A Morris Man's Tale Part 5

This work may be used free of charge and copied, selling without prior written consent prohibited, obtain permission before redistributing, In all cases this notice must remain intact copyright D.W. Bloyce 2012


All characters are fictitious, If a character name is used in connection with a side, it?s just co-incidence if that given name belongs in that side. Insofar as song lyrics being included I don?t know the legalities or etiquette involved, I have given the opening few and last few lines if that is all that is needed or the song in full if the text needs it and credit to the author in either case, traditional songs are treated the same but credited as Traditional.

This is a fiction story, not fantasy and while there is a lot of passion and some very erotic action in later parts and in book two if you are looking for raw action then I am sorry but this isn't the book for you.




Chapter Eleven
On The Third Day
ii. Midday

?Put him back girl, he?s too old for you.? We surface rapidly, both of us blushing a bit, I hide behind my tankard, for a moment I am confused; I don?t recognise the lady behind the voice.
?Chrissie, what are you doing here, I thought you were going out,?
?I have gone out, that?s why I?m here and not at home, and you aren?t the only one who can swan off unescorted, although you don?t look at all unescorted to me.?
?Sorry Chrissie, this is Frank, my white knight on a silver charger, without him I don?t know what might have happened, Frank this is Chrissie, my neighbour and protector, she has been dropping dark hints about David for a fair while, I?m glad I didn?t listen to her though, if I had I would never have come here and met you. How did you find us by the way??
?I just walked along the fence asking for Jenny Saunders or Blackwater, over the other side half a dozen people said they were Blackwater and I could leave my stuff there, you were walking round the field with your ?betrothed?, and that you were in a green dress. From what they said you have an awful lot of explaining to do, young lady.?

?I have no explaining to do, especially to an elderly control freak like you.? This was said with a smile from both of them, so no malice intended. Chrissie was young, probably twenty-six to thirty, blonde, and very pale skinned, five foot six, and she carried a bit more flesh than Jenny, and looked healthier for it.?Flower, shall we shake our fists at the mischief makers over the way.?
?That sounds like a good idea, how about a bonus raspberry as well, my love.? We do it and giggle like a couple of school kids, as Blackwater wave back.?
?Come on Jenny, I worry about you, you are such an innocent in a very strange place, what did that ?betrothed? mean.?

?I don?t have time now, and I don?t want to tell all the details anyway, but Frank took me in, cared for me, helped me through a very difficult afternoon and fed me, in the evening he took me to meet some friends of his, Blackwater Morris, he and his late wife Lynda danced with them for a few years. They were very pleased that I was with Frank, I couldn?t find a safer berth, were their exact words, after a social evening of singing and a couple of glasses of wine, we came back to the van, Frank rearranged the sleeping bags and duvet into two single beds, we slept through to morning, He didn?t lay a finger on me, and idiot that I am, I tried to tempt him, but he didn?t fall into temptation, after that I knew he was someone special. For reasons I don?t yet understand, Sue and Val ended up having a bet over whether we were emotionally involved, we found out about it and turned it around on them, and in doing so we discovered we each have some fairly intense feelings for the other, last night, we sang two songs together, now they are trying to marry us off,?

?I have further news on that front love, you remember after your little paddy Ken said ?Frank, if I were you I?d get on one knee, ask her and when she says yes make sure ?obey? is in the vows? Jenny nods yes;
?When I went into the awning to get your beer Ken gave me some very specific orders and I quote ?there or thereabouts?, ?Not if but when you pop the question, and she says yes, if she wants someone to give her away can you book my place at the head of the queue, I know I?ve known her less time than you but she can easily get to someone, you and her are like peas in a pod, she?s special. See you later in the Gordon, ok?? What do you say to that then love?? Jenny?s eyes start to fill, I hold her, and we start to sway to that tune we both know so well but neither can hear.

?Frank, my flower, are we both that easy to read? I know how I feel, and I have a very good idea of your feelings, but it is only six months since you lost Lynda are you ready to start again??

I whisper in her ear, ?If I asked, would you say yes?? Jenny whispers her reply,
?Of course I would, when were you thinking of asking??
?I am sorry to say it, but not now, if Blackwater and Tribal got to know, we might as well take out adverts on the television, I was thinking of tomorrow morning over breakfast, after I had tired you out a couple of times.? We come apart and face Chrissie,
?Chrissie, this must be very strange for you, why did you come down here? It must have cost a fortune, how long did it take??
?Only a couple of hours driving and a quarter of an hour of waiting time, As to why, when you spoke to me yesterday, I could tell from your voice and word choices that something significant had happened, I wasn?t willing to wait until you got round to telling me so I came to find out exactly what was going on, and now I have a confession to make, I have borrowed your tent and a sleeping bag, ?just in case? I wanted or needed to stay.?

