Life Changes (Hope Springs Eternal)

by secwaters

The third of my stories about the Swallows, Amazons, Ds and Eels as adults - this one is set in the 1980s. Once again to make sense of some of the story it helps to have read my previous two! (Rated T as it is really for adult readers who are familiar with all the S & A books.) I've given this a new title as the original has been used here - apologies!

31. Chapter 31

CHAPTER XXXI

TOM'S THOUGHTS

How strange after all these years to be back with Dot and Dick, and to meet all these people, none of them are how I have imagined them over the years, and that Nancy is, well, why not?

I always liked Dot, she saved me from all that trouble over the casting off and the thefts, she got them to work on it, I'd never have got in to chambers otherwise, teenage petty thieves weren't easily forgiven back in those days.

Dick hasn't changed at all, even the same glasses, pity we lost touch, I wonder what he did in the war? Obviously nothing as dangerous as me, then the youngest brother, what's his name? Oh yes, Roger, what on earth happened to him?

Poor Dot, seems to have had a difficult time, doesn't bother me about this man, Stedding, so he was married, sounds like a complete mess to me. She was always too kind. Perhaps we can be happy, I hope so, early days, I was with Elizabeth, I wonder what Nell will think when I tell her, I hope she wont mind, I haven't told Dot yet it was Bess, it just hasn't arisen yet. I must do so, perhaps tomorrow.

WHERE DID THE ROYALTIES GO?

John and Titty eventually visited Captain Flint's publisher, having got nowhere by telephone in trying to find out who received the royalties to Mixed Moss. Having explained who they were, including that Titty was the one of the dedication, they relented.

The arrangement had been made by Captain Flint after the war that the royalties should be paid to Mary Walker. John, who had dealt with his mother's affairs on her death had noticed there were regular payments in to her bank account that he couldn't trace the origin of. As they had no idea she was dead they had just accumulated. It was agreed with the others that they should be paid in to Dot's trust.