The Village Show (Tales from Turnham Malpas) (5 page)

It was Peter who opened it. ‘Good morning, Louise. Snow’s going at last. I like it when it first comes but then after a while one wishes it anywhere but where one is.’ He took her coat and hung it in the hall cupboard. Louise noticed that before he shut the door he smoothed the back of his hand down the sleeve of a coat of Caroline’s. She could have burned that coat there and then. He opened the door to the study. ‘I’ve dictated a lot of stuff but you’ll soon whizz through it. If you’ve work to do for the Show, today could be the day.’

‘Don’t you worry about that, I’m staying for lunch to help Sylvia, we arranged it yesterday.’

‘I really don’t want to put on you any more than I have to. I thoroughly appreciate what you do for the parish and I’m sorry the church can’t afford to pay you for doing it, but I really can’t have you spending time looking after my
children. It simply is not right. Thank you all the same.’

Louise blushed bright red. Partly with anger and partly with disappointment. ‘But I’ve promised Sylvia. She has no chance to get her housework done now with Caroline being away.’

‘The twins are going to Harriet Charter-Plackett this afternoon straight after lunch, so Sylvia will be able to catch up then. The twins love playing with baby Frances. They’re staying there for tea.’

‘When was this arranged?’

‘Sylvia organised it yesterday afternoon, why?’

Louise left the study and went to find Sylvia. She was upstairs stripping the two cots and putting clean sheets on. Alex and Beth were playing with some old soft toys they’d found stored away in the nursery cupboard.

‘Loo’ Lulu, it BooBoo, Beth’s BooBoo.’ Beth held up a tatty well-worn rabbit with one ear missing for Louise to see, but she hadn’t time for her.

‘Look here, Sylvia,’ she burst out, ‘we had it all planned. I was going to stay for lunch and look after the twins this afternoon. You knew all about it. Now I hear they’re going to Harriet for the afternoon.’

Sylvia picked up Beth’s counterpane from the carpet and without pausing in her work to look at her said, ‘I know, but Mrs Charter-Plackett offered and it was the most convenient day for her so I said yes.’ Sylvia finished smoothing the counterpane on Beth’s cot and turned to look at Louise. ‘Let’s face it, you really much prefer the computer to children. I know exactly why you want to take care of the twins, don’t I?’ Sylvia stared meaningfully at Louise, who glared back.

‘What exactly do you mean by that remark? Speak plainly, I don’t like innuendos.’

‘Very well then. I know you want to look after the twins to usurp Dr Harris’s place here while she’s away …’

‘Well, really! You’re being ridiculous! Why should I want to do that?’

‘I can’t put it plainer than that, and I won’t have it. Come, children, help Sylvie put these toys away and then we’ll go to the Store. Mr Charter-Plackett says he’ll have that
Jungle Book
video in he promised.’

Louise protested. ‘All I’m doing is trying to help while this family is in difficulties. I can’t think what can be wrong with that.’

Alex slammed the toy-cupboard door shut and shouted, ‘Sylvie, done. Come on, Sylvie. Bimbo’s Bimbo’s.’

Sylvia bent down to pick him up. ‘In future the only domestic thing you may do is make your own coffee and that’s that. I’m sorry.’ She called Beth and the three of them went off down the stairs.

Louise took a deep breath and followed them down. She found Peter keeping a low profile in his study.

‘Peter! Sylvia has deliberately arranged for Harriet Charter-Plackett to have the children later today when she knew we’d arranged for me to help her look after them. I’m very hurt. They know me, and they’d be quite happy with me. I’m only trying to help.’

‘I know you are, and I’m grateful for all you do, but the house and the children are Sylvia’s responsibility whilst Caroline is away, and well … that’s how it must stay.’ He looked pleadingly at her and her heart melted. The poor dear man, dominated by two bossy women. What some men have to put up with. If he was hers he’d have the last word on everything. If he was hers …

In his gentlest voice, Peter said, ‘So shall we get on with what we know you do best, which is relieving me of having
to plod slowly along for hours with my two-finger typing?’