?That?s perfectly ok, so now you are here what are you going to do, we were planning on going down to the town watch some dancing, and have a liquid lunch at the Gordon, would you care to keep us company,?
?I will but only if you have space for a gooseberry.?
I chip in with, ?You will be right at home here, there are enough fruitcakes around here already and an extra gooseberry wouldn?t be noticed or thought out of place.?
?Well my flower, should we go and have a few choice words our friends in Blackwater, would you care to choose them or may I?
?I would be very interested in your choice of words when we meet them, if they are as interesting as previous encounters, I think Ken and Sue will need a couple of pint?s apiece to help them recover. Should we cut across or finish our lap??
?The sooner we see our ?friends? in Blackwater the better, race you, no.... I can?t run in this dress, come here my flower,? and we walk back to our van with our arms around each other.?

Chrissie, walking a couple of yards behind, thinks to herself, ?She?s so involved with him, I hope he hasn?t hurt her; it is said that the lord protects fools and lovers, but I?ve never seen her near a church; I?ve only known her a couple of years, she was the younger sister I never really got to know, I won?t half miss her if it works out for her?.

As we get closer to our van ?when did it become our van?, another change, neither planned nor asked for but welcome all the same, these are the sorts of little changes that help to prove to myself that what we are doing is right for us, Val and Sue start towards us, I can see curiosity seeping out of every pore, if they were cats, curiosity would have terminated them both years ago. Who will speak first? I will.
?Why do I suddenly feel a bit outnumbered? Five to one isn?t fair?
?There are only two of us, or have you got double vision,? Says Sue
?Don?t forget Chrissie, and Kath and her daughter, coming up behind, I don?t know her name.?
?It?s Charlotte, we all call her Charlie and she?s nine going on nineteen?
?Like I say, Five to one, that?s not fair.?

?Jenny?s on your side, Charlie?s too young, two to one is fair enough!? Jenny retorts with, ?I?m on no one?s side; I?m only batting for me. Everyone in the awning now! I?m not messing. Everyone enters, those that are inclined take a beer, I pour one for Jenny, ?Thank you, my flower,? and pour one for myself, Jenny starts to talk in a very schoolmarm voice, I watch as Charlie nearly stands to attention.
?Right listen up all of you, Friday afternoon and early evening were a proper nightmare for me, thanks to Frank and Chrissie,? here she lifts her tankard and salutes us both;
?I made it through the night. Saturday was dominated by my legs and how much of them should be on display, also by the bet about Frank and me, when we called you on it and admitted our feelings towards each other those were not enough for you.?

?When we left last night I wouldn?t be surprised if you were marrying us off, and I know plans had already been made as to where we would dance. Earlier, Ken told Frank, and I quote, make sure ?obey? is in the vows. Finally, the icing on the wedding cake, he wants to give me away. If and or when I marry I would like Erica and Chrissie to work out between themselves who is to give me away and who is bridesmaid. This isn?t a little ?got you going? rant like earlier these are our lives you are playing silly buggers with and I will not stand for it. Is that understood? Those who cannot accept this may leave our van now.? Nobody moves.

?It looks like I?ve put my foot royally in it again, I can only say that I am sorry, so sorry I upset you Jenny, I guess it proves Sue to be right, I shouldn?t be allowed out without a keeper, can you please forgive me, Frank knows that I do not understand the meaning or use of tact and sensitivity, that, I am afraid, you will have to accept if you hang around with me and Blackwater.? Sue interjects with ?It?s not all your fault, pet I shouldn?t have started the bet with Val, mind you, I stand by what we said about the clothes.?

