‘You mean they don’t own it?’
‘No, they pay a small rent each year to the family solicitor, something like twenty-five pounds. A kind of token. It’s been twenty-five pounds all these years.’
‘I see. That must be galling for Arthur. Very galling. Working hard and yet never his own. I expect he must have in his blood what you have in yours, a deep-seated satisfaction from owning land.’
‘Yes, I think perhaps you could be right there.’
‘Ralph, it seems odd they were given a farm so close to the village.’
‘Well, at the time, being almost in Little Derehams was a long way away.’
‘Yes, of course, it would be almost an hour’s walk away, far enough I suppose. No one knew then that Turnham Malpas would become the centre of things, having the only church and the only school and the only Store, because they had their own then, didn’t they? Actually, I’m beginning to feel quite sorry for Arthur.’
Ralph stood up and leant over her to kiss her cheek. ‘You have a kind heart, my dear. A very kind heart, and I love you for it. Now I’m going to see Arthur to give him a piece of my mind. I’ll teach him to meddle in my affairs. Who the devil does he think he is?’
Muriel ran after him down the garden path. ‘Please, Ralph, don’t be hasty, dear, come back in and we’ll talk about it some more.’
‘No, my dear, I’m going. Shan’t be long.’ She watched him back the Mercedes out of the garage and roar off down Pipe and Nook Lane, far faster than was safe. She ran through the house again and out of the front door signalling him to stop, but he raced past the front of the house ignoring her shouts.
He’d never been to the Prior’s farm in all his life. Delicacy forbade it. But there it was, ‘Prior’s Farm’ painted on a smart swinging board at the entrance, He turned right and slowly made his way up the well-tended farm lane into the yard.
Even the best run farms usually have old equipment lying about, or hay scattered around the yard, but not here. Everywhere was immaculate. Except for the distant mooing of cows, it was almost impossible to imagine that a real live working farm was being run there. Every piece of woodwork was smartly painted, every door hung straight, beside each door were half barrels painted and filled with flowers. A sheepdog came goodnaturedly up to him, wagging its tail. He bent to pat its head.
A curtain moved slightly; someone was watching them. He rang the door bell. No one answered, but Ralph heard footsteps approaching from behind.
‘Yes, and what do you want? Come to view another of your properties, have you?’
Arthur Prior in corduroy trousers, matching cap and a plaid workman’s shirt, stood legs apart, arms folded, awaiting a reply. The two men faced each other. Both stockily built, both white haired, both with the long aristocratic nose of the Templetons and each utterly determined to have his own way.
‘No, I’ve come to see you.’
‘Well I’m here, fire away.’
‘I understand you have some travellers on your land.’
‘Did have.’
‘Right, did have. Was it you persuaded them to camp on the spare land during the night?’
‘Now, as if I’d do a thing like that to you.’
‘That’s not an answer.’
‘Maybe not, but it’s all you’re going to get.’
‘Some kind of joke, is it?’
‘What?’
‘Persuading them to move?’
‘Don’t know nothing about it. Got up this morning and lo and behold they’d gone. Couldn’t believe my eyes, I couldn’t.’
‘I bet.’
‘Betting man are you, then?’
‘Not specially.’
‘I’ll bet you a thousand pounds you won’t get houses built on that land.’
‘I wouldn’t allow you to lay such a bet when I know I shall win.’
‘You bloody well won’t win.’ Arthur stepped closer. He prodded Ralph’s lapel with his strong brown finger. ‘Not this time, Ralphie boy, not this time. You and your family have had it your own way round here for generations, but now it’s my turn.’
‘Houses to rent for country people is wrong, is it?’
‘You making money hand over fist is what’s wrong. You’ve enough money, what do you want more for? You’ll get planning permission, then sell the land, pocket the money and with a smile on your face like a Cheshire cat you’ll be off to some far distant shore with that new wife of yours to spend the proceeds, leaving us with the rabble to contend with.’
‘What I do is my affair. I don’t have to justify myself to you.’
