Page 78 of The Village Midwife
‘They might,’ Victor said thoughtfully.
‘Oh.’ Magnus grinned. ‘That will put the cat with the pigeons.’
‘Amongthe pigeons,’ Geoff corrected him playfully. ‘And you’re right. Some round here love a good moan – they’ll have something to say about teams of archaeologists driving up and down.’
‘Will it affect Alex’s plans?’ Zoe asked, and when she saw the looks on both Geoff’s and Magnus’s faces realised immediately that she shouldn’t have done.
‘What plans are those?’ Geoff asked with an air of disinterest that couldn’t have done a worse job of masking his obvious curiosity. ‘Is he building something up at Hilltop? Is that what the digging is about? We had thought…’
‘No point in beating about the bush now,’ Victor said in a practical tone. ‘Folks will find out soon enough. He’s putting camping pods up there. Going to open them in the spring if he can get done in time, though he might be delayed in light of current events.’
‘A lotof camping pods?’ Geoff asked.
‘I should have thought so. The man’s got to make a living. No point in messing around with one, is there?’
‘I don’t think people will like that,’ Magnus said doubtfully. ‘Not me, of course,’ he added quickly. ‘I wouldn’t stand in the way, but some won’t like it.’
‘Some don’t like anything,’ Victor said. ‘My memory’s long enough to recall the fuss they made about my treks when I first started them, and they hardly bother the village at all.’
‘It wasn’t that bad,’ Geoff began, but the look on Victor’s face instantly reduced him to a sheepish grin.
‘It’s lucky I don’t hold grudges,’ Victor said cheerily, which made Zoe think that Geoff, or Magnus, or both of them had been at least a little opposed to Victor’s plans in the beginning.
‘I suppose the camping pods would be good for us,’ Magnus said. ‘They would bring business to the shop.’
‘I dare say.’ Victor took off his cap and scratched his head. ‘Well, I’d better be off…’
As Victor bid them one last good day and headed for the door, Flo was coming from the other direction, and the two almost collided. ‘Sorry about that, Flo,’ he said with a smile. ‘Nearly had you.’
‘You did!’ Flo snapped. ‘You don’t change, charging about the place.’
‘Well, you don’t like change,’ Victor said, ‘so I do it for you. Cheerio!’
Zoe glanced to see Magnus and Geoff both trying not to laugh at the altercation. Flo stomped in and slammed her basket down.
‘Someone got out of bed on the wrong side today,’ Geoff said. ‘What’s the matter, Flo? Lost a fiver and found fifty pence?’
‘Nothing’s the matter.’
‘Are you sure about that?’
‘Oh, it’s that Prue Barrett!’ she huffed.
‘Who?’
‘The organiser of this blasted celebration! Asks for suggestions and when I give them doesn’t want to know! Four times I’ve phoned that office and she won’t talk to me!’
‘Has she spoken to you at all?’ Geoff asked.
‘Once, last week.’
‘That’ll be why,’ Geoff said to Magnus in a low voice, and Flo’s head snapped up.
‘What was that?’
‘I was only saying what a shame it is. I mean, because you’ve lived in Thimblebury so long and have so much local knowledge, it seems a waste not to take advantage of your offer.’
As Geoff did his best to soothe Flo, Magnus shot a conspiratorial grin at Zoe.
