A Village Feud (30 page)

‘So how does this connect with Andy Moorhouse?’

‘He
is
Victor Martin. I didn’t recognize him at first – thirty years having gone by, busy life, lots happened in the interim – and he’d changed his name, and though I felt I knew him I just couldn’t place him. However, having escaped being sent down by the skin of my teeth, I kept myself hard at work after that and dropped any pretence of being the best chap on the block, got my degree and went to work in the City. About a year after that I met Harriet at a party and it’s been roses, roses all the way ever since.’

‘When did you realize who he was?’

‘Can’t remember when it was. I certainly had my ankle in plaster when I made the connection. I was stunned, believe me.’

‘So is this the reason you’ve dropped the charges?’

‘Yes. I don’t want all my dirty washing airing in public. My mother would die of shame, but worst of all I should have told Harriet before we married but I damn well daren’t.’

‘I can understand that. A stain on your character, kind of, which wasn’t your fault.’

‘I couldn’t bear for her to think badly of me. And I most certainly do not want the village to know about it. That’s another reason I’ve dropped the charges against him.’

‘But you didn’t do anything wrong.’

‘I know I didn’t, but that kind of thing sticks in a very nasty way, and we’ve always been honourable to each other, Harriet and I, and that’s how I want it to stay. OK?’

‘Of course. Now the other thing.’

‘Yes?’

‘The Store. I had a deputation the other day, asking me to speak to you about re-opening it.’

‘Ah, well. Yes.’

‘It’s so wonderful for everyone to have the Store in the village, and a real hardship for people without cars. Also, it was such a centre for companionship, wasn’t it, to say nothing of the gossip. How about it? Think of all those put out of work because of your decision.’ Peter smiled encouragingly and waited for a reply.

‘Think of all those with more work to do because my internet site has pulled in so much more business already,’ Jimbo replied, ‘I’m even thinking of moving on to cakes and puddings it’s doing so well. So I shall need the whole of the property to cope with that.’

‘I’m glad the website is turning out well, but methinks he doth protest too much …’

Peter waited for Jimbo to fill the silence.

Eventually Jimbo said, ‘Running a Store is a tremendous undertaking if it’s to be done properly.’

‘Get the right manager to do the nitty-gritty and all you do is keep an eye.’

‘Six days a week?’

‘I have a suggestion.’

‘So has Harriet. So has my mother. If your suggestion is the same as theirs I might, just might, listen.’

‘I went into Culworth main Post Office and saw Tom behind the counter. He’s like a fish out of water there, all faceless people and he’s a people person at heart. He’d be the one, he’d be back tomorrow if you asked him.’

‘How do you know that?’

‘He told me so.’

‘Any minute now I shan’t have a mind of my own,’ Jimbo growled. But he smiled as he said it and added, ‘You’ve a very persuasive tongue, Peter. Can I say I will give it my most serious consideration.’

Peter decided to push the matter on, seeing as he appeared to have made a chink in Jimbo’s armour. ‘After all, Tom is no fool and he knows all about your strict standards. I’ll leave it with you. Think how much you enjoyed the cut and thrust of the busy days, to say nothing of the gossip. What you’ve told me about this Andy Moorhouse, or whatever his name is, will be in the strictest confidence. But think hard about the Store.’

‘All right, all right.’ Jimbo got up to go. ‘Caroline in? I’ll go have a word.’

Peter couldn’t resist saying, ‘Just think, you might get Linda back for half days for the Post Office to relieve Tom.’

‘Over my dead body.’

They both laughed.

Jimbo found Caroline reading the morning paper in the kitchen. ‘Thought I’d pop in for a chat. Long time no see.’ When Caroline looked up, Jimbo got the immediate impression that something in her life was hurting very badly. ‘My dear Caroline, what is the matter?’

‘Oh, Jimbo. Close the door. I’ve no right to be miserable, I should be on top of the world, because the children have told Peter all about when they were missing and they are feeling so much better. They’ve gone down to see Dottie without any anxiety and that’s a definite plus.’

