Free Talk of the Village by Rebecca Shaw Page B

wouldn't tell me something like that would she? It's much too private.'
    Whenjimbo met Peter the next morning he wasn't quite sure how to broach the subject. Then Peter himself mentioned Sheila Bissett, saying she'd resigned and how difficult it made things.
    Almost as an aside Jimbo asked, 'Have you heard the rumour she's spreading as her revenge?'
    'No. What is she saying?'
    Jimbo stopped by a farm gate and leant on it. 'Let's have a rest before we turn back.'
    Peter wiped the sweat off his face with the sleeve of his running shirt and said, 'Well?'
    Jimbo, breathing heavily as much from the quandary in which he found himself as from the running he'd done, looked Peter straight in the face and came out with Sheila's malicious gossip.
    'No good beating about the bush. I feel very awkward telling you this, but you've got to know. Sheila Bissett is spreading the story that your Beth and Alex are really yours and Suzy's . . . you know . . . that you well, you are their real father. That's why you're adopting them. There, that's it in a nutshell.'
    Peter went pale, turned his head away from Jimbo's direct glance and said quietly, 'What's that old saying? "Be sure your sins will find you out."' He leant on the gate looking across the fields towards Sykes Wood. 'We
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    didn't have an affair. It happened the week Patrick died. She was desperate for comfort and I have to admit I was stunned by her, quite stunned. Then I found out she was expecting twins and I thought it was the end of everything, my marriage, my vocation everything. Caroline was magnificent, said it wasn't to be allowed to make any difference to us. We were partners for life and she wouldn't permit something like that to separate us. What Suzy longed for and planned for, was that Caroline would want to adopt the twins, and that's exactly what she did want.'
    Jimbo silently absorbed what Peter had said. God! What a situation. What was there to say? He waited a while for Peter to compose himself and then said in a matter of fact tone, 'Then you've nothing to fear: the two of you can stand together on this. I know in my heart that the whole village will be behind you. They don't like Sheila Bissett, but they do love you and Caroline.'
    'I promised Suzy faithfully that we would never disclose the truth, just as she promised us that she would never tell, either. How has the woman found out?'
    'She's put two and two together and made five. That's what.'
    'I must get straight home.' Peter turned away from the gate and set off at such a cracking pace that Jimbo couldn't keep up. When he got back to the Rectory, Peter went straight up to the bathroom for his shower. He arrived in the kitchen for his breakfast already dressed in his cassock for the regular Friday morning school assembly in the church.
    'Sylvia, do you think you could leave Dr Harris and me for a moment, I need to speak to her about something.'
    'Of course Mr Harris, I'll just get on making the beds. Your eggs are ready.'
    'Thank you.'
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    Caroline, who was loading the washing machine, reminded him to ask Michael Palmer about the children doing some singing in the church on the day of the festival.
    'Caroline come here.'
    'I really am busy, Peter. I shall have to start bathing the twins soon and I've the drier to empty and a thousand other things to do. Can't it wait?'
    'No, it can't. Please come here and sit down.'
    'Be quick then.' She sat on the edge of the chair ready for immediate flight.
    'My darling girl, the one thing I don't want to do is to hurt you any more than I have done already. God knows I've done enough damage one way and another, but there's something I must tell you. You know we promised that we would never explain about the twins? Suzy promised and we did for everybody's sake. Well, I'm afraid that someone has put two and two together and arrived at the conclusion that they are mine.'
    'Oh please God, no. Oh no.' Tears began brimming in Caroline's eyes and she got out her handkerchief to