Head Start by Judith Cutler

Author:Judith Cutler [Judith Cutler]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780749020750
Publisher: Allison & Busby
Published: 2016-11-08T05:00:00+00:00

‘Sleeping with the enemy, I hear,’ Diane said, pouring me a glass of Malbec. ‘Look at your face! Only joking, Jane. Try this – on the house. It’s a new line. I hear you did very well today. It takes some style to rope in someone who’s been trying to undermine you ever since you arrived. Cheers!’ She touched my glass with hers. We nodded approval of the Malbec.

I should have come back with a jokey response. Instead I sounded pious. ‘Wherever did you get that idea from? The governors have a huge amount of responsibility, you know – they can end up in jail if things go wrong.’

‘Really? Remind me not to volunteer, then. Now, I’ve got a nice bit of fillet steak – could you fancy that? Fresh oil in the chip pan?’

I tried to retrieve the situation I’d lost. ‘That might be construed as bribery and corruption! But there’s no need for anything like that – the governors were so knackered after their day dealing with kids they more or less nodded through the cricket club suggestion. It’ll have to be rubber-stamped at the next full meeting, of course, but with Dawes behind it … If any of the players wanted to have closer dealings with the children, then they’d have to submit to background checks, but that applies to everyone.’

She looked surprised. ‘Even to the governors?’

‘I suppose so. Anyone likely to be in contact with individual children.’

‘OK. So it’s yes to steak and chips? How do you like it? Medium rare? Veggies or salad? Not really salad weather, is it? Now go and sit down before you fall down. And you can tell me all about your gorgeous young man later, after we’ve settled details of the musical instrument appeal.’

I set her right.

‘Not your young man! You ought to remedy that! I gather he could sing the socks off a nightingale too.’

‘Oh, he can. You should have seen their faces when he joined in the first hymn. You know they’ll be holding services in the school hall till the boiler’s repaired? It helps having the vicar doubling as a governor, I suppose. Though given they’ll have to use the kids’ chairs – unless they bring their own – I suppose it won’t be a big congregation!’

‘Boom, boom! It isn’t just the boiler, of course – one of the windows is caving in, so you may have them for longer than you expect. And what about their midweek prayers? Won’t they be a bit disruptive? Mind you, I dare say they could always hold them in a phone box …’

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