Free Village Fortunes (Turnham Malpas 17) by Rebecca Shaw Page B

But what the heck I’ll say I do not know.’

Chapter 7
    As it turned out, it was Harriet who had the first opportunity to speak to Johnny, because he came into the store early one morning when Harriet was standing in for Jimbo who had a heavy cold and could barely speak.
    ‘Harriet. Good morning. I want a bottle of that stuff you give to babies when they have colic. Do you sell it? I can’t remember what we used to give to Charles.’ Johnny snapped his fingers as an aide memoire, but the name wouldn’t come to mind.
    ‘Hi, Johnny. How’s the little one? Apart from the colic, of course. Have you and Alice settled on a name yet?’
    ‘Yes, finally. He’s going to be a Ralph, like his grandfather. And funnily enough, I think it suits him.’
    ‘A lovely name. Very traditional.’ Harriet presented him with a bottle from the baby food shelves. Johnny sighed with relief. ‘That’s it, that’s the one! Clever girl. We’ve been up since half-past three with Master Ralph. And of course when it’s time for us to be up and Charles too, Ralph falls fast asleep with exhaustion.’
    ‘Par for the course, Johnny. Here you are.’
    Johnny handed over a five pound note, and obviously wanted to chat some more. ‘There’s something else I’ll remember in a moment. How are things with you?’
    ‘We had your brother to lunch on Sunday.’
    ‘Of course you did. Did he behave himself?’
    ‘If you mean did he know how to use a knife properly, yes he did. But Jimbo’s a bit concerned.’
    ‘He is?’
    ‘Yes. Chris is a lot older than Fran, you know, and we’d rather . . .’
    ‘It’s the longest he’s gone out with the same girl that I can remember. I think he must be getting serious.’
    ‘Ah, right. Does he talk about her much?’
    ‘No, which is unusual.’
    ‘She’s very inexperienced with older men.’
    ‘How old is she then?’
    ‘Twenty-one next month.’
    ‘I thought she was much older than that.’
    ‘You wouldn’t fancy having a word with Chris, would you?’
    ‘You mean it, don’t you? Like a big brother kind of word?’
    ‘Yes.’
    ‘I will, but he won’t like it. Bye.’ Johnny paused at the door and looked back. ‘She seems much older than twenty,’ he said again.
    ‘Well, believe me, she isn’t.’
    ‘Better get back, just in case.’
    Harriet remembered something else Johnny needed prompting about. ‘Alice. She needs some domestic help, Johnny. It’s too much, with two babies so close in age. Dottie Foskett who helps me one afternoon a week is very good. She was trained to clean by nuns, need I say more? And I know one of her clients died a couple of weeks ago so she has the time to fit you in.’
    ‘You could be right. I’ll talk to Alice about someone. After a night like we’ve had, she could be more amenable to the idea. Bye, Harriet, I’ll keep in mind what you said about Chris. I will have a word, you know. Bye. Thanks for this.’ Johnny held up the colic medicine as he held open the door for Willie coming in for his morning paper.

    Johnny joined Chris at the breakfast table and his opening gambit was, ‘I’ve been talking to an anxious relative.’
    Assuming Johnny meant someone back in Brazil, Chris asked, ‘Who was that?’
    ‘Harriet at the store.’
    ‘Ah!’
    ‘They are concerned about the age gap, and the fact that Fran is too young and too immature for a man of your experience.’
    ‘Huh!’ Chris heaped marmalade on his toast and bit off a large square.
    ‘Well? Should they be worried?’
    Chris gave a wicked grin. ‘I suppose so, but we’re very careful.’
    ‘So I should hope. In a village of this size . . .’
    ‘Don’t give me the familiar sermon, please.’
    ‘I will if I want. Your task was to find a chain of hotels in Britain which would fit in very nicely with what we have already, and which obviously, once purchased, I could supervise from here. But what happens? You find a new woman – well, girl – and you’re here all week instead of