46
jot. She couldn't see him doing an early morning run with his wife. More than likely he was tucking into bacon and eggs sunny side up while she was out jogging.
'How long have you been in the health club business, Jeremy?'
'New venture, actually. Venetia has the beauty and the experience and I have the brains and the money. This coffee's good.'
'Jimbo is out on business at the moment. If you could give me some idea of the kind of food you would be wanting and how you would like deliveries made and how often et cetera, when he gets back we could have a discussion about it.'
'Certainly. I've written down my thoughts on the subject so I'll leave them with you to browse over. Could I have another cup of coffee, please?'
'Of course. I've been wondering where you're going to get people from to fill up your health club. There's not many people around here who could afford to
be
members let alone stay there.'
'I have lots of business contacts and we intend promoting it as a place to send executives for a social as well as a physical weekend. Build company loyalty and morale and all that jazz. All paid for by the employers, of course.'
'I see. Well, here's hoping you have lots of success. I'm sure you will. As you say, with Venetia's beauty and your brains you're bound to be onto a winner.'
'Exactly. Must be off. There's our card. Give me a ring and we'll arrange a meeting. Remember though I'm in business. It's not a charity, so no fancy prices. Good day to you.' He left the store in a hurry, climbing into his BMW with more haste than grace.
'And so much for you Jeremy Mayer. No fancy prices indeed! If we didn't need the business I'd tell him what to do with his orders,' Harriet muttered to herself.
47
'Who's that just disappeared in a cloud of dust?' Caroline asked as she manoeuvred her pram in through the door.
'Good morning Caroline. That is the famous or is it infamous Jeremy Mayer from the health club. He's not anything like I'd expected.'
'I wonder if he knows his wife's been making passes at the rector? I shall be having a thing or two to say to her if she doesn't stop.'
'Don't take it too seriously Caroline, Peter's not so foolish as to be taken in by her. Can I lift Beth out?'
'Yes of course. I can't find my list, yet I know I put it out to bring with me.' Caroline tried all the pockets of her jacket and eventually found it tucked down the side of the pram mattress. 'I really think I've lost my marbles since I got these two. I don't know what I'm doing most of the rime.'
'Would you be without them, that's the question.'
'Certainly not. But it does take some adjusting to when one's led an adult, shackle free existence for so long and then suddenly your life is not your own any more.'
'That will pass. Now little lady I'm going to put you back in your pram and pick up your brother for a cuddle. Mustn't show favouritism must we?'
Harriet picked up Alex and kissed the top of his head. 'What darlings you are.' Harriet cuddled Alex against her face. 'Mmmm little babies are lovely. I'm very jealous of you do you know that?' Harriet put Alex back in the pram and said, 'I'm thinking of joining the health club. Jimbo fancies it and I'm going to keep an eye on him. What do you think?'
'No time really Harriet. Peter might join but I won't. I'm not into exercise and all that right now.'
Whilst Harriet was putting Caroline's shopping together for her, Venetia dashed in. She'd changed her pink track suit for a pale green one, all colour co-ordinated
48
with her headband and slouch socks. Emblazoned across her back were the words
Turnham House Health Club.
'Harriet hi! I met your husband this morning. I'm trying to persuade him to join our health club. Do you think he will? Would you like to join as well? We're expecting a rush for membership so you'd better make your mind up quickly. He was out with this gorgeous man called Peter this morning. Now, he really is a superb physical specimen. Just the kind I like. Tall, well made, fair haired, with surprising muscles. I told him a few hours on a sunbed would just set the seal on him. My dear, he's devastatingly attractive. I could really make music with him. Can't think what he's doing living out here in the sticks. Do you know him at all? Of course you must, if he was out running with your Jimbo.'
Harriet tried to hush her up but it was no good. Caroline grew steadily more and more angry as Venetia blithely enthused over Peter's physique.
'Are you aware that you are speaking about my husband?' she asked finally. Venetia turned to study Caroline. 'You should be delighted to hear his praises sung so enthusiastically.'
'I'm not delighted, I'm very angry.'
At this Venetia only laughed and said, 'All's fair in love and war.'
Caroline left the Store without her shopping. She strode home in a furious temper and then burst into tears as soon as she got inside the rectory door. Alex and Beth, sensing her distress, also began crying. When Peter got home a few minutes later he found the house in uproar.
'Darling, whatever is the matter? Come here to me.' Peter took hold of Beth and put his other arm round Caroline as she sat herself on his knee holding Alex. She wept.
