The CBB :: View topic - Biddy Comes to Tea

#1: Biddy Comes to Tea Author: JoW, Location: Lincolnshire

Posted: Tue Mar 29, 2005 7:09 pm

This takes place after Jo's Reunion at the beginning of Jane

Joey Maynard slammed the door of her car and ran up the steps to the front door of Adlersnest, looking more like a schoolgirl than the mother of eleven. The door was opened almost immediately by a small slim woman with a mass of black hair and beautiful Irish eyes – ‘put in with a smutty finger’ Joey always thought.

“Joey, how lovely to see you,” Biddy greeted her old friend with a hug.
“Let me have a look at you.” Joey held her at arms’ length and scanned the lovely face until Biddy went scarlet. “Mmm, I’ve seen you look worse, but not much,” was her friend’s rude comment. “What have you been doing to yourself?”

“Oh, this and that. I’m just a bit tired, that’s all”

Joey followed Biddy into the part of the Chalet that was home to the Courvoisier family, and made herself comfortable in an armchair. She looked round the pretty salon appreciatively. “It’s very quiet. Where is everyone?”

“Hilary took all the small fry for a picnic,” She said, referring to their friend Hilary Graves, who with her family lived in the other part of Adlersnest. “She thought I’d be able to have a rest”

“Well, you look like you could do with it – what’s been happening?”

“Nothing dramatic, don’t look so worried. I just had a really bad night with Petit Jean.”

“What was wrong? Not teeth at his age?”

“No of course not. He just wouldn’t settle. Each time I thought I’d got him settled, he’d sleep for a while – just long enough for me to drop off, and then he’d wake and start bawling again. It was the early hours of the morning before I finally got to sleep. Then, no sooner was I safely over than Eugen got a call from the San and I was awake again. If I got two hours sleep last night that was all. Anyway, Jean looks like he’s going to make up for it today, so I’m going to bed myself later.”

Jo jumped to her feet handing over a neat parcel. “Well I won’t hold you up. I’ve been to the San to visit Grizel, and she asked me to bring you this on my way home.”

Grizel Cochrane was one of Joey’s oldest friends. She was at present in the Sanatorium, at the end of the Gornetz Platz, recovering from a back injury, sustained when she saved Jo’s eldest daughter Len from a potentially life-threatening accident. Jo would be eternally grateful to Grizel for the prompt, selfless action that had saved Len and she visited her in the San as often as possible. Now Grizel’s injuries were healing she was beginning to find time hung heavily on her hands and visits from her friends were greatly valued.

Biddy unwrapped the parcel Jo handed to her and found some beautiful baby clothes.
“These were made by Phoebe,” Biddy exclaimed with pleasure. “No-one else can produce such wonderful embroidery.”

“Yes, Grizel gave her the commission. Phoebe is a wonderful addition to our little group. I don’t know what we’d do without her. I was so glad when Jack first told me that Frank Peters was one of those who would be working at the Swiss branch of the San and that he and Phoebe would be making their home up here.

“I must thank both Grizel and Phoebe at the first opportunity. These are beautiful”.

Jo was watching Biddy, while they spoke. Although she seemed pleased with the gift, her smile didn’t reach her eyes and there was a listlessness about her that Jo had never before seen in her friend. ‘I’m sure there is something more than tiredness and I’m going to find out what’s wrong before we’re all much older” she thought.
Out loud she said, “Well, as I told you, this is just a flying visit, so I’ll be on my way, but I also came to invite you to visit me tomorrow afternoon. I’ll come and pick you up. Rosli can look after all the babies and we can by ladies and have a leisurely afternoon of tea and gossip”

“Thank you Jo, but I can drive myself over.”

“If you insist – but don’t overdo it. Get a good rest now and I hope to see you looking more like your usual bonny self tomorrow.” With that, Jo kissed her friend and skipped lightly down the steps.

#2: Author: nikkie, Location: Cumbria

Posted: Tue Mar 29, 2005 7:12 pm

Oh good another Biddy story !
although it doesn't look a happy one at the moment

#3: Author: Lesley, Location: Allhallows, Kent

Posted: Tue Mar 29, 2005 7:30 pm

Interesting - looking forward to more.

Thanks Jo.

#4: Author: Kat, Location: Swansea

Posted: Tue Mar 29, 2005 8:11 pm

Thank you Jo! Am worried about poor Biddy though, and Jean.

