her face into wakefulness.
‘We had the community policeman at the Parish Council meeting last night. It seems that your old lady may be joined by some friends, just as I thought. We all felt you should be warned.’
Louise raised herself in bed and looked anxiously out of the window. The blue van was still solitary in the orchard. The dog dozed at the steps. A small pile of wood, dead branches from trees, had appeared at the other side of the steps. Hazy violet woodsmoke shimmered from the aluminium chimney. Louise could smell the smoke, and behindthe smoke the delicious smell of bacon frying. ‘Friends?’
‘There’s some kind of gang of travellers – the usual sort of thing. Apparently they’re headed our way. The police are keeping a general eye on things. But I told the community policeman about your old lady. He thought she might be some kind of advance guard, to soften up the do-gooders. I said you were taking a proper attitude to it. I said you were moving her on.’
‘I am,’ Louise assured him hastily. ‘In a month. I’ve said she could have a month.’
‘I thought you said she would be gone by June?’
‘I did … er … her plans have changed.’
‘Well, they’ll be here before then!’ the Captain exclaimed. ‘They’ll be here within days! The neighbourhood watch are leafleting houses, advising people to lock up their fields and paddocks. You’d be well advised to move her on and get that fence of yours repaired before they’re all camped in your orchard.’
‘Oh God,’ Louise said wearily.
‘D’you want me to come around and sort it out?’ the Captain demanded, trying to conceal his eagerness.
‘No, no! Thank you, but no. I have a friend, a social worker, she can find the old lady somewhere to go. She said she had a place for her. She’s staying with me. She’ll sort it out.’
‘Social worker, eh? I’d have thought you’d have done better with a firm word from me.’
‘Oh, thank you,’ Louise said distractedly. ‘But I really think … I’ll telephone if I need you, if I may.’
‘Very well, very well,’ the Captain said rather distantly. ‘See what you can do. The whole Parish Council is concerned at the line you’re taking. You don’t want to be seen letting the side down now, do you?’
‘No! Of course not.’
‘Newcomers to the country always have to be particularly careful,’ he advised kindly. ‘You think you’re doing the right thing but in fact you’re putting a lot of backs up. Take my word for it. Let’s do this as it’s always been done and get the gypsies moved on.’
‘I’ll phone you,’ Louise responded weakly. ‘Goodbye.’
Miriam tapped on the door and came into the room, a cup of coffee in her hand. ‘I heard the phone.’
‘Thank you,’ Louise said. She took the cup. ‘That was the local bigwig. Apparently there’s a convoy of travellers headed this way. Everyone thinks they’re coming to my orchard. I’ve got to get the old lady moved on and the fence put up. Miriam, this changes everything.’
‘You could put a gate in,’ Miriam suggested. ‘She has to stay for a month. I promised her she could.’
‘But what about all the other travellers?’ Louise found her voice was rising. ‘And there’s the village to think about as well. I don’t want to upset everybody.’
Miriam shrugged. She was a city dweller, she had no idea of the mafia-like power of village society. ‘The other travellers won’t come here,’ she said. ‘What is there for them? A tiny little orchard and the company of an old lady? They’ll be on their way to a rave somewhere.’
‘Oh God,’ Louise said again. ‘They’ll be holding a rave in my orchard!’
Miriam laughed aloud. ‘No, all you’ve got is one quiet old lady for a month. This is just the panic of the bourgeoisie with property values under threat. Calm down!’
‘Well, I’m getting a gate put in,’ Louise said firmly. ‘I’m not having the fence open to anyone who
‘We had the community policeman at the Parish Council meeting last night. It seems that your old lady may be joined by some friends, just as I thought. We all felt you should be warned.’
Louise raised herself in bed and looked anxiously out of the window. The blue van was still solitary in the orchard. The dog dozed at the steps. A small pile of wood, dead branches from trees, had appeared at the other side of the steps. Hazy violet woodsmoke shimmered from the aluminium chimney. Louise could smell the smoke, and behindthe smoke the delicious smell of bacon frying. ‘Friends?’
‘There’s some kind of gang of travellers – the usual sort of thing. Apparently they’re headed our way. The police are keeping a general eye on things. But I told the community policeman about your old lady. He thought she might be some kind of advance guard, to soften up the do-gooders. I said you were taking a proper attitude to it. I said you were moving her on.’
‘I am,’ Louise assured him hastily. ‘In a month. I’ve said she could have a month.’
‘I thought you said she would be gone by June?’
‘I did … er … her plans have changed.’
‘Well, they’ll be here before then!’ the Captain exclaimed. ‘They’ll be here within days! The neighbourhood watch are leafleting houses, advising people to lock up their fields and paddocks. You’d be well advised to move her on and get that fence of yours repaired before they’re all camped in your orchard.’
‘Oh God,’ Louise said wearily.
‘D’you want me to come around and sort it out?’ the Captain demanded, trying to conceal his eagerness.
‘No, no! Thank you, but no. I have a friend, a social worker, she can find the old lady somewhere to go. She said she had a place for her. She’s staying with me. She’ll sort it out.’
‘Social worker, eh? I’d have thought you’d have done better with a firm word from me.’
‘Oh, thank you,’ Louise said distractedly. ‘But I really think … I’ll telephone if I need you, if I may.’
‘Very well, very well,’ the Captain said rather distantly. ‘See what you can do. The whole Parish Council is concerned at the line you’re taking. You don’t want to be seen letting the side down now, do you?’
‘No! Of course not.’
‘Newcomers to the country always have to be particularly careful,’ he advised kindly. ‘You think you’re doing the right thing but in fact you’re putting a lot of backs up. Take my word for it. Let’s do this as it’s always been done and get the gypsies moved on.’
‘I’ll phone you,’ Louise responded weakly. ‘Goodbye.’
Miriam tapped on the door and came into the room, a cup of coffee in her hand. ‘I heard the phone.’
‘Thank you,’ Louise said. She took the cup. ‘That was the local bigwig. Apparently there’s a convoy of travellers headed this way. Everyone thinks they’re coming to my orchard. I’ve got to get the old lady moved on and the fence put up. Miriam, this changes everything.’
‘You could put a gate in,’ Miriam suggested. ‘She has to stay for a month. I promised her she could.’
‘But what about all the other travellers?’ Louise found her voice was rising. ‘And there’s the village to think about as well. I don’t want to upset everybody.’
Miriam shrugged. She was a city dweller, she had no idea of the mafia-like power of village society. ‘The other travellers won’t come here,’ she said. ‘What is there for them? A tiny little orchard and the company of an old lady? They’ll be on their way to a rave somewhere.’
‘Oh God,’ Louise said again. ‘They’ll be holding a rave in my orchard!’
Miriam laughed aloud. ‘No, all you’ve got is one quiet old lady for a month. This is just the panic of the bourgeoisie with property values under threat. Calm down!’
‘Well, I’m getting a gate put in,’ Louise said firmly. ‘I’m not having the fence open to anyone who
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