‘Don’t you indeed! Arrogant, that’s what you are, arrogant. Want me to touch my forelock to you, like in the old days. Not me nor one of my sons will ever kowtow to you, Ralph Templeton, ever. So off my land . . .’
‘That’s the rub, isn’t it? It’s not your land, that’s why you’re taking this stand. The arrangement wasn’t of my making, you know, nor of yours.’
‘My father offered your father the money for this farm and he refused, refused to sell. Said it wasn’t his to sell, he only held it for his descendants, so we’re in a bind, aren’t we?’
‘I’m sorry, but, yes, you are. At the same time, you’re making a good living from it. However, I really came about the travellers. Obviously it was you got them to move. But don’t think this will stop me, nothing will. I’m determined to have my own way about those houses, and I will. Nothing will stop me. Nothing.’
‘And I shall dance on your grave, you’ll see, making money out of that land will be the end of you and yours, mark my words.’ Arthur shook his fist at Ralph. Ralph made a dismissive gesture and left fuming.
Muriel had spent the time he was away dodging from one pathetic occupation to another. Nothing she did was right, and worst of all she’d broken one of her mother’s china ornaments whilst she was dusting. It was of a small boy sitting on a tuffet with a bowl of soapy bubbles on his knee and a clay pipe almost falling out of his hand because he’d fallen asleep. She’d often wondered if her mother would have preferred a boy like this one, with his dark curls and his stubborn chin, instead of her. The sound of Ralph’s car pulling up outside made her jump.
She hurried to open the door.
‘Oh! Ralph! Are you all right? I’ve been so worried.’
‘It’s him, I knew it, as soon as I saw those – those travellers, I guessed. He won’t beat me you know, he won’t beat me, I’m determined to build those houses. The more he protests the more determined I shall become.’ He went to the whisky decanter and poured himself a double.
‘Oh Ralph dear, you don’t normally drink at this time in the morning, is it wise?’
‘I don’t know what is wise any more.’ Ralph went to sit at his desk, he put the glass down and said, ‘Ralphie, he called me, Ralphie! I could throttle him.’
‘Ralph, that’s not very kind.’
‘I don’t feel kind this morning. He’s deliberately persuaded those – those – people to move on to my land. Purposely to cause me annoyance.’
‘I’m sure it’s quite by chance . . .’
‘No, it’s not, they were on his back field until last night, and this morning they have mysteriously moved onto mine.’
Not having witnessed Ralph in such a temper before, Muriel didn’t know what to say next to calm him down. She flitted about the study wringing her hands. ‘Ralph, dear, don’t get too upset, I’m sure the police will sort it out eventually.’
‘Oh eventually yes, months and months they’ll take. It’s the aggravation of it all I don’t like. All we need is for the council to decide not to allow the application, and we shall be a laughing stock.’
‘How can they refuse?’
‘Because I agreed with you, and don’t misunderstand me, you were absolutely right. I didn’t let Neville Neal do his bit with the handouts to the appropriate councillors, so they’ll get their revenge by refusing out of spite.’
‘Well, what is to be, is to be. We shall j
ust have to accept it.’
‘The planning meeting is tonight, so we’ll soon know. Neville said he’d give that councillor he is supposed to have in his pocket a ring after the meeting and find out what went on.’
‘I didn’t think you’d let Neville have anything more to do with it after I was so cross that day.’
‘Oh, he’s clinging on, he’s wanting to invest in the project you see, tactfully suggested I might be overstretched and he could help. The cheek of the man!’
‘Will you be overstretched?’
‘We, my dear, we. You and I know that we only intend building at the most eight houses, but we’ve applied for twenty, on the basis that if we ask for more than we want, we might eventually be allowed the eight we intended, and honour will be satisfied on both sides. So if that is the case, yes, we can afford it.’
‘Ralph! How ingenious!’ She stood in front of his desk, her hands leaning on the top, and said quietly, ‘Do you think it might be possible to persuade the travellers to go without having to get the police in and everything get nasty? I saw some of the children, they do look in need of help, they really do. I would hate the thought of any of them getting hurt.’
