‘Bye to you, Ted, and I’d have given you that pear if you’d asked.’
Ted blushed. ‘Sorry.’ He went to take it out of his bag.
‘Don’t bother, but don’t do it again.’
Jimbo wasn’t quite sure how to greet Bel when she came to work after finishing at the school. But she came in with her usual cheerful greeting and made it difficult to broach the subject.
‘Morning all. Isn’t it bright and sunny today? We’d better make the best of it while we can. What would you like me to start on this morning Mr Charter-P?’
Linda behind her post office grille felt full of pity for Bel. Such a nice person she was, blasted shame she was having to put up with all this from Dicky. She’d seen the message in the lane, couldn’t help it, plain as day from their bedroom window it had been. She’d watched poor Bel start scrubbing away but then the baby had wanted attention and she’d had to press on. And here she was cheerful as ninepence, as if nothing had happened. She’d kill her Alan if he ever did anything so blatantly obvious. Come to think about it she’d kill him if he even so much as looked at another woman never mind advertised it. Linda called across, ‘Good morning, Bel. My stationery shelves could do with filling up, there’s quite a few gaps.’
Jimbo rounded on her. ‘Those shelves are your responsibility, Linda, not Bel’s, she has quite enough on her plate at the moment. You’ve no customers so kindly attend to them now if you please. Bel, start shelf filling in the groceries will you, I’ve an appointment in half an hour and I’ll need you to be on the till while I’m out. OK?’ Jimbo looked at Bel and studied her face for a moment but her guard never slipped, and he had to let the moment pass.
At a quarter to ten, only fifteen minutes after Bel had come to start work the door banged open and in came Bryn. His appearance in the Store was very unusual in itself for it was always Georgie who shopped, never Bryn. Linda was glad Jimbo hadn’t left yet for she rather suspected that by the look of him Bryn might possibly be quite furious; his face was purple and there were beads of sweat on his forehead, and his fists were clenched, and he was positively grinding his teeth.
Straightening up from filling the gaps on the bottom shelf with packets of envelopes, she said the first thing that came into her head. ‘Good morning, Mr Fields. Has something upset you, you don’t look well.’ He was towering over her and as a precaution Linda stepped back a little. ‘Is there something I can get you?’
Through clenched teeth and in a tightly controlled voice he said, ‘Bel Tutt in?’
‘Could be.’
‘Either she is or she isn’t. Well?’ As though on cue Bel came through from the back with a clip board in her hand. The moment she saw Bryn she began to retreat. ‘I want a word with you! Come back here!’
Bel hovered in the doorway seemingly unable to make up her mind as to what she should do. In the background she could hear Jimbo on the telephone and Mrs Jones in the mail-order office furiously stapling things together as though there was no tomorrow. She could see Linda beside Bryn looking frightened and beginning to back off towards the outside door.
Bel took a deep breath. ‘There’s a little word you’ve forgotten.’
There was a moment’s silence and then Bryn said ‘Please.’
Slowly Bel moved forward and went to stand beside the till. She rested a hand on the counter as though for support and waited.
‘Have you seen what’s been chalked on the road outside my pub?’
‘No.’
‘I love Georgie. that’s what. I … love … Georgie.’
‘I didn’t do it.’
‘I don’t suppose for one minute you did. But your Dicky did.’
‘Did he?’
‘You know damn well he did. I’m up to here.’ Bryn stepped towards Bel and tapped the edge of his hand on his forehead ‘up to here, with your Dicky. I’ve banned him from the pub but still he’s getting at me. Tell him from me’ – Bryn stabbed at his chest with his finger – ‘if this tomfoolery doesn’t stop I shall have him. God help me I will. I’ll have him and I’ll squeeze him till there’s not a drop of breath left in his stunted little body. Right!’ He wrung his hands together as though they were around Dicky’s throat.
‘I’ll give him your message.’
‘If you don’t, I shall. He’s to leave my Georgie alone. Alone! Right? Or else as God is my judge, I’ll see there’s an end to him.’
‘Right.’
