Tensions - part 7 million & sixty two
The CBB -> Ste Therese's House
#1: Tensions - part 7 million & sixty two Author: Ellie, Location: Lincolnshire PostPosted: Sat Oct 09, 2004 6:57 pm

Just popping in to add the links to the previous parts!
Part 1
http://members.lycos.co.uk/thecbb/TENSIO~1[1].DOC
Part two
http://members.lycos.co.uk/thecbb/tension2.htm
Part three
http://members.lycos.co.uk/thecbb/tensionagain.htm
Part 4
http://members.lycos.co.uk/thecbb/Tensions4.htm
Part 5
http://members.lycos.co.uk/thecbb/tensions5.html
Part 6
http://members.lycos.co.uk/thecbb/tensions6.html
Part 7
http://members.lycos.co.uk/thecbb/tensions7.html
Part 8
http://members.lycos.co.uk/thecbb/tensions8.html
Part 9
http://www.chaletian.com/forum/archive/CD_tensions_9_100904.html
Part 10
http://www.chaletian.com/forum/archive/CD_tensions_10_100904.html
Part 11
http://www.chaletian.com/forum/archive/CD_tensions_11_100904.html
Part 12
http://www.chaletian.com/forum/archive/CD_tensions_12_100904.html

And thank you for the summary Ellie!!!

Thanks whichever mod did that - also the webpage ends where this begins - but it is very, very slow.

ETA Twas me (Vikki)!!

Obviously, no-one else is going to have this story in their head the way I do, so, to avoid too much confusion, this is a summary of the main events so far. And well done Lyanne!


A St Mildred’s expedition to San Lorenzo ended in disaster when the party was caught up in an earthquake. There were three fatalities, Miss Wilson, Jane Lucas - a new mistress at the school proper, and an ex pupil of the school, Mahala Lindsay, who had recently become a Millie.
The story opens at the beginning of the following term. Len has broken off her engagement to Reg in favour of furthering her education and teaching. Margot has dropped out of college, and her families life, after becoming pregnant. Con, now an Oxford graduate, has returned to Switzerland to work on her novel and make arrangements for her forthcoming wedding to Dr Hamilton.. Since she is on the spot, she steps in to help the school during this difficult time, taking over several of the English classes, although she continues to live at Fruedesheim, where her mother is bringing up the Maynard’s twelth child, a baby daughter.
The school , including two new girls, Hilary and Flaurette, return to hear the bad news. The tragedy, naturally has a great many repercussions (for Hilda’s reaction please see Lesley’s ‘My Friend.’ which is in the SDL) among the staff and pupils. Matey is kept busy suplying ‘doses’ to everyone to ensure they sleep, including Con and Jenny, a friend of Hilary and Flaurette.
During this time Roger Richardson arrives at Fruedesheim with his fiancee, Fay. He and Joey have a brief encounter in his bedroom, something which he at least, immediately regrets., especially as he is already living a lie - his proposed marriage to Fay is basically a sham to cover up the fact he is gay. After a talk with Jack, Roger decides to break off his engagement, leading Fay to write a letter to Jack accusing Roger and Joey of having an affair. Although Jack doesn’t believe this, mainly because of Roger’s sexuality, it does bring to mind earlier suspicions about Joey and Eugen Courvosier. When Con is taken ill, ad Dr Courvosier says that she is showing the symptoms of opiate withdrawal, Jack loses his temper and punches him. Eugen is left to make his own way from the Maynard premises after Con is taken to the San by ambulance, but fels unable to return either to work, or to his own home. He sits at he beginning of a path, some distance by the San where he can watch and wait for Jack to leave. While he is there, he has a chance meeting with some American tourist, and when a storm brews up he, believing the Americans are trapped on a narrow shelf, attempts to rescue them, losing his own life in the process.
It turns out that his diagnosis was correct - Con was suffering from opiate withdrawal, as a result of taking Matey’s nostrum, better known as Laudanum. Several other people, including Jenny, are also found to be addicted, and Jenny also suffered from a bad reaction to the drug itself, leading her to collapse, and leaving her friends fearing for her life. Hilary is particularly affected due to a previous happening in her own past. Whilst Con is recovering in the San, she is attacked by Reg Entwhistle who has turned to drink after being dumped by Len and losing his close friend, Jane Lucas, in the earthquake. Reg later absconds from the San, after attempting to steal drugs from the pharmacy. Jack is aware of Reg’s actions, but Con does not want anyone else told. Relationships between Jack and Joey also became strained after Fay’s accusation and the incident with Dr Courvosier, and Joey decides to make a spur of the moment visit to the Emburys with her baby. Unfortunately they have gone away for a couple of weeks, so Joey fills up the time with a visit the hairdresser where she has her ‘earphones’ chopped off.
She is shocked and surprised to find that the salon won’t send the bill to Fruedesheim, as she had confidently expected, and paying for the haircut leaves her very short of money. She returns to the railway station, and decides to spend her last few coins on food for the child in an inexpensive café. Tired by the day’s experiences, and hungry, she falls asleep in the café, and it is dark by the time she wakes up. It has also been raining, and the pram, which was left outside, is wet. She carries the baby and pushes the pram along but before she reaches the station she is attacked. Joey saves the child from injury, but she hits her head when she falls, and wakes up in hospital with no memory of the events leading to the attack, or indeed of the whole day, When Jack discovers Joey and the baby are missing, a search party is called out to look for them on the Platz, Unsurprisingly, it is unsuccessful, and since Joey’s handbag went missing, it was some time before their whereabouts was discovered. When they were found Jack went to collect them, and was shown a picture of the suspected attacker taken from an eye witness account. Joey had said she had never seen the man before, but Jack recognised Reg instantly.
Joey’s disappearing act did nothing to endear Joey to Jack, especially as he half suspected that she had arranged to meet with Reg. Joey’s missing memories did not return, and finding the situation intolerable she returned to the UK with Jem, who had arrived to deal with the situation caused by Matey.
Con, and the other people affected by the Laudanum , recovered, and Con returned to Fruedesheim, but not to teaching. Jenny’s parents decided to remove her from the school,.although Jenny wasn’t too happy about this decision. Jenny’s recovery had banished Hilary’s immediate fears, but the school nurse and Miss Annersley were very worried by her extreme reaction.
At the time when this story recommences, it is Christmas. The school is empty and closed, all the staff having gone away for the holiday, including Hilda Annersley. All the Maynard’s have returned to Fruedesheim, with the exception of the Richardsons and Margot. Len is not happy at finding that the younger children turn to Con with their problems, rather than herself, and she is still suffering from her mother’s disapproval of her broken engagement. Charles has an accident whilst the boys are chopping wood, and is taken to a specialist eye hospital, uncertain whether he will lose his sight in one eye. Apart from Charles, Mike is the person most upset by the accident, since he (wrongly) feels partly responsible. The following day, Jack and Joey go to visit Charles, whilst Len and Felicity go for a walk. While they are out, a storm blows up. At Fruedesheim, the younger twins attempts to make the coal fire blaze more strongly results in a small fire being started on one of the rugs. Mike is the first to discover the fire, and his prompt action leads to it being extinguished quickly, nevertheless, he finds himself being blamed for causing it in the first place, and goes storming out of the room to hide in the attic.
Con is becoming increasingly worried about Len and Felicity and is relieved when her parents return, but before she can say anything, the younger children start talking about the fire and distract Jack & Joey. Jack is extremely angry with Mike, and Steve decides that he and Con need to find Mike before Jack. They eventually find Mike in the attic, but Con, who is still fretting about her sisters, gets upset when a cobweb brushes her face, covering her nose and mouth, since it brings back memories of Reg attacking her in the San. When Steve held his hand over her mouth to stop her from screaming, it only made things worse, and she fled from the attic in panic.

She stood, leaning against the wall for support, waiting for her pounding heart to return to it’s regular rhythmic beat, waiting for her legs to stop trembling, waiting for her rapid shallow breaths to deepen and actually reach her lungs. “It wasn’t him. It wasn’t him.” she repeated the words to herself like a mantra. “It wasn’t him. I’m home now, I’m safe.” Gradually her panic faded as she darkness dissolved, and her familiar surroundings came into focus. The shrill sound of the telephone banished her terrors, but brought new fears to mind, along with hope.
Behind the attic door, Steve and Mike still argued, their angry voices audible to Con. She banged once on the door, shouted “Phone.” and flew down the stairs at great speed. By the time she reached the second floor, the ringing had stopped. She heard Anna’s guttural tones, “Ja, I will fetch him for you.” Con’s hopes fell. A call for her father. A patient then. Not Len. Not Felicity. She walked down the stairs more slowly, then her father was speaking. “Felicity! Where on earth? What? Whoa - take it slowly.” Con bounded down the rest of the stairs, almost tumbling to her father’s side, where she stood unashamedly listening to his side of the conversation.
Jack looked at her, but made no move to send her away, yet she still gained little from her proximity to him. His comments were few and far between, whilst Felicity’s explanation was obviously long and wordy.

Last edited by Ellie on Sun Mar 20, 2005 2:32 pm; edited 8 times in total

 

#2:  Author: Pat, Location: Doncaster PostPosted: Sat Oct 09, 2004 7:17 pm

Yay!!!! Mexican Wave Mexican Wave Tensions is back!!! Thank you Ellie!

 

#3:  Author: catherine, Location: Newcastle upon Tyne PostPosted: Sat Oct 09, 2004 8:10 pm

Yay! Glad to see this back, Ellie! Very Happy

 

#4:  Author: patmac, Location: Yorkshire England PostPosted: Sat Oct 09, 2004 8:41 pm

Yay! Mexican Wave

 

#5:  Author: Ally, Location: Jack Maynard's Dressing Room!! PostPosted: Sat Oct 09, 2004 10:12 pm

:sheep: :sheep: :sheep: :sheep: :sheep: :sheep: :sheep: :sheep: :sheep: :sheep: :sheep: :sheep: :sheep: :sheep: :sheep: :sheep: :sheep: :sheep: :sheep: :sheep: :sheep: :sheep: :sheep:

 

#6:  Author: Vikki, Location: Sitting on an iceberg, freezing to death!!! PostPosted: Sat Oct 09, 2004 10:34 pm

Yay!!!!!! Ellie, it's so good to see this back!!! :tigger: :tigger: :tigger: :tigger: :tigger: :tigger: :tigger: :tigger: :tigger: :tigger: :tigger: :tigger: :tigger: :tigger: :tigger: :tigger: :tigger: :tigger: :tigger: :tigger: :tigger: :tigger: :tigger: :tigger: :tigger: :tigger: :tigger: :tigger: :tigger: :tigger: :tigger: :tigger: :tigger: :tigger: :tigger: :tigger: :tigger: :tigger: :tigger: :tigger: :tigger: :tigger: :tigger: :tigger: :tigger: :tigger: :tigger: :tigger: :tigger: :tigger: :tigger: :tigger: :tigger: :tigger: :tigger: :tigger: :tigger: :tigger: :tigger: :tigger: :tigger: :tigger: :tigger: :tigger:

 

#7:  Author: Kathy_S, Location: midwestern US PostPosted: Sun Oct 10, 2004 7:38 am

Thank you, Ellie! *admits being a little confused about Con's "him"* She was home all during the storm, right? Is this a leftover Reg nightmare? Surely not Andrew? *needs those "scenes from last week's program"* -Len is still trapped in Biddy's half of the duplex, while Felicity has just called from Hilary's half. -Joey & Jack have made it home despite near misses during storm -Mike has been found in the attic, frustrated by failure of family to defend him against wrongful accusations of starting the fire & causing Charles' accident -- even if he did have Playboy or the like under his mattress. -Charles is still in hospital, though recovering. *still confuzzled about Con* *looking forward to more* ETA to remove an embarrassing apostrophe. ETA again because Walter was a figment of my imagination! Embarassed Embarassed *thanks Ellie for the summary*

Last edited by Kathy_S on Mon Oct 11, 2004 5:11 am; edited 2 times in total

 

#8:  Author: lyanne,  PostPosted: Sun Oct 10, 2004 7:45 am

It wasn't Reg suffocating her again. it the attic, looking for mike, something went over her face & took her back to the hospital. so she started screaming & charles put his hand over her mouth.

 

#9:  Author: pim, Location: Helmel Hampster PostPosted: Sun Oct 10, 2004 11:40 am

Hurrah! Tensions is back! Thank you Ellie!

 

#10:  Author: Jennie, Location: Cambridgeshire PostPosted: Sun Oct 10, 2004 12:46 pm

Thank you a million, million times, Ellie. Does triumphal tour of C&D, yelling Tensions is back! megaphone megaphone megaphone megaphone megaphone megaphone drummer piano Trumpet Guitar :boohoo: :balloons: :cheers: popper

 

#11:  Author: Lesley, Location: Allhallows, Kent PostPosted: Sun Oct 10, 2004 1:53 pm

Yippee!!!!! Thank you Ellie! Kiss

 

#12:  Author: Laura, Location: London (ish) PostPosted: Sun Oct 10, 2004 6:36 pm

Very Happy Yay!!! Thanks Ellie!! Very Happy

 

#13:  Author: Dawn, Location: Leeds, West Yorks PostPosted: Sun Oct 10, 2004 6:39 pm

Brilliant to have this back Ellie and thankyou for the precis - it helped considerably (being a bear of little brain)

 

#14:  Author: keren1,  PostPosted: Sun Oct 10, 2004 6:44 pm

great to see this back, problem is that the precis shows how many lose end there stillll are!. So the story can still go on for quite a long time, which is fine as I would not want it to ever end!

