Scandal in the Village (18 page)

The next morning, it being Friday, the children from the school were scheduled for morning prayers in the church. Normally, by the time they’d done the register and got everyone assembled for the walk across to the church all the mothers had dispersed, but this Friday morning there was a large group still talking by the gate.

Kate Pascoe, heading the crocodile of children, called out, ‘Excuse me ladies, could we squeeze by?’ The mothers pushed their prams out of the way and made room for them all to pass through the gate.

One of the mothers asked quietly as Kate passed her, ‘Could I have a word at lunchtime?’

Kate nodded. ‘One o’clock in my room?’

‘Thanks.’

Kate knew exactly what the appointment was for and she didn’t know what to do. After morning prayers were over, she asked Hetty Hardaker and Margaret Booth to take the children back and she wouldn’t be a moment, just needed a word with Peter.

‘My advice is to say that you have absolutely no reason for asking Bel to leave. Which I take it you haven’t?’

Kate shook her head. ‘None at all, she does the job equally as well as Pat did, if not better, I can find no possible reason for sacking her. She’s done nothing wrong at all, she’s patient with the children, she keeps everything spotless, she’s pleasant with the staff. She couldn’t be bettered.’

‘I thought not. Tell them you won’t, and that she’s coming to the school until you are told differently. Be quiet, but firm and don’t let them sidetrack you into it being a question of her morals. As far as I am concerned she and Dicky are doing nothing wrong at all, I have that knowledge directly from Dicky and I believe him.’

‘Thank you for that assurance.’

‘I can’t give details, obviously it’s entirely confidential, but I can assure you it’s all right.’

‘Thanks. Lovely service. Much appreciated. Bye!’

With half an eye on the clock so she wouldn’t be late for the conference with the mothers’ representative, Kate went into the Store at lunchtime to buy a frozen vegetable lasagne. She needed something quick for her evening meal because she was off into Culworth after school and hadn’t time for cooking for herself.

‘Hello, Jimbo! How’s things?’

‘None too sprightly.’ He looked down in the mouth and at odds with himself.

‘I think you have the same problem as I have?’

Jimbo asked if Bel was her problem.

‘Yes. I think my mothers are up in arms. I refuse to be intimidated by them, though. Peter’s given me his assurance that everything is OK about Bel and Dicky. They’re a scandal-mongering lot, my mothers, when it comes down to it. Anything for a bit of excitement.’

‘I have every sympathy for Bel, but I will not allow my business to suffer. Village Stores are difficult enough to make viable at the best of times, so my business acumen may have to take precedence over my sympathy for her.’

‘What are you going to do then?’

‘We’ve agreed she’s shelf-filling in the evenings when we’re shut, not mornings. Even so I can’t give her the hours she normally does without customer contact of some sort, so she’ll have to be on the till if I get desperate.’

Kate paid for her lasagne and went back to school, the light of battle in her eyes.

Peter endeavoured to keep the light of battle from his eyes when Grandmama appeared at his request in his study. He’d been ready to call upon her in her cottage but thought that he would take the initiative by summoning her to see him. Might just blunt her sharp edges if she wasn’t on her own home territory he’d said to Caroline.

‘I agree. The difficulty about this situation is that she’s so
right
on the surface. One can’t condone incest at all, it is just so downright immoral, to say nothing of unlawful. But it isn’t incest, but it looks like it.’

Peter groaned. ‘You obviously haven’t come up With one of your admirable commonsense solutions. I feel a large dose of it would be very useful.’

‘I’m afraid not. Sorry. You’ll have to play it by ear.’

Grandmama sat rigidly upright in the easy chair. Peter sat sideways at his desk, facing her. Whatever age she was she kept herself remarkably smart and youthful looking. She had such a strong life force he was in danger of being overcome by it. However, he wasn’t going to be intimidated by this almighty formidable lady, and he was determined to keep the upper hand.

‘Mrs Charter-Plackett, thank you for finding the time to come to see me. I promised I would get back to you and here I am doing that very thing.’

