‘This time I’ve been very naive,’ admitted Simon. ‘I saw the signs – too late – and I did nothing about it.’
‘It might be as well if she’s done a runner,’ said Gilbert. ‘But she didn’t take any luggage with her, not as far as we could see. She’s a crafty one, though, is Glenda. I’ll get back home, and let you know if there have been any developments.’
‘I’m sorry if your wife has been let down with regard to the children,’ said Arthur. ‘We’re all very fond of Fiona, you know. I’m sure we’ll be able to sort out some help for her, if Glenda has … well … decided to leave.’
‘I think Fiona will be relieved,’ said Simon. ‘I’ll have a talk to her and put her in the picture about what’s been happening. It’s been a ‘no-go’ area between the two of us, so it’s about time we cleared the air.’
When the two men had gone Simon breathed a sigh of relief, not at their absence, but at Glenda’s. He closed his eyes and said a quick prayer asking for guidance when he talked to his wife. He knew he had been a fool. He had enjoyed Glenda’s company at first, finding her friendly and amusing and easy to get along with, although he had never been attracted to her as anything but a friend. When he had realized that Glenda might have other ideas he had been nonplussed and had not known how to act. Poor Fiona! She had been aloof and preoccupied of late and he had felt unable to approach her, either physically or mentally. He had put it down to her tiredness and depression that had never really left her since the birth of the babies. Only lately had he become aware that she might be worrying about something else. Whatever had been going through her mind? He had to put things right between them at once.
‘No, Glenda’s not come back here,’ said Norma when Gilbert arrived back home. ‘What are you telling me? That she didn’t turn up at the rectory? And you think she might have got the message and cleared off?’
Gilbert explained to her how Ethel Bayliss had had words with Glenda.
Norma laughed. ‘Trust Mrs Bayliss! I bet she didn’t mince her words. Fiona has told me that she used to be far more of a battleaxe than she is now and that she’d calmed down a lot. But she’s still a force to be reckoned with. So … where is Glenda now? What the dickens is she up to?’
Gilbert shook his head. ‘I don’t know. Having a quiet think somewhere, maybe. It’s Fiona that I’m bothered about. She really does need help with those children. She’s not at all well. Simon says she has never got her strength back since the birth of the triplets.’
‘I shall go round there straight away,’ said Norma, ‘and see if there’s anything I can do. I’m not an expert with children, like Glenda is, but I’ve brought up two of my own. I know little Stella will have to be picked up from nursery school. And those triplets! Well, I know they’re adorable, of course, but they’re jolly hard work.’
‘I have some parish visits to do,’ said Gilbert, ‘and there’s old Mrs Bates to see in the hospital so I’ll be gone a couple of hours or so. I’ll run you round to the rectory, then you can see what sort of help Fiona would like. We’ll have a late lunch when we get home. And maybe Glenda will have reappeared by then …’
They drove off in their Morris Minor, Gilbert dropping off his wife at the rectory gate.
Thirteen
Simon opened the door of the lounge to find Fiona sitting on the settee with Mark on her lap and Matthew and Michelle one each side of her. They were engrossed in a television programme where teddy bears were prancing across the screen. Fiona looked up and smiled at him in a vague, almost disinterested, manner. It was a long time, he realized, since he had seen her face light up with a radiant smile on seeing him, as it had used to do.
‘Hello,’ she said. ‘You’ve had visitors, have you? I thought I heard Gilbert’s voice.’
‘Yes, it was Gilbert, and Arthur Bayliss as well.’
‘Oh … I see. Did Gilbert have any news about … Glenda?’ She seemed loath to speak the woman’s name.
‘Yes, he did, sort of … He doesn’t know why she hasn’t turned up here, not exactly, but –’ he stopped, looking at her pleadingly – ‘Fiona … darling, I need to talk to you. Can you leave the children for a little while? They’ll be all right, won’t they, watching their programme?’
‘Yes, they should be; it’s got another fifteen minutes to run,’ Fiona replied in the flat unemotional voice she had used of late. ‘Michelle –’ she turned to the little girl – ‘will you be a big help to Mummy and look after your brothers for a little while? And if Matthew starts being a nuisance, come and tell me.’ She sounded brighter now when she was speaking to the child.
