‘I’d forgotten that you’ve already met!’ Carrie interjected.
‘Well, no, not exactly.’
‘You wouldn’t mind picking her up, would you?’
Yes, yes, I would. I’d mind a lot.Was Carrie deliberately ignoring her signals?
‘Rita has an old jalopy you can use. It’s fine for short trips and you’re still insured, aren’t you?’
‘Tasha wouldn’t want a complete stranger collecting her and…’
Jules felt her breath coming in little gasps. Panic gripped at her chest. She couldn’t do this. It was such a simple request, but she just couldn’t do it.
‘Don’t you worry, my love,’ Rita said. ‘I wouldn’t dream of imposing. You’re here on a break, not to run around after other folks.’
The pressure behind her breastbone eased a little.
‘I’m sorry,’ Jules said, aware that she sounded slightly out of breath and as if she was about to burst into tears. ‘Normally it would be fine, but I’m a bit useless at the moment.’
‘Oh, dearie,’ Rita said. ‘We all feel useless from time to time. It’s part of the human condition. But as it says in the Bible, ‘even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.’ Matthew: Ten, I think. And there are a lot of sparrows, aren’t there? Now theyarebusy little birds and such lovely tuneful voices. Anyway, I digress and I must get on. Remember, if there’s anything you need, I’m just around the corner. You’re always welcome at the farmhouse and the kettle’s always at the ready. Carrie can attest to that.’
Jules and Carrie sat in silence for a moment after Rita had whirled out.
‘Why did you do that?’ Jules said at last, when the air had settled. ‘I thought you were the one who wanted me to veg out and do absolutely nothing.’
‘And you were the one saying that you might need some distractions. You’re always saying that you like to help.’
‘That was the old me.’
‘I don’t think the new you will be that much different,’ Carrie said gently.
Jules’s eyes widened.
‘I hope she will be. I hope she’ll be completely different.’
‘I’m sure Rita would have some biblical quote which says that helping others is a way of helping yourself,’ Carrie murmured.
‘Tasha did look like a child with the weight of the world on her shoulders and shewashiding.’
‘She has a difficult mother.’
‘Who doesn’t?’ Jules quipped.
‘Your mother isn’t anything like Christabel. She’s gone to the mainland, apparently, on one of her spur of the moment jaunts,but she’ll be back later, and Rita wants Tasha home before that to avoid any trouble.’
‘Why would there be trouble with Tasha going to The Pottery?’
‘I think,’ Carrie said slowly, ‘that Christabel has tried out her charms on Lance over the years without much success. You will soon learn if you stay here for a while that Christabel doesn’t react well to not getting her own way. Sometimes she’s eager for Tasha to go to The Pottery and presumably thinks of it as another opportunity to enchant Lance and other times she goes into a major sulk and resolves never to let Tash see Erin again out of school. Erin is Lance’s daughter and Tasha’s best friend.’
‘What about Tasha’s father? Can’t he collect her?’
‘Up to his eyes with the harvest and Rita wouldn’t want to drag him away. Her whole life is devoted to making Alastair, Tasha and Will’s lives as smooth as possible, which I can tell you, with a daughter-in-law like Christabel is no mean feat.’
Jules was quiet for a moment.
‘So if Tasha isn’t home before her mother returns, she’ll be in trouble?’
‘Maybe, depending upon what sort of mood Christabel is in, but don’t worry. I’m sure we can sort it out.’
