I'm not panicking. He told me about it.
Thank goodness you saw what was happening though. I shudder to think what would have happened otherwise.
The party sounded quite interesting and scary at the same time. Imagine going to something like that with the chance of being totally ignored. Or worse.
But I love your commentary on some of the guests. And rather pleased with myself that I managed to guess one or two.
And the Dashing Major was saying that you are staying out there until Gretel Lederhosen's party. Selfishly I'm a little disappointed but it does make perfect sense. He got back safely by the way and is back at the flat.
Things back home are good. The parents were pleased to see me. I got a very big hug from Father-dearest who looked tired. I think all the drama that follows Luscious Lydia is all a bit too much for him. He was keen to update me on the house and pretty much repeated everything Reliable Rob had told me but he was happy in the telling of it so I didn't stop him.
And then at home, while Father-dearest started butchering scones for an afternoon tea (his idea - in spite of what you might think this is not an English regular meal - not in our house anyway), the Mother-ship filled me in on the Luscious Lydia saga. Or as much as she had been told by my sister who had been rather one-sided about it all. Shock.
As you had foreseen, a friend had seen the pictures in a magazine and had sent them to her which then prompted one of many heated calls to New York. There had been tears and tantrums. The boyfriend had attempted to apologise with flowers (many of which are still dotted around the parents' house) and promises of jewellery and holidays and things but to no avail. My sister was inconsolable it seemed. The Mother-ship has always been a bit of a no nonsense parent and so very quickly called time on Luscious Lydia's histrionics.
Sitting my sister down she had calmly given Luscious Lydia her educated assessment of the situation. Her guess was that the relationship had probably run it's course and that had this not happened Luscious Lydia would probably have called an end to it in any event.
And so my sister had to admit that she was really quite bored of the relationship and that this gaff was a gift. In my sister's view this now put her very firmly in the position of victim and would give her the upper hand in the exit negotiations which she was now contemplating.
The Mother-ship queried the level of protection of assets under US law for unmarried persons (only being savant in English & Welsh law) and whether she really wanted to start arguments some distance from said assets. That hit home and with a few hasty calls to her lawyer (my sister has a lawyer?!) she announced that she would be returning to the States forthwith and would be in touch probably before Christmas.
Exit one sister and the return of the other. That was not lost on the Mother-ship.
After eating I decided to make the most of the longer summer days and go over to the house and reacquaint myself with it. Father-dearest must have been putting the hours in as all the rooms have now been stripped and sanded. All the equipment and ladders and skips and things had been removed. It really did look like a wonderful but blank canvas.
I had gone prepared with all the swatches and pictures and things that Ever-so-capable Evelyn had put together for me and I started pinning things to doors and walls. I also stuck a post-it on the doors saying what I had decided to use each room for.
I'm making this sound like some kind of mansion but it isn't. It does however have far more rooms than my old flat had and I do feel the need to find a purpose for them all.
Monday the builders will be arriving to work on the roof and the joiner is going to make a start on the kitchen. It is starting to feel real and I have to admit I am very excited about it all.
Before I headed off home I drove down to the barn to see what all the fuss has been about. It was a little overcast so the light was not great and it made it rather difficult to see clearly inside. But I could make out enough to see that the floor was clear and there were wooden posts and rolls of wire fencing leant neatly up against the side wall. It really is a good sized space and would make a nice little cottage. I quickly parked that idea because that would call for funds I simply do not have at this moment in time.
And then back at the parent's house I video called the Dashing Major from my bedroom and we caught each other up on what was happening at each end. Which took some time and it was only when the Mother-ship called up to say that food was on the table that I realised the time so we rang off.
I think every mother must have some kind of spidey sense when it comes to their children's private lives. She was giving me some very long looks over dinner. Even Father-dearest seemed to be waiting for me to say something. And as most children will do under that kind of scrutiny I cracked.
And so I told them about the Dashing Major.
And the words early days yet fell on very deaf ears. And then they started debating whether it was too late in the evening to invite him for lunch the next day. Like he lived in the next village!
I've now feigned the need for an early night (the travel) and left them musing whether they might finally get a daughter married off. And grandchildren! This relationship is days old and they're planning babies!!
I've just updated the Dashing Major on all this and he thinks it's hilarious.
And if the lunch invitation is still open he would love to take them up on it.
I am so not in control of this am I?
Komen