'I've been such a fool. I've made a complete idiot of myself. That dreadful Venetia Mayer came into the store
49
and what had been a nice conversation with Harriet turned into a steaming row with Venetia.'
'What about?'
'You.'
'Me?'
'Yes, you. She thinks you are absolutely superb and wants to make music with you. Sunbed and all.'
'Did she not realise who I am?'
'No, not till I spoke up. I should just have laughed and made light of it, instead I got furiously angry.' Caroline began laughing through her tears. 'I really was a fool. I expect it's because I'm so tired, I take umbrage at almost anything. I shall have to apologise to her.'
'Don't do that, I'll go and see her, do the apologising and warn her off.'
'You'll do no such thing.
'
/ do the apologising. It was me who blew my top. She doesn't know you're the rector and I didn't enlighten her. I couldn't hide behind that as a reason for her to hold off.'
'I do love your sound commonsense Caroline. You do know I haven't encouraged her don't you?'
'Yes, I do. Absolutely. She's the threat, not you. I shall apologise the very next time I see her.'
50
Caroline met Venetia a few days later when she was in Harriet's tearoom having morning coffee. She'd left the twins with Sylvia who'd promised to keep an eye on them while she did the ironing. Caroline was glad to escape for a little while and become a person again in her own right. Life was beginning to get a certain balance to it since Sylvia had come to live in. Her parochial .duties having taken second place since the twins had arrived she was becoming aware of her neglect of Peter's flock. So this morning she would rectify the matter. And where better to meet people than in the tearoom?
It was half full when she went in. There was the usual sprinkling of tourists come to view the ancient tombs, the church murals and the stocks on the green and, dotted amongst them, were villagers out to meet anyone and everyone who might have some news to impart. She greeted the parishioners, smiled at a few of the strangers then took a seat at a table near the back. She ordered her filter coffee and a slice of Harriet's famous carrot cake and sat back to enjoy a grown-up interlude.
Venetia entered carrying a large poster. Her voice carried right to the back of the tearoom.
'I'm Venetia Mayer from Turnham House Health Club.' She spun herself round so the cashier could see the words printed on the back of her track suit. 'I'd like you
51
to display this poster in one of your windows. I'm going round to the store to ask Jimbo if I can put one on his Village Message Board but I thought one in here might be a good idea.'
The cashier looked warily at her. Caroline sensed a feeling of resentment in the look.
'Leave it here behind the counter and I'll ask Mr Charter-Plackett if I can put it up.'
'Oh, but I want to put it up now. You might forget.'
'I'm sorry, Mr Charter-Plackett employs me and I have to ask his permission before I put up notices. We can't have every Tom Dick and Harry littering the place with posters. He's very particular, is Mr Charter-Plackett. Doesn't want to spoil the ambonce he says.'
'Oh very well, but you won't forget, will you? I'll have an orange juice please.'
'The girl will come to your table and take your order. I deal with the money.'
'It's a wonder to me you get any customers in here at all with an attitude like yours. I wouldn't want to employ you at the health club.'
'No cause to worry yourself about that, I wouldn't want a job there anyways.'
'Well really! How rude. I shall have words about this with Jimbo. Such rudeness to a customer. Oh hello there, you're Peter's wife, aren't you?' She trotted down between the tables.
'That's right.' Caroline pulled out a chair. 'Come and sit with me.'
'These people are extremely rude. Are they always like this?'
'No, they're not. But I was very rude to you last time I saw you. I owe you an apology. It was entirely due to lack of sleep, I suppose. I'd been up with the twins a lot during the night and couldn't see straight at all. But that's no excuse. I'm so sorry.'
52
'That's fine. I didn't take any notice of you anyway. But you have to admit he is gorgeous. You are very lucky. I unashamedly admit I married money. Lots of it.'
The girl brought her orange juice and banged it down with little grace.
'See what I mean? They are thoroughly unpleasant people.'
Venetia sipped her orange juice and commented on its quality. 'We're buying all the food for Turnham House from Jimbo and Harriet. I imagine they provide some good stuff.'
'Oh yes, they are excellent. They've only been here for about three years, I understand. Jimbo used to work in the city but decided he hated it and it wasn't a good life for his children, so he and Harriet resurrected the village shop and they've made a great success of it.'
As Caroline finished singing the praises of the Turnham Malpas Store, Mrs Peel the organist left her table and came across with an envelope.
