A Village Deception (Turnham Malpas 15) (14 page)

Mrs Charter-Plackett must have been watching from her window because as Harry passed she opened her door. ‘I was right then, he was in church.’

‘Yes, he was. Can’t stop. Got lots of things to do.’

‘I didn’t intend keeping you, believe me. Good afternoon.’ She couldn’t imagine why he’d thrown his toys out of the pram, it was most unlike him.

That evening in the bar, heads were bent together around the table. They were discussing the house-warming party over at Harry’s. They couldn’t help it because they all had opinions on the matter and needed to air them.

Maggie started the discussion off by saying, ‘I don’t care what you say, I smelled her perfume. I know I’m right.’

‘Well,’ whispered Sylvia, ‘I didn’t. What’s it smell like?’

‘Oriental, like. Musk or sandalwood or something. I definitely smelled it, say what you like.’

‘But we were there for well over an hour. Surely she couldn’t have been hiding all that time.’

‘Maybe she’d already been and gone?’ Sylvia said.

Paddy declared that they must have interrupted something, him with his shirt buttons undone and it being only half past nine. Well, maybe nearly a quarter to ten.

Zack spoke for the first time and, of course, he spoke in defence of Harry. ‘I think it’s disgusting, you all talking like this about him. It’s absolutely thoughtless. For a start, he’s got the right to do what he wants under his own roof and secondly, he wouldn’t, he’s not that kind of person.’

Maggie patted his hand. ‘I know you’re very fond of him, but I walked down Shepherd’s Hill with him when he lived with you and he admitted he’d been swimming. I knew he had because his hair was wet.’

‘What does that mean?’ asked Zack.

‘Well, like I said, he’d been swimming.’

‘Just because he went swimming didn’t mean he’d been … you know … with that Venetia. He’s too nice a chap to be interested in a tart like her.’

‘Now who’s being thoughtless? Calling her a tart?’ Willie commented. The outside door banged in the wind and Willie looked up. ‘Eh up! Here he comes. Watch out.’

Zack shouted across to Harry, ‘Get your drink and come and sit with us. Tell us what it’s like living in your own cottage. Managing all right, are you, Harry?’

Harry gave him a thumbs up and nodded. He lingered a while talking to Alan Crimble the barman, hoping against hope that someone he knew would be in besides the gossiping crowd who’d ruined his first evening in Jimmy’s Cottage. Then he turned as though he was going over to sit with Zack when he spotted Peter and presumably his wife. He froze. No, no, that wouldn’t do. No more of him. Then he saw Tom sitting on his own and he decided he would be his target.

‘Evening, Tom. May I sit with you? Good day in the store today?’

‘Indeed you may.’ Tom pulled the other chair out for Harry and passed a beer mat to him. ‘Yes, a very good day. How are you feeling about being in charge of the money while Jimbo’s away? It’s only the second time since I’ve known him that he’s left and gone on holiday with Harriet. Usually they go away in turns. My Evie offered to have Fran but she’d already planned to stay with Grandmama. Get on with her all right, do you?’

‘I don’t really know, I’ve been there barely twenty-four hours. But she seems all right. For heaven’s sake, Tom, don’t forget to put the daily takings in the safe overnight, will you? I couldn’t bear it if we had a burglary.’

‘I cash up every night before I shut up shop, fill in the banking slip and put the lot in the safe. The keys go in my jacket pocket and home with me, along with the shop key. I always put the alarm on. I never forget.’

‘I’ve been thinking that perhaps it might be better if I banked the money in Culworth first thing the following morning rather than waiting until the afternoon. Otherwise, going just before the bank closes in the afternoon means that my afternoon is fragmented and I get nothing done. What do you think? The danger of theft would then be even less, wouldn’t it?’

‘You have a point. I wouldn’t alter the regime without speaking to Jimbo about it, though. But either he or I will let you know before he leaves. There’s got to be a complete understanding between you and I while he’s away otherwise ….’ Tom looked Harry straight in the face to make sure he understood and Harry nodded his agreement.

Tom downed the last of his drink and offered to get Harry another.

‘Thanks, that’s kind of you. Whisky, neat please.’