‘It is, that’s wonderful. I’m delighted. But why aren’t you pleased? Frankly you look dreadful.’

‘Thanks.’

‘I thought Peter back home would solve everything. That’s why I’ve come to get cheered up.’

‘Why do you need cheering up?’

‘Because my nearest and dearest, which includes Peter, want me to open the Store again with Tom as manager, Evie doing the window-dressing and displays, and me, well, me back in harness once more.’

‘Whoops! I can see you’re under pressure. Well, to be honest, I’m on their side not yours.’

‘See! There we are again. Everyone knowing better than me what I should do. But I must admit I miss the gossip and the adrenalin flowing when a customer has a row with someone and I have to wade in. The free time is wonderful, though. But don’t bother about me – I shut the door at your request and I still haven’t heard a word about what is upsetting my favourite girl.’

‘Favourite girl indeed. You flirt. I’ll tell you what has upset me – the fact that the children have told Peter what all their anxieties have been about but he hasn’t told me and neither have the children. I’m shut out, Jimbo, completely shut out, and it isn’t fair.’ Caroline looked at him sitting across the kitchen table from her, and tears brimmed in her eyes. ‘Not a word. I am their mother – well, to all intents and purposes their mother – and it hurts.’

Jimbo reached across the table and took hold of her hand. ‘See here, has it ever occurred to you that what happened doesn’t bear telling to you? Maybe the children have been shielding you from the truth because they didn’t want to cause you pain and maybe Peter’s doing exactly the same thing.’

Caroline almost shrivelled in front of his eyes. ‘Too terrible? Too terrible? My God, what on earth happened, then? Peter’s gone completely distant from me, he’s not like my husband at all, and I know he’s hurting, quite desperately. That’s the trouble of being Rector, one has to absorb everyone’s troubles and carry on regardless. He’s so distressed.’

‘Be patient. He’ll tell you when he’s ready. He’s being his usual generous self and absorbing the angst to save you. Look on the bright side; the children are much better, aren’t they, since they told him?’

Caroline’s face cleared for a moment, ‘Yes, they are. Jimbo, you don’t happen to know who owns Dottie’s cottage, do you?’

‘As a matter of fact I do. It’s Arthur Prior.’

‘Arthur Prior?’

‘Yes, it used to be a tied cottage for their farm. Why?’

‘Beth tells me it’s almost falling down. The ground floor slopes away from the fireplace and she swears the living-room window is on the slide, too, and won’t shut properly. The thatch is leaking, and there are no mod cons to speak of. In fact, it’s a mess.’

‘Go see him. Ask him what he’s playing at.’

‘Dottie’s been so good for Beth, forthright, you know, and down to earth. Better than me, sad to say.’

Jimbo got to his feet. ‘Well, get your teeth into that, then, instead of sitting here feeling sorry for yourself. There’s Peter and Alex and Beth all doing their best to keep you from harm. The least you can do is to get Arthur Prior galvanized into doing something for Dottie, seeing as she’s helped Beth so much.’

Caroline looked at him and he saw from the change in her face that she was willing to take on his challenge. ‘Of course, you’re absolutely right. I must do something practical. And here I am feeling sorry for myself when in reality the ones I love most are trying hard to make my life bearable. Yes, you’re right. I will.’ She stood up walked round the table and, putting her arms round Jimbo, kissed his cheek. ‘Thank you, you’re a dear friend.’

He kissed her back. ‘So are you. Take care, Caroline.’ As he went out of the kitchen he looked back to say, ‘You’ve been so very brave in the past taking on Peter’s children as you did, no one braver, believe me, so just remember that.’

So Caroline did just as Jimbo had said. She talked to Dottie, wrote down all her problems and decided to walk to Wallop Down Farm.

It was a pleasure to walk into the yard, with its well-painted stable doors and tubs of flowers dancing in the warm summer breeze. The yard was so well cared for, it was almost as if there were no cows or animals of any kind on the farm. But at the same time it irritated her that Dottie was allowed to live in such awful circumstances; Arthur’s cows had a better home than Dottie.

