freeline-104 - Flipbook - Page 203
PETER LUCK
THE
ESTATE
POOL
Old Bill was sitting in hi s u s u al c o r n e r i n th e v i ll a g e i n n ; h i s
m i nd had wandered back to wh at s ee m ed a g e s p a s t , a lt h o u gh
i n reality it was just a few we eks b a c k th a t h e h a d re e l e d i n
h i s lines for the last time. It wa s n ow M ay. “ O h ,” B i l l t h o u gh t .
“ O nly six more weeks to g o a n d a l l w i ll b e ro s es a ga i n .” J u s t
a s Bill was about to drain h i s gl as s , th e b a r d o o r sw u n g o p e n
a n d a man dressed in overa ll s wa lke d i n . B i l l d i d n’ t re c o g n i s e
h i m, and it seemed neith e r d i d a ny o f th e o th e r l o c al s , fo r
a l l conversation suddenly d i ed a n d a ll eye s fe l l co l d ly o n th e
s t ranger. It was a fact of v i ll a ge l i fe i n a sm a ll co mm u n i t y s u c h
a s this that all stran gers a re v i e we d wi t h s u s p i c i o n .
I t seemed an age before anyo n e s p o ke , a n d i t wa s t he l an d l o rd
who broke the stony silenc e. “ G o o d eve n i n g. P i n t i s i t ? ” “ E r, ye s
p l ease… best bitter if you wo u ld n’ t m i n d,” s a i d t h e s t ra n g e r.
I t seemed as if a switch h ad b e e n t ur n e d b e c a u s e a ll t h e i c y
FR E ELINE 73
