never know. Shelagh’s thoughts whirled round in her head, and sleep evaded her for what seemed like hours. Paul did not stir until the knock at their door at eight o’clock warned them that it was time to get up.
‘Shelagh darling,’ he murmured, reaching out totouch her, but her head ached and she needed the lavatory and the shower where he joined her, holding her tightly against his body beneath the cascade. They towel-dried each other and went down to breakfast where they were served by the same woman who had booked them in, and who obviously saw them as an unmarried couple celebrating the approaching New Year with a snatched night in each other’s arms.
But Shelagh had come to a decision. While he ate eggs and bacon and she had toast and coffee, she suggested that they went for a walk along the shore – ‘to clear our heads and get some fresh air into our lungs’ – and he agreed, though added that they would have to leave by ten at the latest to get to Everham by midday; they were both on call for the afternoon and the rest of the day and night.
Beneath a grey sky, beside a grey sea, they strode against the whirling snowflakes.
‘Paul.’
‘Yes, my love – you’ll have to shout!’
‘Paul!’ She raised her voice. ‘When will you take me to meet your parents?’
‘Not yet, darling. It’s a long way to Carlisle, but we’ll go there all in good time. It’s a case of finding the right moment.’
‘What about when we get officially engaged?’
‘Not yet, Shelagh, not just yet. There are all sorts of factors – money, a home, our careers – as we’vealways agreed,’ he shouted, holding his scarf in the teeth of the wind.
‘My mother’s dying,’ she said, loudly enough for him to hear. ‘And it would be wrong to tell her that we have definite plans for the future when we haven’t. She’d be heartbroken if she knew that we – if she knew about this. But I’d like you to meet her before she – she goes, just as a close friend of mine.’
She had said rather more than she had intended, but he had heard what was
not
said, and knew that an answer was required.
‘Listen, Shelagh my love, I’d like to meet your mother, and I’ll tell her that we’re getting engaged at midsummer – and married by the next midsummer. Is that how you want it to be?’
‘Oh, Paul, dearest Paul, you know I do! I’m sorry – I’ll take you to meet her just as soon as you like.’ She stopped to kiss him. ‘Only – she mustn’t know that we – that we are more than friends – you do understand that, don’t you?’
‘’Course I do, darling, just as you wish, as soon as you can fix it up. Come on now, it’s time we were on the road, especially with this snow piling up!’
Talk of the scene in St Matthew’s church on Christmas morning rumbled on.
‘What an exhibition! She must be completely infatuated with him.’
‘Poor soul.’
‘Silly woman, behaving like that in public!’
‘What on earth must Mrs Bolt think? And those two nice-looking boys!’
‘What d’you think he’ll do about it?’
‘Don’t know. What I say is, there’s no smoke without fire.’
‘What d’you mean by that?’
‘He may have led her on in the first place, we don’t know.’
‘He was kissing her at her mother’s funeral.’
Daphne Bolt could not keep silent. ‘You’ve been seen outside her house, talking to her in the street, walking together in the churchyard like a couple of lovesick teenagers. It’s hard enough being a vicar’s wife without this sort of humiliation. Let me tell you, if anything like this ever happens again, I’ll deal with the woman myself.’
Derek Bolt saw that she meant it. He understood her fury, but what could he do? He could hardly forbid Beryl Johnson her right as a parishioner to attend her church.
‘Bridie darlin’, here’s your tea.’
‘Ah, Maura, you’re a saint! What time is it?’
‘Nearly eight o’clock, and gettin’ light. How did ye
‘Shelagh darling,’ he murmured, reaching out totouch her, but her head ached and she needed the lavatory and the shower where he joined her, holding her tightly against his body beneath the cascade. They towel-dried each other and went down to breakfast where they were served by the same woman who had booked them in, and who obviously saw them as an unmarried couple celebrating the approaching New Year with a snatched night in each other’s arms.
But Shelagh had come to a decision. While he ate eggs and bacon and she had toast and coffee, she suggested that they went for a walk along the shore – ‘to clear our heads and get some fresh air into our lungs’ – and he agreed, though added that they would have to leave by ten at the latest to get to Everham by midday; they were both on call for the afternoon and the rest of the day and night.
Beneath a grey sky, beside a grey sea, they strode against the whirling snowflakes.
‘Paul.’
‘Yes, my love – you’ll have to shout!’
‘Paul!’ She raised her voice. ‘When will you take me to meet your parents?’
‘Not yet, darling. It’s a long way to Carlisle, but we’ll go there all in good time. It’s a case of finding the right moment.’
‘What about when we get officially engaged?’
‘Not yet, Shelagh, not just yet. There are all sorts of factors – money, a home, our careers – as we’vealways agreed,’ he shouted, holding his scarf in the teeth of the wind.
‘My mother’s dying,’ she said, loudly enough for him to hear. ‘And it would be wrong to tell her that we have definite plans for the future when we haven’t. She’d be heartbroken if she knew that we – if she knew about this. But I’d like you to meet her before she – she goes, just as a close friend of mine.’
She had said rather more than she had intended, but he had heard what was
not
said, and knew that an answer was required.
‘Listen, Shelagh my love, I’d like to meet your mother, and I’ll tell her that we’re getting engaged at midsummer – and married by the next midsummer. Is that how you want it to be?’
‘Oh, Paul, dearest Paul, you know I do! I’m sorry – I’ll take you to meet her just as soon as you like.’ She stopped to kiss him. ‘Only – she mustn’t know that we – that we are more than friends – you do understand that, don’t you?’
‘’Course I do, darling, just as you wish, as soon as you can fix it up. Come on now, it’s time we were on the road, especially with this snow piling up!’
Talk of the scene in St Matthew’s church on Christmas morning rumbled on.
‘What an exhibition! She must be completely infatuated with him.’
‘Poor soul.’
‘Silly woman, behaving like that in public!’
‘What on earth must Mrs Bolt think? And those two nice-looking boys!’
‘What d’you think he’ll do about it?’
‘Don’t know. What I say is, there’s no smoke without fire.’
‘What d’you mean by that?’
‘He may have led her on in the first place, we don’t know.’
‘He was kissing her at her mother’s funeral.’
Daphne Bolt could not keep silent. ‘You’ve been seen outside her house, talking to her in the street, walking together in the churchyard like a couple of lovesick teenagers. It’s hard enough being a vicar’s wife without this sort of humiliation. Let me tell you, if anything like this ever happens again, I’ll deal with the woman myself.’
Derek Bolt saw that she meant it. He understood her fury, but what could he do? He could hardly forbid Beryl Johnson her right as a parishioner to attend her church.
‘Bridie darlin’, here’s your tea.’
‘Ah, Maura, you’re a saint! What time is it?’
‘Nearly eight o’clock, and gettin’ light. How did ye
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