Blind Faith, page 15
No wonder Drew felt cheated of sleep. It was only 6 am! ‘God, I am so tired.’ She flopped onto her back, and yawned.
‘He hears you, but we’ve got to head back soon.’ Faith smiled. ‘I’ve got a service at ten.’
Drew lifted her head off the pillow and gazed at Faith. The idea of Faith the Vicar seemed all shades of odd after the night of lovemaking they had shared. But that odd was a very different kind of odd to previous thoughts that had Drew questioning the merits of getting involved with a woman of the church. She tilted her head. Maybe she could develop a fetish for the dog collar look after all? She flushed at the thought and eased herself out of bed.
Faith watched Drew dress with an intense gaze and a gentle smile. ‘You look good,’ she said, admiring the snug fit of the t-shirt against Drew’s chest. She closed the space between them and met Drew’s lips in a languid kiss. She eased out of the kiss and when she spoke her voice was groggy. ‘I don’t want to rush back either, but I can’t miss work.’
Drew traced the line of Faith’s cheek, held her gaze with deep affection and sighed. ‘I know,’ she said and every part of her ached to feel Faith’s touch again. The next time they made love wouldn’t come soon enough. And then she remembered the bike ride home. Fuck! How the hell was she going to cope with the vibrating seat and Faith sitting so close to her throbbing crotch for the best part of two-hours?
‘Let’s eat,’ Faith said. ‘Or I’ll pass out.’ She smiled, plucked the unused plastic liner from the laundry basket, tossed in their dirty clothes from the previous day, and led Drew down the stairs and into the kitchen.
15.
‘Hello Grace, Harriet, where’s Drew?’ Vera said, approaching the counter with Jenny and Delia at her side and looking towards the kitchen door.
Grace grinned and her eyes sparkled. ‘She stayed overnight with Faith,’ she said, not making a huge effort to sound nonchalant.
‘I knew it,’ Vera said and nodded at Grace. ‘I’ll have one of those fat white coffees with a picture of a swan on top please.’
‘Oh, that sounds good. Me too,’ Delia said.
‘Make that three,’ Jenny added. ‘Any buns?’ She studied the brownies, flapjack, millionaire’s shortbread and chocolate chip cookies but no Chelsea buns. Not a cherry in sight.
‘We sold out yesterday and I haven’t managed a bake yet this morning. It’s been very busy,’ Harriet said.
‘So, where did Drew and Faith skip off to?’ Vera said, digging in her purse for the money.
‘Manchester.’ Grace said.
‘She went to look at a community project that Faith has been involved with. There was an opening ceremony,’ Harriet said.
‘I bet there was,’ Vera mumbled and chuckled.
‘Take a seat. I’ll bring these over. What about cakes?’ Grace said.
‘I’ll have flapjack,’ Vera said.
‘Me too,’ Jenny said.
‘I’ll get a brownie please,’ Delia said.
‘Brownie, this early,’ Vera said and turned up her nose.
‘There’s never a bad time for chocolate,’ Delia said and marched to a table and sat. She dipped into her handbag and removed the rune stones.
Vera sitting next to Jenny watched as Delia pulled a stone and studied the handbook.
‘I thought they weren’t working?’ Vera said.
‘I’m persisting,’ Delia said and swatted a hand at her.
‘What’s that?’ Jenny said.
‘Uh-oh,’ Vera said, her eyes drifting to the café door.
Delia was lost in her reading. ‘GEBO,’ she said. ‘The gift of harmonic relationships.’
‘Well that’s not what’s heading in this direction,’ Vera said, nodding towards Esther as she approached.
Jenny turned to face the woman and sighed. ‘Oh dear!’
‘Morning Esther,’ Vera said, her tone confident and forthright.
Esther smiled a tight-lipped smile that made her nose turn up even further than normal. She looked towards the counter; Grace and Harriet studying her intently, both a fraction wide-eyed, waiting.
‘That’s good,’ Delia said, still with the stones and her reading.
Vera cleared her throat and nudged Delia.
‘Oh hello, Esther. I was just doing a reading for Drew,’ she said, drawing Esther’s attention. ‘GEBO. It means harmonic relationships.’ She grinned.
‘Twaddle,’ Esther said, turned to the counter and looked towards the kitchen door. ‘Where’s Drew?’