Is it too early to chant for more?

#5: Author: Ally, Location: Jack Maynard's Dressing Room!!

Posted: Tue Mar 29, 2005 8:31 pm

This looks really interesting Jo, I love Biddy stories Very Happy

I hope Jo with help Biddy.

#6: Author: Cath, Location: Cornwall

Posted: Tue Mar 29, 2005 10:54 pm

Ooh, this does look interesting! Looking forward to more, thanks Jo. Smile

#7: Author: Helen P, Location: Cheshire

Posted: Tue Mar 29, 2005 10:58 pm

Thankyou Jo - this looks good. Looking forward to the next bit as soon as you can!

#8: Author: Alice, Location: London, England

Posted: Tue Mar 29, 2005 11:59 pm

Thank you Jo, looking forward to some more.

#9: Updated 30/3/05 Author: JoW, Location: Lincolnshire

Posted: Wed Mar 30, 2005 8:27 am

Thanks for the encouragement with my first attempt at a drabble

The following day went according to plan. It was a beautiful Spring day and Biddy duly drove herself to Freudesheim, the Maynard’s home, further along the Gornetz Platz. Biddy’s twins, Marie and Pat, were handed over to Anna, who had worked for the Maynards since their marriage. They were now playing happily at the far side of the garden with Joey’s fifth daughter, Cecil, and the twins, Phil and Geoff, who were the youngest members of the Maynard family. Biddy and Jo had settled themselves in the Rose Garden to enjoy the tea and conversation that Joey had promised. Biddy was anxious for the latest news of Grizel Cochrane, whom she too had known for many years. Jo gave it willingly and added a hint of her own hopes for a change to come in Grizel’s fortunes. Then she’d entertained her friend with tales from the Chalet School, situated next door to Freudesheim, and noticed that while Biddy smiled at the ‘middles’ latest’, in repose, her face looked very sad.

Now Biddy had gone to attend to baby Jean and Jo was thinking about her friend while she cleared away the tea things. “She certainly looks a bit better than yesterday, having caught up on her sleep,” she mused. “I don’t think she looks ill, but she doesn’t look herself. In fact, if you ask me, she looks unhappy. She says Eugen and the children are all fine, so I don’t think it can be anything to do with them. I wonder what has happened?”

Jo had already given Biddy several opportunities to confide in her but so far Biddy had ignored them. “If she doesn’t say anything soon, I’ll have to try the direct approach.” It was not in Jo to leave anyone looking so sad and not try and help, and Biddy was not just anyone. She was one of Jo’s oldest friends. She had known her since the 10-year old Biddy, newly orphaned, had been ‘adopted’ by the Chalet School middles of the day. Jo had been Head Girl at the time and discovered Biddy shut in the games shed. Although the school had decided that the Guide Companies would adopt Biddy and pay for her keep, she had eventually attended the School and made her home in the holidays at the home on the Sonnalpe of Joey’s sister Madge Russell. Therefore, Jo had known Biddy for many years and had watched her grow from wild Irish scamp, to responsible prefect, brilliant, much-loved history teacher at the Chalet School and now wife and mother.

#10: Author: Alice, Location: London, England

Posted: Wed Mar 30, 2005 10:31 am

Wonderful. I wounder what's wrong with Biddy.

#11: Author: Amanda M, Location: Wakefield

Posted: Wed Mar 30, 2005 11:45 am

Thanks Jo, this is interesting. I wonder if Joey can find out what;s wrong with Biddy.

Star Wars

#12: Author: Josie, Location: London

Posted: Wed Mar 30, 2005 12:08 pm

This is great Jo. Looking forward to seeing what's up with Biddy.

#13: Author: Rosea, Location: Edinburgh

Posted: Wed Mar 30, 2005 12:23 pm

This is a very interesting start. Am also looking forward to finding out more.

#14: Author: aitchemelle, Location: West Sussex

Posted: Wed Mar 30, 2005 12:31 pm

This is great Jo.. Very Happy

Well done on your first attempt...I havent had the courage (or timeto start yet :S)

#15: Author: Cath, Location: Cornwall

Posted: Wed Mar 30, 2005 12:36 pm

This is great, Jo. Am also very curious to find out what is wrong with Biddy, I hope that Joey can help. Thank you. Smile

#16: Author: Pat, Location: Doncaster

Posted: Wed Mar 30, 2005 12:39 pm

Looking forward to more of this when you can post it.

