A Village Deception (Turnham Malpas 15) (21 page)

Finally, Peter called for silence. ‘I shall wind up this meeting now, this very minute, and go home to pray for a benefactor, because that’s all that’s left for me to do. I’m deeply disappointed. But if this is your will, then so be it.’ He stormed out of the church hall more angry than he could ever remember being with these stubborn people, each one of whom he loved and respected. But what love and respect had they for him, to say nothing of their church?

Tamsin had been at the meeting and had agreed to meet Paddy in the Royal Oak when it finished, but she got there ahead of everyone else as most of them had stayed behind to state opinions they hadn’t dared say outright in front of Peter.

Paddy was already seated at their favourite table with her drink on a mat beside his own. The bar was almost empty, with Georgie and Dicky standing idly behind the bar waiting for the explosion that would ensue when all the villagers came out of the meeting and poured into the bar to continue it in a more relaxing atmosphere.

‘Meeting finished, is it, Tamsin?’ Dicky called across to her.

‘It is. Thank goodness.’

‘Trouble?’

‘You can say that again. Yes, there was trouble.’

‘Is the rector going ahead with it?’

‘No he is not. Not for the moment anyway.’

She sat down and she and Paddy smiled at each other. In these last weeks, the two of them had become very close. He took care to touch her hand very circumspectly so that no one would suspect that they were becoming more than just good friends.

‘Well?’ asked Paddy. ‘How did it go?’

‘An awful lot of people were against it. It got quite nasty at one point. You know how Sheila Bissett always supports Peter? Well, she most definitely didn’t, not tonight. I am so ready for this drink.’

She picked up her Martini and lemonade and as Paddy watched her take a long drink of it, he knew he’d never tire of her company.

‘You didn’t want to come then?’

Paddy shook his head. ‘No. I’m not interested.’

‘I have to be, being the organist. I ought to have supported Peter, but I couldn’t.’

‘Did he ask you if you would?’

‘No, not Peter. He wouldn’t. Even if he tried to persuade me to, I wouldn’t agree to sell. They wouldn’t even agree to a valuation. I’ve never known him lose a battle.’

‘I’ve got going on that piece we tried.’

Tamsin smiled at him, grateful that he was changing the subject. ‘Good. Like it?’

‘I love it. Greta thinks I’m improving by the minute. She’s really very tolerant. Even though I shut my bedroom door, she must still be able to hear me.’

‘Well, I suppose she feels like your Mum.’

‘Hmm. Greta’s more of a mum than mine ever was. More than mine ever got the chance to be, I should say. That’s why I don’t go to church. My mum would have coped if she hadn’t felt she should obey the church’s rules and have lots of kids.’

‘Where is she now?’

‘Same address, I understand.’

‘You should write. I would if she was mine.’

‘Not after the life I led as a child, you wouldn’t.’

‘Yes, I would. Nothing that you can do in this world will
ever
make her
not
your mother. And you will always be her son, whatever—’

The door burst open and the crowd from the church hall poured in, all demanding to be served at the same time, so worked up were they about what had been said.

‘Paddy? Let’s finish our drinks and we’ll go to my place. OK?’

‘That’s fine by me. Are you sure?’

‘I wouldn’t ask you if I wasn’t.’

‘No, of course not.’

‘I’ll go first and then you come. I’ll leave the door ajar, then you won’t have to knock.’

Paddy nodded. As he watched her leave, he did think that maybe tonight was the night to admit to the world they were as people say, ‘an item’. Why not? They were and, the more they saw of each other, the more convinced he became. But then the frightening thought that really they were not suited entered his head. Her with her education and her musical background and the people she knew and the marvellously wonderful things she did to earn her living bore no relationship to his past life, nor his present. He was trying to bring them together through music but, in his darker moments he knew he was merely on the foothills while she had already reached the pinnacle. He knew he would never catch up with her musically.

