Cold Crumpet Farm - Part Three
by Little Dot
(If you're new to the story, start at Part
One)
Flora
rose late, even by her own standards. The breakfast had long since been
cleared away, the cows milked and the yard scraped before she even stuck
her nose out from under the duvet. Creeping down the stairs in search
of a rejuvenative cup of coffee she found Jill cleaning out the fridge.
Honestly, Flora thought, doesn't the woman have a home of her own?
"Good morning, dear," Jill chirupped in a voice far louder and more chearful
than usual (or so it seemed). Flora winced. She sat down at the kitchen
table. "cup of tea, dear?" Jill stripped off her Marigolds. "I don't know
how Ruth has managed to get this fridge in such a state. It was spotless
when I left. Did you have a nice time yesterday with Shula? Alistair said
you'd taken her to London when I spoke to him yesterday."
At that moment the phone rang. Jill went to answer it. "Oh, hello dear,"
Flora heard her say. "yes... of course I can... and give him his tea?
Yes... Is Alistair... Oh, on call, of course. Where are you going?...
No, I've never heard of it, is it a restaurant?... A club, with Caroline?
That sounds lovely. Have a nice time... Yes, bye bye, dear."
She put the phone down and came back to where Flora sat. "That was Shula,"
she said. "She wants me to look after Daniel tonight: she's going out
with Caroline tonight." The kettle, which Jill had put on the Aga, commenced
its shrill whistling. "Now, where did I get to with that tea?" Jill said
moving towards it. "Oh, yes, Shula said to thank you. She didn't say what
for."
Flora smiled a small but victorious smile and took a sip of her tea.
Flora
rang the bell at Lower Loxley at two minutes past six. She would normally
have been fashionably late, but she had a feeling that Elizabeth wouldn't
like to be kept waiting. Nigel answered the door with a wriggling child
in his arms.
"Hello," said Flora, dodging the toddler's kicking feet. "Hello," said
Nigel, "you must be Flora. I'm Nigel, and this little terror is Lily."
Flora followed him inside. "Lizzie's through here. You'll have to excuse
me - I've got to go and sort out the twins." and he shephered Freddie
up the stairs in front of him.Flora went through to where Elizabeth was
sitting.
"Gosh," she said, "they're exhausting, aren't they." "Oh, I know," Elizabeth
drawled. "They behave so appallingly whenever I look after them, but Hayley,
she's their nanny, says they're little angels for her." "So they have
a nanny?" Flora said innocently. "Yes. Well, I'm so busy managing this
place I just can't do it all." "Quite," said Flora. "And I'm sure you're
there for all the important things like reading them a bedtime story,
and that sort of thing." "Oh, yes. When we haven't got an evening event."
"And you were there for their first words?" said Flora. "Yes. Well, Hayley
phoned me on my mobile, and I rang them back as soon as I got the voicemail."
"And their first steps?" "Well, I was actually running a conference at
the time, but Nigel got them on video."
Elizabeth looked a bit upset. "I'm not a bad mother." she said defensively.
"Lower Loxley needs to be run properly. If I were to trust it to other
people..." "Oh, I understand," said Flora. "It's hard for a woman to be
taken seriously, even these days, isn't it?" Elizabeth looked at her uncertainly,
"I suppose I feel like I need to prove that I can do it all: manage the
business, be a mother, a wife." "But there isn't always time." "No," said
Elizabeth sadly, "there isn't always time."
They sat in silence for a few moments, then Flora spoke."What would happen,"
she asked tentatively, "if you were to step back a little?" "What, like
have a day off every so often?" Elizabeth sounded doubtful.
"Well, the treetop walk is up and running, the shop and cafe are doing
well, and Nigel's falconry is a big hit. Why not leave the day-to-day
running to Kathy and Nigel, take a more strategic role: research new ideas,
by all means, but accept that you don't have to be so hands on."
"I suppose," Elizabeth spoke slowly, considering, "it would be nice to
spend more time with Lily and Freddie, especially while they're young.
And I'd love to have the time to look into some new ideas for the summer."
Nigel came down the stairs at that moment. "Both safely tucked up and
sleeping," he reported perching on the arm of Elizabeth's chair. "Can
I get anyone a drink?"
"No," Flora stood up, "I was just about to go, I had a late one last
night."
Elizabeth stood as well. "Thank you for coming," she said as they walked
to the door. "It's been lovely to meet you, and I really will talk to
Nigel about what we discussed."
Flora drove back to the village wondering whom to tackle next. .
Part Four, in which Flora introduces
Phil to a new pastime
Part Two
Part One
More parodies - from Agatha Christie
to Damon Runyon
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