Talk of the Village (11 page)

Caroline, about to put a roll filled with ham and cream

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cheese into her mouth said, 'This ham looks delicious Jinibo. In fact everything you sell is delicious. You don't sell rabbit do you? We had some a while back. It was gorgeous. We used a recipe of Sylvia's grandmother's, all herbs and spices and things. Why don't you sell them in the Store, Jimbo? I'm sure Jimmy Glover could keep you well supplied and it would be a nice little addition to his income for him.'

Jinibo glanced questioningly at her and said, 'Jimmy gave you them did he?'

'Yes, that's right.' She unconcernedly continued eating until Jimbo said, 'I'm surprised at you Caroline.'

'Surprised at me, what have I done?' Harriet tapped his knee and shook her head but he ignored her. 'I wouldn't have thought you would have condoned eating an animal that had been trapped and no doubt been in excruciating pain most of the night.'

Caroline put down her fork and looked at Jimbo in surprise. 'What do you mean? He
shoots
the rabbits . . . doesn't he?'

'No, he traps them.'

'You're wrong, Jimbo. I've seen him with a gun.'

'That's as maybe, but he traps his rabbits. Ask any of the villagers, they all know he does it.'

'He wouldn't give me rabbits he'd
trapped
now would he? You're quite wrong Jimbo, isn't he Peter?'

Ralph answered her question, 'He does trap rabbits, Caroline, and has done all his life and his father and his grandfather and no doubt his great-grandfather before him.'

'I don't believe you. Traps them? I thought that all stopped years ago.'

Ralph shook his head. 'It may have declined but Jimmy still does it. Prides himself on using the same type of snare his father used. I'm sorry Caroline.'

'Not as sorry as I am. It's barbaric, absolutely barbaric.

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And I ate them. I feel terrible.'

Peter stood up and went across to her, taking her plate to prevent the contents sliding onto the floor. 'Darling, please don't upset yourself. You didn't cook them knowing how they'd . . . died, did you?'

'That's the kind of remark people make about torture and mass executions. What could we do about it they say, we didn't know and they think it makes it all right. They think that takes away the guilt. It doesn't. He has to be stopped. Peter, I very nearly gave the twins a taste, but decided the gravy was too rich. I can't bear to think of how I would feel if I had done that. Oh God.' Caroline shuddered.

'There you are then, at least they haven't eaten them.'

'But they could have done. What time is it, I'm going round to see Jimmy right now.'

Jimbo, who'd spent the last couple of minutes feeling decidedly uncomfortable and trying to avoid Harriet's angry looks, decided he must pour oil on the trouble he , had stirred up.

'No good going tonight Caroline, I expect he'll be in The Royal Oak by now. Sleep on it, you'll feel better in the morning.'

'Sleep on it? Ignore it, it'll go away. The rabbits won't feel the hurt so much if Caroline sleeps on it, is that it? I've eaten one of those rabbits. Actually eaten one and it makes me feel sick. The children have rabbits on their eiderdowns and they look so sweet, they're doing head over heels all round the edges, and I do love them.' She looked up at Peter, her eyes filling with tears.

Peter started to feel real concern about Caroline, he couldn't remember when he'd seen her so distressed, apart from . . .

'I think we'd better be getting home, we've left Sylvia quite long enough and it is her day off really.'

Caroline jumped to her feet, 'I know, you go home

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and I'll go into the pub and look for Jimmy.'

Muriel, wishing the floor would open up and swallow her, murmured quietly, 'Don't you think The Royal Oak is a bit public for a discussion of this nature?'

'Muriel! I thought you of all people would be on my side.'

'Oh 1 am, I am, but I think you need to sleep on it first. Don't be too hasty.'

'Ralph what do you think? And you, Harriet, where do you stand?'

Harriet answered first, 'Frankly, I'm on your side but I'd want to act quietly rather than making a big public fuss.'

'And you Ralph?'