Val addresses the whole awning, ?Frank, Jenny, we are all sorry if our antics caused offence or upset you in any way, that wasn?t our intention, we know Frank and he knows us, to him, it?s probably water off a ducks back. Jenny, don?t let us spoil what you have or want, if you want it, go get it girl.?
?I want to go see some dancing and get a drop or three of Nelsons Blood, but first having hopefully put our points of view across, I need to do the hostess bit, everyone, this is Chrissie, my next door neighbour and my best friend, Chrissie, from the door round the table Ken, he is squire of Blackwater, next is Sue, Ken?s partner, Val her partner in crime and next Harry, Sue?s partner, standing is Charlotte, known as Charlie she belongs with Kath and Richard. Finally there is Frank, former member of Blackwater and another half dozen other sides as well, widower and light of my life. Right five minutes and we are off to town, ok.? This gets a
?Yes Miss? practically in unison from Ken and Sue, they are well used to being corrected by spirited individuals. We all eventually rise from the table and leave the awning, Jenny and I first, followed by Chrissie, then Blackwater in pairs with Charlie bringing up the rear, I whisper to Jenny,
?Does this feel like a wedding procession to you?? She turns and looks and bursts out into a fit of very schoolgirl like giggles,
?Yes, it looks that way, doesn?t it? It only needs Charlie beside Chrissie to complete the illusion. Parade Halt!? Calls Jenny. ?This is not a rehearsal.? There are a few chuckles over this as they look around and realise what we look like. A people carrier pulls up beside us and three more Blackwater people alight and join us, The car drives down to the bottom of the field, the driver and front seat passenger get out and are joined by Andy and Lisa who come out of their camper van, and all walk back to us. When they get back to us, Ken does the introductions,

?Day trippers, meet Chrissie, Jenny and Frank, Chrissie is new to all of you, she hails from Bishops Stortford, The day trippers are Jerry, Debbie, and Alan, I assume you collected Mark and James on the way up,? Jerry replies. ?Yes, they were looking sorry for themselves, slogging uphill in the heat. Nice to meet you all, are you dancers?? I reply for us, ?I used to be, I can play a bit and Jenny and Chrissie aren?t involved, at the moment.? Jenny gives me a very relaxed smile, Chrissie; I feel is totally out of her depth.
?Jenny wanted to go down town to watch some more dancing; we will be leaving in a minute, who else is coming?? To Jenny I say;
?Do you need anything out of the van, my treasure??
?No thanks, but could we put the stuff that Chrissie bought inside.?
?Of course treasure.? and I lift tent, bag and I assume spare clothes into the van.

?Frank, can we have the use of your awning for a bit, we?ll zip up when we come down in an hour or so?? Asks Richard.
?Of course, no problem, see you later.? Nine of us set off for the town, Harry and Val, Ken and Sue, Andy and Lisa, Jenny, Chrissie and I. We three walk a bit slower and are soon ten yards behind, and at this point, Chrissie says to Jenny, ?You aren?t the same person that left on Friday, your confidence is sky high, the way you talked to them in the awning, the way you are holding onto Frank, what happened to you this weekend, has Frank been good to you.?

?He hasn?t only been good to me; he has been very good for me, Firstly, could you see me standing up in front of people I only met the day before and singing a song as a duet that I hadn?t even heard a day before. Secondly, because David was supposedly bringing my clothes down on Friday I only had the clothes I stood in, Frank lent me one of his t-shirts and got very creative with a bandana, I could not believe how good he made me look in an xl tee, and later we went clothes shopping round the charity shops, have you ever seen me in a skirt, a short skirt at that about six inches above the knee? This is a dress he bought for me, Blackwater think it needs to be a couple of inches shorter would you believe? Isn?t it gorgeous? And lastly so far, Frank, my flower, did you notice that I said ?our van? when I was having a paddy, that wasn?t a slip of the tongue, that was how I felt about it. Is that another of those ?little changes? that you mentioned??

?Yes love, I have been thinking in terms of ?our? since yesterday evening.?
?Chrissie, can you tell me more of what happened yesterday, I can?t believe the police got there so quickly?
?I might have had something to do with that, you know Terry, the local PCSO, I saw him outside the block after I moved into yours, I called down to him from the balcony and asked him to come up for an official chat, I gave him a mug of tea and let him loose on my biscuit tin while I explained who we are, where we live, where you were, and why, he didn?t seem overly interested until I mentioned that it was David Andrews who had diverted you Fdown here, after that he asked a few more questions, he had a wander round and made a couple of security suggestions for the future, and one for overnight.

He called again just after 10 am, as the man from the locksmiths was leaving, no discount by the way. Terry said that they thought David might be paying me a visit between midday and 2pm they were that confident, they asked if a couple of PCs could wait in the flat, rather than moving officers around outside. I gave consent on your behalf, I had one male and one female officer with me, she asked if she could play your dad?s guitar, again I gave the go ahead, she was good; she played five or six songs and sung along.
Her radio beeped, the guitar was hung up and the pair of them went into the hall, within a minute I could hear a key going in the lock, an attempt to open the door, then a fair bit of thumping and banging on the door and a lot of very colourful language, when the police opened the door an inch David charged the door, was tripped and handcuffed in next to no time, he was arrested for a public order offence, as Terry explained when he came in, that is more of a holding charge than anything, when you give a statement they will be able to bring more significant charges against him, from overheard conversations I gather once he is under arrest they should be able to search his home, looking for stolen goods, and even possibly tie him in with some of the local drug dealers. I told you he was bad news didn?t I girl?

