Talk of the Village (15 page)

They walked back together into the kitchen. Sylvia had gone.

'Come and sit on my knee, and we'll finish that cup of tea you were having.' He refilled her cup and the two of them took turns drinking from it. The hot tea gave Caroline back her voice. 'I'm so tired Peter, so tired.'

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'I've been thinking about that. Can I be in charge for a while and make some positive suggestions?'

'Anything you like.'

'I'm going to do some ringing up and some organising and hopefully you're going up to your mother's for a few days.'

'Oh, I couldn't manage driving all that way with the children. I couldn't face it.'

'I know that. You're going on the train by yourself, and Sylvia and I will look after the children between us, and if we get desperate Willie can come in as support troops. Or Harriet or someone. We shan't be short of volunteers believe me. Three or four days walking along your beloved cliffs, with the wind blowing your cobwebs away, will do you all the good in the world.'

'It sounds wonderful. But I've been such a failure. How can an intelligent woman, with a loving husband, with all the help I have available and the babies I desperately longed for, be so hopeless?'

'My darling girl, you're not hopeless, you're a brilliant mother, and that's the problem. You're suffering from exhaustion, brought on by hard work and lack of sleep, that's what.'

'I would be so grateful for a respite. Mother will be pleased. Please forgive me for this rabbit business, I shouldn't have been so persistent. Never having lived in a village before I didn't realise that everyone would be taking sides. I still mean it about the rabbits though, it must be stopped.'

'Of course.' He held her close, then said, 'I don't know how I shall manage without you.'

'Don't worry, you'll be so busy I shall be back before you know it! Thanks for being so wonderfully understanding. Give me a kiss, a real proper humdinger of a kiss.'When he released her she said,'M..m.. m.. m. m. Let' s have another.'

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Pat Duckett sat waiting on her favourite settle right by the door where she could see people coming in. Her port and lemon stood on a little brewery mat in front of her. If she sipped it slowly it might last half the evening and then Jimmy or Willie might buy her another one. No good hoping Vera might, for Vera was as strapped for cash as herself. She was tired, she'd had a hard day. It had been raining and the school floors had got muddy footprints all over. It had taken her ages to get them cleaned up. Sometimes she wished she could give the job up, but what would she do for money then? Bringing up two children on your own wasn't much fun and the bigger they got the more they ate and the more it cost for their bally clothes. The door opened and in came Vera and Jimmy.

'Hello, get yourselves a drink and come and sit down.'

'Hello Pat.'

'Evening Pat.'

When Jimmy and Vera had settled down with their drinks Pat said, 'Have you heard that Dr Harris has gone up 'ome for a few days?'

Vera looked surprised. 'No, I hadn't. Has she taken the twins with her?'

'No, the rector's looking after 'em with Sylvia.'

'Sounds as if he's put his foot down then about her

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rabbit crusade.'

'Well, it did cause a lot of bother and, come to think of it, I don't know why I'm drinking with you, Jimmy. Anyways, I understand they had a blazing row, and then she cried and next day she's off to Northumberland.'

'Last time she went there was when . . . '

'That's right, when she found out about . . . ' Pat glanced round to make sure she wasn't being overheard, 'about Suzy Meadows and them twins. Heaven's above you don't think it's happened again?'

Jimmy scoffed at their speculation. 'For crying out loud you two, I'm not that keen on Dr Harris at the moment as you well know, but he can't be straying again. Surely to goodness 'e's learned 'is lesson.'

'You have to admit Jimmy, he's very handsome. There's many a one would fancy 'im and no mistake.'

Jimmy laughed. 'You're wrong. She's gone away for a rest, believe me.'

'Who says?'

'Willie, 'cos he and Sylvia are giving a hand at sitting in when the rector has to go out.'

'1 wouldn't be sur . . . '

The door burst open and in came Vera's Don. 'Guess what?' he panted. 'Them two's released pending trial.'

'What two?'

'Gwen and Beryl.'

'Released? Never.'

The news flashed round the bar in a trice.

'Disgusting.'

'Whatever next?'

'Them courts have a lot to answer for.'

'We shan't be safe in our beds.'

'We don't want 'em 'ere.'

'Definitely not.'

'They should be locked up forever.'

'That's right, locked up till they're dead and gone.'

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'The nasty wicked beggars that they are.'

'Have you ever been in their house? Willie says it's disgusting.'

'I bet it is.'

