Since people are questioning where we have left the copper-coiffed Tamzin, here's what I have of the story so far.
{Pat P.} Tamzin`s copper curls gleamed in the Spring sunshine as she headed for the Main Street. As she walked she ticked off in her mind all that she had to do before heading for the airport.
She`s arranged with her brother Ian, to care for her grey mare, she`d cancelled the papers and milk, cut the grass, and tidied her room. In fact she hardly recognised her room, which was usually in utter chaos, with books, needlework, saddlery, and all the clutter that went with her computer.
All she had to do now was to buy a few things that she`d need for the journey - and, of course, her first stop would be the needlework shop just around the corner from the book shop........
{Cheryl} Out came her trusty PDA and the wish list called up. Had to be interesting to stitch and withstand all the traveling it would be doing. Nothing delicate or hard to clean later.
All her resolution for simplicity blow out the swinging door behind her as Tazmin stepped into her favorite store. Monsterbubbles new chart, Delay, jumped into her hand of its own volition. How utterly right it was. She wasn't ever delaying anything again. The overdye racks and linen table were next then. But she could not stitch this on the train. Ok, evenings only, her lamp was in the bag. Oh, but look next to the check out, some sweet little kits from Serendipity. Sweet William, an ironic choice. And there is Ladybug Baby, a sweet choice; maybe Ian's wife would have good news to share when Tazmin finally came home.
She paid for her purchases, tucked them gently into her stitching bag and turned the corner into the bookstore. It must be the dust in here she thought, making it so hard to breath. William simply couldn't be standing there in front of the mysteries rack, his hair dark as midnight sucking the light from the room. Tazmin swore she could smell the scent of his skin, spicy like a gillyflower in the garden. Could she make it to the back of the store before his leaf green eyes found her?
{Gillian} Her thoughts immediately went back to last Thursday evening...the very worst time of her life. She had been given two tickets to the ballet, and William was going to meet her for dinner at their favorite little bistro, prior to the performance. She had been SO excited , and had bought that darling little dress to make it a special occasion. William had intimated this was going to be a VERY special night for them both; was he going to propose, she thought.
Then, at 5 pm he called her saying he had to work late; he suggested Zelda, her sister, go to the ballet with her, but she didn't have the heart for it, and stayed home. On Friday Zelda called to say she saw William having dinner with a very attractive woman at Ding Sum, his favorite Chinese restaurant. Tamzin was devastated......how COULD William do this to her! He was supposed to be at work!!!
{Lucille} Tazmin made a quick decision and decided to see if she could pay him back for his indiscretion. She quickly called to him and in a very ladylike, sweet voice informed him that she had changed her travel plans and would love him to come to her place for dinner and a big surprise. She then proceeded to show him her needlework purchases and asked him what colors and styles would please him, because she had decided to make him a unique gift from her busy hands.
He was very happy to tell her exactly what he might like so she quickly returned to the Needlework Shoppe and bought what she needed there. From there she proceeded on to her favorite boutique where she bought a lovely negligee, some wonderful smelling candles and bubbles for the bath. Tazmin then hurried home to plan her dinner and to work diligently on the inset for the cover of the brief case she purchased for him so it would be ready on the evening of the dinner.
After checking with William to be sure he was coming, she cooked her dinner, set the table with her best china and crystal, lit the candles, tossed rose petals all over the floor and placed herself prettily on the chaise to await William's arrival.
{Sheena} While she waited on the chaise Tazmin started to think about William the Creep! She decided she was not going to accept his treachery. She remembered the Bitter Apple that she had for the dogs paw when it was bad and the vet wanted to make sure Rover did not chew it and an idea came to mind.
In due course William arrived and just as she served his dinner in the romantic candlelight, since he had volunteered no explanation of his behaviour, she slipped a dose of Bitter Apple in William's portion. He seemed to sense she knew about the previous night's dinner and he was having enormous difficulty eating the ghastly concoction. He decided that honesty, and 'fessing up, was the best policy. Nearly choking by now, he had a good swish of wine and said "Tazmin, there is something I want you to know"...
{Sharon} "Taz Taz really I want to tell you something ... my Mother came to town last night - she wanted me to see her first ... she just spent $150,000 on plastic surgery and she looks 29 again ... no one would believe she's
70 ... she's off to Rio to join her new 37-year old lover. He's a gigalo and thinks she's a Countess of Schlimbackia - one the the greatest oil producing countries of the world. I tried and tried to talk her out of going, but Taz ..... why is the dog laying on his back? Tazzzzzzzz ......."{Karen C} William slipped out of consciousness and slipped quietly to the floor.