#17: Author: LizB, Location: Oxon, England

Posted: Wed Mar 30, 2005 1:48 pm

This looks really good Jo.

Looking forward to finding out what's on Biddy's mind.

Liz

#18: Author: Kat, Location: Swansea

Posted: Wed Mar 30, 2005 2:51 pm

Am feeling slightly callous in that I hope Biddy tells Jo to shove off and mind her own business for once in a while!!

Would love Biddy to confide in someone else and get her support from a different friend. Embarassed

Hope she finds help soon though Smile

Thanks JoW!

#19: Author: Vikki, Location: Sitting on an iceberg, freezing to death!!!

Posted: Wed Mar 30, 2005 4:48 pm

This is great Jo! Hope we find out what's wrong soon!

#20: Author: Lesley, Location: Allhallows, Kent

Posted: Wed Mar 30, 2005 6:23 pm

Kat wrote:

Part of me hopes the same Kat! But I suppose Joey would be the one to try and find out about this - would have thought she would be more likely to confide in Hilary Graves though, considering they share a house.

Oh, and thank you Jo - really enjoying this!

#21: Author: Ann, Location: Newcastle upon Tyne, England

Posted: Wed Mar 30, 2005 6:57 pm

Lesley wrote:

would have thought she would be more likely to confide in Hilary Graves though, considering they share a house.

But Hilary might be slightly too close to the situation for Biddy to reveal all to her - depending, of course, on what the situation is *subtle hint for more, please!*

#22: Author: Helen P, Location: Cheshire

Posted: Wed Mar 30, 2005 8:52 pm

Maybe the problem is with Hilary? Confused

#23: Author: Carolyn P, Location: Lancaster, England

Posted: Wed Mar 30, 2005 9:37 pm

Joey wants Biddy to tell her because she cares about her friend and wants to help, not because she just wants to know. We might wish it was someone else because it always is Joey, but that is part of her character, caring and helpful.

*In Joey's defense for once*

#24: Author: JoW, Location: Lincolnshire

Posted: Wed Mar 30, 2005 9:44 pm

Sorry, it has to be Jo - because that's just the way it ALWAYS is....

While Joey was puzzling over the best way to tackle Biddy, that lady returned to the rose garden carrying her newest son, fed, clean and comfortable. As she sat down she planted a gentle kiss on the downy hair.

“He’s a beautiful baby.” Jo smiled fondly. “Who does he look like? At first I thought he was like you, even though he doesn’t have your colouring, but he’s changing fast and now I’m not so sure.”

“I wouldn’t know,” Biddy responded in a rather hard voice. “I have no family and don’t really remember what they were like, so I can’t look for a resemblance.”

Surprise robbed Jo of her speech for a moment and while she was trying to decide how to respond to the rather bitter statement, Biddy continued.

“Joey, your parents are dead. Don’t you miss them, especially as you now have a family? Don’t you wish you could show your children off to your mother and trace their features in other members of your family?”

Jo was at a loss for a moment and considered her reply carefully.

“Not really, you see I never knew my parents and I always felt as if Madge was my mother. Anyway, when the triplets were born, the war was on and Jack was away in the thick of things. He was the only ‘family’ who was important to me at that time and he was the only one I desperately wanted to show the children to. By the time the others came along we were already a large family if you include Dick and Mollie and their brood and Madge and Jem and theirs. I’ve never felt any lack in the family area!

Anyway, you have a family now. You have Eugen and three children and Eugen’s mother and his sister and her family. You are not without family, my girl.”

“No, I agree, marrying Eugen has made me part of a lovely family. I only wish I had a similar family to offer him. But perhaps you are right and it’s not family I miss but roots, an understanding of where I came from.”

“What do you remember about your parents and your early childhood?” Joey asked gently.

Biddy shrugged. “I remember nothing about my father. He was in the British Army and died when I was a baby. I have a photo of him here.”

Biddy moved the baby to a more comfortable position and reaching into a large handbag, produced a small bundle of photos. She sorted through them, finding the one she wanted and passed Joey a rather blurred picture of a man in uniform. Joey took it eagerly and found herself looking a dark young man with his head slightly on one side and a broad grin on his face.