'Could you give this to the Rector for me, Dr Harris? Save me knocking on your door. He asked for a list of music I fancied buying for the Services. Said he'd pop into Culworth and order it.'
'Certainly Mrs Peel. I loved the pieces you played on Sunday. I thought that Scarlatti delightful.'
'Thank you, Dr Harris, I don't often get compliments, except from your husband, of course. Since he came I've felt that at last here's someone who could appreciate and inspire an organist.'
'I'm glad about that. The music is so important.'
'Old Mr Furbank never cared that much for the music. I could have played nursery rhymes and he wouldn't have been any the wiser. Good morning to you Dr Harris.' She gave a curt nod to Venetia and went out.
'Caroline! I had no idea that your Peter is the rector. What a laugh. Oh, well, maybe I brightened his day.
53
What on earth is such a super man doing being a rector? Oh my word.'
'Because he is a committed Christian, that's why.' 'Well, I may as well be honest. He won't be seeing me in church, I've no time for it. Hope to be too busy on Sunday mornings to go, even if I wanted to. See what I mean about the villagers though? She virtually ignored me. They don't want to know. Well, they'll have to put up with me because I intend staying and making a success of this place. Cheery bye. I'm off.'
Venetia waved a carefree hand and set off towards the door deliberately smiling and nodding at everyone as she went. The village people did not respond.
The regulars in The Royal Oak had plenty to say about the health club. Willie Biggs, the verger, confided to his drinking partner, Jimmy Glover, that it was an excuse for a sexual orgy like them Romans used to have.
'Wouldn't go as far as that Willie, but by Jove that woman in the tracksuit has plenty going for her. Nice bit of crackling and not half.'
'She ain't a woman, she's a walking sexpot skelling-ton. See her eyes when she spots.the rector. He's 'ad to change his route for his morning run to avoid her. They say she made eyes at him not knowing who he was. Dr Harris had a row with her in the Store because of it, and she's made sheep's eyes at Jimbo before now. Huzzy she is, Jimmy, a huzzy.'
'What I don't like is them making the Big House into a circus. Jaccersys and them naked Swedish steam things. Goes against nature. All them beautiful walls and them lovely paintings. I remember as a boy when we all went up from school to sing carols and then had mince pies and orange squash in the music room. Miss Evans getting bright red doing the conducting and then fidgeting with 'er 'ands and staring at her shoes when Sir Tristan made
54
his thank you speech. Remember that Willie?'
'I do. I looked forward to that from one Christmas to another. And then Bonfire Night. Remember the cook used to do dozens of baked potatoes and yer ate 'em with yer gloves on 'cos they were that hot. Them bonfires were grand. That high they used to be, yer don't get bonfires like that nowadays. I could just fancy going this November to one o* them fires. Remember Sir Tristan used to come out and give each one of us a toffee apple to take home? Say what you like they were special people up at the Big House.'
'And where is it all now? Madame Butterfly won't be dishing out toffee apples, more likely condoms.'
'Shut up, Jimmy, what are yer thinking of?' Willie glanced round to make sure Jimmy hadn't been overheard.
'Well, I'm right. Everybody thinks the same; the good old days are dead and gone.'
"Ave you got that Sykes in 'ere? Yer know Bryn doesn't like dogs in.'
'Doesn't matter. I don't care. He never makes a sound, nobody knows 'e's 'ere.'
'I do 'cos I can smell him.'
'That's only 'cos he's drying out, he's been out in this old rain and he got soaking. In any case 'e's partial to a drop of Guinness as you well know, so we share a glass.'
'All right, all right. You're soft in the head where that dog's concerned.' Willie put down his pint of Tetley's and waved to Pat Duckett, beckoning her across to join them. 'Sit 'ere Pat and tell us the latest from the school. Still wearing you out, is it?'
Pat carefully placed her plump behind on the settle and launched into the story of Venetia's visit to Mr Palmer.
'Headmaster, I ask yer and there she is prancing about in the playground demonstrating some exercises he could do to correct his stoop. "Come up and see me
55
sometime", she says, sounded like Greta Garbo in that film. Or was it Marlene Dietrich? Anyways them children were all gathered round with their mouths open listening to all this. I had the kitchen window open on account as I was washing up in there and it was steamy. I could hear every word what she was saying. I heard Mr Palmer say, "I'm afraid the subscription would be beyond my teacher's salary, Mrs Mayer." "Oh," says she, "call me Venetia do." Waggles her bum and dances off.'