Michelle nodded. ‘Yes, Mummy,’ she replied, hardly taking her eyes off the screen.
‘Let’s go in here and have a chat,’ said Simon, opening the door of their living-cum-dining room at the back of the house. It was a large room and as well as the dining table and four chairs there was room for two small armchairs. Simon sat down in one, and Fiona in the other, looking enquiringly at him.
As he looked across at his wife his heart surged with his love for her. It had never lessened despite the constraint that had existed between them recently. He felt at a loss now as to how to begin. He leaned forward, regarding her intently. ‘Fiona … whatever has gone wrong between us, it’s going to be put right now, this very minute.’
She stared back at him steadily, not speaking for several seconds. Then she said, rather coolly, ‘Do you have something to tell me about … Glenda?’
‘We won’t be seeing her again,’ he answered. ‘That’s why Gilbert and Arthur came to see me. Oh, Fiona, my darling, I know you’ve been unhappy, but I didn’t realize at first why it was. I know now, and I’m sorry, so very sorry.’
‘Why are you sorry, Simon?’ she asked, the coolness still there in her voice. ‘Is it because you regret what has been going on between you and Glenda?’
‘There’s been nothing going on,’ he replied, his voice sounding louder than he intended. He moderated his tone. ‘Nothing at all, my darling. I admit I found her friendly and easy to talk to, but I didn’t realize – honestly I didn’t – that you were reading more into it than was really there … You were, weren’t you?’
Fiona nodded. ‘I thought you were having an affair,’ she answered quietly, ‘or … leading up to one, at any rate.’
‘Fiona …’ He got up from his chair and went over to her, kneeling on the floor and putting his arms around her. ‘How could you possibly think that? You are the only woman for me; you have been ever since I first set eyes on you. Oh, Fiona, darling, I’m so sorry you’ve been upset and hurt.’
‘You must admit she’s attractive,’ she replied. ‘Glenda; she’s lively and … well, she has sex appeal, I suppose. Something that I know has been lacking in me recently. I can’t help it, Simon. I’ve felt so weary, and I’ve not been able to shake off this depression. And we haven’t … you haven’t come near me, Simon, not for ages, not properly. And that was what made me suspicious.’
He shook his head sorrowfully, and unbelievingly too. ‘Oh no, you couldn’t have thought that? I wouldn’t; you know I wouldn’t.’
She smiled grimly. ‘Yes, I know you’re a clergyman, but I don’t suppose you would be the first one to stray from the straight and narrow.’
‘No, probably not. But I didn’t, and I wouldn’t. Not because I’m a rector, but because there’s no one else for me but you. Yes, I can see that Glenda’s an attractive woman, looking at her objectively. But I wouldn’t care if it were … Sophia Loren! I would never look at anyone else. I know we haven’t made love as we used to, because I know how tired and dispirited you’ve been feeling. And besides, my love for you means far more than just that. I love you in every possible way, Fiona. Please, darling, forgive me for whatever I might have done; for making you feel insecure and causing you to have doubts about me. Yes, I can see it now …’
He was staring at her intently, and she leaned forward and kissed him gently on the cheek. ‘Yes … and I can
see that I might have been silly and jumped to the wrong conclusion. Of course I should have trusted you. But other people in the church have noticed you and Glenda, you know, although I can see now that she was doing all the running. Where is she, anyway? What were you going to tell me about Gilbert and Arthur?’
Simon explained the reason for their visit, how they were anxious about Glenda’s behaviour, and that people were noticing the way she was monopolizing him. Fiona actually laughed when he told her that Ethel Bayliss had tackled the woman and, seemingly, might have scared her off. ‘It appears you’ve got a good ally there now, darling,’ he said. ‘Ethel’s enough to scare anyone when she’s on the warpath.’ He told her, though, that Gilbert had not known that Glenda had not turned up at the rectory that morning, and that she appeared to have left the house with the intention of coming there.
‘We’ll just have to wait and see,’ he said. ‘Gilbert and Norma will let us know if there are any developments.’
At that moment the doorbell rang. ‘I’ll go and see who it is,’ said Simon, giving Fiona a quick kiss as he rose from his knees. ‘Now, stop worrying, darling. Everything’s going to be fine.’
