Chapter 85
EIGHTY-FIVE
Imogen zipped up her run vest and kissed Dylan goodbye. ‘It’s going to be a shorter one today,’ she said. ‘Probably only an hour.’
‘Don’t rush back on our account,’ said Dylan as he whipped up batter mix for Rosie.
As soon as Imogen stepped out of the door, she felt a sensation of relief knowing the next hour was hers and hers alone.
A time where the only thing she had to think about was putting one foot in front of the other.
She headed towards the high street then took the usual lane out of the village.
She hadn’t texted James this time – in fact, not for the last couple of Saturdays.
It had been too cold and today she’d been so pleased the snow had gone so she could get out, she’d simply forgotten.
He’d been in touch with her though, persistently.
Wanting to know when they were meeting again.
Imogen was feeling frustrated as she ran today.
All that irritating stuff about the Canine Killer.
She wondered if things would have been different if Nancy had been behind Arthur’s illness.
If she had been the one accidentally going out with contaminated dog treats.
Would she have stayed? Would she be able to?
Hazel, as a long-standing resident, would be forgiven her awful mistake.
Especially as it was so obvious she was completely cut up about it.
But Nancy? As a newcomer, it would have been miserable for her for months.
Possibly years. Who could endure living in that sort of climate? She would surely have had to move.
That wasn’t the way events had panned out. But there would be another way. There always was.
Spring was in the air. The catkins were hanging from the trees, their buds as soft as kitten’s ears.
The green shoots of the bluebells were coming up in force.
In a few weeks the ground would be awash with blue.
As Imogen ran on, her problems seemed to take on some perspective.
She felt as if there would be solutions for them all.
The problem of Nancy. The problem of Nancy’s daughter, Lara.
What those solutions were, she didn’t know yet, but she felt alive, energized and full of a sense she could achieve anything.
She felt as if her body and mind were god-like, a higher being, so when she saw James running towards her, she realized she was pleased.
‘You didn’t say you were going out this morning,’ he said, piqued, as he stopped, panting slightly in front of her.
‘Last-minute decision,’ she said. She looked behind him where his large, detached house stood on the hill. ‘Carol at the gym?’
He smiled.
She lay on the sheets in the bed in the spare room and her mind turned back to the problem that was always there, festering away in the background. She had a suspicion she wanted to run past James.
‘What do you think of the Spring Queen vote?’
‘What?’
‘Lara winning.’
‘I’ve no idea. Does it matter?’
‘Of course it matters!’
He smiled and kissed her. ‘It’s just a silly little village thing.’
‘Not silly if you’re eleven years old.’ She looked at him. ‘I think Miss Young rigged the vote.’
He laughed out loud.
‘Seriously. She dislikes Rosie. Deny it.’
He hesitated a millisecond and she knew she was right.
‘She doesn’t,’ he said unconvincingly.
‘You need to work on your poker face,’ said Imogen. ‘I really think you could find better teachers.’
‘She’s fine.’
‘Fine? I should imagine she’s a bit of a pain to you too. Challenging? Punk attitude? Doesn’t always know how to work the politics?’ She knew by the irked expression on his face that she was right. She got out of bed and started to get dressed. ‘I won’t be able to make the next few Saturdays.’
He sat up, taken aback. ‘What?’
‘In fact . . . I hate to say it, but I’m worried Carol might find out.’
He scoffed. ‘Why would she?’
‘It’s obvious. The longer we continue, the greater the risk. Maybe we should cool off.’
‘You’re kidding, right?’
She made sure she looked pained. ‘No. And anyway, I need to spend more time with the family. With Rosie. Especially now she’s so upset over being unfairly shunted to the back of the queue.’
‘I see. That’s what this is about. I won’t be blackmailed, you know.’
She went over to the bed and kissed him.
‘I’m thinking of you as well. You and I both know Miss Young stirs up trouble.
And although I hate to admit that Rosie has been a little .
. . out of line, shall we say, Miss Young doesn’t like the way it’s all been handled.
’ She paused. ‘Aren’t you due an Ofsted inspection in the next couple of months?
You want a whistle blower in your school? ’
‘She wouldn’t do that.’ But James looked concerned.
‘Oh no? Didn’t she say in the last governors’ meeting that the school should be reviewing its bullying policy?
’ Imogen knew this because Erin, as Chair of Governors, had been there and passed it on.
Said that Miss Young had used the words ‘failing their children’.
‘She’s an idealist,’ continued Imogen. ‘A foolish one. And didn’t she have other job offers before she came to Ripton Primary?
She’ll be OK. I wouldn’t put it past her to sink your ship and then abandon it. ’
Imogen put on her trainers then stood. ‘Wouldn’t it be nice to get all of our worries out of the way? It would give us more time to spend together.’
She kissed him goodbye and then left.