Tasha and Pippa laughed loudly at the idea of their grandmother swooning, although why wouldn’t she, Jim was the complete package and a very attractive package too. The two young women linked arms as they followed Banksy through the woods with Jim behind them.
****
When they returned to the house, Celia and Paul were sitting on the patio to the back of the house with tea, coffee, cold drinks and cake.
Banksy rushed over to his water bowl then lay under the table.
“Where’s Dan?” asked Tasha looking around.
Celia and Paul exchanged a glance.
“What?” asked Tasha.
“He’s gone to meet his girlfriend,” said Pippa, relishing the fact she was revealing a secret.
“Since when has Dan had a girlfriend?” asked Tasha with a grin.
“He has done a Gerry hasn’t he, Grandma?” said Pippa cryptically.
Jim frowned at Tasha who was equally as confused.
“Philippa, enough,” shouted Paul.
Pippa looked at Tasha and mouthed, “Sorry.”
“Can someone just tell me where Dan is?”
“He has been seeing Deborah,” Celia looked uncomfortable.
“Deborah?” asked Tasha.
“Deborah Kenner,” replied Celia.
“Why? Is he completely stupid? She’s a slapper, just like her sister and she will cheat on him or get pregnant and trap him, or both,” shouted Tasha, getting to her feet.
“Sit down, please,” said Celia calmly.
“Why? For you to tell me she’s a nice girl really or that he has to make his own mistakes,” she continued, still shouting.
“Tasha, please sit down,” said Celia, still sounding calm.
“She’s entitled to be upset,” interrupted Pippa. “After what Kara did.”
“Philippa you are not helping. Nat, calm down,” said Paul firmly.
Jim looked on and didn’t know what was going on, but knew if Tasha didn’t sit down and calm down soon, he would intervene. She was shouting and pouting like an adolescent and although Pippa was definitely winding her up with her contributions, neither Celia nor Paul warranted the shouting, foot stamping routine he was witnessing. He wondered briefly whether he could get away with Paul’s idea of putting her across his knee. Maybe not with an audience.
“It’s just taking the piss though now. I mean, for fuck’s sake.”
The swearing, especially directed at her grandparents was the final straw for Jim.
“Tasha, sit down and stop shouting. You’re being petulant,” he said quietly, but seriously.
She turned and looked at him and could see she had obviously overstepped one of his marks, but it didn’t matter, he didn’t know what was going on here. “Jim, just keep out of it, you don’t understand.” Her shouting and pouting was now aimed squarely at him.
She watched his expression change and realised the mark she had originally overstepped had just paled into total insignificance compare to the new one she’d leapt across.
“Natasha, sit down and calm down and then maybe you can explain what is happening here without being rude and childish.” His voice was low and apparently calm, but she knew better.
