Read Online A Village in Jeopardy (Turnham Malpas 16) by Rebecca Shaw - Free Book Online
Authors: Rebecca Shaw
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own tea in future.’ He gave her a sneer of a smile and left the sitting room, closing the door with a crash, and as the tea soaked into her clothes Alice heard him tramping angrily up the two flights of stairs to his eyrie.
Dottie, leaving the pub at closing time with Zack and Marie, was witness to the sight of heavy black plastic bags being thrown out of the bedroom window of Alice and Marcus’s house. There was no sign of Marcus objecting, and no sign that Alice was in tears about it, for she was throwing them out with deadly intent. The four bags landed in the road and they stepped round them disinclined to protest, because, by the looks of it, Marcus had at last met his just deserts.
Chapter 6
Naturally Dottie reported the event when she went to do her cleaning stint at the Rectory the following morning. ‘You see, rector, we’ve all known for years his idea about getting published was a load of rubbish, just a nonsense to make sure he didn’t have to work. They were obviously his belongings being thrown out of the house because a pair of men’s trousers fell out from one of ’em. We couldn’t believe it! As Marie said, “No more than he deserves.” Have you heard anything?’
‘Nothing at all. Not a word.’
‘Question is, where is he now? Did he sleep in the house last night? Or did she make him leave immediately? Perhaps he had to sleep in his car. What’s more, what on earth triggered it?’
Peter was looking out of his study window as Dottie asked these questions to which he had no answers. ‘Leave it with me. I’ll call round.’
‘Right. Thanks. Anything special the doctor required doing this morning?’
‘No. Nothing.’
‘I’ll get cracking with my usual then.’
Peter, left alone in his study, only half-listened to the vacuum cleaner and Dottie singing her latest favourite pop song. Oh! Johnny! What a mess you’ve left behind. Why on earth did you go? Had Alice told you she would never leave Marcus? Yet here she was throwing out his clothes. Peter sighed as he headed over to Alice’s. He knocked on Alice and Marcus’s door and had to wait a while before he found out if anyone was at home.
Alice was dressed rather carelessly for her, and obviously embarrassed at seeing Peter on the doorstep.
‘Sorry! I thought it might be Marcus.’
‘You sound relieved.’
‘I am.’
‘Thought perhaps you might want someone to talk to . . . after . . . last night.’
‘You know, then?’ Alice was more in control of herself. ‘I’ve just put some coffee on. Will the kitchen do?’
‘Of course.’
‘Sit down, I won’t be a minute.’
After her first sip of coffee Alice opened up. ‘I turned him out last night. I don’t know where he went and I don’t care.’
‘What happened?’
‘I’ve got sick of supporting him day in day out, year in year out. He gives me no consideration, just expects me to earn the living, do the shopping, keep the garden going; he does absolutely nothing but writing and being waited on hand and foot. So I decided he had to go.’
‘I see. It wasn’t because of Johnny, then? Marcus hadn’t found out?’
Alice didn’t reply and occupied herself by sipping her coffee and staring at the neglected wood-burning stove.
‘Everyone knows.’ Peter said this so softly she could barely hear his words.
‘I expect you, with your secure marriage and your exceedingly high standards of morality, consider me a harlot, do you?’ The uncharacteristic bitterness in Alice’s voice surprised Peter.
‘My opinion has nothing to do with it. You are one of my parishioners and I know you wouldn’t have done such a thing without serious provocation so I’ve come to help. If talking to someone impartial and nonjudgemental will help, then here I am.’
‘Mmm.’
Peter remained quiet and waited for Alice to speak.
Eventually she looked him directly in the face, saying, ‘He’s gone, you know. Johnny. For ever, I think. I expected commitment and
Dottie, leaving the pub at closing time with Zack and Marie, was witness to the sight of heavy black plastic bags being thrown out of the bedroom window of Alice and Marcus’s house. There was no sign of Marcus objecting, and no sign that Alice was in tears about it, for she was throwing them out with deadly intent. The four bags landed in the road and they stepped round them disinclined to protest, because, by the looks of it, Marcus had at last met his just deserts.
Chapter 6
Naturally Dottie reported the event when she went to do her cleaning stint at the Rectory the following morning. ‘You see, rector, we’ve all known for years his idea about getting published was a load of rubbish, just a nonsense to make sure he didn’t have to work. They were obviously his belongings being thrown out of the house because a pair of men’s trousers fell out from one of ’em. We couldn’t believe it! As Marie said, “No more than he deserves.” Have you heard anything?’
‘Nothing at all. Not a word.’
‘Question is, where is he now? Did he sleep in the house last night? Or did she make him leave immediately? Perhaps he had to sleep in his car. What’s more, what on earth triggered it?’
Peter was looking out of his study window as Dottie asked these questions to which he had no answers. ‘Leave it with me. I’ll call round.’
‘Right. Thanks. Anything special the doctor required doing this morning?’
‘No. Nothing.’
‘I’ll get cracking with my usual then.’
Peter, left alone in his study, only half-listened to the vacuum cleaner and Dottie singing her latest favourite pop song. Oh! Johnny! What a mess you’ve left behind. Why on earth did you go? Had Alice told you she would never leave Marcus? Yet here she was throwing out his clothes. Peter sighed as he headed over to Alice’s. He knocked on Alice and Marcus’s door and had to wait a while before he found out if anyone was at home.
Alice was dressed rather carelessly for her, and obviously embarrassed at seeing Peter on the doorstep.
‘Sorry! I thought it might be Marcus.’
‘You sound relieved.’
‘I am.’
‘Thought perhaps you might want someone to talk to . . . after . . . last night.’
‘You know, then?’ Alice was more in control of herself. ‘I’ve just put some coffee on. Will the kitchen do?’
‘Of course.’
‘Sit down, I won’t be a minute.’
After her first sip of coffee Alice opened up. ‘I turned him out last night. I don’t know where he went and I don’t care.’
‘What happened?’
‘I’ve got sick of supporting him day in day out, year in year out. He gives me no consideration, just expects me to earn the living, do the shopping, keep the garden going; he does absolutely nothing but writing and being waited on hand and foot. So I decided he had to go.’
‘I see. It wasn’t because of Johnny, then? Marcus hadn’t found out?’
Alice didn’t reply and occupied herself by sipping her coffee and staring at the neglected wood-burning stove.
‘Everyone knows.’ Peter said this so softly she could barely hear his words.
‘I expect you, with your secure marriage and your exceedingly high standards of morality, consider me a harlot, do you?’ The uncharacteristic bitterness in Alice’s voice surprised Peter.
‘My opinion has nothing to do with it. You are one of my parishioners and I know you wouldn’t have done such a thing without serious provocation so I’ve come to help. If talking to someone impartial and nonjudgemental will help, then here I am.’
‘Mmm.’
Peter remained quiet and waited for Alice to speak.
Eventually she looked him directly in the face, saying, ‘He’s gone, you know. Johnny. For ever, I think. I expected commitment and
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