03 Surprise
Several days later found Constance lounging on the library sofa again. It had become her favourite spot for the summer. Her legs were stretched along the length of it and her feet were bare. She wore a pair of loose cotton slacks, coloured black of course, with a loose top. Her hair was still scraped back, but into a ponytail instead of the severe bun. Her cat Morganna had made use of the warmth and had curled up sound asleep into her side. She was reading a book for pleasure rather than for work for a change. It was very rare, but she did like to relax occasionally. Mr Blossom had retired to his family cottage for the holidays, and Mrs Tapioca had gone back to her native Italy to invent some more recipes for the girls to try next year. She and Morganna were all alone and Constance could think of nothing more blissful.
However, as with all good things, it couldn't last forever and Constance was shaken quite rudely out of her relaxed state with the sound of screeching tyres and raised voices. Constance jumped to her feet, much to Morganna's dismay, tided up her hair and put her shoes and socks back on. Her senses told her to go to the main courtyard where the vehicle was likely to have been. The library was at the back of the castle and she hadn't been able to see anything from the windows. Just as she was reaching the hallway, Imogen Drill stomped past her, laden with a rucksack stuffed full of saucepans and goodness knows what else sticking out from the pockets or hooked up to it in some way. Constance stood there in dismay as she watched the PE teacher stomp out of sight. She took a peek at the fast retreating vehicle. It was a land rover.
Constance went to the kitchen and made some tea, for both her and her new companion, and then went to find where Imogen had come to a stop. Constance checked most places on the ground floor before getting to the great hall. There, right in the middle of it was a pitched tent! That was not a usual occurrence and could only mean that Imogen was in there. It was zipped up in the middle, right to the top. Constance "knocked" on the door and as the zip opened a tiny way down, she held out a cup of tea. It was taken from her hand. She stuck her head inside and found Imogen with her knees up to her chest hugging a teddy bear, cup of tea beside her.
"Can I come in?" It was the first words Constance had spoken in a few days and her voice was a little croaky. Imogen nodded. It took a bit of an effort for Constance to squeeze her long frame into the small tent. She wondered how a child could sleep in one of these things, let alone a an adult like Imogen. "What are you doing back here so early?" Imogen sighed in mild annoyance, she knew the question had been coming, she just hoped that Constance wasn't interested enough to bring it up.
"We had a row." There wasn't anything constructive that Constance could say to that, so for once she didn't say anything at all. They sat in silence for at least ten minutes while they drank their tea. As much as Constance loathed to hear, she supposed she ought to try to be sympathetic.
"What happened?" She feigned interest quite convincingly. Imogen closed her eyes and rubbed her head as though she was on the verge of a headache. She re-opened her eyes and focused on a spot behind Constance's head, but not actually at her.
"When I was picked up by Serge, I introduced him to Amelia and Davina, but I couldn't say exactly who they were, I mean what they do, being...you know..."
"Witches."
"Yes. But I kind of hurt their feelings a little. Amelia understood, but I still think that it bothered her. Anyway, all the way to the mountains I kept thinking about it and I decided to tell Serge. If he couldn't handle the truth, he can't handle me and then there's no point in continuing. So last night after a few days of relaxing I decided to tell him."
"Let me guess, he couldn't handle it?" Constance couldn't help but slip in the not quite so surprised tone in her voice.
"That's putting it mildly! He thought I had some kind of a mental problem and stopped our holiday short. He even accused me of having feelings for someone else because I talked about them so much!" This made Constance take a bit more interest. The only other man Imogen had had dealings with recently was the grand wizard. Could she, a non-witch, have fallen for a wizard?
"Do you have feelings for someone else?" This had Imogen flustered.
"I...yes...no...I mean...I'm not sure, I think I do but I didn't think I did until he mentioned it."
"I don't know what to do Imogen, I'm really not the best person to advise on such matters." Imogen reached out and patted Constance's knee.
"It doesn't matter, thanks for just being here I guess."
"I'll...uh leave you on your own for a bit." The spot where Imogen had touched her burned, and she felt a blush creep into her cheeks. She had to get away from her before it was noticed.
"No, don't, stay...I mean, only if you want to." How could Constance ignore her in that pleading tone of voice?
"As long as I don't have to sit in this tent much longer!" Not only was it hurting her legs, but the close proximity to Imogen was too much.
"Oh gosh! I'm so sorry, and you must have been in the middle of something when I interrupted. I'll stay out of your way for a while and let you get on." Constance smirked, at least the woman had the decency to realise, even if it was too late.
"There's no need Imogen, I was just reading in the library." Imogen smiled brightly.
"Just reading? Not studying?" Constance shook her head
"Wow!" She paused for a moment "I like it when you call me Imogen, it's much friendlier." Constance hadn't meant for that to slip out, but at least the woman seemed pleased about it. Maybe this was the chance to get to know her better.
"Look, I'll make a deal with you. I'm calling a ceasefire. Any incident where we've argued or hurt each other in the past in forgiven and forgotten from this moment. We're still both on holiday. Whatever happens whilst we're here goes no further than between the two of us. And you may call my Constance."
"Oh good, then I can ask you a few...personal questions along the way then?"
"I asked for that didn't I?"