'We don't want them in Turnham Malpas with their dirty ways.'

'We should get rid of'em.'

'That's right we should.'

And their voices rose to a crescendo, filling the bar with clamour.

Bryn and Georgie tried to lighten the atmosphere but the customers wouldn't listen.

'Now ladies and gentlemen let's take this calmly please. We'll all have a drink on the house and settle down. The two of them do belong here and they haven't been proved guilty yet.'

'Not been proved guilty? It doesn't need a trial, we were all there when they brought little Flick out. Double whisky for me.'

Bryn and Georgie regretted offering drinks all round. The whole bar was inflamed at the news, and the extra alcohol only made matters worse.

The more hotheaded among the regulars came to the conclusion that the police wouldn't do a thing to make sure Gwen and Beryl didn't do worse than hiding Flick in the cupboard. 'Murder it'll be next,' they said. 'Let's clear 'em out ourselves,' they said. 'Right come on then! We'll soon see off two old bats like them. Let's be rid of them. We want our village to be safe.'

There was a concerted dash for the door and the bar emptied. Bryn and Georgie decided to ring the Sergeant. The crowd surged down Stocks Row and into Culworth Road. They stood outside Gwen and Beryl's cottage chanting, 'Out out out. Out Out Out. OUT OUT OUT.' Someone found a stone on the road and threw it at the house. By chance it hit a downstairs window and

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broke it. Someone else found a bigger stone and aimed it deliberately at another window which shattered with a resounding crack. Incensed by the injustice of Gwen and Beryl's release and inflamed by the sound of the breaking glass the crowd began throwing stones in earnest. Being so close to the road the windows were an easy target. The chanting began again, 'Child molesters. Filthy women you are. Get out get out get out.' The sound of their chanting rose to a crescendo.

The Sergeant, summoned by Bryn's phone call, pushed his way to the front of the crowd, but they shouted to him to get out of the way.

'Your lot have let 'em out. It's no use you coming, you're on their side, go on shove
off
before you get hit. Out out out.'

The Sergeant shouted above their noise, 'I shall charge you all with a breach of the peace! Now please go away to your homes before you do something you regret. Move along there please. Come along now, go to your homes. Justice will be done but leave it to the law.'

'We've done that and look what's happened. Move away Sergeant. Out out out.'

Peter came across from the Rectory and pushed his way through. Standing in front of the cottage door he faced the angry crowd. 'Please, please, everyone have you forgotten who you are? This
must
stop. You must
not
take the law into your own hands. Tomorrow morning, in the clear light of day, you will be ashamed of what you are doing tonight. What will your children think of you when they hear what you have done? Shame, that's what they will feel. Absolute shame. And I am ashamed, that you are part of my flock and you behave in this way. In the name of God go home, before something more terrible befalls this village.'

The steady quietness of Peter's voice and the strength of his argument cooled their tempers, and after some

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muttering and resistance the demonstrators gradually began to thin out and make their way home.

The Sergeant was shaken but relieved that the trouble had been resolved and he thanked Peter for his help.

'Let's go inside and see how they are,' Peter suggested.

The two of them went round to the back of the house. Peter knocked on the door and tried to push it open but it was bolted and he couldn't move it.

He shouted through a broken front window, 'This is Peter from the Rectory. Are you all right in there?'

Gwen came to the window. 'Yes.'

'Can I help in any way at all?'

'No, we shall manage.'

'Very well, but if you need help you know where I am don't you?'

'Yes.'

Gwen turned away from the window and the Sergeant asked Peter what on earth he could do with people like them who wouldn't allow themselves to be helped.

'I honestly don't know. But I'll tell you one thing Sergeant, you must see to it that they are not attacked in this way again. Law and order is your responsibility, and the safety of these two women is essential if justice is to have any credence at all. If I think for one minute that you have neglected your duties to these two people, I shall not hesitate to make it known. They deserve your protection, and turning a blind eye will not do.'

'No sir. I'll see to it.'

'Indeed you will.'

The next morning the village woke to the sound of hammering. Gwen was boarding up the windows. Only the window at which Gwen used to sit watching the comings and goings of the village was left intact. The Sergeant went round later in the morning to check they were all right, but Gwen came to the one remaining intact window and signalled to him to go away.

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Later that morning she went as usual to the village store to buy her newspaper and get the groceries.

Jimbo and Harriet had already talked about what they should do.

