A Village Dilemna (Turnham Malpas 09) (21 page)

‘Caroline! I’ve finished it. Would you read it through before I print it out?’ Getting no reply he went in search of her. He found her in the attic looking through small baby clothes belonging to the twins.

‘Do you remember when we bought these? No, of course you won’t, but I do. I was so excited. The twins were coming home from hospital and I was hurrying to get things ready.’ She held up two very small premature baby sleep suits, each with a tiny rabbit embroidered on the front. ‘I loved these. Still do. They are lovely, don’t you think?’

Peter took hold of them and held them up to the light. ‘Indeed they are. Beautiful. Weren’t we excited?’

Peter had to smile. ‘A little, but it was understandable. They were horrendous times.’

‘They were, but at the same time so joyous. I wouldn’t have had it any other way, though. After all, I’ve got the babies I wanted and you’ve got children of your very own.’

‘I have. Thanks be to God.’

‘Exactly. Poor Suzy. I wonder if she ever thinks of them and what they’re doing. It hurts me still thinking about how brave she was, but they are turning out to be terrific people, aren’t they?’

Peter kissed the top of her head. ‘They are.’

‘What did you want me for?’

‘To read the funeral service I’ve written for the remains.’

‘Ah, right. I doubt there’ll be anyone there but thee, me and Mrs P.’

‘I know, but we’ve got to do it right whatever.’

‘Of course. I’ll be down when I’ve tidied up. Really all these things should go to someone in need.’

‘Keep them a while longer.’

‘I think I will.’

‘That’s an idea. By the way, this afternoon we’re going boating on Culworth Lake. Might as well take advantage of the good weather while we can. Are you able to come with us?’

‘Sorry, urgent sick visiting.’

‘OK, then. I’ll be down in a moment.’

Peter went down the narrow attic stairs and on to his study, and left Caroline to her memories.

The sun was even hotter that afternoon. Caroline packed plenty of drinks and sunhats, which the two of them hated but being so fair she had to insist upon, and with the sunroof open to its fullest extent they set off for the lake. It was on the Turnham Malpas side of Culworth so the journey there was not lengthy. In no time at all they were parked beside the lake and getting their hats and drinks out of the boot.

Alex had a favourite boat, and he ran down the slipway to search for her and found her tied up as he had hoped. She was called the
Mary Rose
and shone with layers of marine lacquer, over a lovely golden-brown stain. On her side the words
Mary Rose
were painted in bright royal blue with a Union Jack sticky transfer alongside her name. The brass oar locks seemed to shine more intensely than the other boats’ and, well, he just plain loved her.

Beth arrived beside him. ‘I want to go in that other one called
Elizabeth
.’

‘We’re not. It’s this one and no other.’

‘You always get your own way.’

‘It’s our boat is this. Ours. See.’

‘We will today and next time we’ll go in the
Elizabeth
.’

Seeing Beth beginning to work herself up into a rage, which had become more frequent since the night of the photo albums, Caroline hastily gave her the money and sent her off to the boat office to pay.

The boatman came down to see them safely aboard and to shove them off. ‘Nice day for it, Dr Harris.’

‘It certainly is, Tony. Looks busy.’

‘Yes, thank goodness. It’s a short season.’

He shoved off the
Mary Rose
with his bare foot and they splooshed out on to the lake. Caroline had become very proficient at rowing and they were soon speeding down the centre of the lake heading for the long arm off to the right where the trees bent down to the water and where the children loved to tie up under a particular willow which dipped the ends of its twigs into the water to form a delightful secret hideaway.

They sat there under its cool canopy sipping their drinks and talking about school starting soon, and it being their last year at the village school, about beginning at their new schools and about uniform and new friends and a myriad other things of interest. After a little while Caroline decided to untie the boat and row back into the main part of the lake.

An oar slipped from Caroline’s grip.

Alex stood up.

‘Sit down. Sit down.’

He did.

Caroline looked into the depths of the water.

No Beth.

Terrified, she could hear Alex bellow, ‘Beth, Beth.’

Caroline saw Beth’s fair hair rise to the surface.

Too far to reach.

‘Stay in the boat.’ Caroline carefully lowered herself over the side into the water.

Alex by now was screeching, ‘Help! Help!’

Caroline swam to where she’d seen Beth’s head come to the surface and dived.

One of the youths jumped into the water and swam to help.

Can’t find Beth. Too dark.

Go down again.

Too dark.

Go up for air, there’s Beth going down yet again, further away.

Swim towards her.

The dark waters closed over her again.

Find her. Find her. Find her. There!

Grasp her.

Hoist her to the top.

Hold her head out of the water. Lungs bursting.