“He looks nice,” was Jo’s first comment. “He was good looking and you can imagine that he was good fun. I like his smile. I would have liked to have known him.”

“So would I,” Biddy whispered as she passed Jo a second photo. This picture showed the profile of a thin, rather worried looking woman, sitting erect, with a mass of dark hair caught up in a bun at the nape of her neck. “My mother.”

“Well, you’ve definitely inherited her hair. What do you remember about her?”

“I don’t remember anything before she went to work for Miss Honora at the Castle. She had worked there before she married my father and after she was widowed she was allowed to go back. We lived there in the servants’ quarters and I really didn’t see much of her. She worked very long hours and was always tired. She was always worried about whether I was behaving myself. I suppose it would have been disastrous for her – for us - if she had lost that job. There was only a small staff and they all kept an eye on me. I learned very young where I was allowed to go and to play quietly and keep out of the way. I wasn’t unhappy. I think everyone made a pet of me – even Miss Honora. I was supposed to keep out of her way and I didn’t see her very often, but when I did she always spoke nicely to me and often gave me a coin or a sweet.

#25: Author: Ally, Location: Jack Maynard's Dressing Room!!

Posted: Wed Mar 30, 2005 9:50 pm

Poor Biddy, she must have felt so alone, though the School and the friends she made there must have helped, its still not a blood tie.

Will she try and trace her half-brother? I always wondered what happened to him.

Thanks Jo

#26: Author: Vikki, Location: Sitting on an iceberg, freezing to death!!!

Posted: Wed Mar 30, 2005 9:55 pm

Awwww! Poor Biddy!!!
*hugs Biddy tight*

#27: Author: Pat, Location: Doncaster

Posted: Wed Mar 30, 2005 10:02 pm

I'd forgotten her half brother! Shocked

#28: Author: Lesley, Location: Allhallows, Kent

Posted: Wed Mar 30, 2005 10:08 pm

Poor Biddy. Crying or Very sad

Thanks Jo.

#29: Author: aitchemelle, Location: West Sussex

Posted: Wed Mar 30, 2005 11:55 pm

lovely jo

poor biddy *huggles*

#30: Author: Amanda M, Location: Wakefield

Posted: Thu Mar 31, 2005 11:31 am

Pat wrote:

I'd forgotten her half brother! Shocked

I had too! It'll be interesting to see if Biddy does delve deeper into her roots, and see what she discovers.

Star Wars

#31: Author: Lyanne, Location: Ipswich, England

Posted: Thu Mar 31, 2005 3:03 pm

Really, it's strange that her step-father's family didn't try to stay in contact with her - I think they wanted to take her but just REALLY didn't have the room. I suppose EDB wouldn't have thought of it - they weren't real for her.

#32: Author: Ann, Location: Newcastle upon Tyne, England

Posted: Thu Mar 31, 2005 8:50 pm

Perhaps they did try? Biddy ended up at the Tiernsee because she had run away. Her step-father's family may not have been able to track her down in order to keep in touch.

Thanks Jo - more would be appreciated whenever possible!

#33: Author: Helen P, Location: Cheshire

Posted: Thu Mar 31, 2005 9:52 pm

Thanks Jo. Poor Biddy.

Her reaction feels very realistic to me - I am a very content adoptee, with no particular desire to trace my birth family, but I still frequently look at my children's features and wonder wistfully just who they look like.

I don't think I'd ever registered that Biddy had a half brother at all!

#34: Author: LizB, Location: Oxon, England

Posted: Thu Mar 31, 2005 10:00 pm

I can understand how Biddy feels - wishing she knew her family, knew more of her background and who her parents, grandparents aunts and uncles were and what they were like.

Thanks Jo

Maybe she'll delve back and find she's a long-lost relative of someone - Mollie Bettany maybe? (she also had blue eyes put in with a smutty finger!) Laughing

Liz

#35: Author: Josie, Location: London

Posted: Fri Apr 01, 2005 12:53 am

LizB wrote:

Maybe she'll delve back and find she's a long-lost relative of someone - Mollie Bettany maybe? (she also had blue eyes put in with a smutty finger!) Laughing

How very EBD!

Thanks Jo. Poor Biddy. She must feel like she has no real roots anywhere. She barely knows where she was from!

Had also forgotten her half-brother. I assume she's now going to start trying to trace him and her step-family?

