The Easter Egg Hunt – XVII

Since Ben and Joss Beckett took over The Fair Maid and Falcon, they have had to deal with ghosts, gangsters and well-dodgy goings-on. Despite that they have their own family of twin daughters and dogs, and a fabulous ‘found family’ of friends.

With Sian’s help I sailed through the two days before Roz and Allie returned from their holiday, and even managed the time to meet them at the station. They erupted from the train like miniature tornadoes, followed at a more leisurely pace by Ben’s dad, Don, and Stella’s mum, Audrey. I hugged my wriggling daughters very tightly and listened while they tried to cram a whole three weeks of good times into as few sentences as possible.
After loading them into the car I turned my attention to their doting grandfather.
“Are you sure you two won’t come back to the Fair Maid for a few days.”
He grinned. “We’re sure. Home calls and we’re missing the dogs.”
“And the peace and quiet. I hope the girls haven’t been too much for you.”
“No. They’ve been exemplary. It’s just the questions.”
I could relate to that. “Tell them to Google it. That’s why they have iPads.”
“Unfortunately we didn’t have wifi. So. But here’s our lift.”
A battered Land Rover belonging to my cousin, who is also Don and Audrey’s neighbour, pulled up alongside and a pair of border collies boiled out to greet their humans.
“Let us out, Mummy Beckett,” Roz demanded. “We want to speak to Spot and Rover.”
I could see the grandparents wilting at the thought of even more excitement in the car park. So I put my foot down.
“Sorry my loves, we don’t have time. Daddy is wanting to see you.”
I looked at Audrey, noticing for the first time how pale she was.
“What’s up? If those pair have been naughty…”
She smiled wearily. “Not the girls. My own silly fault. We went to the water park yesterday and I fell over. Nothing broken, but I’ve bruised my ribs badly. I’ll be fine with plenty of rest.”
I kissed her cheek. “Does Stella know?”
“Yes. I spoke to her this morning. She knows I’ll be well looked after with Don.”
“Yes. You will. Shall I send someone along with a box of cooked meals?”
“That would be a help.” She brightened perceptibly. “Maybe a steak and Stilton pie?”
“Certainly A pie or two.”
I hugged her carefully and Don helped her into the front of the Landy where there was a nest of blankets. He climbed into the back with his dogs and my cousin made me a cheery salute before pulling gently away for their drive home.
I jumped into my own car where the twins were inclined to be indignant about not speaking to the dogs. But they calmed down when I asked what had happened to Audrey.
“Granny went on the big water slide and she came down whoosh. But when she was climbing out some big lout of a boy pushed her and she fell down hard on her side.” Roz explained.
Allie took up the story. “Grandpa was furious. But he didn’t go after the boy because he was helping Granny. I think she would have cried if we wasn’t there. But the first aid men gave her something to suck and we all went for a ride in a ambulancia. The doctor said she has no broke bones and he gave her some tablets.”
“Then we went home and we was quiet, quiet so Granny could rest. And Grandpa sent out for pizza so we could eat on the patio.”
The girls sounded worried so I hastened to reassure them.
“Granny will be fine. She’s just very sore right now. When we get home you can help me put together a basket of foods for them. Because grandpa isn’t much of a cook.”
They nodded wisely, then Allie spoke in her most serious tones.
“Mummy Beckett. We have been thinking.”
“And what have you thought, my loves?”
“We have thought about how busy you and Daddy Beckett is and we wants to know if we can help you while we aren’t in school.”
My heart felt so full in my chest that it was likely to burst. “Thank you my dear ones, but you are a bit too young to work in the pub. Though you could help mummy and daddy by being good girls if mummy gets someone to help her look after you.”
“Are you getting a help person?”
They spoke as one child
“I am, and it’s one of your favourite friends. It’s Sian.”
They clapped their hands in delight before Roz gave me one of her straight looks.
“Will we have to do as Sian says?”
Ali chimed in.
“Just like she was a proper grown up?”
“Indeed you will. Is that a problem?”
They thought for a moment then shook their fair heads. Ali voiced their opinion.
“It won’t be a problem. Because Sian is kind. And you said we can help you and Daddy Beckett by being good.”
“You can indeed. Now. Shall we go home?”
The wriggled their bottoms more securely into their car seats and nodded.
“Yes please, Mummy. We have been looking forward to seeing you all.”
They enlivened the drive home with holiday anecdotes, and some songs that Audrey had taught them sung rather off-key. When we were all but there I pulled into a lay-by and passed them my phone.
“Would you like to call Daddy and let him know we will be home in ten minutes?”
Their smiles almost split their faces and they carefully dialled Ben’s number. He answered at once.
“You nearly, home Joss?” There was a slight thread of anxiety in his voice.
The twins giggled. “We’re not Mummy. It’s Allie and Roz, Daddy Beckett. Be home to give you kisses in ten minutes.”
They ended the call and handed back my phone.
“Daddy sounded a bit wobbly so we better hurry home to hug him.”
“Daddy’s just excited. He’s been missing you. As have I, and the dogs, and all your friends.”
Which was about the best I could do by way of distracting them. It went quiet for a few seconds and I awaited the explosion, but it didn’t come. Instead they spoke gently.
“We’ve missed you all too. But we did have a lovely holiday.”
As soon as my Discovery pulled onto the gravel of our private parking, the house door flew open and Ben charged out with four dogs frolicking around his legs. How they got to the car without mishap is beyond me, but they did, and Ben wrenched open the rear door, receiving his daughters in the warmth of his large embrace. The dogs managed to squeeze themselves into the car alongside the three hugging humans. Mayhem ensued and my eardrums were being assaulted so I decided to move.
I got out of the driving seat and looked towards the open front door, where Sian stood laughing. She gave me a thumbs up and I wandered over to where she stood.
“What’s bugging Ben?”
“Mum’s off duty after lunch finishes, and she wants to go and see gran. Ben was going to go with her, but he got a phone call and now he says he can’t go. He don’t want Mum to go on her own and neither does Dad. So there’s a bit of a standoff going on.”
I sighed. “We’ll just send a couple of Connor Smith’s ‘boys’ along with her. They worship her cream buns so she’ll be as safe as houses.”
Sian chuckled. “You don’t half think fast.”
“It’s a case of having to, love. Encompassed about with macho men as I am.”

There will be more from Joss, Ben and their friends, courtesy of Jane Jago, next week, or you can catch up with their earlier adventures in Who Put Her In and Who Pulled Her Out.