by Katy Lilley
Woman one looked triumphant as she put her trolley at right angles and did a swivel and bump to move woman two’s trolley back. Woman two narrowed her eyes and mouth.
The tannoy which has been playing “In the summertime”, suddenly changed to “Duelling Banjos”.
Maisie couldn’t help it. She burst out laughing. It was the best part of the day so far.
The woman next to her narrowed her eyes. The elderly lady turned and winked. ‘Apt eh?’
‘Perfect.’ Maisie turned back to the cashier, who was patiently waiting for her to notice she’d packed the rest of Maisie’s shopping into bags for her. ‘Sorry, I’m ready now.’
‘No worries. Looked a bit dicey for a while, eh?’ the cashier commented and winked. ‘That blonde one, she’s a nippy sweetie as my Scottish gran would say. Never has a smile or a thank you for any of us. Not even Jessie when she ran after her to give her the bagful she’s left. Ah well, as Jessie said, she won’t bother if there’s a next time.’
‘I bet not.’ Maisie smiled, and thanked the cheerful cashier for doing all the hard work. Maisie would be the first person to admit she hated packing bags as much as putting the shopping away. Time to go home and drink her weak tea. And attend to her even weaker bladder.
Oh, the joys.
Bryony collared her as soon as she arrived for lunch the next day. ‘We need to talk. Theo’s napping, we have the garden to ourselves for a while. Right, spill the beans. Why do you look how I feel?’
‘How is that?’ Maisie asked carefully as she lowered herself into a deckchair and remembered how Lottie had recovered them all a few years ago. At least there was no chance of either of them falling through the seat, which had happened before Lottie’s ministrations. ‘Tired?’
‘Pregnan…’
Maisie blanched and got goosebumps. ‘Er…’
‘Oh God, you are, aren’t you?’ Bryony spluttered. ‘Oh, my poor love. Have you told Stanley? When’s it due, are you, course you are, and…’
Maisie shut her up by putting a hand firmly over her mouth. ‘Yes, yes, he’s not interested, mid to end of April and well, not to put too fine a point on it, not sure if Stanley is the father. I had my fling within a week of last sex with Stan.’ There she’d said it. ‘Tricky eh?’
Bryony flopped onto a chair. ‘Oh dear.’
‘Master of the understatement, Bry, you can say that again. What a mess, especially as I have no idea how to contact the potential father. Anyway, I can’t involve him. I’m actually happy about Stanley’s lack of interest, and somehow, I’ll get there and get on. As long as pretty please I can ask you to be my birth partner, hold my hand and let me cuss. And lend me a tent to wear when I can’t get into anything else.’
‘Well duh.’ Bryony hugged her. ‘Though my maternity wear is not tent-like. And, worry not, you’ve got me and Dario, and Theo of course, with you on this however you want us.’
That was one hurdle over. ‘Don’t tell Dario yet, please. Not until I’ve had my scan and got everything confirmed as A-Okay.’
‘Of course not. But he’s quite observant and used to pregnancy ickiness. If you carry on the way I go, he’ll guess. Especially if we race each other to the loo at the once loved aroma of freshly brewed coffee, or the never liked but dislike even more stink of cooked cheese on toast.’
Maisie felt sick at the thought. ‘Urgh, no, not that.’ Why was it she loved cheese ‘as it came’ but not cooked in anyway. Except on a pizza. The convolutedness of likes and dislikes. ‘So, what’s for lunch?’
‘Lamb and all the trimmings. With gluten free mint sauce. As in mint from the garden and spirit vinegar. Cooked by my lord and master when he gets back from church. I’ve made the pudding.’ She winked. ‘Eton mess, gone heavy on the meringue.’
Maisie salivated. Thank goodness she hadn’t lost her appetite for lamb. ‘Nice. Your husband’s culinary talents are much appreciated.’
Bryony laughed. ‘Not just by us either. Now he’s sorted his latest book out and sent it off he’s ready to be sociable and give me a break from cooking what I can cope with and not throw up. Poor sod is dying for a curry. He’s going to invite Rik to join us. I suggested they went for that curry, but Dario said the poor bloke would love a home cooked meal, and so could we invite him. My beloved, bless him offered to do the cooking, and the washing up. I really still can’t stomach dirty plates. Evidently Rik almost took Dario’s hand off when he offered. Dario got the impression Rik had had a fair few offers, not all for just a meal, and mainly from the female part of the area. Hot bod.’ She rolled her eye and patted her heart. ‘Single.’