#36: Author: JoW, Location: Lincolnshire

Posted: Fri Apr 01, 2005 8:05 am

Well, here's the next update.

Life became more fun when my stepfather came to work there. He was employed as the Chauffeur, but really Miss Honora didn’t go out a great deal. He spent most of his time in the garage messing about with the cars and doing various odd jobs. He was a great character and things were much livelier when he was around. His name was Giovanni and that is partly where Jean gets his name from…” Biddy paused to gaze lovingly at the baby now slumbering in her arms, “but everyone called him Luigi. I suppose that was a nickname because he was Italian. He was great fun and very popular with the whole household. Everyone fell for his charm including my mother and me. Mother used to speak sharply to him telling him that he had more blarney than most Irishmen, but he always managed to make her laugh. I loved his stories. I went to school by this time, but after school and weekends I would spend as much time as possible in his company. He would ask Miss Honora if she needed the car and when she said ‘no’, he would say that he needed to take it out to test something. Then he would collect me and we would go for drives. Sometimes Miss Honora would suggest it. She would say ‘I could be needing the car next week. You’d best take it out and give it some exercise – and take that child along too.’ Sometimes he picked me up from school, complete with his chauffeur’s uniform. We used to pretend I was a princess. We often went to the beach. The castle was near the sea. Some of the coast was very dangerous but there were also some little bays that were ideal for bathing. I was in and out of the sea all summer long.

The first big change took place when Miss Honora decided to go to Italy for her health and we all went with her. I don’t remember much about that period of my life. Travelling was tiring and I had to be good and quiet all the time. Actually, I don’t think it was long before she died. That left my mother and Luigi unemployed and they decided to marry. That was a happy time. I saw much more of my mother. We didn’t have much money. There wasn’t much work about but Luigi was always cheerful and optimistic and he was usually able to charm people into employing him in some capacity, but none of the jobs lasted very long and we moved around Europe a lot. My mother was also a hard worker and sometimes she was able to find employment when Luigi could not. Between them they managed to earn enough for us to live quietly and happily. I was so excited when I heard I was going to have a baby brother or sister. Well, you know what happened next…”

“Your mother died when your brother was born.” Jo said gently. Her wonderful eyes softened till they looked like pools of black ink.

“Yes, we called the Baby Patrick as this was her last wish. This was a very difficult time. Luigi employed a young girl to look after us. She wasn’t much more than a child herself and he got what work he could. We were very poor and I suspect that Luigi spent all his money on food for us and went short himself. He became ill but insisted on continuing to work, always cheerful and optimistic and finally died less than a year later. Luckily for us we were living in the house belonging to a kind couple who had befriended us. They had taken care of Luigi during his final days and he had trusted them to take care of us until his sister could be contacted. Luigi’s sister duly came and took the baby back with her but she just could not afford to take me as well…”

“The Cecilia home” interrupted Jo. “I remember that when we first met you, you had run away from Hall to avoid being sent there. You had wandered up to the Tiernsee where the middles found you.”

Biddy nodded.

“You seemed to settle in amongst us so easily and were always so happy, I think we forgot the recent tragedies in your life. Tell me Biddy,” Jo asked gently, “Did you ever grieve for your mother and stepfather?”

Biddy nodded, “Not at the time. At first I was unhappy and confused but I think I dealt with things by living very much in the moment. I always had the ability to take life pretty much as it came. There were so many changes in my life and once I got to the Chalet School, so much to do and so many new people, I didn’t really have time to think about the past. Then, after a few years, the war broke out and there was the move first to Guernsey and then Armishire. My early life seemed a different world. I simply didn’t think about it.

It was only after I left Oxford and went to Australia with Mavis that my thoughts went back to my mother and stepfather. You remember me telling you about Mavis? She was my friend at Oxford. She had always been frail and it became clear during our final year that she was more seriously ill than we had realised. She wanted me to return to Australia with her and I couldn’t refuse her. In fact, I was afraid that she wouldn’t survive the journey. It was such a relief to see her safely reunited with her family. Her health improved for a while but I still had to watch her die and see her parents’ grief. Her mother clung to me and I her and we became very close. I think we grieved together. Then, one day, she started talking to me about being a mother and a mother’s feelings for her first-born child and how it felt to bury that child. I just started to sob. I told her all about my childhood – things I didn’t know I’d remembered and I expressed a grief that I didn’t know I had. I was quite ill for a while, which is one of the reasons I stayed so long. They wouldn’t let me leave until I was quite fit and they were so kind that I decided to stay and help teach the younger children until they went for school. I wasn’t just doing them a favour. I really enjoyed being part of their family. Then, by the time I was ready to come back to the Chalet School and start teaching I felt fit and ready for anything. I was certainly looking forward to the future and not thinking about the past.”