'If they can't get their food here, Jimbo, they will starve to death.'

'Peter would certainly give me a hard time if I refused to serve them. On the other hand, it isn't his child they nearly suffocated.'

'In all conscience we can't refuse to serve them.'

'I can't serve her.'

'No, and neither can I.'

They consulted Linda and she said she would come out from behind the Post Office counter and take Gwen's money if they wished.

Jimbo thanked her. 'I feel very un-Christian behaving like this, but they threatened Flick's life.'

Gwen's arrival was greeted with silence. There were only two other customers in and they were from Penny Fawcett so they weren't aware of any problem. When she had collected her shopping Linda came to the cash desk and took her money. Gwen never spoke, and neither did Jimbo or Harriet.

Peter came in later that morning. 'I'm truly sorry about all this trouble with Gwen and Beryl, Jimbo. It must be very distressing for you, I'm sure.'

'It is, Peter. If we don't allow them to shop here they will starve, but it's very hard to be Christian about it in the circumstances.'

'I'm quite certain it is. If it was a child of mine who'd been threatened I don't know how I would react. But the fact remains we cannot take the law into our own hands. The two of them came within an ace of being lynched last night. I was appalled by the hatred everyone felt. It was mob rule and no mistake. I feel this morning as if I am a complete beginner as a judge of character. The behaviour

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last night was positively mediaeval. I couldn't believe it. It's a wonder they didn't put them in the stocks and stone them to death.'

'It's hard for us, Peter, to condemn them. They were doing it in outrage at what happened to Flick.'

'I know, but you wouldn't want anything but justice for them would you?'

'No, we wouldn't.'

Peter's sermon the following Sunday had as its text 'Let he who is without sin amongst you cast the first stone.' There was coffee for everyone in the church hall afterwards and Peter set about rebuilding the bridges he had so painstakingly constructed during the last year.

.

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The morning following Peter's sermon was the first day of Ron and Sheila's membership of the Turnham House Health Club. In preparation for this day Sheila had bought a plush tracksuit, not the same pink as Venetia's but very similar. She'd toned down her choice of colours since her conversion to more refined dressing, brought about so insistently by Ron. Joining the Health Club was a move in the right direction she was sure. One had to move in the right circles and have the opportunity to meet the right people. You never knew where it might lead. When Sheila counted up how long it was since she'd worn a bathing costume, no, she musn't say that, a swimsuit, she discovered it was thirty years. The one she'd bought was in pink to match her tracksuit. Ron had made sure she bought the correct size. She knew he was right, she always bought her clothes too small. She didn't like to admit she needed a sixteen whereas before she'd worn size twelve.

It was a fine, warm morning so Sheila wondered whether they should run up to the Health Club or take the car. Ron shook his head.

'I think we should go in the car. No sense in arriving dead beat. Better wait till we get fit, and then run up there.'

The reception hall was cool and elegant. The girl at the

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desk checked their membership cards, handed them fresh, pale pink towels with Turnham House Health Club emblazoned on them and was directing them to the pool when Venetia came across the hall to greet them.

'Hi there, come for your first dip have you? Glad to welcome you to the Club. I'm sure you'll get great benefit from coming here.'

'I'm sure we shall.'

'Give me a knock on that door over there when you're ready to try the gym. I like to plan your personal exercise routine myself. I make sure you take things easy to start with and gradually build up to maximum. Have a nice day.'

Ron and Sheila met at the poolside. There were huge, plastic palm trees arranged in gargantuan pots along the perimeter of the pool, interspersed with white plastic chairs and loungers for relaxing in. The enormous glass windows were closed but could be opened wide on really hot days. There was a terrace outside with another batch of white plastic chairs for people to sun themselves.

Sheila lowered herself into the Jacuzzi. The warm pulsating rhythm of the water throbbed around her bottom and she suddenly understood why they came so highly recommended. Oh my word, she thought, there's more to this than meets the eye.

Ron was swimming backwards and forwards slowly and somewhat painfully. She had to admit that no one seeing him stripped off in public could describe him as athletic. Lumbering might be a more appropriate description. She hoped that Venetia wouldn't get designs on him. She was getting too old to fight off opposition. But someone like Venetia wouldn't be interested in an overweight man of mature years would she? Though come to think of it, that was exactly what Jeremy was. Overweight and lacking sex appeal. Like Ron.