?Yes you did, thank you so much for all you have done for me this weekend.? By the time the news had been exchanged, we had cleared U.C.A. and from the high end of the field we could look across the Medway and see all the new development on the rivers banks, Blackwater have stretched their lead to fifty yards. I was between the two girls, Jenny on my right, Chrissie to my left, Jenny and I have our arms round each other, I talk quietly directly to her.

?Jenny love, are you going to give Chrissie a clue as to what she might be seeing today.?
?I don?t think I will, you didn?t help me when we came down yesterday,?
?That?s different, I assumed you learnt something from Blackwater Friday evening and when you saw them in kit Saturday morning.?
?No my flower, Chrissie is going in the deep end, I hope Tribal do the same to her as they did to me.? This last statement was said very quietly. Jenny has a low and slightly evil sense of humour, this could be great fun, it?s a pity she is in a dress, Bishop Gundulphs Longsword side could had some fun with her if she were in trousers.

?I think we ought to move a bit quicker, we don?t know if they are going straight to the Gordon or stopping at The Eagle or even The Two Brewers.?
?Frank my flower, I don?t want to get rid of you but could you walk on and catch them up to find out what they?re doing, I would like some girl talk time with Chrissie.?
?Ok treasure, I will wait for you outside The Eagle, See you in a bit, I love you. As Frank moves on ahead, Jenny asks Chrissie if we can sit here and talk for a bit.
?Of course girl, what?s on your mind??
?It?s your mind I am thinking of, I am fully aware that you think of me as a younger sister, so put your older sister head on and start asking and listening.?
?Ok Jenny, You say he hasn?t hurt you, what has he done, honestly??
?I am still a virgin, if that?s what you are asking?
?Ok you haven?t had sex, what have you done??
?Honestly, all he has done is to stroke and play with my boobs, and we have done a lot of kissing, a heck of a lot of kissing, he knows how to move me.?
?What do you mean by that, Jenny??

?Frank made me come twice this morning, just by kissing and playing with my boobs.? That?s how he moves me.?
?Life isn?t just orgasms Jenny, girl. What else has he got going for him??

?I trust him totally, I have told him things that I can?t tell you, He has told me things about himself and his history, which makes me love and trust him even more.?
?That?s the first time you?ve used the love word in its proper context, if I am an older sister to you what do you think Erica will say about Frank,?
?It doesn?t matter what Erica thinks, she won?t be having a say in what we decide to do. As I said earlier I would like you and Erica as bridesmaid and to give me away if and or when I get married.?
?Last question Jenny, and our friendship rests on an honest answer, what were the two of you whispering about, back on the track??
?Frank said, ?if I asked would you say yes?? I replied, ?of course I would, when were you thinking of asking??
?I am sorry to say it, but not now, if Blackwater or Tribal found out, we might as well place adverts.?
?Ok Jenny, as Val said, if you want it, go get it girl.?

?Thank you Chrissie, I hoped you would understand, I do love him, I am fully aware he might be dead before I?m fifty, that really hurts but I don?t get a choice in the matter.

?Hi Jenny, everything ok?? A voice behind them asked, we both turned and Chrissie jumped as we were faced with a Morris Man blacked up and in black, white and green tatters. Jenny asks,
?Tribal? Yes?
?Yes, we met here yesterday, I?m Darren, see you down town later, right??
?Yes we are moving in a minute, if you see Frank, please tell him we are on our way and when you see Michael, Chrissie here needs the same as me, ok.?
?You know a lot of people now, don?t you??
?I?ve only met and been introduced to about twenty people, but Frank and Lynda danced or played for I think seven sides together, that?s a lot of people. Tribal have asked Frank if they can run an ?ale? for Lynda one year on, Frank reckons they might get a hundred people for that. As I told Darren, we had better start walking, if we are going to meet Frank on time.? We stand and walk together along the rest of the bowling green and towards the play area and I put my arm in Chrissie?s as we often do around Stortford.

?Are you interested in this Morris stuff because it?s interesting or is Frank pushing you into it??
?It?s all me. I don?t think Frank knows how to push, I have never seen or heard anything like it before in my life, and I?m not going to describe it, I don?t want to give you any preconceived ideas. But at one point yesterday Frank invited me stand beside him in the band while he played his melodeon, as the dancers finished and moved off they came through the band, the last pair holding hands together aloft as they went either side of me. The band then moved to where the dancers had been, I was right in the middle of them, I?ve never felt a rush like it. Well not until this morning. Frank and Ken reckoned I was becoming a Morris Junkie!? A woman in whites, with blue and green trim is walking towards us.

