Village Matters (25 page)
Authors: Rebecca Shaw
‘Indeed! That’s good! I’m glad you love it, I do too and no
one can stop you buying up houses and land. But there’s one thing you won’t buy and that is their hearts. They’re mine!’ He stretched wide the fingers of his upturned right hand and then, tensing his fingers, slowly closed them as though encompassing the entire village in his grasp. He held up his clenched fist to Mr Fitch. ‘Mine! You can’t buy their love and loyalty, they have to be earned over the years. And think on this, most of them only came tonight because they knew
I’d
agreed to come.’ Ralph refrained from smiling triumphantly. He stood up. ‘Now, Muriel, you must be ready to leave, I know I am. Thank you, Craddock, for a lovely evening. Very generous of you. Very. Goodnight, Sadie.’
Mr Fitch stood up when Muriel rose to her feet. He shook her hand and said, ‘Well, I’m sorry you won’t sell, very sorry. Sleep on it. You might change your mind. I can always live in hope!’ He smiled pleadingly at her and then offered to see them to the main door. Ralph refused his courtesy. ‘No thanks, Craddock. I actually do know my way out.’ As the door to the flat closed behind them they heard Sadie say ‘Touché!’ and burst into peals of laughter. Ralph took Muriel’s hand in his and led her along the corridors and down the staircase into the hall. He opened the main door and they stood looking out at the winter sky, enjoying the now frosty air and watching the glowing remnants of the bonfire across the field. Ralph blew a cloud of cigar smoke into the air and followed it with his eyes as it disappeared.
‘Oh Ralph! You were wonderful! I’m so proud of you. To my shame, for one dreadful minute I really thought you
were
going to sell it to him.’
‘He won’t give up easily. But Fitch is not getting it. That land is the only land I own. Arthur Prior owns more than
me. The years ahead could be very interesting, I’m looking forward to the challenge.’
He closed the door behind them and by the light of Muriel’s torch they went down the neglected path to the gate in the churchyard wall, down the church path, out of the lych gate past Willie Biggs’ and the rectory, and on to home.
First published in Great Britain in 1996 by Orion.
This ebook first published in 2010 by Orion Books.
Copyright © Rebecca Shaw 1996
The right of Rebecca Shaw to be identifed as the author of this work has been asserted by her in accordance with the copyright, designs and patents act 1988.
All characters and events in this publication are fictitious and any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means without the prior permission in writing of the publisher, nor be otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published without a similar condition, including this condition, being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.
A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
ISBN: 978 1 4091 4021 4
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