care if it throws down with rain. I’m going. I’m fed up with being good little Beth, daughter of the Rector and the Doctor. I’m stepping out of line for once.’
‘That’s fine, darling. Quite right,’ Peter said mildly. He poured himself a glass of wine. ‘More wine, Caroline?’
‘Yes, please. I’ll be glad to see the end of this bottle; it’s not to my taste.’
‘I’ll try it.’ Beth passed her glass to Peter. ‘Might as well help to finish it if Mum’s not keen.’
‘Are you sure about wine?’
‘Some of them at the youth club buy wine and cider and stuff at the off-licence in Culworth, but I think it’s better to drink at home. Still . . . that is an idea. Something else I could try that I’ve never tried before.’
‘What’s brought this on?’
‘It’s boring, boring, boring being a Rector’s daughter, always expected to be goody-goody, and I’m absolutely sick of it.’
Peter said he could see her point. ‘I understand. It’s people automatically assuming that you’re well behaved and sensible, always doing your prep and helping with the junior church and going to visit Muriel.’
Beth, her fork full of food, hesitated and then came out with, ‘That’s another thing. I’m stopping doing that. It’s ridiculous. She doesn’t even know who I am. Well, sometimes she does, but usually not. It’s a complete waste of time.’
‘No, Beth, it’s—’
‘It is, Mum. An utter, utter waste of time. I’ve been going round there once a week for years—’
‘One actually.’
‘Well, nearly two, and I’m fed up with it. Then I take her to the Store for something to do. She doesn’t know what she wants and Ralph doesn’t give her a list, so we stand about for hours and I feel a fool. So I shall tell Ralph I’m not going any more. He might even be quite glad. He hates people seeing how bad she is. And it won’t get better.’
Caroline began to challenge her about this but Peter forestalled her.
‘If that’s how you feel, then by all means go round and tell Ralph you don’t want to do it any more, but please, do it gently. I can see your point. You’ve been more than diligent going round there every week but there is a limit and I don’t suppose Muriel will notice. She is far worse than even just a few weeks ago.’
‘Thanks, Dad. As soon as I’ve finished I’m going round there. And I might not even do my prep. See what effect that has at school. They can tut-tut as much as they like. Well I shall give them a surprise, and it’s about time, too.’
The rest of their meal was eaten in silence, and Beth went round to Ralph and Muriel’s the moment she’d finished her last mouthful of pudding.
She used to be able to open the door and call out, ‘It’s me, Beth, from the Rectory.’ But now the door had to be kept firmly locked in case Muriel mistakenly decided to go out and subsequently went missing, which she had done several times.
Ralph opened the door and greeted her with pleasure. ‘Why, Beth! How lovely. Do come in, dear. Muriel’s in the sitting room, or she was.’
Beth’s first thought was how weary Ralph appeared to be. Another sleepless night, she guessed.
‘Hello, Muriel, it’s—’
‘Beth! How lovely to see you! How kind. Come and tell me all about school and what you’ve been up to.’ She patted the seat next to her on the sofa and smiled cheerfully.
Beth felt dreadful. After her rebellion at home, now she was faced with this surprising recognition. What should she do? She’d never intended seeing Muriel tonight. What she wanted to do was to tell Ralph she wasn’t coming any more and then quietly disappear, but no such luck.
‘Did you win your netball match?’
‘Yes, we did, thank you. They were a good team and it was a struggle, but in the end we won. Thank you. How have you been, Muriel?’
‘Very well, thank you,
‘That’s fine, darling. Quite right,’ Peter said mildly. He poured himself a glass of wine. ‘More wine, Caroline?’
‘Yes, please. I’ll be glad to see the end of this bottle; it’s not to my taste.’
‘I’ll try it.’ Beth passed her glass to Peter. ‘Might as well help to finish it if Mum’s not keen.’
‘Are you sure about wine?’
‘Some of them at the youth club buy wine and cider and stuff at the off-licence in Culworth, but I think it’s better to drink at home. Still . . . that is an idea. Something else I could try that I’ve never tried before.’
‘What’s brought this on?’
‘It’s boring, boring, boring being a Rector’s daughter, always expected to be goody-goody, and I’m absolutely sick of it.’
Peter said he could see her point. ‘I understand. It’s people automatically assuming that you’re well behaved and sensible, always doing your prep and helping with the junior church and going to visit Muriel.’
Beth, her fork full of food, hesitated and then came out with, ‘That’s another thing. I’m stopping doing that. It’s ridiculous. She doesn’t even know who I am. Well, sometimes she does, but usually not. It’s a complete waste of time.’
‘No, Beth, it’s—’
‘It is, Mum. An utter, utter waste of time. I’ve been going round there once a week for years—’
‘One actually.’
‘Well, nearly two, and I’m fed up with it. Then I take her to the Store for something to do. She doesn’t know what she wants and Ralph doesn’t give her a list, so we stand about for hours and I feel a fool. So I shall tell Ralph I’m not going any more. He might even be quite glad. He hates people seeing how bad she is. And it won’t get better.’
Caroline began to challenge her about this but Peter forestalled her.
‘If that’s how you feel, then by all means go round and tell Ralph you don’t want to do it any more, but please, do it gently. I can see your point. You’ve been more than diligent going round there every week but there is a limit and I don’t suppose Muriel will notice. She is far worse than even just a few weeks ago.’
‘Thanks, Dad. As soon as I’ve finished I’m going round there. And I might not even do my prep. See what effect that has at school. They can tut-tut as much as they like. Well I shall give them a surprise, and it’s about time, too.’
The rest of their meal was eaten in silence, and Beth went round to Ralph and Muriel’s the moment she’d finished her last mouthful of pudding.
She used to be able to open the door and call out, ‘It’s me, Beth, from the Rectory.’ But now the door had to be kept firmly locked in case Muriel mistakenly decided to go out and subsequently went missing, which she had done several times.
Ralph opened the door and greeted her with pleasure. ‘Why, Beth! How lovely. Do come in, dear. Muriel’s in the sitting room, or she was.’
Beth’s first thought was how weary Ralph appeared to be. Another sleepless night, she guessed.
‘Hello, Muriel, it’s—’
‘Beth! How lovely to see you! How kind. Come and tell me all about school and what you’ve been up to.’ She patted the seat next to her on the sofa and smiled cheerfully.
Beth felt dreadful. After her rebellion at home, now she was faced with this surprising recognition. What should she do? She’d never intended seeing Muriel tonight. What she wanted to do was to tell Ralph she wasn’t coming any more and then quietly disappear, but no such luck.
‘Did you win your netball match?’
‘Yes, we did, thank you. They were a good team and it was a struggle, but in the end we won. Thank you. How have you been, Muriel?’
‘Very well, thank you,
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