‘Yes, of course. I’m here to help you in any way I can – and you mustn’t hold back from asking me for anything, however difficult.’ Louise smiled sweetly at him, and switched on the computer.

While she sorted out the work he’d done for her to type he worried about how to broach the subject of her joining the church choir. Gilbert Johns had spoken to him about her on Sunday evening after the service.

‘You see, Peter, she persuaded me to give her an audition. Fine. I didn’t mind, not at all. Didn’t take long.’ He sighed. ‘I hate to cause pain to anyone and I’m telling you and only you because I know I can rely on you not to gossip, but you see although Louise has a powerful contralto voice, and can read music perfectly, her singing is ever so slightly, and I mean ever so slightly, out of tune. A mere soupçon, that is all. But to someone with an ear like mine it is discernible and makes me wince. So even if I had females in the choir I wouldn’t have her. Can you tell her for me, discreetly, please? And not mention she’s out of tune?’ Gilbert had begged so charmingly that Peter had agreed to do it. But how? Better tackle it now. Clear the air.

‘By the way, Gilbert Johns spoke to me on Sunday evening. I’m afraid the answer to your being in the choir is still no. He’s absolutely adamant. He’s had another discussion with the men in the choir and they wish to stick to tradition and keep it all-male. So I’m afraid there’s nothing more to be said.’

‘Oh, did he really consult them? I bet! It’s ridiculous that in this day and age they won’t have women in.’

‘Well, I’m sorry but there it is. You see, he has a waiting list of boys wanting to join, a position most village choirs would be exceedingly glad to find themselves in, so …’
The telephone rang and saved him from having to pursue the matter with Louise. By the time he put down the receiver Louise was immersed in her typing. Just as he had become absorbed in his own work, the computer fell silent and he realised Louise was crying.

For a few minutes he ignored her, hoping the crying would stop and he could pretend he hadn’t noticed. But it didn’t. He put down his pen and said quietly, ‘Can I help?’

His gentle inquiry made her sob.

‘Please tell me, it may help.’

Louise wiped her eyes and said, ‘It’s always the same. I’m all right for typing and administration and office work, but when it comes to something personal no one wants to know.’

Peter perceived there was more to the problem than what had happened that morning with Sylvia and Gilbert’s refusal. ‘I don’t think it’s just this morning, is it, that’s made you say this.’

Louise shook her head. ‘No, it isn’t. I … I … that’s why I’m here.’

‘In Turnham Malpas, you mean?’

‘Yes. If I tell you, can I rely on your confidentiality?’

‘Of course. Absolute secrecy, I promise.’ He turned his chair to face her and waited.

‘I worked at a bank, as you know, and I was in charge of helping people who were starting up new businesses. I listened to what they had to say, saw their business plan and commented on it. If it wasn’t right I helped them to put it right, decided if it was viable, talked to them about a loan and the conditions of repayment, took the whole thing to my manager, thrashed it out with him and with his approval agreed it, then kept a watching brief through the first critical years. I was doing well, really well till one
day … till one day this man came in. He was utterly charming. Polished upper-class accent, like yours,’ Louise smiled at him, ‘well-mannered, not good-looking but … Anyway, he had a good business plan – well-presented, not on a scrap of paper like some of them did – and I worked on it, though there wasn’t much to do. The manager was on holiday and I should have waited until he got back, but somehow it all seemed so genuine and the client was so keen, and so open and friendly. If I shilly-shallied, he’d lose the opportunity so I contacted the area manager instead. Of course, to him the sum involved was peanuts in comparison to the figures he dealt with every day, and because he had confidence in me he gave the go-ahead.’

‘And it didn’t work out?’

Louise shook her head. ‘I was completely taken in. We started having our business discussions while taking lunch together, then it became dinner, then I … began to fall in love with him. After that, I was no longer behaving rationally where his loan was concerned. Anyone else and I would have been alerted, but in the circumstances … Look you don’t want to hear all this. Sorry.’ Louise turned back to the keyboard.

‘If it makes you feel any better, I am here to listen – that’s fifty per cent of the job for a clergyman.’ She looked at him. He smiled.