Ron suggested they had a sandwich lunch from the

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pool bar. They'd just settled themselves nicely in two of the plastic loungers by the pool when Venetia appeared, wearing quite the smallest bikini it was possible to imagine. It was a sharp, bold purple colour which gave Sheila spots before the eyes. She watched Venetia poised on the edge of the pool, giving them the maximum opportunity to admire her slim, taut body and then she dived sleekly into the azure water. Sheila turned to make a sneering remark to Ron about exhibitionism, but she looked at his face and bit back the words. Ron was avidly watching the bronzed and purple blur which was Venetia racing back and forth down the pool. Sheila tapped him on his thigh and said, 'Ron? Ron?' But he ignored her. Venetia finished her swim and came over to them, tossing her thick dark hair from her face and shaking her limbs to rid them of water. Her well-atoned flesh trembled as she did so. She reminded Sheila of a cat which had got wet in the rain. Feline. That was it.

'When I've got dry would you like to come to the gym, Ron, and we'll plan your schedule?'

Sheila answered on his behalf, 'When we're ready we'll come and give you a knock.'

She watched Ron's face as Venetia jogged off to the changing rooms. He was positively relishing the sight of that woman's behind.

Ron was about to knock on the door marked 'Private' to ask Venetia to come to the gym, when Sheila stopped him. The door was partly open and they could hear voices inside.

'Look here, Sid, you said you'd got it in the bag.'

'I know I did. They promised twenty staff for each of six weekends starting this coming weekend. They wrote and promised it, there's the letter. Now this has come saying that due to the recession they're having to lay people off and make economies wherever they can. One of their economies is cutting out these special weekend

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incentives.

'But that means we've no one here for the next six weekends now.'

'Don't state the obvious, Marge. It doesn't take much of a brain to come to that conclusion.'

'Don't call me Marge here. You might do it in front of the clients.'

'What clients?'

'What the hell are we going to do? You'll have to get out on the road and look up some of your old contacts. Offer them weekends at special introductory rates or something. You know, to give them a taste of the fabulous opportunities for body health or whatever.'

'Hell, what a mess.'

There was a pause and Ron took this opportunity to knock on the door. Venetia came out and headed with enthusiasm to the gym.

She got Ron and Sheila onto the exercise bikes. It seemed to require a lot of stroking of Ron's legs and extra special placing of hands on his thighs as he made the pedals go round. She didn't help Sheila at all. Sheila was told she was performing excellently and she must have been on an exercise bike before. She protested she hadn't, but noticed that Ron needed an awful lot of attention considering all he had to do was make his feet go round. The worst of it was, he was lapping up the attention with a silly grin on his face.

Later that day, Sheila went to the Store to get something special for their evening meal. Jimbo was in there entertaining his customers with his usual gusto.

'Hello there, Sheila, you're looking sprightly today. Been up to the health club, have you?'

'Yes, for the very first time. It's very nice up there. Have you been yet?'

'Harriet and I go quite regularly. We've both taken out

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membership. I like the gym and the running track, but I'm not too keen on the pool. It's not very big, is it?'

'No, it isn't, but then you don't need it with having a pool of your own. I tried the Jacuzzi and found it most enjoyable. We had lunch there as well which was very pleasant.'

'All supplied by Turnham Malpas Store, you know, so it should be.'Jimbo raised his boater and took a bow.

'There was only us there this morning. I expect it will be busier in the evenings.'

'Let's hope so for their sakes. They've got groups coming for the next six weekends so that will help. We've just been planning the menus for them.'

'Oh ... I don't know if I should tell you this, but by mistake we overheard Venetia and Jeremy talking, and they've had a cancellation and those people aren't coming. We heard them say that they had no one now for the next six weekends.'

'They haven't told us.'

'Well, that's what they were saying. I think they only heard this morning."

'I'll give them a ring and ask a few questions about the food and see if they tell me anything. Thanks for letting me know, Sheila.'

'There's something else as well. Her name's not Venetia.'

'What is it then?'

'It's Marge.'

Sheila and Jimbo burst into hysterical laughter. Sadie came through, asking what the joke was. When they told her she had to lean on the counter for support. She got her handkerchief out and wiped her eyes.

'Never. I don't believe it. Oh my word what a laugh.'

Sheila, enjoying centre stage said, 'That's not all. You'll never guess what Jeremy's real name is.'

Jimbo hazarded a few guesses but in the end Sheila had

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to tell him, 'Its Sid.'

