Easy As Falling Off A Bike pt 628.

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Which Door?
(aka Bike)
Part 628
by Angharad
       
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Simon and Tom had a glass of wine together but I made myself some tea, I’d had enough alcohol. However, as I had some awkward questions for Simon, I didn’t want to get sleepy myself nor did I want him more than amenable to my interrogation.

I let them chat for a while. Tom brought Simon up to date on out recent activities. “You mean you actually shot someone with a bow and arrows?”

“Yes, I’m not exactly happy with the idea, but …”

“If she hadn’t, the children and we, would be rather dead,” interrupted Tom.

“I can see that, it’s just my little Cathy, barely more than a schoolgirl has turned into this avenging angel figure.”

“Lots of women aristocrats have used martial skills when the occasion demanded it,” said Tom, sipping his wine.

“I suppose they have, but it’s usually leadership rather than hands on killing.” Simon seemed to be having a problem with what I had done. I knew that I had a problem reconciling it, however, I’d hoped he would be supportive of me rather than bemused by it, which seemed to be the present case.

“I bashed another on the head, and firebombed someone too, then shot some up with a spare Kalashnikov.”

“Saving us again, not to mention twa young polis.”

“It’s like Modesty Blaise or Batgirl, not some young mother from Portsmouth. Had you added a scene with Rob Roy and claymores, I couldn’t be any more surprised.”

“You weren’t there, Simon. These people were intent on killing as many of the Camerons as they could. Cathy saved us on three or four occasions, like she did before when they attacked this hoose.”

“How many deaths did you sanction in Russia the first time?” I asked Simon, staring into his eyes and holding the gaze.

“I didn’t exactly sanction any killing.”

“Not even when they abducted Stella?” I asked.

“Not even then. I negotiated with the one group, asking how much they would need to stop the other lot attacking our interests. I didn’t say how.”

“You must have known they’d exterminate each other given the chance?”

“I tried not to think about it. When I did, when I realised how much we’d paid and how many of the bad guys died, I was horrified, except I knew we were safer as a consequence, especially Stella, who is still suffering from her abduction.”

“You must have known what would happen.” I rose from the table. Maybe I would have another glass of wine.

“What did you think about when you hit the bloke on the head?” he asked me.

“Trying not to make a noise, be sick, or shit myself while I was doing it. I was sick just after.”

“I don’t think I’d have the bottle to do that.”

“You might if you had to. I didn’t think I would, but when they were deciding who was going to kill my girls, I knew I had to do something. Sadly, as they were carrying guns, it seemed only some sort of violence would work.”

“How come you had a bow with you?”

“I knew we were under threat. I don’t have a gun nor want one. I would have taken the compound bow but it takes too long to put together once it’s packed down. I can assemble a recurve in two minutes. So that’s what I took. It also packs smaller, and forty pounds was quite enough power to do the job.”

“Robin Hood strikes again,” he said with a combination of incredulity and sarcasm.

“I suspect my accuracy was better with a recurve than his would have been with a long bow.”

“Geez, Cathy, you seem so calm about it all?”

“I try not to think about it. I need to be strong for the girls. Remember, in a few days, Trish starts her new school. She needs me to be there for her.”

“Yes, but…I mean, regular soldiers get problems after action in battle. Yet you seem relatively unaffected by it. I’m astonished, not to put too fine a point on it.”

“Like I said, I need to focus on the girls.”

“Yeah, I heard you.”

“I’m awa’ to my bed. Guid nicht,” Tom patted Simon on the shoulder as he made his way around the table for me to kiss him on the cheek. “I think ye did a grand job.”

“Thanks, Daddy.” He ran his hand across my back as he left.

“Want some more wine?”

“Okay, I have a question for you, seeing as we seem to having a confessional.”

“Yeah, fire away.”

“When you phoned me just before you had dinner a few days ago, who was the woman you were with?”

He looked at me in even greater surprise. “Woman, what woman?”

“She called you darling, and told you to come for dinner.”

“Did she?” He blushed but also seemed genuinely perplexed.

“Please tell me truthfully, are you seeing someone else?”

The sip of wine he’d taken was inhaled and he choked for the next couple of minutes.

“Why, are you going to kill me?” he said still coughing.

“Don’t be ridiculous–I just want to know where I stand. If you are, tell me and then leave. If you’re not, tell me who she was?”

“So you can kill her?”

“Simon, don’t you understand any thing about me? I didn’t kill out of revenge or anger. It was survival–them or us–nothing more. It sounds as if we’re through. I’d like you to leave first thing, before the girls are up. I’ll tell them you were called away to work.”

“Hang about, a minute.”

“No. You’ve indicated there was someone else. Here,” I handed him my engagement ring and tears ran down my cheeks.

“You’re making a mistake, Cathy.”

“No, Simon–I’ve made mistakes. It’s been a nice trip, but it’s over. It’s ironic that involvement with your family helped me become a woman. It also helped me become an executioner.”

“There is no other woman.”

“I don’t believe you.”

“Cathy, cross my heart and hope to die, there is no other woman.”