 

#15:  Author: Josie, Location: London PostPosted: Mon Oct 11, 2004 9:47 am

Just trawled through all the Tensions back-catalogue in the archive last night. It's excellent Ellie. Don't you just want to bang Jo & Jack's heads together! Rolling Eyes I know she seems to have lost the plot, but he's said some pretty awful things too! hammer So glad I've got into this now and can't wait for more! Wink

 

#16:  Author: Kate, Location: Ireland PostPosted: Mon Oct 11, 2004 11:37 am

The summary is great... did all that really happen? I must have missed a huge chunk. Smile More please! Smile

 

#17:  Author: Jennie, Location: Cambridgeshire PostPosted: Mon Oct 11, 2004 7:24 pm

You can read it all inthe archives, Kate. Be warned, it's seriously addictive!

 

#18:  Author: Robin, Location: London PostPosted: Tue Oct 12, 2004 10:45 am

Thanks for the summary! I think i'd read quite a lot of this already - I knew there was a drabble somewhere where Margot had got pregnant and dropped out and I couldn't for the life of me remember which one it was! Looking forward to seeing some more....

 

#19:  Author: Ally, Location: Jack Maynard's Dressing Room!! PostPosted: Tue Oct 12, 2004 1:31 pm

Ellie, here's a message from our friends, the sheep: :sheep: *Baaaa, please may we have some more Ellie, baaaa* Wink

 

#20:  Author: Kate, Location: Ireland PostPosted: Tue Oct 12, 2004 2:36 pm

Jennie wrote:
You can read it all inthe archives, Kate. Be warned, it's seriously addictive!
Yes, I know. And I always end up reading all the drabbles together and mixing them all up. So I get very confused. lol

 

#21:  Author: Josie, Location: London PostPosted: Tue Oct 12, 2004 2:40 pm

Quote:
And I always end up reading all the drabbles together and mixing them all up. So I get very confused. lol
This particular one has totally thrown me. I can't think of Matey at all now now without thinking of her giving the girls opium poppies, even in the actual books!!! Embarassed

 

#22:  Author: Carolyn P, Location: Lancaster, England PostPosted: Tue Oct 12, 2004 3:30 pm

Thanks for the precis Ellie. I don't seem to have missed any cos it all sounded familiar and I'm so pleased to see this back...may it continue forever! Mexican Wave

 

#23:  Author: Jennie, Location: Cambridgeshire PostPosted: Tue Oct 12, 2004 3:55 pm

Thinks that Ellie will run away and hide when she reads that!

 

#24:  Author: keren, Location: Israel PostPosted: Tue Oct 12, 2004 9:30 pm

josie wrote:
Quote:
And I always end up reading all the drabbles together and mixing them all up. So I get very confused. lol
This particular one has totally thrown me. I can't think of Matey at all now now without thinking of her giving the girls opium poppies, even in the actual books!!! Embarassed
It just seems to fit in to the books so well (the bit about the opium I mean)

 

#25:  Author: Susan, Location: Carlisle PostPosted: Wed Oct 13, 2004 12:45 pm

Thank you Ellie - it is so nice to see this back. Will we see Jack galloping off to rescue Len and Felicity very soon?

 

#26:  Author: Ellie, Location: Lincolnshire PostPosted: Wed Oct 13, 2004 5:11 pm

keren wrote:
josie wrote:
Quote:
And I always end up reading all the drabbles together and mixing them all up. So I get very confused. lol
This particular one has totally thrown me. I can't think of Matey at all now now without thinking of her giving the girls opium poppies, even in the actual books!!! Embarassed
It just seems to fit in to the books so well (the bit about the opium I mean)
Yikes!!! What have I done?

“I see,” Finally Jack spoke, “It’s a pity you weren’t more diligent rather earlier. What’s that? You’ve got eyes, you could have seen the storm approaching, if you’d cared to look, but never mind that at the moment, is your Uncle Phil there?” Felicity’s reply did not please Jack greatly, but he merely said, “No let him have his sleep out. Len will just have to stay where she is for the time being. Don’t be ridiculous Felicity, Auntie Biddy isn’t going to do anything to her. Will you ask Auntie Hilary to come to the phone please?”
He fell silent as Felicity evidently ran off to do his bidding. Con was about to speak when his attention was turned back to the telephone. “Hilary. It appears there was someone around after all - I should have taken you more seriously. I could have had all my family safely home now, instead of spread all over the Platz.”
Whatever Hilary may have said in reply was completely inaudible to Con, but Jack soon took up the conversation again, “That’s as may be, but it’s a nuisance all the same. It’s a pity they couldn’t have made their way to your front door in the first place, is there any chance that you and your good husband could manage to retrieve Len and keep her at your place until the weather’s fit enough for me to collect the pair of them. I can’t honestly see Biddy greeting me with open arms, from what Felicity said she was none two pleased to find my girls on her doorstep.” Jack grimaced slightly as he recalled the last attempt he had made to visit Biddy, she had turned him away in no uncertain terms, and several miscellaneous objects had followed him up the path. “No, Hilary, he continued, “I don’t mean you to go charging over there this minute. Phil needs his sleep for one thing, and those two have caused enough trouble as it is, without you going out in this blizzard. Len will be perfectly ok where she is, whatever Felicity might be imagining. She’s obviously a bit overwrought at he moment, hardly surprising considering what s he’s been through. Try and kep her occupied, keep her mind off it. Thanks, I appreciate what your doing, and Hilary, you are absolutely not to go haring off over to Biddy’s at the moment, it won’t do anyone any good if you end up taking cold. Thank you. Goodbye, I’ll speak to you later.” Finally, he replaced the receiver.

Last edited by Ellie on Sun Mar 20, 2005 2:34 pm; edited 1 time in total

 

#27:  Author: Ally, Location: Jack Maynard's Dressing Room!! PostPosted: Wed Oct 13, 2004 5:17 pm

Thank you Ellie Very Happy The sheep are pleased

 

#28:  Author: Lesley, Location: Allhallows, Kent PostPosted: Wed Oct 13, 2004 6:12 pm

Thanks Ellie! Laughing Not liking Jack particularly at the moment - he should have taken more notice of Felicity.

 

#29:  Author: Pat, Location: Doncaster PostPosted: Wed Oct 13, 2004 7:22 pm

But from an adult point of view he had no reason to. He hadn't seen Biddy's reaction to them after all.

 

#30:  Author: patmac, Location: Yorkshire England PostPosted: Wed Oct 13, 2004 7:30 pm

I'm wibbling a bit about Len stuck at Biddy's home. We know she had problems even if Jack doesn't seem to. Not liking Jack that much here and feeling the tensions rising.

 

#31:  Author: Ellie, Location: Lincolnshire PostPosted: Wed Oct 13, 2004 7:47 pm

No, Jack didn't really have any good reason to take notice of Felicity, she was obviously feeling the strain of her ordeal, and all she told was the impression she got from Biddy's behaviour, nothing that could be substantiated, but if you're already not liking Jack very much, you'll probably like him even less after this.

It had been a great relief to Con as she inferred from the one sided conversation that her sisters were safe and sound. She began to open her mouth to say as much, but Jack quickly forestalled her. When, exactly were you going to think to tell us that Len and Felicity were outside in this storm?” He asked in a dangerously quiet voice.
“I, I wanted to, but the babies started talking about the fire, and you all rushed off, and Steve, Steve said-” “I don’t care what Steve said. Or about the fire. That’s no excuse Con, you were in charge while we were away and it was your responsibility to let us know that your sisters were quite possibly lost in the snowstorm.”
“I’m sorry, I did mean to, it’s just - and Steve and Felix were certain they would be safe, and they are safe anyway, aren’t they?”
“Yes, they are, but they could just as easily not have been. How long is it since your mother and I returned home? Long enough to have meant the difference between life and death. Quite frankly, I’m beginning to think that all of my family have taken leave of their senses, but I did think that you at least had grown up to become a sensible and responsible young woman. Apparently I was wrong.” Jack turned away abruptly and walked off, leaving Con to stand in the hallway wiping her suddenly moist eyes. Still shaken by her experience in the attic, the accusation levelled at her by her father was hard to deal with, especially as she felt that every word was justified.

Last edited by Ellie on Sun Mar 20, 2005 2:35 pm; edited 1 time in total

 

#32:  Author: Lesley, Location: Allhallows, Kent PostPosted: Wed Oct 13, 2004 7:51 pm

True Ellie - I don't like Jack - though perhaps he had some justification - even Con thinks so. Oh and BTW -thank you! Laughing

 

#33:  Author: pim, Location: Helmel Hampster PostPosted: Wed Oct 13, 2004 8:07 pm

hammer Jack. *wibbles A LOT* Thank you Ellie.

 

#34:  Author: Vikki, Location: Sitting on an iceberg, freezing to death!!! PostPosted: Wed Oct 13, 2004 8:54 pm

Grrrrrr! at Jack! Can I poke him please!!!?

 

#35:  Author: Josie, Location: London PostPosted: Wed Oct 13, 2004 10:00 pm

*hands Vikki stick and trident with which to poke Jack*

 

#36:  Author: Ally, Location: Jack Maynard's Dressing Room!! PostPosted: Wed Oct 13, 2004 10:34 pm

*Agrees Jack is being annoying (but at least you haven't killed him yet Wink )* *Hugs Con and hopes she's actually able to deal with all this*

 

#37:  Author: Guest (Anna),  PostPosted: Thu Oct 14, 2004 1:28 pm

This epic saga (if that's not an oxymoron) is fantastic and after having found it two or three days ago I've read the lot - all downloaded into a Word doc if that's OK by the Clever Author... Question All I can say now is wow and amazing and please keep it up!

 

#38:  Author: Ellie, Location: Lincolnshire PostPosted: Thu Oct 14, 2004 2:58 pm

I don't mind at all Anna, I'mpleased you think it was worth the trouble - thank you.

The first thing Joey was aware of when she opened her eyes was the now familiar feeling of nausea. At least it could be explained, this time. Charles was still in the hospital, still uncertain as to whether his sight would be saved.
Joey’s own thoughts on the matter swung between wild optimism, and a deep gloomy certainty that he would be blinded in one eye. As she opened her own eyes, it was the latter idea which prevailed. Her thoughts turned to Len and Felicity, and she uttered a swift prayer of thankfulness for their safe delivery from the storm, but she was still filled with horror at the thought of what might have been. She could so easily have lost them both, with the rift between herself and her oldest daughter as wide as ever.
Another wave of nausea swept through her as she thought of what she might have lost, of what she might have still been in danger of losing if things had continued to drift along the same pathway. She had a chance now, to try to repair her relationship with Len, and she was going to do her best to so. It was the children who gave her life meaning, it was strange to remember now, that at one time, if forced to make such an agonising choice, she would have sacrificed them for Jack.
The nausea hit her again, this time there was no holding it back. She scrambled out of bed and dived into the nearest bathroom.

Last edited by Ellie on Sun Mar 20, 2005 2:36 pm; edited 1 time in total

 

#39:  Author: pim, Location: Helmel Hampster PostPosted: Thu Oct 14, 2004 3:46 pm

Uh oh... *wibbling just a wee bit*

 

#40:  Author: Ruth B, Location: Oxford, UK PostPosted: Thu Oct 14, 2004 4:20 pm

poke Jack grrrrrrr! Thank you for the updates Ellie!

 

#41:  Author: Laura, Location: London (ish) PostPosted: Thu Oct 14, 2004 5:12 pm

hammer Jack! I've never found a drabble where I didn't like Jack before! Hmm...I find myself getting the drabbles very confused...for a minute I was convinced that Jack was in a mood because he'd been exposed as a fraudulent doctor! Rolling Eyes

 

#42:  Author: Lesley, Location: Allhallows, Kent PostPosted: Thu Oct 14, 2004 7:50 pm

Wonder if Maynard number thirteen could be on the way? And if it's actually a Maynard? Thanks Ellie, as gripping as ever!

 

#43:  Author: Lisa_T, Location: Belfast PostPosted: Fri Oct 15, 2004 2:17 am

*agreeing with Lesley*

 

#44:  Author: Cazx, Location: Swansea/Bristol PostPosted: Fri Oct 15, 2004 12:22 pm

I haven't read this in the archive (am too lazy Embarassed ) but this looks really good and I'm afraid I could get addicted very quickly!

 

#45:  Author: Jennie, Location: Cambridgeshire PostPosted: Sat Oct 16, 2004 4:49 pm

Thanks, Ellie. It's good to see that our longest-running drabble hasn't run out of steam.

 

#46:  Author: Ellie-quiet night at work,  PostPosted: Mon Oct 18, 2004 5:27 am

For once, all was not well in Steve’s world. His own nature generally led him to expect the best possible outcome from any given situation, and on the whole, he had not been disappointed. That was why, despite a few twinges of unease, he had never seriously considered that Len and Felicity were any real danger during the snowstorm. It has come as something as a shock to him when he had heard his father berating Con for her apparent lack of concern the evening before. He had tried to apologise to Con, but she had brushed him aside, seeing his real regret as a clumsy attempt to alleviate her own obvious distress. Con was adamant that she, and she alone, was responsible, no-one could expect Steve to worry about things like that, he was only a boy after all. Steve chaffed at being described as a boy, and at the slur on his sex as a whole, but he knew that there was a truth in the statement, in this particular instance. He was very aware that had he not railroaded Con into searching for Mike, she would have raised the alarm about her sisters rather sooner than Felicity’s phone call. He had hoped to put his father straight, but, immediately after leaving Con standing in the hall, Jack had gone to tell Joey what had happened. Steve had heard her tones raised in horror as he made his announcement, and decided it was not the most prudent time to interrupt, then later, when Jack had left Joey’s study, he had closeted himself in his own dressing room for the remainder of the evening. The telephone had rung again, a couple of times, but Jack had taken the calls on his own private line rather than use the telephone in the hall. Leaving Steve with no opportunity to explain why it was his fault that Con had failed to raise the alarm the previous night. As he pulled on his socks he decided that it was probably a good thing. Had he gone bursting into Joey’s study he would have almost certainly have given away the information had Mike had also appeared to have vanished, as it was, he had the opportunity to choose his words more carefully before seeking an interview with his father. Mike had not been particularly grateful, in fact he had been positively ungrateful, when Steve and Con had finally run him to earth in the attic, but Steve had got into the habit of protecting Mike many years ago, and he saw no reason to stop now.

