excerpt
Travelling The Grapevine
News of Ben Fielding’s imminent marriage spread through Nimkus
like a river in flood. And, like a river, it gathered scope and
debris as it swept along. Ben appeared at the door of St. Mark’s
Anglican Church rectory on Tuesday afternoon, and asked to speak
to the Reverend Mr. Carson in private. He stressed the private part
because it was well known in Nimkus and surrounding districts
that the Reverend’s wife Emily had a loose tongue when it came to
church business. It was said that she sometimes stationed herself in
her husband’s study while he talked with a parishioner, and shortly
thereafter the subject matter of the conversation would be gathering
momentum all over town.
Emily admitted Ben to Mr. Carson’s study and reluctantly withdrew
to the living room where she awaited, with impatience, the
emergence of her husband and his visitor. Robert Carson scarcely
had time to return to his study from showing Ben out before his
wife appeared in the doorway.
“What in the world did he want?”
Mr. Carson sat down behind his desk. “Now Emmy, you know
better than to ask me questions about private visits from my parishioners,”
he said not unkindly, and with the hint of a twinkle in
his eyes.
“Ben Fielding is not one of your parishioners,” Emily snapped.
“And what if I told you he’s wanting to join the church?”
“Then I would not believe you. That man hasn’t darkened a
church door since his mother carried him inside to be christened.”
“You don’t know that, Emmy. And you’re hardly old enough to
know about Ben’s christening, or even if he was.”
“Don’t play games with me, Robert,” Emily said severely.
Mayanaam
vequinox
Manolis 