Had he but known it, while he was saying goodnight to Dicky and Georgie, Tamsin was at home thinking similar thoughts. It was no good them thinking no one knew they were seeing each other. She’d noticed the elbow nudge Marie gave Zack as she said goodnight to them as she left the pub. But what would Paddy think about it? Maybe he preferred the secrecy because he’d no intention of it being anything other than a casual friendship. But she’d found that that wasn’t what she wanted at all.

She heard the soft click of the door as Paddy came in. She decided to go for it.

Paddy, as he clicked the door shut, thought: Tonight’s the night to come clean about how he felt. He could hear her in the kitchen filling the kettle, and he went straight in there. One look was all it took and they were in each other’s arms, kissing and hugging as though this would be their very last chance ever.

Five minutes it took before they broke apart and began to laugh with a surging, overwhelming happiness, the like of which neither of them had experienced before.

Breathless, Paddy said, ‘It’s no good, we’ll have to admit it.’

‘We can’t pussyfoot about any longer, can we?’

‘Absolutely not. I love you.’

‘And I, Tamsin Verity Goodenough, love you. Very, very much indeed. There. I’ve never said that before, but I can’t help myself. I’m not supposed to love anybody, but I do love you.’

‘Not supposed to?’ Paddy thought she meant he wasn’t right for her, that he didn’t match up to her aspirations for a lover.

‘I mean, I have always said I would never marry … Sorry, we haven’t said we want to marry, have we? I do apologise.’

‘But that’s what I want. Don’t you? Do you?’ Paddy trembled at the thought of his temerity to say such a thing to such a wonderful woman. How dare he? She’d probably turn him out.

Tamsin placed her hand in his and held it tight. ‘Is that a proposal?’

Paddy had to admit she was right about that. ‘Well, yes it is. Yes, it is.’

‘Better say it right then. I, Patrick Callum Cleary, bachelor of this parish, request that you …’

He had to laugh. Life was going to be such fun! So he said his line and she, Tamsin Verity Goodenough, said hers, and they kissed solemnly to seal their agreement.

‘I’ve got champagne in the fridge.’

‘You planned this?’

Tamsin nodded.

Paddy laughed. ‘But I want it understood, for my part, that I don’t want any shenanigans beforehand. You understand me? I want our first night together to be the very first. The very best, ever. A new, fresh start. A new beginning, like it should be. I feel very strongly about that.’

Tamsin was surprised by this outburst of Paddy’s, to the point of amazement. This wasn’t something she’d expected, nor had she wanted it this way, but if he wanted it then so be it.

Somehow this decision of his made their future plans very much more special than she had expected.

‘Except I won’t want us to wait for months to get married, like some people do. You know, getting married August of next year, or something.’

‘No, neither would I. Open the champagne, Paddy.’ Tamsin got out the two glasses from her kitchen cupboard that came the nearest to champagne flutes, and placed them on her best tray. The cork flew out, hit the ceiling, and left a dent in it.

‘I shall never get rid of that dent! It will always remind us of tonight.’

‘To the two of us!’ Paddy raised his glass, then tapped his gently against hers. They each took a sip and laughed.

‘To the two of us! Oh, Paddy! I’m so thrilled! I’m so glad that we’ve decided.’

‘So am I! When shall it be?’

‘Let’s make it a month from today. We’ve got banns and things to do, so it can’t be any earlier than that. Here in the church? Oh! No, perhaps you’ll want it in a Catholic church? I don’t mind if you do.’

‘No, here is where I’d like it best. Where we both belong.’

‘Greta and Vince will be glad. Shall we go down there right now and take the rest of the champagne with us?’

Paddy nodded. It was so wonderful how she knew what would make him, and the people he cared about, happy.

The front door of Greta and Vince’s house was open to allow some fresh air in so they knocked and shouted at the same time, to find them in the kitchen sitting by the back door to catch the best of the through draught.

‘Hello! What’s this?’ Greta stood up, a broad grin beginning to spread across her face. ‘Something special? It is. You’ve got champagne!’

