The Village Newcomers (30 page)
They walked into the kitchen with their arms round each other, and Alex smiled, relieved that blasted letter hadn’t upset them or alienated them from each other. Why his natural mother should be so ridiculous as to think the whole family could be broken up just to resolve her loneliness he could not understand. She obviously cared for them as little as she did the day she gave the two of them away. Thank God she had. Her kind of possessiveness he would not have been able to tolerate.
This was how it should be - the four of them at the kitchen table passing the biscuit tin round.
Chapter 19
Although Saturday was his day off, Peter claimed he had matters to attend to and would not be free to go anywhere at all with anyone.
Alex and Beth were overloaded with prep that weekend, so Caroline found she had a Saturday all to herself. Although Peter had said nothing about where he was going even to her, she knew for certain he was going to solve the Suzy question. The whole matter was driving her round the bend and added to that was the pain of worrying about the idea of Suzy and Peter together. Would there still be some spark left? No, of course not. She and Peter had the strongest of relationships and were united in their desire to be rid of Suzy. The thing was, should they want to be rid of her? Should they not perhaps keep some door open so if the children changed their minds . . . would they? Perhaps they might as they became adults. Maybe it would be better all round to maintain an opening for the two of them, just in case.
Was she being too afraid? Under-estimating the strength of their love for her? Not being sufficiently aware of their needs, making it impossible for them to make the first move towards Suzy because of the hurt she as their adopted mother might feel if they did?
She’d go into Culworth and see the embroidery exhibition, take her mind off her problems. Grandmama had been and told her how fabulous it was, especially the work of the Turnham Malpas embroidery group. ‘Though how such wonderful talent has emerged from such a motley collection of women, I simply do not know,’ she added. That comment had rather shocked Caroline, because everyone in the group was dear to her heart.
When she got to the town hall Caroline was surprised to find a queue winding out of the entrance and down the street. A glance at her watch told her the doors had opened only ten minutes ago so she was glad to have arrived early. In the catalogue Caroline saw that the Turnham Malpas entries were in the upper gallery so she made her way there immediately.
Sitting on a chair directly opposite her entries was Mercedes, looking absorbed but also different from usual. She wore no make-up at all, not even lipstick, which made her look younger, not older as one might expect. It seemed to Caroline as though some crisis had broken her spirit.
But there was no wonder she was absorbed by her work. It was fabulous - jaw-droppingly fabulous. The exhibition drew work from all over the country, so the Turnham Malpas group should be proud of their contribution. The wall their exhibits occupied glowed, helped by the exuberant joy of Mercedes’ work.
Caroline sat down next to her and stayed quietly in admiration. The sadness emanated from her in great waves of distress and Caroline was moved to take hold of her hand. Mercedes never spoke; she simply sat there, accepting Caroline’s sympathy.
Eventually Caroline said, ‘Your work is very beautiful. Very inspiring. You are so lucky to have talent like this.’
Mercedes smiled sadly and squeezed her hand. ‘I don’t know where it comes from. But it is, isn’t it? Beautiful?’
‘It certainly is. You must be proud.’
‘I’m not. Grateful perhaps, but not proud.’
A small approving crowd had gathered around the Turnham Malpas collection.
‘Listen to them, Mercedes, they’re loving your work.’
The two of them silently listened to their comments and Caroline couldn’t help saying, ‘What with your talent for embroidery and Ford’s wonderful voice, you’re both so gifted. I was amazed when he sang the solo part in church. I’d no idea he was so good. He should have trained as a singer. It’s never too late, you know.’
Two tears rolled down Mercedes’ face, which were quickly wiped away.
‘We’ve been so happy living here. Ever since we came, people have liked us and that’s worth a lot.’
‘Why shouldn’t they like two lovely people with such wonderful skills?’
‘If only . . .’
‘Mercedes! Cheer up. Let’s go for a wander, see if anything comes up to Turnham Malpas standards, shall we?’ And wander they did, arm in arm, along the upper gallery and then all the way round the ground floor, till finally they went out into the street.
‘There you are, you see,’ said Caroline. ‘Our village entries were far and away the best, due mostly to your superb work.’
Mercedes turned to her. ‘Thank you for keeping me company. I needed someone back there. Those two lovely children of yours are a delight. Take care of them as best you can; they deserve it. Ford and I can’t have children and it’s a running sore that never heals, so rejoice you’ve got them. They’re very precious. Bye-bye.’
Unexpectedly, Mercedes kissed Caroline on both cheeks. It felt almost like a goodbye kiss. Then she squeezed the hand she was holding and . . . looked as though she was going to say something more but didn’t.
Instead Mercedes quickly turned away and walked rapidly in the direction of the bus station. Caroline called out, ‘Let me give you a lift . . .’ but her offer was ignored.
Peter didn’t get back until seven o’clock. He’d rung about five to say he was leaving for home and nothing more, so Caroline still didn’t know where he’d been or what he’d been doing. She expected an explanation on his return, but it was an explanation she didn’t get.
