Peter went into the hall.
‘Oh, you’re back, sir. Thought it was you forgotten your key. Will you see who it is?’
For the first time in his ministry Peter decided to ignore what might be a call for his help. ‘No. Ignore it. Go back to bed, it’s half past one. Whoever it is can wait till tomorrow. Thank you.’
Willie turned back and climbed the stairs. Peter went to the sitting room window and moved the curtain slightly so he could see clearly. He could just make out Hugo’s silhouette walking away down the road back to Jimbo’s. ‘Whoever it is has gone away.’
‘It would be him coming to apologise. Full of remorse. I can’t bear to take any more of his sweet talk. Never any more of it. I must have been the only one completely taken in by it. Perhaps I needed to be taken in, needed to believe he loved me. It was so … let’s face it, it was so flattering. It inflated my ego, boosted my morale, gave me such a kick. What a fool I’ve been!’
Peter shook his head. ‘Don’t, don’t. You’re being too hard on yourself.’
‘Not hard enough. To think I nearly threw everything away, everything … You. Alex. Beth. When I think of their distress if I’d gone, I can hardly believe I could even think of putting their happiness in such jeopardy.’ She was looking down at her hands, twisting them together back and forth in her lap when she said this, so she didn’t see the searing pain in Peter’s face.
She raised her eyes and looked straight at him. ‘Because of my job I thought I knew the human race, but I don’t. I’m an amateur, a complete amateur. You’re streets ahead of me in that. I’ve made an utter fool of myself. I wish he’d never come here. The damage he’s done!’
‘He’s done some good too, you know.’
Scathingly Caroline asked, ‘Such as?’
‘He’s made Venetia, for one, think about herself and her lifestyle and made her put Jeremy first. He’s brought Mrs Jones to heel; she had far too much pride, far too much self-importance. Mr Fitch has been humbled and about time, too: he’s almost sick with worry about Jeremy. Vera’s struck out for a better life for herself all because of her disappointment over the costumes. Don has learned Vera’s value to him, to the extent that he is most probably going to do as she wants. People working on the estate have had a salutary lesson, which was sorely needed, about appropriating estate property. I’m also completely certain that Sylvia will be back. It might take a week or so, but she will. And when she is back, your regard for each other will be strengthened not diminished. And look at the cast of the play! Who would have thought that Rhett and Neville could act like they did? Superbly too! Their lives will never be the same again. So, in a way, the village is a better place for him having been here.’ He smiled at her, one of his gentle encouraging smiles: full of strength and support.
She was silent for a while, then raised her eyes to his, and with a voice clearly at breaking point, asked, ‘How can you ever want me back?’ Having dared to ask the question uppermost in her mind Caroline began to cry. It was like a storm breaking. Peter daren’t even touch her in case his embrace would be unwelcome, so he sat on the rug waiting. She howled like an injured animal caught in a trap, desperate with pain, and it cut his heart to pieces, but he knew he must wait for her; for her to show her need of him. Wait and wait for her.
He heard Willie creeping down the stairs. He came to stand in the doorway, clutching his clothes, and signalled he was going home for the rest of the night. Peter nodded. ‘Goodnight and thanks. See you in the morning.’
Willie nodded towards Caroline. ‘She’ll see things straighter tomorrow.’
‘I know. I know.’
It was fully ten minutes before Caroline held out her arms and begged him to hold her. The time he’d sat waiting for her to ask for his help was the most tortured he had ever known.
‘Oh Peter! I’m so sorry! Can you ever forgive me for what I’ve done to you?’
‘There’s nothing to forgive.’
‘Where would I be without you?’
‘My darling! You won’t ever need to be without me.’
Turnham Malpas Amateur
Dramatic Society
presents
DARK
RAPTURE
by
Digby Clarke-Johnson
on
Friday 10th and Saturday 11th July
in
ST THOMAS’ CHURCH HALL
at
7.30 prompt
Tickets £5 including refreshments
Concessions £4
CAST
Marian Latimer
Caroline Harris
Charles Latimer
Neville Neal
Julian Latimer
Rhett Wright
Daisy Latimer
Michelle Jones
Leonard Chatteris
Hugo St John Maude
Doris Jackson
Liz Neal
Celia Tomkinson
Harriet Charter-Plackett
Produced and directed by
Hugo St John Maude
The action of the play takes place
in the drawing room of Rocombe Manor,
home of the Latimers.
ACT ONE
Scene l
A summer morning
Scene 2
The following evening
Refreshments will be served in the interval
ACT TWO
Scene 1
Sunday morning four weeks later
Scene 2
The same evening
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The Society wishes to thank all those who have contributed in any way towards the production of this play. Most especially our thanks go to Mr Craddock Fitch, our President, without whose enthusiastic support this play would not have been presented.
Stage Manager Dean Jones
Lighting Willie Biggs
Scenery Barry Jones and Ronald Bissett
Costume Greta Jones
Flowers Sheila Bissett
Music Dora Peel
Publicity Anne Parkin
Sound effects Barry Jones
Box office Anne Parkin
Refreshments Charter-Plackett Enterprises
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AN ORION EBOOK
First published in Great Britain in 1999 by Orion.
This ebook first published in 2010 by Orion Books.
Copyright © Rebecca Shaw 1999
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Village Gossip Page 25