“Well, Hazel?” Lois was curious, though not particularly worried. Gossip was meat and drink to some, and she always listened. But it hadn’t been about her lately, and could mean something. Something to do with Enid?
Hazel glared at her mother, and said, “It’s probably nothing much…just one of those big-mouths at the school gates. I happened to be talking to a friend, and heard this woman say she’d heard things about New Brooms. Rotten job, cleaning, she reckoned. Only fit for people who couldn’t do anything else. Like that woman from the mill. Nobody else’d employ her, they said.” Lois looked up sharply, worrying that Hazel had gone too far, but Enid’s face was as calm as ever. “Then they started laughing,” Hazel continued, “and Bill’s name was mentioned. I suppose they think a bloke doin’ cleaning is a real joke. Anyway, I just turned round and told them to mind their own bloody business, and they went off to get their precious darlings from the playground.” She shrugged. “Sorry, Lois,” she added. “I don’t think there’s anything to worry about. You know what they’re like.”
“Yes,” said Lois, remembering the unpleasant buzz that went round Long Farnden when she, a cleaner, and her family moved into the doctor’s house. “Yes, I know. Thanks anyway, both of you. And don’t
Bill came about ten minutes later, and Lois said nothing, planning to keep him back after the meeting. As it happened, he wanted a private chat too, so after the others had gone the two sat down again and Lois opened the conversation. She told him what Hazel had said, and he exploded. When he had calmed down, Lois gave him the possible explanation, and he agreed that probably the best thing was to do nothing. “But if it gets around that Rebecca is gossiping, then that’s serious,” he said. “Could prejudice her job.”
Lois smiled. “Not with her uncle bein’ chairman of the governors,” she said.
“Ah, well, p’raps not,” he answered, and added, “anyway, can I just tell you something funny that happened? Something to do with Enid Abraham? I know you think I’ve got it in for her, but I haven’t, an’ it’s something you ought to know.”
He told her what the Rev Rogers had relayed to Rebecca. “Enid was really upset about that woman saying her brother was a danger to children. And then there was that odd business with slamming doors and running footsteps, and her denying hearing anything.”
He added what Seb Charrington had told him about Enid and the dog, and her trying to stop Seb going into the woods. “She’s up to something, I reckon,” he said finally. “Hazel thinks so, too. You could say it’s none of our business, but this is more than gossip.” He got up then, and looked down at Lois.
He’s an attractive bloke, she thought objectively. She had noted Hazel’s name included in his judgement, and wondered when those two had got together. It wasn’t on any cleaning job. She had instinctively avoided that. She didn’t want to lose him. He was a big strong lad, and might come in useful if she ever got herself into another tight corner working for Cowgill.
She thanked him and said she’d be on the watch, but that Enid had proved satisfactory in every way as an employee of New Brooms. “Still, I’ll certainly keep my eyes and ears open,” she said, and saw him to the door.
¦
Gran and Lois sat at the kitchen table. There were just the two of them for lunch, and silence had fallen.
“Meeting go all right?” said Gran. She could see that Lois was distracted.
“Yeah, fine, except for Hazel telling us a nasty piece of gossip from Waltonby.” Lois did not elaborate.
“Villages are rife with it.”
“Yep.”
“Don’t you want to know why I said that?” Gran was irritated by the monosyllabic Lois.
“Oh, all right. Why did you say that?”
“Well,” said Gran, settling in her chair, “at the WI meeting last night I heard a little tit-bit that might interest you. It was a group meeting, with other Wis in the district.” Suddenly Lois was concentrating.
Gran warmed to her task. “There was this woman, secretary of the Round Ringford lot. Miss Beasley, or Beastly, or something. I heard her talking to our president…”
“Ooh la!” interrupted Lois, smiling, “it’s ‘
“Be quiet, Lois,” said Gran. “Let me finish. There was this Miss Whatever, and she was asking about the cleaning service in our village. Said she’d heard about it, and was it true that Enid Abraham was working for it?”
