Chapter Text
Audrey arrived back at Skeldale after she attended an afternoon meeting of the WI - Mrs. Pumphrey wanted to organise some kind of food-and-goods bank because albeit the end of the war was nearly one year ago, rations still were in holding on (but that wasn't new to her, given it was the second war she went through).
And like she already did during the meetings within the last months, she immediately volunteered - she grabbed each chance she got to spent as much as her free time outside of Skeldale, because she just couldn't cope with him: Siegfried Donald Farnon - since Christmas Eve.
Not exactly with him himself - she coped with this ridiculous man since over a decade - rather more with those strange feelings she experiences each time she's in close quarters with him. Feelings which broke through all the walls she build up during the last years to neatly look them in and keep them out of her system. But when she saw him kissing Dorothy on that awful day - and in hindsight she has to blame herself for all of this - it all broke lose and now she has to handle the mess she put herself into.
And at the moment "fleeing" his presence as soon as she finished her daily work, is her chosen option, because she can't think of a better one at the moment.
So, when she stepped into Skeldale through the backyard into the kitchen, she noticed with relief that the Rover is gone, so Mr. Farnon must either be still out on farm calls or might have already left for another "date" with Dorothy - and she questioned herself how he's even able to afford all those fancy dinners because as far as she knew from James's small remark a few weeks ago, the practice's finances still weren't thriving. The greater part of this daft bugger's share of income must go straight into wooing Dorothy and this made her (and she's not proud of it) fuming...
Suddenly she remembered that during the few times she and Mr. Farnon interacted during the past days he acted weird - well weirder than usual - he seemed nervous and fumbled with his hands, as it he wanted to talk with her about something but couldn't put himself through doing so... Oh no, wouldn't he be able to pay her again because of all his expenses because of Dorothy? And now she also became furious of her friend, because Dorothy wouldn't even at gunpoint consider that the income of a country vet (shared among three) might only be a quarter of her previous big city suitors who've been lawyers or civil servants - and that he mightn't be able to dine out with her twice a week...
She took some deep breaths to calm down her anger, put off her coat and hat, put on her pinny and went into the pantry to check the inventory and decide which dinner she'd be able to cook tonight...
When she stepped back into the kitchen with arms full of potatoes, onions and garlic she heard a scratching sound coming from the backdoor and some faint whimpering. With a frowned look and the vegetable still clutched to her chest, she opened the door just to witness Jess walking between her legs into the kitchen, letting out a small bark, walking straight to her basket and letting herself down with a grunting sigh, curling into it.
"Oh Jess, did someone lock you out, puppet?" and she went into the living room to check if her beloved Dash might also be wandering outside, but he was there laying on the carpet in front of the fireplace, looking sleepy at his mistress.
"Dash, didn't you notice that Jess wasn't in here? You're a bad friend, little puppet" she scolded him playfully - Dash only commented it with a puzzled look and layed his head back upon his paws.
She went back into the kitchen and started to peel and cut the vegetables.After she was done with all the cutting and put the potatoes to boil on the aga, she heard a knock on the door.
She went to open it and found herself face to face with Dorothy, slightly confused and a bit embarrassed because of her angry thoughts towards her friend a few minutes ago, she invited her in, unable to look into her friend's eyes.
"Hello Dorothy, please come in. I'm sorry but Mr. Farnon seems to be still on farm calls. I assumed he was already with you, but that's obviously not the case... Please have a seat, I'll put the kettle on" and she already busied herself to fill water into the kettle.
Dorothy put off her coat and hat and draped them over the nearest chair, sat down and told Audrey's back "I'm not going out with Siegfried Aud, I need to talk with you"
Audrey stiffened and her thoughts started to run wild: With me? We didn't have a proper talk since before Christmas, because I couldn't face you. Is this related to Mr. Farnon's strange behaviour during the past days? And if, why is Dorothy doing the talking now? So it has to be something concerning them both, as a couple...oh my god, he proposed, hadn't he? And suddenly she felt nauseous and steadied herself on the sink.