?Hi Jenny.? She says,
?Hi.? I reply.
?Who was that?? Asks Chrissie.
?I have absolutely no idea, probably a member of a side that Frank and Lynda danced with sometime, I don?t even think I saw them dance yesterday. I would guess that the Morris grapevine or at least the Essex, Suffolk and Kent parts of it has me tagged and identified the length of Rochester High Street by now.?As we are waiting at the lights at the exit from the gardens, two ladies in long green and grey pinafore dresses come alongside side us.

?Hi Jenny, what?s it like being caught in the Blackwater trap??
?Very confusing.? Is my honest and heartfelt reply.
?Stick with it and you?ll soon have them trained, see you later?. And with a tapping of clogs they were across the road, our light goes green so we cross behind them.
?See what I mean, I think they are Winstree Hundred from Mersea Island, but don?t quote me on it.? The rest of the way down we talk girl stuff about Stortford and I try to talk about Chrissie?s love life, still non-existent according to Chrissie, and she changes the subject to work, she is a clerk in Harlow NHS Hospital, some of the things she has to handle make me cry, she is part of the organ transplant admin team. Franks words about ?Without you? spring to mind ?the intensity decreases the more familiar you become with the emotions it provokes? that has to be true otherwise Chrissie couldn?t function.

We are just before the start of the High St. and there is a hole in the wall machine, only a couple of people in a queue so I wait my turn to get some cash, fifty should do, we are going home tomorrow and I still have twenty and change. Transaction complete we move into the High St.


Chapter Twelve
The Third Day
iii. Afternoon
Fifty yards further on are the Whitchmen, I hope they are about to start, my stride lengthens, ?Keep up Chrissie.? we get there just as the band are starting, we are on the side of the road by the first of the dancers. When I saw them yesterday they used short sticks about a foot long, this time the sticks are thicker and three feet long, they put a lot of work into swinging and clashing the sticks, as they weave along the sides I am still struck by how quiet their movements are, they are very confident, bursa merkez escort bayan small talk and banter between the dancers, I would want a hard hat! Chrissie is staring, mouth open, it?s obvious she has never seen the like of this before either; at the end of the dance the dancers converge, clash and yell before dropping the sticks and running into the slightly sparse crowd.

?What do you think, Chrissie?? have you seen the like before??
?That?s not Morris dancing. Morris dancers are dressed in white,?
?That?s Cotswold, this is Border, and next on here is a North west side, these are different again, but it?s all Morris.? These are different, North West are usually ladies sides these are all men. And big, the music starts and it?s a fairly quick tune, there is a single whistle blast and the men start to dance, very quick short steps, some toe pointing, pieces of coloured braided rope on handles with bells are twirled in both hands, they can?t keep this pace up for long, surely, another whistle blast, the pattern changes, about three times a minute the whistle blows, after five or six figures there is a long blast and at the end of the music the dancers stop, dead still and silent, a single drum beats softly while the dancers march off stepping quickly in time, twirling the ropes high then low in time with the slow beating of the drum.

?Time to move Chrissie, we need to find Frank before he starts to worry about us.?
?Why would he worry about us, we?re safe here.?
?Because that is what he does. Yesterday afternoon at just after five pm, we were walking back to the campsite and I have never been so scared in a town in broad daylight before, I hope I never feel that way again. The next decent spot is at The Eagle, I hope he is there, I am missing him already.?

Frank is walking towards The Eagle from the Gordon, and wondering where the girls are, ?I knew I should have stayed with them? I daren?t walk quickly they might be in a shop, near the Two Brewers a Tribal dancer calls ?Frank, Jenny said they were now coming when I saw them by the bowling green, they shouldn?t be too far behind me, see you later.?

?Thanks for that, I?ll go to The Eagle, your lot are at the war memorial.?
?Cheers.? I continue my slow walk, they may stop and watch someone down there, and even walking slowly I arrive at The Eagle in three minutes, why do you always feel thirsty when your tankard?s empty. I stand on the grass nearest the slip road to the car park, from here I have a good view of who?s coming, and Jenny?s green dress should really shine out. I miss her, I need to see, smell and kiss her, I crane my neck down the road, there is a clog side down there going like the clappers.

The only side I know who go at that pace are Wrigley Heads from Manchester, I haven?t seen them for ten or more years, and that was at Ely. I am tempted to walk down but know I shouldn?t, we are meeting here or the Gordon and I don?t want them wandering round in a strange town. Another three minutes pass and I see Jenny?s dress approaching, thankfully she is in it as well, we meet in the middle of the road, I pick her up and kiss her, as I lower her we don?t break the kiss until the temperature begins to rise, we are learning some control at last, a part of my mind thinks ?pity? the sensible part says ?be glad, wait till later.?

