Village Secrets (33 page)

‘I’ve got a gorgeous bright red Indian cloth for covering the dais – I’ll bring it out in a moment. The Queen’s chair is here, look, already decorated.’

‘Thanks, Ms Pascoe, we’ll just get these sorted first. All right, Bill. Your end first.’ They staggered out with two of the boxes, down the narrow passage to the main door. Kate watched them squeeze out and as they left, in came Greenwood Stubbs. He touched his cap to Kate and said, ‘Mr Fitch has asked me to bring you some plants to decorate the platform for the Queen.’

‘Oh, Mr Stubbs, how kind! Why, they’re magnificent.’

‘This is just two of them – there’s a vanload outside. Barry Jones has brought them down for me. Come out and tell me where to put them all.’

‘A vanload? This I don’t believe.’

She rushed outside and was stunned by how beautiful they looked.

‘How’s that then?’ Barry laughed at her delight. ‘Brilliant, eh?’

‘Yes – brilliant!’

‘We’ve to put them all out for you and then we’ll collect them at the end. Except you’ve to choose the one you like best and keep it. It’s a present from Mr Fitch. He’s coming, he says, if that’s all right.’

‘Of course it is. Right – they need to be banked round the dais when Bill and Ben have put it together.’

Barry gave a mock salute. ‘As you say, Ms Pascoe. Where’s the Queen? Just need a glimpse of her, can’t stay to watch.’

‘She’s inside already dressed. Go and take a look.’

He found Flick seated on Ms Pascoe’s chair, the skirt of her white dress spread carefully out so as not to crease it. On her head she had a small circlet of fresh flowers, her long plaits had been undone and her hair was hanging down her back shining and bright. Her eyes were alive with pleasure.

‘Why, Flick! You look gorgeous, absolutely terrific! Has Pat seen yer yet?’

Flick was blushing. Barry always made her feel like that. ‘Thank you, Barry. No, she hasn’t.’

‘I’ll tell her to come and take a look. Best May Queen in years.’ He bowed like some eighteenth-century courtier, gave a flourishing wave at the door and disappeared.

Harriet, too, couldn’t believe how pretty Flick looked. It was Fran who had the beauty in their family but today, somehow, it was Flick’s turn. Flick waggled her white satin pumps in the air and said, ‘Aren’t they just beautiful, Mummy? I could be a bridesmaid in these, couldn’t I?’

‘You could. Fran – no, don’t pull them off.’

‘Let her. You try one on, Fran.’ Fran did so. Flick always let her have her own way with everything.

The classroom was full of mothers dressing the attendants, changing the Maypole dancers into their outfits, teachers rushing in and out with messages, Pat collecting the last of the home-made refreshments everyone had volunteered, children getting underfoot, teachers disciplining the wayward ones.

The temperature and the tempers began to rise. With only half an hour to go, Kate was beginning to fray. ‘Yes, that’s right, they all sit on the left. No, not the Maypole dancers. They stay with me – right! OK?’

The questions were unending, the children excited, the parents almost beyond control and there sat Flick enjoying every minute of her reign.

In the midst of it all, Muriel arrived. ‘Should I be here or out there?’

‘Lady Templeton! There you are. We’ve borrowed chairs from the church hall and you and Sir Ralph are to sit on the front row of them in the middle. There are names on the seats. There’s a quarter of an hour to go.’

‘I must be in your way. I’ll leave you to it, you’re obviously busy. And the crown?’

‘Ah! Sebastian Prior has the crown. He’ll present it to you on a velvet cushion at the appropriate moment.’

‘I’ve prepared a short speech – just a couple of lines.’

‘Lovely!’

‘Oh Flick, my dear. How pretty you look!’ Muriel’s eyes filled with tears. She bent down and kissed her on either cheek. ‘You make a wonderful May Queen!’

Muriel smiled at Harriet, and Harriet smiled back.

Gilbert came in then. ‘Ms Pascoe, we’re here!’

