‘I’m sorry, Leonie, I don’t know what to say to you. I don’t know what you’ve got against Helen, really I don’t. She’s okay she is, honestly. Bit strict at work but very fair’ Marie Fuller feeds the remains of her lunch to the sparrows at her feet and throws the sandwich wrapper in the bin at the side of the seat where they are sitting.
‘She’s stuck up’ Leonie declares, her lip curling at the enjoyment Marie is getting from watching the sparrows fight amongst themselves for the crusts.
‘Aaw, come on!’ Marie turns with a mocking grin. ‘Just because she’s got a posh accent? So does Kester come to that’ she says, brushing the crumbs from her skirt ‘and I don’t hear you calling him stuck up. You’ve just got some sort of grudge against her…and it’s only because she’s going out with him isn’t it?’
‘Doesn’t bother me’ Leonie shrugs, looking away.
‘So you say. Tell you something; if anyone ought to have a grudge, it’s ME. I had the biggest crush imaginable!’ Marie gives a little sigh ‘He was sooo sweet, let me down really gently and didn’t make me feel stupid or anything. He’s lovely and we’re good mates now…and you should be too. He doesn’t deserve what you’re doling out and neither does she. I don’t know what’s got into you lately’ She leans forward, watching the birds.
‘I was his friend!’ Leonie emphasises with a childish fold of her arms. ‘I was just as capable of looking after him as she was! I should have been there. His nan should have asked ME if she needed any help’
Marie starts to laugh and turns back to Leonie with a look of absolute disbelief. ‘Is that what this is all about? For God’s sake, Lenny, don’t be so bloody juvenile! Helen didn’t get ASKED! And she didn’t even go there with the intention of looking after him; she went to see if she could help Mrs. James… run her to the hospital… that sort of thing. They used to chat when Mrs. James came into the library. She was worried about HER not HIM!’ She shakes her head, her grin still incredulous. ‘There wasn’t anything going on between Helen and Kes, not then. How can you be jealous over something so stupid?’
‘Soon got over that though, didn’t they?’ Leonie huffs.
Marie sits back against the slatted wrought iron of the bench. ‘And you’ve got it into your head that the same might have happened between you two if you’d been there instead? Hate to have to be the one to break it to you, but that was never going to go off and you were stupid if you ever thought it would! You’ve known him for years; don’t you think he’d’ve made a move before then if he was interested? Think about it, he’s never exactly been one to hold back has he?’
‘She got her claws into him while he was ill so he wasn’t going to put up much of a fight, was he? And he was too polite to tell her to piss off. Still is’
Marie gawks at Leonie’s remark. ‘That’s not how I heard it’
‘Well, she wouldn’t tell you that, would she?’ Leonie scowls, refolding her arms.
‘I got it from the man himself, if you must know. When he thought he was going to get murdered by those blokes, the only thing that occurred to him…apart from how upset Mrs. James would be… was he loved her and he was kicking himself for not realising…He weren’t scared of dying, just spitting angry he’d never get the chance to flipping well tell her. Well, he did in the end, didn’t he? That’s how all that came about, got nothing to do with what Helen did, not really’
‘Huh! And she was hardly likely to say no, was she? I mean, look at her!’
‘You know summat?’ Marie looks at her coldly. ‘You can be a right bitch when you want can’t you? There’s nothing wrong with Helen, nothing at all. She’s really quite attractive….beautiful even’
‘For a hippo!’ Leonie laughs unkindly.
Marie fixes her with a stare. ‘Kester doesn’t seem to mind the few extra pounds, and that’s all that counts, isn’t it?’ she defends immediately, swinging her handbag onto her shoulder. ‘You want to take a look at yourself, Lenny. Look at what’s on the inside, it ain’t pretty!’ With an angry scowl she gets up from the seat. ‘Got to get back to work’ she excuses.
Turning swiftly and taking a step ready to move off, she startles. ‘Oh! Sweetheart, I’m sorry’
‘Look where you’re going!’ a voice says crossly, catching up along the path as Marie stoops to help a wailing Luke Wright to his feet.