It was Norma at the door. ‘I’ve come to see if I can help Fiona,’ she said. ‘Gilbert’s told me that Glenda hasn’t turned up. Perhaps just as well, though. Honestly, that sister of mine! I’m sorry she’s causing so much trouble. I invited her here in good faith. I’d no idea she would get up to her old tricks … Oh, hello, Fiona,’ she said as the lady appeared. ‘I’ve come to help—’
She was interrupted by Michelle dashing out of the lounge. ‘Mummy, Mummy; Matthew’s being naughty! The telly’s finished, and he’s twiddling the knobs, and you said he’s not to …’
Fiona laughed. ‘It seems you’re just in time, Norma. Yes, I could do with a helping hand. If you could entertain these little terrors for a while, and then collect Stella from nursery school? I haven’t even washed up the breakfast pots yet, it’s been so chaotic; and Simon’s been busy with Gilbert and Arthur.’
‘Calm down, love,’ said Norma. ‘Everything’s going to be OK,’ she told her, just as Simon had done.
‘Yes, we’ve been having a chat about … things,’ said Simon. ‘I’ve been an idiot, I admit, not realizing the way it was going. But it’s going to be different from now on with Fiona and me.’
‘You’ve been naive, Simon, that’s all,’ said Norma, ‘and I blame myself for being the cause of it, in a way. Anyhow, I’m here to make amends … Oh, hello there, Mark, and teddy as well.’ The little boy had appeared clutching his beloved bear. ‘What is he called?’
‘Billy,’ said Mark, pushing the bear towards Norma, who politely shook his hand. ‘How do you do, Billy?’
Mark laughed, and Fiona breathed a sigh of relief. She felt that things were getting better already.
Norma amused the children, then collected Stella from the nursery school before starting back home at half past twelve. She arrived at the house to find that Glenda had returned. She was in the process of loading suitcases and boxes into the back of her red mini car. It had been parked on the driveway for most of the time she had been staying there, as most places she wanted to visit were within easy walking distance.
‘I’m leaving,’ she announced, looking angrily at her sister. ‘I won’t stay where I’m not wanted, and I’m not going to be spoken to the way I was by that old witch, Mrs Nosey-parker Bayliss. Of course, I can guess who put her up to it; it was either you or him.’ She gestured towards the house with her thumb, and Norma gathered that Gilbert must be already back home.
‘You’re wrong, Glenda,’ said Norma, quite calmly. ‘Mrs Bayliss is her own person. She acts according to her convictions. I know she sometimes gets it wrong, but not in this case. We invited you here because we knew that you needed a job, and we thought you would be an ideal help at the rectory. But you have let us down. We are ashamed and embarrassed at your behaviour.’
‘So what am I supposed to have done,’ demanded Glenda. ‘I’ve tried to be friendly, that’s all. Simon didn’t seem to mind. We’ve had many a good laugh together. And that’s more than he’s been having with that wife of his just lately. I felt sorry for him. He’s had a miserable time with her moping around the place. Suffering from depression, indeed! She should be thankful she has four lovely children and such a good husband instead of sitting around feeling sorry for herself.’
‘Be careful what you are saying about Fiona,’ Norma warned her. ‘Everybody in the church loves Fiona, and they won’t hear a wrong word about her. She has been ill, and you were supposed to be helping her, not trying to seduce her husband.’
‘I’ve done no such thing!’ retorted Glenda, her face turning pink with indignation. ‘How dare you? As if I would! If that is what people are suggesting, then they’ve got nasty minds, that’s all I can say.’
‘People are concerned,’ said Norma, ‘and it seems they’ve had good reason to be. If they had known what Gilbert and I know about you they would have been even more worried. We believed you had learnt your lesson, though.’
‘Oh yes; I might have known you would drag all that up again,’ said Glenda. ‘I’m surprised you haven’t broadcast it all over the parish.’
