Marie decided she liked young Angus. “How old are you?” she asked.
“Seventeen,” he answered. “I’m finishing my A levels at the moment.”
“In that case you’re not old enough to drink, and that’s a beer if I’m not mistaken.”
“Yes it is, but it’s my first…” No it’s not. You had one at my cottage earlier. “and I’ll be studying later so I won’t have another.”
“Don’t worry, I won’t tell your father, but it’s going to cost you!” said Marie. She took the glass from Angus’s hand and put it down with her own. Then she pulled the terrified teenager onto the dance floor.
Marie placed his right hand on her hip and held his left in hers. She led and Angus followed. He wasn’t a confident dancer, but after a few moments he decided he wasn’t going to die, the ground wouldn’t swallow him and it was okay to relax. By the second song, something with a big band and Robbie Williams, he was moving in a smooth and much less jerky way, he was beginning to enjoy himself. Marie was a wonderful teacher and she was having a good time too. She looked over at Hubert, who was still dancing with their daughter and a now sleeping Alan, and smiled. So far the evening had been a great success.
“Going for the older woman now son?” Angus jumped when he heard his father’s voice behind him. He turned, being careful not to step on Marie’s exposed toes, and saw Angus senior. His father was dancing with Claudilia, who was surprisingly graceful and light on her feet. It must be the riding thought young Angus, as he watched his father guide her around the patio. They even threw in the occasional flourish and spin.
“You’ve been watching too much Strictly Dad,” said the young man the next time they passed.
They swapped partners. Angus senior danced with Marie and his son with Claudilia. The boy was surprised by her firm grip, easy movement and confident steps. Angus had played first fifteen rugby, worked out in the gym and even did a bit of Judo. He knew about core strength, and Claudilia had it in spades.
A little later, when she’d stopped dancing to go for a comfort break and to have a quick drink, Helen and Emma found Claudilia in the kitchen.
“Can we have the key to the cottage please Aunt?”
“Why?” she asked …as if I didn’t know.
“Well, it’s getting late, there’s quite a lot of noise here and we’re both exhausted. We thought we’d go and sleep at the cottage. If you don’t mind that is.”
Claudilia tried to look confused. “Don’t you have enough rooms here, surely there’s one Emma can use. I only have the one spare room and it’s only got one bed. You must let Emma have the bed of course, so where are you going to sleep?”…No point making it easy for them.
“Well, it’s a big bed.” Said Helen. “I’m sure you won’t mind sharing will you Em?”
“So long as you stay to your own side, don’t snore and keep one foot on the floor at all times I’m sure we’ll manage,” Her friend giggled.
Claudilia couldn’t keep up the pretence. “The kitchen door’s open so run along and have a nice time. But make sure you don’t frighten Max, he’s at an impressionable age.”
Helen kissed her. “Could you tell Mum for us please? Say we’ll be back for breakfast, probably.” Claudilia couldn’t help but smile. How things had changed since she was seventeen. Back then a blanket in the corner of a field or the back seat of a car had to do. If you were really lucky you’d have access to a warm barn full of hay for a little naughtyness. Now you borrow your aunt’s house.
“Was that Helen and Emma?” asked Marie coming back into the kitchen.
“Yes, they’re off to Bindweed Cottage. They said they’ll be back for breakfast, but I don’t think they’ll be up early, you’d better call it brunch.”
“Why are they going to your cottage?” said Marie. “Where are they going to sleep?”
“Marie are you being intentionally thick? They’re going to sleep at the cottage in the spare room. I think they just want a little privacy.”
“Oh,” said Marie. “This is going to take some getting used too.”
Claudilia got up and put the kettle on. “My advice, for what it’s worth, is to just go with the flow. If that’s what they want then let them get on with it. If you get involved you’ll be in the way. Parents are always saying they want their kids to be happy, but what that really means is they want their kids to be like them. Helen’s a grown up girl, she knows what she wants and tonight what she wants is Emma.”
