Cold Crumpet Farm - Part Five
by Little Dot
(If you're new to the story, start at Part
One)
On
Sunday morning Flora came down early to accompany her relations to St
Stephens. Jill was fussing around the kitchen giving Ruth instrustions
on which bits of the Sunday lunch had to go on at what times.
"Oh, good morning, dear," Jill greeted Flora. "Where's Phil? Is Pip coming
with us, she'll have to get a move on?" "She's jus' puttin' her shoes
on," Ruth explained, at which point Pip came running in all ready for
church. "Have you seen your Grandad?" Jill asked her condescendingly.
"I think he's in the office," answered Ruth. "Oh, he's not still on that
wretched computer, is he?" Jill snatched her coat and hat from the kitchen
table. "He'll have to meet us there. I don't think he's been off that
blessed thing for days. I don't know what he's up to. Come along, Pip."
She led the way out into the yard, slamming the door behind her. Flora
and Ruth exchanged looks. "I, er, supposed I'd better go too," said Flora
apologetically following them.
Flora found a pew near the back with a reasonable view of the rest of
the congregation and shared a hymn book with a very quiet resident of
Glebelands. Jill had sat near the front next to woman in a very flowery
Laura Ashley frock and a straw hat. When the woman turned to see to the
two small children next to her Flora saw that it was Elizabeth. Flora
was a little surprised, she hadn't really expected to see Elizabeth in
church, whereas Shula was conspicuous by her absence.
Shula put in her appearance towards the end of the first hymn. She crashed
through the door, let rip some loud expletives about the earliness of
the hour and flung herself down next to Flora. "These boots are bloody
killing me," she said indicating her knee length snakeskin stilettos.
"Shhhh!" hissed Flora. Janet had made her way to the pulpit. It was not
a long sermon, nor was it particularly dull, but part way through Flora
discovered that her cousin had dozed off, and an occasional nudge was
necessary to prevent Shula's snores from becoming audible.
When the service came to an end, Flora and Shula joined Jill, Elizabeth,
Nigel, Lily and Freddie outside. "I want you all to come over to Lower
Loxley for high tea," Elizabeth was saying. "I've been baking." "Elizabeth!"
Shula exclaimed, "What the hell's happened to you?" she stood back and
looked apraisingly at her sister's attire, and shook her head. Then she
turned on her three inch heels and headed off towards the Bull. "Oh, by
the way," she called over her shoulder, "thanks for doing the flowers
for me. They looked luuuurvely."
After Sunday lunch, when the plates had been cleared and Jill had apologised
very pointedly about the carrots which, allegedly, had "gone on a little
bit early", Flora addressed David. "Can you sort out someone to look after
Ben tomorrow?" she asked. "Ruth and I are going to a woman's group." "I'll
ask mum," David answered.
"Going to a what?" asked Ruth quietly. "A woman's group I've organised,"
said Flora, "It's only in the village hall, but I've invited a very dear
friend of mine, a renowned feminist writer, and I've asked a lot of other
women from the village to come along. I know you'll enjoy it."
