looking anguished, 'is being decorated, and everything is under shroudsâno, not
shrouds
âfurniture coversâno,
loose
coversâno, I don't think that is the correct term eitherâ'
'Dust sheets,' I said.
His face lit up with relief.
'What a
grasp
you have of everthing, dear Miss Read; no wonder the children do so well! Yes, well, you see my difficulty. And my study is so small, and very untidy, I fear. I suppose we could manage something in the hall, but it is rather draughty, and the painters are in and out, you know, about their work, and like to have their little radios going with music, so that I really think it would be
better,
if you are sure it isn't inconveniencingâ'
'Better still,' I broke in, 'have it in my dining-room. There's room for us all.'
'That would be quite perfect,' cried the Vicar, calming down immediately. 'I shall make a note in my diary at once.'
He sighed happily, and made for the door.
'By the way, no more news about the possible closing. Have you heard anything?'
'Not a word.'
'Ah well, no news is good news, they say. We'll hear more perhaps on Wednesday week. I gather that nice Mr Canterbury, who is in charge of the Caxley Office, is coming out himself.'
I thought that sounded ominous but made no comment.
'No,' said the Vicar, clapping a hand to his forehead. 'I don't mean
Canterbury,
do I? Now, what is that fellow's name? I know it's a cathedral city. Winchester? Rochester? Dear, oh dear, I shall forget my own soon.'
'Salisbury,' I said.
'Thank you. I shall put it in my diary against Wednesday week. I shouldn't like to upset such an important fellow.'
He vanished into the lobby.
'It's more likely,' I thought, 'that the important fellow will upset us.'
6 The Managers' Meeting
AMY's last week at Fairacre School arrived all too soon, and I was desolate. She was such good company, as well as being an efficient teacher, that I knew I should miss her horribly.
'Well, I'd stay if I could,' she assured me, 'but Vanessa arrives next week, and I hope she'll stay at least a fortnight. She's rather under the weather. There's a baby on the way.
Or babies,
perhaps!'
'Good heavens! Do they think it will be twins?'
'The foolish girl has been taking some idiotic nonsense called fertility tablets, so it's quite likely she'll give birth to half-a-dozen.'
'But surely, the doctors know what they're doing?'
'Be your age,' said Amy inelegantly. She studied the lipstick with which she had been adorning her mouth. 'I must have had this for years. It's called "Tutankhamen Tint".'
'It can't date from that time.'
Amy sighed.
'The Tutankhamen Exhibition, dear, which dazzled us all some years ago. Everything was Egyptian that year, if you remember. James even bought me a gold necklace shaped like Cleopatra's asp. Devilish cold it is too, coiled on one's nice warm bosom.'
'I'm glad about Vanessa's baby,' I said. 'I'll look forward
to knitting a matinée jacket. I've got a pattern for backward beginners that always turns out well. Is she pleased?'
'After eleven in the morning. Before that, poor darling, she is being sick. Tarquin is terribly thrilled, and already planning a mammoth bonfire for the tenants on the local ben, or whatever North British term they use for a mountain in Scotland.'
'He'll have to build six bonfires if your fears prove correct.'
'He'd be delighted to, I have no doubt. He's a great family man, and I must say he's very, very sweet to Vanessa. They seem extremely happy.'
She snapped shut her powder compact, stood back and surveyed her trim figure reflected murkily in 'The Light of the Word.'
'I think I might present Fairacre School with a pier-glass,' she said thoughtfully.
'It would never get used,' I told her, 'except when you came.'
We went to let in the noisy crowd from the playground.
Mrs Pringle's slimming efforts seemed to be having little result, except to render her even more morose than usual.
I did my best to spare her, exhorting the
shrouds
âfurniture coversâno,
loose
coversâno, I don't think that is the correct term eitherâ'
'Dust sheets,' I said.
His face lit up with relief.
'What a
grasp
you have of everthing, dear Miss Read; no wonder the children do so well! Yes, well, you see my difficulty. And my study is so small, and very untidy, I fear. I suppose we could manage something in the hall, but it is rather draughty, and the painters are in and out, you know, about their work, and like to have their little radios going with music, so that I really think it would be
better,
if you are sure it isn't inconveniencingâ'
'Better still,' I broke in, 'have it in my dining-room. There's room for us all.'
'That would be quite perfect,' cried the Vicar, calming down immediately. 'I shall make a note in my diary at once.'
He sighed happily, and made for the door.
'By the way, no more news about the possible closing. Have you heard anything?'
'Not a word.'
'Ah well, no news is good news, they say. We'll hear more perhaps on Wednesday week. I gather that nice Mr Canterbury, who is in charge of the Caxley Office, is coming out himself.'
I thought that sounded ominous but made no comment.
'No,' said the Vicar, clapping a hand to his forehead. 'I don't mean
Canterbury,
do I? Now, what is that fellow's name? I know it's a cathedral city. Winchester? Rochester? Dear, oh dear, I shall forget my own soon.'
'Salisbury,' I said.
'Thank you. I shall put it in my diary against Wednesday week. I shouldn't like to upset such an important fellow.'
He vanished into the lobby.
'It's more likely,' I thought, 'that the important fellow will upset us.'
6 The Managers' Meeting
AMY's last week at Fairacre School arrived all too soon, and I was desolate. She was such good company, as well as being an efficient teacher, that I knew I should miss her horribly.
'Well, I'd stay if I could,' she assured me, 'but Vanessa arrives next week, and I hope she'll stay at least a fortnight. She's rather under the weather. There's a baby on the way.
Or babies,
perhaps!'
'Good heavens! Do they think it will be twins?'
'The foolish girl has been taking some idiotic nonsense called fertility tablets, so it's quite likely she'll give birth to half-a-dozen.'
'But surely, the doctors know what they're doing?'
'Be your age,' said Amy inelegantly. She studied the lipstick with which she had been adorning her mouth. 'I must have had this for years. It's called "Tutankhamen Tint".'
'It can't date from that time.'
Amy sighed.
'The Tutankhamen Exhibition, dear, which dazzled us all some years ago. Everything was Egyptian that year, if you remember. James even bought me a gold necklace shaped like Cleopatra's asp. Devilish cold it is too, coiled on one's nice warm bosom.'
'I'm glad about Vanessa's baby,' I said. 'I'll look forward
to knitting a matinée jacket. I've got a pattern for backward beginners that always turns out well. Is she pleased?'
'After eleven in the morning. Before that, poor darling, she is being sick. Tarquin is terribly thrilled, and already planning a mammoth bonfire for the tenants on the local ben, or whatever North British term they use for a mountain in Scotland.'
'He'll have to build six bonfires if your fears prove correct.'
'He'd be delighted to, I have no doubt. He's a great family man, and I must say he's very, very sweet to Vanessa. They seem extremely happy.'
She snapped shut her powder compact, stood back and surveyed her trim figure reflected murkily in 'The Light of the Word.'
'I think I might present Fairacre School with a pier-glass,' she said thoughtfully.
'It would never get used,' I told her, 'except when you came.'
We went to let in the noisy crowd from the playground.
Mrs Pringle's slimming efforts seemed to be having little result, except to render her even more morose than usual.
I did my best to spare her, exhorting the
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