‘Cooeee…Helen, dear’ Jessie Shepherd hurries to catch up with Helen Marchant as she strides along Park Road. ‘Phew you don’t half walk fast!’ she grumbles, grinning as she draws level with the waiting Helen. ‘Good morning, how are you?’

‘I’m very well, Mrs…Jessie. Did you have a nice Christmas?’ Helen enquires politely.

‘I did…it was wonderful. You wouldn’t believe it but I had a house full to bursting in the end. My nieces and nephews and their children and …and….just loads of people!’ She throws her hands in the air, beaming.

‘You didn’t know they were coming?’ Helen smiles, finding Jessie’s good humour infectious.

‘No. I nearly had a heart attack on the spot’ Jessie giggles ‘It’s daft but the first thing I thought of when I saw them all standing there wasn’t how lovely it was that they’d bothered but had I got enough cups and mugs to give them all a cup of tea at once!’

‘And I don’t suppose any of them were bothered about tea either…. except those that were driving, maybe’

‘And you would know about that, wouldn’t you?’ Jessie says with wide-eyed nonchalance, flicking her elbow in a nudge.

‘I don’t drink and drive, no’

‘I didn’t mean you….I meant your guest. Our Kester. Enjoy your Christmas too, did you?’ she smirks.

‘I gave Mister James lunch’ Helen bristles ‘that was all. He was kind enough to return my gloves and I invited him on the spur of the moment. He was working and probably wouldn’t have had time to get himself anything otherwise’

‘And what was he doing with your gloves?’ Jessie teases.

‘I had left them in the van’

’Oooh this gets more interesting by the second. I only heard that his van was outside your place at half past twelve and was still there at three o’clock’ Helen watches curiously as Jessie delves in her handbag and comes out with a small notepad and pen. ‘And what exactly were you doing in his van?’ she asks, pen poised.

‘Mrs. Shepherd!’

‘Ooops, I got the eyes then…. best watch my step. Come on, Helen, I was only mucking about’ She drops the pen and paper into her bag again with an apologetic grimace.

‘Sorry…but Kest….Mister James said this would happen’

‘What would?’

‘That the gossips would make too much of it’

‘Gossips?’ Jessie says indignantly ‘I hope you’re not putting me in that category else you and me are going to fall out. I was joking. I don’t care what you get up to or who you get up to it with…. If it was lunch, it was lunch…but you could do a lot worse than him, you know.’

‘Please’ Helen sighs, her colour rising.

‘Did you enjoy yourself? That’s the main thing’

‘I did….very much’

‘That’s all that matters, then, isn’t it?  He’s lovely, isn’t he?……Fit…isn’t that what they say nowadays?….Definitely fit. Tell you something, if I was forty years younger I’d give you a run for your money.......better make that fifty' she says after a moment's thought.

‘I can assure you, Mrs. Shepherd that me and Mister James…. that there is nothing going on between me and him’

‘Bugger…that’s a shame, isn’t it, bet you’d like there to be though, wouldn’t you? I can tell….you’ve gone as red as a beetroot’

‘Please’ Helen looks away

‘Tell him’ Jessie insists firmly.

‘Tell him what?’

‘Tell him you fancy him. Ask him out’

‘Mrs. Shepherd!’

‘Will you stop with that Mrs. Shepherd lark. It’s Jessie. How many more times? No point in denying you like him, it’s written all over you. You’d have to be made of stone not to get all hot and bothered be that one. Was a time I could’ve believed that’s just what you were but not now, not now I know you a bit better. You’re just like the rest of us when it comes down to it. A bit more work and we’ll soon have you normal’

‘Normal?’ Helen croaks.

‘You know what I mean. I don’t know what got you so crabby first off but I’ll lay a pound to a penny you only come to live here because somebody upset you good and proper back in London or wherever it is you come from and that’s the reason why. I’m not daft. I could see someone had. Guess it was a bloke’ she concludes with a small shrug ‘but that don’t make all men the same way’ She wags a reproachful finger. ‘You know Nathan Samms?’ she asks, seemingly going off at a tangent. ‘I know you do. You had some work done. Well, he’s my friend, I’ve known him since he was a baby…and he’s Kester’s friend besides, so I get to hear things. I know you were horrible to him’

‘I was not horrible’ Helen protests, mildly irritated.

‘A bit short with him, then. You must’ve made up for it now if you had him for lunch, that’s a good start but you’ve got to grab these men while you can. He’s good looking, got pots of money, he’s kind to old people and he can mend a broken bog. What more do you want?’

Helen shakes her head despairingly but is unable to prevent a small smile.

‘Just tell him, for goodness sake before he goes and gets himself hooked up with somebody else. You’ll regret it if you don’t!’

‘I’m perfectly happy as I am, thank you very much’ Helen eases the strap of her bag onto her shoulder and pushes back the cuff of her jacket to check her watch. She looks along the road as if impatient to continue her journey.

‘Oh no you are not!’ Jessie insists and puts a hand on Helen’s arm to prevent her moving away ‘Go on, give it a whirl, what’ve you got to lose? He’s a lovely man…….a kind man’ She purses her mouth thoughtfully ‘Bit of a rapscallion but that’s all show, same as you put on this don’t mess with me thing. It’s no more you than that is him. Underneath it all you are two quite lonely people’

‘Kester isn’t lonely! That’s the last thing he is…. and nor am I!’

‘Maybe not….but you’re both hurting. You are aren’t you?’ Jessie says with quiet perception.

Helen’s face tightens ‘Was there a reason you wanted to speak to me?’ she asks sharply.

Jessie blinks, realising she has gone too far ‘I…er… wondered if you still wanted me to come and look after Alfie’ she offers with an uncertain smile ‘after the holidays’

‘He’s almost back to normal. He will be fine…..but thank you’

‘Oh, alright then. Right…. Glad I’ve seen you, saved me a phone call. Give him a little cuddle from me. I’ll no doubt see you again….and I’m sorry for poking my nose in’

Helen watches as Jessie turns and walks briskly away.

Park Road, Milliwick

Chapter Five