 

#47:  Author: keren, Location: Israel PostPosted: Mon Oct 18, 2004 5:49 am

Nice thing to see about Mike ans Steve, that he had protected him

 

#48:  Author: Cazx, Location: Swansea/Bristol PostPosted: Mon Oct 18, 2004 8:39 am

Ohhh thank-you Ellie!

 

#49:  Author: Lesley, Location: Allhallows, Kent PostPosted: Mon Oct 18, 2004 9:11 am

Thanks for the latest post, Ellie! Laughing

 

#50:  Author: pim, Location: Helmel Hampster PostPosted: Mon Oct 18, 2004 9:37 am

Thank you Ellie, nice to see things from Stephen's perspective.

 

#51:  Author: Carolyn P, Location: Lancaster, England PostPosted: Mon Oct 18, 2004 9:39 am

Thanks Ellie. Pity Stephen couldn't take the heat off Con, but at least he protects Mike.

 

#52:  Author: Ally, Location: Jack Maynard's Dressing Room!! PostPosted: Mon Oct 18, 2004 9:48 am

Thanks Ellie, poor Steve stuck between not helping one sibling and protecting the other!

 

#53:  Author: Vikki, Location: Sitting on an iceberg, freezing to death!!! PostPosted: Mon Oct 18, 2004 1:36 pm

*hugs Ellie* Thank you hunny!!! Hope you have lots more quiet nights at work!

 

#54:  Author: Susan, Location: Carlisle PostPosted: Tue Oct 19, 2004 3:55 pm

Thank you Ellie. Have been in those situations when are in troible if you do and in trouble if you don't. Also not liking jack very much at the moment - or Jo if it comes to that.

 

#55:  Author: Jennie, Location: Cambridgeshire PostPosted: Tue Oct 19, 2004 3:59 pm

It's quite clear that the tensions have not abated at all. Lovely! That means that there ought to be lots more of this.

 

#56:  Author: Ellie, Location: Lincolnshire PostPosted: Tue Oct 19, 2004 5:10 pm

It was relatively late when Jack awoke for the second time. Earlier, he had opened his eyes to find that his room was uncommonly bright for the time of night. He had clambered out of bed and gone to the window, where he had seen a hard moon glaring in the dark sky, surrounded by stars which burned with a fierce intensity. Greatly relieved that the storm had passed, and given way to a harsh frost, he had climbed back into bed where he fell into a deep sleep, confident that Len, at least, could be retrieved and taken to the Graves' house.
The sun was beginning to creep over the horizon the next time he awoke casting long pink tentacles over the ice capped mountains and the snow covered Platz. Like Con, Jack felt his spirits rise at the sight, even the memory of the outlandish behaviour his family had indulged in whilst he and Joey had been absent the previous day failed to suppress his good humour. In spite of it all, everyone was safe and sound and that was reason enough to be happy.
Mike opened his eyes, groaned, and dived back under the bedclothes. He had no appetite for the day ahead, knowing it would only bring more trouble. Not only did he have to face the consequences of the fire that he had been unjustly accused of causing, he had argued badly with Steve, and Con had been upset too, although quite how he had caused that was a mystery. Steve had said it was his fault though, and he had little doubt that they would both hate him now. On top of everything else, his mother's threat to tell his Head Master about the magazines still hung over him, and he felt that the events of the previous day would be enough to make up her mind. Perhaps, he thought, he might as well have gone out in the blizzard the evening before. Perhaps, when they came upon his frozen body, they would regret the way they had treated him. He pulled the plumeaux over his head and indulged himself in a fantasy of his own funeral, he saw his mother, sniffing into a handkerchief as she tried to remain brave. Con would cry, he was sure of that, Felicity too, and the younger children, if they were allowed to go. Well, probably not Phil. Phil would probably be upset because it interfered with her own amusement.
As for Len, well, hopefully Len would be feeling torn apart by her guilt. Hopefully it would take years for her to get over it, if she ever did. His brothers wouldn’t cry of course, well, Felix might, but not Charles and Steve, they were too old to cry, in public at least. Mike would like to think that they might have shed a tear or two in private. He only hoped that Steve wouldn’t feel too badly about the previous nights argument.
As for his father, what about him? Try as he might, Mike couldn’t conjure up an image of his father showing the slightest signs of grief.

Last edited by Ellie on Sun Mar 20, 2005 2:39 pm; edited 2 times in total

 

#57:  Author: pim, Location: Helmel Hampster PostPosted: Tue Oct 19, 2004 5:20 pm

Thanks Ellie. *feeling sorry for Mike*

 

#58:  Author: Ally, Location: Jack Maynard's Dressing Room!! PostPosted: Tue Oct 19, 2004 6:07 pm

Poor Mike, sad to see how he views his family. (I see you didn't solve the plumeaux problem) Wink

 

#59:  Author: Ellie, Location: Lincolnshire PostPosted: Tue Oct 19, 2004 6:12 pm

Aaaarggghhh! *Runs off to hit edit function*

 

#60:  Author: Lesley, Location: Allhallows, Kent PostPosted: Tue Oct 19, 2004 6:58 pm

Poor Mike - how sad for him to realsie that Jack doesn't love him. Crying or Very sad Please, please, please let them all discover who really started that fire, and that Mike was responsible for stopping it!

 

#61:  Author: Cazx, Location: Swansea/Bristol PostPosted: Tue Oct 19, 2004 7:40 pm

*Huggles Mike*

 

#62:  Author: Dawn, Location: Leeds, West Yorks PostPosted: Tue Oct 19, 2004 9:45 pm

Please can something go right for Mike for a change?

 

#63:  Author: Susan, Location: Carlisle PostPosted: Wed Oct 20, 2004 1:33 pm

Wholeheartedly agrees with Dawn. Looking forward to the next part.

 

#64:  Author: Nicci, Location: UK PostPosted: Wed Oct 20, 2004 2:41 pm

Finally caught up!! As brilliant as ever Ellie. I'm feeling very bad for Mike right now, and in fact, for all the Maynards. What a mess. Love the fact that Tensions has completly ripped apart my image of Jack. *wondering if, and how, this will all be resolved*

 

#65:  Author: Ellie, Location: Lincolnshire PostPosted: Sat Oct 23, 2004 11:31 pm

Nicci wrote:
*wondering if, and how, this will all be resolved*
Well, you know more than anyone else, Nicci Wink

Charles sat up and reached over to pick up the glass of water from the table at the side of his hospital bed. He ran his fingers cautiously over the painted surface, afraid of knocking the glass over. At first he could feel nothing at all, save the wood beneath his fingers. He swallowed as he fought down the urge to yell for help. He swallowed along, trying to work some moisture into his increasingly dry mouth as he waited for the moment to pass. “They’ll come all right, if I call them,” he thought, “But I’ve got to get used to this, and the sooner I start, the sooner I will get the hang of it.”
He continued to explore the table top with his fingertips, persevering long after he began to suspect that the glass had been taken away, and he gained his reward when his fingernail made a small ping as it came into contact with the beaker. He wrapped his fingers around the precious glass, and lifted it to his lips with exaggerated care. He drank the water quickly, the glass had not been as full as he had hoped, but it would suffice. It would have to. He knew that there was a jug of water somewhere on the table, but finding it, and pouring the contents into his glass was totally beyond him at that moment.
He put the glass down with rather less care than he had used to pick it up, not knowing that it was balanced precariously on the edge of the table, before he lay down and pulled the blanket over his head whilst he waited for morning.

Last edited by Ellie on Sun Mar 20, 2005 2:40 pm; edited 1 time in total

 

#66:  Author: Kathy_S, Location: midwestern US PostPosted: Sat Oct 23, 2004 11:46 pm

Uh, oh- Charles' vision sounds more compromised than I thought! So much for
Jack wrote:
everyone was safe and sound.
For that matter, he seems oddly unconcerned about what's going on at Biddy's. And as for the treatment of Mike!

 

#67:  Author: pim, Location: Helmel Hampster PostPosted: Sat Oct 23, 2004 11:48 pm

Uh oh... that doesn't sound too good. Thanks Ellie!

 

#68:  Author: Lesley, Location: Allhallows, Kent PostPosted: Sun Oct 24, 2004 12:01 am

Oh dear, just as we thought there was one Maynard we didn't have to either worry about, want to smack or scream at! Thanks Ellie - as gripping as ever!

 

#69:  Author: patmac, Location: Yorkshire England PostPosted: Sun Oct 24, 2004 6:58 am

Thanks Ellie. I'm not sure who to worry about first Sad Apart from Jack who needs a kick where it would do most good. Oh, and Joey who needs similar Twisted Evil

 

#70:  Author: Cazx, Location: Swansea/Bristol PostPosted: Sun Oct 24, 2004 10:13 am

*Wibbling*

 

#71:  Author: Vikki, Location: Sitting on an iceberg, freezing to death!!! PostPosted: Sun Oct 24, 2004 2:23 pm

Oooh!!! Poor Charles!

 

#72:  Author: Ally, Location: Jack Maynard's Dressing Room!! PostPosted: Sun Oct 24, 2004 3:01 pm

Ellie, I hope they are just bandages that are obsuring Charles vision!! Anyway, thanks for returning to him, I've been worried.

 

#73:  Author: Dawn, Location: Leeds, West Yorks PostPosted: Sun Oct 24, 2004 8:41 pm

ELLLLLLLLLLLIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEPlease come and write some more of this NOW! Preferably starting with something nice happening for/to MikePlease????

 

#74:  Author: Susan, Location: Carlisle PostPosted: Mon Oct 25, 2004 12:13 pm

Oh dear poor Charles, had almost forgotten what he would be feeling, as I was so wrapped up in the others. Hope it is just bandages and night terrors not permanent blindness. Hope Len is still OK.

 

#75:  Author: Ellie Guest,  PostPosted: Tue Oct 26, 2004 5:45 am

In another hospital, in another country, a different kind of awakening was taking place. Reg Entwhistle discovered he was once again participating in his own life. He no longer saw things from a distance, through an oily film, he no longer heard sounds and voices through a cotton wool fog. He laid back on the bed and tried to decide if this was a good or bad thing. He had known, of course, that he was in a hospital, but he had accepted it mutely, never questioning his presence therein. Now he tried to work out how he had come to be in a French speaking hospital with a broken leg. And that was when it stopped making sense. There were some things that Reg was destined never to remember. He had drunk himself into oblivion on more than one occasion, only to pass out and awaken later to find that he had lost hours, or even whole days, of his life. Yet there were enough disjointed, hazy fragments of memory to cause him to turn his mind to other things, to the here and now. He remembered doing things that he could never possibly have done. He pushed the nightmares back where they belonged, afraid to follow the trail his memories had laid, lest he should find they were real. That they were true.

 

#76:  Author: Lesley, Location: Allhallows, Kent PostPosted: Tue Oct 26, 2004 5:59 am

Thank you Ellie - so Reg is back in the land of the living eh? Wonder if he'll remember what he did to Con, and Joey...

 

#77:  Author: Ally, Location: Jack Maynard's Dressing Room!! PostPosted: Tue Oct 26, 2004 12:44 pm

Oohh errrr interesting change of direction! (promise you'll come back to Charles though) Wink

 

#78:  Author: pim, Location: Helmel Hampster PostPosted: Tue Oct 26, 2004 1:42 pm

Uh oh... *has a terrible sense of foreboding*

 

#79:  Author: Jennie, Location: Cambridgeshire PostPosted: Tue Oct 26, 2004 3:43 pm

He's not going back to the Platz, is he? Mind you, that would mean that Ellie has to write reams more of this wonderful drabble.

 

#80:  Author: Vikki, Location: Sitting on an iceberg, freezing to death!!! PostPosted: Tue Oct 26, 2004 8:15 pm

*wibble* The thing with this drabble is that you never know WHICH cliff Ellie will leave you on!

 

#81:  Author: Josie, Location: London PostPosted: Tue Oct 26, 2004 8:18 pm

Lordy, was so worried about Charles and wanting to slap Jack that had forgotten all about Reg Shocked

 

#82:  Author: Cazx, Location: Swansea/Bristol PostPosted: Tue Oct 26, 2004 9:27 pm

Hmm Reg back on the scense... not good! More please Ellie!

 

#83:  Author: Susan, Location: Carlisle PostPosted: Wed Oct 27, 2004 11:36 pm

Reg back - oh my goodness. Wonder if he has a Platz address on him for contact?

 

#84:  Author: Alex, Location: Hunts, UK PostPosted: Fri Oct 29, 2004 10:14 pm

It has taken me two weeks to read the 7 million and fifty first parts but it was definitely worth it. Smile

 

#85:  Author: Nicci, Location: UK PostPosted: Sun Oct 31, 2004 10:06 pm

Ellie wrote:
Nicci wrote:
*wondering if, and how, this will all be resolved*
Well, you know more than anyone else, Nicci Wink
*Looks innocent and begs for more*

 

#86:  Author: Ellie, Location: Lincolnshire PostPosted: Mon Nov 01, 2004 5:47 pm

Thank you for making the effort Alex.

