Page 36 of The Village Midwife
‘Does he?’ Stacey asked. ‘That must be awkward.’
‘It’s not ideal,’ Zoe agreed. ‘We always said we’d stay friends, and I know he’s only looking out for me, but I wish he wouldn’t. Is that a bit mean of me? I mean, we’re getting divorced because we don’t want to be together as a couple any more, but he’s acting like nothing’s changed, we’re still married and I’m just working away from home. It’s…’
Zoe paused. Everyone was hanging on her every word, and despite how much she liked and trusted the women around the table, she suddenly felt like the newest subject of village gossip. She was doing a good job of making herself that. Had she overshared? It wasn’t like they could do anything to help.
‘I take it you’ve spoken to him about it?’ Stacey said.
‘You don’t know him. He’d be so upset and offended if I said something like that.’
‘Would it matter if he was? You’re getting divorced anyway.’
‘He’s having a tough time of it at the moment, and I don’t want to make things worse.’
Stacey picked up her cup. ‘Sounds to me like you’ll have to say something whether you want to or not. Otherwise you’re going to have him coming around all the time, and you just said you didn’t want that.’
‘I know. It’s hard.’
‘I don’t think it is,’ Stacey said, and Corrine nodded her agreement.
‘Sometimes,’ she said gently, ‘you have to be cruel to be kind.’
‘She’s right,’ Ottilie said. ‘Would it help if I had a word with him? I could say you?—’
‘I appreciate the offer,’ Zoe said, ‘but I don’t think it would be a good idea to get anyone else involved. I’ll talk to him when I find the right moment.’
There was a brief silence, and Zoe couldn’t help but feel it contained some silent judgement of her words. They all doubted she’d pluck up the courage to say what she needed to. She doubted it herself most of the time, though she knew she’d have to.
‘Magnus wants to know when you’re going to come to film club,’ Ottilie said. ‘You know it’s a rite of passage for all new Thimblebury residents that they have to go to Magnus and Geoff’s little cinema.’
Zoe turned to her. ‘Really? Must I?’
‘Well, you’re new, and Magnus loves having new people there. I think you’d make him ever so happy, even if you only go once.’
‘Oh, I don’t know. I don’t really like arty, high-brow films. I don’t understand them.’
‘Neither does anyone at film club,’ Stacey said, and Ottilie let out another giggle.
‘That’s true! Most weeks you’re more likely to get a showing ofDirty DancingthanThe Piano. It’s only a bit of fun, an excuse for everyone to get together.’
‘I don’t know…’ Zoe sipped at her tea. ‘I don’t think so. Besides, it’s such a trek down the hill at night – I don’t know if I can be bothered. I mean, I know I do sometimes go into the village after dark, of course, but still…the road can be challenging later on…’
‘I mentioned that, and Victor’s planning to put lighting up,’ Corrine said.
Zoe’s face fell. ‘Oh, I didn’t mean…You didn’t tell him I was complaining?’
‘No, don’t worry. Melanie had been saying for years it needed lighting, but then she got so used to driving it, she gave up nagging us. I did say to Victor when you first moved in that we ought to make it a bit safer for you. In fact, I think Victor had a conversation about it with the new fella at Hilltop too. They share some of the road, after all, so they might do it between them.’
‘That would make me feel a bit easier,’ Zoe admitted.
‘And as for film club,’ Corrine continued, ‘we could do our own up here. I’d be glad of the company of someone who wants to watch something other thanGardeners’ Worldand war documentaries of an evening. You’d all be more than welcome to come and have a little film night with me.’
Zoe gave a warm smile. She suspected that what Corrine was really saying was that if Zoe ever felt lonely in her little cottage all that way out of the village, she should seek company at Daffodil Farm.
‘Perhaps we could ask that young girl at Hilltop too,’ Corrine added thoughtfully. ‘She’d likely say no, but there’s no harm in making the offer. She seems right lonely, and it must be hard being in a new place where she doesn’t know anyone, and pregnant to boot.’
‘I get the impression she doesn’t mind her own company,’ Ottilie said. ‘Not that I’ve spoken much to her.’
‘I think there’s more to it than that,’ Zoe put in, and when the others turned expectantly to her, she simply shrugged. ‘Sorry, you know how it is. I can’t really say more than that, but I do feel she needs the company more than she’d ever want to admit. I think she’d do a lot worse than come over here to be spoiled by Corrine every once in a while – even if it was only for the cake.’
