Wine of Angels, page 54
First, may I say how pleased I have been to learn that you and your daughter are fully recovered from what must have been a most disturbing night. I doubt if Ledwardine has weathered a more eventful period in its lengthy history.
But to business. Many people, no doubt, will be wondering who is to receive the bulk of Miss Devenish’s legacy, which will amount principally to the proceeds of the sale of her house and shop, both highly desirable properties in a much sought-after village. In January this year, Miss Devenish placed before me a proposal which I confess I greeted with some dismay. It was her intention that all the money should be left in trust to the Diocese of Hereford for the purchase of the orchard immediately adjacent to the Parish Church whenever it might come on the market, the land to remain as an orchard in perpetuity.
As the aforementioned orchard had, for several centuries, been in the ownership of the Powell family and there seemed little prospect of its being relinquished, I was at pains to discourage Miss Devenish from this course of action, but, as you know, she was a most determined person and was insistent that her wishes be adhered to.
Following the death, in the early hours of Monday morning, of Mr Garrod Powell, the property passed into the ownership of his son, Mr Lloyd Powell. However, with the death in hospital yesterday of Mr Lloyd Powell (which I am informed is unlikely, under the circumstances, to give rise to any criminal proceedings against his assailant) it seems not improbable that the orchard will indeed shortly become available for purchase.
Attempts are being made to contact Mrs Jennifer Powell, from whom, it may surprise you to learn, Mr Garrod Powell has never been legally separated and to whom it appears the Powell Orchard may now belong. In view of her long estrangement from Mr Powell, it seems likely that Mrs Powell will wish to dispense with the property, especially in view of the gruesome discoveries there over the past few days.
Be assured that I shall keep you fully informed of any future developments; meanwhile, please accept my very best wishes for your Installation Service next Friday.
Yours sincerely,
Harold L. McCready
CLOSING CREDITS
THE RESEARCH FOR this novel meant bothering various vicars and historians, principally The Revs. Richard Birt (the great Traherne expert), Philip Clarke (Priest-in-Charge) and John Guy, Bob Jenkins and Ron Shoesmith. None of whom should be blamed for any errors, distortions or complete lies.
Many thanks also to Penny Arnold, Wendy and Paul Gibbons, Lara Latcham, June and Doug Mason, Jeanine McMullen and the late, great Graham Nown.
The book was dissected and probed in depth over two gruelling weeks by my wife Carol, the finest plot doctor in the business.
Ella Leather’s classic The Folklore of Herefordshire is now available from Lapridge Publications, the full story of the amazing Hannah Snell is told in The Folklore of Hereford and Worcester by Roy Palmer, from Logaston Press, who also publish, with its author Elizabeth Taylor, King’s Caple in Archenfield, the outstanding, elegantly written and massively detailed history of a Herefordshire village which provided many little details about churches and cider. The tragic facts about Nick Drake (whose albums are seriously recommended) are revealed in Patrick Humphries’ biography, Nick Drake, published by Bloomsbury, Trevor Dann’s Darker than the Deepest Sea, and Penguin Classics do the Selected Poems and Prose of Thomas Traherne of whom I was reminded, just in time, by Sue Gee’s moving and atmospheric novel The Hours of the Night.
Table of Contents
PROLOGUE
Twelfth Night
Part One
1 Third Floor
2 Black-eyed Dog
3 Local History
4 Straight Shooter
5 Buds
6 Cold in the House of God
7 Dirty Video
8 The After-hours Social Club
9 A Night in Suicide Orchard
10 Mistress
11 Pious Cow
12 Sympathetic Magic
Part Two
13 The Feudalist
14 Grown Women, or What?
15 Hazey Jane
16 Like Lace
17 Whiteout
18 The Little Green Orchard
19 The Nighthouse
20 Hysterical Women
21 Tears
22 I, Merrily ...
23 Black-eyed Dog II
24 Uh-oh ...
25 Carnival
26 The Mondrian Walls
Part Three
27 High Flier
28 Our Kind of Record
29 Cogs
30 Affliction
31 Accessory
32 Bastard God
33 Superstitious Crap
34 Demarcation
35 The Little Golden Lights
36 Dancing Gates
37 Wil’s Play
38 Winding Sheet
39 Levels
40 Bad Year for Apples
41 Home Cooking
42 The North Side
43 Meant
Part Four
44 Pink Moon
45 The Eternal Bull
46 Pretty Foul
47 False Lover
48 Thank You, Lord
49 Badger Baiting
50 Deep Offence
51 Vision
52 The Loft
53 Watching
54 Way to Blue
Phil Rickman, Wine of Angels