?Hi, my flower, that was a dry walk and talk, any chance of some liquid refreshment.?
?Of course love, I kept my tankard empty just for you, let?s go in here and see what we fancy, there are more beers out back if you fancy something different to what?s on offer in here.?Once inside we edge closer to the bar, it isn?t very crowded, so it?s easy to read the pumps.
?What?s on offer, flower.?
?Bombardier, that?s a light coloured bitter by Charles Wells, darker is Morland?s Old Speckled Hen now made by Greene King and finally Hobgoblin by Wychwood ?
?You did that deliberately saving Hobgoblin till last didn?t you??
?Yes but not for the reason you are thinking, I don?t know what Chrissie would like to drink, so a short description of the beers may be of use to her, She could be a lager lout, maybe a wine or long spirit would suit, so host as I am, Chrissie, what would you like??
?I don?t have a clue, the same as Jenny please,?

?Am I right in assuming its Hobgoblin for you treasure.? Jenny nods yes. I go to the bar, and after a couple of minutes. Three pints Hobgoblin please, one in here if it?s ok, as I hand over my tankard. Once I have paid for the drink, I pass one to Jenny, who passes it to Chrissie, I pass the next pint to Jenny, who gives me a ?look?, and I then walk a couple of steps to them with mine.
?Shall we go outside into the road?? I ask, and Jenny turns and I follow, a most pleasant occupation, as I said earlier, her dress fitted to the millimetre, the view as she walked was intoxicating, Chrissie brings up the rear. When we cross to the grass, there is an empty seat, we park ourselves, Jenny takes another half inch out of her plastic glass;
?Would you like me to fill your tankard, love??
?Yes please Flower? I tip Jenny?s plastic into her tankard, she has about two inches left in her plastic, I give them both back to her,? now what do I do??
?I would put one on the bin beside you and drink from the other.?

?Why did you buy us pints, it?s not very ladylike.?
?As Ken said, when you are with the Morris you drink pints, you don?t have to empty them at the same rate as the men. And like Ken I don?t do tact, did you have a good girl-girl talk on the playing field??
?Yes, flower we did, and that is all I?m telling you. But I do have some questions, Darren from Tribal saw me up there and he asked if I was ok, as we were walking further along the path a lady in white with green and blue ribbons said ?Hi Jenny?, I don?t have a clue who she was or where she is from, and at the traffic lights at the top of the hill, two ladies from ?I think? Winstree asked me what it?s like to be caught in the Blackwater trap.? Will this sort of thing go on for long??

?So far as not telling what you and Chrissie said. Good on you love, I don?t need to know your business, you have and you keep your secrets, it adds to the mystery and interest.

Next white shirt and trousers, blue and green on the baldrics that will be Westrefelda, A Cotswold side Linda and I were with during the late nineteen nineties. Winstree would have known of you within minutes of Blackwater knowing. As to how long this will go on, we are going home tomorrow but that isn?t what you meant is it,? Jenny shakes her head.

"Lynda and I were well known in the Morris, I am thankful that Lynda?s illness was, for cancer, very short, if a quarter of the people I am expecting to see at the ale had managed to get to her funeral that would have been a truly shattering experience for me, especially as it is getting to be a bit of a tradition to be in kit. Every one of those people has an interest in knowing you or is interested in getting to know you, and will talk to you on the slightest pretext. Never mind love another four hours and we will be on our way back to our van.?

?Hey flower, Tribal are coming here, let?s get close, Chrissie, these are brilliant, you will never experience anything like this again.? Jenny is up and moving towards the kerb, as soon as she gets there she looks back for us, Chrissie gets up and starts to move towards Jenny, I have a suspicion what Jenny is hoping for, so I suggest that Chrissie leaves her beer on the bin with Jenny?s plastic. I catch Michael?s eye before the dance starts and point at Jenny in front of me, he gives thumbs up, I hope Jenny doesn?t spill too much beer on her dress, I know, I speak in her ear.

?You are very close to the dancers, can I have your tankard, I wouldn?t want one of them to bump you and spill beer over your dress.?

