Whispers in the Village

by Shaw, Rebecca

  While Jimbo had been up on the chair, he’d felt his mobile vibrating in his pocket. Amidst the hullabaloo, he looked at the phone and found a brief text message: ‘We are all safe. Peter.’

  Jimbo stared at the message. It must be a hoax. Some foul trickster playing a joke on him. It couldn’t be true. Not possible. ‘Harriet!’

  Harriet was right beside him and when she looked at him and saw his face was white as a sheet and pinched-looking she was filled with dread. In a whisper she said, ‘Oh, Jimbo, what on earth’s happened? What is it?’

  ‘Look. Read this.’

  He felt her body jolt with the shock.

  Taking his hand, Harriet opened the dining-room door and they slipped away from the noise. ‘Well, it says so. But is it from Peter?’

  ‘Exactly. Is it some dreadful joke? I daren’t tell anyone until we’re sure.’

  ‘It must be true. It says all safe so they must have found the children. Who’d be cruel enough to send a message like that when it wasn’t true?’

  ‘But if it isn’t true and it’s some ghastly trick and we say they’re safe when they’re not at all, that would be terrible.’

  ‘Jimbo, it must be true. We should be celebrating. We could tell everyone right now, what a finish to the afternoon!’

  ‘Darling, I think we’ll wait until we hear more. Perhaps he’ll ring properly later. Then we could announce it.’

  ‘But everyone should know. Immediately.’

  Jimbo tried to text back, but to no avail. He put his phone away in his pocket and said firmly, ‘We’ll not say a word. One more day, even two more days will make no difference, let’s wait and see. There’s been enough heartbreak over this business.’

  ‘Perhaps it’s wise to do that.’

  ‘If it is true and they are all safe I shall open that bottle of Irish whiskey, because what with Major Malpas coming up trumps and all the Harrises safe, that will be the moment to open it. Don’t you think so?’

  ‘Absolutely.’

  Harriet thanked her lucky stars Jimbo had decided to say nothing about the text message thus giving her the time to replace his precious whiskey. If he’d known what she’d done …

  Chapter 20

  Harriet hurtled into Culworth the following morning on the flimsy excuse that she needed a haircut. She didn’t, but anything was better than Jimbo finding out what she’d done with his whiskey. He clearly hadn’t made the connection when Mr Fitch was presented with his bottle, his mind being so full of the text message he’d received. She paused at that difficult crossroads where it was impossible to see if anything was approaching from either left or right, and as she raced over the junction with her fingers crossed, a bright red taxi also raced across heading for Turnham Malpas. For one brief silly moment she was convinced she’d seen Caroline sitting in the back. But not the Caroline she remembered, this woman looked about twenty years older.

  Therefore it couldn’t be Caroline, of course not. It was someone else, a weekender perhaps. They were always on the verge of retirement, if not already retired when they bought a cottage, so it could possibly be one of them. By the time she was leaving Culworth, with the bottle of whiskey safely cradled in a wooden box packed with bubble wrap, she’d entirely convinced herself it wasn’t Caroline.

  However, as she paused to turn right down Stocks Row, out of the corner of her eye she spotted two big backpacks and a suitcase standing outside the rectory. The door was wide open. She pulled up beside Jimmy Glover’s garden fence, leaped out of her car and ran round to see for herself. Peter! He was just coming out to attend to the luggage.

  ‘Peter! You’ve come home!’ Harriet flung her arms round him and hugged him. He smelled different and he was thinner, much thinner. She looked up into his face. His eyes were still strong, and penetrating, but there was a deep sadness behind them she hadn’t seen before.

  ‘Peter! You’re all here? The children?’

  ‘All present and correct.’ He managed to smile but it appeared to be a strain to do so. ‘Go in. Caroline will be delighted.’

  Harriet said. ‘Let me give you a kiss first.’ He bent his head and she kissed his cheek. Never before had she been so glad to kiss anyone.

  The twins were nowhere to be seen, but Caroline was sitting at the kitchen table and Anna was fussing over cups and saucers. Harriet said, ‘Caroline! Am I glad to see you.’ They embraced again and again, and then they both wept with relief, hardly able to find any words that would express their feelings.