Claudilia poured them both coffee and they sat at the table.
“What about you Claudilia, what do you want?”
“That my dear, is the million dollar question. Until now I’ve been very happy on my own. Just me, Max, Pumpkin and Mr Crumble”...Although I just tolerate him.
“Until now?” said Marie, raising an eyebrow.
“Well let’s say there’s someone I enjoy spending time with. He can just about ride, he fishes and he can shoot. He’s not interested in my money, but I’m not sure if he’s interested in anything else I’ve got either.”
Marie sat up. She couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “This someone, does he live nearby and drive a big flash car. Might he also have a small white dog?”
“He might, but as I said, I don’t know if he’s at all interested and let’s be fair, I’m not exactly a looker, not when you compare me to his dearly departed.” …Oh Crap. I shouldn’t have said that last bit.
“But that was years ago. Victoria would have aged just like us,” said Marie.
Claudilia’s blood ran cold. She’d been referring to Maggie. But Marie didn’t know Angus now had two dead wives. Like the rest of the village she thought Maggie had simply left him. Thank God for Victoria thought Claudilia. Without a spare dead spouse that would’ve been awkward.
Marie was talking again. “Sorry love,” said Claudilia. “I didn’t hear that, miles away, early onset dementia probably. What did you say?”
“I said, what about Maggie, what if she comes back. You can’t be sure she won’t.”
“I’m pretty sure,” said Claudilia, and she told Marie about the brother in America, the money from the house and the Bitcoin account. Marie let slip some serious outback slang when Claudilia explained how Angus’s wife had been skimming cash from the company and she gasped. Then she giggled when she heard about the camera in the sauna. When Claudilia said she’d seen the films with the gardener and Tish, Marie blushed bright red. She’d met Tish and several times seen Giles in the village. She’d thought he was quite a hunk and she made her sister in-law go over that bit again, just to be sure she had all the details straight.
“So you see, if she does come back I don’t think she’ll be very welcome.”
“But it’s only been a week, how can you be so sure?”
“Let’s just say.” Answered Claudilia. “The balance of probability suggests it’s unlikely she’ll show up around here again.” …Unless she’s in liquid form and being sprayed across a field.
Chapter Sixty
Their conversation was interrupted, the door opened and the two Anguses came in with Holly.
“Speak of the Devil,” whispered Marie, and they giggled like middle aged schoolgirls.
“Here you are, I wondered where you’d hidden yourself,” said Angus senior. “We’re thinking about heading home. I need to let Hamish out and these two should be in bed.
“I’ll walk down the lane with you,” said Claudilia. “Max should go out in the garden too.”
Claudilia went back outside and said goodbye to the stragglers at the party. She kissed her brother on the cheek and said nice things about his cooking. She thanked the few remaining ladies for their help, and reminded them to take some of the leftovers home.
Back in the kitchen Marie had found a torch for Angus. Once they were out of the village there would be no lights, she didn’t want them to be hit by a car. The night was warm and the sky was clear, a crescent moon and a thousand stars lit their way down the lane. Claudilia
could see Pumpkin and Rosie, but only as dark shapes in the field. The horse’s heads came up when they heard a familiar voice. Pumpkin moved first and Rosie followed. He recognised Claudilia and walked over to investigate.
In the dark the beasts looked huge. There were pretty big anyway, but illuminated by the moon and stars they looked even more impressive.
“Which one do you ride Dad?” asked Holly.
“This one,” he said, patting Rosie on the nose. “Say hello Rosie, this is Holly.”
Rosie put her nose down and sniffed. Satisfied that Holly was no threat she allowed the girl to stroke her head and pat her neck. Holly thought she was the most magnificent thing she’d ever seen.
“Can I learn to ride too, Daddy?” asked the twelve year old.
“I’m not sure, Rosie might be a bit big for her don’t you think Claudilia.”