Grace held Esther’s gaze and smiled as if butter wouldn’t melt in her mouth. ‘She’s with Faith.’
Esther nodded. ‘Oh, right.’
That news seemed to go down well!
And then Grace couldn’t help herself. ‘They went to Manchester and haven’t returned yet,’ she said, studying Esther’s response intently, Harriet nudging her in the arm.
Esther looked from Harriet to Drew. ‘Manchester?’ she said, shaking her head.
‘To visit one of Faith’s community projects,’ Harriet added with a smile.
‘Umm.’ Esther pondered. ‘I thought she might try to get Drew to see some sense. That’s good.’ She looked across at the three elder women. ‘It’s an intervention,’ she added, in an authoritative tone for all the women to hear.
‘I bet it was an intervention all right,’ Vera said in a whisper and chuckled.
Grace grinned and Harriet muffled a snigger.
‘She’ll be back soon. Can I get you a coffee?’ Grace said.
‘Oh, umm, yes, I will have a Latte, please,’ Esther said, with a smug grin on her face.
Grace turned to the coffee machine and continued preparing the drinks. The sound of the motorbike revving outside the café caught her ear and she watched. There was something about the way Drew held onto Faith as she climbed off the back of the bike that resonated. Drew removed her helmet, went to remove the jacket and was stopped by Faith. The two women stood talking for a moment and then Drew turned towards the café. And at that moment, Grace knew without a doubt. There certainly had been an intervention, but not the type that Esther might wish for. She smiled, squinted her eyes and when Drew entered the café she turned her attention to the drinks.
‘Drew!’ Esther said, looking her daughter up and down as she approached the counter. ‘Good heavens. You look…’ Esther faltered.
‘Mum!’ Drew said, barely making eye contact with her mother.
‘Morning Drew,’ Vera said. ‘You look positively radiant. Good night, I take it?’ she said and winked.
Drew’s cheeks shone and her smile broadened. ‘Yes, thank you, V. It was.’ She paused in thought. ‘It was a very enlightening day.’
‘You look well,’ Jenny said.
‘Thank you.’ Drew studied the women whose eyes were locked on her and it occurred to her that they had gathered specifically for her return. She shook her head with an amused smile and turned to the two women behind the counter. ‘Thanks for looking after the café,’ she said to Harriet and nodded in appreciation to Grace.
Harriet smiled and a knowing look passed between Harriet and Drew.
‘We need more buns,’ Grace said to Drew and raised her eyebrows.
Drew flushed. She looked at Harriet. ‘Can you give me half-an-hour?’
Harriet nodded.
Esther watched her daughter. She certainly seemed to have benefited from the Vicar’s intervention. That had to be a good thing. Maybe she should speak to James Featherton, the farmer from the other side of Broadermere. He might be interested in going on a date with Drew.
Grace passed a coffee across the counter to Esther, clocked her vacant gaze. ‘She seems to have had a good time,’ she said. ‘Looks happy.’
Esther was still staring at the kitchen door, through which her daughter had made a rapid escape. ‘Hmm!’ she said, lacking interest in the conversation. She took the coffee, handed over the money and sat at a table by the window. The bike had long since disappeared. Thank goodness for a Vicar who could keep her daughter on the right path.
‘Silly old fart,’ Vera said and studied her coffee. ‘You need some practice at this coffee art, Grace,’ she said stirring sugar into indecipherable pattern.
Grace smiled. ‘Gin’s more my thing,’ she said and chuckled. ‘In fact, I was thinking.’ She stopped speaking and looked towards Harriet. She hadn’t even discussed the plan with her. She hoped she wouldn’t mind her asking the other women without consulting. ‘I was wondering,’ she started, again. Harriet was giving her a glare but the softness and sparkle in her dark eyes told Grace she knew she was about to find out something for the first time. ‘The wagon will be ready on Friday. How about we have a party at ours to celebrate?’ She smiled coyly at Harriet who smiled at her with her head on a tilt and then gave her attention to Vera, Jenny and Delia.
‘Ooh, that sounds wonderful,’ Delia said.
‘Great plan,’ Vera said, rubbing her hands together.
