old times’ sake,” he said, and as he put down the phone he heard her laugh. “And new times’ sake too, Howard,” she chuckled. Then he heard a click, the unmistakeable click of Jean disconnecting from the same call. Surely not! He knew she was obsessively curious about his private life, of which she had once been a part, but would she stoop to listening in? Yes, she would. Howard resolved that Jean must be moved on as soon as possible.
The door between them opened, and she came in, bearing papers. “Time to get down to work, Howard,” she said. “I expect you’ll be pleased to be free of all this bureaucracyat the end of your term of office. Give you more time for golf and other pleasures.” She dumped the papers down on the desk in front of him, and departed.
Howard winced as the door slammed. “Yes, Jean Slater,” he said under his breath. “Your days are numbered.”
T WENTY
D OREEN HAD NOT TOLD H OWARD THAT SHE AND J EAN had already seen the Farnden house. She knew he would explode. He took the lead in all things, and would consider it an insult to his head-of-the-family status. The young estate agent had grinned, but promised that he would treat their preliminary visit as a secret. Doreen got the impression that this was not the first time he’d been sworn to secrecy, and she didn’t trust him. But it was the best she could do, and had already planned her excuses if Howard should find out.
Now, sitting at the breakfast table, she was surprised when he said, “Might as well pop over today and see that house. I’ll give the agents a ring from the office.”
“Oh, good,” said Doreen, trying not to sound too enthusiastic. Howard always took up a cautious position the minute he suspected she was keen. “Shall we go this afternoon, then? Will you be free after lunch?”
Howard had his answer ready. “Well,” he said, as if thinking it out, “I do have to be in Waltonby at five. School Open Evening and I’ve promised to look in, informally, sothere’s no need for you to come. Saves them buying a bouquet, and all that! So maybe the best tiling … yes, that’s what we’ll do … we’ll go to Farnden separately, in two cars. Then you can come home after we’ve seen the house, and I can go on to Waltonby. I’ll be in my own car, not the limo, so I can meet Ken at the golf club after that. We’re hoping for nine holes before supper.” Brilliant, he congratulated himself. That would give him plenty of time to call on Daisy.
What’s he up to? thought Doreen. He had that shifty look she knew so well. Still, she didn’t much care, as long as they could get an offer in on the house before anyone else. “So I’ll see you there, then,” she said. “Will you suggest four o’clock?”
“Let’s make it two thirty,” said Howard casually. “I’ll see you outside the house. And don’t get your hopes up too high,” he could not resist adding. “It’d be a big change for both of us, living in a village. It’ll take a lot of thinking about.”
Not too much, Doreen muttered. She had already made up her mind. The house was full of character and potential, and she wanted it. She wanted to live there, and be a somebody in her own right. Mrs. Jenkinson, President of the WI, Parish Councillor, maybe even join the church choir. That’d be one in the eye for Howard!
“Is that okay, Doreen?” Howard stood by the door, briefcase in hand, frowning. Doreen shook herself out of her daydream, and nodded. “See you later,” she said, and poured herself another cup of tea.
L ONG F ARNDEN WAS LOOKING ITS BEST . A S A CONSERVATION village it had the minimum of new building, and what there was had been discreetly placed in a small estate behind the church. The only real eyesore was the new vicarage, which had been rebuilt at the least possible cost to the church, and was just as ugly as the one destroyed in the fire. There had been some problem with insurance, and corners had been cut.
But the
The door between them opened, and she came in, bearing papers. “Time to get down to work, Howard,” she said. “I expect you’ll be pleased to be free of all this bureaucracyat the end of your term of office. Give you more time for golf and other pleasures.” She dumped the papers down on the desk in front of him, and departed.
Howard winced as the door slammed. “Yes, Jean Slater,” he said under his breath. “Your days are numbered.”
T WENTY
D OREEN HAD NOT TOLD H OWARD THAT SHE AND J EAN had already seen the Farnden house. She knew he would explode. He took the lead in all things, and would consider it an insult to his head-of-the-family status. The young estate agent had grinned, but promised that he would treat their preliminary visit as a secret. Doreen got the impression that this was not the first time he’d been sworn to secrecy, and she didn’t trust him. But it was the best she could do, and had already planned her excuses if Howard should find out.
Now, sitting at the breakfast table, she was surprised when he said, “Might as well pop over today and see that house. I’ll give the agents a ring from the office.”
“Oh, good,” said Doreen, trying not to sound too enthusiastic. Howard always took up a cautious position the minute he suspected she was keen. “Shall we go this afternoon, then? Will you be free after lunch?”
Howard had his answer ready. “Well,” he said, as if thinking it out, “I do have to be in Waltonby at five. School Open Evening and I’ve promised to look in, informally, sothere’s no need for you to come. Saves them buying a bouquet, and all that! So maybe the best tiling … yes, that’s what we’ll do … we’ll go to Farnden separately, in two cars. Then you can come home after we’ve seen the house, and I can go on to Waltonby. I’ll be in my own car, not the limo, so I can meet Ken at the golf club after that. We’re hoping for nine holes before supper.” Brilliant, he congratulated himself. That would give him plenty of time to call on Daisy.
What’s he up to? thought Doreen. He had that shifty look she knew so well. Still, she didn’t much care, as long as they could get an offer in on the house before anyone else. “So I’ll see you there, then,” she said. “Will you suggest four o’clock?”
“Let’s make it two thirty,” said Howard casually. “I’ll see you outside the house. And don’t get your hopes up too high,” he could not resist adding. “It’d be a big change for both of us, living in a village. It’ll take a lot of thinking about.”
Not too much, Doreen muttered. She had already made up her mind. The house was full of character and potential, and she wanted it. She wanted to live there, and be a somebody in her own right. Mrs. Jenkinson, President of the WI, Parish Councillor, maybe even join the church choir. That’d be one in the eye for Howard!
“Is that okay, Doreen?” Howard stood by the door, briefcase in hand, frowning. Doreen shook herself out of her daydream, and nodded. “See you later,” she said, and poured herself another cup of tea.
L ONG F ARNDEN WAS LOOKING ITS BEST . A S A CONSERVATION village it had the minimum of new building, and what there was had been discreetly placed in a small estate behind the church. The only real eyesore was the new vicarage, which had been rebuilt at the least possible cost to the church, and was just as ugly as the one destroyed in the fire. There had been some problem with insurance, and corners had been cut.
But the
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