“I heard her, Simon, she called you by name to go to dinner and stop talking on the phone. I heard it.”

“Oh shit!”

“Goodbye.” I got up to walk to the door.

“Cathy, you’re so wrong.”

“I was. Not any more. Goodbye.”

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Comments

I Know Who That Other Woman Was!

I Know Who That Other Woman Was!It was Angharad! She needed Simon to get Bonzi out of a tree where he had chased Spike! ;-)

    Stanman
May Your Light Forever Shine
    Stanman
May Your Light Forever Shine

NO, please dont do this !

Angaharad,

Sorry but I am not voting for this episode. Please don't make them part. Parting is so painful. I know all about that. The death of any one of us diminshes us all, and parting from each other is like a smaller death.

Dammit, I know it is only a story but it is all so real.

Briar

Briar

Stupid!

If it was innocent, Simon waded into it ever deeper by denying it, or trying to. His reaction when Cathy revealed she heard the woman, said it all...

Will Stella rise to the occasion as in past times when the two had a falling out?

PB

OMG—Maybe Henry…

…will be able to knock some sense into his idiot son's 'heid', as Tom would probably say. There may be a perfectly innocent explanation, although judging by Simon's “Oh, sh*t” reaction, ‘I hae ma doots’. I can only hope that the “other woman” might have something to do with settling the Russians hash.

Please Ang, I know this is going to upset a certain person, so I can only hope and pray that you have an amicable solution.

Hugs,

Hilary

to the hopeless romantics among us

This is a worse cliffhanger than physical danger. Simon, get our head out of your a$$ and tell Cathy EXACTLY what was going on. If you are innocent, she'll believe you. If not, get out you scum.

How stupid is Simon?

Let's see.

He apparently fooling around behind Cathy's back. But if he truly isn't, then he's incompetent to defend himself. To goad Cathy with the "killer" comments is the height of stupidity.

Or he's drunk. Or he's trying to get her to do what she's done.

People do stupid things in relationships. But Si seems to have perfected the art.

But then here's the excuse that Cathy has PTSD. She and Stella can share a padded room. Si can bring the girls to visit. With his new wife. Or not.

When people suggested Cathy needed a break from all the strife in her life, I don't think any of us meant a stay in Bedlam.

Bear

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Bear

I'd be pretty sure Simon is just thick

Headed, dense, whatever his situation it was not compromizing and therefore he has no guilt and is not seeing it from Cathy's perspective.
Cathy typically makes up her mind and blunders on without the whole story. The reality is these two do not belong together. Bad Chemistry. They will go through life one conflict at a time. A modern version of the Honeymooners.

Cathy Definitely Put Simon On The Hot Seat

jengrl's picture

When Cathy first brought it up, the first concern for Simon was that she would kill him and then the woman. Notice that he didn't deny immediately about there not being another woman and then he knew he had been caught when Cathy mentioned overhearing her in the background. It will be interesting to see how he talks his way out of this one. It could be that Monica was with him, but that would be too convenient. I still think it is more likely that Simon is MI6 or 5 and the other woman is his partner in the Russian operation. Only the author and her trusty right paw, Bonzi, know for sure. Well I shall see what she comes up with in this continuing saga tomorrow. My fingers will have to grab on to the cliff with extra force and HANG on longer.

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I Hope Simon is Innocent

He didn't sound like a guilty guy to me, but he didn't do a good job explaining it. There will be a story (old girl friend, good friend's wife or something like that needing financial advise or something). Let's just hope Simon stays and delivers it effectively. Otherwise it could be several more episodes before it's resolved (assuming he actually is innocent). This will be a quite different story going forward if Simon is out.

Simon may be masterful in

Simon may be masterful in what he does either as a "banker" or even if he is MI-5 or MI-6, but he is a total bonehead when it comes to how he interacts with Cathy. Cathy on the other hand needs to "get a grip" and learn to step back and just "chill". She goes off the deep end without knowing the entire story most of the time. Look what she did with Tom when she found out about the Dormouse project being moved. She flew off the handle at him also. I love both characters, but they do need to just sit down and actually talk and LISTEN to each other, rather than talking past each other. J-Lynn

Oh dear

kristina l s's picture

They really are a pair aren't they. Cathy flies off on the old I'm not worthy so no one can really love me angle and Simon gets embarrassed before he knows why and then takes minutes to connect the dots. His reactions to her survival exploits were a bit dim too, he shold know her better than that by now. But it'll be good, I have faith.

By the way my dad had all the Modesty Blaise books, she was just the coolest.

Oh, what is the Honeymooners? I can sort of guess, but I don't know it, not sure who's comment that was, sorry.

Kristina

Honeymooners

The Honeymooners was a 1950's sitcom staring Jackie Gleason, Art Carney, Audrey Meadows, and Joyce Randolph.

Gleason played an NYC Bus driver, Carney and sewer worker, Meadows was Gleason's wife Alice, and Randolph was Carney's wife Trixie.

The most famous line was "To the moon Alice, to the moon." Used whenever Gleason's character was mad at his wife.

Classic comedy. Production values similar to the original Doctor Who, one interior set for most of the series. In the last two years they had the equipment and money to do exteriors.

