Darling Danny

Gloria awoke in the dawn light she did not know what had woke her but then she heard his slight shuffling steps pass her door she let out a seigh darling Danny he must of had one of his nights.

she got up and opened the sash window letting in the sound of spring rain and the dawn choruse then got back into bed and fell into a light sleep.

an hour later there was a tentative knock and then danny opened the door he wore his quilited velvet red and gold smoking jacket over his plaid pyjamas his shoulder length fox red hair was in disarray.
his moccasins made a soft swishing noise as he shuffled over the oak floor he carried a tray and she looked at his puffy eyes and pallid skin, thinking darling Danny you do not look well. But they never talked of his illness or his malady it had come on after they had come back from honeymoon and some days he could not leave his bed she shivered and raved the doctors could also nothing for him many thought it was a rare form of malerary as he had worked in hospital as a doctor in some of the poorest and illness prone areas of the world in fa t they had met at a field hospital in the Congo she had been finding the hospital and her late fathers foundation had been building sanitation and well there she had volunteered as a nurse they had become friends and the lovers then soon husband and wife.

he set the tray on the little table by the window he laid it with care there was a single pale daffodil in vase hot butter toast and two eggs a piece and a steaming pot of tea and his favourite gold and black cups and a three silver dishes of conserves and a croissant he smiled his soft watery smile stammering "good morning my dear did you sleep well" "

delightfully thank you darling Danny" she got up pulled on her salmon damask silk robe over her night gown and slipped on her blue velvet rabbit fur lined slippers she sat opposite him and they chatted amicably about there days after they had eaten he shuffled away and she dressed in cordroy slacks and green blouse then took the tray down and loaded the dish washer then headed out to the garden she had alot to do before the May Day Picnic they held yearly, that was seven days hence after a morning in the garden she head to the conservatory and as had been there custom for twenty years she knew her darling Danny would be sitting in the wicker chair his faithful spaniel jess at his feet, reading a magazine or the paper with his unlit pipe clamped between his uneven teeth and there would be rolls or crackers with chesse and meats next a jug of fresh juice.

But as she entered he was not there and neither was luncheon she hurried to the stables worrying her darling Danny had had one of his turn but he was not there, panicked she hurried to the orchard but still no sign, down to the piggery nothing, across to the dairy no sign oh she was so frightened for her Dariling Danny she hurried all around the grounds check every nook and every cranny but found him nowhere, she did the same around the house until at last she went to the his bedroom but he was not there as were non of his possions but there was a letter addressed to her.

Dearest gloria
I cannot carry on this charade anymore there is another I love more

Darling Danny.

Gloria re-read the words over and over again sitting on his bare bed she tucked it into the pocket of her quilted
Coat there was no tears no emotion she felt light, untethered, lost and suddenly the house seemed to big too quite she shivered unsure what to do. she went from room To room for days she barely ate or slept then one day her estate manager had come rushing in harried and scared he led her to the office and got her a strong brandy and told her they where ruined someone had hacked the estate accounts and several of her personal accounts and had cleaned them out they barely had enough food to feed the live stock and the debit Visa and credit cards had been maxed out. gloria collapsed to floor Skjng what had happened how had it happened she had changed the passwords and security protocols monthly. but percy
Gave the worst news yet it had been danny who had ruined her. The next few months where tortorouse she watched as biding chunks of her family estate was sold of she watched as her beloved horses pigs chickens where taken away the avutoning of all her family belongs she had managed to scrape enough together to save her flower garden and its adjoining shop and cottage but the pain grew dsy by day she was a ghost of her former self a wreck heartbroken, betrayed lost time moved on soon her little pardisevwas a island of solitude she still had customers not as many but she was strong and she could survive this but thay changed the day the mighty tree that was haphazardly was