Felicity also awoke later than normal that day. After Jack had advised that Felicity should be kept busy, it had seemed good to Hilary to make Salt Dough decorations for the tree, and Felicity had found herself involved in mixing the dough, cutting it into fancy shapes, and adding colouring to various lumps of the mix. Whenever her attention had appeared to be wandering, Hilary had quickly brought her mind back to the matter in hand.
At length, all the decorations had been left to dry thoroughly until they could be baked and Felicity might have started to fret about Len, but Hilary had put an end to that possibility in short order, pointing out that all the bowls and sthingies needed to washed up.
Felicity had leapt up guiltily, accustomed to having Anna on hand to clear up after her, she hadn’t given the matter a second thought, but she had set to work with a will, and by the time she had finished Phil, who had been awoken by the sound of their laughter, had battled his way to Biddy’s half of Aldernest and was able to report that Len was fine, save for her ankle, and that Biddy was taking care of her unwanted patient. Her mind at rest, Felicity had been able to retire to the bed that Hilary had hastily made up for her, and sleep the sleep of the exhausted. Phil hadn’t revealed to Felicity how Biddy had greeted him with unaccustomed warmth, begging him to take Len away with him, nor how she had had jabbered away in a state of excitement about getting her revenge on Jack Maynard.
The appearance of Len and Felicity on her doorstep had seemingly reawakened all Biddy’s feelings of wounded resentment, and Phil was seriously concerned about her own well being. He berated himself for not making more of an attempt to keep an eye on his neighbour, but after she had repeatedly snubbed his attempts to offer what help he could, that he had soon given up on her and concentrated on his more rewarding patients.
He had made a vow that matters could not be allowed to continue in this vein into the new year, but at that time his first priority was Len. Hilary had been correct when she guessed that Len’s ankle was badly sprained, Phil had bound it up firmly, touching her as gently as possible, but unable to avoid causing her more pain, however, a swift injection had taken the edge off that, and when Biddy had acceded to his request for a mug of cocoa for his patient he had added something to it to make her sleep. He had also, rather guiltily, slipped a lower dose of the sedative into Biddy’s own drink whilst her attention was elsewhere. Finally, although he could have easily carried Len up the stairs and placed her in bed, he advised that she should be left to sleep on the sofa, guessing that Biddy would find this less intrusive.
After he had satisfied himself that the draught he had slipped into Biddy’s drink had taken the edge off her agitation, he had departed with a promise to return in the morning, leaving Len to sleep as deeply as Felicity, and thankfully unaware of the baleful looks cast at her by the woman sitting the other side of the room, but there was little sleep for Phil that night. He lay awake listening to the howling wind and praying that the storm would abate by morning. In his professional opinion, the sooner he could get Len from under Biddy’s roof, the better it would be for both of them.

Last edited by Ellie on Sun Mar 20, 2005 2:43 pm; edited 1 time in total

 

#87:  Author: pim, Location: Helmel Hampster PostPosted: Mon Nov 01, 2004 6:00 pm

Uh-oh... *hopes that they can get Len out before Biddy does something silly* Thank you Ellie.

 

#88:  Author: Nicci, Location: UK PostPosted: Mon Nov 01, 2004 6:17 pm

Good to see they're all still drugging each other. Although admittedly it was probably a good idea in Biddy's case...

 

#89:  Author: Chelsea, Location: Your Imagination PostPosted: Mon Nov 01, 2004 6:24 pm

Still wibbling about Len in Biddy's house. But glad to know that the autocensor is still working.
Quote:
Hilary had put an end to that possibility in short order, pointing out that all the bowls and sthingies needed to washed up

 

#90:  Author: Ellie, Location: Lincolnshire PostPosted: Mon Nov 01, 2004 6:34 pm

Chelsea wrote:
Still wibbling about Len in Biddy's house. But glad to know that the autocensor is still working.
Quote:
Hilary had put an end to that possibility in short order, pointing out that all the bowls and sthingies needed to washed up
Embarassed I confes, that was me - I just couldn't resist it Embarassed

 

#91:  Author: patmac, Location: Yorkshire England PostPosted: Mon Nov 01, 2004 6:53 pm

Laughing at the 'sthingies'. *wibbles at Len's predicament* Phil, GET HER OUT OF THERE!

 

#92:  Author: Pat, Location: Doncaster PostPosted: Mon Nov 01, 2004 7:41 pm

Are you reviving memories of the old board's censor with your use of sthingies Ellie?

 

#93:  Author: Dawn, Location: Leeds, West Yorks PostPosted: Mon Nov 01, 2004 8:05 pm

Ellie wrote:
Phil was seriously concerned about her own well being. He berated himself for not making more of an attempt to keep an eye on his neighbour, but after she had repeatedly snubbed his attempts to offer what help he could, that he had soon given up on her and concentrated on his more rewarding patients. He had made a vow that matters could not be allowed to continue in this vein into the new year, but at that time his first priority was Len. ............ In his professional opinion, the sooner he could get Len from under Biddy’s roof, the better it would be for both of them.
Thank goodness someone has got some sense and realised what is going on with Biddy

 

#94:  Author: Lesley, Location: Allhallows, Kent PostPosted: Mon Nov 01, 2004 8:19 pm

Rather worrying that - poor Len, and poor Biddy, to have become so unhinged. Thank you Ellie.

 

#95:  Author: Jennie, Location: Cambridgeshire PostPosted: Mon Nov 01, 2004 9:01 pm

Another Ellie-style cliff!

 

#96:  Author: Cazx, Location: Swansea/Bristol PostPosted: Mon Nov 01, 2004 10:37 pm

*Wibbles at the state of Biddy*

 

#97:  Author: Kathy_S, Location: midwestern US PostPosted: Tue Nov 02, 2004 3:17 am

*hopes Phil doesn't leave it too long!* (or any longer, in the case of poor Biddy) Thank you, Ellie!

 

#98:  Author: Ally, Location: Jack Maynard's Dressing Room!! PostPosted: Tue Nov 02, 2004 4:31 pm

Poor Phil, I hope Len will be ok, and poor Biddy! Thanks Elliekins! Very Happy

 

#99:  Author: Ellie, Location: Lincolnshire PostPosted: Wed Nov 03, 2004 5:34 pm

A glance at the clock told Con it was time to move, if she didn’t want to be late for breakfast, but she still felt disinclined to stir herself. It was only her reluctance to cause any more worry for her family that forced her to clamber out of bed, the idea of eating breakfast, even the light continental meal, couldn’t have appealed less.
She gathered up her things and headed for the bathroom, hearing the sound of someone vomiting in one of the other rooms along the corridor. At any other time she would have been concerned, rather than wishing she could follow their example. If she could be sick, she would probably be able to get rid of the heavy feeling in the pit of her stomach.
She need not have worried about being late for breakfast, only Jack and Cecil were there before her, Cecil relishing the unexpected opportunity of having her father to herself. The resemblance of a smile fluttered on Con’s lips as she watched her younger sister talking animatedly - at least one member of the family seemed happy.
Instead of sitting at the table and breaking up the conversation, she walked over to the laden sideboard and poured herself a cup of coffee, ignoring the more substantial fare.
Jack felt a stab of guilt as he saw the obvious signs of a sleepless night traced upon Con’s face. He had felt it necessary to impress upon her the possible consequences of her actions, or lack of action, but he thought that maybe he had been unnecessarily brusque, and all in all, the way things had turned out, he was pleased that he hadn’t had to organise a search party for another missing Maynard. He had already been in receipt of a telephone call from Phil Graves that morning, and that had given him cause to hope that Len would soon be reunited with Felicity and the rest of her family.
As Cecil’s attention was diverted by the arrival of Erica and Claire, Jack walked over to the sideboard where Con still stood, sipping her coffee. As Jack came to stand beside her she decided that perhaps it would be good to eat and she became engrossed in deciding whether to eat her croissant with jam or honey.
“Con.” Con made a small grunting noise to acknowledge that she had heard him speak, but she continued to look away. “Put the honey pot down, and let me look at you. Yes, just as I thought, you’ve had a pretty rough night, haven’t you?”
“I’m not going to take anything to make me sleep.”
“No, I wasn’t going to suggest it. About last night, you should have alerted us sooner, but there was no need for me to be as harsh as I was, and I’m sorry about that.”
Con looked away quickly, for some reason, which she couldn’t fathom, Jack’s apology had made her eyes begin to water. She spread some jam over her croissant to give herself time to control herself before she spoke. “No, you were right, I was totally irresponsible, and I should have told you straight away, but the babies claimed you first and Steve thought that Mi-” She broke off suddenly.
“Steve thought what?”
“That they would have enough sense to head for shelter when the weather turned.” Con said lamely, “But if anything had happened to Len and Fliss it would have been my fault. I keep seeing them, laying in the snow, frozen solid.”
It was obvious to Jack that more had been happening than he knew about, but it was equally obvious that nothing would be gained if he pressed the matter.
“If anything had happened to them, it would have been their own faults, not yours. They got themselves into that situation, and they are both old enough, and weather wise enough to know better,” he said firmly. “As it is, Len has sprained her ankle, and by the sound of it Felicity had a better time than she deserved, helping Hilary Graves make Christmas decorations, so you can stop fretting about what might have been. Look, everyone’s here now, bring your plate to the table then your mother can say grace and we can begin breakfast.”
As it happened there was one more small interruption before breakfast could begin. During the summer the youngest twins had behaved especially badly one mealtime. Jo had been mortified, especially as she had been playing hostess to her friend Simone who had paid a fleeting visit to the Platz, and she had banished the two of them to the nursery for their meals for the remainder of the year, except for the most special of occasions. The twins had felt this keenly, particularly since Claire, who was several months younger, was still allowed to eat with the older members of the family, but they rarely had the opportunity to challenge this edict. However, on this particular day, they had decided that Christmas Eve was a special enough occasion to warrant them coming into the dining room.
Joey swiftly put an end to that notion, ordering them out of the room in short order. When Phil would have argued, the threat of eating Christmas dinner alone in the nursery was enough to make Geoff take the lead for once, and he took his twin’s arm and dragged her away, but Phil stomped back up the stairs with resentment writ large upon her soul.

Last edited by Ellie on Sun Mar 20, 2005 2:46 pm; edited 1 time in total

 

#100:  Author: Vikki, Location: Sitting on an iceberg, freezing to death!!! PostPosted: Wed Nov 03, 2004 5:46 pm

Love the twins being banned from meals for a year!!!! Very Happy Very Happy

 

#101:  Author: Lesley, Location: Allhallows, Kent PostPosted: Wed Nov 03, 2004 7:32 pm

Still hoping that Phil and Geoff get their come-uppance about that fire. Thanks Ellie. Kiss

 

#102:  Author: Susan, Location: Carlisle PostPosted: Thu Nov 04, 2004 12:13 am

Thank you Ellie glad Len and Felicity are doing well. Hope someone gets Len out of there soon. Wonderful punishment for the twins but hope there is another one in line for all the trouble they caused the previous night.

 

#103:  Author: Ellie-guesting again,  PostPosted: Thu Nov 04, 2004 7:21 am

Once the twins had been banished to the nursery Joey was at last able to say grace and the family could begin tucking into their meal, some with noticeably less appetite than others. Joey looked around the table, Steve was unmistakeablby more subdued than normal and Con looked positively exhausted and not a little strained, although was felt a little less miserable after her talk with Jack. As for Mike, he contrived to keep his head down throughout the meal, concentrating solely on playing with the food on his plate, and refusing to look at anyone. Even without the quick glimpse of his face that Joey managed to catch, she could tell that Mike was not, as everyone seemed to have assumed, sulking, but he was totally and utterly miserable. She glanced at Jack anxiously, knowing that he had yet to talk to Mike about the fire, and hoping that he would not be too hard on the boy. All in all, Joey though, it would have been better to have finished with the matter the night before, but Felicity's phone call had put paid to that idea. On the other hand, the intervening hours may have moderated Jack's mood somewhat. She tried to gauge his state of mind, but although he was affable enough when anyone directed a question at him, he was generally quiet. Had it not been for Felix, Cecil, Erica and Claire, breakfast would have been a very glum affair for everyone. For Mike, it was one of the longest mealtimes of his young life. Each minute passed by in an eternity, yet, he had no great desire to hear his mother ring the bell for Anna to come and clear away the plates. He was sure that retribution would follow swiftly afterwards, and he looked forward to it with a mixture of trepidation, resentment, and a biting sense of injustice.

 

#104:  Author: Cazx, Location: Swansea/Bristol PostPosted: Thu Nov 04, 2004 9:17 am

*Huggles Mike*

 

#105:  Author: Kathy_S, Location: midwestern US PostPosted: Thu Nov 04, 2004 1:02 pm

Poor Mike! *wonders how Jack would respond to a simple, "I didn't start the fire. I put it out."

 

#106:  Author: Ally, Location: Jack Maynard's Dressing Room!! PostPosted: Thu Nov 04, 2004 1:42 pm

Oooh lovely long posts, thank you Very Happy *grrrrrrrrrrrrr's at the twins and hugs Mike*

 

#107:  Author: Dawn, Location: Leeds, West Yorks PostPosted: Thu Nov 04, 2004 2:28 pm

I know I've said this before but PLEASE can it all go ok for Mike

 

#108:  Author: Laura, Location: London (ish) PostPosted: Thu Nov 04, 2004 6:53 pm

And PLEASE can Len be rescued before Biddy does something stupid?