‘If he’s as hot and single like you say he is, I can imagine. Rik you said?’ Maisie queried. It was a new name to her. ‘Someone new to the area?’ Dario and Bryony were good about making people welcome.
‘Rik the Vic. Our new vicar. You know Jason had to go north cos his dad died, and his mum is struggling? He’s changing to an Episcopalian church on Skye. We got Rik. Only been here a week or so, and not really had time to do much more that move in and write his sermon. Which Dario reckons he is ace at. You’d meet him soon, I reckon, through school.’
Maisie nodded. ‘We’ve got a harvest festival coming up. I’ve got a note to contact him asap. Dario told me to hold fire until someone was appointed. Didn’t know anyone had.’ Even though the school wasn’t C of E, some services were held in the church for those who wanted to go—or whose parents agreed. Harvest festival, Christmas, Easter. Diwali was covered by the local Hindi priest, and the Rabbi popped in and so on.
‘Last couple of days. Dario was going to tell you all about it today. Even better now you’ll meet Rik. He’ll know more of what’s going on.’
Maisie nodded. She’d got the basics, but it was always good to get that little bit more information. No doubt if she’d asked at school, Liz would have taken great delight in getting a dig in about how she knew all the ins and outs and Maisie didn’t. Now, Maisie thought, with an inward grin, she could be the one to impart whatever when it was the appropriate time.
‘What’s that smug look for?’ Bryony asked. ‘You look decidedly pleased with yourself.’
Maisie high fived her. ‘More like decidedly pleased I have you to pepper with questions. I was just thinking of dear Liz’s face when I’m the one to say what’s happening, instead of being in un-blissful ignorance.’
‘Is she being obnoxious and uncooperative?’ Bryony sounded worried. ‘Do you need to tell anyone?’
‘Not so much obnoxious and uncooperative as not overly helpful,’ Maisie said. ‘I can cope. She’d love me to forget something and be able to do her, ‘of course a local would know this’, crap. I’m trying not to pull rank too much, but I’m not too far away from reminding her very forcefully that being a local doesn’t help if you’re not good enough for the job.’ She grimaced. ‘Except that would just add to her list of grievances. God help me when she discovers I’m pregnant. She’ll be wishing we had a moral turpitude clause in our contracts.’
‘True enough and no need to tell her until you have to. Though why you should have to I have no idea. She’s not involved.’
‘True, but I can hear her, the witches and Faye already. They’ll dine out on the info for weeks. Single, head teacher and pregnant with no father to be around. Argh.’
Bryony chuckled. ‘If they’re talking about you, they’re not talking about someone it would bother. You, my dear, will not give a damn. I won’t let you.’
‘I won’t let me either. Well,’ Maisie amended. ‘I’ll try not to.’
‘Good on you. Now, you’ll meet Rik and you can ask him what you need to do for harvest festival and all that. Last year it was very basic, go and sing ‘we plough the fields and scatter’, put an apple or a bunch of chrysanths on the alter, say a prayer and that was it. Maybe this year you can put a bit more effort into it. You know, decorate the pews or something. I’ll help, and I bet Lottie will. She’s great at all things artistic. Now she has the chan
ce.’ Lottie’s ex-husband hadn’t been very encouraging about her arts and crafts. Gibb was.
‘It’ll depend on the vicar, won’t it? What’s he really like, honestly?’
Bryony rolled her eyes, patted her heart and sighed. ‘Every woman’s, except me of course, wet dream. Tall, dark, and handsome. Blue eyes that crinkle up at the corners and a body to drool over. He looks at you as if you’re the only person around. According to Dario, the number of women in the congregation has gone up by half as many again. All to look at his baby blues and beautilicious bum.’
Maisie spluttered. ‘Bryony Monk. And you a pregnant, happily married woman.’
‘Yup. With good eyesight. Not that I think anyone can beat Dario in the bum department, but I’m biased as it’s me that gets to ogle it openly and pat it. Anyway, let my heart slow down. Two minutes and you can see for yourself.’ There was the noise of a vehicle coming down the track. ‘I bet that’s them now.’