'Well Caroline, I suppose you could say I am at heart a country man having spent my childhood here and I have to admit to going poaching with Jimmy's father when I was a boy. When I think of the sum total of all the agony in the world, a few rabbits in Sykes Wood are a very minor incident aren't they?'

'I'm afraid I can't agree with your argument.' As Sadie had contributed nothing to the discussion Caroline asked her how she felt.

'Frankly one more or less concerns me not at all, there are far more pressing problems in this world than the demise of a few rabbits,' Sadie yawned. 'In any case I'm off home now.'

Caroline pulled a disapproving face and said, 'Right, Peter, we'd better go, as you say. Thank you for the supper Harriet, I do hope I haven't upset things too much but . . . Anyway I must go.' Caroline marched for the door leaving Peter to follow. He thanked Jimbo and Harriet for their hospitality, wished Ralph and Muriel a goodnight and went out after his darling girl.

As they passed the church she said, 'It's no good, Peter. I'm going to see if he's in the pub. You go on

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home.'

'Please Caroline, please don't.'

'When we married we both agreed that there would be no trespassing on each other's moral ground. You are always free to behave according to your dictates and now I'm behaving according to mine.'

'Please darling, I think you're rather overwrought, you've had a long day and . . .'

Caroline turned to face him. 'I sincerely hope you are not humouring the little woman, Peter.'

'Oh no, of course not, no, no, but I do think . . .'

'See you later.'

Caroline pushed open the door of the saloon. Being Saturday the bar was full. From every corner there were great gales of laughter and smiling faces. Such a contrast to the desolation she was feeling. It seemed as though three-quarters of Turnham Malpas were here tonight. And why not? It was a lovely summer's evening and they were all out to enjoy themselves. The glass doors into the little courtyard at the back were open and she could see people sitting out at the tables Bryn and Georgie had put there. In the far corner near the other entrance to the bar, ensconced on the settle, were Pat Duckett and Vera Wright. Jimmy sat opposite with a pint in his hand. Alan asked Caroline what she wanted to drink, but she refused. He shrugged his shoulders and stood watching her threading her way between the tables. Nice bit of stuff that rector's wife he thought. Well off too, by the looks of it. He'd remember that.

Pat moved up to make more space. 'Good evening Dr Harris. Would you like a drink? You'll have to be quick, it's nearly closing time.'

'No thanks.'

'Getting away from them twins for a bit are yer? How are they getting on?'

'Very well thank you. I've come to see Jimmy

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actually.'

'What can I do for yer Dr Harris? How did them two rabbits turn out I gave yer?'

'That's \vhat I want to talk to you about, Jimmy. It has been suggested to me tonight that you snared the rabbits you gave me. Is that correct?'

'It is.'

'Has it ever occurred to you that it is a very cruel way of catching an animal?'

'No more cruel than most kinds of deaths.'

'But they'd've been there all night probably, terrified out of their minds struggling to escape.'

'Well, they is only rabbits yer know, not people.'

'They are still God's creatures aren't they? I'm very upset by it. I can't bear to think that I ate animals killed in that way. What's worse, I did contemplate giving the twins some of the gravy but decided it was too rich for them. If I had done, I can't imagine how I would be feeling right now.'

'But that's what life's like in the country. It's a townee way of looking at things to think the country is all little lambs frolicking about and fluffy Easter chickens. It isn't. The country's tooth and claw, really yer know, and I'm part of it.'

'If I asked you to stop would you do that for me?'

Pat weighed in on Caroline's side. 'Jimmy I've told you before about them rabbits, you know I've stopped 'aving 'em from yer. Our Dean's dead against 'em since he saw yer coming 'ome that morning with that one with it's leg dangling.'

Vera, incensed by what she saw as disloyalty to one's own, snapped, 'You've been glad enough in the past to 'avejimmy's rabbits. Saving money was 'ow you saw it, but now suddenly you've got principles.'

