Free A Village in Jeopardy (Turnham Malpas 16) by Rebecca Shaw

her past behind. She’d been deceiving herself. She’d have to write a note. She’d take it up there in the dark when no one would see her. Then she remembered she wasn’t all that good at writing.
    It took her three painful tries to construct a note that appeared readable and wouldn’t show her up for what she was. She found an envelope and addressed it, glanced at the clock and saw it said nearly ten past eleven and decided to leave there and then to take it up to the Rectory. Then in the morning she’d order a taxi for the station and go to stay with her cousin Irene, whom she knew she could rely on to welcome her with open arms, her always feeling lonely.
     
    It was Peter who found the envelope on the hall carpet when he checked the front door was bolted before joining Caroline in bed.
    ‘Darling! There’s a letter for you.’
    ‘For me? I wonder who it’s from?’ She dropped the book she was reading on the duvet and ripped open the envelope.
    As she read it she gasped. ‘Oh! Peter, it’s from Dottie. She says . . . I can’t believe this; what on earth can have happened?’
    ‘What do you mean? What’s she said?’
    ‘Here, you read it.’
     
Dear Doctor Harris ,
I shall not be coming to clean no more. I should not have had the cheek to start in the first place because I am not a fit person to clean for you and the rector. I’m sorry. Yours sincerely ,
Dottie Foskett .
PS. Please give my love to my dear Beth and to Alex. I shall miss them and you .
     
    Peter handed it back to her. ‘Someone somewhere has said something and here’s the result of it. Poor Dottie. I shall go see her first thing.’
    ‘I can’t believe this. What on earth has made her say what she’s said? No one thinks to mention it nowadays. Poor Dottie.’
    ‘I’m sure she must have misunderstood; people in the village wouldn’t dream of bringing the matter up . . . would they?’
    ‘Perhaps someone feeling vicious thought to mention it. She must be heartbroken! No one cleans like Dottie; I could recommend her to absolutely anyone.’
    ‘Like I said I’ll call round tomorrow and get to the bottom of it.’
    ‘Yes, please do and make her understand that she’s needed here no matter what others have said about her; we want her back a.s.a.p. The hurt she must be feeling . . . people can be so cruel. But who the blazes would confront her with it?’
    Peter climbed into bed, grimly remarking, ‘Don’t fret, I shall find out. Good night and God bless, my darling, it’s lonely not having the children to say goodnight to, isn’t it?’
    ‘Yes, but they’re having a wonderful time; they’ll remember it all their lives.’
    ‘True.’
    Caroline turned over so she lay behind Peter with her arm around his waist. ‘Good thing Beth isn’t home or she’d be round the village interrogating everyone to find out who’s been so thoughtless as to hurt Dottie. They are very close.’
    ‘Dottie has a great deal of wisdom; I’ve always thought so. Good down-to-earth wisdom. I’ll be round her house first thing tomorrow, I promise.’
     
    And Peter was. But the house was locked up. He shielded his eyes and peered in through the downstairs windows but there were no signs of life. Everywhere looked tidy with no signs of a hasty departure.
    Peter heard someone trying to attract his attention. It was Dottie’s next-door neighbour calling to him over the wall.
    ‘She’s gone, rector, by eight o’clock this morning. I saw her leave as I was letting the dog out. In a taxi with a suitcase. I spoke to her yesterday morning but she never said a word about going away, so it must be something urgent because we leave each other our keys when we’re away just in case, but she hasn’t done, not this time.’
    ‘Good morning, Audrey! When I think of you I always remember about when you played the fairy godmother in that pantomime we did once; I thought you were brilliant. So well done.’
    Audrey blushed. ‘Thank you, didn’t think anyone