Matilda's Wedding by Betty Neels

Author:Betty Neels
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2000-08-23T04:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER SIX

MATILDA was driven home by the doctor, but he didn’t stop this time. Which was a good thing for her mother was waiting for her, brimming over with ill temper. She held it in check while the doctor carried the groceries into the kitchen, thanking him with a charming smile which turned to thin-lipped annoyance the moment he had gone.

‘You should have come straight back here, Matilda. How can you be so selfish, knowing that your father and I were depending on you to bring the groceries?’

‘Dr Lovell did say that he was taking me to see Mrs Inch and Kitty, Mother. Haven’t you been to Mrs Simpkins’ while I’ve been away?’

‘I phoned—a boy brought my order. You didn’t expect me to go into the village with all this flu about? I told her I would settle the bills later.’

Matilda started to unpack the bags. ‘Mother, Father gives you housekeeping money; what has happened to it?’

Mrs Paige rounded on her. ‘Don’t you dare to criticise me, Matilda. There are three mouths to feed on a pittance.’

‘But, Mother, I pay my share so it’s two mouths, isn’t it? And we both know that there isn’t a lot of money but there is enough if we’re careful.’

‘Am I not to be considered? Living in this dull little place with no friends and nothing to do, nowhere to go…’

‘Well, you go to play bridge with Mrs Milton and her friends, Mother, and she did invite you to help out with the church flowers and the Christmas bazaar. You’ll meet lots of people if only you would go to the village sometimes—not just the people you meet at bridge.’

‘I shall go and lie down,’ declared Mrs Paige. ‘You’ve given me a headache; I quite wish you hadn’t come home.’

Matilda put away the food and went to see her father. He looked up from his writing, pleased to see her.

‘It is very pleasant to have you home again, my dear. Your mother will be so relieved. She has had so much to do; I only wish that I could do more for her. She deserves a holiday; I must see if I can manage to send her to stay with one of her friends for a few days. She misses them so much.’

He sighed. ‘She still thinks of the vicarage as home…’

‘Well, perhaps we could manage it between us, Father; it would only be the train fare and the bus to Taunton.’

‘She would need money in her purse; I couldn’t send her away empty-handed.’

He shuffled the papers on his desk. ‘There is a bill which I must pay then perhaps she could go in a week or so.’ He said worriedly, ‘I don’t know where the money goes, my dear. I must be a bad manager.’

‘No, you’re not, Father; it’s just taking time to adjust to living on your pension.’

He had found the bill and she took it from him and said cheerfully, ‘Well, we could see to this; are there any more?’

He sifted through the muddle.

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