“Well yes, I think she would be a bit big, but if you talk nicely to Helen she might let you help her with Merry and then perhaps you could have the occasional ride.”
“Was she at the party? I didn’t see her or Emma,” asked Holly.
“Yes, they were both there but they left quite early. I think they’ll be around tomorrow. What time do you go back to school?”
“We need to leave at about five to be there for six thirty,” answered Angus.
“That’s fine then, you can ask her tomorrow. But don’t go looking for her too early, I think she’ll probably want to sleep in.”
“There’s a light on in your house,” said Angus. They’d passed the end of the hedge which shielded the garden from the lane. Although the curtains were closed it was easy to see the light in the back bedroom.
Claudilia took Angus’s elbow and hung back a few steps. “That will be Hellen and Emma, they asked if they could use my spare room.”
“Oh,” said Angus and it was one of those “Ohs”; the sort which hung in the air for a long time.
Brother and sister had reached the corner where the lane met the main road. They stopped and waited for the others to catch up.
“Hang on,” said Claudilia. She went across the small lawn and in through the kitchen door. After a minute she was back outside, she was wearing a coat and had Max and Hamish on leads. She’d gone into the hall and listened at the bottom of the stairs. There was the faint sound of giggling, giggling and creaking bed springs. Claudilia didn’t mind lending them a room, but she wasn’t ready to go to her own bed yet. She’d just lie there awake. Awake and hearing them through the wall.
Claudilia handed Hamish’s lead to Angus “I think Max would appreciate a walk,” She said. “He’s been indoors all day so I’ll walk you home, have a nightcap and come back in an hour or so.” And with a bit of luck she thought, my guests will have worn themselves out.
At the Manor, Angus junior and Holly said goodnight and went off to their rooms. Claudilia and Angus went into the kitchen and he took a bottle of red wine from the rack. Angus grabbed a jumper and together they went out to the patio where they collapsed into comfortable chairs.
“What a week,” he said.
“Yes, what a week,” she replied. “Do you have plans for tomorrow?”
“Nothing much, I need to get the kids back to school, we’ll have to leave at about five. They’ll spend the day doing homework and revision so I’m pretty flexible. I’m open to offers but nothing too strenuous please.”
“Normally I would go to church and then lunch with Hubert and Marie, but I don’t fancy church this weekend”…I might get hit by a thunderbolt or something. “So I’m thinking about a slow start and then a short row down the river with a picnic. How’s that sound to you?”
“It sounds strenuous.” He groaned. “Where do you get the energy?”
“It’s not hard, and we’ll go with the current for the first leg. Then I have a secret weapon to get us home.”
“What’s that?” asked Angus.
“A small electric motor. It’s completely silent and runs off a battery under the seat. It pushes against the current no trouble, or I turn it down and it gives a little help while I’m rowing.”
“Isn’t that cheating,” asked Angus, topping up their glasses.
“I don’t think so, and anyway, it makes the trip more pleasant, definitely less strenuous.” yawned Claudilia.
They agreed rowing was a good idea, but not too early. The pair sat in silence and listened to the night, the buzzing of the grasshoppers and the occasional car on the Stratford road.
“When I was a little girl, we didn’t hear grasshoppers till halfway through June,” said Claudilia. “It’s still May, and they’ve been around for weeks.”
“Global warming,” said Angus.
“Fair enough,” agreed Claudilia.
The bottle was empty, and so was the second which Angus had collected on his way back from the loo. The conversation was comfortable and they talked about nothing in particular. By two o’clock the dew was rising and it was feeling damp. Claudilia insisted she wasn’t drunk and she’d be fine walking home. She demonstrated her sobriety by heel-toe walking in a straight, or straight-ish line along a crack in the paving. It was only swift intervention by Angus that stopped her from going straight over the edge and falling into the swimming pool.