 

#109:  Author: Nicci, Location: UK PostPosted: Thu Nov 04, 2004 7:36 pm

oh no. what a mess. Poor Mike. If that was me I'd be kicking and screaming my protests but I suppose he doesn't expect anyone to take much notice of him - especially for doing anything good.I liked Joey in that last post. I'd rather thought she might assume that Mike was sulking - but it appears she's still able to read her children to some extent.Thanks Ellie.

 

#110:  Author: Josie, Location: London PostPosted: Thu Nov 04, 2004 7:41 pm

*hoping Jack gets his act together and talks to his son soon before the poor boy's heart breaks completely!*Thanks for the fabulous posts Ellie. Very Happy

 

#111:  Author: Lesley, Location: Allhallows, Kent PostPosted: Thu Nov 04, 2004 7:48 pm

Have a horrible feeling that Jack will be very nasty to mike - hope Ellie proves me wrong! Wink Oh,and thanks for the post! Laughing

 

#112:  Author: Ellie, Location: Lincolnshire PostPosted: Fri Nov 05, 2004 4:55 am

Lesley wrote:
Have a horrible feeling that Jack will be very nasty to mike - hope Ellie proves me wrong! Wink
Maybe I will, maybe I won't Twisted Evil

Mike’s expectations were fully realised. As breakfast drew to a close Steve was moved to ask his father if he could talk to him.“Later,” Jack replied, “After I’ve spoken to Mike. I shall expect to see him in the study as soon as he has finished eating that mess on his plate.” Jack looked at the mashed up food with an expression of disgust as he rose from his seat.
There was silence in the room after he had gone, Mike seemed to hunch up even more, if such a thing was possible, hiding away from the looks which he knew his siblings were casting towards him.
It was Joey who came to the rescue, “Right, there will be a lot to do today, so I suggest you all leave Mike alone and go and get on with your chores, go on, scram.”
They scrammed, as Len had remarked on more than one occasion, when Joey decided to become the strict mother, you jolly well did what you were told.
Mike continued to play around with his food, at one point he even raised the fork to his lips before returning it to the plate, knowing that he just couldn’t stand to feel the food in his mouth.
Joey came and took the plate away from him, for once not caring about the waste of food. “it’s all right Mikey boy, run along to the study. You’ll feel better when it’s over, and don’t keep brooding, we all do stupid things sometimes.”
Mike stood up, he was glad that Joey had taken the food away, but upset by her easy assumption that he was indeed the guilty party. “What happened to the idea of innocent until proven guilty,” he muttered quietly as he walked away. Too quietly for Joey to hear what he was saying.
He stood for a moment, outside the study door, taking the time to compose himself before knocking firmly on the panel. This was one of the occasions when Jack bade him to enter straight away, there had been other times when he had been kept waiting for five, ten, even fifteen minutes. Mike was never sure if the delay was deliberate or not.
He walked across the room, holding his head up, to all intents and purposes his general bearing suggested an attitude of defiance. He was aware of the chair in his peripheral vision as he stopped in front of the desk, but he wasted no effort on looking at it, he knew he would not be invited to sit down.
Jack sat back in his own comfortable leather chair and regarded Mike as if he were a particularly loathsome species of insect. Mike withered under his gaze, even if he had been genuinely defiant he would not have been able to withstand this treatment for long. Not for the first time, he wished his father was more like his Uncle Jem. Why couldn’t his dad just take off his belt and give him a good thrashing and get it over with instead of this interrogation followed by which ever long drawn out form of punishment he had devised this time.
Finally, Jack spoke. “You’ve done some pretty stupid things in your time, but this beats everything else hands down. What on earth were you thinking of.?”
Mike knew what he meant, what had he been thinking of when he caused the fire, but since he hadn‘t caused it he hadn‘t been thinking anything, so how could he answer? He inspected his shoe laces and said nothing.
Jack was not about to be deprived of an explanation. “I’m still waiting for an answer.”
“I saw the fire and thought I’d better do something before the whole place burnt down.”
“Don’t play games with me, it will be worse for you in the long run. What were you thinking of when you decided to play with the fire in the first place?”
“Nothing. I-”
“No, you never do think do you. What’s wrong with you boy?”
“Dunno, why don’t you tell me?”
“What’s that? Stop mumbling and speak up.”
Mike did not understand that it was Jack’s fear of losing control of his own temper which stopped him emulating his brother-in-law, but Mike himself had inherited at least part of that particular trait, and his own temper suddenly flared up.“I said why don’t you tell me. What is wrong with me? What is it about me that makes you always blame me for everything that happens?”
“Probably because you usually are to blame, and don’t you ever shout at me like that again.”
Mike glared at him angrily for a full two seconds before what he read on Jack’s face made him drop his gaze and mumble an apology.
Jack felt some of his own anger dissipate, this was a side to his son he had seen very rarely, and he was somewhat taken aback. “Are you saying that in this instance you weren’t to blame?”
“There’s no point in saying anything, you never listen.” Mike was still seething about the injustice of the situation, but he was wise enough to moderate his tones.
“I’m listening now. Did you start the fire or not?”
“No, I didn’t.”
“Then why on earth couldn’t you have said so in the first place?”
“Because you wouldn’t believe me anyway, no-one does.“
“I do believe you, whatever else you may be, you’re not deceitful, and I’ve never known you to tell lies, not to save your own skin anyway. If only you had trusted me in the first place we could have been spared all this unpleasantness, remember that in the future. Now, you had better run along and ask Anna to find you something to eat, I don’t think you touched your breakfast did you?”
Mike didn’t move, he was still struggling with his feelings, he was relieved it was over of course, and filled with astonished pleasure at his father’s readiness to take his word, but part of him wanted more. He wanted Jack to say he was sorry for accusing him in the first place, though that would be asking for a miracle, Jack was already looking through a pile of invoices on his desk. Mike studied the top of his father’s head, before turning to walk away.
“Mike.” Jack’s voice made him turn back.
“What?”“Two minutes after I walked into this house, I had half a dozen people telling me you had nearly burnt the place down and you were, well I don’t know where you were, but you certainly weren’t around to contradict them. What was I supposed to think?”
Mike shrugged.
“Think about that in the future. And you can tell Steve he can come to see me now if he wants.”

ETA the bit I missed out from the top of the word doc page - and to add that I can't believe I sat up all night writing this - I'm obviously becoming nocturnal

Last edited by Ellie on Sun Mar 20, 2005 2:52 pm; edited 2 times in total

 

#113:  Author: Lesley, Location: Allhallows, Kent PostPosted: Fri Nov 05, 2004 5:20 am

Well thank goodness for that - at least Jack believed him.Thank you Ellie! Kiss

 

#114:  Author: Dawn, Location: Leeds, West Yorks PostPosted: Fri Nov 05, 2004 10:45 am

Thankyou so much Ellie - hope you manage to catch up on some sleep

 

#115:  Author: pim, Location: Helmel Hampster PostPosted: Fri Nov 05, 2004 12:58 pm

*breathes a sigh of relief that Jack believed Mike in the end* Thank you Ellie.

 

#116:  Author: Ally, Location: Jack Maynard's Dressing Room!! PostPosted: Fri Nov 05, 2004 1:14 pm

Poor Mike, not a pleasent interview but I'm glad Jack believed him, I just wish he could have given him the benefit of the doubt earlier! Thanks Ellie *hugs*

 

#117:  Author: Nicci, Location: UK PostPosted: Fri Nov 05, 2004 1:28 pm

phew. big big sigh. Thanks Ellie.

 

#118:  Author: Ellie, Location: Lincolnshire PostPosted: Fri Nov 05, 2004 4:27 pm

Not a proper post - but I was inspired by the drabble thread in AQ to go through this story and spell check it Embarassed I promise that in future I will run spellchecker before I post, frankly I'm surprised that anyone bothered to read something with so many errors. I'm also a bit flummoxed to discover how many times I use the word 'murmured' Embarassed I did find it amusing that the programme wanted to replace 'Lorenzini' with 'Florentine' though. Even my computer is trying to muscle in on the historian take over now!

 

#119:  Author: Carolyn P, Location: Lancaster, England PostPosted: Fri Nov 05, 2004 6:13 pm

So glad to see that Jack believed Mike, but he didn't exactly do much about the fact that Mike is always accused did he!

 

#120:  Author: Ellie, Location: Lincolnshire PostPosted: Fri Nov 05, 2004 7:07 pm

No, but then he did say that Mike usually is to blame, Carolyn.

It didn’t take long for Mike to track Steve down, he had been hovering around the vicinity of the study for several minutes.
“You can go in now,” he said as he walked past.
“Mike, stop. What did you say, I’m not prying, I just don’t want to say anything that might make things worse for you.”
“You won’t. Some people do actually believe me when I speak the truth.” Mike stalked off, satisfied that he had managed to score against Steve for once. He knew that eventually he would have to apologise to Steve, he had said some pretty horrible things to him the night before, but it felt good to be in the right for once.
Steve made his way into the study where he endeavoured to shoulder the blame for Con neglecting to mention Len and Felicity’s plight.
“That’s all very well, but Con does have a mind of her own, she doesn’t have to do what you say. Even so, you were behaved equally as irresponsibly, you can consider that everything I said to Con applies to you as well.” Jack said, “As a matter of interest, what was so urgent that you felt the need to drag her away like that.?”
So far, Steve had contrived to keep Mike’s name out of the narrative, and he felt that mentioning him now would serve no good purpose. “I would rather not say.” “I see. I can’t force you to tell tales, but tell me this, did it have anything to do with the fire?”
“Only indirectly.”
“I see.” All in all, it would have been better if Steve had told a fuller story, as it was his evasiveness left Jack with the impression that Mike had been the moving force behind the nights events, despite his flat denial that he had started the fire. Jack still believed the truth of statement, but he continued to regard the younger boy suspiciously throughout the rest of the Christmas holiday period.

Last edited by Ellie on Sun Mar 20, 2005 2:53 pm; edited 1 time in total

 

#121:  Author: Lesley, Location: Allhallows, Kent PostPosted: Fri Nov 05, 2004 8:00 pm

Ellie, that was wicked! Well done! Laughing

 

#122:  Author: Vikki, Location: Sitting on an iceberg, freezing to death!!! PostPosted: Fri Nov 05, 2004 8:54 pm

Thank you Ellie! Glad Jack accepted Mike's word, but wish he wasn't doubting him now!

 

#123:  Author: Josie, Location: London PostPosted: Sat Nov 06, 2004 1:07 am

Thanks Ellie Very Happy Poor Mike, he can't do anything right. Not impressed with Steve, and Jack still needs whipping with a wet kipper Sad And where's Reg got to.... Shocked

 

#124:  Author: Kathy_S, Location: midwestern US PostPosted: Sat Nov 06, 2004 2:51 am

poke Jack. And here I though he was finally being reasonable. Confused He doesn't seem to have even bothered to try investigating what really happened....

 

#125:  Author: Ellie, Location: Lincolnshire PostPosted: Sun Nov 07, 2004 3:01 am

Whatever his suspicions, Jack was glad enough to find that Mike had set to and begun to clear a path through the snow when he went outside thirty minutes or so later.
Steve and Felix had joined in too, and Jack had a clear path to Minnie. He grabbed hold of a shovel himself and joined them in their labours.
Further along the Platz Phil Graves was engaged in the same activity, endeavouring to clear a path from his own home to Biddy’s house.
The last time he had performed the task, earlier in the year before the onset of spring finally banished the winter snows, Eugen had begun clearing his own path at the same time. They had turned it into a competitive exercise of course, both of them shovelling like demons so as to reach the middle point first. It had introduced an element of fun into a necessary chore. There was no such levity this time, instead he was putting himself out for the sake of the man who had caused his friend’s death.
Phil jammed his spade into the snow angrily, leaving his current companion to wonder if it was something she had done which had caused the sudden grim expression on her Uncle Phil’s face.
Phil relaxed a little as saw Felicity looking at him covertly. Neither she nor Len had any part of this, and he couldn’t begrudge them any help he was able to give. Indeed, Felicity’s determined attitude rather put him to shame, and he wasn’t just doing this for Len.
He was just as intent, if not more so, on helping Eugen’s wife. Inside her house, Biddy paused for a moment to watch them from behind her window, absentmindedly tapping the blood stained knife she held in her hand against the window sill.

Last edited by Ellie on Sun Mar 20, 2005 2:54 pm; edited 1 time in total

 

#126:  Author: Kathy_S, Location: midwestern US PostPosted: Sun Nov 07, 2004 6:12 am

Ellie!!!! :pale:

 

#127:  Author: Lesley, Location: Allhallows, Kent PostPosted: Sun Nov 07, 2004 9:35 am

Laughing Laughing Laughing Laughing

 

#128:  Author: Nicci, Location: UK PostPosted: Sun Nov 07, 2004 1:09 pm

Ellie!! You rotter. ...but what a wonderful line. BTW, I thought Minnie had died a nasty death wrapped around a tree somewhere??

 

#129:  Author: Jennie, Location: Cambridgeshire PostPosted: Sun Nov 07, 2004 3:58 pm

Now, has Biddy stabbed Len or one of her own children, or has she been making a casserole for lunch?

 

#130:  Author: Josie, Location: London PostPosted: Sun Nov 07, 2004 5:20 pm

Shocked speechless!

 

#131:  Author: catherine, Location: Newcastle upon Tyne PostPosted: Sun Nov 07, 2004 6:00 pm

Ellie!! That's an awful place to leave it!!!

 

#132:  Author: Laura, Location: London (ish) PostPosted: Sun Nov 07, 2004 6:04 pm

WHAT???????! That was VERY casually dropped in! But she could just have been making lunch... possibly of Len, but still! More would be lovely!

