Hope Blooms in Tuppenny Bridge (Tuppenny Bridge #5)

Prologue

PROLOGUE

8 OCTOBER

There was a hushed silence as Zach Barrington climbed the steps to the pulpit. Just moments before, he’d heard the low hum of voices as the residents of Tuppenny Bridge shifted in their seats, murmuring to each other as they settled down and prepared for the service to start. Now as he stood and faced them, all he felt was a flutter of apprehension at the sight of so many expectant faces.

It was a good turnout. More than he’d expected. He gazed around the congregation, noting the familiar and not-so-familiar faces. He wondered if Jennifer had ever imagined so many people would turn up for Leon’s memorial service. It must be gratifying, he thought, to know that fifteen years after her eldest son’s untimely death so many people cared enough to be here with her today. He was glad for her. Glad that, despite his worries, recent events hadn’t prevented people from attending.

He could hardly believe it had been fifteen years since Leon’s accident. He remembered it as if it were only yesterday. He’d not been in Tuppenny Bridge long when it happened and was only just getting to know his parishioners.

The news, when it filtered through to the vicarage, had shaken him to the core, and the events that followed in the days, weeks, and months afterwards had put demands on him that he’d never expected and hadn’t been altogether sure he was capable of meeting.

It hadn’t helped that Ava had been pregnant with their second child, Beatrix, and had been suffering from terrible morning sickness. She was also preoccupied with settling Dion into his new school, reassuring him that he would soon make friends. Not to mention getting used to the large, draughty old vicarage, and making it a warmer, more comfortable place for their little family. He freely admitted he relied on Ava. She gave him confidence, but back then she’d had more than enough to do without being burdened by his troubles and admissions of insecurity and doubt.

He remembered how he’d been thrown in at the deep end. Miss Eugenie Lavender hadn’t been the strong, bossy, rather opinionated lady that he knew today. Well, that wasn’t exactly true, he supposed, but that side of her had been buried under an avalanche of grief and fear at the time.

The Pennyfeather sisters, who he now knew well and loved for their eccentricity and sunny dispositions, had been shaken and sorrowful for months. Looking at them as they sat together, just behind Eugenie, he thought it was hard to believe how different they’d been fifteen years ago.

And they weren’t the only ones whose lives had been shattered by Leon’s accident.

He forced a reassuring smile, aware that his parishioners were waiting for him to begin. He could see the anxiety in their faces. They were still in shock, he knew. Not about Leon, but about recent events that had caused ripples of disbelief and anger, grief and guilt throughout the little market town.

They were looking to him, once again, to make sense of everything for them. To reassure them. To make everything all right again. Just as they’d looked to him fifteen years ago.

He warmly welcomed them to All Hallows Church and gently reminded them why they were here—as if they’d have forgotten.

Jennifer gave him a weak smile and he nodded kindly at her, aware that this anniversary was always a painful time for her and, despite the remarkable progress she’d made over the course of the past year, this wasn’t going to be easy for her.

He cleared his throat and informed his flock that they were gathered here in the name of Jesus, and wished them grace and mercy, to which they solemnly replied in kind.

Birdie Pennyfeather sneezed and, for once, Miss Lavender didn’t give her a warning look. Indeed, he didn’t think she’d even noticed, which was unthinkable for Eugenie. Although, he realised, she had other things on her mind—wondering, no doubt, how she, of all people, had missed what was going on right under her nose in this town.

He’d asked himself the same question. He was the vicar of this parish and felt he should have seen the truth much sooner. Taken the warnings more seriously. He’d had a couple of sleepless nights recently, although Ava had reassured him repeatedly that he wasn’t to blame.

His anxious gaze found his wife sitting a few rows from the front, flanked by Beatrix and Dion. Elegant and beautiful as always, with her dark hair and hazel eyes. His heart swelled with love for her as she nodded and smiled at him, silently sending her love and support the way she always did. But then, she didn’t know the full story. No one did except him.

He thought he’d carried a heavy burden before, but now…

As he continued to speak to the congregation his gaze landed on all the key players. All the “Bridgers”, as they called themselves, who had been involved in this drama directly or indirectly. Fifteen years…

Ben and Jamie, Leon’s younger brothers, sat pale-faced and serious beside their mother, Jennifer, who was dressed head to toe in black. Next to Ben was Summer Fletcher, his fiancée, and stepdaughter of Zach’s best friend, Rafferty Kingston.

A few rows behind them were Kat and Jonah Brewster. Kat had been Leon’s girlfriend at the time of his death, and Jonah, the local blacksmith, had been his best friend. Now they were married with a baby of their own on the way.

Across the centre aisle sat vet Clive Browning, supported by Bethany Marshall, his partner. He noticed Clive kept giving Jennifer worried glances and understood all too well why. Jennifer had been through enough over the last fifteen years, and Clive had always been protective of her. Of the whole Callaghan family.

And there was Ross with his girlfriend Clemmie, sitting silently beside Eugenie Lavender. Ross—Eugenie’s great-nephew—looked as if he hadn’t slept in days. Zach’s heart went out to him. He could only imagine how terrible Ross must be feeling.

Zach led the parishioners in prayer then invited Ben up to give a reading in place of Jennifer. That morning, she’d informed him she didn’t feel able to do it, and that Ben had offered instead.

Ben was clearly nervous, but Zach nodded encouragingly at him and, slowly and hesitantly, Ben began to read from a sheet of paper in his trembling hand. Zach could almost feel Clive mentally willing him on.

Zach scanned the back rows of the nave, noticing Daisy sitting quietly by herself in the very last pew. She must have arrived later than the others. He thought it a shame that she was alone, but maybe she’d chosen to be.

He noticed how drawn she looked and sighed inwardly. A relative newcomer to Tuppenny Bridge, she’d certainly been through the mill lately. His heart went out to her. Still, at least she was here.

Two of his parishioners were missing, and he felt their loss keenly. They had, after all, been close to Leon back in the day. It seemed all wrong that they weren’t here now but, given what had happened recently, it was hardly surprising.

Under normal circumstances, of course, they’d have been sitting with Miss Lavender. Isobel would have been preening at having provided the flowers for the service. Noah, meanwhile, would have been supporting his great aunt the way he always did, flashing sympathetic looks at Jennifer, Ben, and Jamie.

Noah and Isobel, however, weren’t here.

Ben finished reading, and Zach smiled and nodded at him as he returned to his seat. Time now for Zach to do his job and give a reading from the New Testament. Then there’d be a short sermon and hymns, carefully chosen by Jennifer weeks ago.

And all the while the absence of Noah and Isobel hung over them; the events of the last few months almost overshadowing this long-planned service for Leon.

He glanced at the photograph of the smiling, dark-haired young man that Jennifer had given him to place in the church for this memorial, and he wondered what his parishioners would say if they each knew the truth. Not just bits of it, but all of it.

So many secrets and lies, so much pain and guilt.

He glanced down at the open pages of the New Testament, quickly scanning the passage from Ecclesiastes that he intended to read: “To everything there is a season…”

But it was a passage from Ephesians that flashed through his mind:

“And be ye kind one to another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.”

He thought, sometimes, forgiveness was a big ask.