Maisie ran her fingers through her hair and checked she had no Theo stains on her elastic waisted trousers and loose blouse. They weren’t maternity clothes—not needed yet, although her favourite jeans had given up the idea of waist button in hole the previous day—but comfy and great for hiding the tiny- very tiny - bulge she was convinced was there. She might appear on the peely-wally side and need some blusher, her hair could do with a trim and her nails wanted a good manicure but she could at least be presentable. She sat up straighter in her chair and cleared her throat.
‘How long before I need pulling out of this thing?’ she asked Bryony as Bryony did a shimmy and a shuffle to get to her feet.
Bryony laughed as Dario drove his car into the drive. ‘About three months, but then it’ll be winter so not to worry.’ She held out her hand. ‘Get up now if you want and help me get the drinks…ah alcohol?’
Maisie shook her head as she wobbled upright. The deck chairs weren’t easy to get out of at the best of times. She, Bryony, Maddie and Lottie had an ongoing game of who showed less of their knickers doing it. So far Maisie had been in the lead but in her present condition, she’d hazard a guess that wouldn’t last long. ‘I’ll keep you company. Say it’s a sympathy abstention.’
That should work. Right then, come and be introd…Mai?’
Maisie made a choking noise. Bryony whirled around and clutched her arm so hard Maisie winced. Bryony didn’t know her own strength sometimes.
‘Maisie, are you okay?’
She bit her lip so hard she tasted blood. What would it do if she broke into the hysterics she had to battle to hold back? ‘That’s debateable. Oh hell.’
She did know the man who walked towards them with Dario. The one who’d taken his sunglasses off and stared at her as if his eyes deceived him.
The one in the well-worn denims, dark grey shirt… and a gleaming white dog collar.
‘That’s the vicar?’
‘Yeah, why? Rik, meet my best mate Maisie MacLean. She’s the new head teacher at the primary school.’
‘Hi,’ Maisie said faintly. ‘Rik.’ Had she got away with it? Showed Bryony and Dario that actually she didn’t know him, and wasn’t over interested? She hoped so. ‘Pleased to meet you.’ Not.
His eyes narrowed and he shrugged as he held out his hand and she shook it automatically. ‘Cameron Rickards. Known by friends as Rik. To rhyme with vic. And you are Maisie MacLean. Nice to know your name. I’ve heard a lot about you.’
Dario raised his eyebrows. Bryony appeared puzzled by the tone of his voice.
Maisie swallowed. Little black dots danced in front of her eyes.
She did the one thing she’d tried to avoid. She fainted.
Chapter Seven
When she came round she was stretched out on the living room settee, her feet higher than her head and a cold compress on her forehead.
‘I told you it was daft to sit outside with an incipient migraine,’ Bryony said in a voice that informed Maisie that was the line they were going to take. ‘Now maybe you’ll listen to me.’
Maisie struggled to sit up and was pushed firmly back down. ‘Yes Mum, but I’m feeling better now, and I’m hungry.’ On cue her tummy rumbled. ‘I’m sure that’s half the problem.’
‘If you say so. You did take medication, didn’t you?’
About to say no, not without checking it was okay for pregnant women, Bryony’s ferocious frown warned her where she was. ‘I did, and it’s now working. Sorry to be a pain. I could just do with a glass of water.’ She managed what she imagined was a wan smile. ‘And my dinner.’
Dinner’s ready when you are,’ Dario came into the room with a glass of water and some paracetamol. ‘Do you need these?’
‘Just the water, thanks.’ And a hole to hide in.
Behind Dario, Cam-Rik hovered, and he gave the impression of a man who wanted answers and was determined to get them.
Now she had to decided how many to give him.
In the end, not many. He’d offered to walk her home, ‘as we both go the same way’, and ignoring Bryony’s knowing grin Maisie nodded. ‘Why not.’ Of course, she could think of a million reasons why not, but non that were repeatable, or really feasible.
He waited until they were out of earshot of the Monks. ‘Lovely family.’
Maisie nodded. ‘Yeah, they are lucky, not every relationship works out like theirs.’