  ‘The children? Where are they?’

  Caroline wiped her eyes. ‘They’ve gone next door to see Sylvia and Willie. They’ve inspected every inch of the rectory to check everything is in order.’

  ‘Of course. I can understand that. Look, let me ring Jimbo so he can put a notice up that you’re home. Please.’

  ‘We don’t know if we can cope with visitors just yet.’

  ‘Please. It’ll help you, I’m sure, to know how we’ve missed you. We’ve all missed you so much. You’ve no idea. Needed Peter to talk to us, you know.’ Harriet immediately realized that Anna was listening as Peter came in with the backpacks and dumped them in the hall. She apologized. ‘I’m sorry, Anna, I’ve made it sound as though you’ve not been welcome, but you have, believe me. Very welcome. You’ve been brilliant.’

  Anna nodded. ‘Of course I understand. I was only a stand-in after all. There’s no need to apologize.’ All the same she felt a little let-down by Harriet’s declaration. ‘Here’s a cup of good old English tea. Would you like a cup, Harriet?’

  ‘No, thanks. I’m going home to spread the news.’ Harriet got to her feet and disappeared out of the door before she broke down in front of them. She was so horrified by Peter’s and Caroline’s appearance: they were barely recognizable as the two vigorous people who’d embarked on their mission only a matter of months ago. Anxiety and terror had all left their mark on the two of them.

  Harriet dashed into the Store shouting, ‘Peter and Caroline are back! It’s true. I’ve been talking to them!’

  Excitement broke out like a rash. Tom emerged from the Post Office ‘cage’, Bel from behind the till, Jimbo from his office, Greta Jones from the mail order office and the kitchen staff carrying whatever piece of kitchen equipment they’d been using when they heard Harriet’s voice. All gathered round to hear the news.

  ‘It’s true! They are. They’ve just arrived.’

  Jimbo took off his straw boater, smoothed his bald head and said, ‘Thank God for that. Are they back for good?’

  Harriet thought for a moment and then said, ‘I don’t know.’

  Bel asked, ‘And the children? Are they back, too?’

  ‘Yes, but I haven’t seen them. I’ll go ask.’ She ran all the way back to the rectory, charged in through the front door and asked. Peter was sitting in his usual place at the head of the kitchen table, cradling his cup of tea in his hands. Caroline was facing him sipping her tea.

  Her question was received in silence. Harriet looked from one to the other, and eventually Peter answered. ‘Yes. We are.’

  ‘Good.’ Harriet raced back to the Store and called out from the door, ‘They’re here for good.’

  ‘Thank God for that,’ was Tom’s heartfelt reply.

  Breathless with all her running back and forth, Harriet said, ‘They both look terrible.’

  Jimbo put an arm round her shoulders and gave her a squeeze. ‘That’s likely with the things they’ve had to face. I expect we’d look terrible, too. But they are back safe and sound. This moment is the time for a toast. We’ll all share that whiskey of mine I’ve been keeping.’

  Remembering where she’d left the car and that the whiskey was still wrapped up on her back seat, Harriet, thinking quickly, said, ‘I think it would be better if Caroline and Peter are with us when we toast them, don’t you?’

  ‘Of course, of course, you’re absolutely right.’

  ‘Don’t rush over there now, they seem to be in shock at the moment
. I think we’ll have to keep our pleasure on the back burner for the moment.

  Then Tom said, ‘What about Anna?’

  ‘Ah, yes. What about Anna?’

  Anna was having to do a serious readjustment of her life. She couldn’t stay in the rectory – she felt they would need their own space – but on the other hand Peter would need time to recuperate before he returned to doing a full day’s work. So what should she do? Her own flat at the Abbey was let out so there was no room for her there. She knew Peter and Caroline would say they didn’t mind if she stayed, but that would never do, because deep down they would mind.

  There came an imperious ringing of the doorbell, so Anna went to answer it.

  It was Grandmama Charter-Plackett. ‘Harriet’s told me. I haven’t come to visit, but I did think about you and the difficult position you’re in.’