“Okay, I may be a little dwunk,” she said at last, but after a moment’s thought she corrected herself, “To be honest that’s not right, I’m a great big drunk, I’ve never been a little anything in my entire life, and you know what Mr Macintosh Angus,” Claudilia said through a hiccup. “For the first time in my life I really don’t care.”
Angus held her arm to keep her steady as they walked back to the kitchen, together they went inside. Max and Hamish were sleeping on a settee in the lounge, they gave no indication that they wanted to move.
“You can’t walk home like this,” said Angus. “You’ll fall in a ditch or knock over your wall. There are no taxis around here at this time of night. You’ll have to stay over. You can use the spare room.”
“Are you propersizoning me, propperlistening me. Are you trying it on?”
“Certainly not, I’d never take advantage of a lady who’s had one more than was wise.”
“Because if you did, I’d put up a fight,” replied Claudilia in a giggly voice, she raised her fists like a boxer, “But not much of one,” she said dropping them again.
Angus helped Claudilia up to the spare room. He pointed out the en-suite where she’d find towels on the rack and a toothbrush in the drawer. Then he turned down the duvet and sat her on the bed. Angus took the shoes off her feet and unzipped her dress. Claudilia wiggled so he could ease it over her head. She slumped to the side, her head hit the pillow and stayed there. Angus took a moment to admire her curves. Her lingerie was a pale pink, soft to the touch and frilly, her figure was much more womanly than Maggie’s had ever been. Yes there was more of Claudilia, but it was well proportioned and the shape suited her. Angus pulled up the duvet and covered her over. He put the dress across the back of a chair and whispered “goodnight.” By the time he was out the door Claudilia was asleep and gently snoring.
Chapter Sixty-One
Day Nineteen. Sunday
When Claudilia woke it was in a panic, for a moment she didn’t know where she was. Then the events of the previous evening came flooding back and she groaned. Her head hurt and her mouth felt like Mr Crumble had done something nasty in it.
She remembered offering her spare room to Helen and Emma, and walking back to the Manor with Angus and his children. She remembered sitting by the pool with a glass of wine, but after that it all got a bit fuzzy. She wasn’t completely sure how she got to bed and she could see her dress folded neatly on a chair. At least the bed didn’t look like she’d shared it with anyone, which was probably good. Claudilia lifted the covers and breathed a sigh of relief. She was still wearing her knickers and bra, so whoever had put her to bed, and she assumed it was Angus, had left her with at least a little dignity. She looked under the covers agai
n, this time to check they were her good ones. It would have been too embarrassing if she’d been wearing a mismatched set, or even her favourite comfy pants, the ones which were a bit baggy and gone grey from over-washing.
A light tap at the door sent stabbing pains through her head. It preceded Angus in his pyjamas and dressing gown. He was carrying a tray of orange juice and coffee. There were also a couple of little white pills. Cyanide she hoped, but probably just aspirin.
“Good morning, did you sleep well?” he asked. He looked too damned chirpy for this time of day. He set the tray down on the bedside table and sat on the edge of the mattress.
“I think so, but I don’t remember much about it. I’m a little hungover.”
“The orange juice will help, so will the pills and the coffee. Make yourself at home, you’ve time for a hot bath if you want one and it might help you to sweat out the alcohol.” Angus gestured towards the ensuite. “Holly called Helen, she’s bringing over some clothes.”
“Oh God, Angus. You must think I’m awful,” groaned Claudilia. “I don’t do that often, I can’t remember the last time I was in such a state. It was just last week and everything,”…you know, the whole killing Maggie thing.
“No, you were fine, you were very,” and Angus stopped for a moment’s thought. “You were very relaxed. So relaxed in fact you nearly fell in the pool.”
“Oh God, noooo.” Said Claudilia hiding her head under the covers.
“Oh God yes. You were very funny.”
“Did the children see me? Please tell me they didn’t, and was I indiscrete, tell me I wasn’t indiscreet.”
The Village Fate Page 37