as you. You are an extra special woman. The woman that I love with all my heart.”
That did it and the floodgates opened. Verity found some tissues and left them alone.
It was more than an hour later that they emerged. Delphine was very red around the eyes.
Verity offered her some concealer.
“Don’t fuss Verity.”
Michell smiled. He knew that his wife was starting to get back to normal but he also knew that it would take some time.
[to be continued]
[Authors Note]
The final part of this tale will be posted next week.
Samantha
Michel and Delphine returned to their Devon retreat by train later that afternoon. It had been a long day. Neither of them was in the mood for much small-chat on the train.
Despite the latest episode with her daughters coming to an end, Delphine was still pretty down in the dumps. She would not admit it but the attempt by her daughters to have her declared unfit to manage her life hit her very hard. The effect of seeing them face to face in Verity’s Office was very real and impossible to brush off. Michel was there with her all the way but he knew that it was going to take some time for his wife to return to anywhere near normal.
For the trip to London and after Verity’s suggestion, Delphine had taken her corset off. For over a week after she showed absolutely no inclination to put it on again.
Michel was very patient with his wife and slowly but surely, she began to take an interest in life again. Despite his offers, it was almost a month before she joined him at the Farmers Market.
That worked wonders for her mental state. It all started when a couple of people remarked that they hadn’t seen her on the stall for a while. By the end of trading, Delphine was starting to interact with people on her own. Michel stood back and watched her start to live again. He was not going to be fooled though, he knew that he had a lot of hard work ahead.
After a few more fairly fruitless days when the weather was dull and overcast and Delphine sank back into almost a sulk, Michel decided that he needed help. This was not like him but being generally self-sufficient in life for almost a decade was one thing but, now he had someone else to think about besides himself.
While he was out on the first of two delivery trips for the day, he called the two women he knew who could help him in his hour of need, his daughter Gabrielle and Maxine. Both said that they were on their way. Maxine was waiting for him at the bottom of the lane up to the Smallholding by the time he had completed his deliveries. She'd been visiting her Mother in Bristol at the time.
“I didn’t expect you so soon?”
“I was halfway here already and as I’m the boss, it was easy to turn right rather than left and here I am when I left my Mothers.”
Michel spent almost an hour updating Maxine on what had happened and the effect that it had had on his wife.
“She feels utterly betrayed by her daughters and is questioning her parenting right to the core," said Maxine.
“I had not thought of it that way. You could be right.”
“Then Delphine could do with some female company that she can trust.”
Michel smiled.
“That’s why I called you and my daughter.”
Maxine’s face lit up.
“When is she coming over?”
“She’s on the ferry from Roscoff tomorrow morning. She should be here by late afternoon.”
“Good. That gives me time to think. I have an idea. Leave things to me. I’ll be back in the morning. Can you pretend that we didn’t meet today?”
“The element of surprise?”
“That’s it.”
"Thanks, Maxine. If you and Gabrielle pull this off then I owe you big time."
“Nonsense Michel. Just seeing the two of you happy again is more than payment enough understand?”
"Thanks, Maxine. You are one hell of a woman."
His last statement pleased Maxine no end. Her visit to her Mother’s had not been all sweetness and light. Her sister Dawn, had caused quite a scene when Maxine and her mother were out shopping in Bristol. Dawn had broadcast to the world that Maxine was an impostor and was actually her brother in drag and should be taken away and seen to. Only the intervention of the Police had stopped her tirade of hate. They’d taken Dawn away in handcuffs still mouthing off at everyone and everything.
Maxine had spent an uncomfortable few hours at the Police Station explaining the history behind Dawn’s outburst. Thankfully, her Mother and Sally Jameson were on hand to back up her story. Dawn was charged with disturbing the Police and was in line to get a CBO[1] banning her from the centre of the City for the next year. When Maxine, her mother and Sally left the Police Station, they could still hear Dawn mouthing off at the Police. The diversion to Devon had provided a welcome distraction to the thorny subject of her sister.
Maxine left Michel and headed for the Hotel that she part-owned. She had a room always reserved for her at the establishment. After a brief conversation with her co-owners, Belinda and Nina, Maxine, got down to work with the help of Nina who had given her an idea for bringing Delphine out of her depression.
After two hours, they had a solution all worked out. She texted Gabrielle who was driving from Paris to Roscoff. Gabrielle was finding that it was farther than she’d thought and was having a break not far from the Mont St Michel when Maxine’s text arrived.
Gabrielle texted back her agreement to the plan almost immediately. The idea that Maxine had proposed was perfect in her opinion. It made the rest of the journey a whole lot more enjoyable. While she was stopped for that break, she booked a hotel in the picturesque town of Morlaix. That was half an hour away from the Ferry Port of Roscoff where she’d catch the ferry to Plymouth the next morning.
By the time she arrived at the Hotel, Maxine had updated her with more details of the plan. Gabrielle responded saying, ‘can’t wait for tomorrow’.