Louise almost choked with gratitude. ‘Well, I gave my notice in at the bank at his suggestion and was going to join him. General factotum, secretarial work, learning the business so that I should become his partner and not just in the business. I couldn’t resist his charm. I began helping weekends and evenings while I worked out my notice, and I have to admit I could think of nothing else but him. Then I’d a day’s holiday to come so I thought I’d take the
opportunity to get ahead with the spread-sheets I was doing for him, so I’d be free at the weekend. I walked in the office early and there was this blonde, all legs and …’ She paused. ‘It wouldn’t have been so bad if he hadn’t been so cruel. Searingly cruel. I couldn’t for the life of me tell you what he said.’

‘I’m so sorry. It must have been dreadful.’

His sympathy made her tremble. ‘I … I’m not telling anyone, not even you, what he said. It was staggeringly hurtful. I stormed out and drove like a maniac. I don’t know to this day why I didn’t have an accident, I really don’t.’ She wiped her eyes. ‘I spent an horrendous weekend and on the Monday went to the bank and straight to his file and began working through it. Of course his references turned out to be forged; the whole story had been a complete fabrication. I had to go to the manager and tell him. If I hadn’t already given in my notice I would have been sacked on the spot. You see, I should have delayed authorising the loan until my manager had come back from holiday, and what was worse I had involved myself with the man. Should have kept it entirely on a business footing. I, who thought I had a head for business, had ignored all my training. He had me absolutely fooled.’

‘I’m so sorry.’

‘So not only had he made me lose my job, he’d also broken my heart. I can’t forgive myself for being so taken in. How could I have been such a fool? I loved him, you see. He behaved like a gentleman, said he valued me too much to anticipate our marriage.’ Louise stopped while she regained control over her sobs. ‘Said he wanted our relationship to be on the right footing, and I admired him for that; it made me feel cherished as well as loved. But it was all a sham. A total sham. It was because he didn’t want
me
. I was all right, you see, for getting the loan and doing the work, but not for a relationship. That’s how it always is. Good old Louise. My parents think I was made redundant, so please don’t tell them, will you? I couldn’t bear for them to know the whole story.’

‘Of course I shan’t tell them. You know, when something like this happens, one has to pick up the pieces and plod on and eventually one gets through the maze.’

‘You’re so kind. So understanding. Thank you. I really do appreciate you listening to me. I feel so much better now, having confided in you. It’s wonderful to have you to talk to, just wonderful and you’re such a sympathetic listener. You have this gift, you know, of helping people to speak the truth and—’

To his relief there came a knock at the door. It was Sylvia back from the Store with the video clutched in her hand.

‘Only me, Rector. I need a word. Is it convenient?’

‘Of course, come in.’

Sylvia nodded her head in the direction of the kitchen. So Peter stood up and followed her in there.

‘Rector, I’ve told Louise she’s not to interfere with our domestic arrangements. I won’t have it. Yesterday she coerced me into agreeing that she could look after the children, and you’ve no idea how relieved I was when Mrs Charter-Plackett rang up offering to have them both. I won’t have it and I know Dr Harris wouldn’t want it either. So that’s it. I won’t desert my post in her absence, but if I have any more interference then as soon as Dr Harris returns I shall give in my notice. She and I work beautifully together and I would regret doing it – I’ve never had a job I’ve enjoyed so much – but the sooner that woman finds herself a proper job, the better it will be for us all.’

Peter said, ‘Now see here, Sylvia, I know that you’re under pressure without Caroline, but please don’t allow yourself to get so upset. Louise is no threat to you; in fact, it’s all rather sad and I feel rather sorry for her. But I have told her myself she must confine her help to the parish and that our domestic arrangements are off-limits. So we are both on the same side. Please don’t even contemplate giving in your notice, because if you do Caroline will have me hanging from the highest branch of the royal oak for all to see.’

Sylvia laughed. ‘Oh sir, I’m sure she wouldn’t, oh no. So long as you and I have an understanding then we shall both act accordingly. She mustn’t be encouraged. Right, children, drink and biscuit-time, I think, while we watch
Jungle Book
. Your Sylvie needs her coffee, and I expect Daddy does too.’ Sylvia went to put on the kettle, shaking her head in amusement.