The Old Lady was all of a flutter, there she was sitting on her bench as normal (a nice grey stone bench - weathered and warm in the sun) when she realsied that in front of her, carefully laid out on the lawn was a message! "Come with me, come with me? Well yes of course, just hold on a moment and I'll get my stick and my cardigan and I'll be ready to go!"
The Old Lady was beside herself with excitement, nothing this radical had happened for many a decade - if ever. She felt positively radiant with anticpation, scarelcy daring to believe who she thought might have so carefully laid out the sweet chestnuts to spell such an alluring message. She gathered up her best pink cardigan, checked she had her spectacles in her pocket and with a jaunty step stood in front of the message on the lawn. Only it wasn't there any more....
'Oh my Dear, where have you gone, I was only away a moment'. As she felt the beginnings of panic, she realised that several feet away a bush seemed to be waving at her. Peering at it she realised the closer she came - the further away it moved. 'Good grief, I am being shown the way by a moving bush - what ever next?' For The Old Lady wasn't daft, in fact in throughout her life she had been a formidable crossword solver and a champion of good and neglected causes. She had an independence of brain and spirit that combined with an adventurous heart gave her an air of great kindness that wasn't to be taken for granted, but which could be depended on in a crisis.
Behind the bush, Hortensia and Aunt Mildred were wrestling with the wayward branches and trying to make sure that they were heading in the right direction at the right speed for their guest. Aunt Mildred had insisted on wearing her best cape for this unprecented Grand Occasion and was wary of any twigs that might snag on the grey silk edged with crimson lace. This meant the poor Hortensia was carrying most of the weight of the bush and was becoming increasingly hot and and dare we say it - more than a little frustrated and grumpy.
'So much fun, I havn't had an adventure since I don't know when.' The Old Lady was talking out loud to reassure her guides. If they were staying hidden, she reasoned, perhaps they were still frightened of her (she didn't know yet about the Aunt Mildred's best grey silk cape or the fact that all the assembled gnomes in the Sacred Clearing were dressed in their very, very best clothes). 'Don't you worry I am your friend, what an honour, what an honour and Oh, so much fun!'
Hortensia had stood on a holly leaf (which had made the bush unexpectedly jump and quiver) and was feeling a bit overwhelmed not to mention the pain in her sore foot, when suddenly Archibold was beside her. He lifted the weight of the bush from her arms and taking her place continued to guide their Honoured Guest. 'Take your time Hortie Darling, you can easily catch up after a little rest, I'll take your place for a bit.' Aunt Mildred happily walked ahead of the strange procession - relishing the ingongrous joy of leading a human to a meeting at the Sacred Clearing.
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