Grace nodded her head towards Esther and Vera nodded. ‘Esther, would you like to come to a party on Friday evening? Celebrate the new gin wagon. It will be a bit of fun,’ she said, trying to persuade Esther to lighten up.
‘I’ll think about it,’ Esther said.
‘Come on, Esther,’ Vera said. ‘How long are you going to carry on this charade?’
Esther stood sharply, glared at Vera then stared in Grace’s direction. ‘If that woman is going, then I’m not,’ she said and stormed out of the café.
‘ISA. Ice,’ Delia announced, looking at the stone in her hand. ‘Frozen in time.’
‘Bloody right she is,’ Vera said. ‘She’s the bloody original ice queen! She needs a bit more than divine intervention. We need a proper plan.’ She nodded to Jenny and then studied Grace.
And then the café door opened.
‘Morning Vicar,’ Vera and Jenny said, in unison.
‘We were just talking about divine intervention,’ Vera said. ‘And whether one might be possible for Esther?’
Faith smiled. ‘Oh!’
‘She seems to think you saved her…’ Jenny elbowed Vera in the ribs. ‘Ouch!’ she complained.
Faith’s cheeks darkened with the eyes of the women in the café on her, assessing her. She had seen Esther marching across the street to the corner shop as she had approached; she didn’t look happy. A wave of sadness filled her and she cleared her throat. ‘Is Esther okay?’ she said, to no one in particular.
‘She’s frozen in time,’ Delia said, with certainty.
‘She’s a silly old fart, is what she is,’ Vera said, with equal passion.
‘She’ll come around,’ Jenny said, her gaze filled with compassion towards the Vicar.
‘We’re having a gin party next Saturday. Would you like to come?’ Grace said.
‘I’ll go and help Drew with the buns,’ Harriet announced and went into the kitchen.
Faith stood, staring from one woman to the next, her gaze settling on Grace.
‘Would you like a drink?’ Grace said.
‘Um, thank you. Cappuccino,’ Faith said.
Grace turned towards the coffee machine with a smile that could be seen through the slight rocking of her shoulders.
And then Drew walked through the kitchen door and stopped, her soft gaze caressing Faith, her cheeks burning. She seemed to struggle to swallow, looked uncharacteristically flustered, and positively radiant.
‘I was just saying, gin party next Saturday. Faith’s coming,’ Grace said and Faith looked at her and smiled as if to say, I know what you’re up to.
Grace shrugged and turned back to the coffee.
‘Sound’s great,’ Drew said. ‘I need a coffee.’
‘I’ll make it,’ Grace said, and Harriet came through from the kitchen.
‘I just need to sort the baking,’ Drew pointed over her shoulder to the kitchen and Grace stifled a chuckle.
‘Can I talk to you?’ Faith said to Drew.
Vera looked from Drew to Faith to Drew again and then smiled and nodded at Jenny. ‘Oh, they’ve got it bad,’ she whispered.
Delia started clapping. ‘GEBO,’ she said, nodding in affirmation.
‘Sure,’ Drew said. She turned and entered the kitchen, followed by Faith.
‘They’re definitely an item now,’ Vera announced.
‘Yep,’ Grace agreed.
‘How exciting,’ Delia said.
Jenny looked worried. ‘What are we going to do about Esther?’ she said.
Harriet sighed. ‘I don’t know.’
Jenny reached out and took Vera’s hand. She understood why Vera’s patience had been tested by Esther’s response to Drew. It was as if forty years had passed and nothing had changed with some people’s attitudes towards sexuality and same-sex relationships. Vera had suffered as a young woman growing up with a mother whose violent objection to her sexual preferences had led them to an estranged relationship her whole adult life. Surely, that wasn’t necessary today? The fact that one of her dearest friends had reacted badly after years of apparent acceptance of her and Jenny’s relationship had really touched a nerve. It had taken all her guile to talk Vera into going some way to forgiving Esther, but if Esther kept up this pretence for much longer, she wouldn’t be able to stop Vera from speaking her mind. And that would be the end of any relationship with Esther and would drive a rift through the village. It would be hell!
‘Perhaps Faith can talk to Esther?’ Jenny suggested.
‘Like that’s going to work,’ Vera said, shaking her head. ‘Can just imagine that conversation!’
