Evil Angels Among Them by Kate Charles Page B

you?’
    â€˜Please, Mummy,’ interjected Bryony, with visions of the chocolate biscuits and sugared drinks which had been forthcoming whenever she visited The Pines, ‘may I go to Mrs Bletsoe’s house? I like to go to her house.’
    Enid beamed. ‘Yes, of course, my darling. You may come to my house.’
    â€˜Thank you so much,’ Gill reiterated.
    â€˜Yes, it will be wonderful to have an evening without the little horror,’ grinned Lou. ‘You can have her any time you like.’
    They walked away with Becca, making arrangements, and Enid turned back to her friends. They were aghast at what she’d done. ‘How could you?’ gasped Doris. ‘And after the way they’ve treated you!’
    â€˜It’s taking Christian charity a bit too far,’ added Marjorie indignantly.
    â€˜Oh,’ said Enid with a mysterious smile, ‘I have my reasons. You’ll see. And as I said to you yesterday, Doris, it’s not fair to punish dear little Bryony for what her mother is. She’s a victim of her mother’s wickedness as much as any of the rest of us.’
    Marjorie Talbot-Shaw shook her head and observed their retreat over the tops of half-moon glasses which were secured round her neck with a gold chain. ‘I can’t imagine what the Rector is thinking about, allowing his wife to invite people like that to dine. Not the done thing. My dear late husband Godfrey would never have sanctioned having people like that at his table.’
    â€˜Neither would Father Fuller,’ Doris stated. ‘Father Fuller would have been shocked. He’s probably turning over in his grave right now.’
    â€˜And,’ Marjorie added with a sniff, ‘even if those women weren’t . . . unsuitable, it hardly seems proper for the Rector’s wife to invite newcomers like that on the occasion of her first dinner party. I haven’t been invited to dinner at the Rectory, and they’ve been married for months now.’
    â€˜Nor have we!’ Doris realised indignantly. ‘And after all Ernest has done for this church for so many years! Churchwarden, clerk to the trusts – I mean, where would the Rector be without him? He does more work than both of the churchwardens combined!’
    They were joined by someone else, a woman called Flora Newall. She was not actually one of their circle as she was some years younger than them and employed full time as a social worker. She lived in Walston, and had done so for several years, though her work carried her to a number of the surrounding towns and villages: Upper Walston, Walston St Mary, Nether Walston and even farther afield in the direction of Norwich. Her involvement at St Michael’s was enthusiastic though limited in scope; she was a member of the Mothers’ Union and had been known to help with the flowers and even with the Harvest Supper.
    Allowing Flora Newall to join the Mothers’ Union was a point of pride with Doris, under whose leadership the invitation had been proffered and accepted. It showed how broad-minded and inclusive they were: not only was Flora Newall not a mother, she had never even been married.
    She looked, in fact, the very stereotype of the middle-aged English spinster, thin and bony with a pale face that was plain rather than unpleasant, pale, slightly protuberant eyes, large teeth, and hair of an indeterminate hue and nonexistent style. Her personality was inoffensive and her manner was jolly without being pushy.
    â€˜You’ll never guess,’ she announced as she joined their party. ‘I’ve just seen the Rector’s wife, and she’s invited me to dinner next weekend!’
    â€˜Oh!’ Marjorie Talbot-Shaw inspected her over her glasses with increased interest. ‘She has, has she?’
    â€˜Why her, do you suppose?’ Doris whispered to Enid.
    â€˜Making up numbers, I imagine.’ Enid didn’t bother to whisper.