Milliwick Chapter Four Page 1

Jessie Shepherd and Evelyn Knowles fall out when Evelyn ridicules her about the possibility of appearing in illustrations for a children’s book. In sympathising with Jessie, Liz Applewhite, who runs the newsagents, lets slip that she knows something about Ernie Knowles but refuses to be pressed into saying more, directing Jessie to George Harris, the only other person she felt might know his secret. Jessie is astounded and initially appalled to learn from George that Ernie was leading a double life and had been carrying on an affair for almost forty years, which had ended only with the death of the other woman.

Andrew Ward goes to see Nathan Samms after his sister pesters him with her concerns that Nathan is involved with the local underworld. He tells Nathan that Vince Wilson is an associate of Roy Denton, a prominent member of Gerry Bartlett’s gang. When an inebriated Wilson accosts Nathan outside a local pub saying that he hadn’t heard from him about the contract he was offering, Nathan turns him down again. He tries to show him up in front of other customers but Nathan retaliates, telling everyone that he would rather beg in the street than work for him. Wilson visits the yard to apologise for his behaviour but ends up hitting Nathan. He maintains that he has no idea what Nathan is talking about. Nathan insists that he is lying and sends him into a fury by telling him that his daughter is working for Roy Denton as one of his girls.

Helen Marchant tries to apologise to Kester James but annoys him again by snapping at him. When Harriet James visits her later in the day, she tries to paint Kester in a more favourable light; laughing when Helen admits that he made her nervous and offering Helen some advice about village life, telling her that people are generally well meaning and that she should be a little less defensive towards them and to try smiling if she wants to make friends. She invites Helen to her pre-Christmas dinner party to meet some of the villagers in a social setting in the hope that she will become more relaxed in their company.

Ernie and Evelyn Knowles argue about their arrangements, or lack of them, for Christmas. Usually spending Christmas Day with her brother, Evelyn presumes that they will be going to a hotel, while Ernie thought that she would make Christmas at home. Ernie tells her that he will fly out to Canada on his own to see their daughter. Unable to get a flight, his plans are ruined but Evelyn, in the meantime, has been telling everyone that is where she is going.

Helen’s cat, Alfie, is home after his stay at the vets following his accident. Jessie Shepherd persuades the happy and newly approachable Helen to let her cat-sit while she is at work.

Previously in Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Tawny House, Manor Road

‘Helen has brought her cat home’ Harriet James says, closing her library book and taking off her reading glasses as Kester comes into her sitting room.

‘Really?’ Kester sounds disinterested. ‘Did you get my paper this morning? I wish he’d realise that there are two addresses here. The postman doesn’t have a problem’

‘Don’t be so irritable. You are lucky the boy comes out this far. I hope you’ll give him a decent tip. He’s here in all weathers’

‘I’ll give him a tip all right’ Kester mutters and riffles through the papers on the coffee table before finding his. ‘You’ve done my bloody crossword!’ he says in disbelief.

‘Sorry dear…. there’s some Tippex in the bureau. Shall I blank it out for you again?’

‘No, don’t bother’ Kester sighs and refolds the paper to the front page.

‘Yes. Helen is absolutely delighted’ Harriet gives a little laugh. ‘Jessie Shepherd strong-armed her into letting her mind him and now she has organised a whole list of people willing to go in and cat-sit’

‘I bet that went down like a lead balloon’ he mutters.

‘Kester…Helen is trying, you know’ Harriet admonishes

‘Very trying at times.’

‘That is very unfair of you. She does find the idea of anyone going into her home very difficult to deal with’

‘Guess there’s just a personality clash’ Kester says vaguely as he reads ‘We are never going to get on’

‘She was very sorry that she had upset you again, you know’

‘The other day?’

‘Mmm’

Kester looks up ‘I was a bit short with her. I was in a foul mood anyway but her being crabby at me again, I’d had enough’ he shrugs

‘You make her nervous’

‘You what?’ he laughs

‘You make her nervous…she told me as much’

‘But that’s ridiculous. I’ve only ever tried to be nice to her’

‘Even so…’ Harriet dips her head and looks at him from under lowered brows.

‘Ah…more words spoken than actually said, eh?’

‘I did tell her that you aren’t as shameless as she was led to believe’

‘I am…given half the chance!’ He grins.

