to fill that frame of yours!’
‘You laugh, but for days now the laughter hasn’t reached your eyes.’
Caroline pulled back from people watching and stared at him. She’d forgotten how perceptive he was. ‘I’ve had an altercation with the Duchess this morning. She claimed I was without honour. And Harriet too! I’m afraid I gave her a mouthful and stormed out.’
‘Oh dear! That’s not my Caroline at all. Quite out of character. But that’s today. What happened to all the other days when you haven’t …’
The waitress came for the order and when she’d gone Caroline gave him a blow by blow account of the happenings in the Store kitchen. ‘So to conclude Harriet and Jimbo have been restored to each other, so all’s well with their world.’
‘Might be all well with theirs but not with yours. Are you overtired? Look, you don’t have to go to the practice. I’m sure there’s plenty of eager young things only too willing to take your place. Have a rest for a while. You’ve been working, albeit part time, for a good while now and I would appreciate you being at home. Is that the problem do you think, that you’re overtired?’
A short portly figure marched by the window. Caroline waved. ‘Oh, look there’s the Dean going past. Turn round and wave!’
‘Hope he doesn’t come in. Oh! he hasn’t.’
‘Nice man, the Dean. I like him.’
‘Wet!’
‘Peter!’
‘Stop changing the subject.’
‘I didn’t make him walk by.’
‘I wouldn’t put it past you.’
He sat twisting his ring round and round and round. Caroline read the signs. He was worried about her but he didn’t know why, his suggestion of being overtired was simply a stab in the dark to get the real truth from her. Well, she wasn’t going to tell him, not today. Not till she knew for certain.
‘I’m just tired I expect. It’s quite hectic working and then having two four-year-olds when I get home and at the weekend. You’re always so busy then you see.’
‘Yes.’ Peter looked across the restaurant. She obviously wasn’t going to tell him. But he knew there was a problem. But what? Maybe she didn’t know what it was either, just a general feeling of unsettledness. He was selfish. He’d brought her here, buried her in the countryside and it was all getting too much. Perhaps he should get out … for her sake. ‘I’ve been thinking about a change.’
Caroline didn’t answer until the waitress had finished serving them. ‘Thank you. Parmesan? Yes. Thank you.’ She brought her attention back to him. ‘A change?’
‘Yes, we’ve been here over five years, perhaps it’s time …’
‘Do you seriously fancy a move?’
‘Do you?’
Caroline hadn’t begun her lasagne. She’d picked up her fork intending to start but there was a strange tone in Peter’s voice she was wary of. She put down the fork and sat back. He was scrutinising her face, watching for the slightest sign, anything at all that might give him a clue.
She answered him very quietly. ‘The only reason we would move, my darling, is because you want to. That was the agreement we had. Your mission in life has a higher priority than mine. I can get a job anywhere I want to. That’s our rule. OK?’
‘But perhaps rules need changing?’
Very firmly Caroline answered ‘Not this one.’
‘So this sadness isn’t …’
‘Isn’t anything. I’ve come out to enjoy your company. Isn’t it great that Alex and Beth have settled so well at school. I was dreading Beth being difficult, when you remember how bad things were when she started playgroup. She loves her school dinners, I suggested packed lunches but she’s refused them.’
Peter decided to cheer himself up for Caroline’s sake. ‘Yes, it is. It’s a great relief.’ Then another thought occurred to him. ‘It’s not the children starting school is it? Made you feel like a spare part?’
‘A little teeny bit. But I can’t keep them at home for ever can I? I grew up and so
‘You laugh, but for days now the laughter hasn’t reached your eyes.’
Caroline pulled back from people watching and stared at him. She’d forgotten how perceptive he was. ‘I’ve had an altercation with the Duchess this morning. She claimed I was without honour. And Harriet too! I’m afraid I gave her a mouthful and stormed out.’
‘Oh dear! That’s not my Caroline at all. Quite out of character. But that’s today. What happened to all the other days when you haven’t …’
The waitress came for the order and when she’d gone Caroline gave him a blow by blow account of the happenings in the Store kitchen. ‘So to conclude Harriet and Jimbo have been restored to each other, so all’s well with their world.’
‘Might be all well with theirs but not with yours. Are you overtired? Look, you don’t have to go to the practice. I’m sure there’s plenty of eager young things only too willing to take your place. Have a rest for a while. You’ve been working, albeit part time, for a good while now and I would appreciate you being at home. Is that the problem do you think, that you’re overtired?’
A short portly figure marched by the window. Caroline waved. ‘Oh, look there’s the Dean going past. Turn round and wave!’
‘Hope he doesn’t come in. Oh! he hasn’t.’
‘Nice man, the Dean. I like him.’
‘Wet!’
‘Peter!’
‘Stop changing the subject.’
‘I didn’t make him walk by.’
‘I wouldn’t put it past you.’
He sat twisting his ring round and round and round. Caroline read the signs. He was worried about her but he didn’t know why, his suggestion of being overtired was simply a stab in the dark to get the real truth from her. Well, she wasn’t going to tell him, not today. Not till she knew for certain.
‘I’m just tired I expect. It’s quite hectic working and then having two four-year-olds when I get home and at the weekend. You’re always so busy then you see.’
‘Yes.’ Peter looked across the restaurant. She obviously wasn’t going to tell him. But he knew there was a problem. But what? Maybe she didn’t know what it was either, just a general feeling of unsettledness. He was selfish. He’d brought her here, buried her in the countryside and it was all getting too much. Perhaps he should get out … for her sake. ‘I’ve been thinking about a change.’
Caroline didn’t answer until the waitress had finished serving them. ‘Thank you. Parmesan? Yes. Thank you.’ She brought her attention back to him. ‘A change?’
‘Yes, we’ve been here over five years, perhaps it’s time …’
‘Do you seriously fancy a move?’
‘Do you?’
Caroline hadn’t begun her lasagne. She’d picked up her fork intending to start but there was a strange tone in Peter’s voice she was wary of. She put down the fork and sat back. He was scrutinising her face, watching for the slightest sign, anything at all that might give him a clue.
She answered him very quietly. ‘The only reason we would move, my darling, is because you want to. That was the agreement we had. Your mission in life has a higher priority than mine. I can get a job anywhere I want to. That’s our rule. OK?’
‘But perhaps rules need changing?’
Very firmly Caroline answered ‘Not this one.’
‘So this sadness isn’t …’
‘Isn’t anything. I’ve come out to enjoy your company. Isn’t it great that Alex and Beth have settled so well at school. I was dreading Beth being difficult, when you remember how bad things were when she started playgroup. She loves her school dinners, I suggested packed lunches but she’s refused them.’
Peter decided to cheer himself up for Caroline’s sake. ‘Yes, it is. It’s a great relief.’ Then another thought occurred to him. ‘It’s not the children starting school is it? Made you feel like a spare part?’
‘A little teeny bit. But I can’t keep them at home for ever can I? I grew up and so
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