‘You can also tell your Tom Thumb from me that’s he’s a pipsqueak, he’s a stunted, undersized, blasted little squirt. A dwarf.’ Bryn paused for breath searching for the most damaging thing he could say without committing a total breach of etiquette. ‘A bloody evil little dwarf.’
By the time Bryn had finished this speech he had an audience of Mrs Jones, Jimbo, two assistants from the kitchens, Harriet, Linda and Grandmama. She’d come in halfway through the tirade and been standing listening open-mouthed to what he was saying. As he moved to leave she stepped forward and blocked his way out. In her most superior voice she upbraided him for his outburst.
‘My man, have you given one moment’s thought as to how Bel must be feeling? She too is an injured party, you know, just as much as you. Your behaviour is most reprehensible, you should be ashamed of yourself. Have you ever given a thought as to why Georgie appears to find Dicky so fascinating? Or indeed as to why Dicky finds Georgie so engaging? Have you given it your earnest consideration? Oh no! I don’t expect you have. Foolish man. Go home and think about it. And don’t march in here laying down the law ever again. These are business premises not a fairground boxing ring. Such language! Venting your spleen on Bel in this way. It’s absolutely disgraceful! Now, get out!’
She opened the door and waited for him to leave. Which he did, but not without throwing a fevered glance at Bel as he left and saying to Grandmama, ‘And you, Duchess, are an interfering old hen,’ before he slammed the door behind him. There was a stunned silence as the Store reverberated with the sound of the door slamming.
The first to recover was Grandmama. She brushed her gloved hands together as though ridding herself of something thoroughly unpleasant and looking round at everyone she smiled. ‘Well, now, is anyone serving in here this morning or not? I want notepaper and envelopes and a tub of single cream, for I’ve someone coming for coffee. Chop, chop! Bel go in the back and get Jimbo to give you a brandy out of bis first aid box. You look as though you need it. Good morning, Harriet.’
‘Good morning to you.’
Slowly everyone resumed their places, Mrs Jones went back to her mail-order office full of admiration for the dignified manner in which Grandmama had dealt with the situation, it took class it did to give a dressing down like that, class, nothing less. Linda to the bottom stationery shelf for notepaper and envelopes, careful to choose the most expensive she could find. Bel, white and trembling, disappeared with Jimbo in her wake. Harriet went to the chilled shelves for the cream.
‘My word, Mother-in-law, you certainly gave him what for. I have never in all the time he’s been here known him explode like that. Things must be serious for him to behave like that.’
‘They are, Harriet, they are.’
‘You know?’
‘I do. that’s fine, Linda. Thank you. In very good taste, I must say. Tot it up for me, Harriet, I’m in a hurry. I’ve Muriel coming for coffee.’
‘Indeed. I thought you two weren’t exactly … you know … friends.’
Grandmama looked uncomfortable. ‘There’s been a slight hiccough which I intend to paper over today. That doesn’t sound quite right but you know what I mean. Thank you, my dear. See you soon.’
Grandmama left feeling well satisfied with her morning’s work. Now all she had to do was butter up Muriel and then all would be right with her world. There was nothing quite like a demonstration of power to make one feel … what was the phrase she was after? Cock of the dung heap? Oh dear no, that wasn’t it. Ten years younger? On top of the world? She’d think it ov
er while she got the coffee things out. Pity she’d no family silver to bring out, but there you couldn’t have everything.
After taking coffee Muriel went home to lunch very amused by Grandmama’s attempts to apologise for her loss of temper and for spreading the rumour about Caroline. She, Grandmama, was a very proud woman and it must have cost her a lot to apologise so profusely. Muriel’s kind heart could do no other than accept graciously and they had parted the best of friends. At least on the surface, for Muriel was tempted to wait to see what other escapades Grandmama might get up to.
‘Ralph, my dear, have you heard?’
‘No, I don’t expect so.’
‘Oh there you are!’ Muriel stood in the doorway of his study and admired Ralph, his snow white, well barbered hair, his fresh complexion, his alert brown eyes and, to her, his wonderful aristocratic nose. ‘You grow more handsome each time I see you!’
‘Thank you, my dear. Is that the news? that Ralph Templeton grows more handsome every day?’
