Page 35 of Just the Beginning

Issy shot him a glare that could’ve melted concrete. ‘Your cousin has a lot to answer for.’

‘Why, what did Chloe do?’

‘She went up to the house and fetched a third bottle of Prosecco, that’s what she did,’ Issy grumbled.

‘And forced you to drink it, no doubt.’

‘Haha! Right, what do you want anyway?’ When he ordered three iced macchiatos and a large latte, she winced. ‘Why does everyone want iced drinks today?’

The question bemused him until she switched on the blender to mix everything together. Between the ice rattling around and the whizz of the motor, it made quite a racket. He accepted the tray of drinks and left her to it, smiling to himself as he heard the person who’d been behind him ordering a chocolate frappuccino. It was going to be a long day for poor Issy.

Carrying the four drinks in a cardboard holder, Rick crossed the street and was about to pop into the chemist’s to pick up apack of paracetamol for Anya when he bumped into Morwenna Delaney, the head teacher of the village school.

‘Oh, Rick, what good timing!’

‘Hello, Morwenna. How’s things?’

She nodded. ‘Good. Good. Already thinking about what I need to do to get ready for next term. That’s actually what I wanted to speak to you about. I’ve had a couple of people resign from thePTA?—’

‘Surely you need actual parents on thePTA?’ he cut in, trying not to sound too desperate. Morwenna was a lovely woman, but she could be something of a steamroller and he really couldn’t afford to get talked into taking anything else on.

She frowned at him for a moment before her eyes widened in amused comprehension. ‘Goodness, Rick, there’s no need to look quite so panicky. I wasn’t suggesting you sign up!’

He blew out a relieved breath. ‘You had me worried there for a minute.’

‘You do more than enough for our community,’ she assured him with a pat on his arm. ‘No, I was just wondering if it would be okay to put a poster up in the Hub to see if anyone is interested.’

‘Oh, of course, help yourself. If you’ve got any spares, then we’ll put one up in the window at the chandlery as well.’

‘Lovely. I haven’t got around to making them up yet, but I’ll drop a couple off with you when I’ve printed them off, okay?’

‘Whenever you like, and good luck with finding some replacements.’

Morwenna sighed. ‘I’m going to need it. The school is barely hanging on as it is. The village might be growing, but the demographic is changing so much that I can foresee a day when I don’t have enough pupils to get adequate funds to keep it going.’

Rick frowned. ‘I didn’t realise things had got that bad.’

She patted his arm again. ‘We’re not quite on the ragged edge yet, but if we don’t find a way to keep our young people around, then it’s going to be a problem. Plus so many of your generation are choosing to start your families later, so even those of you who have been able to find jobs and housing aren’t keeping my numbers topped up.’ She was smiling as she said it.

‘Ha! You sound as bad as Mum and Aunt Helen.’

Morwenna laughed. ‘Six of you between them and not a sniff of a grandchild; no wonder they’re disappointed!’

‘Well at least you’ll have one new addition to your roster this autumn with Anya’s daughter, Freya,’ he pointed out.

She shot him a puzzled look. ‘Oh, are they planning on staying? I assumed they were only here for the summer. I haven’t had any paperwork through to say Anya wants to register Freya for next term.’

‘Are you sure?’

Morwenna shrugged. ‘Unless it’s come through this morning, then absolutely.’

‘I’m popping in to see her in a minute. I’ll mention it then. I’m sure it’s just an oversight.’

‘That would be good if you could; the sooner the better so I can finalise my numbers. I’ll pencil her in anyway. You don’t happen to know the child’s surname, do you?’

‘Sure, it’s Stokes.’

‘Lovely, thanks for the heads-up.’ Morwenna stepped back from the doorway to make room for him. ‘I’ll drop those posters off with you in the next day or two.’

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