Page 108 of Beyond Her Manner
She glanced up to the staircase, where Viola was directing Arte and Charlotte to the first floor, only to find her looking back with an amused glint in her eye. Her smile broadened into a mischievous grin, making it clear she’d heard every word. With a wink, she was gone.
Gillian’s lips twitched despite herself. With Viola beside her, the judgement of others mattered a little less. Mingling through the crowd, trying to hold her head high, she spotted the reverend.
“Ah. I was hoping to bump into you.”
The reverend turned, startled, and took a step back as though bracing himself for an ambush. She noticed how his expression shifted from wariness to politeness.
“Might I pop over to the rectory tomorrow? I have a small project I’d like your opinion on. It has to do with the church bells. They’ve been silent far too long, don’t you think?”
The reverend blinked.
“With me leaving in a few days,” she continued, brushing aside his hesitation, “I may not be at a committee meeting for some time. So I thought it best to leave you with a cheque to cover the costs. You can manage the arrangements, I’m sure. I thought it would be lovely to hear them ringing again for Christmas.”
At that, his face lit up, warmth replacing his earlier hesitations. “Oh, yes, of course,” he said, his voice brimming with enthusiasm.
“Wonderful. I’ll pop by tomorrow, then.”
Not wishing to linger, she disappeared back into the crowd, which to her delight appeared to still hold no interest in her or her news. With her stomach more settled, she made her way to the buffet table, where she discovered Bridget scooping some strawberry jam on top of her clotted cream. Biting back the urge to point out that the jam should go first, she approached her.
“I meant what I said,” she began. “You are my rock, Bridget. You always have been. I’m sorry if you ever — if I ever made you feel like anything else.”
Bridget squirmed and shrugged as her cheeks pinked. “You should be proud of yourself. Your speech was delivered beautifully.”
She was proud of herself, and she almost wished she’d made it sooner rather than fretting for months about the villagers’ reactions.
“No one seems to care.”
“Why would they? What’s changed except you have a new partner?” Bridget topped her plate off with two pink macarons and casually added, “Mrs Johnson has put on a marvellous spread. The villagers all agree. I was thinking we could hold a regular social event here, like an afternoon tea, maybe once or twice a month. It would be an opportunity for those who don’t go to church to socialise a bit more.”
Gillian couldn’t help smiling at the woman. Bridget had been right all along, but rather than gloating about it, she casually changed the subject instead.
“That’s a lovely idea. I’ll leave the particulars to you. I know you can take care of everything. I’m not saddling you with too much, am I? What with Agatha to keep an eye on and Dudley to deal with every day?”
“I have the vet’s number in my favourites, not that I’ll need it. I’ve pinned your instructions for Dudley to the stable wall, and I’m sure Agatha will instruct me as to her exact requirements. Everything is under control,” Bridget assured her.
“I know. I believe in you. You learnt from the best after all.”
Bridget grinned. “Ah, there’s the Gillian we know and love.”
“I’ve still got it, don’t worry. I don’t want to lose her completely. Hannah, my hairdresser, recently lost her horse, so she’s agreed to ride Dudley whilst I’m away.”
“Good, that bit I can’t do. Everything will be easier to manage from the lodge, and by the time my cottage has finished being renovated, you’ll be back.”
“She will be,” Viola said, suddenly appearing beside her. “You can’t take Kingsford out of Gillian, but you can take Gillian out of Kingsford — if only briefly.”
“And strapped into a helicopter.” Bridget chuckled.
Gillian placed her arm around Viola’s waist, pulling her into her side as she looked adoringly into her eyes. “There was nothing worth leaving for, until now.”
Viola washed her hands in the kitchen sink. Taking a hand towel, she dried them as she wandered over to the window and admired the familiar view. It felt good to be back in the manor, and by Gillian’s side — in the open. She’d missed the manor and Kingsford more than she realised she would.
Gillian appeared quietly by her side; she hadn’t heard her enter. “The last of the guests have left. Bridget and Mrs Johnson have insisted on clearing up. Shall we go for a quick walk before we lose the light? I need to clear my head, and I have a surprise for you. Well, more of a birthday present.”
“A present? Then lead on.” Viola smiled, excited to see what Gillian had in store for her as she followed her into the back hall. Her eye caught her bag by the door, reminding her of a task she needed to carry out. Taking a deep breath and knowing there wouldn’t be a perfect time to ask this of Gillian, she said, “I wanted to… would it be okay with you if I were to scatter Mum’s ashes here? I wanted to do it when I owned the place, but I wasn’t ready, and then, as you know, events took a turn. Now it feels right, and I don’t want to leave her suffocating in a box any longer.”
Gillian gave a small smile, her fingers deftly pulling on her boots as she met Viola’s gaze. “Of course it would be okay.”
Viola exhaled in relief. “Thank you. It means a lot to me to finally put her to rest. I brought her with me from London.” Viola bent down and rummaged in her bag, extracting a box.