She laughed. ‘Of course not! that was an aside. No, Grandmama tells me that Bryn has been in the Store and told Bel off quite cruelly about Dicky, and I’ve just seen her crossing the road to school and said how sorry I was and that she was to ignore him and she said she was, but I said it must be very difficult and she said it was, so I said she’d have to put her foot down and she said you know Dicky so I said I do and he’s a very naughty boy so she said that’s just right that’s what he is so I said would she like you to have a talk with him and she said …’
‘Muriel!’ Ralph raised a hand in protest. ‘Muriel! I am not getting involved in someone else’s marital affairs. Please.’
Muriel looked quite crestfallen. ‘But, Ralph, he needs someone like you to …’
‘No, he does not.’
She went to stand beside him and putting an arm around his shoulders she bent to kiss the top of his head. ‘Please, my dear, someone has to do something and we can’t expect Peter to with Caroline so ill.’
‘I am not. Sorry. And kissing me won’t make one jot of difference.’
‘Oh Ralph! Please.’
‘No.’
‘Then I shall.’
‘I expressly forbid you to say anything at all, Muriel. Let them sort themselves out.’
‘Forbid me?’
‘I beg your pardon. Of course I don’t forbid, but please take my advice and keep out of it.’
‘How can we, the whole village is agog.’
‘Then agog they will have to be. It’s becoming quite sordid and I don’t want to have anything to do with it.’
‘You must admit though, Ralph, if they weren’t all married it would be a rather wonderful romance. Telling all the world about how your heart feels. So romantic, so … compelling. It’s like a film. A nineteen fifties film like Spring in Park Lane with Anna Neagle, or Brief Encounter with Trevor Howard, when there was romance and not simply sex.’ She sighed longingly.
‘Muriel?’ He put down his pen and resting his elbows on the desk studied her face. ‘I do believe you like the idea of having messages left all over the village. Maybe I’m letting the romance in our marriage seep away through neglect. I shall have to think up something for you, maybe Dicky could give me some suggestions.’
Muriel blushed. ‘Oh no! not something like that. That would be too embarrassing.’
‘Then beware, my dear, if I discover you’ve been handing out advice to them all, I shall find a way of embarrassing you good and proper!’ Ralph chuckled at the consternation in Muriel’s face.
‘That’s blackmail!’
‘Indeed it is. But I shall, you may take my word for it.’
‘Ralph!’ She sped away into the kitchen quite overcome by Ralph’s teasing.
But the opportunity to speak to Dicky came the following evening and Muriel couldn’t resist the chance. She’d been busy all day and it was dark before she got an opportunity to call at the rectory with a cake which she hoped in some small way might help Sylvia. It was she who came to the door when Muriel rang the bell.
‘Good evening, Sylvia. I’ve brought a coconut cake, thought it might help.’
‘Thank you very much indeed. I really appreciate that. Coconut, lovely!’
‘What’s the news today?’
‘A big improvement. We’re all feeling much happier. She’s out of bed and she’s beginning to be more like herself.’
‘I’m so glad. He’s with her tonight?’
‘No, he’s presenting the prizes at the Guides’ annual whatever.’ Sylvia turned as she heard the study door close. It was Dicky with an envelope in his hand. ‘Got what you wanted?’
‘Yes, thanks. He’d left it out for me, like he said. Tell the Rector I’ll get it back to him before the end of the week. Oh, good evening, Lady Templeton.’
‘Good evening, Dicky. I’ll say good night then.’
‘Thanks for the cake, save me baking tomorrow.’
‘Good, I’m glad.’
Dicky and Muriel stepped out of the rectory together and the opportunity couldn’t be missed. Before they left the pool of light cast by the lamp over the rectory door, Muriel cleared her throat and took the plunge.
‘Could I have a word, Dicky?’
‘Of course. Can’t be long though, I’ve got Venture Scouts in ten minutes.’
‘Oh, it won’t take long. I had a word with Bel yesterday, I feel very upset for her.’ Dicky, the same height as herself, looked straight into her eyes without answering. Muriel grew uncomfortable, and she wished she’d never begun the conversation at all, she really should have listened to Ralph’s advice. But she had to say it. Just had to. ‘I can quite understand about you being captivated by Georgie, totally understand it, she’s a very attractive person and I know it can be difficult when they’re the light of your life and your feelings overwhelm you and you feel quite helpless and ... I ... I don’t mean to interfere, but it’s not right what you’re doing.’