‘You know what I mean. Your reputation preceded you, I’m afraid’

‘My reputation? I didn’t know I had one’

‘Marie…’ Harriet sighs ‘I think she thought she was putting in a good word for you’

‘I’ll kill her!’ Kester laughs ‘Is that what all this is about, Helen thinks I’m going to jump her?’

‘Not in quite those words…’ Harriet purses her lips disapprovingly ‘and probably not in quite that way, she wasn’t looking for any sort of relationship, fleeting or otherwise when she first came here’

‘I don’t think she is now! You never see her out anywhere. She probably has her shopping delivered so she doesn’t have to meet people. She’s weird!’ Kester shakes his head and turns a page.

‘That is the last thing she is!’ Harriet protests. ‘She’s very sweet once you get to know her’

‘But that’s exactly what I have been trying to do! I know it’s only me she has this thing against. Nathan got on with her alright, he thinks she’s ok’

‘And so she is.’

‘But HE got coffee and gingerbread. I got the cold shoulder!’

‘Jealous, dear?’

‘Yeah….I like gingerbread’

Rose Cottage, Albans Lane

‘I had to come and tell you straight away. They loved them!’ Sandra Mossop stands on Jessie Shepherd’s doorstep, aglow with excitement ‘the illustrations. There’ll be some paperwork to do but if you want to be her, you can. Hello Mildred!’ she beams.

‘Just like that?’ Jessie smiles uncertainly and nods for Sandra to come in.

Sandra follows her into the living room. ‘Isn’t it wonderful? They think it’s great. Mind you, you’ll need to get an agent to look after your interests. It’s all very well for them to talk about copyright but you’ll have to watch you don’t get marketed without your say so! It works both ways’ her words come out in a rush.

‘Sounds very complicated’ Jessie frowns.

‘It is, to be honest, but not something a good agent wouldn’t be able to sort out. They’ll get you the best rate too. They’re working on a percentage so they’re bound to aren’t they?’

‘Oh, Sandra…that sounds an awful lot of bother, I thought it would just be a little bit of fun.’

‘Paid fun!’

‘But I don’t want paying, I never did want paying. I thought it would be a bit of a giggle….to stand next to the blurb and see if anyone noticed the resemblance, I didn’t think there would be all this rigmarole’ She picks up her knitting from the seat of her armchair and tucks it into her knitting bag before sitting down.

Sandra’s smile fades ‘You don’t want to do it now?’ she falters, tears springing to her eyes.

‘It’s not that…it’s… a just got a bit out of hand hasn’t it?’

‘You need only do what you wanted to do’ Sandra says slowly, an embarrassed flush on her cheeks. ‘They can’t make you do these things.

‘But an agent….it’s all…..too…formal’ Jessie decides, peering into her knitting bag as if considering fetching it out again.

‘Oh, Jessie…I thought you’d be pleased’ Sandra whispers.

‘I am…sort of. I’m glad they liked your illustrations, they are wonderful, I would have been very cross if they hadn’t…and I’m pleased they didn’t mind there being a me…a Mildred…and the idea of going to a bookshop in Woodbury and putting the wind up a couple of kids by walking out of a poster had me laughing my socks off…but that was sort of it...I didn’t expect any more. An agent…. Money? Oh, Sandra…. that’s not really me, is it?’

‘You don’t have to do any more than you want to. It’ll be signing bits of paper to say you give your permission…for things like mugs…tee shirts…you know the sort of thing. If you don’t want to do personal appearances, nobody can make you.’

‘But that’s what agents do, isn’t it? Persuade you to do these things. I might not be any good at saying no.’

‘Okay’ Sandra says with sad disappointment ‘I’ll tell them. I can do them again. It won’t take me long. I’m sure there’s time’

‘Oh, Sandra, they can still have me’ Jessie murmurs ‘don’t be upset. I didn’t mean that I didn’t want to be Mildred just that I don’t want too much made of it. I’ll sign anything they want me to, releases, whatever. I’ll agree to it all. Tell them that, eh?’

‘You were so excited’

‘I know. That was then…this is now…okay?’

‘I haven’t…upset you or anything, have I?’ Sandra’s voice trembles nervously.

‘Of course you haven’t!’ Jessie smiles ‘Come on, let’s go mad and have a glass of something and you can make me jealous and tell me what that husband of yours is buying you for Christmas…’