When Tom came back with their drinks, Harry commented, ‘It seems to me that everyone in the village knows exactly what everyone else is doing before they even know it themselves.’

‘Very well observed, that. On the other hand, if you’re in a fix they all turn their hand to doing something about it for you. Taken ill, out of work, and you’re inundated with offers of food and the like. Sykes OK with you, is he?’

‘Matter of fact, I told him I was going to the pub and he insisted on coming with me. At the moment he’s under the settle over there. He’s his own man is Sykes.’

‘Jimmy always sat at that table and Sykes used to hide under the settle, still as still, waiting for Jimmy to pass his pint down for him to have a drink.’

‘Dogs are all right in here then?’

‘Not really. Sykes is the exception because he’s so well behaved. He was in here with Jimmy the night he died. Sad that. Laughable though, looking at it another way. They were all shouting at Jimmy, telling him it was his turn to get the drinks in, only to find that he didn’t move. Sitting bolt upright in his chair
he was. Willie said, “Stop kidding us, you’re not asleep. You’re just trying to avoid paying for the drinks.” Then Sylvia screamed and pointed at Jimmy, who had begun to slowly keel over to one side. She went into a faint and they realised that Jimmy was as dead as a dodo. Anyway, Dr Harris was in with the rector and she went to examine him. She went white and said, “I’m sorry, but Jimmy has … Well, he’s … He’s died.” You should have heard the uproar. Out of respect, we all trooped out leaving, as you’d expect, poor Jimmy, Dr Harris and the rector waiting for the ambulance. Poor Georgie was in a right state. She didn’t work in the bar for three whole days, so upset she was.’

‘I see. It all happens here, doesn’t it?’

‘You’re right there. The tales I could tell, and I’ve lived here only what, ten years? Them what’s lived here all their lives could tell you a thing or two. Must go, Evie will be wondering where I am. A word of warning.’

Harry looked puzzled. ‘A word of warning about Evie, you mean?’

‘No, of course not. About that Venetia. Fickle she is. Very fickle.’

‘I don’t know why you’re telling me.’

‘Don’t pretend you don’t understand. We all know, even if you don’t. Which you must do. I’m just advising you to watch your step. Right?’ Tom tapped the side of his nose with his forefinger and winked at him. Then he waved goodnight to Dicky and left.

Harry fumed, downed his drink, and was about to leave when his mobile rang.

They all surreptitiously watched him nod his head once or twice and then switch it off. He leaped to his feet and called, ‘Sykes!’ To their surprise, Sykes popped out from under the settle, which was decidedly spooky and made them glance nervously at the empty chair they now called Jimmy’s chair.
Then the two of them went out the door without so much as a goodnight.

All thoughts of Tom’s warning about Venetia went out of Harry’s head the moment he saw her arriving on foot at his front door the same time as he did. He quickly whisked her in, pushed Sykes out into the back garden, and went to sit beside her on the old sofa in the living room.

‘So?’

‘Jeremy’s gone on a business trip with Craddock Fitch so here I am.’

She took hold of his hand and gripped it tightly. ‘They decided tonight at about five o’clock to go to Heathrow and catch a plane to Ireland. They’re gone for three whole days. I gladly packed a case for him and thought about you. Are you glad?’

‘You walked?’

‘Yes, I thought the exercise might do me good.’ Venetia giggled and snuggled up to him, and he sensed her perfume was having its usual effect on him. She certainly knew how to tempt a man. ‘So, is there a drink going? It’s like an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting at the big house at the moment. Fitch has still forbidden drink. There’ll soon be a mass migration to the Royal Oak. I wonder if it’s legal to ban it, something to do with contravening their human rights perhaps? Anyway, damn him. Drink? Darling? Please?’ Getting no response, Venetia grew irritable. ‘Have I done something wrong? What is it?’ She nudged him. ‘Mmm?’

‘To me you’re such a lovely person, and I’m so glad I met you, so very glad.’ Harry kissed her on her temple. ‘But everyone I see warns me about you. Why?’