Taz had to made the choice ... was she going to take the dog to the vet, or wait around for the ambulance to collect William?
She reached for the phone and.......
{Tia Mary} "She reached for the phone and....... called her neighbor to take the dog to the Vet while she waited for the ambulance. Before the paramedics arrived to check on and transport William {{{what the He double hockey sticks is wrong with William??}}} to the Emergency Room, the cat came in through the "doggie door". Florence Nightingale Kitty went directly to William -- laying there so helplessly on the floor -- perched on his chest and began to lick his face. This dubious medical treatment seemed to have a positive effect because William started to wake up.
At this point, the paramedics arrived to check on William then take him to the Emergency. The neighbor showed up at that very same moment to take the dog to the vet. Florence Nightingale Kitty, knowing her important medical rescue work was successfully completed, shot out of the room. In her panicked rush to avoid the horrid, mean, nasty medical equipment being drug in by the paramedics, F.N.Kitty, managed to mess up the small rug in front of the Front Door and then knock over a floor lamp. The arriving paramedics, in an attempt to avoid the madly running cat, tripped on the small rug, fell over the upended floor lamp, dropped their heavy, cumbersome medical equipment and landed right smack on top of poor William sending him into unconsciousness once again! ............
{Elizabeth Dr. Brat} At that point, Tamzin sat up in bed, rubbing her sleepy eyes - what a horror. She hated dreams like that. And imagine keeping a cat! She knew that centuries ago, people had kept animals in their houses, even allowing them to void in boxes filled with sand (which then had to be tended!) but Tamzin found that to be a foul idea. She much preferred the modern robo-pets, especially since one could regulate how much time they required by dialing back their attention meters.
Shaking her head to send the last of the dream into oblivion, Tamzin went to the window and pushed the button to raise the window shade. It was a lovely sunny morning and she had things to do!
{Ruby} Just as she reached for the car door handle her cell phone rang, shattering the promise of that beautiful day. "Yes" it was dearest Mummy calling from a Rio jail. Gigolo was dead, murdered, from what Taz could understand of the words scattered amongst her mothers sobs. Turning towards her front door she did not catch the shadow that passed along the house behind the hedge. Tripping over robot cat and cursing she lay in a heap on the driveway. She had in her enthusiasm for the day forgotten to reset his sleep cycle. Robot kitty was now yowling and pacing beside her. Could she stand??? Kitty didn't care he wanted feeding now. Why didn't his human get up off her duff and get out the virtual kitty food.
{Mavia} No matter how much he prodded his mistress she wouldn't move. Even his supersonic howls didn't evoke a response. "Oh well", he thought, " I can't eat, but I'm awake...I wonder what's new in the neighbourhood?" Switching on his GPS he rolled quickly into unexplored territory. Wait!...what is that...up in the sky? Kitty is mesmerized by the pulsating strobe lights.......
{Pat in IL} Tamzin shook her head, striving to organize her scattered thoughts. As robo-kitty paced and mewed, entranced by the beautiful strobe lights, Tamzin realized with relief that the kitty had trodden on the phone and done a speed dial to the EMT's. The strobe lights high in the air came from an onrushing ambulance. The ambulance screeched to a halt at the curb, narrowly missing the robo-kitty. Tamzin called to them. "Over here!" she cried. "I've fallen and I can't get up!"
As the EMT's hurried to help her, Tamzin was puzzled by one question. William had told her that his mother had taken a gigolo and flown off to be with him - so why had HER mother now called, saying HER gigolo had been murdered? Had William lied and claimed it was his mother doing this, to save Tamzin the grief and shame? Or *GASP* could she and William have the SAME MOTHER!! The thought was so shocking that, just as the handsome EMT asked for her name, Tamzin fainted away in his arms.
{Linda} Taz had been so lost in her thoughts that she didn't notice William walk up to her. It was the scent of his cologne that brought her out of her reverie -- that masculine, wonderful scent that made her melt all over again.
William looked angry. "I demand to know what you did with it" he said sharply enough that the other travellers looked up to see what was going on.
Taz tried hard to look innocent. "Whatever are you talking about?" she asked.