A Village Feud Read Free Page A

dear. They’re my collection of very good solid silver snuff boxes I’ve collected over the years. Couldn’t leave them in the house or they might end up in one of the Reverend Anna’s jumble sales. See this one? George the Fourth. Look at the inside – as new, silver gilt. Isn’t it beautiful? Mint condition. My absolute delight. I’m sure he actually owned this it’s so exceptional. They’re worth a fortune now. I’m leaving them to the children. There’ll be two each and I hope they realize how lucky they are.’
    ‘I’m sure they will, they’re certainly very beautiful. Lunch at one? Must get on.’
    ‘Of course, don’t let me put you out, Harriet.’ She paused for a moment and then burst out with, ‘Harriet! I must tell someone. What’s finally put the cat amongst the pigeons is that when I wanted to air the sheets I found every shelf in the airing cupboard with a jumper lying flat drying out. I couldn’t put a thing in there. It really was infuriating. When I cheerily asked her when the airing cupboard would be free she said sorry but she had two more jumpers waiting to go in and it would probably be tomorrow before I could use it. No thought whatsoever for me and my affairs. Anyway she got chilly sheets for her bed but I couldn’t help it. Could I? Very inconsiderate she is. Very. And if that harridan comes again to see me I shall be out. Right!’
    The harridan was sitting in Peter’s study at the Rectory, head in hands, wondering how to resolve the situation of her absent landlady. She’d tried her best to be accommodating but obviously not accommodating enough for Katherine. She’d been so grateful of an offer of a room when Peter, Caroline and the twins came home so unexpectedly from Africa that she never gave a thought as to how difficult it might be to get along with her. After all, they had both thought it would be a matter of days before she, Anna locum rector, would be back at the Abbey in Culworth, but Peter’s decision to return to Africa on his own had turned everyone’s world topsy-turvy. She had tried to be a reasonable guest, but Katherine always knew best. Had all the answers. Didn’t know how to conduct a reasoned argument. Gave way on nothing at all and left her feeling as though she was scarcely out of nappies. Trouble was, they were both self-opinionated.
    She guessed that the next thing would be Caroline suggesting she lived in the Rectory as well as using Peter’s study, but that wouldn’t be quite right. No, certainly not. The three of them had so many problems to sort, so many hang-ups from their dreadful experience in Africa. They’d heard from Peter only yesterday and it appeared that the uprising had been ended by vicious government intervention under pressure from the United Nations and he was thus more free than he had been to pursue his calling. Praise be. People like him were desperately needed. She dwelt for a moment on the kind of person Peter was and wished, oh, so heartily, that she had his scholarly mind, but above all his compassion.

Chapter 2
     
    Usually Fran was home from school in Culworth at around four-thirty and when she got home that afternoon she found her grandmother anxiously awaiting her arrival.
    ‘Hello, Gran, how nice.’
    ‘Hello, dear.’ Fran was circled by Grandmama’s arms and kissed briskly.
    ‘You and I are going to get on famously. You’ll see.’
    Fran flung down her school bag and went straight to the kitchen to find her mother. Grandmama followed her closely. ‘We always do get on famously, don’t we? Where’s Mum?’
    ‘She’s popped into Culworth to collect some dry-cleaning and get her hair cut. She won’t be long. I hope you don’t mind, dear, but I’ve come to stay.’
    ‘Come to stay?’ Fran turned from the fridge where she was getting herself a glass of milk. She couldn’t mean it, could she? Surely not.
    ‘Yes, dear. I’ve had a bit of a falling out with Anna, you know, the Reverend Anna, so I decided