?Thank you my flower.? I place Jenny?s tankard with mine and the two plastics on the bin and walk back to stand behind the girls. The drums start up, a slow sinuous rhythm of tom-toms and bongos go on top, more drums come into the mid range, the beat becomes very African but wilder. The dancers sway and then move to the music doing hey?s along and across the set, a six man hey down the length with sticking on every pass, alternate left and right, this opens to a circle hey, sticking as before, the drums get faster the circle gets smaller and as the drums work themselves up to a fever pitch with absolutely no warning the dancers charge screaming into the crowd, we get a double dose as Michael and probably Julie go straight for Chrissie and Jenny respectively, although Jenny is half expecting it, it arrives with such suddenness that she can?t brace herself, Chrissie of course hasn?t a clue, they both scream with equal total fear, Jenny turns to me, arms wide, she is as white as a sheet, she looks to Chrissie, who looks even whiter, holds her arm out and Chrissie joins in the three way support huddle. I owe Michael a beer, or maybe two. Michael and Julie come over towards us I give a silent shhhh face and Michael hangs back, I hope he got the message.

Julie faces Jenny, ?Hi again, is that the sort of thing you were hoping for, you shouldn?t give it if you can?t take it, Jenny my girl, want a cuddle?? Jenny leaves to get a cuddle from Julie while I am left to look after Chrissie, I give her a squeeze, and look down, ?ok now?? I ask.

?I?ll never be ok again, who did that, was it you??
?I?m not guilty, I had a very fair idea what was going to happen at the end of the dance, most of their dances end that way, but I am pretty certain that Jenny may have arranged a scare for you, and got a bonus scare herself, usually the dancers aim for gaps between watchers and only give a bit of a scream Michael and Julie came straight for the pair of you hard and loud. It didn?t do me a lot of good, either I can tell you! I put my arm around her, ?Let?s find our drinks.? When we get to the seat, holding her hands I lower her to the bench and pass her beer, her hands are shaking, I steady her hands while she takes a sip then a decent pull from the plastic, as I let her hands go she looks at me and says ?thank you, if it was Jenny who arranged that she needs to watch her back, I?ve had far too many scares this weekend? and she turns to me and starts to cry, properly, not a gentle whimper. I hold her close and hope that she feels safe, her arm goes round my neck and she is hanging on to me as a drowning person hangs on to a float.

After a couple of minutes more Jenny comes across, she doesn?t look happy seeing my arms round Chrissie. When she sits by me and realises how Chrissie is crying, she goes to the other side and holding Chrissie?s face in both her hands starts to say how sorry she is, ?I didn?t mean any harm by it, Michael recognised Frank yesterday and gave me a scare, when I saw Darren earlier I asked him to ask Michael to give you a scare, I didn?t realise how much fear a painted face can generate, Please Chrissie look at me, please..... Jenny starts crying as well.

Chrissie puts her arm round Jenny?s shoulders, with luck I can escape leave them to talk and reassure each other, as I try to take my arm away from around Chrissie she burrows back in, this may be awkward. I am tempted to run away, make an excuse and go to the gents or something, but I don?t. I know it isn?t right to do that.

I get on my knees in front of them both, My right arm is round Chrissie?s shoulder, my left hand is holding Jenny?s right hand, our fingers are intertwined, Jenny?s left arm is round Chrissie?s shoulder and our hands meet and our fingers intertwine,
?Jenny love, can you look at me a moment.? Jenny looks up at me; tears are rolling down her cheeks.
?I made my best friend cry, why did I do it?? I try to answer her.
?Jenny my love you didn?t make her cry. Tribal made her cry, you may have suggested that they scare her; it is their responsibility to not go over the top, I reckon that scream was a bit over the top, they have been doing this for years, and know exactly how aggressively to charge and how much noise to make. Let?s get Chrissie away from here, where do you think would be best, the Gordon, the castle or back to the van. Jenny says, I think back to our van would be the best bet.?

?Ok let?s get a taxi back, the nearest rank is behind us, Chrissie, how mobile are you feeling, we are taking a taxi back to the van.?
?No, I don?t want to run away, I want a couple of good stiff drinks and something to eat, I have had nothing to eat since yesterday and I am running on empty.?

?God Chrissie, why didn?t you say you?re hungry, we don?t have food shortages or famines in this country, we had a fridge full of food back at our van. What would you like to eat, name it and it?s yours?
?A full English and a couple of mugs of tea, followed by a brandy and coke or two, if you can find it.
?Let?s try the Gordon first; I?m sure they do food all week-end, if not the Dickens Cafe is opposite the war memorial? I suggest. We get to the Gordon, and enquire as to the availability of food, when we were asked what we would like, one full English and a couple of mugs of tea, followed by a double brandy and coke, "Certainly sir, would you care to follow me I will get you a table." We all follow and are shown to a table. I usher Chrissie in and sit next to her, Jenny sits opposite her.