One of the youths swam towards her, took hold of Beth, swam with her to the boat and heaved her in.

Beth lay in the bottom, frightened and exhausted, choking and spluttering.

Desperately Alex held out the oar for his mother to grasp.

But the youth came up behind her and gave her the most tremendous push up so that she was half in and half out of the boat. Caroline pulled herself up but was too paralysed with fear and too heavy with water to manage the last push up into the boat. ‘Oh, God! Oh, God!’

The youth came behind her and manhandled her into it, grabbing her body anywhere at all to achieve his objective. She collapsed in the bottom of the boat alongside Beth. By now they were floating well away from the lost oar and all she could think about was how to get back to the shore with only one oar. ‘Beth! Beth?’

As they tried to get themselves seated without upsetting the boat, Caroline heard the phut phut of a motor boat engine. Thank heavens! It was Tony coming.

Caroline began to shake, not so much with the chill of the water on her skin but the full horror of what might have happened. Beth was unable to speak. Alex was deathly white from shock.

Tony switched off his motor boat engine, tied up and then tied up the
Mary Rose
. ‘Come on, now. I’ll switch the fire on in the boat office. Warm you up. Just wait till I get hold of those bu— beg your pardon, Dr Harris.’ He hustled them into the boat office and turned on the fire. Out of a cupboard he brought towels somewhat the worse for wear and a collection of dry clothes kept for the purpose. Tony went out, shutting the door behind him, and they could hear him ranting and raving at the top of his voice and using fearful bad language at the youths. They heard their boat bump into the side and Tony still raving at them.

Caroline stripped Beth of her clothes and rubbed her hard with Tony’s rough towel. She still hadn’t spoken. Alex was channelling his fear into looking for something suitable for Beth to wear. ‘Here we are, look, shorts and a shirt with dolphins on it. You’ll look all right in these, Beth. Bit big but …’

Caroline was quickly becoming chilled right through to the bone. She left Beth to dress herself and began stripping off her wet clothes. ‘Look for something for me, Alex, please.’

‘There’s not much, just this funny dress or a pair of man’s shorts and a football shirt.’

‘They’ll do.’

‘Look! I’ve lost a sandal. My best sandals!’ Beth began to wail. ‘My best sandals!’

Caroline put on the shorts and football shirt saying, ‘Never mind about your sandal. We can always buy another pair, but we can’t buy another Beth.’

Beth took hold of her hand.

Alex grasped the other. ‘Let’s go home,’ he said.

‘That’s the best place. I’ll get my bag and we’ll go straight home. But we’ll thank Tony first.’

Tony knocked at the boat office door and shouted, ‘The wife’s made a cup of tea for you. Sit on this seat out here in the sun. She’ll be out in a minute.’

Beth wanted home more than anything. ‘I want to go home.’

‘Hush, darling, we will when we’ve had a nice cup of hot tea.’ They emerged into the sun, thankful they were all alive. ‘Thank you, Tony, that will be lovely. I found a plastic carrier bag in the office and I’ve borrowed it to put our wet things in. Where’s the young man who jumped in the water to help us? I’d have liked to thank him.’

‘They’ve all gone. I gave them a telling off and no mistake. They won’t be back here for a bit. Idiots. I’d no idea they had drink in the boat. It’s forbidden, really, but the moment your back’s turned … Ah, here’s your tea.’

The tea was welcome, it was sugared but it didn’t matter, because it tasted like nectar.

‘Ring Dad, tell him.’

‘He’s sick visiting, darling.’

‘Please ring Dad, he’ll want to know.’

Beth held up her feet. ‘One sandal’s no good.’

‘Never mind, you can wear your flip-flops for a day or two. We can’t go into Culworth to buy new sandals looking like this, can we?’

Alex looked at the two of them and burst out laughing. It was infectious. Both Caroline and Beth joined in and laughed till their sides ached, but it was such a relief. Laughing took some of the fear away.

They drove home singing silly songs from when they were small. Caroline put the car in the garage at the end of Pipe and Nook Lane and they went into the Rectory by the back door so no one would see them looking like freaks.

Peter was back and the children ran into the study to tell him their adventure.

His first words were, ‘Whatever are you wearing, Beth?’

She explained, with Alex putting in his pennyworth where she hadn’t explained clearly. ‘And when I was under the water I could see fishes and nasty bits and the water tasted dreadful!’

‘Beth! My darling! Where’s Mummy, is she all right?’

‘She’s putting the kettle on. The water was so cold and dark, Daddy. I’ve never thought about water being dark before.’

‘Did you try to swim?’

She shook her head.

‘Why not? It’s because of accidents like this that we taught you to swim.’