 

#133:  Author: Vikki, Location: Sitting on an iceberg, freezing to death!!! PostPosted: Sun Nov 07, 2004 8:21 pm

ELLIE!!!!!!!! If you don't get us off this cliff soon, I may be forced to use your full name!!!!!! Shocked Shocked Shocked Shocked You positively CANNOT leave us there overnight!

 

#134:  Author: Lesley, Location: Allhallows, Kent PostPosted: Sun Nov 07, 2004 9:38 pm

Bet she can! Laughing

 

#135:  Author: Cazx, Location: Swansea/Bristol PostPosted: Sun Nov 07, 2004 9:52 pm

Please explain that last line! Thanks for the posts though Very Happy

 

#136:  Author: Ellie, Location: Lincolnshire PostPosted: Sun Nov 07, 2004 11:04 pm

Sorry, I've been building a website, well, trying to build a website, it's going very slowly Neutral I have written more, but it's a bit that comes later on so I'm afraid you'll have to be just a little bit patient. *Ponders the possibility of Biddy becoming a cannibal*

 

#137:  Author: pim, Location: Helmel Hampster PostPosted: Mon Nov 08, 2004 12:07 am

Ellie wrote:
*Ponders the possibility of Biddy becoming a cannibal*
Ellieeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee *eebles* Please don't let it be that, please please please. *eagerly awaiting more when you have time*

 

#138:  Author: Ally, Location: Jack Maynard's Dressing Room!! PostPosted: Mon Nov 08, 2004 10:47 am

*g* Ellie, thats made me chuckle happily!!! I still feel sorry for Mike and want Geoff and Phil to suffer a nasty punishment!! Oooh send them to live with Biddy!!! Twisted Evil

 

#139:  Author: Ellie, Location: Lincolnshire PostPosted: Wed Nov 10, 2004 6:55 am

"Phew." Steve stopped and surveyed how much of the ground they had already cleared, and how much they still had to do. They could get to Minie easily enough, but she herself would not have been able to travel very far along the driveway.
"What about the road?" Felix took the opportunity to ask a question which had been troubling him for some time, "We can hardly clear away all the snow between here and Auntie Hilary's."
"Don't be such a young idiot," Steve promptly squashed him, "The snow ploughs have been out already, They have to, to keep the road clear for the ambulances, and anyway, the road wouldn't be as deep as this is, the snow has drifted up against the buildings and the bushes, and we're lower than the road anyway." Felix, who had had the mad idea that they might have to walk along the road in front of the minibus, shovel in hand, lapsed back into silence as he threw another spadeful of snow onto the garden.
Jack was the next to speak, a quick look at his watch had told him that it was almost the time of day when Anna served milk and biscuits to the young fry. He remarked that if anyone needed a break, this was the time to take it. Felix thought that Milk and biscuits sounded wonderful, and he began to turn towards the house, before he realised that no-one else had any intention of doing the same. In fact, a break would have done them all good, muscles were beginning to tire, and their progress was far slower than previously, yet they all had their reasons for carrying on. Despite his assurances to Con, Jack was feeling distincly uneasy about Len. He had dismissed Felicity's concerns the previous night as being the result of her overwrought state, but his earlier talk with Phil Graves had led him to believe that Felicity had been exaggerating rather less than he had supposed.
Steve meanwhile, wanted to make amends for the previous night, as did Mike, who was only too aware that if it had not been for his own disappearing act there would have been nothing to prevent Len and Felicity's absence from being mentioned earlier. Although neither Con or Steve had said as much, he knew that they must be thinking that was the case, although he didn't think he was entirely responsible for Steve jumping to the wrong conclusion when he picked up part of his holiday task.
AS far as Felix was concerned, it was pride which kept him at it, long after he would have otherwise chosen to have a rest. He had no wish to appear weaker willed than his brothers, but he was growing tired of the task and his back was beginning to ache. He scooped up another shovel full of snow and chucked it away carelessly, not noticing that Mike was in the target area.
"Hey, watch out." Mike managed to dodge most, but not all of the snow. "Sorry, It's this coat, it's restricting my movements," Felix apologised, "I'm boiling hot anyway, I'm sure I would get on better if I took it off. Felix took a sideways look at his father, hoping that he was too absorbed with the task in hand to notice. He was disappointed.
"If you think I'm going to allow you to be out here without a coat on, you can think again. We've enough problems at the moment without you adding to them by taking a chill," Jack said firmly, "And that goes for you too MIke, go inside and get dried off, and for goodness sake be more careful Felix, we don't want any more accidents, thank you." As Mike threw down his shovel and trudged off to the house, none to sorry to be ordered to do so, Felix grimaced, but kept his coat on, albeit with the top two buttons undone. He also loosened the scarf around his neck, little knowing that further along the Platz his twin was doing the exact same thing.

Last edited by Ellie on Sun Mar 20, 2005 2:57 pm; edited 1 time in total

 

#140:  Author: Ally, Location: Jack Maynard's Dressing Room!! PostPosted: Wed Nov 10, 2004 11:51 am

Thank you Elliekins, interesting to see the family undercurrents Very Happy

 

#141:  Author: Vikki, Location: Sitting on an iceberg, freezing to death!!! PostPosted: Wed Nov 10, 2004 7:41 pm

Thank you Ellie!!! It's good to see some realistic interraction between the Maynard boys!

 

#142:  Author: Lesley, Location: Allhallows, Kent PostPosted: Wed Nov 10, 2004 7:54 pm

Thank you Ellie - nice to see that Jack is finally starting to worry about his daughter. Hope his worries will be unfounded - though a tiny part of me hopes the opposite just to show Jack! Twisted Evil

 

#143:  Author: Josie, Location: London PostPosted: Wed Nov 10, 2004 8:02 pm

Thanks Ellie. Now, back to Biddy and that knife.....

 

#144:  Author: Laura, Location: London (ish) PostPosted: Wed Nov 10, 2004 8:25 pm

Ally wrote:
I still feel sorry for Mike and want Geoff and Phil to suffer a nasty punishment!! Oooh send them to live with Biddy!!! Twisted Evil
And you're certain live is the right word??! More please, soon Ellie! Am distinctly worried about (the late) Len?

 

#145:  Author: Cazx, Location: Swansea/Bristol PostPosted: Wed Nov 10, 2004 10:06 pm

Thanks for that but we still don't know about Biddy and the knife!!!!

 

#146:  Author: pim, Location: Helmel Hampster PostPosted: Wed Nov 10, 2004 10:59 pm

Thank you Ellie. But I'm still hiding under the desk wibbling about Biddy and the knife... Rolling Eyes Rolling Eyes

 

#147:  Author: Ellie, Location: Lincolnshire PostPosted: Thu Nov 11, 2004 8:43 am

Just a little bit, then I'm going to bed. Felicity was removing her scarf for very different reasons. Her body heat had dissipated rapidly after she had stopped working, and since the fire in Biddy’s sitting room had long burned down, there was a distinct chill in the room.
Phil had uttered an exclamation of dismay when he first entered the room, causing Felicity to push by him to see what had caused him to react in such a manner.

Last edited by Ellie on Sun Mar 20, 2005 2:58 pm; edited 1 time in total

 

#148:  Author: patmac, Location: Yorkshire England PostPosted: Thu Nov 11, 2004 9:09 am

*wibbles at the blood stained knife* *remembers Ellie does kill people* *wibbles some more*

 

#149:  Author: pim, Location: Helmel Hampster PostPosted: Thu Nov 11, 2004 9:25 am

*hides under the desk again* Will somebody tell me when it's safe to come out? Thanks Ellie

 

#150:  Author: Cazx, Location: Swansea/Bristol PostPosted: Thu Nov 11, 2004 9:43 am

Joins the wibbling crew.

 

#151:  Author: Ally, Location: Jack Maynard's Dressing Room!! PostPosted: Thu Nov 11, 2004 1:13 pm

*giggles at Ellie* Sorry, I'm enjoying this far to much to wibble!

 

#152:  Author: Vikki, Location: Sitting on an iceberg, freezing to death!!! PostPosted: Thu Nov 11, 2004 6:26 pm

Aaargh!! Ellie!!!!!!

 

#153:  Author: Laura, Location: London (ish) PostPosted: Thu Nov 11, 2004 7:22 pm

Elliekins... please please please please may we have some more story! (look, good grammar even in times of crisis!)

 

#154:  Author: patmac, Location: Yorkshire England PostPosted: Thu Nov 11, 2004 8:20 pm

Hoping Ellie will post some more tonight. I keep thinking of the bloodstained knife Shocked

 

#155:  Author: Lesley, Location: Allhallows, Kent PostPosted: Thu Nov 11, 2004 8:31 pm

Laughing Laughing Laughing Laughing Laughing Thanks Ellie!

 

#156:  Author: Ellie, Location: Lincolnshire PostPosted: Thu Nov 11, 2004 8:48 pm

Ally wrote:
*giggles at Ellie*Sorry, I'm enjoying this far to much to wibble!
Anyone would think you knew what was going to happen Ally Smile At first, Felicity couldn't see anything to have caused Phil's reaction, then she noticed the blood seeping through

 

#157:  Author: Kim, Location: Tipperary, Ireland PostPosted: Thu Nov 11, 2004 9:44 pm

Ellie unprintable mutters and mumbles please stop teasing :Bang:

 

#158:  Author: Lesley, Location: Allhallows, Kent PostPosted: Thu Nov 11, 2004 10:23 pm

ROFL ROFL ROFL ROFL ROFL Naughty Eliie! student

 

#159:  Author: Cazx, Location: Swansea/Bristol PostPosted: Thu Nov 11, 2004 10:25 pm

Seeping through what exactly???

 

#160:  Author: Pat, Location: Doncaster PostPosted: Thu Nov 11, 2004 10:55 pm

Lesley wrote:
ROFL ROFL ROFL ROFL ROFL Naughty Eliie! student
Isn't that a case of the pot calling the kettle Lesley? :hiding:

 

#161:  Author: pim, Location: Helmel Hampster PostPosted: Thu Nov 11, 2004 11:05 pm

*sits down very firmly on the cliff edge*

 

#162:  Author: Vikki, Location: Sitting on an iceberg, freezing to death!!! PostPosted: Thu Nov 11, 2004 11:33 pm

E*****!!!!!!!!!!(Ellie dear, Do you really WANT me to use your full name?)

 

#163:  Author: Lesley, Location: Allhallows, Kent PostPosted: Fri Nov 12, 2004 8:01 am

Pat wrote:
Lesley wrote:
ROFL ROFL ROFL ROFL ROFL Naughty Eliie! student
Isn't that a case of the pot calling the kettle Lesley? :hiding:
Yes Pat.

 

#164:  Author: Josie, Location: London PostPosted: Fri Nov 12, 2004 9:00 am

*tension gets too much and keels over*

 

#165:  Author: patmac, Location: Yorkshire England PostPosted: Fri Nov 12, 2004 9:57 am

I can't believe that! *wails* I'm going away for the weekend and have to take the image of blood seeping through ...... WHAT, exactly? Ah, well, at least all the abseiling gear will be in place for the next few cliffs when I get back Wink

 

#166:  Author: Ally, Location: Jack Maynard's Dressing Room!! PostPosted: Fri Nov 12, 2004 11:12 am

Hehe, I wish I did know!! I just love your cliffs, they are like those huge slides at funfairs, you keep going back for another go!! *Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee..............*

 

#167:  Author: Vikki, Location: Sitting on an iceberg, freezing to death!!! PostPosted: Fri Nov 12, 2004 8:30 pm

Pat wrote:
Lesley wrote:
ROFL ROFL ROFL ROFL ROFL Naughty Eliie! student
Isn't that a case of the pot calling the kettle Lesley? :hiding:
I always thought the pot called the kettle 'black', not 'Lesley'........... Rolling Eyes Rolling Eyes

 

#168:  Author: Ellie, Location: Lincolnshire PostPosted: Fri Nov 12, 2004 9:02 pm

Sorry this is going a bit slowly, I've actually got quite a lot scrawled in my notebook, but I didn't have the chance to type it up last night. (THE Boss kept asking me what I was doing all night Sad ) The trouble is, I've slept since then, and now I'm having trouble reading my scribble.

...the bandage on Biddy’s hand. Felicity did not waste her sympathy on Biddy, she simultaneously noticed that the bandage had latterly been wrapped neatly around Len’s ankle. Her eyes glittered with anger, and Phil Graves, at least, was in no doubt as to her feelings, but he forestalled any possible remark she might have made by guiding Biddy to the kitchen, whilst he instructed Felicity to remove her scarf so it could be used as a makeshift support for Len’s ankle.
In the kitchen it emerged that Biddy had been trying to cut a piece of steak into three slices, but had only succeeded in cutting herself. Being unable to find anything other than a grubby tea towel to wrap around the cut, she had commandeered the banadage around Len’s ankle, “After all it’s not as if she was bleeding at all.”
Phil briefly pondered the wisdom of drugging Biddy’s drink the evening before, she certainly didn’t appear to be totally aware of what she was doing, but there was nothing he could do about that now, and it had seemed a wise course of action at the time.

Last edited by Ellie on Sun Mar 20, 2005 2:59 pm; edited 1 time in total

 

#169:  Author: Vikki, Location: Sitting on an iceberg, freezing to death!!! PostPosted: Fri Nov 12, 2004 9:31 pm

Thank you Ellie!Do you want me to come poke your nosy boss?