Bear

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Bear

Honeymooners

In the 1950's on American TV Jackie Gleason played Ralf Kramden opposite Audrey Meadows (Ralf's wife Alice) in The Honeymooners. It was classic marital strife humor. Gleason's classic line was; "One of these days Alice, it's straight to the moon" (or something like that). Gleason always had some scheme going with his buddy Ed Norton (Art Carney). Alice had quite a mouth on her more or less keeping Ralf in line. Netflix has DVD's all 39 shows.

IMDB link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0042114/

Edit: looks like I'm slow. there's more info at the Internet Movie Database link.

Ah, taa

kristina l s's picture

I guessed something along those lines.

as for Modesty...Movies? I thought there was only one, a really silly camp take on what should have been a killer action thing. Bit like the first Casino Royale... pffft. Now if they did a true to the books one today, I'd be in.

Sorry Ang, just another tangenital (tangental?) comment string to amuse the folks.

Kristina

A US television comedy/soap opera...

Puddintane's picture

...featuring the adventures of a lower class bus driver, his best mate who worked in the sewers, their wives, and a cast of thousands. Sort of a Fifties New York City "East Enders" with no sex.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_honeymooners

Puddin'

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Cheers,

Puddin'

A tender heart is an asset to an editor: it helps us be ruthless in a tactful way.
--- The Chicago Manual of Style

Modesty Blaise!!!

Puddintane's picture

I *loved* Modesty Blaise. Still have all the novels and short stories in hardback, if only I could lay hands on them just now, and a few of the reprint collections of the strips, although the reproductions were terrible...

The movies weren't so great...

Puddin'

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Cheers,

Puddin'

A tender heart is an asset to an editor: it helps us be ruthless in a tactful way.
--- The Chicago Manual of Style

Never liked Monica Viti in

I never liked Monica Viti in the role. Too "fashion model".

You might have bad copies of the strip collections. Mine are pretty good considering.

Bear

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Bear

Both movies trashed the character...

Puddintane's picture

...and O'Donnell hated them, vowing never to let his characters appear in a movie again. I sympathised.

I can still recall my excitement on first seeing a powerful and dangerous woman as a "secret agent," and the fact that she had a murky and troubled past added to the frisson of pleasure I felt when reading of her adventures. I went so far as to find and purchase a "kongo," as far as I was concerned an extension of generalised fencing with a different set of targets, just to better imagine her resourceful adaptability and skills.

You go, grrrl,

Puddin'

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Cheers,

Puddin'

A tender heart is an asset to an editor: it helps us be ruthless in a tactful way.
--- The Chicago Manual of Style

OFGS

Simon, you've been rumbled, 'fess up now. Cathy, you have him pinned, let him twist in the ring a little bit before throwing the engagement away.

This is an ongoing problem between these guys - A Failure To Communicate.

Simon is a puzzle in what are his expectations with regard to Cathy. Does he expect some passive flower waiting for him to come in on his white charger to rescue him ? And to accuse her of wanting to kill that woman, whoever she is, is an immense insult.

I am afraid a nice long separation for these two is in order. Problem is, can she afford to support her girls on one income ?

The Camerons should give her some money to tide her over anyway, after all it is their sordid affairs she is suffering over.

Kim

Geez

Talk about thick! If you took these two and used their heads for a foundation, you could build a Hilton on it. Some one needs a cranialrectumectomy and quick.

To be perfectly fair...

Puddintane's picture

Simon was presented as terminally thick from his first introduction two years ago, more or less, in the grand tradition of English and Scots aristocrats.

Haven't any of us seen an episode of Monty Python's Flying Circus?

Or listened to almost any extemporaneous public statement by the heir to the throne?

He's terribly earnest, and we all know the importance of being earnest, but he's not the sort one would invite to a cocktail evening and expect to furnish sparkling wit and delightful conversation to enliven the party. Quite the opposite, I'd think. I'd like to bring him in to help clear the room of any drunken stragglers.

Cathy was presented as the clever clogs, yet she seems to use that excellent university education and brain primarily to wrestle with her own demons, seeking out newly-inconsequential bogeymen to fret about, and finding figurative monsters under every bed.

This is a perfect triumph of realism, as most of us know people just like that, in some cases ourselves.

Puddin'
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We have met the enemy and he is us.
--- Pogo, Walt Kelly

http://www.pogopossum.com/

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Cheers,

Puddin'

A tender heart is an asset to an editor: it helps us be ruthless in a tactful way.
--- The Chicago Manual of Style

Simon

This guy is thick. As soon as Cathy said something he should have come clean.

He has been out of touch for an extended time at the worst moments in her life, with no explanation (another massive mistake).

Cathy had to kill to protect her family, so did he. She needs to get off her high horse on this one. She wants support, but isn't willing to reciprocate. She also needs to let him have time to explain. So far she has done so well, why go off and blow it at the last minute.

Dum Dum, keep the ring

Pretty hard for Simon to obfuscate. Cathy did hear a woman call him to dinner.
I don't know how to explain that.

Cefin