Lady Hermione spotted!12 May 2020 19:59
Well, what a to-do in the village! Mr Rocket's usual Royal Suite in the Dog & Duck has been given over to some flashy parvenu who rejoices in the title of Mr Big. And then this person returned from a stroll along the canal towpath, telling the assembled company of ne'er-do-wells that he had encountered an "old woman with crazy eyes"!
Lady Hermione! Who had obviously taken Lord Palmerston's successor at his word and had absconded from lockdown.
Long-time readers of 'Tales from the Village' will recall that Lady Hermione has not been seen for many a year, since Sir Jasper had her placed in the private asylum. This coincided with the birth of the Hon. Basil (Mark 2) and the dismissal of Silas, Ned's predecessor as stable lad. Since when, of course, Sir Jasper has acquired the companionship of Lady Juanita, with whom he formed an acquaintance when he and the Hon. Basil (Mark 1) sojourned in Benidorm.
Mr Big, being a newcomer, was clearly nonplussed by the sight of the crazed Lady Hermione. So it fell to my dear father, Mr Keeper, and Mr Patel to guide the poor, deranged woman back to the safety of the asylum.
We await with some anxiety what further happenings will coincide with the arrival of this Mr Big in our village.