  ‘Actually, I am in a difficult position, yes.’ Anna stood out on the step, closing the front door behind her. ‘I can’t stay here, they need their space.’

  ‘Exactly. Well, if nothing springs to mind, come and live with me. I have a lovely second bedroom, all mod cons as they say, and I’d love to have your company. For as long as it takes. Right! Tonight if you’d prefer.’

  ‘Really? You don’t know how grateful I am. They’ve let my flat to a Bible student for a year so there’s no way I can go back there, and if I did we’d have to take it in turns. It’s so small.’

  ‘Give them all my love, my dear. And you’re not to feel as though we don’t want you, it’s just that … we all rely so deeply on Peter’s spiritual wisdom. Bit nearer to God than the rest of us, don’t you know. We love him dearly … and the children of course … and Caroline.’

  ‘Thank you for saying that. I’ll give them your love, and thank you for the offer.’

  ‘I mean it. Just give me a buzz. I always have clean sheets on the bed so it’s no trouble at all.’

  ‘Thank you, I’m so grateful.’

  Anna closed the front door and as she did so, the phone began to ring. Out of habit Anna went to answer it. It was the first of many callers that day asking if it was true that the Harrises were back.

  At two o’clock it was Miss Gotobed’s funeral. Question was, would she be doing Peter a good turn by taking it herself or would he prefer to be there himself?

  When Anna returned to the kitchen, Peter was pouring himself a second cup of tea. ‘Who was that at the door, Anna?’

  ‘Mrs Charter-Plackett checking the rumours were right. She sends you her love and will be seeing you whenever. The phone was someone from Culworth asking if it was true you were home safely.’

  ‘They must have seen us at the station.’

  ‘I have a funeral today, Peter. It’s Miss Lavender Gotobed. Would you prefer to take it?’

  Peter didn’t answer.

  ‘Obviously, I don’t mind. I’ve been seeing quite a bit of her these last few weeks. She’s missed her one hundredth birthday by four weeks. Bright as a button, planning to write to the council about the drains in Little Derehams, then all of a sudden, as she said, her body gave up the ghost and she was gone inside a week. What do you think?’

  ‘What time?’

  ‘Two o’clock.’

  Peter hesitated. ‘I should, but I can’t cope, I’m afraid. I really need you here for a while to keep the parish ticking over. You’re welcome to stay.’

  ‘No problem. Mrs Charter-Plackett has offered me her spare bedroom and I shall take her up on that. You need your space.’

  Caroline, struggling to be charitable, said, ‘Oh! But we would be glad for you to stay.’

  Anna shook her head. ‘No, I shall begin moving my things when I get back from the funeral. This is your home and you need to have it to yourselves. I mean it. And Sylvia can’t wait to get back in to look after you all. I’m quite sure about that.’

  Peter began to protest but Anna would have none of it. ‘I didn’t want her to clean for me as I’m perfectly capable of cleaning for myself, and she’s been itching all this time to get back to the rectory. I think she has suspicions that I haven’t been dusting properly.’ She smiled. ‘I’ve no doubt she’ll be reporting for duty first thing tomorrow.’

  She’d no sooner said that than there was a knock at the door and a voice calling out as though they’d never been away, ‘It’s only me.’ And there Sylvia stood in the kitchen doorway, her face alight with pleasure. She managed to hide the shock she felt on seeing them and walked straight across the kitchen to hug Caroline. ‘I’m so glad you’re all safe. It’s been terrible. I thought I’d never see you again. Never ever. But here you are.’ She stood back to study Caroline and saw without a shadow of doubt the anguish not yet gone from her face. ‘And you, sir, so glad you’re back.’ She shook Peter’s hand with both her hands and then couldn’t restrain herself from hugging him, too. ‘We’ve needed you these last few months.’

  When Sylvia released him, Peter answered, ‘Sylvia! Lovely to be back. The children, where are they?’

  ‘Don’t you fret. They’re just finishing a game of snakes and ladders with Willie. Strange really, they haven’t asked to play it for years and here they haven’t been back two minutes and they were asking for a game.’

  ‘Do them good.’

  Sylvia couldn’t resist her need to know where they’d been all these weeks and asked straight out. ‘So where were they when they were missing?’

