Read Online Fear in the Cotswolds by Rebecca Tope - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Rebecca Tope
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and circled close by, and then led back to the middle of the lane.
She had Hepzie with her, the lead in her pocket for when they reached the road, which just might have traffic passing. Although she suspected that anybody wanting to drive in and out of Hampnett would use the other approach, which was much closer to a main road. Even so, she expected to see tyre marks and slush and other signs of near normality.
Emerging from the lane with aching legs and a very cold nose, the first thing she saw was three figures walking towards her from the direction of the village. One much taller than the others. A woman and two children. She fastened the lead to Hepzie’s collar and went to meet them.
‘Hello, again,’ she said to Janina-from-Bulgaria. ‘These must be Nicholas and…’ She had forgotten the other boy’s name.
‘Benjamin,’ said the older boy with a scowl. ‘I’m Benjamin.’ It was instantly obvious how much more prepossessing the younger boy was. Dark hair and long eyelashes above deep soulful eyes made him the sort of child that everyonewanted to hug. His brother was very different – a long face, with mud-coloured eyes set too close together, and a discontented expression.
How unfair, thought Thea. ‘Well, I’m pleased to meet you,’ she said. ‘I suppose you’re having a bit of a holiday, with the schools being closed.’
Three unsmiling faces stared at her as if she was mad.
‘Mummy’s gone,’ said Nicholas, with a wide-eyed look. Thea found herself wondering for a crazy moment whether the body she knew she had seen had been the apparently stupid Bunny, and not some disreputable man, as she’d assumed. She looked at Janina for an explanation.
‘She has not gone , Nicky,’ she said, shaking his hand gently as it clung to hers. ‘She can’t come home because of the snow. She’s sent you a text, remember?’
‘Which he can’t read,’ muttered Benjamin.
‘Where is she?’ asked Thea.
‘Bristol, she says. The roads are too slippery, she says. She will not risk it.’ Janina’s words were redolent with scorn.
‘She’s going to miss my party,’ the younger boy said, fury suddenly seizing him.
Thea began to give more credence to Janina’s assessment of her employer. ‘It’s today, isn’t it?’
‘How do you know that?’ demanded Benjamin.
‘I met Janina last week, and she told me. It sounded like a big event.’ She waved an arm at the wilderness of white still masking fields on all sides. ‘But will your friends manage to come?’
Janina groaned quietly. ‘The phone has been ringing all day, yesterday, with people saying they will try. I think most of them will make it.’
‘And you have to organise it all,’ Thea sympathised. ‘Where’s Dad?’ She cocked an enquiring head at the boys.
‘He’s…he’s,’ Nicky stammered.
‘He’s going to clear all the snow away from the front drive when he gets home from work,’ supplied Benjamin coolly. The air of weary cynicism in a six-year-old was uncomfortable to witness and difficult to respond to.
‘That’ll be useful,’ said Thea feebly.
‘This country is pathetic,’ Janina said, with much the same tone as her older charge. ‘In Bulgaria we can deal with snow. Here, life comes to a stop.’ She spread her hands in a helpless gesture.
‘I know,’ said Thea. ‘I can’t get my car out. Has a snowplough been through the village?’
Janina shook her head uncertainly. ‘A tractor from the farm by the church pushed it aside, up to the top road. We wanted to see how it was this way, didn’t we, boys?’ The children nodded without enthusiasm. All four let their gaze settle on the inadequately cleared road. A single trackran down the middle, two black lines of dirty crushed snow, with grey ridges on either side, and the road verges still virgin white.
‘I like your dog,’ said Ben, who had clearly been eager to embrace the spaniel from the first few moments. His fearlessness endeared him to both Thea
She had Hepzie with her, the lead in her pocket for when they reached the road, which just might have traffic passing. Although she suspected that anybody wanting to drive in and out of Hampnett would use the other approach, which was much closer to a main road. Even so, she expected to see tyre marks and slush and other signs of near normality.
Emerging from the lane with aching legs and a very cold nose, the first thing she saw was three figures walking towards her from the direction of the village. One much taller than the others. A woman and two children. She fastened the lead to Hepzie’s collar and went to meet them.
‘Hello, again,’ she said to Janina-from-Bulgaria. ‘These must be Nicholas and…’ She had forgotten the other boy’s name.
‘Benjamin,’ said the older boy with a scowl. ‘I’m Benjamin.’ It was instantly obvious how much more prepossessing the younger boy was. Dark hair and long eyelashes above deep soulful eyes made him the sort of child that everyonewanted to hug. His brother was very different – a long face, with mud-coloured eyes set too close together, and a discontented expression.
How unfair, thought Thea. ‘Well, I’m pleased to meet you,’ she said. ‘I suppose you’re having a bit of a holiday, with the schools being closed.’
Three unsmiling faces stared at her as if she was mad.
‘Mummy’s gone,’ said Nicholas, with a wide-eyed look. Thea found herself wondering for a crazy moment whether the body she knew she had seen had been the apparently stupid Bunny, and not some disreputable man, as she’d assumed. She looked at Janina for an explanation.
‘She has not gone , Nicky,’ she said, shaking his hand gently as it clung to hers. ‘She can’t come home because of the snow. She’s sent you a text, remember?’
‘Which he can’t read,’ muttered Benjamin.
‘Where is she?’ asked Thea.
‘Bristol, she says. The roads are too slippery, she says. She will not risk it.’ Janina’s words were redolent with scorn.
‘She’s going to miss my party,’ the younger boy said, fury suddenly seizing him.
Thea began to give more credence to Janina’s assessment of her employer. ‘It’s today, isn’t it?’
‘How do you know that?’ demanded Benjamin.
‘I met Janina last week, and she told me. It sounded like a big event.’ She waved an arm at the wilderness of white still masking fields on all sides. ‘But will your friends manage to come?’
Janina groaned quietly. ‘The phone has been ringing all day, yesterday, with people saying they will try. I think most of them will make it.’
‘And you have to organise it all,’ Thea sympathised. ‘Where’s Dad?’ She cocked an enquiring head at the boys.
‘He’s…he’s,’ Nicky stammered.
‘He’s going to clear all the snow away from the front drive when he gets home from work,’ supplied Benjamin coolly. The air of weary cynicism in a six-year-old was uncomfortable to witness and difficult to respond to.
‘That’ll be useful,’ said Thea feebly.
‘This country is pathetic,’ Janina said, with much the same tone as her older charge. ‘In Bulgaria we can deal with snow. Here, life comes to a stop.’ She spread her hands in a helpless gesture.
‘I know,’ said Thea. ‘I can’t get my car out. Has a snowplough been through the village?’
Janina shook her head uncertainly. ‘A tractor from the farm by the church pushed it aside, up to the top road. We wanted to see how it was this way, didn’t we, boys?’ The children nodded without enthusiasm. All four let their gaze settle on the inadequately cleared road. A single trackran down the middle, two black lines of dirty crushed snow, with grey ridges on either side, and the road verges still virgin white.
‘I like your dog,’ said Ben, who had clearly been eager to embrace the spaniel from the first few moments. His fearlessness endeared him to both Thea
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