A Cure for All Diseases. Reginald Hill
– Sidney has acted not only as its financial consultant – but also as an umpire when Tom & Lady D dont see eye to eye. Lady D is far from persuaded that Toms preoccupation with complementary medicine & the environment is going to be a money spinner for the hotel. Upper class recreational pursuits – facials – manicures – massage – plus maybe the latest post Pilates exercise fad to work up an appetite for the gourmet grub – & thirst for the disgustingly expensive booze – thats what she sees bringing the stinking rich punters in. But Tom wont give ground here – insisting there has to be room for a full range of alternative therapies – something in which his family have always had a deep – in some cases – Mary hints & Min confirms – an obsessive interest. Fortunately it seems Dr Feldenhammer – boss man at the Avalon – after some initial doubts – has been persuaded theres no harm in the clinic presenting a united front with Tom re the complementary stuff.
– very enlightened of him – I said – surprised – knowing most mainstream medics think its all a load of crap – me too if Im honest – which Im not – around dear Tom!
– yes – & the good thing – said Mary – is that it shuts Daphne Brereton up a bit – her feeling about poor Lester the way she does –
– eh? – I said – you dont mean …? –
– oh yes – shes got him in her sights – & wants him in her bed – said Mary grimly – disgraceful – a woman of her age –
Maybe this Sandytown air really does have something special! – I thought.
Its clear Mary has mixed feelings about the relationship between Tom & Lady D. Loyalty makes her stick up for Tom all the time – but theres part of her that sees that its Daphnes lust for profit thats going to keep the Consortium solvent – rather than Toms idealism. When Big Bum – funny how nicknames stick! – does let Tom have his way – it usually means him paying more & her paying less – so Tom looks like hes won a battle – but its cost him – & Mary is always worried he might be overstretching himself.
Not that Tom seems to have a worry in the world! He finally appeared – apologizing like mad for having neglected me.
– tomorrow morning I should have caught up with myself – he said – Ill take you on a tour of the town – on foot! Best way to see a place & meet people!
– but your ankle dear – protested Mary.
– as good as new – he insisted – thanks to the first aid I received from our lovely talented guest – (thats me in case you havent twigged!) – not forgetting the healing touch of Mr Godley –
I left them arguing – or rather discussing – Tom doesnt have arguments!
Met Minnie coming out of bathroom – yawning histrionically! Wouldnt surprise me if shed been listening on Mary & me – & had to take cover when her father came out of his study – but I cant help liking her. Shed have followed me into my room – but I shut the door very firmly in her face. I can be tough too!
Nite nite sleep tite
Love
Charley xxx
| FROM: | [email protected] |
| TO: | [email protected] |
| SUBJECT: | enter Big Bum! |
Hi!
Decided to laze around this morning – guessing that any expedition with Tom would be energetic! Hed won the ‘argument’ about going on foot – but Mary insisted he took a stout walking stick – which seemed more likely to cause damage than prevent it – the way he flourished it as a handy pointer to interesting views as we made our way down the hill.
On our way up in the car – Tom had already pointed out to me the entrance drive to Sandytown Hall – home of Lady D. Admiring the view from Brereton Manor – Id glimpsed what had to be the tall chimneys of the Hall down towards the sea – rising above an extensive area of woodland – so her ladyships not overlooked by the hotel – or any other bit of quite a lot of modern development we passed on our way down the hill. Most of this seemed linked to the Development Scheme – executive dwellings – seeded – so Tom assured me – with affordable houses for local first-timers. I didnt need to guess which partner pushed for what!
We met quite a few people – car drivers stop to chat to Tom! – & I was introduced as if I were the Development Schemes latest & greatest acquisition! Eventually – quite near the bottom of the hill where the old village proper begins – he halted outside a funny old house – very picturesque – built out of irregular lumps of sandstone – glowing in the morning sun – with a small old fashioned cottage garden – & a first floor wider than the ground floor – because it was built into the slope.
Reminded me of the gingerbread house in the fairy tale – so I wasnt surprised when Tom said – this is called Witch Cottage – because – according to tradition – its where Sandytowns last witch used to live. Now Miss Lee – our acupuncturist – lives there. I know youll want to meet her – Charlotte – because of your study –
Hed just lifted the brass knocker – & given the door a hearty rap – when this old Jeep came rattling up the road from the village. It looked like it had just completed a trek across the Kalahari – mud stained – lots of scratches & dents – & the nearside front bumper showed signs of recent violent contact with a tree!
Oh look – its Lady D – said Tom – come & meet her –
As we went back down the little path – 2 women got out. I knew which was Lady D straight off. Central casting – tweedy – sturdy – head thrust forward like shes eyeing up the opposition – if Id been a matador Id have headed for the barreras – good looker in her day probably – in a Fergie kind of way – nice healthy complexion – well weathered – the natural look – tho I spotted a touch of eye shadow & a smear of lipstick – so not without vanity – (I recalled what M said about her pursuing Dr Feldenhammer) – likes her own way – sharp – but maybe not so sharp as she likes to think.
& Minnie was right about her bum!
All that from a single glance! Arent you impressed?
The other woman was young – my age – bit older? – lovely slim figure – God – even when I did my anorexia thing I never got to look like that! – big boned us Heywoods – family gene thing – except this other woman – Clara Brereton her name is – turns out to be a relative of Lady Ds – so how come she doesnt look like a Hereford ready for market? In fact shes gorgeous – if you like your women fashionably skinny – which most men seem to – so – bringing my psychological objectivity to bear once more – I resolved to hate her!
Tom & Lady D greeted each other fondly – genuine on both sides from the look of it – tho I noticed she calls him Tom – while he only gets close enough to familiarity to call her Lady D – unlike Mary who refers to her – disapprovingly – as Daphne Brereton!
Credit due – the old bird did ask after Toms sprained ankle. He told her the story of how he got it – made it quite funny – & she brayed a laugh.
While this chitter chatter was going on I got a close up of the jeep – & I noticed someone had added to the general air of dereliction with a bit of graffiti – scrubbed off but not so efficiently I couldnt make out the letters P O L R & M U D R – which – I guessed from the gaps – added up to POLLUTER & MURDERER. Made me think of the sign outside the pig farm. Not only Mary who doesnt care for Lady D!
She was saying shed been going to call in at Kyoto House – Tom said lets go back there now & have some tea – she