Kate turned to look at him – a transformed Gilbert. A Gilbert with a blackened face and a bowler hat covered with bright feathers and badges, and a black jacket to which he’d fastened gaily-coloured strips of material. On his feet were boots, and on his ankles bells which jingled at every step he took. ‘As promised!’

‘Wonderful! I could give you a kiss!’

‘Past experience tells me you’ll have a black face if you do! Just reporting in. We’re sitting on the grown-ups’ chairs awaiting our turn. Is that all right?’

‘Of course – here’s the programme of events. Keep that. Flick will call upon you to perform.’

‘At your service, Your Majesty!’ Gilbert grinned at Flick and left.

Seated alongside Muriel and Ralph and in front of the Morris dancers were Mr Fitch and Louise.

Gilbert had given her one of his special smiles when he’d come to take his place. Mr Fitch, arms folded, leant towards her and whispered out of the corner of his mouth, ‘When are you going to marry that man?’

Louise blushed. ‘Shortly.’

‘Good. Not before time, from what I hear.’

Louise blushed even redder. The cheek of the man. Really! And she thought no one but her mother knew. You couldn’t do a thing in this village.

On the other side of Mr Fitch sat Muriel. She’d been waiting for her chance and now it had come. While Ralph went to help Margaret Booth readjust the piano stool and devise a method of keeping her music from blowing away while she played, Muriel took the bull by the horns.

‘Mr Fitch.’

‘Craddock please, Muriel.’

‘Craddock then. You know I’ve beeen very disappointed with you of late.’

He looked startled. ‘Disappointed, with me? What about?’

‘About lacking understanding.’

‘If I’ve been tactless about something, please put me right.’

‘Sometimes one does more good, you know, by
not
doing something than by doing it.’

‘You’re speaking in riddles, Muriel. I don’t understand.’ He followed her gaze and realised she was looking at Ralph.

‘It’s about cricket. The whole village are grateful for what you’ve done with the pavilion and the equipment, believe me they are, but they don’t like …’

‘Yes?’

‘They don’t like you trying to lord it over them.’

Mr Fitch began to boil. Lord it over them? Not him! Ralph did that – he was an expert at it. He himself did nothing but good.
Nothing but good
.

Muriel, staring into the distance, said, ‘It’s tradition, you see, that’s what counts. The village likes to keep its traditions. Like today. Like Stocks Day and the Village Show.’ She turned towards him and smiled at him in such a genuinely kindly way that he felt uncomfortable, and knew she was going to get him to do something he didn’t want to. ‘And the cricket team comes under the same heading, you see,’ she went on gently. ‘They want things to remain as they were. There’s a place for tradition and a place for progress, we need them both. So for your sake,
not
Ralph’s, you need to let him be president of the cricket club.’

The village green was bustling with life. Mothers and the dads who could spare the time from work were squatting on the school chairs; the throne for the Queen was ready; the flowers arranged around the dais giving it glorious colour; the Punch and Judy man was waiting his turn beside his red-and-white striped booth; the horses on the merry-go-round were poised to spring into action. Now, round the corner of the Village Store trotted a procession of the playgroup children coming to take their places, led by Beth and Alex walking hand-in-hand. The Maypole was waiting, the dancers self-conscious in their costumes sitting around its foot. Muriel watched Ralph talking to some of the parents on his way back to his seat, and she thought how much she loved him. Her love for him gave her courage.

‘Well, Craddock?’

‘You’ve a very persuasive way with you, Muriel Templeton. Very persuasive. But I don’t see what I shall gain if I step down.’

‘You won’t gain anything visible or tangible, but you will march to the same drum as them if you do.’

‘March to the same drum?’

‘Think about it.’ The piano burst into life. ‘Oh, they’re about to begin, and I’ve forgotten to look at my speech, and here comes Ralph. Oh dear, and now I can’t find my speech – where did I put it?’ Mr Fitch bent down and picked up a piece of paper from under Muriel’s chair.

‘This it?’

‘Oh, thank you.’

There came a breathless hush as Muriel waited for one of the attendants to remove Flick’s circlet of flowers. Then she held the crown high above Flick’s head and said in ringing tones, ‘On this wonderful gloriously happy day, I have the great honour to crown Felicity Jane Charter-Plackett Queen of the May. Long may she reign! Long live Queen Felicity!!’

