and sat back to enjoy a grown-up interlude.
Venetia entered carrying a large poster. Her voice carried right to the back of the tearoom.
'I'm Venetia Mayer from Turnham House Health Club.' She spun herself round so the cashier could see the words printed on the back of her track suit. 'I'd like you
51
to display this poster in one of your windows. I'm going round to the store to ask Jimbo if I can put one on his Village Message Board but I thought one in here might be a good idea.'
The cashier looked warily at her. Caroline sensed a feeling of resentment in the look.
'Leave it here behind the counter and I'll ask Mr Charter-Plackett if I can put it up.'
'Oh, but I want to put it up now. You might forget.'
'I'm sorry, Mr Charter-Plackett employs me and I have to ask his permission before I put up notices. We can't have every Tom Dick and Harry littering the place with posters. He's very particular, is Mr Charter-Plackett. Doesn't want to spoil the ambonce he says.'
'Oh very well, but you won't forget, will you? I'll have an orange juice please.'
'The girl will come to your table and take your order. I deal with the money.'
'It's a wonder to me you get any customers in here at all with an attitude like yours. I wouldn't want to employ you at the health club.'
'No cause to worry yourself about that, I wouldn't want a job there anyways.'
'Well really! How rude. I shall have words about this with Jimbo. Such rudeness to a customer. Oh hello there, you're Peter's wife, aren't you?' She trotted down between the tables.
'That's right.' Caroline pulled out a chair. 'Come and sit with me.'
'These people are extremely rude. Are they always like this?'
'No, they're not. But I was very rude to you last time I saw you. I owe you an apology. It was entirely due to lack of sleep, I suppose. I'd been up with the twins a lot during the night and couldn't see straight at all. But that's no excuse. I'm so sorry.'
52
'That's fine. I didn't take any notice of you anyway. But you have to admit he is gorgeous. You are very lucky. I unashamedly admit I married money. Lots of it.'
The girl brought her orange juice and banged it down with little grace.
'See what I mean? They are thoroughly unpleasant people.'
Venetia sipped her orange juice and commented on its quality. 'We're buying all the food for Turnham House from Jimbo and Harriet. I imagine they provide some good stuff.'
'Oh yes, they are excellent. They've only been here for about three years, I understand. Jimbo used to work in the city but decided he hated it and it wasn't a good life for his children, so he and Harriet resurrected the village shop and they've made a great success of it.'
As Caroline finished singing the praises of the Turnham Malpas Store, Mrs Peel the organist left her table and came across with an envelope.
'Could you give this to the Rector for me, Dr Harris? Save me knocking on your door. He asked for a list of music I fancied buying for the Services. Said he'd pop into Culworth and order it.'
'Certainly Mrs Peel. I loved the pieces you played on Sunday. I thought that Scarlatti delightful.'
'Thank you, Dr Harris, I don't often get compliments, except from your husband, of course. Since he came I've felt that at last here's someone who could appreciate and inspire an organist.'
'I'm glad about that. The music is so important.'
'Old Mr Furbank never cared that much for the music. I could have played nursery rhymes and he wouldn't have been any the wiser. Good morning to you Dr Harris.' She gave a curt nod to Venetia and went out.
'Caroline! I had no idea that your Peter is the rector. What a laugh. Oh, well, maybe I brightened his day.
53
What on earth is such a super man doing being a rector? Oh my word.'
'Because he is a committed Christian, that's why.' 'Well, I may as well be honest. He won't be seeing me in church, I've no time for it. Hope to be too busy on Sunday mornings to go, even if I wanted to. See what I mean about the villagers
Venetia entered carrying a large poster. Her voice carried right to the back of the tearoom.
'I'm Venetia Mayer from Turnham House Health Club.' She spun herself round so the cashier could see the words printed on the back of her track suit. 'I'd like you
51
to display this poster in one of your windows. I'm going round to the store to ask Jimbo if I can put one on his Village Message Board but I thought one in here might be a good idea.'
The cashier looked warily at her. Caroline sensed a feeling of resentment in the look.
'Leave it here behind the counter and I'll ask Mr Charter-Plackett if I can put it up.'
'Oh, but I want to put it up now. You might forget.'
'I'm sorry, Mr Charter-Plackett employs me and I have to ask his permission before I put up notices. We can't have every Tom Dick and Harry littering the place with posters. He's very particular, is Mr Charter-Plackett. Doesn't want to spoil the ambonce he says.'
'Oh very well, but you won't forget, will you? I'll have an orange juice please.'
'The girl will come to your table and take your order. I deal with the money.'
'It's a wonder to me you get any customers in here at all with an attitude like yours. I wouldn't want to employ you at the health club.'
'No cause to worry yourself about that, I wouldn't want a job there anyways.'
'Well really! How rude. I shall have words about this with Jimbo. Such rudeness to a customer. Oh hello there, you're Peter's wife, aren't you?' She trotted down between the tables.
'That's right.' Caroline pulled out a chair. 'Come and sit with me.'
'These people are extremely rude. Are they always like this?'
'No, they're not. But I was very rude to you last time I saw you. I owe you an apology. It was entirely due to lack of sleep, I suppose. I'd been up with the twins a lot during the night and couldn't see straight at all. But that's no excuse. I'm so sorry.'
52
'That's fine. I didn't take any notice of you anyway. But you have to admit he is gorgeous. You are very lucky. I unashamedly admit I married money. Lots of it.'
The girl brought her orange juice and banged it down with little grace.
'See what I mean? They are thoroughly unpleasant people.'
Venetia sipped her orange juice and commented on its quality. 'We're buying all the food for Turnham House from Jimbo and Harriet. I imagine they provide some good stuff.'
'Oh yes, they are excellent. They've only been here for about three years, I understand. Jimbo used to work in the city but decided he hated it and it wasn't a good life for his children, so he and Harriet resurrected the village shop and they've made a great success of it.'
As Caroline finished singing the praises of the Turnham Malpas Store, Mrs Peel the organist left her table and came across with an envelope.
'Could you give this to the Rector for me, Dr Harris? Save me knocking on your door. He asked for a list of music I fancied buying for the Services. Said he'd pop into Culworth and order it.'
'Certainly Mrs Peel. I loved the pieces you played on Sunday. I thought that Scarlatti delightful.'
'Thank you, Dr Harris, I don't often get compliments, except from your husband, of course. Since he came I've felt that at last here's someone who could appreciate and inspire an organist.'
'I'm glad about that. The music is so important.'
'Old Mr Furbank never cared that much for the music. I could have played nursery rhymes and he wouldn't have been any the wiser. Good morning to you Dr Harris.' She gave a curt nod to Venetia and went out.
'Caroline! I had no idea that your Peter is the rector. What a laugh. Oh, well, maybe I brightened his day.
53
What on earth is such a super man doing being a rector? Oh my word.'
'Because he is a committed Christian, that's why.' 'Well, I may as well be honest. He won't be seeing me in church, I've no time for it. Hope to be too busy on Sunday mornings to go, even if I wanted to. See what I mean about the villagers
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