She nodded. ‘Not at all, Peter, I just want the whole matter cleared up. This village won’t tolerate the situation for much longer. They all know, not through me but because people were in the Store when that bakery man made his revelation. They all think it’s disgusting, absolutely disgusting and they want them out. Scouts, the school, they’re both being tainted by it.’

Peter leant back in his chair. ‘How about coffee?’

‘That would be welcome. Thank you.’

They chatted about the weather, about the plans for Christmas about everything but the matter in hand. Sylvia brought the coffee in and Peter couldn’t help but notice that Grandmama’s cup was slapped down a little too sharply for his liking. He caught her eye as she gave him his and she couldn’t miss the reproof in his face. Sylvia tossed her head and marched out. When Peter tasted his coffee he found it was only instant and not percolated. A sure sign that Sylvia disapproved.

He let Grandmama have a few lifesaving sips of her coffee and then he began. ‘I have a story to tell.’ By the time he had finished telling her the reasons for the situation Bel and Dicky found themselves in, Grandmama was on the verge of tears. She fumbled in her bag for a handkerchief and surreptitiously dabbed her eyes.

‘So you see, Mrs Charter-Plackett, I have Dicky’s absolute affirmation that there is nothing untoward at all; he has given me his word and I believe him completely. However, the world at large doesn’t know that and neither does anyone else except Caroline and you and me. I have shared this information with you because you are involved and I know, yes I know that, having given you my confidence you will not betray it.’ Peter paused, took a final drink of his coffee put down his cup and looked Grandmama straight in the eye. They looked at each other for a moment and then Peter broke the silence by saying the very last thing he’d ever intended to say. ‘What I want is for you to help me to arrive at a solution.’

‘Me?’

‘Yes, you. There’s the situation between Georgie and Bryn and Dicky to solve which is bound up with the situation between Dicky and Bel. Now, do you have any ideas?’

‘Well, no I don’t. Not at the moment. But I shall give it my earnest consideration.’

‘I admit, I’m completely at a loss.’

‘So am I.’

‘Has Georgie enlightened you at all about what she wants?’

‘Not at all. She doesn’t know herself.’

Peter allowed a silence to develop. Grandmama checked her cup and found to her disappointment she’d drunk it all. She looked at Peter and said, ‘We can’t do anything till they all declare what they want to do. Does Georgie want to go back to Bryn? Does Bryn want her back? Does Dicky want to marry Georgie? Does Georgie want to marry Dicky? If they marry then what does Bel want to do? It sounds like something from a musical comedy.’

‘It’s far from being that.’

‘Exactly. When you know the story you can’t help feeling sorry for Dicky and Bel. It must be quite dreadful to grow up knowing your mother, whoever she was and for whatever reason, abandoned you. No wonder they’ve clung together all these years. The poor things. We all need someone don’t we? You can’t believe a mother could be so cruel, can you?’

‘You can’t. Look, I won’t take up any more of your time. Think about it and if you come up with any ideas, let me know, but directly not through a third party.’

‘Of course. Absolute secrecy.’

‘Meanwhile I’ll be thinking too.’ Peter stood up and smiled down at Grandmama.

Her heart flipped. If she could solve this for him she would. Given time there was no problem unsolvable. ‘Of course. It’s partly my fault all this trouble, I’m sorry I’ve been so …’

Peter smiled at her again. ‘To err is human.’

Thankfully Grandmama smiled and said, ‘Between the two of us we should be able to sort it out, after all we’re not fools are we, either of us?’

‘Certainly not.’ He showed her out and then went to find Caroline. She was pottering in the garden.

‘Caroline, you won’t dig or anything will you?’

‘Of course not, don’t worry.’ She turned to look at him. ‘Do you think I should move those peonies to this side? I think they’d look more effective here, don’t you?’

Peter put an arm around her waist and pulled her close. ‘Happy?’