Peter stood up and called for three cheers for the Queen.
Hip Hip Hurray! Hip Hip Hurray! Hip Hip Hurray!!

Queen Felicity stood up, her crown, plain gold-coloured metal with ten points around the top, each with a large pearl attached, its red velvet edge nicely placed along the top of her forehead, and said in a loud clear voice: ‘I thank you all for coming to my crowning today. I hope you will all enjoy yourselves. My subjects will now perform the traditional Maypole dancing, for your delight.’

The crowd sat down again, ready to be entertained. Margaret Booth at the piano performed miracles and the dancers were inspired. Their final dance, the ‘Spider’s Web’ was the most complicated, and when they finished the intricate weaving and unravelling of the ribbons, the crowd got to its feet as one and clapped and cheered.

‘Brilliant!’

‘Wonderful!’

‘Well done!’

They watched the Punch and Judy Show, jeering and hissing and clapping at all the right moments, and when Flick announced the Morris Dancers there was a cheer of delight. Chairs were moved to make a bigger space in front of the Queen. Gilbert played a lively tune on his melodeon and the dancing began.

Kate was beside herself. She was standing at the back watching everyone. It was all going perfectly splendidly. She couldn’t have asked for a more worthwhile and rewarding afternoon. Gilbert was giving it all he’d got, playing with gusto while his dancers nimbly entertained the crowds. It seemed impossible that in his working life Gilbert was a serious academic. At this moment, he was a medieval man celebrating the First of May like villagers had been doing for centuries. The crowd began clapping and an impromptu group near Kate got up from their chairs and began dancing too. She laughed. What fun! Someone dragged hold of her hand and pulled her in and made her dance. She didn’t know what was expected of her but she joined in just the same. It didn’t seem to matter. Nothing did except total happiness.

When the applause for the Morris dancers had died down, Queen Felicity announced from her throne that tea was being served and the merry-go-round would begin shortly.

There was no need for Kate to help with the refreshments for Pat had got that under her control. There was obviously more to Pat than she had realised and Kate felt quite disappointed that Pat would be leaving the school when she got married. Apparently she was going to work for Jimbo in his catering business. Well, she would be well qualified for that, judging by this afternoon. Then Kate felt a small hand slip into hers. She looked down and saw it was Beth’s.

‘Hello, Beth, isn’t this lovely?’

‘Yes. I’d like to be Queen when I’m big.’

‘Would you?’

‘Can I wear a crown like Flick’s?’

‘Of course. I’ll remember.’

Beth looked up at her and smiled. ‘I like playgroup at your school.’

‘I’m glad.’

‘It’s nice.’ She looked up again. ‘
You’re
nice.’

‘Thank you. And so are you.’

‘I like you next best after my mummy.’

‘That’s only right. Your mummy comes first. Here she is – look.’

Caroline was walking towards them, hand-in-hand with Alex. ‘Oh there you are, Beth! I’ve been looking for you. Do you want squash or tea?’

‘Squash, please. Mummy, Miss Pascoe says I can be Queen when I’m big. Isn’t she nice?’

Caroline looked at Kate, and Kate looked at her.

It was Caroline who smiled first. ‘Wonderful afternoon, Kate. I’ve had a lovely time. You must feel delighted with yourself.’

‘Good, I’m glad you’ve enjoyed it. Thank you.’

‘Come along then and we’ll get you your squash.’ Caroline walked away with the two children leaving Kate feeling grateful that things had thawed a little between the two of them.

‘Kate!’ It was Harriet bringing her a cup of tea. ‘I’ve come to say thank you for giving Flick such a wonderful afternoon. She’s loved it.’

‘Oh! Tea – just what I need! Thank
you
for having such a smashing daughter. She’s done well, really well. I’m proud of her. She’ll be in her element at Lady Wortley’s, I’m sure.’

‘You don’t mind any more then?’

‘No. Why shouldn’t she have the chance?’