A Vicarage Christmas by Kate Hewitt

Author:Kate Hewitt [Hewitt, Kate]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Romance, Fiction
ISBN: 9781947636330
Publisher: Tule Publishing
Published: 2017-10-12T06:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eight

“What’s going on with Rachel?”

Anna stood in the doorway of the kitchen, watching her mother fly around, a pot in one hand and a salt shaker in the other. “Can I help?”

“You’re back,” Ruth exclaimed, banging the pot on the stove. “It’s just spaghetti bolognaise for tea, I’m afraid…”

“That’s fine, Mum.” Anna took the salt shaker out of her hand and filled the pot up with water. “I can do it, if you like. Spag bol is in my limited repertoire. You can sit down, put your feet up.”

“I like being busy…” Ruth began, but strangely she looked almost tearful. Anna felt another pang of worry assailed her.

“Is everything all right?” she asked as she rummaged through the fridge for a package of mince.

“Why wouldn’t everything be all right?”

Classic Holley, to deflect with a question. “Because you seem a little…” Anna paused, wanting to choose her words with care. “Riled.”

“I’m not riled.” Ruth sighed. “Just feeling my age, perhaps.”

“Your age?” Her mother was fifty-nine.

“Or something,” Ruth said with a sigh.

“Does it have to do with Dad’s announcement? What is that about, anyway?”

“I can hardly tell you before your sisters. You’ll find out soon enough, tomorrow night.”

“Why tomorrow night?”

“We wanted it after Simon’s ordination.”

Anna stared at her, mystified. “Why?”

“I can’t explain it now. Are you going to put that mince on to fry?”

“Yes.” Anna ripped open the package. “If you can’t tell me about that, can you at least tell me what’s going on with Rachel?”

“Rachel?” Now Ruth was the one sounding mystified. “What about her?”

“She just ran out of the vicarage looking upset.”

“Did she? I have no idea why.” Ruth’s forehead furrowed. “She and Dan had just come in from walking Charlie. I thought she’d be over the moon, now the holidays have properly started.”

“Yes…” Had she been imagining how upset Rachel had looked? But she’d brushed by them without a word. There might be a simple explanation, and yet… Anna couldn’t help but feel there was more going on than she knew.

She glanced at her mother, who was standing in the middle of the kitchen as if she didn’t know what to do. “Are you sure you’re all right, Mum?”

“What? I’m fine.” Her mother disappeared into the pantry and came back with a stack of plates. “If you’re going to make the bolognaise, I’ll set the table.”

Anna didn’t get a chance to talk to Rachel that evening, as she came in right as they were sitting down for supper, and then went back to the shoebox-sized cottage she rented on the high street. Ruth had offered to let her live at home to save money, but Rachel had wanted her own space, just as Esther had, moving out right after uni, even though she’d stayed in the village. Still both of her sisters seemed to spend most of their time at their parents’ house, and Anna could understand why.

The vicarage, despite its draughts, was a cosy, welcoming place. She could acknowledge that, enjoy it even, although it was still a hard place to be for her.

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