Joey had been sitting quietly listening to her friend and Biddy felt her sympathy surround her like a cloak. Then suddenly, with one of her characteristic mood changes she leapt to her feet, her face alight with excitement.

“But Biddy, you do have a family. You have your brother, Patrick. When the school adopted you, who had all the documents? Madge? Bill? There might be details of him and the aunt who took him back to Italy. You could try and trace him. Let’s phone Bill now.

“Don’t be ridiculous, Jo” Biddy said with a sad laugh. “I was given all the documents before I went to Oxford. That’s where I got these photos. And no, Jo, I don’t have Patrick.

#37: Author: Sophoife, Location: down under Down Under

Posted: Fri Apr 01, 2005 8:15 am

Wow, Jo! That was beautiful! And you've left us hanging as well!!!!

#38: Author: LizB, Location: Oxon, England

Posted: Fri Apr 01, 2005 1:27 pm

What's happened to Patrick? Shocked

Thanks Jo

Liz

#39: Author: aitchemelle, Location: West Sussex

Posted: Fri Apr 01, 2005 2:00 pm

Lovely Jo thank you
*wants to know what happened with Patrick*
*sits down quietly in the corner with her lappi catching up on transcripts and eating crisps*

#40: Author: Kat, Location: Swansea

Posted: Fri Apr 01, 2005 2:38 pm

Poor Biddy *huggles her tight*

What happened to Patrick though? Shocked

#41: Author: LadyGuinevere, Location: Leicester

Posted: Fri Apr 01, 2005 6:11 pm

Oh no! What happened to Patrick???

Poor Biddy.

#42: Author: Joey, Location: Cambridge

Posted: Fri Apr 01, 2005 6:21 pm

Jo, this is fantastic!

I'm wibbling about Patrick now though. Hurry up and tell us what happened!

#43: Author: Lesley, Location: Allhallows, Kent

Posted: Fri Apr 01, 2005 7:32 pm

Thanks Jo, poor Biddy, such a lot of tragedy in so short a life. Crying or Very sad

#44: Author: Lyanne, Location: Ipswich, England

Posted: Fri Apr 01, 2005 8:34 pm

Wibbling. I hope it's not that he told her to 'go away, I never knew you so don't come bothering me now'. But the alternatives could be worse.

#45: Author: Dawn, Location: Leeds, West Yorks

Posted: Fri Apr 01, 2005 9:16 pm

Jo, this has made all the shadowy bits that EBD put in about Biddy come alive and more than that it has made it all so much more realistic as to why she was orphaned and how her character was formed by her early cicumstances. I can just picture a very young Biddy dancing her traditional Irish dances on the beach for Luigi.

#46: Author: Alice, Location: London, England

Posted: Fri Apr 01, 2005 9:36 pm

Ooo, this is exciting.

#47: Author: Carolyn P, Location: Lancaster, England

Posted: Fri Apr 01, 2005 9:55 pm

This is a real gap filler, I had always wondered about Biddy being in Austrailia and this feels just right.

Love Joey's kindness. Wibbling about Patrick.

#48: Author: Vikki, Location: Sitting on an iceberg, freezing to death!!!

Posted: Fri Apr 01, 2005 10:34 pm

*huggles Biddy*

Please tell us what happened to Patrick!!!

#49: Author: JoW, Location: Lincolnshire

Posted: Sat Apr 02, 2005 7:37 pm

Well, here's the final piece - it all feels a bit predictable but it's the best I can do. Thanks for the encouragement with my first drabble.

“After I got back from Australia and settled into teaching I didn’t really think much about my family. After all, the Chalet School had been home to me and its members had been my family for the greatest part of my life. It was only when I met Eugen and we shared our life stories that I began to think about Patrick. Again, at the wedding, I couldn’t help feeling a little sad that I had no family of my own to share with Eugen. But it was really only when I was expecting the twins that I decided to try and trace my brother and when the babies were born, I gave Pat his name. It was a difficult task because I didn’t know whether Patrick had kept his own name or adopted his aunt’s surname. They may have changed his name completely. Also, of course, there has been a World War. That complicated the search. It took a long time and included many false trails and dead ends but just last week I found out, for certain, that he is dead. He died when he was 13, playing on a derelict house with some friends. The roof collapsed and he was killed by falling debris.”