‘What would you have in mind, my dear?’
‘Well, if Arthur Prior managed to get them to move, they must have moved for a very good reason. Do you suppose he gave them money? I can’t think of any other way they might move willingly, can you?’
‘Muriel! Now it’s your turn to be a genius. Of course, that’s the way. They’d have to move off first, then I’d give them the money and then we’d get someone to tip piles of earth at the entrance to stop the vehicles re-entering. Yes, how clever of you, my dear.’
‘There’s more than one way of skinning a cat, as my mother used to say.’
‘How right she was. How very right. We’d have to go about it very subtly. If we weren’t careful they’d agree to a sum and then haggle to get more and then more, and keep putting off the move. Yes, you’ve hit the nail on the head.’ Ralph spent the morning laying his plans.
When the local paper came out on Thursday, large headlines declared that the planning committee had refused permission for the twenty houses. There were many reasons given, among them that they feared houses would mean a severe encroachment on the green belt, and of course such a large number of houses would involve cutting down far too many trees, added to which the whole balance of the village would be upset and it might mean the overloading of the village school, et cetera, et cetera. There was a quote from Arthur Prior, saying how pleased he was that the houses would not be built, and that it was a victory for common sense. When the reporter had interviewed Ralph he had tried to aggravate him into being angry and saying more than he intended, but Ralph had simply said how disapppointed he was, and that he would be trying again for permission at the earliest possible moment. There was also a small paragraph mentioning that the travellers were intending wintering in their new quarters. He decided not to attend church that Sunday and he and Muriel went out for the day instead. So he wasn’t there to hear his telephone ring several times that day, and it was important too.
Chapter 17
Harriet had been awake with the baby since four am, so she was in no mood for the children playing up at breakfast time.
‘If you two boys don’t sit to the table by the time I’ve counted five I shall take steps.’
Flick was already seated, eating her cereal. ‘I’m going to school this morning, coming home for my lunch.’
‘Lovely darling, it’s entirely up to you, you know that, but don’t overdo things, will you? I’m counting! One, two, three, four . . . That’s better. Now be quiet and eat. I’ve had a horrendous night with Fran and I’m in no mood for silly boys. Here you are. Jimbo! Never mind the post, please darling, sit down and eat.’
‘Coming. God! I’m exhausted this morning. I’m sure Peter’s added another mile to our run and not told me.’
‘You exhausted? What were all the snores about then, around five o’clock?’
‘Snores? I don’t . . . I say look at this, an invite to dinner from old Fitch. Formal dress, two weeks on Friday. You know he asked me to cater for his special dinner party? Didn’t realise we’d be included. Can’t go. See to it, will you?’
‘Can’t go? Why not? Is that the night of the Freemasons’ do? No, it’s not, that’s the following Friday. Finlay! Please! Butter your toast on your plate not on the tablecloth. Thank you. So we can go.’
‘You know my rules.’
Harriet studied his reply for a moment. She knew his rules, but she’d been incarcerated with the family for four months now. With the baby, and with Flick needing so much care, she’d been absolutely nowhere at all. She needed, yes, desperately needed, to socialise.
‘If I got mother to . . .’
‘She won’t and I don’t want to leave Fran.’
‘Jimbo, at this particular moment in time I could leave Fran on the nearest available doorstep. I’ve had it where she’s concerned.’
Flick shrieked. ‘Don’t say that, please. She doesn’t mean it, does she Daddy?’
Fergus, impatient of his little sister creating such a crisis, said, ‘For heavens sake you know she doesn’t. Don’t be daft.’
Tears sprang to Flick’s eyes. Jimbo patted her head and said, ‘You know full well Mummy doesn’t mean it. She’s had a very bad night with Fran and she’s worn out. You boys can get moving and clear your own dishes away for once. We’ve all got to pull together when Mummy’s tired. I’ve got to get to the Store.’
He pushed his chair under the table and went to kiss Harriet. ‘Love you, darling. Politically it wouldn’t be good to refuse this invite, would it?’
‘No.’