Lois’s heart sank. Snippets of suspicion about Enid were piling up. But suspicion of what? Most of it seemed to be about brother Edward. She’d heard nothing bad about Enid herself. There was that hint from Cowgill that she might be involved in Edward’s disappearance, but he’d had nothing to go on. “What did she say about Enid?”
“I couldn’t hear much, as I was being introduced to some other woman, but I did catch Miss Beastly’s voice saying, ‘If you ask me, they should put them both behind bars, unpleasant pair. That’s twins for you’. That was a surprise, Lois. Enid’s never mentioned she’s a twin.” Gran got up then, and began to clear the table.
“She’s not,” said Lois, “she told me. But it’s odd that I heard that from Bridie, too.”
“Well, twin or not, she’s a very nice woman, and I count her as a friend.” Gran began to stack plates in the dishwasher with a clatter, as if to bring an end to the subject, and Lois took herself off to her office to make some notes. She’d better have a word with Hazel this afternoon. And Enid would be coming to give Jamie his piano lesson tomorrow. There should be an opportunity then to see what else she could discover.
¦
Bridie was at home when Lois arrived, but Hazel was still over at Mrs Jordan’s on the new estate.
“That job’s a doddle,” Bridie said. “House as clean as a new pin, and nothing out of place, before Hazel starts! Not like our muddly old vicar…Have you got time for a cup of tea, Lois?”
As the purpose of Lois’s visit was to see Hazel, she said yes and sat down to wait.
“You know you said Enid was a twin,” she said to Bridie, who was busying herself with mugs and tea bags, pleased that Lois was staying for a gossip. They had been good friends ever since school, but now Lois was her boss, there was a slight reserve between them.
Bridie never knew quite how much she could, or should, say. Like the others, she was puzzled by Enid Abraham. She did not exactly dislike her, but found her distant…though always pleasant. Bridie supposed it was because she seemed so superior, with her previous jobs and her piano playing. None of them could quite work out why Enid had taken to cleaning. But then, come to that, why had Bill? Because he wanted to, he said frequently, and that was good enough, surely.
“Yep, I know I said it, but I’m not sure. They were just very close, like I told you.” Bridie handed Lois her mug of tea and sat down opposite her. “Why? Is it important?”
“Dunno,” said Lois. “Enid seems to be a bit of a mystery. Mum heard someone at the WI last night saying she and her brother should be locked up…Well, for God’s sake, why?”
“Ah,” said Bridie, and then stopped.
“Go on,” Lois said.
“Well, um, you know you always say New Brooms shouldn’t gossip, so I’m not sure if I should say…”
“I’m sure,” said Lois firmly. “It could be important, Bridie. Was it something that happened in the past?”
Bridie nodded. “There was a kind of scandal, about ten years ago. Something to do with swindling a shop in Tresham. It was him, the brother. He used Enid’s name somehow. I don’t quite know how it worked, but he juggled payments until he’d run up a huge bill. The police were involved eventually, but it was all hushed up at Cathanger. Now it looks as if the bugger is at it again. Gone missing, hasn’t he?”
“Who’s gone missing?” said Hazel, coming in breezily after a very untaxing afternoon’s work.
“Oh, you know, that chap from Cathanger,” said her mother, disappointed that her cosy chat with Lois had been interrupted. Once Hazel was back, no one got much of a chance of a quiet conversation.
“Oh, him,” said Hazel, “brother of our Enid. Yes, well, the longer he stays missing the better, from what I hear.”
“What have you heard, Hazel?” said Lois.
“He’s a villain. A small-time crook, according to the locals. And you’d do well to keep an eye on Enid. Me and Bill were talking, and agreed it’s just as well you don’t keep a lot of cash in your office.”
Lois stood up, furious. “Hazel! You deserve your cards for that! How dare you talk like that about one of your colleagues? It’s all just bloody gossip and tittle-tattle! Enid, poor sod, has enough to put up with, without people she thinks are her friends putting the boot in. If you or any of the others have got something to say about her,