Peter walked in just as they were finishing their evening meal. He stood right behind Caroline’s chair, held her shoulders and leaned over to kiss the top of her head.
‘Darling!’ Caroline looked up at him, smiling. ‘You’ve timed it well. Sit down - you must be starving.’
‘Lovely to be home. Been all right, Alex, Beth?’
‘Got plenty of prep done, if that’s what you mean,’ Alex replied. ‘Mum and Beth and me are thinking of going to the late film at the cinema. Want to come?’
‘No, thanks. Need time to sort out my head for tomorrow. You go if you want. I shan’t be much company anyway.’
Beth poured him a glass of wine. ‘Where’ve you been, Dad?’
Peter hesitated. ‘Church business.’
‘Church business and no explanation? Top-secret church business, then? You haven’t been asked to consider being Archbishop of York or something, have you? I’d love to live in York.’ Caroline laughed.
‘No.’
It suddenly occurred to Caroline that, judging by his closed, hurt look, he wasn’t intending to say a word about where he’d been. She needed to be told, because her instincts had told her he’d been to see Suzy Palmer and she, as his wife, wanted to know. Her mind shrank from pondering about them together, even though her common sense told her they hadn’t . . . no, no, he wouldn’t, not after all these years. So what had happened?
The twins went upstairs to get ready for the cinema and before she could ask him Peter said, ‘I’ll clear up. You get off, or you’ll be late. Enjoy.’
‘Enjoy? I doubt it.’
Peter sensed her eagerness for his explanation. He shook his head. ‘I’m not telling you, not today, possibly not this year, possibly never. Suffice to say, the whole problem has been resolved. You have no need to worry any more and I mean that. It is my problem, my burden, not yours nor the children’s, so please, worry no more.’ His main course only half-eaten, he got to his feet, kissed her forehead, gave her a loving hug and began stacking plates in the dishwasher as though all was right with his world.
But the village knew full well it wasn’t, because the lights had been on in the church for over an hour that evening and they never were at that time on a Saturday, so they knew their Rector had problems. But not one of those who made a stab at guessing what was troubling him got anywhere near the mark.
Chapter 20
Jake turned up at the Rectory one evening straight off the school coach. He’d followed Beth because she still wasn’t speaking to him and he felt bereft. He’d never felt like this about a girl. If they didn’t fancy him then he tossed them away without a second thought, but Beth . . . he needed to get it sorted. This attraction he felt for her was grinding him down and beginning to affect his work, and when, in all his life, had he been unable to cope with schoolwork? Never. He’d called out to her when the coach stopped, but she’d disappeared without so much as a glance at him.
He saw her use her latch key to get in and hoped perhaps she would be the only one at home, as he knew Alex was coming back on the late coach. He rapped hard on the door. Immediately the door burst open and there she stood, tight-lipped and obviously angry.
‘Beth!’
‘That’s me.’
‘I need a word.’ She hadn’t found out about Janey, had she?
‘Well, who’s stopping you?’ Beth was determined not to make it easy for him.
‘May I come in?’
She opened the door a little wider. He stepped into the hall.
‘Whatever I’ve done, I’m sorry. Very sorry. I don’t honestly know what, though.’
‘A smidgen of truth might help.’
Jake hesitated. Which truth did she mean?
‘When I get home I usually have toast and tea. Would you like some?’
He nodded, and she led the way to the kitchen. There was hope, then. Obviously it wasn’t the truth he feared she meant.
He sat at her invitation in one of the rocking chairs beside the Aga and enjoyed watching her assembling their feast. Somehow the thought of hot toast and tea with her felt like a privilege and was more than welcome. Since when had he liked the idea of tea and toast with a girl?
‘How about the truth, then?’ Beth said as she placed her Winnie the Pooh teapot on the table. But the toaster popped up and gave him more time to assemble his thoughts. Had Alex told her what he’d said in the changing rooms? It was likely seeing as they were twins. They’d be closer than most brothers and sisters. His face flushed. Surely not. As she passed him a plate with four neatly buttered and jammed triangles of toast on it, she stated rather forcefully, ‘I know why Alex beat you up.’
Jake almost cried aloud with relief.
‘It was shameful of you, Jake, to talk about me in that way, and not a scrap of truth in it, either.’
‘It was shameful. You’re right. Boasting, I was, and I shouldn’t have done. Not about you.’
‘Is that an apology?’ Beth stuffed her mouth with toast while she waited for him to reply.
He got up and stood in front of her, obviously intending to lean over her and give her a kiss to heal things, but she raised a determined hand to check him. ‘Don’t you dare touch me, afterwards you might go round saying you’ve had full sex in front of the Aga in the Rectory kitchen, and I’m not risking that.’
She blushed at the words she’d used and wished she hadn’t, but she had and she’d meant them, too. He wasn’t getting away with it as easy as that. He might have kissability, but there were limits.
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