‘Trouble is, if I go it would be like being on the rack, watching and not being able to jump in if things went wrong.’ Neither of them had realised that Sadie had let herself in the house and was standing in the doorway waiting for a gap in the conversation.
‘It’s me. What’s this invitation?’
Harriet explained.
‘No problem there. I haven’t received one, but then how can I? He doesn’t know I exist. So you go and I shall hold the fort behind the scenes and make sure everything goes according to plan. What could be simpler?’
Harriet immediately felt better, till she remembered they’d then have no one to sit in.
‘Ask Sylvia Biggs. She’s used to looking after the rectory twins, she’d be all right with Frances.’
‘Of course. Wonderful mother, you are. So resourceful.’
‘Yes, I am. I’m a wonderful mother-in-law too, am I not Jimbo?’ He went to kiss her, then said, ‘Look, all this kissing is not getting the Store open. I’m going.’
‘So am I. Shan’t be in this morning, Jimbo dear, got an appointment in Culworth with my hairdresser. My roots are showing. I insist upon a kiss from all my grandchildren. Come, children, kiss your grandmother, starting with the eldest.’
After they had dutifully kissed her the boys escaped without taking away their dishes, and Flick began painfully trying to do it for them.
Harriet protested. ‘No Flick, leave that. You’ve quite enough to do just getting ready for school. I’ll see to it all.’ Flick limped away. Once she was out of hearing Sadie said, ‘I do hope that limp isn’t going to be permanent.’
‘Mother! It’s only four months since the accident, they’re mightily impressed at the hospital. They think she’s doing brilliantly and so do we. Thanks for saving the day about the dinner, I’m dying to go.’
‘You would have all these children Harriet, one would have been quite sufficient considering the busy life you lead with the business. I told you so when Fergus was born, but oh no! Jimbo wanted a houseful because he’d known what it was like being an only one. But I can’t see that you’ve suffered very much from being an only child.’
Frances’ apologetic wail percolated into the kitchen. Sadie hastily picked up her bag. ‘I’m going o
r I shall be late, I’ve got the first appointment. Bye!’
During the morning Jimbo learned they were not the only ones to get an invitation. Peter came in with some messages for him and mentioned that he and Caroline had been invited.
‘Ah! Right. We have too. Harriet was thinking of asking Sylvia to sit in for us, Sadie can’t because she’s going to supervise for me while we play at being guests.’
‘Not to worry. Willie is very good, he’ll probably do it for us. The twins love him. We’ll get something sorted. Is there a particular reason for this dinner, do you think?’
‘I suspect he’s wanting to make amends for the silver fiasco.’
‘Yes, I expect so. I wonder if Ralph and Muriel have been invited? I don’t suppose he’d want to go.’
‘Look bad if he doesn’t. Sheila Bissett and Ron have been invited. She’s thrilled to bits. Been in this morning positively preening.’
‘Actually she’s not a bad sort you know.’
‘That’s magnanimous of you, considering the trouble she caused you.’
‘We should have been honest in the first place. Must go, got lots to do. Bye Jimbo.’ As Peter went to open the door to leave, Muriel came in. ‘Good morning. God bless you, Muriel.’
She looked preoccupied. ‘Oh, good morning Peter. Oh, dear. Oh, thank you.’
Jimbo came from behind the counter and pulled out a chair he kept for his customers’ convenience.
‘You look in need of a seat.’
Muriel looked puzzled. She glanced at the chair and promptly sat down rather heavily on it. ‘Married life isn’t all roses, is it Jimbo?’
‘Oh dear!’
‘Yes, oh dear. There’s a lot of give and take, isn’t there?’
‘Oh yes. There is.’
‘It’s an invitation that came this morning. I say we should accept and Ralph, dear Ralph, says definitely no.’
‘Is it for dinner at the Big House?’
‘Oh! You’ve got one too?’
‘Yes, and Peter, and Sheila Bissett.’
‘Oh my word! Ralph says, you see, that under no circumstances can he face going up there again. He saw ghosts that day you all went to challenge Mr Fitch. He was very upset.’
Village Matters Page 15