How do we escape?

Just pack up and go. Don't waste any more good holiday time. Any old excuse will do. Not as though you want to continue the friendship. "Let it go"!

Have texted you. Pretend it's an emergency or you don't feel great ( not entirely untrue by the sounds of it)

I'd be so torn, because I had 'Manners' and 'Duty' and 'Politeness' drilled into me so hard that I have gone through things like this in the past and stuck them out until the bitter end. But I think there must come a time in our lives when we have to put ourselves first, and say, Life's just too short.

I'm with janerowena
Life is much too short!

Have you get away yet, Marelli?
Of course, you don't want to be rude to your friends, as they haven't done anything wrong.
Maybe, tho, you feel one of your migraines coming on and it'd be best to travel before it takes a hold, as it can last for a couple of days?
Or are you needed to look after DGCs suddenly as their parents have come down with flu?

Marelli has asked to let you all know that she isn't ignoring you but she's unable to get a signal to connect to Internet.

Bad news is she's got another 2 nights to go !!

Marelli I tried hard to text you to invite you to drop in and see me (cos I am on my own here today) if your "route home" went via Edinburgh, but my mobile said it couldn't send it. Do I have the wrong number for you ? (it was added after the good meal at Vittorios)

Tell her it's character-forming.

You're right, janerowena. A positive take is what's needed.

Marelli maybe you could tell them that you and your DH normally take a lot of walks in the fresh air, in the days after xmas. At least that would be a change of scene even if they come with you.

Btw, you don't have to quietly accept all their views on blood sports etc. Get some lively discussion started - if they don't like it they might chuck you out early.

I think I would go one of two ways with this.

Either spend a lot of time in your room!

or, say something along the lines of "it was very nice of you to have us, blah blah" and mean it , "but we will e leaving now, thank you very much indeed blah blah and give them a suitable gift.

Then run!

I've been thinking about this all day; if things are really no better by Saturday morning, I think you should be honest and forthright and say that you are feeling a little uncomfortable, things obviously aren't working out and it would be better if you left now on reasonably good terms, bye bye and thank you very much...... [quaking in the boots emoticon]

Hope you have escaped by now and are home having a lovely cuppa or something stronger. Good luck

If you are still stuck there tell them what you really think about blood sports and anything else they have an opinion of that you don't agree with. Yawn a lot when they speak, make gentle fun of her nodding all the time. Do it in the nicest possible way of course. Hopefully they will find an excuse for you to leave early... 'oh dear we are so sorry but we completely forgot, junior and family are arriving tomorrow to stay for the week. Would you mind terribly leaving a day early." Then make your escape, never to return and never to be invited again.

I agree with Marmight. I think I would just say that you feel you have enjoyed the stay so far (fingers crossed behind your back) then go home.
3 night is an awful lot of time to stay with folk you don't really know.
Poor you I do feel for you and your DH.

Well I hope the weather is not so bad that you are snowed in.

Leave now while you still can!

Thank you all for your helpful comments - and to baubles for passing on my message that I couldn't get the internet! I seem only to be able to connect if I'm lying in bed at the top of the house, which I was doing first thing this morning and am doing now! We are surviving. Went for long walk with the lady and her dog this afternoon and spent a lot of time looking at a herd/flock/group/bunch of wild boar that live on the estate we were ambling round. Her DH had been sitting on the car all this time as he had a sore foot. We hadn't realised we'd been away over 2 hours by the time we got back to the car. He'd almost completed all of his Sudoku book by then, apparently. We noticed that there are no Christmas cards on display. The lady said that they only received about 20 (perhaps that's because her DH has stopped speaking to so many people....! SO - I've given up the idea of tunnel-digging now. I was a listening-ear to the lady today (made me feel a bit guilty after that, actually) and tomorrow we will walk the dog again. Never EVER will I allow myself to be put in this position again! Wish I could have logged on earlier - your posts would really have cheered me up! Elegran, I'll send you my mobile number again!

Marelli that is stoicism and self sacrifice taken to a new level. You have given the lady a nice Christmas so well done. You will be rewarded in Heaven as my mother used to say.

Even if you feel you know someone very well, you can't always be sure they aren't better in small doses. We were friends with a couple for many years and, when we were all younger, spent many jolly weekends together at their and our various houses. We lost touch for a while and then when we got back together (at their instigation) so much had changed. We only spent one weekend in their (very grand) house and it made me so tense I almost couldn't function. We continued to see them but only for the occasional short visit. I realised we now had absolutely nothing in common except past history.

That was a favourite phrase of my mother's too annsixty.

Well done Marelli yet another indication of how kind hearted you are.

That'll teach ya Marelli

Let's hope they don't invite themselves for a return visit

Marelli It sounds as though you probably made the lady's Christmas for her. Put it down to posterity

Oh poor marelli and your DH how you'll appreciate and vet all future choice of friends before you agree to another extended holiday (that counts me out then) You've both given up precious time with people who sound as if they will have had great benefit from your company especially at this time of the year. Well done. Now get on and skirl the nights away well into the New Year

River walk, thankfully 'oor ain wee hoose' is too wee for a couple to stay as we only have one spare (single) bed! Today we took the dog out again and also visited an antiques market where I bought a lovely Victorian fender for and an old knitting bag. The dog rewarded us by farting its way through the rest of the day in the very warm living-room. Tomorrow we'll be home again. We will remain friends - but will keep our distance. I think much of the problem is that the lady is quite lonely, but her DH isn't. I haven't suggested she tries Gransnet....!