‘Jealous, that’s what. Sheer jealousy. Nothing more. Believe me. Because I dress well, I’m well groomed, and men can’t take their eyes off me. I have masses of sex appeal and I don’t belong in the village. I haven’t changed in order to try to belong either, because I don’t care a fig for what they say and neither should
you. We’re as free as air, you and I.’ She looked appealingly into his eyes. ‘OK?’

Harry was so relieved by Venetia’s reply that he pulled her to him and showered her with kisses. He brushed aside the fact that he didn’t completely believe her.

‘Can I stay the night? I’ll leave very early. Promise.’

‘I could drive you up there when I go to the office? I start work at eight-thirty, so we’ll leave at eight? Would that be OK?’

‘Wonderful! Let’s have that drink.’

By the next morning, Harry didn’t care what people thought or said about him and Venetia. It was his business and no one else’s and they could say what they liked. With Jeremy away, he felt rather more comfortable about being with her and he’d decided to enjoy the next couple of days as best he could. Having some agreeable female company meant a lot to him because he’d been without it for far too long so he’d do all he could to keep it that way. He was tempted to suggest that she came to live with him while Jeremy was away, but decided against that. It would be going much too far, especially with the old dragon living in the next house but one. Then there really would be a scandal, and he didn’t want the bother of that.

So Venetia sneaked into his car at eight and he dropped her off down the side of the big house so that she could dash into the maisonette without anyone seeing her. Then he took his car round to his alloted parking space, got Sykes out, and left him to wander about for a while, with strict instructions not to go back to the church if he got bored. Then he pulled himself up sharply: what was he doing thinking a dog would understand what he said? But there was something in the angle of Sykes’s head and the alert expression in his sharp terrier eyes as he listened that convinced Harry that maybe Sykes did understand. Coming to the village had definitely softened his brain; falling so seriously for Venetia, someone who in his right mind he would never
have fancied, and now talking to a dog! And what was much worse, being convinced the dog understood.

But their attempt to keep their love life secret was in vain. Grandmama Charter-Plackett had witnessed the whole episode and hastened round to Harriet’s for advice.

‘Harriet! There you are! I’m furious! Absolutely furious! I’ve never had a tenant before, and never will again. I know we don’t worry about these things like we would have done fifty years ago, but there is a limit. I suspected things weren’t right but then I saw them with my own eyes. I hasten to add that I was bringing the milk in, not just peeking. I saw Venetia jump in his car, he’d pulled it right up to the front door, but they didn’t escape me! And Sykes having to put up with it! He’s not used to it. Jimmy might have been a widower for years but there was none of that going on. What should I do, Harriet?’ Grandmama flung herself down in Jimbo’s chair and waited for sympathy from her one and only daughter-in-law.

‘My advice would be to ignore it. At least you can’t hear them at it through the wall.’

‘That really is vulgar of you, Harriet. But he’s such a nice young man. I just can’t believe it. He’s so polite and so caring about Sykes. I’ve half a mind to take him back.’

‘Well, don’t. He’s too much for you. In any case, dogs don’t have morals so he won’t care.’

‘You may be right.’

‘Coffee, or would brandy be more appropriate?’

‘Both.’

‘Right.’

‘I would offer to look after the business while you’re away instead of that Harry but I won’t.’

‘Absolutely not, but thanks all the same, Katherine.’

‘I do think I should, maybe.’

‘Just because Harry fancies Venetia that doesn’t mean that
he’s dishonest. In any case, Jimbo has the finance side so well structured that Harry’d have to be a genius to steal from him. Don’t worry. I’ll get the coffee.’

So Harriet managed to soothe her mother-in-law’s ruffled feathers and they spent a good half an hour discussing Jimbo’s plans for the long-awaited holiday.

‘My dear, I must be going. You’ve better things to do without spending hours calming me down. How are all my grandchildren doing? We really don’t see enough of them, do we?’

‘No, but that’s what children are supposed to do; go away to lead their own lives. They are all doing brilliantly and don’t cause me a moment’s anxiety, thank goodness. But you can enjoy Fran’s company when she stays with you. Now, off you go and
don’t say a word
about what’s going on in Jimmy’s cottage.’