fortunate if I should be selected. My wife will, of course, want to come and have a look around, but I am sure I can include her in my enthusiasm.'
Doreen Price locked up the church and walked down to the shop, now closed and shuttered, to chew over the day's events with Peggy. The back door stood open, and she could hear voices inside. One of the voices was Bill Turner's, and she hesitated, then turned on her heel and made her way back to the farm with a worried frown.
'You couldn't blame the poor bugger,' said Tom, as they sat in their cool sitting room, watching the news. 'That Joyce has asked for everything she gets. Just hope Peggy has the sense to know that nothing's secret in Ringford ... especially if Ivy Beasley lives next door.'
'And speaking of old Ivy,' said Doreen, 'I just hope she didn't put off that nice Reverend Brooks. He made a good impression on me, turning up like that without Mr Richard, showing he was his own man, and that.'
'Ah,' said Tom, switching channels to watch the cricket, 'he certainly took charge of things straight away. Well, we shall see.'
CHAPTER TWELVE
'Mandy,' said Robert Bates, as they sat in his car outside his girlfriend's semi-detached house in the suburbs of Tresham. The film has been violent and noisy, and Mandy had held Robert's hand in a tight, tense grip for a couple of hours. Neither of them had enjoyed the evening much, and Robert wished it had been a romantic film, a love story to put Mandy in the right mood.
'Yes, Robert?' said Mandy, a slender, quick-moving girl with olive skin and a nose like a lump of putty stuck more or less in the middle of her face. Her smile was wide, and her teeth attractively crooked, and she had worshipped Robert Bates since they were at Tresham Comprehensive together.
'I love you, Mandy,' said Robert.'
'I love you too, Robert,' said Mandy, staring straight ahead through the fly-spattered windscreen.
'Will you marry me, Mandy?' said Robert, with a dopey smile.
'Yes please, Robert,' said Mandy, and they both burst out laughing, turning and kissing each other in delight.
They calmed down, and Mandy took Robert's hand. 'Come on,' she said, 'might as well get it over. Dad's at home this evening.'
'Oh Gawd,' said Robert. 'Must I?'
'Yep,' said Mandy. 'We're going to do this thing properly, or not at all.'
'Oh no, not the full white wedding and penguin suit?' said Robert, groaning.
'That's it,' said Mandy, opening the car door. 'Come on, Robert, he'll not bite you. He's probably expecting something of the sort anyway.'
Mandy Butler's father and mother sat in front of the television set, Mrs Butler completely immersed in an old film and Mr Butler fast asleep with his head back and his mouth open.
'Mother, we're back,' said Mandy.
'Good film, dear?' said Mrs Butler, without taking her eyes off the screen.
'Not bad,' said Robert. 'Um, I wonder if we could wake Mr Butler? I've something to ask him.'
Mrs Butler's attention was immediately redirected. She'd watched so many television soaps that her antennae were well tuned to the signs of an important development. 'Reg,' she said. 'Reg, wake up!'
He awoke with some snorting and choking, and denied hotly that he had been asleep. 'Just resting my eyes for a minute or two,' he said.
'Mr Butler,' said Robert, anxious to get the whole thing over. 'I- that is, me and Mandy- urm, well, we'd like to get wed if that's all right with you...and Mrs Butler, of course.' Mandy's mother rose with a shriek and flung her arms round Mandy, while Mr Butler got slowly to his feet. Robert wondered nervously whether he was going to eject him by the scruff of his neck.
'Well done, Robert,' Mr Butler said, extending his hand. 'Me and Mother was wondering when you'd get around to it.' They all laughed with the release of tension, and Mrs Butler went happily out to the kitchen to fetch a bottle of wine put by for just such a special occasion.
'Mother,' said Mandy, as they toasted each other with glasses
Doreen Price locked up the church and walked down to the shop, now closed and shuttered, to chew over the day's events with Peggy. The back door stood open, and she could hear voices inside. One of the voices was Bill Turner's, and she hesitated, then turned on her heel and made her way back to the farm with a worried frown.
'You couldn't blame the poor bugger,' said Tom, as they sat in their cool sitting room, watching the news. 'That Joyce has asked for everything she gets. Just hope Peggy has the sense to know that nothing's secret in Ringford ... especially if Ivy Beasley lives next door.'
'And speaking of old Ivy,' said Doreen, 'I just hope she didn't put off that nice Reverend Brooks. He made a good impression on me, turning up like that without Mr Richard, showing he was his own man, and that.'
'Ah,' said Tom, switching channels to watch the cricket, 'he certainly took charge of things straight away. Well, we shall see.'
CHAPTER TWELVE
'Mandy,' said Robert Bates, as they sat in his car outside his girlfriend's semi-detached house in the suburbs of Tresham. The film has been violent and noisy, and Mandy had held Robert's hand in a tight, tense grip for a couple of hours. Neither of them had enjoyed the evening much, and Robert wished it had been a romantic film, a love story to put Mandy in the right mood.
'Yes, Robert?' said Mandy, a slender, quick-moving girl with olive skin and a nose like a lump of putty stuck more or less in the middle of her face. Her smile was wide, and her teeth attractively crooked, and she had worshipped Robert Bates since they were at Tresham Comprehensive together.
'I love you, Mandy,' said Robert.'
'I love you too, Robert,' said Mandy, staring straight ahead through the fly-spattered windscreen.
'Will you marry me, Mandy?' said Robert, with a dopey smile.
'Yes please, Robert,' said Mandy, and they both burst out laughing, turning and kissing each other in delight.
They calmed down, and Mandy took Robert's hand. 'Come on,' she said, 'might as well get it over. Dad's at home this evening.'
'Oh Gawd,' said Robert. 'Must I?'
'Yep,' said Mandy. 'We're going to do this thing properly, or not at all.'
'Oh no, not the full white wedding and penguin suit?' said Robert, groaning.
'That's it,' said Mandy, opening the car door. 'Come on, Robert, he'll not bite you. He's probably expecting something of the sort anyway.'
Mandy Butler's father and mother sat in front of the television set, Mrs Butler completely immersed in an old film and Mr Butler fast asleep with his head back and his mouth open.
'Mother, we're back,' said Mandy.
'Good film, dear?' said Mrs Butler, without taking her eyes off the screen.
'Not bad,' said Robert. 'Um, I wonder if we could wake Mr Butler? I've something to ask him.'
Mrs Butler's attention was immediately redirected. She'd watched so many television soaps that her antennae were well tuned to the signs of an important development. 'Reg,' she said. 'Reg, wake up!'
He awoke with some snorting and choking, and denied hotly that he had been asleep. 'Just resting my eyes for a minute or two,' he said.
'Mr Butler,' said Robert, anxious to get the whole thing over. 'I- that is, me and Mandy- urm, well, we'd like to get wed if that's all right with you...and Mrs Butler, of course.' Mandy's mother rose with a shriek and flung her arms round Mandy, while Mr Butler got slowly to his feet. Robert wondered nervously whether he was going to eject him by the scruff of his neck.
'Well done, Robert,' Mr Butler said, extending his hand. 'Me and Mother was wondering when you'd get around to it.' They all laughed with the release of tension, and Mrs Butler went happily out to the kitchen to fetch a bottle of wine put by for just such a special occasion.
'Mother,' said Mandy, as they toasted each other with glasses
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