“I’m sorry” said Jo, quietly. “Now you have to grieve again.”

“Can you grieve for someone you didn’t know?”

“I don’t know. I know that when I went to India and visited my parents’ grave and saw where they had lived, I felt sad. I didn’t grieve exactly, but I felt sad that I hadn’t known them and sad that their lives had been cut short.”

“That’s it,” said, Biddy. “I feel sad that my brother’s life was so short and that I never knew him. When I think of my mother and Luigi I feel sad that they died young and had such hard lives. I can’t help feeling guilty. It seems so unfair that I’m having such a lovely life and they didn’t. Also, if they had lived, my life would have been very different. I wouldn’t have had all the opportunities I’ve had…”

“I know they had a hard life,” said Jo. “But you said that they were happy. You also once told me that Luigi’s sister who took Patrick seemed a very kind lady who was delighted to welcome her brother’s only child into her family. They may have been poor, but you have no reason to think that Patrick was unhappy.

Don’t you think that your parents and Luigi know about the success you have made of your life? How proud they must be that you did so well at Oxford, and were such a great teacher. I believe that they see you happily married to Eugen with a beautiful family and are happy for you. The happier you are, the happier they are. They loved you and wanted the best for you. As for Patrick, it sounds as though he was loved and was enjoying himself when he died.”

Biddy sat quietly, thinking about what her friend had said.

Then Jo continued, “Have you ever been back to Ireland?”

Biddy looked up in surprise, “No, Mavis and I planned to go one summer when we were at University but Mavis was ill and we had to cancel. It was after that we realised just how ill she was.”

“Well, visiting your homeland would be another way of discovering your roots. Take Eugen and the children, when they are a little older and discover the village where you were born and the castle where your mother worked. That is a part of what has made you who you are. You never know, you may even be able to track down some long lost relatives or meet people who remembered your parents and can tell you more about their lives.”

Biddy’s eyes glowed. “That’s a wonderful idea. I can’t believe I’ve never been back. As soon as Jean is on his feet we’ll make a trip to Ireland and see what we can discover and I’ll make sure my children grow up knowing the Irish folk stories that were so important to me in my childhood.”

“Well I hope you are prepared to have them all pretending to be Banshees” said Jo with a giggle.

“Let them try it and see what they get!” said Biddy with a laugh, and Jo was pleased to see that her face was clear. Biddy might be sad at the moment, but it was a natural healthy sadness that would pass in time and then she would be normal cheerful self again.

#50: Author: Sophoife, Location: down under Down Under

Posted: Sat Apr 02, 2005 7:49 pm

Aw, this has been lovely - short though - I was surprised that was the last bit!

Thank you Jo!

#51: Author: nikkie, Location: Cumbria

Posted: Sat Apr 02, 2005 7:54 pm

thanks Jo

#52: Author: Lesley, Location: Allhallows, Kent

Posted: Sat Apr 02, 2005 7:56 pm

That was lovely Jo, thank you.

And now we've seen that you can write we'll be wanting a lot more drabbles from you! Laughing

#53: Author: Helen P, Location: Cheshire

Posted: Sat Apr 02, 2005 9:04 pm

Thankyou Jo, that was great. Nicely resolved at the end.

Looking forward to some more drabbles from you!

#54: Author: Pat, Location: Doncaster

Posted: Sat Apr 02, 2005 9:27 pm

That was lovely Jo. I do hope the bunnies bite again soon. Laughing

#55: Author: Kat, Location: Swansea

Posted: Sat Apr 02, 2005 9:34 pm

Will the bunnies let us see Biddy's trip to Ireland please??!

Thanks Jo! Was lovely to read, and very understandable about Biddy being upset.

*Hope she does find family in Ireland* Very Happy

#56: Author: Vikki, Location: Sitting on an iceberg, freezing to death!!!

Posted: Sat Apr 02, 2005 9:50 pm

Thank you Jo! That was perfect!

