20th February
Helen finished arranging bric-a-brac and books on the tables in the church hall in preparation for the charity sale.
‘You’re doing a great job,’ said Reverend Leadbetter, inspecting the items on offer. I don’t know how you find the time with everything else you’re doing.’
‘It’s a bit less hectic now everything that can be salvaged from Swan and Sam’s houses has been collected,’ Helen replied. ‘Mind, you, it’s all in my double garage. I’ve no idea when the car will ever fit in there again.’ She laughed.
Helen’s mobile rang, and she took it from her pocket. ‘Hello, Swan,’ she said. ‘Hang on a minute, I’ll just go outside.’ She smiled at the vicar. ‘Excuse me,’ she said to him, ‘I need to take a call.’
Helen walked towards the door. The vicar watched her until she had left the room.
Christian Leadbetter had never married, having devoted his life to his calling. He often thought, however, that it would be nice to have a wife. He sometimes felt a little guilty at the feelings of sexual attraction he experienced towards some of the women in the village – although reminded himself that this was a normal response for a healthy, heterosexual male. There were no women, however, that aroused these feelings more than Helen.
When Helen had left the hall, through the main entrance, the vicar quickly walked to the door of his office. Once inside, he crossed to the far wall. Here were awning windows, just above head height, that faced the front of the building. One was open, and it was his hope that he might overhear some of Helen’s phone conversation with Swan. He was delighted that he could hear her voice quite clearly.
‘So, you’ve hidden it at Duck’s farm. … Well done. … We can keep it secret from everyone until the time’s right. … See you soon …’ There was a pause before she said: ‘Swan.’
That pause was not registered by the vicar, who was thinking about what might be so secret and sensitive that it had to be hidden at the farm of Swan’s brother.
The reason for Helen’s hesitation at the end of the call was that she had almost unthinkingly said: ‘See you later, Darling.’
Swan had been staying with her for just under a month, and they had got on together extremely well. She had, of course, known him for many years, but that was not the same as living in the same house. She had really enjoyed having his company and realised how lonely she had become while living in that house all by herself – despite all the community activities that she undertook.
Swan had been the perfect gentleman, so Helen was not clear how he viewed her. Did he just see her as a friend? Would he like their relationship to go further? Perhaps he had not even thought about it with everything else that had been going on.
Perhaps he needs to know how I feel, she thought, and then I’ll discover if he feels the same.