Caroline intervened, 'Well, Pat, I admire you for changing your mind and sticking to it, now all we've got

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to do is to get Jimmy to stop.' Something brushed against Caroline's leg and she jumped. 'What's that?' She looked under the table and saw Sykes, Jimmy's dog, under there. Beside him was an empty tankard.

'It's only Sykes, mi dog. I gave you those rabbits because I'm glad you're both 'ere, and I'm glad you've got them twins, and because I was mad that time when Sheila Bissett was spreading them rumours, which most of us knew already but weren't telling. This is the thanks I get.'

Alan called out, 'Time gentlemen please. Come along now.'

Caroline silently absorbed what he'd said. 'I appreciate your kindness Jimmy, nobody appreciates it more than me, but will you stop Jimmy?'

'No, Dr Harris, I won't. I've been catching rabbits all mi life and I'm not going to stop now. I 'ear what you say and I'll think about it. Can't be fairer than that.'

'I really wanted a promise to stop altogether.'

'That you won't get.'

Vera chipped in with 'Quite right Jimmy, it's a free country.'

'Not for them rabbits it isn't if Jimmy goes on snaring 'em.' By now Pat was getting very indignant. She liked Caroline and had no intention of her coming off the worst in the argument.

Vera chipped in, 'It is a free country Pat. There's few enough things we can do nowadays like what we want so what the heck, you keep right on going Jimmy.'

'Don't come looking to me when you want to borrow a couple of pounds for the insurance man, Vera Wright. You've had the last borrow of my money believe me.'

'Righteo then, at least we know where we stand.'

'Yes, we do. And what's more Jimmy, you can give some thought to what Dr Harris has said. Just think of them poor babies eating that gravy-It makes me want to

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chuck up.'

Jimmy drank the last of his pint, wiped his moustache dry with the back of his forefinger, stood up and said loudly, 'I shall continue to catch rabbits in whatever way 1 think fit.'

Caroline pleaded, 'I wouldn't mind if you shot them Jimmy, at least they wouldn't suffer would they?'

'They might if I didn't kill 'em straight off. Then they'd go away and hide and still die in agony.'

'Well, why kill them at all?'

'It's my right. Good night. Sykes.' Sykes crept out alongside Jimmy, as though he knew full well dogs were not allowed in the bar.

Alan watched, and smiled to himself. He wasn't prepared for the uproar which erupted once Jimmy had left.

'Quite right Dr Harris, quite right.'

'It should be stopped, it's wicked.'

'He gets the social, why does he need to torture poor rabbits, he always catches more than he can eat.'

'He has got rights yer know.'

'What rights?'

'Something to do with the rights of villagers on common land, I think, from way back.'

'Sykes Wood belongs to Home Farm. He's trespassing.'

'Still, he isn't stealing is he? Tain't as if Home Farm know how many rabbits they've got.'

'If you decide to get a petition up I'll sign it Dr Harris.'

'Oh well I hadn't thought about doing that.'

'Well, it does need stopping.'

Finally Alan had to become quite stroppy with his customers. 'I need to lock up ladies and gentlemen. Please. I don't want the Sergeant coming round or Bryn will kill me, to say nothing of what Georgie will do.'

Caroline went out, wished everyone goodnight and

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headed for home.

Peter was feeding Beth and Alex was crying.

'Where's Sylvia? Why isn't she helping?'

'She and Willie have gone for a walk. It
is
her day off you know. Alex's bottle is ready, just check it first.'

When Caroline had got Alex settled with his bottle, Peter asked her if she'd found Jimmy.

'Yes, I did. He won't stop and said as much to everyone in the bar. We've had a big argument and he's defiant. They've all had a row. Pat and Vera are on opposite sides, and I'm exhausted and angry.'

'You sound to have caused a real furore. Enjoy feeding Alex and we'll get them both to bed and get off ourselves.'