She turned towards him and put her arms round his neck. ‘I am, couldn’t be happier.’ Caroline kissed him. ‘I love you.’

‘I love you. You’re always happy in your garden. How about taking a garden design course, carve out a whole new career for yourself? You’re very good at it.’

‘If I were I wouldn’t be asking you about the peonies.’

‘Follow your instincts. Move them. I’ll dig them out for you.’

‘Peter! Sometimes you are absolutely transparent!’

‘I don’t know what you mean.’

‘You do. You’re worried I’ll have a go myself, so you get in quickly with an offer to do it for me. Well, I shan’t. I know what I’m permitted to do.’

‘I should trust you more, shouldn’t I?’

‘Yes, you should. Well? How did you get on with her?’

‘I’ve taken the most awful gamble.’

Caroline listened to what he had to say and replied, ‘Rather you than me.’

‘Do you think I’ve got it wrong? You said play it by ear.’

‘It will either come off quite splendidly or the situation will be ten times worse. A gamble as you say.’

‘I rather hoped you’d agree with me. She’s the sort of person who could solve it, you know. Grandmama’s no fool as she so rightly said.’

‘They might manage to solve it all by themselves if left alone.’

‘They’re all too deeply involved to see the wood for the trees.’

‘I just hope you’re backing the right horse. Despite your support, the village may still not approve. There’s one thing though, they’ll all have plenty to talk about. It’ll keep everyone going for weeks and weeks!’

Over the weekend the bar at the Royal Oak hummed discreetly with the gossip about the four of them. In particular the discovery that Dicky and Bel were brother and sister. Discreetly because of Bryn. They didn’t want to hurt his feelings, but on the other hand the gossip was far too good to miss. What couldn’t be reconciled was the fact that Dicky and Bel had deceived them for so long. Why had no one twigged what was going on? What seemed even more incredible was that the Rector appeared to be condoning it. They couldn’t understand that, him being so particular about things, and him having the church’s attitude to take into account.

Vera had dragged Don in for a drink seeing as Jimmy was always busy driving his taxi on Saturday nights and Pat hardly ever came in since she’d married Barry. So, not wishing to spend the evening alone, Vera had persuaded Don to accompany her. ‘We won’t stay long, it’s just to find out what’s happening, that’s all. You can get back to your telly as soon as.’

To her delight Willie and Sylvia were there and they’d secured her favourite table.

‘Willie! Sylvia! Don’s just getting the drinks.’

‘How’s things, Vera?’ Willie asked her.

‘Fine, just fine. In fact brilliant. My wages have gone up again. Thank Gawd.’

‘Why’s that?’

‘Can’t get people to work the hours. I should worry. What with Don’s money, our Rhett’s and mine, everything in the Wright household is great.’ Vera nodded her head in the direction of Bryn. ‘He’s still working then?’

‘There’s him and Alan and wait till you see the new help.’

‘New help? Who’s that then?’

‘Wait and see.’ Willie, out of the side of his mouth, muttered, ‘Here she comes.’

Vera was totally unprepared for the vision which appeared through the door marked
Private
. The woman was as tall as Bryn, with a mass of unnaturally red hair, curling and swirling around her head and well down her back. You couldn’t call her fat but she was voluptuous. More than enough of her top half was exposed, the part that wasn’t, was encased in a sparkling, glittering top which, cropped at her waistline, exposed a tanned midriff each time she stretched for anything the slightest bit out of reach. They’d seen short skirts on some of the teenage girls in the village, but the skirt this apparition was wearing came only just short of covering her knickers.

Vera was scandalised. ‘Never in all my born days have I seen anything as disgusting as that. Georgie would never have set her on. Not in a million years. Where the Dickens is she from?’

‘Penny Fawcett.’

‘Penny Fawcett? That dead alive hole. Giddy godfathers. I bet she sets tongues wagging.’

Sylvia giggled. ‘More than tongues believe me! She’s one of old Bertie Bradshaw’s daughters.’