 

#170:  Author: LizB, Location: Oxon, England PostPosted: Fri Nov 12, 2004 9:55 pm

Thanks Ellie*passes Vikki a stick in case she hasn't got one handy*Liz

 

#171:  Author: Vikki, Location: Sitting on an iceberg, freezing to death!!! PostPosted: Fri Nov 12, 2004 10:04 pm

Cheers Liz!!!!*accepts stick with relish!*

 

#172:  Author: Cazx, Location: Swansea/Bristol PostPosted: Fri Nov 12, 2004 10:42 pm

Ta Ellie!

 

#173:  Author: Lesley, Location: Allhallows, Kent PostPosted: Sat Nov 13, 2004 2:11 am

Thanks Ellie. Laughing

 

#174:  Author: Kathy_S, Location: midwestern US PostPosted: Sat Nov 13, 2004 5:09 am

Whew! Thanks for smoothing out that cliff a bit. Hope Biddy gets the help she needs!

 

#175:  Author: pim, Location: Helmel Hampster PostPosted: Sat Nov 13, 2004 11:01 am

*wibbling a little less now* Thanks Ellie.

 

#176:  Author: Ellie, Location: Lincolnshire PostPosted: Sun Nov 14, 2004 10:39 pm

Len lay on the sofa, still wanting to do little more than sleep, but she had at least lost the almost deathly whiteness which had worried Felicity the night before, although she was still pale and the traces of her ordeal were evident for anyone to see if they cared to look closely at her face.
Felicity, however, was too full of her own indignation to pay to much heed to Len’s desire to be left alone. “How dare she?” Felicity spoke in the low voice which, as all Chaletians know, carried less than a whisper, but her tomes were loaded with venom. “How dare she take that bandage off your foot. Did she hurt you? If she did I’ll -”
“Keep your wig on.” Len dragged herself back to full wakefulness before Felicity had the opportunity to explain exactly what she would do.
“I managed to take it off myself there was nothing else for it. There was nothing else I could do, not when I can’t even stand up. I did try, I really did, but it was too much.” She turned away slightly, feeling ashamed of her weakness.
“Len! You shouldn’t even have tried. Uncle Phil won’t be very pleased, nor will Pappa. Anyway, no-one would expect you to stand up on an ankle like that, not if they had any sense at all. Even Auntie Biddy would see that, even if she has been strange. I was really worried about leaving you here last night I thought she might do something to you.”
“I think someone ought to censor your reading, young Felicity. Why on earth would you think that Biddy would do anything to me? Don’t be such a goop.”
“But she’s isn’t acting like Auntie Biddy, she’s different. I can’t explain, she just seems, well different.”
“Does she? I hadn’t noticed, but I’ve been asleep most of the time, since Uncle Phil gave me something for the pain. I can’t believe how tired I still am.”
“I thought you would think I’d abandoned you. When I didn’t come back, I imagined you lying here weak and helpless and -”
“Well you needn’t have bothered. I’ve been perfectly all right. In fact, I didn’t even know that you hadn’t come back until this morning, so you forget that nonsense.” Len allowed her eyes to close again, exhausted even by that short conversation, and when Felicity told her that their father was going to fetch them later that morning, Len’s only response was a languid “Hmmmm.”
Felicity’s other attempts to talk provoked the same response, and she finally gave up the attempt and sat quietly, twisting the scarf around her hands as she waited for her Uncle Phil to return.

Last edited by Ellie on Sun Mar 20, 2005 3:01 pm; edited 1 time in total

 

#177:  Author: LizB, Location: Oxon, England PostPosted: Sun Nov 14, 2004 10:49 pm

Thanks Ellie Glad Len is ok Liz

 

#178:  Author: Nicci, Location: UK PostPosted: Sun Nov 14, 2004 11:00 pm

*swears loudly* Cripes Ellie. Are you out to destroy them all now? *wonders if Ellie has reached the point of despair where she gets her characters to kill each other off* *wibbling loudly* Really quite scared about Biddy. And hey, whats going on with poor Charles? Oh, and can someone remind me what happened to little Gwynnie/whatever she was called ??

 

#179:  Author: Lesley, Location: Allhallows, Kent PostPosted: Sun Nov 14, 2004 11:54 pm

Thank you Ellie! Laughing

 

#180:  Author: Ellie, Location: Lincolnshire PostPosted: Mon Nov 15, 2004 2:36 am

It was a long wait. Whilst Phil had been dressing Biddy’s hand he had noticed Jean struggling valiantly trying to clear a path through the snow to the wood shed. The snow was deep enough to trickle over the top of the small boy’s gumboots, and he was finding his task was a hard one.
The sight stirred mixed feelings within Phil’s breast, compassion for the little boy, of course, but also guilt that he had not done more to help his neighbour. Biddy had asked to be left alone, and he had complied all too readily, and, he was well aware, he would have continued to blithely ignore Biddy’s problems had it not been for Len’s accident.
It was ironic, then, that it had taken two of the Maynard girls to re-awaken his sense of responsibility, when it was their father’s actions which had caused the Couvoisiers current misery. The thought did nothing towards dispelling the feeling of bitterness towards Jack Maynard which fermented within him, nor did he feel that he would be committing an injustice if he left Len a little longer while he went to relieve Jean of his onerous duties.
It was not until he had brought in sufficient fuel to last the day, and stoked up the fire for good measure, that he turned his attention to Len. He wrapped the makeshift bandage around her ankle as gently as he knew how but that young lady was thoroughly awake by the time he had finished and ruing the burning pain which devoured her lower leg.
Phil had hoped that Len would be able to move under her own steam, with a little support, but her earlier attempts to stand unaided had certainly put paid to that idea. He wished that Hilary was with him, she would certainly be more use to him than the slightly built Felicity, but Felicity had stubbornly insisted that it should be she who accompanied him. Remembering that that same stubbornness had given her the strength to support Len through a far more fraught journey than a walk up the garden path, he decided that they could after manage without Hilary’s assistance. “Right young lady, we’ll soon have you on your feet, or your foot, I should say. Don’t try to put any weight on that ankle. No, keep still, I‘ll lift you.” Phil bent over, preparing to lift Len in a single graceful and easy movement. He did indeed succeed in lifting her, but his movement was for from graceful, and it was far from easy. In fact it was a bit of a scramble, but Len soon found herself standing up, with Phil to support her on one side and Felicity on the other. Len leaned against them both heavily.
Getting to this stage had not been a painless experience, and she felt slightly nauseous and dizzy, added to which all her muscles seemed to be quivering, and on the point of collapse. “Right, can you manage?” Len looked dubious. “Fliss said that daddy was coming to fetch us, why can’t he just pick me up from here?” She asked plaintively.
“Because he wouldn’t be able to get Minnie up to the gate here.” Phil said quickly, forestalling any comment which Biddy might make. He had not missed the look of fury on the older woman’s face when Len had mentioned her daddy.
“You would have to walk just as far in the end, so we might as well do it in two shorter stages. Now, the sooner we start to move the sooner you’ll be able to rest again, can you open the door please Biddy? I’ll be back to see you shortly, in the meantime don’t use that hand any more than you have to.”
The trio began to move, Len virtually being carried by the other two. They had to manoeuvre carefully to get through the door, but finally, Felicity was able to give a deep sigh of relief as they stood on the garden path, and she heard Biddy slam the door behind them. Inside the house, Jean heard the same sound with a sense of dread.

Last edited by Ellie on Sun Mar 20, 2005 3:04 pm; edited 1 time in total

 

#181:  Author: Kathy_S, Location: midwestern US PostPosted: Mon Nov 15, 2004 2:50 am

Thanks, Ellie! (but wibbles at ominous slamming noise)

 

#182:  Author: Lesley, Location: Allhallows, Kent PostPosted: Mon Nov 15, 2004 5:23 am

Poor little Jean. Thanks Ellie! Laughing

 

#183:  Author: patmac, Location: Yorkshire England PostPosted: Mon Nov 15, 2004 7:15 am

Thanks Ellie. I'm glad the blood was not the dire tragedy we feared. Poor little Jean!

 

#184:  Author: Sophoife, Location: down under Down Under PostPosted: Mon Nov 15, 2004 8:49 am

I'm reading through this from the very very beginning - copy'n'paste into a Word doc so I can change the font size for easier reading - and Ellie, did you know that when you put it all together it's now 192,978 words long?? Shocked By the way, please don't stop yet! Smile

 

#185:  Author: LizB, Location: Oxon, England PostPosted: Mon Nov 15, 2004 9:00 am

*wibbling for Jean* Liz

 

#186:  Author: Cazx, Location: Swansea/Bristol PostPosted: Mon Nov 15, 2004 9:26 am

*Wibbling for everyone*

 

#187:  Author: Ally, Location: Jack Maynard's Dressing Room!! PostPosted: Mon Nov 15, 2004 11:02 am

Poor Jean!!! I hope Phil is able to do something and help Biddy. Thank you Ellie, lots of lovely posts!

 

#188:  Author: pim, Location: Helmel Hampster PostPosted: Mon Nov 15, 2004 11:50 am

*hides under the desk wibbling for poor little Jean Crying or Very sad* Thanks Ellie.

 

#189:  Author: keren, Location: Israel PostPosted: Mon Nov 15, 2004 12:09 pm

how do you manage to make a new cliff, each time you finish off the previous one?

 

#190:  Author: Elzbie, Location: London PostPosted: Mon Nov 15, 2004 2:48 pm

Oh no- poor Jean. I'm scared for him..... need some more to put my mind at rest....(or not as the case may be!)

 

#191:  Author: Jennie, Location: Cambridgeshire PostPosted: Mon Nov 15, 2004 3:16 pm

Thank you, Ellie. These developments obviously mean that there is a lot more to come.

 

#192:  Author: Vikki, Location: Sitting on an iceberg, freezing to death!!! PostPosted: Mon Nov 15, 2004 4:14 pm

Wibble! Ellie, PLEASE don't let Biddy take things out on poor little Jean!!!

 

#193:  Author: Ellie, Location: Lincolnshire PostPosted: Tue Nov 16, 2004 8:39 am

Sophoife wrote:
I'm reading through this from the very very beginning - copy'n'paste into a Word doc so I can change the font size for easier reading - and Ellie, did you know that when you put it all together it's now 192,978 words long?? Shocked By the way, please don't stop yet! Smile
Good heavens! Why on earth didn't you just ask me to e-mail the word doc to you? But thank you for taking the trouble. I'm slightly concerned about your word count though - minne is only @ 188, 400 including this next part - which means I must have lost about 5,000 words somewhere Shocked

Charles had been served his breakfast. He sat up in his bed, propped against the pillows, with a tray on his lap. Because the plate was so close to him, he had no trouble locating it, nor with finding the light crispy roll which sat upon it. He even managed to make a reasonable job of cutting the roll in half. It was the butter which caused him trouble he could not find a butter dish anywhere. Eventually he settled upon the small round dish which he had already disregarded it was unrealistic to expect the hospital would possess the same kind of butter dish as that which he was accustomed to using at Fruedesheim. He spread the contents on the roll, competently enough, only realising that he had spread jam liberally over the bread when he took the first bite. He was a little disorientated by the unexpected taste and texture, but on the whole, it wasn't so bad.
The nurse was too busy to notice what he was doing for a while, when she was finally able to give him her full attention, she watched in bemusement for several minutes before she finally decided it was time to take charge.

Jack insisted that both he and the boys needed to partake of coffee after all their strenuous efforts in clearing the drive. It was a sensible decision, but it has to be said that his main motivation for the decree was to delay the moment of his departure. He had hoped that he would hear from Phil Graves before the drive was cleared, and he certainly hoped that he would receive a phone call long before he drained the final dregs of his coffee.
As a social occasion, the coffee morning was a failure. The conversation was desultory in the extreme, but one thing was settled that Steve should accompany Jack to Aldernest.
The telephone remained stubbornly silent. Jack contemplated the wisdom of pouring himself a second cup, but a glance at the clock advised him against it. A peek out of the window confirmed his decision, the clouds in the far distance hinted at more snow.
Jack certainly did not relish the thought of a confrontation with Biddy, especially in front of his daughters, but he was even less willing to risk having to leave Len and Felicity at the opposite end of the Platz for yet another night. He wanted, as far as it was possible, for all his family to be together on Christmas day, sensing that such occasions would be rare in the future.

Last edited by Ellie on Sun Mar 20, 2005 3:06 pm; edited 1 time in total

 

#194:  Author: Elzbie, Location: London PostPosted: Tue Nov 16, 2004 10:02 am

Poor Biddy and poor Jack- I'm sensing a showdown in the offing. Thanks Ellie- good way to start the morning!

 

#195:  Author: Vikki, Location: Sitting on an iceberg, freezing to death!!! PostPosted: Tue Nov 16, 2004 1:10 pm

Thank you Ellie!!!!!

 

#196:  Author: Ally, Location: Jack Maynard's Dressing Room!! PostPosted: Tue Nov 16, 2004 1:31 pm

Poor Charles *hugs* will he be home for Christmas?? (how is it not Christmas yet?? ~ sorry!)I hope Jack manages the scene with Biddy Confused

 

#197:  Author: Josie, Location: London PostPosted: Tue Nov 16, 2004 1:33 pm

Bless Charles.Looking forward to the Jack and Biddy showdown, and glad Len is still in one piece!! Very Happy Thanks Ellie

 

#198:  Author: Cazx, Location: Swansea/Bristol PostPosted: Tue Nov 16, 2004 2:29 pm

*Huggles Charles*

 

#199:  Author: Jennie, Location: Cambridgeshire PostPosted: Tue Nov 16, 2004 4:46 pm

Looking forward to Biddy tearing a strip off Jack's hide in her rich Irish brogue. Well, Jack hasn't behaved very well in this drabble, has he?

