‘It’s OK,’ said Issi. ‘Your need is greater than mine. The kettle’s on anyway.’
‘So?’ Fran looked around. The kitchen was fairly tidy. ‘I’m assuming they haven’t had breakfast yet.’
‘They’ve only just woken, although I’m surprised they’re up and about so early. I can’t decide if I should make them the works, including some black pudding I got in for Tig, or let them sort themselves out?’
‘Tricky. But I think if we gave them a good breakfast it would at least get Barry out of our hair.’
‘They want a taxi to get them to the distillery, where they left their cars. They asked me to take them but I said I don’t drive.’
Fran was impressed. ‘And they bought that?’
Issishrugged. She drove perfectly well. ‘They’re not thinking terribly clearly and I haven’t got a car.’
‘Well, I hope they don’t ask me to drive them,’ said Fran, putting toast into the toaster, suddenly starving hungry. ‘I’m going to sort out the courier for my cheese, and then I’m going to bed until further notice.’
‘Is the cheese OK?’ Issi handed Fran a fresh mug of tea.
‘It’s glorious, Is! Just heaven. I swear you can taste the wild flowers in it – probably pick out the individual ones and name them.’
‘Did you keep any back, so we could have some?’
Fran bumped her palm against her head in frustration. ‘Duh! I should have done. Although there wasn’t a huge amount of it. We could steal some back?’
‘No, don’t. This is your big chance. Don’t jeopardise it. Remind me how you’re getting it to London? You don’t have to take it there yourself?’
‘No, thank the Lord. I’m really not up for driving to London today. I’m booking a courier. I’ll just go and see if Roy’s off the phone.’
Roy was off the phone and he didn’t look pleased.
‘Hi, Fran!’ It wasn’t so much a greeting as delight in seeing a solution to his problem. ‘Can I have your car keys? I can’t get a cab and we need to get my car back from the gin factory.’
Fran stared at him for a few seconds wondering where he got his effrontery. He was outrageous. ‘No,Roy,’she said calmly. ‘You cannot have the keys to my car because I expect you’re still over the limit. Now I’m going to use the phone and then you can try more taxi firms.’
She’d put the details Roger had sent on her phone and went upstairs to get it. When she got down again, Roy and Barry were walking out of the back door.
‘Oh, they got a taxi, did they? And they’re walking down the track to pick it up at the bottom? Remarkably sensible.’ She said this as she passed the kitchen. ‘And they didn’t have breakfast first?’
Issi put down the fish slice. ‘No! Just after I’d put a whole lot of bacon into the pan. But I can’t say I’m sorry. Good riddance. And let’s hope Roy stays away for a while.’
‘So bacon butties all round, then?’
Issi nodded. ‘They are my signature dish.’
Fran’s good mood caused by an absence of guests and the promise of a bacon sandwich vanished when the courier firm Roger had told her to call said they couldn’t come until the afternoon. Her protests produced nothing. She rang Roger, who swore.
She let him rant for a bit and then suggested they tried another firm.
‘We’ve no time to mess about, Fran, we need this cheese by midday. You’ll have to bring it yourself.’
Fran glanced at her watch. It was nine o’clock. If she set off now she’d just about make it, and Roger was right, unless a courier could come at this verymoment,it wouldn’t be there in time. Unless the car had a blue light and neenars and could go through red lights.
She swore a bit herself and then went to find her breakfast. ‘I can’t believe it, Is. I’ve got to drive up to London myself and take the cheese. There’s no alternative.’ She eyed the bacon sandwich sitting on a plate. ‘Can that be my one? Then I must be off.’
‘But you’re so tired?’
‘I know, but needs must. I’ll be OK on the way there, I expect. Then I’ll park somewhere and have a nap before going home. What a nightmare.’ She took a bite of sandwich, her teeth going through the softness of the bread, the butter and then the crisp saltiness of the bacon. ‘That is so delicious.’
‘Have some tea with it. And I’ll make you another to have on the journey. I’ll find a bottle of water, too.’ Issi had gone into mother mode and Fran found she was grateful. She needed a mother just now.