"You did a bit, yeah."
end of chapter 03
Several days later found Constance lounging on the library sofa again. It had become her favourite spot for the summer. Her legs were stretched along the length of it and her feet were bare. She wore a pair of loose cotton slacks, coloured black of course, with a loose top. Her hair was still scraped back, but into a ponytail instead of the severe bun. Her cat Morganna had made use of the warmth and had curled up sound asleep into her side. She was reading a book for pleasure rather than for work for a change. It was very rare, but she did like to relax occasionally. Mr Blossom had retired to his family cottage for the holidays, and Mrs Tapioca had gone back to her native Italy to invent some more recipes for the girls to try next year. She and Morganna were all alone and Constance could think of nothing more blissful.
However, as with all good things, it couldn't last forever and Constance was shaken quite rudely out of her relaxed state with the sound of screeching tyres and raised voices. Constance jumped to her feet, much to Morganna's dismay, tided up her hair and put her shoes and socks back on. Her senses told her to go to the main courtyard where the vehicle was likely to have been. The library was at the back of the castle and she hadn't been able to see anything from the windows. Just as she was reaching the hallway, Imogen Drill stomped past her, laden with a rucksack stuffed full of saucepans and goodness knows what else sticking out from the pockets or hooked up to it in some way. Constance stood there in dismay as she watched the PE teacher stomp out of sight. She took a peek at the fast retreating vehicle. It was a land rover.
Constance went to the kitchen and made some tea, for both her and her new companion, and then went to find where Imogen had come to a stop. Constance checked most places on the ground floor before getting to the great hall. There, right in the middle of it was a pitched tent! That was not a usual occurrence and could only mean that Imogen was in there. It was zipped up in the middle, right to the top. Constance "knocked" on the door and as the zip opened a tiny way down, she held out a cup of tea. It was taken from her hand. She stuck her head inside and found Imogen with her knees up to her chest hugging a teddy bear, cup of tea beside her.
"Can I come in?" It was the first words Constance had spoken in a few days and her voice was a little croaky. Imogen nodded. It took a bit of an effort for Constance to squeeze her long frame into the small tent. She wondered how a child could sleep in one of these things, let alone a an adult like Imogen. "What are you doing back here so early?" Imogen sighed in mild annoyance, she knew the question had been coming, she just hoped that Constance wasn't interested enough to bring it up.
"We had a row." There wasn't anything constructive that Constance could say to that, so for once she didn't say anything at all. They sat in silence for at least ten minutes while they drank their tea. As much as Constance loathed to hear, she supposed she ought to try to be sympathetic.
"What happened?" She feigned interest quite convincingly. Imogen closed her eyes and rubbed her head as though she was on the verge of a headache. She re-opened her eyes and focused on a spot behind Constance's head, but not actually at her.
"When I was picked up by Serge, I introduced him to Amelia and Davina, but I couldn't say exactly who they were, I mean what they do, being...you know..."
"Witches."
"Yes. But I kind of hurt their feelings a little. Amelia understood, but I still think that it bothered her. Anyway, all the way to the mountains I kept thinking about it and I decided to tell Serge. If he couldn't handle the truth, he can't handle me and then there's no point in continuing. So last night after a few days of relaxing I decided to tell him."
"Let me guess, he couldn't handle it?" Constance couldn't help but slip in the not quite so surprised tone in her voice.
"That's putting it mildly! He thought I had some kind of a mental problem and stopped our holiday short. He even accused me of having feelings for someone else because I talked about them so much!" This made Constance take a bit more interest. The only other man Imogen had had dealings with recently was the grand wizard. Could she, a non-witch, have fallen for a wizard?
"Do you have feelings for someone else?" This had Imogen flustered.
"I...yes...no...I mean...I'm not sure, I think I do but I didn't think I did until he mentioned it."
"I don't know what to do Imogen, I'm really not the best person to advise on such matters." Imogen reached out and patted Constance's knee.
"It doesn't matter, thanks for just being here I guess."
"I'll...uh leave you on your own for a bit." The spot where Imogen had touched her burned, and she felt a blush creep into her cheeks. She had to get away from her before it was noticed.
"No, don't, stay...I mean, only if you want to." How could Constance ignore her in that pleading tone of voice?
"As long as I don't have to sit in this tent much longer!" Not only was it hurting her legs, but the close proximity to Imogen was too much.
"Oh gosh! I'm so sorry, and you must have been in the middle of something when I interrupted. I'll stay out of your way for a while and let you get on." Constance smirked, at least the woman had the decency to realise, even if it was too late.
"There's no need Imogen, I was just reading in the library." Imogen smiled brightly.
"Just reading? Not studying?" Constance shook her head
"Wow!" She paused for a moment "I like it when you call me Imogen, it's much friendlier." Constance hadn't meant for that to slip out, but at least the woman seemed pleased about it. Maybe this was the chance to get to know her better.
"Look, I'll make a deal with you. I'm calling a ceasefire. Any incident where we've argued or hurt each other in the past in forgiven and forgotten from this moment. We're still both on holiday. Whatever happens whilst we're here goes no further than between the two of us. And you may call my Constance."
"Oh good, then I can ask you a few...personal questions along the way then?"
"I asked for that didn't I?"
"You did a bit, yeah."
end of chapter 03