must they. Alex gets more like you every day.’
‘He does, doesn’t he?’
‘Beth gets more like Suzy.’ There came a silence when Caroline said that. She knew he found it hard when she mentioned the children’s mother but there was no point in pretending Suzy had never existed. They only had to look at Beth to know she did.
‘Yes, that’s true.’ Peter pushed his unfinished meal away from him, placed his knife and fork side by side, and sat back to look at her. ‘So is that it? Is it this barren thing come back to haunt you?’
So near the truth. Maybe now was the moment, but there was a flurry of new arrivals and a man’s cultured voice saying delightedly, ‘Peter! Caroline! How lovely to see you. Not often you get away together for lunch! This is our first time here, we usually go to the George but they had a conference there today and it was far too busy for comfort. Muriel, my dear, look who’s here.’ Peter stood up as Muriel joined Ralph.
‘How lovely! It must be good if the Rector and his wife are lunching here! What a nice surprise.’
Caroline, seeing a way out of her problem, began pulling out the chair beside her. ‘Look, do join us.’
Muriel glanced at Peter, recognised a desperate kind of sadness, and shook her head. ‘Certainly not! You both look to be enjoying being by yourselves for a change. We shan’t intrude. Come, Ralph! Bye-bye! see you soon! Enjoy your lunch.’
Caroline caught the sound of Ralph protesting but Muriel was being quite firm with him.
Peter said, ‘Well, that ruse didn’t work did it? By the look on your face they were heavensent.’
‘I did not come out to lunch to be psychoanalysed. You’re my husband not my therapist. Finish your lunch! Eat up your greens! I’m sure your nanny must have said that to you many times!’
‘She did! She was a tartar! Once I …’ Caroline let him ramble on about his nanny, back on safe ground she thought thankfully. He took the hint and they chatted about everything under the sun including Dicky Tutt and Georgie Fields.
‘Caroline, do you really think they’ve gone away together?’
‘I shouldn’t imagine so. You know what the village is like for inventing things on the slightest pretext! I saw Georgie crossing over to the Store when I was locking the door, whether Dicky is back as well I don’t know. Everyone else thinks they have. Bryn apparently is like a bear with a sore head and Bel has gone silent and that’s not Bel. She’s as good as Jimbo for livening us all up!’
‘He’s the Scout leader you see. One has to be so careful even in this day and age.’
‘But poor Bel! Poor Bryn!’
‘It can’t be very funny in a small community like Turnham Malpas, where we all know each other’s business before we know it ourselves.’
‘Apparently Jimmy nods his head very wisely but keeps his lips clamped and won’t tell anyone what he knows.’
‘Does he indeed? Honestly, it’s always the same. I wonder what he knows? Help! I’m getting as bad as everyone else. One little hiccough and they have you dead and buried!’
Caroline didn’t laugh. Neither did Peter when he looked at her face.
In bed that night Caroline watched Peter getting undressed. ‘I don’t think you’ve put an ounce of weight on since we married.’
He went to stand in front of the mirror. ‘I don’t think I have. In fact I know I haven’t. Weighed myself a few weeks ago and I’m Exactly what I was then.’
‘Well, you do work hard at keeping fit. I admire your strength of character in going running in all weathers.’
‘Habit. Jimbo doesn’t come every morning like he used to, only about three times a week, says he doesn’t have the time any more. I’ve warned him all the weight he’s lost will slowly go back on again. But he claims he’s so busy now with all his enterprises, he’s on his feet all the time so he reckons he doesn’t need it quite so much. Won’t be long.’
He went to the bathroom. Caroline
‘He does, doesn’t he?’
‘Beth gets more like Suzy.’ There came a silence when Caroline said that. She knew he found it hard when she mentioned the children’s mother but there was no point in pretending Suzy had never existed. They only had to look at Beth to know she did.
‘Yes, that’s true.’ Peter pushed his unfinished meal away from him, placed his knife and fork side by side, and sat back to look at her. ‘So is that it? Is it this barren thing come back to haunt you?’
So near the truth. Maybe now was the moment, but there was a flurry of new arrivals and a man’s cultured voice saying delightedly, ‘Peter! Caroline! How lovely to see you. Not often you get away together for lunch! This is our first time here, we usually go to the George but they had a conference there today and it was far too busy for comfort. Muriel, my dear, look who’s here.’ Peter stood up as Muriel joined Ralph.
‘How lovely! It must be good if the Rector and his wife are lunching here! What a nice surprise.’
Caroline, seeing a way out of her problem, began pulling out the chair beside her. ‘Look, do join us.’
Muriel glanced at Peter, recognised a desperate kind of sadness, and shook her head. ‘Certainly not! You both look to be enjoying being by yourselves for a change. We shan’t intrude. Come, Ralph! Bye-bye! see you soon! Enjoy your lunch.’
Caroline caught the sound of Ralph protesting but Muriel was being quite firm with him.
Peter said, ‘Well, that ruse didn’t work did it? By the look on your face they were heavensent.’
‘I did not come out to lunch to be psychoanalysed. You’re my husband not my therapist. Finish your lunch! Eat up your greens! I’m sure your nanny must have said that to you many times!’
‘She did! She was a tartar! Once I …’ Caroline let him ramble on about his nanny, back on safe ground she thought thankfully. He took the hint and they chatted about everything under the sun including Dicky Tutt and Georgie Fields.
‘Caroline, do you really think they’ve gone away together?’
‘I shouldn’t imagine so. You know what the village is like for inventing things on the slightest pretext! I saw Georgie crossing over to the Store when I was locking the door, whether Dicky is back as well I don’t know. Everyone else thinks they have. Bryn apparently is like a bear with a sore head and Bel has gone silent and that’s not Bel. She’s as good as Jimbo for livening us all up!’
‘He’s the Scout leader you see. One has to be so careful even in this day and age.’
‘But poor Bel! Poor Bryn!’
‘It can’t be very funny in a small community like Turnham Malpas, where we all know each other’s business before we know it ourselves.’
‘Apparently Jimmy nods his head very wisely but keeps his lips clamped and won’t tell anyone what he knows.’
‘Does he indeed? Honestly, it’s always the same. I wonder what he knows? Help! I’m getting as bad as everyone else. One little hiccough and they have you dead and buried!’
Caroline didn’t laugh. Neither did Peter when he looked at her face.
In bed that night Caroline watched Peter getting undressed. ‘I don’t think you’ve put an ounce of weight on since we married.’
He went to stand in front of the mirror. ‘I don’t think I have. In fact I know I haven’t. Weighed myself a few weeks ago and I’m Exactly what I was then.’
‘Well, you do work hard at keeping fit. I admire your strength of character in going running in all weathers.’
‘Habit. Jimbo doesn’t come every morning like he used to, only about three times a week, says he doesn’t have the time any more. I’ve warned him all the weight he’s lost will slowly go back on again. But he claims he’s so busy now with all his enterprises, he’s on his feet all the time so he reckons he doesn’t need it quite so much. Won’t be long.’
He went to the bathroom. Caroline
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