We both study her carefully, still very pale and a bit shakey. Two mugs of tea appear and are placed on the table, sugar is also bought. Chrissie starts on the first mug of tea and gets halfway down without stopping for a breath. The first is finished and she pulls the second closer, wrapping her hands around it as if cold. Shock will do that;
?Are you cold Chrissie??

?I?m freezing, hold me and cuddle me, please.? My left arm goes round her and I pull her closer, my right hand goes on the table to Jenny. We all sit like this for a while, Chrissie hunched over her tea, Chrissie?s Full English arrives, and she starts in, when she scrapes the top off her soft fried eggs, my stomach does a lurch.?Excuse me please, both of you, I will get the drinks.? I shoot off with a lot more haste than grace and go into the Marquee, I have only just got to the bar when Ken comes up from the side, we all thought you had gone, where have you been? I give him the bare bones of what has happened, and tell him that with a bit of luck we will all be down once Chrissie has been fed and is comfortable, are you queuing, if so I?ll get them in.?

?No thanks, just being sociable.?
?Ok?
?Pint and a half of Nelson?s please, and a double brandy and coke.?
?Brandy isn?t good for shock, you know that don?t you Frank??
?Yes, but after two mugs of tea and Full English it?ll be ok. She hasn?t eaten since yesterday; I think it was hunger that did the damage.? I pay for the drinks and then remember I had put brandy and coke on the food order, never mind, I take the top off of mine and sip a drop out of Jenny?s so that when both tankards are held in one hand the slope on the sides won?t waste too much beer, Chrissie?s drink goes in the other hand and I move off, back to the girls. When I get there all evidence of egg has gone as has the rest of the food and tea, it?s safe to sit again so I get in beside Jenny, I pass her tankard and slide Chrissie?s drink towards her, she looks at me and says with a wide smile on her face;

?You are as good as Jenny says aren?t you??
?No, as I told Jenny before, I try to be as good as people say I am, I am no saint though. You needed support, I gave it, it isn?t often a bald fifty year old gets to hold two pretty girls in a morning, if I didn?t know that I had Jenny to hold and cuddle later, I could have said that you made my day, thanks.?

?He has the gift of the gab, Jenny girl, any Irish in his genes.?
?Not that I know of, I think he?s straight gentleman, through and through.?
?They are the ones to beware of, it is said a gentleman can get into a girls knickers quicker than a playboy.? Chrissie?s other brandy arrives with the bill, I go to pick it up, but Jenny beats me to it.
?I?m getting this it was my fault after all.?
?We don?t do guilt trips, remember, you did what you thought was ok at the time.?
?I ordered. I pay. Is that right Miss??
?Yes Sir,?
?What has happened to ?flower? today, my love.?
?I am sorry my flower, today has been almost as freaky as Friday.?
?Chrissie, how are you feeling now??

?A lot better, thank you, I will soon be able to hold my drink without looking like I have the DTs, now I can think straight, did I get an answer to why you arranged to give me a fright like that, something like that could kill a frail person??
?Like I said before, they gave me a fright yesterday, and while it did shake me up a bit, it didn?t seem too extreme a trick to play. With Frank?s famous twenty-twenty hindsight I know I was wrong, I had a bad Friday as did you, my Saturday was good, yours wasn?t, I put a lot of responsibility on you and it wasn?t fair, I know you don?t like responsibility.?

?It isn?t that I don?t like responsibility Jenny, my job is a life and death job, when I leave work I have to switch off responsibility. If I couldn?t I would spend all my free time worrying about hearts and lungs and kidneys and all the other spare parts we can use if I can get them matched to recipients and on the way quickly enough. I would also be worrying about how yesterdays recipients are getting along; I have to be able to switch off, totally, from work in order to survive, this means I can totally relax, when I am relaxed then I can?t handle shocks like Tribal, at work that wouldn?t have touched me.?

?I truly am sorry, I wasn?t really aware of what your job involved and what you have to be able to do in order to do it successfully.? A few tears roll down Jenny?s cheek and Chrissie wipes them away with her free hand.
?I promise I won?t do it again, ever.?

?Apology accepted Jenny, I just need to work my way slowly through this enormous Brandy then maybe we can go and socialise with the rest of your new friends, what shall we talk about now, bearing in mind I still have my ?big sister? hat on, I suppose I would like to know your man?s name, I only know him as Frank.?

?I wouldn?t be surprised if that is all Jenny knows as well, is that true, love?? Jenny nods,? I only introduced myself as Frank when I spoke to Jenny on Friday, for both your benefits, I will give you a potted history, ok?

I am Frank Burton, age fifty, widower, two children, Sarah