#57: Author: LadyGuinevere, Location: Leicester

Posted: Sat Apr 02, 2005 10:37 pm

Good for Jo!

Hope Biddy can heal properly now.

#58: Author: Dawn, Location: Leeds, West Yorks

Posted: Sun Apr 03, 2005 12:31 am

Thankyou Jo, that was lovely

Please, if the bunny bites, can you write about her discovering her roots when they go to Ireland??

#59: Author: Shander, Location: Canada

Posted: Sun Apr 03, 2005 1:43 am

I'm definatley hoping the trip to Ireland bunny bites. I would love to read about that. And this drabble was also awesome.

#60: Author: Amanda M, Location: Wakefield

Posted: Sun Apr 03, 2005 11:59 am

Thanks Jo, that was lovely. I'm glad that Biddy's been able to find some kind of peace. Thank you for this.

Star Wars

#61: Author: Ally, Location: Jack Maynard's Dressing Room!!

Posted: Sun Apr 03, 2005 1:07 pm

Thank you for a lovely story Jo, and Im glad Biddy has found something postive to do after her sad news.

I would also love to see Biddy in Ireland Very Happy

#62: Author: LizB, Location: Oxon, England

Posted: Sun Apr 03, 2005 1:33 pm

Thank you Jo - that was lovely.

*Adds to wishes to see Biddy visit Ireland*

Liz

#63: Author: Ann, Location: Newcastle upon Tyne, England

Posted: Sun Apr 03, 2005 3:09 pm

Thank you Jo - I'm glad that Biddy's talk with Joey helped her to come to terms with her loss.

#64: Author: Josie, Location: London

Posted: Mon Apr 04, 2005 12:21 am

Thanks Jo. Really enjoiyed that. Very Happy

#65: Author: Alice, Location: London, England

Posted: Mon Apr 04, 2005 10:38 am

That was lovely Jo. Thank you for writing it.

#66: Author: Joey, Location: Cambridge

Posted: Mon Apr 04, 2005 10:52 am

Thank you, Jo - that was great.

I'd love to see Biddy & family in Ireland.

#67: Author: keren, Location: Israel

Posted: Mon Apr 04, 2005 12:42 pm

This was a really nice story.

#68: Author: pim, Location: the Derbyshire wilderness

Posted: Tue Apr 05, 2005 7:38 pm

Have just read this all in one go and it was wonderful, thank you Jo Very Happy

#69: Author: Lyanne, Location: Ipswich, England

Posted: Tue Apr 05, 2005 9:46 pm

Thank you JoW

#70: Author: Sarah_G-G, Location: Sheffield (termtime), ? any other time!

Posted: Fri Apr 08, 2005 6:03 pm

That was a lovely story- really well written. Thank you.

#71: Author: Cath, Location: Cornwall

Posted: Fri Apr 08, 2005 9:14 pm

That was lovely, Jo. Thank you - *is another one who would love to see Biddy and her family in Ireland*

#72: Author: JustJen, Location: waiting for a bus

Posted: Mon Apr 11, 2005 9:33 pm

That was a lovely drabble. Hope to decide to write about Biddy in Ireland

#73: Author: JoW, Location: Lincolnshire

Posted: Wed Apr 13, 2005 2:41 pm

Oh dear, all these calls for stories of Biddy in Ireland. I don't know anything about Ireland and I don't have a lot of imagination or a lot of time for research. But if someone else would like to write it ......

Maybe I only had one story in me ----- on the other hand there seems to be a PB trying to get my attention. We'll have to see.

#74: Author: MaryR, Location: Sale Cheshire

Posted: Wed Apr 13, 2005 3:39 pm

I've just read all this, Jo, it was beautiful. Smile

Maybe if you can't do Biddy in Ireland you can concoct another story about her. She is such a lovable character.

Thank you.

#75: Author: Emma A, Location: The Soke of Peterborough

Posted: Wed Apr 13, 2005 5:37 pm

MaryR wrote:

Maybe if you can't do Biddy in Ireland you can concoct another story about her. She is such a lovable character.

Agree with Mary here. This was lovely (and nice to see Joey being properly sympathetic and friendly instead of being an interfering buttinski).

#76: Author: Susan, Location: Carlisle

Posted: Fri May 06, 2005 1:53 pm

Thank you Jo. I have just read al of this and it is wonderful thank you!

The CBB -> St Agnes's House

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