A Peaceful Retirement by Miss Read

Author:Miss Read [Read, Miss]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780618884384
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Published: 1996-01-02T08:00:00+00:00

By common consent I read a story from The Heroes by Charles Kingsley, which Jane Summers, I was told, had just started with them, and all was delightfully peaceful.

I was conscious of more attention being given to the newly decorated nature table than Theseus's exploits, but who could blame them?

That afternoon I arrived home in much better shape. Downland air and exercise? Or simply getting back into my old groove? It was impossible to say.

On Wednesday afternoon I arrived home in time to share a pot of tea with Mrs Pringle before running her home. As always, the place was immaculate. Mrs Pringle was a first-class worker, and it was worth putting up with her tales of woe.

After getting up to date with the state of her ulcerated leg (no better, and the doctor worse than useless), we proceeded to the reaction of the inhabitants of Fairacre to my present duties at the school.

'Great shame about Miss Summers everyone agrees. She was getting them children on a real treat. And they had to behave!'

I agreed that all seemed to be going swimmingly.

'Mr Lamb reckons that she's as good as a headmaster. Keeps them down to work. None of this skiving off for so-called nature walks.'

I ignored this side-swipe by offering the plate of scones.

'Not for me. I'm losing weight.'

I looked at the clock, and Mrs Pringle took the hint, rising ■with much effort and going to fetch her coat.

"Well, at least it's only for a week we all tell each other. Can't do much harm in that time.'

On the way home, she changed the subject of my inadequacies to the troubles of her niece Minnie Pringle, who lived at nearby Springbourne with a most unsatisfactory husband, named Ern, and a gaggle of unkempt children.

'She's looking for another cleaning job. Ern's keeping her short of money.'

I was instantly on my guard. I have suffered from Minnie's domestic methods on several occasions.

'Why is Ern keeping her short?'

'Hard up, I suppose,' said Mrs Pringle. 'I told her flat that she's not to worry you. Lord knows there's enough to do in your place each week, but I can cope without her muddling about.'

'Thank you, Mrs Pringle,' I said humbly.

Bob Willet appeared one evening that week, bearing some fine eating apples.

'They're good keepers,' he assured me. 'Lovely flavour.'

1 complimented him on such fine specimens, but he halted me in mid-flow of thanks and admiration.

'They're my neighbour's. New chap's just moved in. Nice enough, but don't know a thing about gardening. A townee, you see.'

'He'll learn, I expect.'

Bob looked gloomy, and puffed out his walrus moustache in a great sigh.

'I doubt it. Do you know he's bin and dug up a great patch by the back door for what he calls "a car-port". It was the only bit of ground there as grew a decent onion. Enough to break your heart. I told him so when the cement-mixer arrived. D'you know what he said?'

'What?'

'He said there was plenty of onions in the shops! The shops!' added Bob in disgust.

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