Paddy put the champagne down on the table so his hands
were free and, taking hold of Tamsin’s hand, he announced in grave tones but with delight written all over his face, ‘I am a very lucky man. Tamsin has agreed to marry me.’

Vince was deeply affected by the news, having grown to think of Paddy as his son. Greta had tears brimming in her eyes. ‘Oh! That’s the most wonderful news! When did you decide this?’

‘Just now, after the meeting. So we’ve come down here to share it with you. Champagne to celebrate?’ Tamsin held up the bottle, her face a picture of love and delighted surprise.

‘Vince! Come on! Get some glasses out.’

After the first flush of excitement it dawned on Greta what this would mean. She hated the idea of losing him. ‘I expect you’ll be going to live with Tamsin in her house right now then, Paddy?’

‘I most certainly will not. We haven’t decided on anything at all, but we have decided we’re doing it right. I shall stay here, if that’s all right with you, until the wedding day and when we come back from our honeymoon,’ he glanced at Tamsin for approval and she nodded, ‘I shall move to Tamsin’s.’

Greta flung her arms round Paddy and hugged him close, whispering in his ear that she was delighted for him. ‘It’s the best thing that could have happened to you. We’ve been waiting and watching, hoping for the best.’

‘You knew?’

Vince, slightly heady with the champagne, declared, ‘Honestly, Paddy. How could you imagine no one knew? You must still be wet behind the ears.’

Tamsin asked, ‘Are you pleased, Greta? Because I am.’

‘I’ll give you a hug too! He couldn’t have found a lovelier person in all the world, he couldn’t. We’re delighted, Vince and me. Here, let me give you a kiss.’

So Greta hugged Tamsin and looked from one to the other with such delight that it almost brought tears to Tamsin’s eyes. ‘I’m so pleased you’re so pleased at our news.’

‘We definitely are. He’s been playing that flute morning, noon and night, he’s been that determined to please you. What with you and your musical unstruments and Paddy with his, there’ll be no time for conversation in your house. It’ll be a white wedding then?’ Greta looked hopefully between the two of them.

‘Of course. But simple, not all lace, frothy net and sparkles. Something kind of dignified.’

‘That would be lovely. You know, when our Barry married Pat, her being a widow, they didn’t have a white wedding and they had just the one bridesmaid, that being Michelle of course. It’ll be lovely all done proper. I like a fresh flower head-dress, do you, Tamsin? They looks so … Well, I don’t know what exactly, but lovely anyway.’

‘We haven’t got as far as that yet, Greta, but you will come, won’t you? You must sit on the top table because both my parents died a long time ago and Paddy …’

Greta promptly stepped in with a remark she thought important to make. ‘You’ll be asking your mother, won’t you, Paddy?’

‘Well …’

‘You must. Write to her and warn her. She’ll want to come, I’m sure of that. If one of my other boys was getting married, I’d want to be there. Wouldn’t we, Vince?’

Vince nodded, but not very convincingly. ‘We’ll see. Except we don’t know where they are, either of ’em.’

Greta snapped, with bitterness in her voice, ‘Don’t bring that up right now, if you don’t mind. Does Peter know yet?’

‘No, we only decided tonight!’

Paddy walked Tamsin home and they stood on her doorstep to say goodnight.

‘Paddy! I want you to know that I shall do my very best to be the best wife in all the world.’

‘And it’s the same for me.’ Paddy turned to leave, decided
he needed another kiss, and turned back for one more. Just as he was leaving for the second time, Tamsin said, ‘I shall want children, you know. Shall you?’

‘Children? Children? I hadn’t thought of that. My God! I hadn’t.’ Paddy smote his forehead with the flat of his hand. ‘I don’t know if I’m clever enough to be a father.’

‘I don’t know if I’m clever enough to be a mother, but we could try together, couldn’t we? We’re not complete idiots.’

‘But what about your music?’