‘Are you alright, poppet?’ Marie looks up at Marcus Wright ‘I am so sorry, I wasn’t looking, you’re right’
Marcus nods acknowledgement at Leonie who scowls and gets up without speaking and walks away. ‘Something I said?’ he asks with a flick of his eyebrows as he crouches and rubs Luke’s knee. ‘It’s okay, mate’
‘Apologies for my so called friend, she’s annoyed. Told her a few home truths that’s all’ Marie says, her attention still on Luke. ‘Were you going to the swings?’ she asks gently. ‘And this silly lady got in your way, didn’t she? Don’t cry, poppet’ she soothes. ‘Better make it stop hurting then, hadn’t I, if you’re going to the swings?’
Marcus watches in amusement as she takes over, opening her handbag and fetching out a small ziplock bag. She tears open an antiseptic wipe and carefully cleans both of Luke’s knees. ‘Is that a graze, Daddy?’ she asks.
Luke looks down, pulling the skin above his knees upwards to inspect the damage, his tears stopping with the posing of such a serious question.
‘Hmm…not sure’ Marcus replies, affecting a frown.
‘Only…I’ve got some special plasters in here’
‘It is, Daddy, it is, look!’ Luke prods a single spot of blood. ‘I need a plaster!’
Marie catches Marcus’s eye and winks surreptitiously. ‘Hmmm…he may be right. Mr. Bump or Mr. Strong, do you think?’
‘Both!’ Luke decides.
Marcus bites his lip as she ceremoniously applies a plaster to each knee.
‘I think that ought to do it’ she says gravely and stands up. ‘You think you’ll be okay to play, now?’
With a nod, Luke scampers off.
‘I really am sorry, you know’
‘I think you made up for it, no worries’ Marcus smiles ‘But……Mister Men plasters?’ he laughs.
‘New shoes, rubbed a blister and they were the only thing I could get. Not many places open at whatever it was in the morning’ Marie explains with a grin. ‘Knew they would come in handy. Anyway…better get back to work…Er…um…nice meeting you’
‘Yes…you too’ Marcus smiles and sets off down the path after Luke. He turns, walking backwards for a few paces. ‘I’m Marcus by the way’ he calls.
‘Marie!’ she calls back as she waves goodbye.
The Village Green
Chapter Ten
The Old Mill Cafe
‘All I’m saying is, I’ve got better things to be thinking about than George’s undermentionables!’ Jessie stirs her tea with a vengeance, her cheeks pink.
‘His unmentionables?’ Kath prompts with a correction, looking confused.
‘No, not his unmentionables…’ Jessie hisses, bending her head low over her cup and looking to her side to where Kath is sitting. ‘His under-mentionables… those ‘things’ that are under his unmentionables’
‘Oh…Yes…I see’
Jessie sits back with a sigh. ‘Oh, I suppose I ought to sympathise but, honestly, what a thing for him to be talking about…and over the dinner table too!’
‘Good job you weren’t having sausage and mash’ Kath says in a deadpan voice as she smothers her teacake with butter.
‘Ohh!’ Jessie smacks Kath’s hand and chortles. ‘Stoppit!’
‘What exactly has he done?’
‘Slipped when he was getting out of the bath and ended up astride the side, give himself one hell of a wallop apparently’
‘Ouch!’ Kath winces ‘It was sausage and mash then!’
‘Ohhh, Kathleen!’ Jessie dissolves into a fit of uncontrollable mirth. She wheezes as she pulls herself together, talking through another chuckle. ‘I shouldn’t laugh really, I think he really has hurt himself but what am I suppose to do about it?’
‘Is he bruised?’
‘How the dickens would I know? You’re as bad as he is. He kept saying he thought it might have been…as though he wanted me to have a look and check! I mean to say, we’re friends but there are some things about your friends that you’d rather not know….or see!’
‘Hmmm’ Kath says, licking her fingers. ‘He ought to get himself checked out though, especially if there’s swelling’
Jessie goes off into another fit of hilarity. ‘It wouldn’t be the doctor he’d be telling if there was!’
‘Jessie!’ Kath snorts.
‘Sorry, couldn’t resist. He’s sore, I know that much. I’ll make him an appointment, he won’t do it for himself, you can bet your life’ She takes a long breath, trying to control her laughter.
‘Be as well. Probably get better on its own but best to I think, you can’t be too careful with that sort of thing’
‘That’s what my mother always told me!’ Jessie hoots again, the tears rolling down her face. ‘Poor George!’