Early the following afternoon, Maxine drove up the lane that led to Michel’s Smallholding. She saw Michel working on his Poly Tunnel. There was no sight of Delphine. She waved at Michel who returned the greeting. Then he took off his work gloves and started walking towards the cottage.
“This is a surprise,” said Michel.
“What are you doing here?”
“Verity called me and said that if I was in the area, it might be nice to drop in to see how you were getting on.”
“Come on into the Kitchen, Delphine is in there.”
Michel led the way into the kitchen.
Delphine was sitting at the table staring into space.
“We have a visitor,” said Michel.
“Oh shit. I must look a right state.”
“It really does not matter,” said a voice from behind Michel.
“Maxine? What are you doing here?”
Maxine smiled.
"As I just said to Michel, Verity was a bit worried about you. It seems that you have not replied to her text or phone calls?"
Delphine just shrugged her shoulders.
“Anyway, I was down here and I told her that I’d drop by and see how you were. She told me what happened.”
Delphine couldn’t look at her.
Maxine sat down and took Delphine’s hands in hers. Michel slowly backed out of the Kitchen leaving the two of them alone.
“Verity told me that you have been through the wringer. Much like me really. My dear sister gave me a real verbal slagging off the other day right outside M&S in Bristol. I was with our Mother doing a bit of shopping. She laid right into me, no holds barred. Shouted that I was really a bloke in drag and that I needed to be taken away and seen to.”
Delphine looked up at Maxine.
“What happened?”
“Someone called the Police who arrested her and took her away. I had to make a long and detailed statement about my history and relationship with my sister. She has compounded her problems by striking one of the officers and will be up before a judge. It is all over social media but thankfully, no names have been mentioned yet. So, when Verity called me yesterday, I had this idea.”
Delphine showed very little reaction.
“I’ve booked us into a spa for a load of pampering. Just us. No men and certainly no blood relatives of yours allowed. What do you think eh?”
Delphine again, showed very little reaction.
“Come on my girl. There are times when families can be the worst invention in the world but thankfully, there are places that are a haven where we can go to relax, be pampered and forget about the big bad world outside.”
This time Delphine looked up.
“I don’t want to be a bother.”
“My dear friend, this won’t be a bother. It will be a pleasure.”
“Are you sure?”
“I’m sitting here saying, so aren’t I?”
“When? When do you want to go?”
“Right now. No time to waste.”
“I don’t know. Michel…?”
“Michel says to go,” came a slightly stern voice from just outside the doorway.
“Think of it as a reboot to your new life. A cleansing to be out with the old and in with the new,” said Maxine.
“I’d better go and pack. I suppose we’ll have to dress up and all that?”
“I don’t know,” said Maxine with a wink aimed at Michel.
“Bring some nice stuff just in case. The weather forecast is good so we can get out onto the moor for some girls only walks. Exercise, pampering, good food and great company… What more do you need eh?”
Delphine looked at her husband.
“Are you sure you don’t mind?”
“Go. Go with Maxine and forget about what happened in London.”
“I’ll try.”
“Good. I’ll help you with your packing,” said Maxine.
As the two of them disappeared to pack a few clothes for Delphine, Michel sat down feeling very relieved.
Two hours later, Maxine pulled up outside their home for the next week.
“This is very posh isn’t it?”
“We are special people. Can’t we splash out for once?”
“But…”
“No more buts Delphine. This is all on me. Whatever you want.”
She didn’t wait for an answer but got out and started to unload the car. Just then another car pulled up alongside Maxine’s.
Gabrielle got out and embraced Delphine.
"Hello, Mama."
For the first time since the day that Delphine and Michel returned from their Honeymoon, she managed a smile.
“What are you doing here?”
“Looking forward to spending some quality time with my new Mama. Is that so bad?”
Delphine looked at Maxine as if to say, ‘this is a stitch up’.
“My Papa needed some help to get the lovely woman he fell in love with back. Who better than us to help out eh?”
Delphine started to cry. Her healing had started.
At the end of the week, none of the trio wanted to leave the Spa. As promised, they’d been pampered, massaged and fed extremely well. They’d also done a fair bit of walking over Dartmoor. By some strange quirk of fate, they found themselves back at the pub where just a few short weeks before, they’d all been together for the Wedding Dinner. This time Delphine was able to eat her fill thanks to the total absence of her corset.
“I still feel naked,” she complained towards the end of the week.
That earned her a big hug from Gabrielle and Maxine.
Both of them had been updating Michel as to how the rehab progress was going. He was very happy indeed.
The scene in the car park as they left the Spa was everything that any of them could have hoped for.
“Thank you so much. I feel much more like my old self now,” said Delphine.
“That is all I hoped for Mama,”
Delphine had taken some time to get used to Gabrielle calling her ‘Mama’.
"I'm not your real mother and don't you ever forget her understand," said Delphine firmly.
“You are the only Mother I have at the moment and I don’t like seeing you sad,” replied Gabrielle.
“As for you Maxine… How can I ever hope to repay you?”
Maxine grinned.