Cam gave her a strange glance. ‘No point in skirting around it. I guess you had your reasons for creeping out like a thief in the night, so I won’t pry unless you want to share. Then I’m all ears,’ Cam said as they walked up the lane and over the railway bridge as the London express rattled by underneath and made the ground shake. ‘But I woke up and wished you hadn’t.’
Maisie bit her lip. ‘I thought it best. I was moving the next day and well… oh I dunno, it was bloody great sex, and I was embarrassed, I guess.’
‘You needn’t have been. I enjoyed it as much as you. We both went into it with our eyes open.’
‘Maybe, but Lord...ah sorry, I mean… sod it, stop laughing at me. I keep forgetting you’re a vicar and some of my cuss words aren’t appropriate.’
‘I won’t excommunicate you or whatever. Stop worrying. At least we know each other.’ He paused for effect. ‘Rather well in some ways.’
She punched him on the shoulder as he roared with laughter as she put her tongue out at him. ‘Easy for you to say, Cam, or is it Rik? I’d never done anything like that before, and I had no idea of the etiquette involved.’
‘Either name will serve. Nor me. Want to do it again?’
‘Ye…’ What? ‘No of course not, you’re the vicar.’ Vicars don’t behave like that.
‘I’m a man as well. One who fancies you. And now I’ve had you, want you again.’
‘But…’ This open honesty was something new. Nice, but new. And a bloody inconvenience. Maisie was aware she wasn’t comfortable with it. Not until she sorted her thoughts - and her future - out.
‘But. Horrible word,’ Cam remarked. ‘So, shall we take it step by step?
How to answer that?
Step by step? And by the way how do you feel about maybe being a father? She decided she couldn’t be too antagonistic, that would be a sure-fire way for questions—that she had no idea how to answer—to be asked.
‘Why not?’ If she had to make excuses why to renege, she would.
He grinned and she smiled back.
‘Good. What shall we do for harvest festival?’
****
A few days later Maisie ventured next door to see what was in the new to you section of the craft shop. She hoped to find some nice non maternity floaty stuff to keep her going for a month or two.
Not quite three months pregnant and getting rounder.
Maddie grinned as she entered. ‘Yee haa, I wondered if I’d see you. How’s it going?’
‘Well at least I know where my undies are and the tea caddy, so that’s a start. The small one egg pan’s location is still a mystery, as is that of my
left slipper.’
Maddie guffawed. She had a large hooting laugh, which was so at odds with her tiny frame. ‘No commando for you, eh? Perhaps not the image the new head should present, especially on a breezy day. Looking for a suit?’
‘Oh sheesh, no. Those thoughts make me go hot cold and hot again. Seriously though it’s a tiny space and I still worry I won’t find essentials.’ She sighed and rolled her eyes. ‘If they want me in smart skirts to project what I’m sure some people think is a head like attitude, they’ll have a long wait. I’ll wear what I’m happy in and they’ll get used to me, eventually. What I want is a rummage upstairs.’ That was the new to you bit, called Effervescence, just because everyone liked the name.
‘Feel free,’ Maddie said cheerfully. ‘It’s almost closing so with luck you won’t be disturbed. I’m come up and add my ten pennorth as soon as I lock the door.’
Maisie went through the racks of clothes in her size and pounced on things with glee. There were some fantastic bargains. Someone with more money than sense must have had a clear out, as several things still had the original tags on. Or they died, or did a runner, or shoplifted or… shut up now.
Fifteen minutes later with three floaty dresses and an elasticated waist skirt she’d tried on, a couple of scarves and a brand new—or so it seemed—pair of Christian Louboutin ballet flats, Maisie was about to descend the stairs when she heard a familiar voice. She bit back a groan. Sods Law had hit.
‘So, I see she’s moved in good and proper. Sacrilege, my cousin should have got the job not some incomer.’ There was an audible sniff. Maisie could picture the scene. ‘Friend of Bryony Monk so I guess it was a shoe in. Terrible.’
‘If you think so Faye,’ Maddie said politely, ‘then you complain, but I assure you, Dario had no say in the choice at all. He was there purely to advise if requested to do so, and to show anyone around the school if they needed it. And yes, I know only one person needed it. Just accept that Liz wasn’t the right person for the job. And if you want me to be really snarky, remember the expression familiarity breeds contempt.’