Page 92 of The Village Midwife
‘It would work for me,’ she said.
Zoe left the table. The day was bright – thankfully – but already she was getting cold. Pleased as she’d been with her outfit that day, it wasn’t the warmest or most practical thingshe owned. Before long, she’d be colder still. Perhaps regular visits to the hot drinks being dished out by Magnus and Geoff or Corrine and Penny would do the trick. And perhaps she could persuade Alex to go with her when he’d finished whatever it was he was up to, though she still wasn’t entirely sure what was going on there.
She looked across to where he remained deep in conversation with his bow-tied, cap-wearing guest. Victor was now busy with a group of children who were crowding around his alpaca. Zoe supposed she could have gone over and struck up a conversation with Alex and his visitor – after all, she knew something of the finds too – but she had her own work to do, and she didn’t feel she could interrupt. So she started to scan the crowds for likely targets, feeling like a Victorian conman choosing his mark, before settling on a trio of older ladies who were peering at a board of discoloured maps and sepia photos of the area.
An hour in and Zoe had almost sold her first book of tickets. People had been only too happy to take them when she’d told them what cause they would be supporting, and on her way back to her own table to get more, she stopped off at Corrine’s stall to see how her sales were going.
‘I’d sell more if people weren’t buying those donuts,’ she said, balefully eyeing the slushie van, and Zoe decided she’d never tell her that just over an hour before, she’d been eating those donuts too. ‘But we’re not doing too badly. How about yourself?’
‘Actually,’ Zoe began, but then she noticed Corrine break into a broad smile at someone behind her, and turned to see Ann, the previous owner of Hilltop, making her way towards the stall. She looked a lot healthier and happier than the last time Zoehad seen her, the day they’d been helping her to move out of the farm.
Corrine rushed from behind her table and threw her arms around her old neighbour. ‘Look at you! You look so well!’
‘So do you,’ Ann said.
‘Where’s your Darryl?’
‘At home. He’s good as gold now he’s settled into the new house. I’ve only popped out for an hour to come and see what the fuss was about here, left him with a new DVD about the train works at Crewe. Well, when I say new, he’s only watched it two dozen times or so, so it’s new to him. I thought I’d come over and see these finds I keep hearing about. The things the new owners found at Hilltop. I can’t believe it. All those years we lived there and we never knew.’
Corrine smiled. ‘I said the same thing. Have you had something to eat? Here…take a slice of anything you like. And take one home for Darryl too. I’ve got one there suitable for diabetics…’
‘You’ve thought of everything,’ Ann said as she pored over the cakes on display. As she did, she glanced up briefly and noticed Zoe. ‘Oh, hello…how are you? You came to help me move, didn’t you?’
‘I wasn’t sure you’d remember,’ Zoe said. ‘It sounds as if you’re settling into your new house with no problems.’
‘I love it,’ Ann gushed. ‘I don’t know why I didn’t make the move years ago. Of course, I loved the farm, but it made me miserable more often than it made me happy. So much work to do – far too much for me. What’s the new fella like? Do you have much to do with him?’
‘He’s very nice,’ Corrine cut in before Zoe had the chance. ‘Comes round now and again – mostly asking if Victor can come out to play…’ She winked at Ann, who laughed. ‘Thick as thieves the pair of them these days, ever since they started all thatdetecting nonsense. Still, they’ve had a bit of luck, can’t deny that.’
‘Sounds like they’ve had a lot of luck,’ Ann said.
‘Well, it wasn’t all luck – they had to do an awful lot of digging,’ Corrine said. ‘You should go and have a word. I’m sure he’d be happy to show you what he’s found. Say hello to Victor too while you’re at it – he’ll be pleased to see you.’
Zoe had wanted to catch Alex all morning, but every time she’d spied an opportunity, someone else had stolen it from her. Either he was with someone or she was, and it looked as if Ann was going to thwart her again now.
Corrine watched Ann walk towards Alex and then turned to Zoe. ‘Poor thing. Putting a brave face on it.’
‘She sounds happy.’
‘I’m sure she’s convinced herself she is, but I can’t imagine swapping Daffodil Farm for some poky little new build out of Thimblebury. It’d be awful, so cramped and airless. No, give me my high ceilings and the hills and fresh air any day.’
‘Well, I don’t know her like you do, but she looks a lot better than last time I saw her. In fact, she looks about ten years younger, so living in her new house must be doing something for her.’
‘Do you think?’ Corrine asked thoughtfully as she followed Ann’s figure up the high street. ‘Happen you could be right. Anyway…’ She shook herself and started to rearrange her trays, filling gaps where people had taken slices of cake with yet more cake. Zoe half wondered where it was all coming from and how she’d had the time to bake so many, but then she remembered who she was dealing with and the puzzle solved itself.
Then Zoe noticed a woman in the crowd who noticed her at the same time and changed direction to come over. She was smiling warmly enough, though Zoe didn’t feel she deserved it.
‘Hello, Tegan,’ she said, suddenly tense. ‘How are you doing?’
‘I’m fine, much better,’ she said. ‘They said at your table you were selling raffle tickets for the neonatal unit. I thought I might buy some.’
‘I, um…well, yes, of course, but I’ve sold out, and I need to get some more, so…’
‘Oh, OK. I’ll come with you.’
Zoe half wished she wouldn’t. Her colleagues had told her more than once that she’d done her job and that what had happened to Tegan was not her fault, and yet she still felt it was.
‘Have you come with the family?’ she asked, grasping for something to say that wouldn’t leave them with an awkward silence, where her guilt could grow to fill in the gap.