 

#200:  Author: Nicci, Location: UK PostPosted: Tue Nov 16, 2004 5:13 pm

ooh, thanks for the updates Ellie.

 

#201:  Author: Lesley, Location: Allhallows, Kent PostPosted: Tue Nov 16, 2004 7:41 pm

Lovely Ellie! Laughing

 

#202:  Author: Susan, Location: Carlisle PostPosted: Tue Nov 23, 2004 2:10 pm

Thank you Ellie lots of lovely updates. Glad help has got to Len but now we need to know about Jean and Charles and everything else.

 

#203:  Author: Nicci guesting,  PostPosted: Thu Dec 09, 2004 1:29 am

found this languishing on page 3. Any chance of an update Ellie?

 

#204:  Author: Lyanne, Location: Ipswich, England PostPosted: Thu Dec 09, 2004 7:24 am

I dreamt about Margot and her baby last night. Where are they? (to be plaintively wailed)

 

#205:  Author: Ally, Location: Jack Maynard's Dressing Room!! PostPosted: Thu Dec 09, 2004 9:59 am

*tries to wake Brian up* megaphone Trumpet Guitar drummer piano hammer popper :box: :robin: :boxing poke

 

#206:  Author: Ellie, Location: Lincolnshire PostPosted: Thu Dec 09, 2004 9:11 pm

Nice try, but Brian could sleep through an earthquake!

"Somewhere in England, Margot sat holding her sleeping baby in her arms. Now and then, she glanced at the framed photograph on the table beside her. Slightly out of focus, it nevertheless depicted her family standing in a group in the garden at Fruedesheim, the magnificent peak of the Jungfrau in the background. She thought of her family as they would be at that moment, sitting in the salon at Fruedesheim, happy to be together again. She womdered if they would miss her."

Apologies for the lack of updates, but I have been a bit busy lately (in a totally non CS sense) and when I haven't been busy, I've been busy procastinating, and I still haven't managed to catch up with reading the drabbles. I'm afraid there is unlikely to be much more this side of Christmas, sorry.

Last edited by Ellie on Sun Mar 20, 2005 3:07 pm; edited 1 time in total

 

#207:  Author: Vikki, Location: Sitting on an iceberg, freezing to death!!! PostPosted: Thu Dec 09, 2004 9:18 pm

*huggles Ellie!*

 

#208:  Author: Cazx, Location: Swansea/Bristol PostPosted: Thu Dec 09, 2004 10:11 pm

Sorry about RL Ellie, Thanks for the update though!

 

#209:  Author: Lesley, Location: Allhallows, Kent PostPosted: Thu Dec 09, 2004 10:13 pm

Do you know I'd completely forgotten that Margot had a baby? This has so many plot lines it's difficult to keep hold of them all! Laughing (((Ellie)))

 

#210:  Author: Nicci, Location: UK PostPosted: Fri Dec 10, 2004 9:45 am

I felt really sorry for Margot before- alone in the UK with a baby. But knowing what's going on in Switzerland - I think maybe she's best off where she is!! Thanks for the Margot update Ellie. Look forward to more when you have time. xx

 

#211:  Author: Ally, Location: Jack Maynard's Dressing Room!! PostPosted: Fri Dec 10, 2004 10:16 am

*hugs Ellie* Thank you for the Margot bit. Considering I must have been nagging you about her for the last six months and you said you weren't going to write anything I count that a great success!!!! Very Happy Wink

 

#212:  Author: Lyanne, Location: Ipswich, England PostPosted: Sat Dec 11, 2004 9:55 am

thank you Ellie

 

#213:  Author: Josie, Location: London PostPosted: Mon Dec 13, 2004 4:49 pm

Thanks Ellie. Completely missed the update on this one - d'oh! Had forgotten all about Margot and the baby. God, the Maynard's are in a mess in this!

 

#214:  Author: Susan, Location: Carlisle PostPosted: Sun Dec 26, 2004 12:29 am

Have just read the Margot update Ellie, thank you. Hope RL calms down soon so that you are free to update this.

 

#215:  Author: Nicci, Location: UK PostPosted: Sat Jan 15, 2005 10:21 pm

How's it going Ellie?

 

#216:  Author: Sophoife, Location: down under Down Under PostPosted: Sun Jan 16, 2005 12:05 am

H'mm, yes, Ellie, hope RL is going to allow you to continue with this...if not at the moment, please may we have an update on you instead?

 

#217:  Author: Ellie, Location: Lincolnshire PostPosted: Sun Jan 23, 2005 3:12 pm

Try as she might, she could not prevent one or two silent tears from spilling from the corner of her eyes as she remembered Christmasses past. It had been her decision to cut herself off from her family, but for what?
The baby stirred slightly, bringing a slight smile to Margot’s lips as she looked down at the sleeping child. Mary Veronica was worth any sacrifice that Margot could have made - the love that Margot had felt for daughter from the very first moment she had held her in her arms had overwhelmed her, almost frightened her with it’s intensity, there was nothing that she would not have done for her child.
The question was, had she done the right thing? Dom had said so, he had told her they would be all right. That they had each other, they had no need of any one else, and she had believed him. Why shouldn’t she have? She had loved him. He made her heart beat faster, he made butterflies flutter in her stomach. The hours when she was apart from him had been empty, pointless. Whenever she saw him the world became a better place, brighter, livelier, more vivid. He had aroused feelings in her that she had never felt before, feelings which came from deep inside her, from a place she had never known existed. Surely that was love. So why was she feeling so unhappy.
Dom hadn’t changed, if she had loved him then, why could she no longer hear the music?
She glanced at the clock, he would soon be home, expecting his supper. She tried to remember where he had gone that night, he had so many engagements it was hard to keep track of his whereabouts. He was continuing his studies, of course, but there were so many other claims on his time, his political activities with the Communist Party and various student groups, and the news sheet which he was so fervent about. Margot suppressed a sigh, grateful at least that as much as he professed to despise wealth it had not prevented him from accepting hand outs from his own opulent family.
That too was consistent with the Dominic she had given her heart to. He hadn’t changed at all, just carried on living his life. It was Margot who had changed. It was Margot who had had to.

Last edited by Ellie on Sun Mar 20, 2005 3:08 pm; edited 1 time in total

 

#218:  Author: Cazx, Location: Swansea/Bristol PostPosted: Sun Jan 23, 2005 3:18 pm

Glad to see this back Ellie!

 

#219:  Author: Lesley, Location: Allhallows, Kent PostPosted: Sun Jan 23, 2005 3:19 pm

Thank you Ellie! So good to see more of this, feel somewhat susipicious of this Dom character, member of the Communist party and away at meetings etc alot? Hope this doesn't portent further problems.

 

#220:  Author: Jennie, Location: Cambridgeshire PostPosted: Sun Jan 23, 2005 3:24 pm

Great to see this back, Ellie! Dom sounds like a selfish s**t to me.

 

#221:  Author: Ally, Location: Jack Maynard's Dressing Room!! PostPosted: Sun Jan 23, 2005 3:27 pm

Huzzah more Tensions!!!! Poor Margot, Dom sounds nasty!!! Thank you dear Elliephant Very Happy

 

#222:  Author: Ellie, Location: Lincolnshire PostPosted: Sun Jan 23, 2005 3:36 pm

Jennie wrote:
Great to see this back, Ellie! Dom sounds like a selfish s**t to me.
*Shrugs* Of course. He's a man, isn't he?

 

#223:  Author: LizB, Location: Oxon, England PostPosted: Sun Jan 23, 2005 4:22 pm

Thanks Ellie Liz *suspicious of Dom being out such a lot*

 

#224:  Author: patmac, Location: Yorkshire England PostPosted: Sun Jan 23, 2005 5:49 pm

Good to see this back, Ellie. I do hope RL is easier now. Poor Margot. *Joins the row of people eyeing Dom distrustfully*

 

#225:  Author: nikkie, Location: Cumbria PostPosted: Sun Jan 23, 2005 8:29 pm

Yay , tensions is back thanks Ellie

 

#226:  Author: Lyanne, Location: Ipswich, England PostPosted: Sun Jan 23, 2005 8:39 pm

Quote:
That too was consistent with the Dominic she had given her heart to. He hadn’t changed at all, just carried on living his life. It was Margot who had changed. It was Margot who had had to.
Yeah, that happens when you have a child. But, oh look, the child's Dom's too! Feeling very suspicious of his insistence that 'they' don't need anyone when he's out all the time. Doesn't seem like Margot's getting any support. ((Margot))

 

#227:  Author: Kathy_S, Location: midwestern US PostPosted: Sun Jan 23, 2005 8:47 pm

Poor Margot! poke Dom Thanks, Ellie!

 

#228:  Author: auntie karry, Location: Stoke on Trent PostPosted: Sun Jan 23, 2005 9:38 pm

:ahhh: Margot poke Dom Nice to see this back!

 

#229:  Author: Josie, Location: London PostPosted: Sun Jan 23, 2005 11:36 pm

Yay - it's back! Not loving Dom so much though Confused

 

#230:  Author: Vikki, Location: Sitting on an iceberg, freezing to death!!! PostPosted: Mon Jan 24, 2005 12:26 am

Wonderful to see this back Ellie! Poor Margot though!

 

#231:  Author: Nicci, Location: UK PostPosted: Mon Jan 24, 2005 11:04 am

Hurrah. Thanks Ellie. I've been missing this. And poor Margot Sad

 

#232:  Author: keren, Location: Israel PostPosted: Mon Jan 24, 2005 11:40 am

Nice to see this back Ellie, hope you are OK.

 

#233:  Author: Susan, Location: Carlisle PostPosted: Wed Jan 26, 2005 3:19 pm

Thanks Ellie it is very nice to see this (and you) back.

 

#234:  Author: Alice, Location: London, England PostPosted: Sat Feb 05, 2005 2:00 pm

I've just read most of this in the last couple of days. Thank you Ellie, I've been absolutely enthralled. It'd been annoy not being able to make comments - now I'll be able to.

 

#235:  Author: Katie, Location: A Yorkshire lass in London PostPosted: Sun Feb 20, 2005 1:37 am

*bump* Phew! Just spent the best part of a week (and stayed up waaaaay past my bedtime tonight) reading through this epic! It's made me laugh out loud, cry a little bit and grrrrr at many of the characters - it's brilliant! Hope there's some more to come soon - what's the word count at now? *is proud that Ellie is her big sis!*

 

#236:  Author: Ellie, Location: Lincolnshire PostPosted: Sun Mar 20, 2005 3:09 pm

As the sound of the door slamming died away, Jean sat waiting for other noises, other sounds of his mother’s temper. He waited to hear her slamming things around in the house, or to hear her shouting at him for some real or imagined act of carelessness, but no sounds came.
At first it was a relief, a small respite, but as the minutes passed and the silence remained unbroken, the small boy began to worry. Soon, he was longing to hear the sound of her raucous voice, she was going to start sooner or later, it would be best if it were sooner, better than sitting worrying about exactly what she was going to do.
At such a tender age, he was unable to articulate his fears accurately, but there was no mistaking the sense of unease which seemed to be growing within his small body until it threatened to overcome him, to become him. It was too much for him to bear, he quietly stole down the stairs, knowing that to be caught doing so before his mother ordered him down was to positively invite her retribution.
Practice had taught him which floorboards creaked, and which steps to avoid, and he was able to make his way downstairs without breaking the uncanny, ominous silence. Except, as he realised upon reaching the ground floor, the silence was not as all encompassing as he had imagined. It was broken by small, low moaning sounds, coming from the kitchen.

 

#237:  Author: Lesley, Location: Allhallows, Kent PostPosted: Sun Mar 20, 2005 3:21 pm

Yippee!!!! Great to see more of this Ellie! Thank you! Kiss

Poor Jean. Crying or Very sad

 

#238:  Author: LizB, Location: Oxon, England PostPosted: Sun Mar 20, 2005 3:34 pm

Yay! Thanks Ellie

*wibbles*

Liz

 

#239:  Author: Kathy_S, Location: midwestern US PostPosted: Sun Mar 20, 2005 3:34 pm

Echoes: Poor Jean!!!!
And poor Biddy! Hoping she comes to her senses soon, traumatic as that may be for her.

Thank you, Ellie!

 

#240:  Author: patmac, Location: Yorkshire England PostPosted: Sun Mar 20, 2005 5:17 pm

Poor little Jean and poor Biddy!

Thank you Ellie. I always have a quick peek to see if there is more. Wink

 

#241:  Author: Ally, Location: Jack Maynard's Dressing Room!! PostPosted: Sun Mar 20, 2005 5:26 pm

Yay more Tensions, thank you Ellie *dances excitedly*

But poor Jean Crying or Very sad Crying or Very sad Crying or Very sad

 

#242:  Author: Laura, Location: London (ish) PostPosted: Sun Mar 20, 2005 6:02 pm

What on earth is Jean going to discover?

Thanks Ellie.

 

#243:  Author: Vikki, Location: Sitting on an iceberg, freezing to death!!! PostPosted: Sun Mar 20, 2005 9:07 pm

Oooh!!!
More Tensions!!!
Thank you Ellie!
Poor little Jean though!

 

#244:  Author: Nicci, Location: UK PostPosted: Sun Mar 20, 2005 10:19 pm

yey more! thanks Ellie.

 

#245:  Author: Alice, Location: London, England PostPosted: Mon Mar 21, 2005 8:01 am

Yaye, happy to see some more. Thanks Ellie.

 

#246:  Author: Susan, Location: Carlisle PostPosted: Wed Mar 23, 2005 4:34 pm

Thanks for more of this Ellie.

Poor little Jean how awful for him, hope he realises none of this is his fault.

 

The CBB -> Ste Therese's House


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