A Village Deception (Turnham Malpas 15) by Rebecca Shaw Read Free Book Online Page A

of friends in the space of an evening and they all went home delighted about him being so friendly and interested in the village.
    ‘What a grand chap he is,’ said Willie to Sylvia.
    ‘He’s such a nice man,’ said Maggie to herself, having no one to listen to her.
    Don told Vera when he got home what a lovely evening they’d had talking to Harry.
    Harry went home almost feeling as if he belonged, which was an emotion he was totally unaccustomed to and he felt pleased … but, at the same time, he knew it couldn’t last. The job with Jimbo would only last two weeks and then he’d be off on his travels. Where though?
    But fate took a hand and Harry got a shock the next morning when he found Jimbo waiting for him in the office, his facedrawn and anxious, his eyes glazed by distress and his attitude thoroughly downbeat.
    ‘Why, Jimbo, whatever’s the matter?’
    ‘Well … There’s no easy way to say this, but my accounts person, Ken Allardyce, died last night.’ Jimbo took a deep breath to get his voice under control.
    ‘Oh! I’m so sorry.’
    ‘Heart, you see. They rushed him back to hospital, but they couldn’t revive him. It’s a terrible shame, he was such a grand chap and a pleasure to work with. He was only thirty-nine. Dodgy, unpredictable things, hearts. He was the apple of his mother’s eye. Lovely chap, straight as a die, and a real friend to me. Thirty minutes with Ken, and you’d be laughing for twenty-nine of ’em. Great chap.’ He went to gaze out of the window.
    ‘That is so sad.’
    ‘I’ll be off. I can’t face the day, really. You OK with the accounts?’
    Harry nodded. ‘Leave the accounts to me. It’s one less thing for you to worry about right now.’
    Jimbo nodded. ‘Thanks for that. Very kind. Perhaps see you later.’ He gathered his bits and pieces together, took a long look round the office as though recalling seeing Ken working there, shook his head, and out he went.
    Harry worked all day without giving a thought as to what this sudden death might mean to him. He couldn’t grieve, after all he hadn’t known the man, but he felt impressed that Jimbo, as an employer, was so upset. It said something rather special about him. It wasn’t until he was clearing up at half past four that it occurred to him that this might be a fortuitous occurence for himself. Might Jimbo ask him to stay on? If he did, he couldn’t stay at Marie and Zack’s. One hundred and fifty pounds for a week or two, yes, but not indefinitely. He checked the clock. Four thirty-one. Better be off. Venetia would be waiting. God,she was an exciting woman. He found her utterly irresistible. She doubled, no trebled, every emotion he had ever experienced with a woman. His mother would have described her as a real cracker of a woman and, what’s more, she was just what he needed right now, this very minute, this very day.
    Harry went straight up there but today, instead of going so publicly into the leisure centre part of the building, he went round the back to knock on the front door of Venetia and Jeremy’s maisonette. She’d said he could and he knew exactly where that would lead him; straight into her bed.
    Venetia opened the door so quickly that she must have been standing behind it waiting for him. She drew him into her arms and they were kissing before the door closed. They stripped off as they finished their first kiss and were upstairs in the bedroom in far less time than it takes to tell.
    Breathless, the two of them eventually rolled apart and Harry’s first words were, ‘What about Jeremy?’
    ‘He’s out for the day with Mr Fitch, looking at a new place he’s thinking of buying. In any case, don’t worry about him, he lets me do as I like in all matters. We have that kind of a marriage.’
    Harry, for a reason quite unknown to him, suddenly went on red alert. ‘I can’t believe that. If you were married to me, you wouldn’t have carte blanche, not likely.’
    Venetia turned towards him