‘Might be a bit tricky, since she’s part of the problem?’ Grace said.
‘What problem?’ Delia said, reaching for her cards. ‘Shall I run a spread?’
Vera put a hand on Delia’s arm. ‘No need for the cards, Delia, love! Grace means the problem as Esther sees it. There isn’t a problem, except that old bat’s bigoted mentality.’
‘She’s just worried,’ Jenny said. ‘It can be different when it’s your own,’ she said. She had felt a twinge of concern when she first realised Harriet was gay, but that had been years ago and Harriet had been very young. Her worries had, for the most part, been about how Harriet would be treated at school and by others as she grew up, rather than about her being a lesbian.
Vera harrumphed and bit down on her flapjack.
‘Let me try and speak to her?’ Jenny said.
‘Good luck with that,’ Vera said through a mouthful of chewy oats. She had lost patience with the stubborn old goat.
*
Faith took in a deep breath and released it slowly. ‘How are you feeling?’ she said. She was holding back on smiling, her gaze intense.
Drew looked at her quizzically and smiled. She reached for Faith’s hand, intertwined their fingers, and studied them, savouring the feel of Faith against her skin. ‘I’m good, you?’ She looked up.
Faith’s intensity darkened. ‘I think your mother is concerned for you.’
Drew rolled her eyes, withdrew her hand and turned away, faced the window and paused. She lowered her head. ‘I’ve been gay for a very long time,’ she said, her back to Faith. ‘I have tried to date blokes. I have tried to fit in with my mother’s wishes and desires, knowing that being a lesbian would crush her world.’ She turned to face Faith, tears welling in her eyes. ‘I’ve really tried.’ Her voice broke. She paused, looked at Faith and took in a deep breath. ‘I was in love with Harriet, you know.’
Faith nodded. She knew they were close friends, but she hadn’t known exactly the history they shared. The news didn’t come as a surprise.
‘I kissed her once,’ Drew said.
Faith felt that! A sharp irrational stab to the chest, and she challenged it with an accepting nod of her head.
‘I wasn’t right for her,’ Drew said in a whisper and we’ve never talked about it since. ‘She’s my best friend and there’s never been anyone since. And then you walked into the café,’ she said. Tears slid down her cheeks, but her eyes held the conviction of her intense feelings towards Faith.
Faith felt the urge to reach out and pull Drew into her arms. She had felt a connection from that very first moment too.
‘I’ve never felt more certain about anyone in my life, Faith,’ Drew said in a quiet voice, and she took a step closer to Faith. She locked onto Faith’s gaze and saw vulnerability deep inside, and stepped closer. When she felt Faith’s breath on her cheek, her eyes closed and when Faith’s tender lips touched hers, her heart thundered in her chest and she wrapped her arms around Faith’s waist.
And then the kitchen door flew open and Drew opened her eyes. Faith was stood a short pace from her, smiling, her cheeks flushed, her eyes sparkling.
‘Sorry, how are the buns doing?’ Harriet said.
‘Shit!’ Drew said and darted for the oven. They should have been out by now. She pulled out the tray and stared at eight over-browned looking cakes. ‘Bugger!’ she said.
Faith chuckled.
‘Not yet then?’ Harriet said and headed back into the café.
‘I need to let you get on,’ Faith said.
‘I don’t want you to go,’ Drew said. She held Faith’s gaze, saw into her soul and her stomach danced. ‘I think I’m.’ Drew was stopped from speaking by Faith’s finger, pressed to her lips.
‘I think you need to cook more cakes,’ Faith whispered. She lifted Drew’s chin and pressed a kiss to her lips and when she moved away Drew felt the urge to go with her.
Drew stopped Faith just short of the door into the café. ‘Will you come around for supper later?’
Faith nodded ‘Will you bring your buns?’ She raised her eyebrows when she smiled.
Drew glanced down at her chest and then back at Faith’s beautifully seductive smile. ‘I’m sure I can manage that,’ and there was a glint in her eyes when she smiled.
When Faith went into the café, Drew released a long breath, her heart racing. And then she stared for some time at the overcooked buns before throwing them in the bin. She stepped into the café and smiled at Harriet, aware that Faith had already disappeared as had Delia, Jenny and Vera. That thought brought a sense of relief. ‘I can manage.’