‘Not right? Not right to be in love?’
‘Well, no, I can’t say it’s not right to be in love, we shouldn’t turn our faces against love at any time, but you shouldn’t be should you? In love, well, not with Georgie.’
‘Does love ask for your credentials before it strikes?’
‘Oh no, of course not. No, it doesn’t, but …’
‘“But”, Exactly. I can’t help it.’
‘All the world doesn’t need to know, though, does it? You don’t have to advertise the fact do you?’
‘What else can I do when it’s bubbling out of me? I’ve been well and truly clobbered by her and I can’t think of anything else.’
‘But your reputation. Think of that.’
Dicky gazed up the road, thought for a moment and then said very quietly, ‘I don’t care one jot for my reputation, not one jot. I love her and that’s all there is to it.’
‘Then at the very least you could think of Bel, think how it must be for her. I felt truly sorry when I heard what Bryn said to her in the Store yesterday, she must be feeling it very deeply. Often, you see, the cheerful, happy people are the very ones who hurt the most. So it’s Bel I feel the most concerned for, after all, she is your legal wife. You should think of her, first and foremost.’
Dicky didn’t answer immediately, he first looked deep into her eyes. He appeared to be weighing up if whether what he was about to say would be a good idea or not. He patted her arm and said ‘The word “legal” isn’t in the equation at all, so there’s no need for you to worry yourself about Bel. Good night to you, Lady Templeton.’
Chapter 12
Peter had kept Caroline up to date with all the village news so when she came home ten days later there wasn’t a great deal she didn’t know. Except, of course, no one knew what had passed between Muriel and Dicky the previous Tuesday night. Sylvia went to collect the children from school and the first words they said to her were ‘Is Mummy home?’
‘She is.’
The two of them raced across the p
layground towards the gate.
‘No! No! Mind the road!’ Fortunately Miss Booth was by the gate and she stopped the two of them from leaving.
‘Oh, thank you, Miss Booth. They’re so excited, the Doctor came home this afternoon, you see, and they can’t wait.’
‘I know! They’ve talked of nothing else all day. I am pleased.’ Miss Booth patted their heads. ‘She will be happy to see you both.’
Beth nodded her head in agreement. ‘We’ve been to see her in hospital but I didn’t like that. I don’t like hospitals. Come on, Sylvie, be quick!’
‘We’ve got to cross the road properly, Beth, no matter what. Hold my hands. You as well Alex.’
Alex urged her to hurry.
They burst in through the rectory door shouting ‘Mummy! Mummy!’
‘In the sitting-room.’ Alex rushed in and flung himself upon her and hugged her but Beth stood outside the door peeping round it watching Alex greet Caroline. ‘Where’s my Beth? I’m in here, darling.’
Very slowly Beth walked into the room and stood looking at her mother. Caroline spread her arms wide and said ‘Come here, my darling.’
Beth unable to cope with the emotion she felt on seeing Caroline at home at last, fled to the kitchen to find Sylvia. But it was Peter who was making a drink for them all.
‘Why, Beth darling, what is the matter?’ he scooped her up into his arms and her chubby little arms squeezed his neck so tightly he could scarcely breathe. Her hot tears prickled onto his neck. He felt the cold of her cheeks and inhaled the fragrance of her hair, and hugged her close.
‘Dearest child, Mummy’s home now and quite safe. Come and say hello.’
‘I can’t, it hurts.’
‘Where does it hurt?’
‘I dunk it’s in my heart, I think it’s going to burst.’
‘No, it isn’t. What you need is Mummy to give you a hug, that will mend your heart. We’ll go in there together.’
‘Does your heart want to burst, Daddy?’
‘Oh yes. It does.’ He carried her through into the sitting-room and placed her on the sofa next to Caroline. ‘There we are. You hug Mummy, that’ll make it feel better.’
Scandal in the Village Page 12