Night caching

The four of them had a good afternoon, Tata and Leonora played tugs, while the little crutches gossiped away and placed bets on who was going to win at tugs, then Leonora read for a while, and then everyone went to sleep.

When Leonard came in from work he was met by exactly the same scene that he had seen at lunchtime. He shook his head at this strange sense of déjà vu and then realised that he really had seen it all before, a few hours previously.

No-one moved. He wandered over to the lap-top disconsolately and started tapping away.

"Hello Leonard," said a sleepy voice.

"Hello Leonora," he replied, without bothering to turn round.

Leonora frowned. "Have you been in long?" she asked.

"Not really," he answered.

"Oh," she said. "We played tugs, and then I read, and I must have fallen asleep again."

"Never," said Leonard.

Leonora thought stuff him and shut her eyes again. If he couldn't even be bothered to look at her she wasn't going to waste her time speaking to him.

Tata bounded off the sofa and went to say hello to Leonard. She put her head on his knee and whined softly.

"Of course you are so beautiful, let's go for a walk by the river," and off they went.

Leonora picked up her cover, the two little crutches and her book with some difficulty, and struggled off to her room. She had tried so hard to be nice to Leonard today and he had just been totally horrid.

Mrs Leonard came in, and noticing the absence of Leonard and Tata, was relieved to find she was not on dog-walking duty that evening. She started preparing tea as usual.

Leonard and Tata came back in full of high spirits after their wander down the river bank, although Leonard had been slithering around unsafely in the poor light and on the muddy downhill stretches. He decided not to tell Mrs Leonard about that.

"Hi, how was work?" and without waiting for the answer continued on. "There's a couple of nighttime catches I'm thinking of going to look for tonight, do you want to come?'

"Work was awful, and I'm exhausted, so I'm honestly not up to a night cache," she said. "Why don't you ask Leonora? It would be good for her to get out of the house. In fact I'm surprised you didn't ask her to go out with you just now."

Leonard didn't know whether he wanted Leonora to go with him and Tata. Still with any luck she would refuse.

He went into the sitting room to discover she had disappeared. Sulky brat. She had obviously gone off to her room.

Leonard decided to transfer the info to his GPS before he tackled Leonora, so he faffed around on the computer a bit more. But time passed quickly and before he knew it, tea was ready and he still hadn't spoken to Leonora.

"Leonard, go and call Leonora for tea please."

He dutifully went to Leonora's room and tapped on the door. No answer. As usual. He pushed the door open carefully. She was lying on the bed with her book in front of her, but glaring at him.

"Tea's ready," he said abruptly. And walked out.

Leonora sighed, and started the slow process of limping into the dining room. Although she was looking forward to eating, it had to be said.

"Are you going caching with Leonard after the meal?" asked Mrs Leonard brightly.

"What?" said Leonora, feeling she had missed the plot.

"The night-time cache that Leonard wants to do," explained Mrs Leonard patiently.

Leonora furrowed her brow. "I'm not sure it's a good idea for me to be staggering around in the dark," she said.

"It's an easy enough walk," said Leonard, "and it should be an easy cache to find too."

Mrs Leonard wondered for a brief moment if Leonard had actually asked Leonora, but put the thought out of her head.

"Um, I don't know. Have you had much news from Lara yet?" asked Leonora, deciding a change of subject was called for.

"Yeah, she's sent a heap of photos, I'll show you them later on," said Leonard cheerfully.

"She seems to be having a good time, and getting to see lots of great places that I recommended," he added.

Well, of course Leonard. She couldn't possibly manage to do a trip without you interfering and telling her where to go and what to do, thought Leonora.

"Oh, that will be good, I'd like to see them," she said.

"We can look at them when we get back from the cache if you like," said Leonard.

Leonora couldn't be bothered to argue. Leonard clearly didn't want her to go with him, he'd not mentioned it until Mrs Leonard did, so she didn't feel like tagging along. She decided to clear off to her room while he washed up and then she could either fall asleep or feign sleep.

Which is exactly what happened. Except that Leonora wasn't fast enough. She was busy reading when she heard Leonard walk out of the kitchen, reached out to turn off the lamp, and pulled the covers over her head just as Leonard walked in.

He immediately turned on the light and started talking to the bedclothes.

"Stop pretending to be asleep, I know perfectly well you aren't. Apart from anything else you have spent most of the day asleep from what I have seen, so I just do not believe you have fallen asleep again in ten minutes flat."