Sadie laughed till she had a pain in her side. 'Marge and Sid. Sid and Marge. Oh help, wait till Harriet hears this.' And she went off in search of her daughter.

After Jimbo had calmed down he asked Sheila what she wanted and when she pointed to some fresh salmon, he cut her two generous steaks and gave them to her as a gift.

'You and I haven't always seen eye to eye Sheila, but I'm very grateful for your warning. Accept these as a peace offering.'

'That's extremely kind of you, Jimbo, Ronald loves fresh salmon. So much nicer than those nasty tins.' She chose vegetables and a homemade blackcurrant cheesecake from the freezer and went home.

Jimbo rang the Health Club number with his list in his hand of the meals he'd planned. Jeremy answered the phone. 'Turnham House Health Club, how may I help you?'

'Good afternoon . . .Jeremy. It's Jimbo here from the Village Store. Got some menus worked out. Could I run a few ideas past you? I'd fax them but the dratted thing has gone on the blink and I can't make it transmit.' He crossed his fingers because of the whopping lie he'd just told.

'Ah, right. I'm listening.'

'I know it's only Monday but I'll need to get the food ordered you see and I don't want to find I've asked for things which aren't suitable. Can't afford waste in these hard times, as you well know.'

'Indeed, indeed. Fire away.'

Jimbo read out his list, trying to decipher from Jeremy's response whether or not the man was bluffing or whether Sheila Bissett had got it wrong.

Jeremy's voice came back down the line confidently agreeing tojimbo's menus, 'Excellent, Jimbo, excellent.

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Just what we want.'

'In that case then we'll go ahead and order?'

'Yes, do that please.'

'I'll deliver very first thing Friday morning. Give your cook time to sort himself out.'

'Of course. We're lucky to have such excellent service so close at hand.'

'Payment on delivery as agreed?'

'Of course, of course.'

Jimbo put down the phone, took off his boater and stood looking out over the green. Either the man was a very convincing liar or Sheila had made a mistake. Only time would tell. All the salad stuff would be a pain, he'd have most of that to throw away. And he'd never sell the ten litres of carrot juice. Such waste. He couldn't bear it. However, when the Friday came he delivered the food, received his payment, and came to the conclusion that Sheila Bissett had misunderstood what she had overheard.

Harriet planned to go up on the Saturday with the children and see for herself what was happening. Jimbo was still sticking to his decision about her being with the children whenever they weren't at school, and she'd found herself enjoying their company more than she had expected. Sometimes when she saw Caroline's pram she almost fancied having another baby herself.

At the Health Club the receptionist checked their membership card, gave them the appropriate number of pink towels and they finally got to the pool. The children all swam like fishes so Harriet gave herself the luxury of lounging in the Jacuzzi while they swam and played with the floating toys provided by the management.

She was soon joined by two couples. They began chatting to each other and Harriet lay listening with her eyes closed, enjoying the warm water and the feeling of relaxation it engendered. They chattered on about how

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much they were enjoying the club and one of the women said, 'Nigel, how come we got invited for free? Do you know this Jeremy chap well?'

'Not that well. Met him a couple of times in our local hostelry and he gave me the chance to come for nothing so I suggested I brought friends as well, and he was well chuffed. In fact, everyone here this weekend is here for free. Shan't be taking out membership though, too far away from my usual haunts. No doubt the sales pressure will be administered before we're much older.'

That was Jimbo's answer then. The guests were all there on a freebie.

She told her news on her return and Jimbo's mouth went down at the corners. 'They won't last long at that rate then. Better watch our backs where they're concerned. Blast it! I was hoping the income from the health club would balance the lack of earnings from the restaurant. Something will have to go. We can't keep Henderson's open when it's such a drain on our resources. I can't tolerate failure. Damn and blast it.'

Ron and Sheila went four times that week to the Health Club. Sheila was not nearly as keen as she had been but couldn't permit Ron to go up there on his own. Heaven alone knew what might take place in the sauna. Ron had taken a great liking to them.

'Help me to lose weight you know Sheila, which is just what we want isn't it?'

'Yes it is.' Privately she wondered if she would be better offkeeping Ron overweight.

The crunch came when Sheila lost Ron one afternoon. They'd both been for a swim and done their scheduled exercise plan which was taking longer now they were getting better at it. Then Sheila had got changed and they'd arranged to meet in the pool bar for a drink before they went home.