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

other person on earth and felt deeply mortified as he said it. ‘I can’t apologise enough. If I could see her now I’d tell her how sorry I am. And I am. Very sorry. I’ll get back to the washing up; I’ve nearly finished, love. It’s mopping the floor next you said.’
    Peter had to smile at Sylvia when Willie returned to his domestic duties. ‘I see why she is so upset. We never think on those terms, you know, Caroline and I.’
    ‘Neither does anyone else, except Willie. I do hope she comes back. We’ll all miss her. I’m so sorry, rector, I really am.’
    ‘So am I. I’ll let you know if I hear anything more. Bye, Sylvia.’
    With his hand on the door latch, Peter said before he left, ‘That’s three people gone from the village in one week. What is wrong with everyone?’
    ‘Don’t worry too much about Dottie; she’s pretty tough is Dottie.’
    ‘Perhaps, Sylvia, but not quite tough enough it would seem.’
    ‘I’m sorry all over again about what Willie said. He simply didn’t think.’
    Peter nodded his head. ‘You see, Dottie is acutely sensitive about her past life, though she may not appear to be.’

Chapter 7
     
    During this first term at Cambridge Beth had chosen to come home for a weekend twice as often as Alex, and she was home again the weekend of the flood victims’ coffee morning. She clung to her mother the moment she appeared and Caroline did not need to be told how much Beth missed her home.
    ‘Had a good journey, darling?’
    ‘Lots of traffic but not too bad, no major hold-ups.’
    ‘I can’t believe that you passed your test first time. It took me four goes to pass.’
    ‘Mum! Honestly. Four tries! Mmm. Tea, cup of, needed immediately.’
    ‘Kettle’s already boiled. In the kitchen?’
    ‘Dad home?’
    ‘Shortly. Sick visiting in Little Derehams; it won’t take him long. It’s so lovely to see you. Dad was saying only the other night how lonely it was having no one but ourselves to say good night to.’
    ‘It’s lonely for me too.’
    ‘But you’ve made friends, you say.’
    ‘Oh! Yes, plenty, but no one I’m really close to and the temptation to dig out Alex is unbearable sometimes. But I don’t. He doesn’t want his sister tagging along. He’s got his rugby friends, and his science faculty lot and he seems perfectly happy.’
    ‘Here’s your tea, darling. I think perhaps he isn’t quite as content as you imagine.’
    ‘Well, he’s doing a very good impression of being so. I just don’t fit in, you know.’
    ‘I’m sorry you feel like that. But it is only your second term.’
    ‘I know. Can I tell you why?’
    ‘You can tell me anything you choose, as you well know.’
    Beth sipped her tea, put the mug on the corner of the Aga and then said, ‘Don’t tell anyone else, not even Dad, but they all like partying and dashing about here there and everywhere and dressing up and it doesn’t interest me one little bit, and I don’t know why.’
    ‘You used to enjoy parties. What do you prefer to do then?’
    ‘Think about home, and everyone here and wish I was home where I belong and feeling safe. Sometimes it’s so bad it hurts.’
    ‘That sounds like bad homesickness and it can be very upsetting, but if you stick at it, it will get better. By the time you go back for your second year you won’t be able to wait to get there, believe me.’
    ‘You think so?’
    ‘Yes, I do. Just get stuck in there and give yourself time.’
    Beth picked up her mug again. ‘Did you know Jake’s there?’
    ‘Jake Harding? Really! I thought he’d applied to London.’
    ‘Apparently not. I saw him from a distance the first term; I couldn’t believe it.’ Beth looked down at her mug of tea and said very softly, ‘He’s better looking than ever.’
    ‘I see. Is that possible, I ask myself?’ Caroline smiled and Beth managed to smile back. ‘Beth . . . you don’t still have feelings for him?’
    ‘I don’t know. Maybe. I think I must have. It’s a good