Katie Fforde - Going Dutch

All sorted. She's booked into the dry dock and they can do the work. Very lucky to get a slot as it is a bit urgent. Just as well the insurance is still valid. Best, Michael It's all right for Michael, thought Jo. He doesn't have to actually do anything about any of this. He can just stay in his luxury villa with his trophy mistress and direct operations. She pressed Reply again.

You know I'm really grateful to you for lending me The Three Sisters but I'm a bit worried about having to deal with this. I did tell you I wasn't boaty! I don't suppose you could put it off for a few months, could you? Or even a few weeks, just so as I can find somewhere to stay. Jo

Jo was not normally so relaxed about things like insurance, but, she reckoned, no one would know if The Three Sisters was insured or not, except her and Michael. It would be a different matter if she was going to go anywhere, but just sitting on the mooring shouldn't alert anyone to their uninsured presence, surely? She pressed Send and hoped Michael would listen to her pleas. After all, he'd surely want to supervise things when he was in the country? He wouldn't want his middle-aged female lodger in charge.

She chopped some onions as a displacement activity. Her laptop pinged again.

So sorry, failure of communication! No need for you to worry about any of this. I'll sort it.

Jo was mortified by her relief. She knew her daughter would have taken on the challenge of getting a barge into dry dock with enthusiasm. Karen had acquired some courageous genes that had skipped a generation and passed her mother by, unless they came from her father, of course.

Reluctant to admit that Karen's father had had anything to do with her daughter, she decided to capitalise on her displacement activity and chop carrots and celery too. She'd make a nice lasagne for supper. Dora would need something familiar and easy to eat after her first day at a new job.

Dora came home exhausted, muddy, but happy. 'I've had a brilliant time!' she said. 'They're all so sweet at the boatyard.'

‘So you're going to stay?' asked Jo, infected with Dora's enthusiasm.

‘Definitely. It's great! They haven't had anyone working there for ages so there's masses to do. I'll have to devise a system for them. They have got a computer but they only use it for typing letters on. I'm going to get them into order. I love that sort of challenge,' she added, sighing blissfully. 'Tough, but not actually life-threatening.'

‘Goodness.'

‘Well, you know how it is: when things have been absolutely dreadful, anything I do is going to seem brilliant. It's a win-win situation. Like you said it was when you were temping. I am so tired though!’

Jo handed her a mug of tea and a rock cake she had made in case she couldn't repair decorative objects and needed to open that teashop.

‘So, how was your day?' Dora mumbled through half a cake.

‘Well, I started on the picture frame, the one with the broken cherub and the broken moulding? I really got into it. I just hope I'm good enough to make the things sellable.'

‘Oh, let me see,' Dora said.

‘They're drying under cover – I'll show you later.’

‘And? What else happened today?’

Determinedly, Jo put the smile back on her face. 'Michaelemailed asking me to check the insurance and the Boat Safety Certificate.'

‘Were they OK?' Dora had spent time checking similar things all day and felt she had a professional interest.

‘The insurance was. The Boat Safety's about a year out of date. But I don't think it will matter. After all, we're not going anywhere, are we?’

Dora shook her head. 'These cakes are lush.' Jo sounded relaxed but Dora sensed some disquiet about living somewhere without all the relevant documents.

‘I think it will be all right,' Jo went on, almost to herself. 'What time do you think you might be hungry again?’

Dora's hand stopped halfway to her mouth. 'Um, not terribly soon. These cakes are just too delicious. Sorry! Oh, and I've just remembered.'

‘What?'

‘I've invited Tom for supper.'

‘That's nice. I've made a big lasagne.'

‘I know I shouldn't have without asking you and I'm perfectly happy to cook, but I felt I had to ask him.’

‘Why?'

‘He met me this morning and rowed me across to the boatyard.'

‘He rowed you? You mean there's no other way of getting there? Dora, that's awful!’

Dora smiled happily. 'You only have to row when the tide's in. When it's out there's a really muddy set of stepping stones you get over.’

Jo rolled her eyes. 'That's OK, then!'

‘Can I email Karen?' asked Dora, pulling the laptop towards her. 'I want to tell her what's going on.'

‘Good idea. I was going to do that before I got that email from Michael.’

Karen replied quite soon.

Hi, Dora, great to hear from you! I'm writing this in my lunch hour. Brilliant about you getting a job so soon. It sounds fab. Is Mum OK? Is she in a stress about the boat being uninsured? She used to be really hot on that sort of thing. She may be putting a brave face on it, but worrying really.

By the way, could you ask her if she could find my fork-lift truck driving qualification? They won't believe I've got one here and I need it to move the big installations around. (The fork lift, not the certificate!) I don't want to take another test here! It's in a file at home somewhere. I know that's a bit of a bind, but I do need it. You could go home with her and protect her from the Floosie. Oh, got to go. Bye! Love, Karen

'I'm not sure I want to go home,' Jo said when she'd read her daughter's post. 'Even with you to protect me.'

‘Why not? Shall I set the table for supper?' Dora asked, shutting down the computer.

‘Yes, and open a bottle of wine. In the cupboard. Because I've sort of made my statement.' Jo returned to the subject at hand. 'I don't want to have to go back. Although as it is for Karen's certificate, and Philip won't mind. It's just me.'

‘Couldn't he get it for Karen?'

‘Not a cat in hell's chance. He'd never find it, or she'd have asked him.'

‘What a nuisance!'

‘On the other hand' – Jo hunted in a drawer for the bottle-opener – 'there are some clothes I need to collect. We could do that at the same time, I suppose.'

‘Is it only clothes?' said Dora as she laid the table.

Jo considered. 'I expect there are other things. I left most of the utensils and I could do with some of them.'

‘Let's go on a raid,' suggested Dora. 'Next weekend. I wouldn't mind seeing if you've got those old tapes of me and Karen.'

‘That's a good idea. Now, where's that Tom? Supper's just about ready,' Jo said, peering into the oven.

Just at that moment, Tom's voice could be heard hallooing. Jo shouted up out of the porthole and he came down.

While they were eating, Jo's phone rang. She got up from the table and answered it. It was Philip.

‘Jo? I've had an email from Karen. She says she needs her fork-lift truck licence and that you've got to get it.’

‘I could try and tell you where it is-'

‘Don't bother. I never could find anything in that rats' nest you call a filing system. Karen says Samantha and I have got to go out for the day. She's very protective of you, I must say.’

Jo was silent, giving Philip time to realise why Karen was protective of her mother.

‘It won't take you that long to find, will it?' Philip went on.

Now he seemed to be grudging her time in her old home, Jo felt indignant. 'I do need my summer clothes and I would prefer it if – you weren't there.' Jo was surprised at how shaky she felt at the prospect of seeing her husband's new woman.