'Been making eyes at the rector an' all,' said Jimmy determined to inflame Pat's wrath.
'Never. That's it then, she is a tart. Whatever would Mrs Rector think if she knew?'
'She does.'
'Never. The poor dear. She might be a Doctor and well brought up but she is pleasant to everybody. No hoity toity with her. Tell you what, I wish Sir Ralph was up at the Big House and it was like my mum remembered it before the war. The Village Flower Show in the grounds, all them side shows and the flags flying . . . that's how it ought to be, not all tarted up like she's making it. Our Dean went up there on his bike the other day, says it's like a building site. That Jerry Mayer bossing 'em all and diggers and machines all about. It'll never be the same again. Never.'
'It's what's called progress,' Willie moaned. 'But it will mean jobs. They've been advertising.'
Pat banged her lager down. 'If she offered me a king's ransom I wouldn't work up there. All them bare folk plunging about, it's not decent. My Duggie would turn in his grave if I worked up there, God rest his soul.' She raised her eyes piously to heaven and sketched a cross with the hand that wasn't holding her glass.
'Your Doug didn't have much time for God when he was down here Pat. Reckon he went up there do yer?'
56
'That's enough from you Jimmy Glover. Yer'll be civil when yer talk about my Doug. He was always kind to me.'
'I could tell that by the black eyes he kept giving yer.'
'That's as maybe, but he didn't mean it.'
They were sitting right by the door so they had a full view of the stranger when she walked in. She had a kindly fresh country face, with twinkling eyes. Well, they had the potential to be twinkling, but she was nervous just now. She wore a royal blue coat and smart high heeled court shoes which helped to increase her height. She went to the bar and asked for a white wine.
'Who's that?'Jimmy asked.
Pat nudged him and said, 'Isn't it Sylvia Grossman that was? Worked over at Culworth Hospital for years as a cleaning supervisor. Wonder what she's doing here?'
Sylvia looked around the bar for a table but they were all occupied. Pat caught her eye and, hitching further along the settle, invited the newcomer to sit down.
'You're Sylvia Grossman that was, aren't you?'
'Yes, I'm Sylvia Bennett now.'
Jimmy introduced the three of them to her and then followed it up by saying they hadn't seen her in the bar before.
'No, well, I only moved into the Rectory this week. Dr Harris needs help, what with that big house to run, and the twins, and helping the rector and answering the phone all day long. I rented a little cottage over at Penny Fawcett for years but the landlord wants it for himself now and I couldn't afford a bigger rent, everywhere I looked the rents were far too high, so Dr Harris suggested I lived at the Rectory for a while till I find something. I've got a lovely room and I have my own bathroom too. They're both so pleasant to work for. Do you know them very well?'
Willie didn't answer so Jimmy answered for him,
57
'Willie 'ere, who seems to have been struck dumb, is the verger at the church.'
'Oh well then, you won't need me to tell you how nice they are. Those babies are a delight. I love looking after them. Dr Harris feeds one and I feed the other and we sit chatting, or watching the TV. It makes a real change from supervising at the hospital, I can tell you. I've never been in here before.'
'We all know one another and we get on fine. Some of the newcomers are a bit pushy . . .'
'Who had you in mind Pat?' Jimmy asked, knowing full well to whom she would be referring.
'Well, that Sir Ronald and Lady Bissett. Ron and Sheila really, but they stand on ceremony a bit. Think they're somebody special 'cos he's on telly now and again. Most folks is all right. Funniest folks is Gwen and Beryl Baxter. They've lived here all their lives, if yer can call it living.'
Pat, sensing a chance to pass on some local gossip, hitched herself closer and began regaling Sylvia Bennett with the story of Gwen and Beryl. Willie hadn't spoken because he couldn't. He felt as though he'd been pole-axed. He stole glances at Sylvia when she wasn't looking, and found himself more delighted with her than he could possibly have imagined. Every move she made fascinated him. He'd been around a bit, but it was the first time he'd ever met a woman who had affected him in this way. One glance from her lovely grey eyes and his insides melted. He felt ridiculous. His heart was racing, his blood pressure seemed to have gone clean through the roof and he was sweating as though it was high summer and he was hay making. At his age . . . fifty eight and his heart beating twenty to the dozen. It must be this new beer the landlord was selling. That was it, it was the drink. He stood up pushed back his chair and, cutting across Pat's monologue, said abruptly, 'I'm off home.