  Caroline cleared her throat. ‘We can’t bear to talk about it just yet.’ There was a finality in her voice, which didn’t allow for anyone persuading them otherwise. So one of those strange silences fell where everyone present was thinking their own thoughts, but not for long because Beth and Alex returned. They stood in the hall, looking at them from the kitchen doorway and then went upstairs together without speaking.

  Anna jumped up from her chair. ‘I’ve been sleeping in Beth’s bedroom. I’ll go get my things out, don’t want to upset her.’ She raced up the stairs to find Beth standing in her room looking out of the window.

  ‘I’m so sorry. If I’d known you were coming … I’ve been sleeping in here, you see. It’s been a lovely, welcoming bedroom. Thank you for the use of it. I’ve slept very well in here, but now I’m going to take all my bits and pieces out.’ Anna began by stripping the bed, and Beth didn’t answer her.

  While Anna was clearing some books from the shelves, Beth said, ‘I never thought I’d stand here looking out at our garden ever again. I love this view. Mum’s flowers in our garden and then Pipe and Nook Lane and the ancient hedgerow. Lady Templeton once threatened to lie down in front of the tractor that was coming to pull it up, you know. And she did do it. Mr Fitch was horrified when he saw her. She won though. Most daring thing she’s ever done. Funny name, isn’t it, Pipe and Nook Lane? No one seems to know how it came about. Then Rector’s Meadow and then the Big House Wood the far side of it; it’s so beautiful in autumn. This was the view I thought about so often, it was all I had to hang on to.’ Beth fell silent.

  ‘I’m sorry for what you’ve been through. I can’t begin to imagine—’

  ‘Alex was so brave. If it hadn’t been for him—’

  ‘Well, you can put it all behind you now.’

  ‘Think so?’

  ‘If you get back to school …’

  But Beth walked out of her room and up the attic stairs and left Anna to finish clearing out. Anna could have kicked herself for so thoughtlessly trying to encourage Beth to look forward to normality so soon. Of all the ridiculous things to have said. The sooner she was out of here the better, before she made any more stupid remarks. The child looked tortured beyond belief. Not perhaps physically but certainly mentally, and far too thin for a girl of fourteen. So what had Alex done that had somehow saved her sanity?

  Anna left for Grandmama’s cottage immediately, but Sylvia stayed and shopped and put things where they belonged, and couldn’t wait to have a good clean-through, but not today. The rectory was far too fragile a place just now. It
was in the air, in every room, a heavy cloud of distress, and the Harrises were almost speechless with a mixture of relief and terror. Sylvia was longing to know, but she had a feeling they wouldn’t be telling her because the pain was still too close, the wounds as yet too raw to touch.

  She cooked them one of their favourite meals. Caroline protested but she insisted that was what she was going to do. That pecan pie they all loved to finish and before that a glorious beef casserole with mushrooms and lashings of wine, and those lovely floury jacket potatoes, which Sylvia was a genius at. Then she left, reluctantly, saying, ‘It’s Tuesday tomorrow so I shall be in as usual, to clean.’

  It was only when she had left and got home that she cried. ‘It’s destroyed those two children. Destroyed them. They ought never to have gone.’

  As soon as the door closed on Sylvia, Peter said he was going to the church. He’d wanted to go ever since they’d got home but the phone had rung constantly and he hadn’t known how to cope with the silence of the twins and he felt so dreadfully concerned about Caroline that he daren’t leave her. But Caroline urged him to go while he had the chance; she’d be OK and the children were watching TV. She knew the guilt he felt at having suggested going to Africa and bringing about this near catastrophe.

  Peter went to the old familiar drawer in his desk and took out the keys to the church. He cradled the huge key to the main door in his hand, feeling it might hold the answer to his torment.

  The church had been locked at five o’clock by Zack the verger, so when Peter entered it felt chilling. He looked straight to the altar where the small light was burning as always. Slowly Peter walked down the aisle, savouring every pew, every echo of his footsteps, every flagstone under his feet, every kneeler so lovingly restored by the W.I. embroiderers, every rafter above his head, every ancient tattered flag hanging from them.