Autumnal

It was a dark and stormy night. At some point there was a power cut. We got up this morning and our alarm clock had lost time and was flashing on and off like a marker buoy.

Village Gossip

Mary dropped by yesterday afternoon, full of chat. I made a pot of tea and retired to another room. It's not that I dislike Mary, because I don't, but I needed a quarter of an hour to adjust to the increase in the noise level. Otherwise I'd have had a panic attack and- quite possibly- said something unforgivably rude.

She wanted to talk about Miss Mills.

"You know Miss Mills. You must do."

"No," said my mother.

Mary told her anyway.