‘Well, we haven’t,’ replied Norma. ‘We haven’t told anyone. I thought it was all in the past, Glenda.’ Despite her anger and disappointment with her, Norma was beginning to feel a little sorry for her sister. They had always been good friends as well as sisters and had hardly ever fallen out, except about the incident with the church organist. She could see that Glenda was really quite close to tears. She knew her well and could see the signs. She went over to her and put a hand on her arm,
‘Don’t let’s fall out, Glenda,’ she said. ‘I think I can understand how you feel.’ Glenda looked at her, and her eyes showed a trace of sorrow as well as defiance. A tear glistened in the corner and she shook her head, trying to brush it away.
‘Simon’s an attractive man,’ Norma continued. ‘If you fancied you were a little bit in love with him … well, from what I’ve heard, you weren’t the first one. You did … like him a lot, didn’t you?’
‘Of course I did,’ said Glenda. ‘I couldn’t help myself. I knew it was no use. He didn’t look at me in that way, but I suppose I had my fantasies. I’m a bloody fool, aren’t I? He would never have strayed from the straight and narrow. I don’t suppose I would have done either, for that matter. I’m not quite so lacking in morals.’
‘No, of course you’re not,’ said Norma, putting an arm round her. ‘I don’t really want you to go, Glenda. It’s been good having you here, but I suppose it might be for the best if you leave … without saying any goodbyes. They might prove rather embarrassing.’
‘I’ve left them in the lurch, haven’t I, Fiona and the children?’ said Glenda. She looked sorry and a shade guilty. ‘I loved those kiddies, really I did. I never took to Fiona … I was jealous of her, I suppose,’ she said, with a touch of real honesty, ‘and I do know she’s been having a bad time.’
‘People will rally round and help,’ said Norma. ‘I went there this morning when I knew that you hadn’t turned up, and I looked after the triplets for a while. I think Simon and Fiona had been having a heart to heart talk, so I’d leave them alone if I were you.’
Glenda nodded. ‘I suppose that would be the best thing to do. I would like to have said goodbye to the children. As I said, I’m very fond of them. But I’m under no illusions. They’ll forget all about me in a day or two.’ She shrugged. ‘That’s what kiddies do. So long as they’re being cared for, that’s all they’re bothered about. Their needs come first; they’re very self-centred at that age. It will be off with the old and on with the new.’
She looked regretful, and Norma felt sorry for her. ‘How will you go on when you get back to Sheffield?’ she asked. ‘Your house is let at the moment, isn’t it? You won’t be able to move back in, will you?’
‘It’s a short-term lease,�
� replied Glenda. ‘It has only a few more weeks to run. ‘I’ve plenty of friends there,’ she added, with a show of nonchalance. ‘As a matter of fact, I rang a very good friend of mine this morning, and she says I can stay there until my house is vacant again. And I’ll be able to find another job. Childminders are much in demand these days with more and more women deciding to go back to work. So you won’t need to worry about me …’
‘But we are concerned, Gilbert and I,’ said Norma. ‘We’re not as heartless as we may seem. We just didn’t want you making too much of a fool of yourself and upsetting people.’
‘Yes, they’re very protective of their rector … and his wife, aren’t they? Neither of them can do any wrong. I didn’t mean any harm, you know.’ She sounded a shade bitter but Norma decided to ignore it. She supposed she had reason to be so.
‘Stay and have some lunch with us before you dash off,’ she suggested. ‘It’ll be pot luck today, I’m afraid. Scrambled eggs, or something equally quick and simple.’
‘OK, thanks,’ said Glenda following her into the house.
Norma levelled a warning glance at her husband who, she was pleased to see, was already working in the kitchen. ‘Glenda’s staying for lunch,’ she said, nodding meaningfully. They understood one another very well, and he knew that he mustn’t dwell on the emotive matter any longer. All that needed to be said had already been covered.
‘I’ve found some bacon and sausages in the fridge,’ said Gilbert, ‘so I’m doing a fry-up. So if you two girls set the table and make a cuppa, I’ll get on with the cooking. OK?’
‘Very much so,’ said Norma. ‘Thanks, Gilbert.’ She was relieved that the parting was going to be an amicable one.
‘You and I need to get away for a few days, just the two of us,’ Simon said to Fiona that evening. The children were all in bed and they were sitting together on the settee. His arm was around her in the loving and companionable way that she had missed so much of late.
Old Friends, New Friends Page 16
