A Village Feud by Rebecca Shaw Page A

poky place and envy took a stranglehold on her heart. ‘Lovely room, this.’
    ‘You should have seen it when we moved in. It was appalling. Milk and sugar, Dottie?’
    ‘Milk, no sugar, thank you very much.’
    ‘There we are, then. Is that too strong? I’m afraid strong tea is a Harris thing, Dottie. Do you mind me calling you Dottie or would you rather Mrs Foskett?’
    Dottie began to relax. ‘I’ve been called worse. Most people call me Dottie, if that’s all right with you.’
    ‘It is. I must be upfront about this job. I don’t need someone to do the light dusting but rather someone to do the harder work like the kitchen floor, the bathrooms, the vacuuming, the door steps, and the top floor bedroom and bathroom. You see, I always have that ready in case we get an unexpected visitor, this being the Rectory.’
    ‘That’s right. That night Maggie Dobbs got herself scared out of her wits, she slept there.’
    Caroline nodded. ‘Well, now, that’s just it. If, and I say if, you were to work for me, you must not – and I repeat not – tell anyone at all about what goes on in here. Anything you overhear has to be dismissed from your mind as soon as you leave the house. Do you understand? It is of paramount importance. People have to feel they can tell Peter anything at all and that it won’t go further than these four walls.’
    ‘Of course. For years Sylvia knew things we’d all have loved to know but she never split on you, not once. Used to make everyone quite annoyed.’ Dottie burst into laughter and then immediately realized Caroline was not laughing. She shut up like a clam. ‘Sorry. I do understand and I will be silent on what goes on here. If you give me the job, that is.’
    ‘But do you have time? What with Louise and the old lady you clean for and that retired colonel in Penny Fawcett, you must be kept very busy.’
    ‘Oh, I am, but the old man’s gone in a home. His house is up for sale. Pity, he was very nice. Louise isn’t needing me every day like she did now she’s feeling a bit better. Everyone knows what a good cleaner I am. There won’t be no dust left on top of the grandfather clock when Dottie’s been round with her duster, believe me. Trained in a convent, you see, and you should try pleasing some embittered old nun, oh my! Holy they might be, but they’ve eyes all way round their heads. Hard lesson, but I learned it if only to save my skin. You can rely on me.’
    ‘Do you bake?’
    Dottie gulped down the mouthful of tea she’d just sipped and laughed. How she laughed. Finally she stopped holding her ribs and said, ‘No. I live out of the cheap end of Jimbo’s freezer, ask anyone.’
    ‘Right, I see. Well, once I’ve got Beth back to school I shall be going back to medicine but not yet a while, and Peter will be back in July. I shall want the house in applepie order when I get back each day, any washing and ironing done, lunch for Peter, cleaning done, everything smelling fresh and sweet. And, of course, Peter will need looking after too.’
    The whole glorious idea of the situation opening up before her filled Dottie with joy. My God, what a chance! What an eye-opener it was going to be. Looking after the Rector. Bless him, the dear man. Of course she would. ‘That sounds right up my street. I’d be honoured to be able to help.’
    Caroline got up. ‘Come and have a look round the house. The study is only cleaned when Peter is out visiting or whatever. If he’s home and in the study, he’s not to be disturbed. When you can get in there you may dust his bookshelves, vacuum the carpet, tidy the cushions in the easy chairs and clean the window, but his desk and his computer have to be left completely alone.’
    Dottie followed Caroline up the stairs. ‘Yes, yes, I’ll remember that.’
    By the time she’d seen all the bedrooms and the attic and taken a peep in the sitting room and caught Beth’s lovely smile when she acknowledged her, and seen the up-to-date