The CBB
http://www.the-cbb.co.uk/

Secret Santa drabble for moiser30 (complete)
http://www.the-cbb.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=12&t=8827

Author:  Secret Santa [ Mon Dec 06, 2010 3:08 pm ]
Post subject:  Secret Santa drabble for moiser30 (complete)

Joey’s New Fan

“Morning, Mamma,” said a bright voice at the door to study.

Joey Maynard looked up, startled. “Gracious, Len! I didn’t expect to see you at this time of day! What brings you over here?”

“Post!” Len Entwhistle flourished a small white envelope at her mother.

“Come to share the hanes? Who’s been writing to you?”

“Not to me. It’s for you. The new postman’s ability to sort mail is appalling. I think he sees an English stamp and throws it into whichever pile he last put an envelope with an English stamp. Our lot today included two medical catalogues for Reg, a letter for me from a college friend, something for Auntie Biddy which I shall give her when I see her this afternoon and this one for you. It’s such a glorious June morning though that it was a jolly good excuse to put Johnny in his pram and wheel him over here to deliver it. And before you ask, he’s fast asleep so I’ve parked him on the terrace and, as he’s teething never fear but that we’ll hear him when he wakes.”

“Hand it over then. I’ve been expecting to hear from Stacie. I wonder if it’s from her?”

“It’s not her handwriting and the postmark says ‘Goole’.”

“I don’t think I know anyone in Goole,” Joey said, taking the letter and slitting the envelope open with an elegant carved wooden opener. “I’m not even sure I know where Goole is.”

“Somewhere towards the east coast, I think. Lincolnshire? No, the East Riding, I think. Who’s it from?”

Joey was scanning the words and gave a little shrug. “It’s a fan letter, I think. Well, no, it is a fan letter but not an ordinary one... Listen.

Dear Mrs Maynard,

I hope you will excuse my ‘cheek’ in writing to you at your home address. I suspect fan mail for Josephine M. Bettany is meant to be sent care of your publisher but as I have your address I am sending it directly. I should explain that I am a friend of your daughter, Cecilia – we attend some of the same classes – and she recently gave me her address so that I could keep in contact with her during the summer vacation. I also have to confess that whilst she has spoken about her family before and mentioned the name under which you wrote, I have only just read any of your books for the first time and then under rather odd circumstances.

My parents moved to this address at Easter and, it being vacation time, I was therefore around to assist with the removals and unpacking. It was whilst looking for a place to stow some of the accumulated debris which was little used in the old home but which my mother insisted had to be kept that I came across an old tea-chest tucked under the eaves of the attic which had clearly been overlooked by some previous occupant of the house when moving. It was full of children’s books and I brought it downstairs to my room intending to sort through them and find them a good home. The following day, however, I came down with viral meningitis. Consequently I ended up ill in bed for several weeks; too weak to do much except lie there listening to the wireless which was jolly frustrating. When I was finally up to sitting up and able to hold a book, I read my way voraciously again through everything on my bookshelf before I recalled the contents of the tea-chest and set to with those.

Amongst the books, I found several by one Josephine M. Bettany and I did not at first recall why the name seemed familiar. It was only when I embarked on
King’s Soldiermaid that I remembered Cecilia mentioning you. Well, Mrs Maynard, I may have embarked on reading them out of desperation but I have since re-read all of them at least once as I enjoyed them so much. Nancy Meets a Nazi is my favourite, but Mystery at Heron Lake is a close second!

I am up and about now, fully recovered, although annoyed at myself for having missed a whole term at University which I shall have to make up next year now, but at least I have had the unexpected opportunity to become acquainted with your books. I just wanted to let you know how much I enjoyed them
.”

“But I can’t make out the signature,” Joey said as she finished reading out loud.

“Let’s see.” Len peered over her shoulder. “Hm, I see what you mean.”

“It looks like Liann Moiser but I’ve never come across Liann as a name before...”

“I think there was a Leanne – L-e-a-n-n-e – the year above me at college,” Len said. “Perhaps it’s another spelling? It’s a sweet letter, though.”

“Yes,” Joey replied thoughtfully. “I wonder...”

“What?”

“Should I extend her an invitation to come and visit? If she’s a friend of Cecil’s and they haven’t seen each other this term, it would be a lovely surprise for Cecil during the holidays...”

“That’s a nice idea.”

Joey nodded. “Very well, I’ll do it.”

************************

Six weeks later, Grizel Shepherd appeared at Freudesheim with a letter addressed to Joey which had – again – been wrongly delivered to her chalet and which had therefore been sitting there for an unknown length of time as she had been away for a week or two.

“Oh my Aunt Sophronisba!” Joey exclaimed on opening it. “Cecil’s friend is arriving today and Cecil isn’t back from Paris for another two days! What am I going to do?”

“It’ll be an even nicer surprise for her when she comes home on Thursday,” Grizel suggested.

“But Jack’s up at the San all day and I’ll have to get a bed ready. She can share Cecil’s room, of course, but I’ll need to warn Anna that there’s an extra guest coming and get the linen aired and...”

“Do you want me to go down to the station and collect her?” her friend suggested. “I’ve got the car today.”

“Bless you, Grizel. That would be wonderful!” Joey said, relieved.

************************

Three hours later Joey opened the door to find Grizel standing in front of her with a slightly worried, slightly amused look on her face and somebody lurking behind her.

“Hello, you must be Liann,” Joey said. “Welcome to Freudesheim!”

“Actually, it’s Liam,” said the visitor, as Grizel stepped aside.

Joey took one look at the young man, recollected the bed she had just had made up in her daughter’s bedroom, and collapsed in hysterics.

Author:  ChubbyMonkey [ Mon Dec 06, 2010 7:42 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Secret Santa drabble for moiser30 (complete)

:lol:

... :lol:

Thankyou Santa!

Author:  Abi [ Mon Dec 06, 2010 9:49 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Secret Santa drabble for moiser30 (complete)

:lol: Thanks Santa - that was great!

Author:  Alison H [ Mon Dec 06, 2010 10:15 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Secret Santa drabble for moiser30 (complete)

:lol: Thanks, Santa.

Author:  moiser30 [ Wed Dec 08, 2010 11:09 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Secret Santa drabble for moiser30 (complete)

Thanks Santa. :)

This had be rotfl. :)

All times are UTC [ DST ]
Powered by phpBB © 2000, 2002, 2005, 2007 phpBB Group
http://www.phpbb.com/