Leonard pulled the bedclothes away from Leonora, reached down, put his arms round her and lifted her up, and set her on her feet.

"What are you doing?" she squeaked, feeling very undignified at being yanked around by Leonard.

"Getting you out of bed," he said.

Leonora was too stunned to answer.

They stood looking at each other for some time.

Leonard broke the silence. "I thought you would like a few minutes to get ready, I've not quite finished the washing up, so we'll be leaving in about five or ten minutes time."

"We?" said Leonora. "We, are not going anywhere. You and Tata may be going out but I am not.

"You didn't even have the courtesy to tell me about it before we ate. You and Mrs Leonard were chattering about me going out as though my opinions were of no value at all, and that it was a done deal."

"I forgot," said Leonard feebly. "I got so distracted reading the site that I forgot to come and let you know."

"And why isn't Mrs Leonard going?" asked Leonora.

"She doesn't feel like it," he said.

"So, I'm second choice. I might have known."

"Nooooooooo. You weren't around and Mrs Leonard was, so I spoke to her first. That was all.

"And it's much better and safer for two or more people to go at night," he added.

"It doesn't strike me as being safer at all. It means that two stupid idiots have a chance of getting their eyes poked out by branches, or tripping over something in the dark and breaking yet another leg or twisting another ankle," she sniped.

Then she realised she was still standing far too close to Leonard. She sat down hurriedly on the bed.

"Have a good time. I'm not coming," she said.

"Aw Leo." If Leonard hadn't been sure whether he wanted her to go with him initially, now she had refused, he decided he did want her company. "It's not a bad night, you haven't been out all day, and you might even enjoy it."

"No." And she pulled the covers back over her.

"Why are you still dressed then?" he asked curiously.

"Because I often sleep in my clothes. Saves all that silly hassle of getting dressed and undressed. Not that it's any of your business. Go away."

"Suit yourself," he said sadly. "I'll give you a shout before I go in case you change your mind."

He went back into the kitchen to finish the washing up. Then he went to tell Mrs Leonard he was off.

She noticed the sad look on his face. "What's wrong?"

"Leonora won't come," he said, looking rather like a disappointed little boy who didn't get a new bike for Christmas.

Mrs Leonard put down her book and went to get her walking boots. "I'll come," she said and smiled at him.

Tata whooped round them both, "Ruff ruff, ruff ruff."

"Yeah, we're off now, I'll just go and tell Leonora we are leaving," said Leonard.

He wandered off to her room. Tap tap. He walked in. She was still reading, and looked up at him.

"We're off now, but you don't need to worry about coming, Mrs Leonard has changed her mind, so we are all going." He smiled at her, expecting her to be pleased.

Leonora was not pleased. She wanted to say, 'So you didn't really want me at all. Shame you wasted your time and mine asking me. I hope you have a horrid time.' But she didn't.

"Oh," and looked back at her book.

Leonard opened his mouth, and changed his mind. "See you when we get back then," he said finally.

She didn't answer. He walked out of the door.

When she heard Tata's Land Rover drive off, Leonora got up, limped into the kitchen and got herself a large drink.

Then she decided to mess around on the internet and find a few people to annoy.

She was so busy messing around and annoying people though that she didn't hear the others coming back until they walked through the door.

"Hi Leonora, livened up have you?" said Leonard laughing. "Get off the computer though, I want to upload all this stuff to the geocaching site."

"Ruff ruff ruff," barked Tata at Leonora.

"Well, that's good, I'm pleased you had a good time darling. Did you get your photo taken lots of times as well?" asked Leonora.

"Ruff," she barked, smiling smugly.

"Aruff, ruff ruff?" she asked.

"Oh, I didn't really feel like it. Some other time huh?"

"Ruff?"

"Er no, maybe not tomorrow," she answered.

"Hey Leonora, when I've finished uploading this lot, are you going to look at Lara's photos?" asked Leonard.

"I don't think so, it will be midnight by the time you have finished. I'm off to bed. Night all." And off she went.

"Yeah, think I'll go too Leonard," said Mrs Leonard. And she disappeared as well.

"Don't tell me you're thinking about going to bed," said Leonard to Tata.

"Ruuuuuuffff," barked Tata apologetically. After all she had had a hard day lying on the sofa and playing tugs, and running by the river, and then this nighttime caching lark.

"Oh Tata, come and have a look - don't you look gorgeous in the dark?" said Leonard.

Tata wandered over to the screen and dropped her head onto the laptop. Oooooh yes, she did look rather lovely. She pulled a silly face at Leonard and went to bed.