Knock Knock...

Chapter One

Katherine Dawson hastily dried her hands on the cloth and brushed down her frock. She ran a hand through her hair making sure the hairpin was firmly fixed and made her way to the front door.

"Alan, dear, you'd better hurry or you'll miss your train," she called up the stairs to her husband.

A man hurried down the stairs dressed in a tatty grey suit. Toothpaste shined from the corners of his mouth and he was bleeding slightly from a cut while shaving. Katherine's lips twitched as she watched her husband.

"How do I look?" he asked her.

"Lovely!" she replied without a moment's hesitation.

He picked up his briefcase, pecked his wife on the cheek and dashed through the front door and down the road.

Katerine laughed as she waved him goodbye.

When she could no longer see him an uneasy sigh erupted from her lips and she turned and disappeared inside.

The milkman knocked on the door.

"Good Morning, Frank," Katherine beamed.

Frank raised his cap and grinned.

"Morning, Mrs Dawson."

He handed her a bottle of milk. "As requested, ma'am."

"Thank you!" she called after him as he hobbled away.

'When will he get that leg of his fixed?' Katherine wondered watching him leave. A sudden commotion caught her attention from over the road. Her neighbour, Elizabeth Locksley, was yelling and waving her fist at the paperboy.

"I've told you once, stop throwing my newspaper in the flowerbed!"

The paperboy grinned and fled.

"Are you alright, Mrs Locksley?" Katherine called.

"I'm telling you, Katherine, I'm making a formal complaint to that company, I am!"

Katherine rolled her eyes. Elizabeth was always the same.

"I'd better do it quickly or I'm sure they'll make a complaint about you," Katherine laughed. In return she received a very unfriendly glare.

"You be careful what comes out of that mouth of yours, Katherine," Elizabeth barked.

"Can you still make it tonight?" Katherine asked changing the subject as quickly as possible.

Elizabeth's face instantly beamed with delight and she soon forgot about Katherine's comment as she babbled on and on about the dessert's she was bringing.

"I spent almost all day yesterday making the pie, Katherine, and I still ain't finished it. I'm telling you, it'll be one delicious pie!"

"I'm sure it will, Elizabeth. Well, I'd better get back to preparing the lamb. I'll look forward to seeing you later," Katherine called her goodbye's and vanished inside closing the door behind her. She didn't notice Elizabeth's hostile stare burn through her back.