“Just make Michel a happy man that is all I want in repayment. And… I don’t want to hear another word about it… ever!”
Delphine hugged them both and shed a tear. This time they were tears of happiness not, sadness and dejection.
Gabrielle took Delphine back to the Smallholding. Michel had prepared a simple but lovely meal for them but to his dismay, neither of them could eat very much.
“We have been eating very well this week and we will both need to get back in training,” said Gabrielle.
It took Michel a moment to understand. Then he laughed and hugged the two most important people in his life. For once, he got all bleary-eyed. This was very unlike Michel.
Once Gabrielle had left to catch the overnight Ferry from Plymouth back to Roscoff, Michel and Delphine just sat outside the cottage in the late afternoon sun.
“It is good to be back,” said Delphine.
“It is good to have you back my darling.”
As the sun dropped behind the trees, Delphine led Michel up the stairs and to bed.
[late October]
"That Is everything," said Delphine as she loaded the last of her clothes into the Land Rover. Michel has been taking loads of things to their new home. Tonight would be the first night that they would spend there.
Their home was still one big room. Neither of them wanted to build a wall to split up the large space. The only rooms were the toilet, bathroom and a utility room otherwise it was one big space.
“Give me an hour to unload the Rover and then once you have rounded up the birds for the night, you can come up. I have a little surprise for you so no peeking!”
“I won’t,” said Delphine with a cheeky grin on her face.
The past three weeks had seen Delphine return to much more like her old self. She’d resumed wearing her corset and was well on the way towards achieving her target of a 20in waist. Michel measured her every few days. He was pleased that the determination to do that ‘for herself’ had returned.
[two hours later]
“I’m here,” shouted Delphine as she entered their new home. All the necessary items from the Cottage were there welcoming her.
“Come on in my darling,” said Michel.
He popped open a bottle of Champagne and poured them both a glass.
“To us!” he said as a toast.
“To us!” replied Delphine.
All the time, she was looking around for her surprise.
“It is there. Right in the middle of the floor. Just like you described in your diary for… Ah yes, February 2014.”
“What? You can’t be serious?”
“Why not? It was one of your fantasies. Non?”
Delphine put down her glass and wandered over to the item.
“I’d have to be properly dressed you know? For me to demonstrate it in its best light.”
“You are so right my darling. Why not look at what’s on the bed?”
On the bed were a brand-new pair of stockings and a pair of red heels.
Delphine picked one up.
Michel could see that she was excited. Her tell was a little vein in the side of her neck. It would pulse rapidly when she was like this.
“When did these come?”
“I had them delivered to Maxine at the Hotel. I collected them the other day when I was making a delivery.”
In her hand was one of a pair of Louboutin Heels. Red and with at least a 4in heel.
“Thank you my darling.”
Without waiting for any instruction, Delphine stripped off down to her corset. Then she removed the pair of stockings that she was wearing and put the new ones on. With them secured to the suspenders that were attached to her corset, she slipped into the heels.
“Perfect,” she said with a huge grin on her face.
Then she went over to a set of drawers that were up against the wall of the house and removed a deep red velvet-covered box.
“It is time my darling.”
“Are you sure about this?”
“This is the perfect time for me to show the world that I’m yours, forever.”
She handed him the box.
Michel removed the collar that had been inscribed with her words even if the French grammar was not perfectly correct stating that she was giving herself to him but the meaning was clear.
He placed it around her neck and clicked home the lock. She visibly shuddered with excitement.
Then he took the two chains from the case and attached one end to each very erect nipple and the other end to the collar.
“How does it look?”
“It leaves very little to the imagination.”
Delphine smiled and gave him a long kiss.
“That is the idea.”
Then she went up to his surprise and began to wrap herself around it. Somehow he'd managed to find a pole that Delphine could ‘dance’ around. Pole Dancing had been one of her many fantasies that were described in great detail in her diaries.
More than once on that first night, Delphine lost her grip on the pole and fell in a heap on the floor. Both of them laughed at her misfortune. Delphine shook herself off and tried again. Michel noticed that steely look she had when she first let him lace up her corset for him had returned. That pleased him no end.
“Is this your next challenge?” asked Michel.
“It could be but it is for your eyes only.”
Then she took his hand and led them towards their bed.
“Now that you have had some fun at my expense, don’t you think it is time to entertain me?”
Michel grinned.
Michel woke up the next morning to find a still sleeping Delphine cuddled up to him. They had made love for what seemed like hours before they finally fell asleep.
He looked at her and thought,
“At this moment, I am the luckiest man alive. Lucky to have this crazy, mad and very eccentric woman in my life.”
[the end]
[1] CBO – Criminal Behaviour Order. The successor to ASBO’s
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anti-social_behaviour_order
[authors note]
I hope you like my tale of a love story between two rather older people than normal. It all came from two short exercises that were part of a creative writing weekend in January 2020 at West Dean, Chichester, UK.
Delphine and Michel will appear in some future episodes of 'The Forsythe Saga'.