She knocked on the front door of the house and got no reply. So she tried wandering around the stables and discovered Arthur sitting in one of them on an upturned wooden crate drinking beer.

He leapt to his feet as quickly as his arthritis would allow, took off his tweed cap and said, ‘What a lovely surprise, I’m in here keeping out of the way. School holidays, you see, and five grandchildren at home all day is more than a grandfather should be asked to cope with. Now, Doctor Harris, what can I do for you?’

Caroline had just opened her mouth to explain her errand when Arthur Prior said, ‘See here, there’s another crate you can sit on, that’s if you don’t mind.’

‘That would be very welcome. I walked here thinking the exercise would do me good. Freshens the mind, doesn’t it?’ She settled herself on the upturned crate and wondered how to begin, but she didn’t get a chance to start because Arthur said, ‘A rough time you’ve been having with your Alex and Beth. I’ve felt really sorry for you. How are things?’

‘Much improved since Peter came home, thank you. They’re beginning to get back to normal.’

‘What was it, then?’

‘I’ve no idea. They won’t tell me. Peter knows and he seems to have sorted things out for them, but as for me …’

Arthur leaned across and patted her hand. ‘See here, I reckon Peter will tell you all in good time. He’s a very wise man, is your husband. Remember that. Now what is it you’ve come to see me about?’

‘You know Dottie Foskett has helped enormously, she cleans for me now and Beth has been able to speak to her about her troubles more easily than to me. I’ve talked to Dottie and I understand her house is reaching the point where it will need massive renovation. It is listing quite badly and the thatch is leaking. It has no modern conveniences and needs the owner to do something serious about it. Obviously Dottie can’t afford to do it herself you see so I wondered …’

Arthur wagged a finger at her. ‘That cottage has been the bane of my life for years. I sacked the worker who lived in there because he was idle in the extreme, but he refused to leave the cottage. Short of putting him and his parcel of kids out in the lane and giving myself a bad reputation there was nothing I could do. A year after I sacked him he got a job working on the by-pass and was earning more money each week than I was with my farm, and still he wouldn’t move out. That riled me.’

‘I’m sure it must have.’

‘I vowed I wouldn’t have a tied cottage again so eventually he left with enough money to buy a house for himself. I rented it to Dottie at a ridiculously low rent and she turned it into nothing short of a brothel. Believe me, I’ve had it up to here,’ he touched the top of his head to illustrate his frustration, ‘and I don’t even want to think about it, never mind rebuild it.’

Arthur emptied his glass of beer and then remembered his manners. ‘I’m sorry, do you drink beer? You can have a glass if you like.’

Caroline shook her head. ‘Well, you can rest assured she is no longer a prostitute. So, think of how much money you could get for that cottage were it up to scratch. It has a wonderful position overlooking the fields, second to none in fact, a far better outlook than any of the houses in the centre of the village, a glorious garden, the little orchard at the end with the stream running by. Three hundred thousand at today’s prices, I’ve no doubt. Even better, the end of the garden has good access to the Little Derehams road; you could possibly shorten Dottie’s garden and sell the land off for another house. I’m sure Dottie wouldn’t mind; she’s not much of a gardener but she does know how to clean. None better. Once done up she’d keep it beautifully.’ Warming to her task, Caroline had another inspiration. ‘There’s that funny outbuilding adjoining the cottage which she never uses because the roof is giving way. With a bit of attention that could be made into a garage, or even an extension to the cottage. How about it?’ Her eyes sparkling with enthusiasm, she looked hopefully towards receiving the answer she wanted. But the answer wasn’t yes.

Arthur looked her straight in the eye and said, ‘If I did do any such thing, and I’m not of a mind to at all, I’d have to consult my son, Jake. He’s the next owner of this farm. He might not think it worth the money. Bit tight-fisted is our Jake. Cheaper to pull it down.’

‘Oh! I do hope not. I’ve given my plan a lot of thought and it …’ Caroline didn’t think he’d want to know how much she needed him to take her plans on board, if only for the sake of a comforting balm to ease her own desperation