With a fake smile she turned around "Oh really? Let me just finish this, I'll be with you in a tick" and she scanned her friend's hands - no engagement ring, but that might only be because he hasn't bought one yet - he might be run out of money, considering all those dinner dates - she thought sarcastically.
Audrey dragged out preparing their tea for as long as possible, trying to calm and compose herself for the talk she had to face and eventually turned towards the table with two cups of steaming tea.
When she sat down opposite her friend, she searched her mind for some small talk she might start their conversation with, but Dorothy started talking straight away "I'm leaving for London, Audrey"
"Are you visiting friends?" Audrey was confused why Dorothy told her this, if Dorothy wanted to spent a few days away was none of her business - maybe she'll visit an old WRN friend she knows as well....
"No Aud, I'm moving permanently"
"Oh... and Mr. Farnon?"
"What about him, Aud?"
"How will you proceed? Will you divide your times between London and Darrowby? Or will he even move with you" she asked, suddenly beginning to panic
"Aud, we split up weeks ago, haven't you noticed?"
Audrey blinked and looked dumb faced at her friend "What?"
"We split up! Weeks ago!" Dorothy repeated slowly, looking concentrated at her friend's face
"Oh!" was all Audrey was able to say, because her mind was too occupied with running through way too much emotions and when she felt a rising flush, she quickly stood up and went towards the pantry, mumbling "I forgot the milk"
Dorothy just let her storm off, leant back in her chair with a content smile upon her face, thinking about the wave of relief she just saw flashing across her friend's face.
When Audrey emerged the pantry a few minutes later, in a more stable state of mind and carrying the alibi milk, she heard the sound of the approaching Rover and took some few more deep breaths to prepare herself for the upcoming rollercoaster of emotions to come, but it wasn't Siegfried who entered the kitchen a few minutes later but Tristan.
"Hello Mrs. H., oh Hello Dorothy" he greeted the two women while Audrey still stood in front of her chair after she put the milk on the table.
"Oh hello Tris! Did you just arrive with the Rover? I thought Mr. Farnon was still out on farm calls with it. Did he took the Vauxhall instead?"
"No Mrs H. I was out on farm calls today, Siegfried will cover my calls tomorrow because I have to attend an important meeting with Charlotte tomorrow" he told her with a mischievous grin.
"Oh - I see" she mentions with a raised eyebrow "and were is Mr. Farnon then? As far as I know the house was empty beside the dogs when I arrived back from the WI meeting"
"When I went off he wanted to head out on a walk with Jess, mumbled something about he needs fresh air to clear his mind - you know his eccentrics, Mrs H. But that was 3 hours ago. And you said the dogs were home when you came back, so if Jess was back, then my brother must as well. Maybe he had been called out to someone he was able to walk to, because James has the Vauxhall"
"Jess wasn't here as such... she appeared a while after me at the backdoor..." Audrey already tried to find a plausible answer to the whereabouts of Siegfried Farnon and was on her way towards the telephone to look for a note there, when suddenly Jimmy appeared in the kitchen through the passage with Jess on his toes.
"Auntie Audrey! Do you know why Uncle Siegfried's pipe is stuck into Jess's collar?" he reached towards the dog, took hold of it's collar and pointed towards a pipe which was stuck there...
Audrey bowed down to take it out and have a better look: yes, it was definitely Siegfried's pipe, she know it by heart given the hundreds of times she had to hunt it down for him... but... the pipe was smeared with something darkish red.. she took a sniff.. oh my god, it is blood !!
Audrey straightened herself, stumbled a few steps backwards and fiercely hold onto the next thing she was able to grab - which happend to be Tristan.
She looked at him wide-eyed and told him in a breaking voice "We need to find Siegfried!", and then she suddenly felt a cold rising within her arms and feet, a loud humming in her ears and then she saw black.
**tbc**