HEARTBEAT
THE QUEEN OF AIDENSFIELD
by Jack Spellbinder
What if Nick Berry and Juliette Gruber had stayed in Heartbeat until 2010? This story imagines an episode from that final season, with Nick Rowan now the permanent Sergeant at Ashfordly, and Jo promoted to Headmistress of Aidensfield Primary School. All the other characters are as they were in the final season. Although it's fifteen years now since Kate Rowan died, the village still remains frozen in time, in the late 1960s.
Now read on...
The Aidensfield Village Fete remained the highlight of the year. Everyone turned out to give something to parish funds, whether they favoured the bring and buy stall, the coconut shy or the beer tent. The latter was proving particularly popular, and Gina and Dawn were doing a roaring trade. The annual quoits match had already been won by the village for the fifth year running, and many were celebrating.
Sergeant Nick Rowan walked among the stalls, guessing the weight of a cake here, buying a strip of raffle tickets there. Although it was years since he'd been village constable at Aidensfield, he still turned out to support the fete. With Joe Mason on leave, PCs Wetherby and Younger were here to provide security – not that Nick expected much trouble. There might be the odd drunk or pickpocket around. Though he wouldn't put it past Peggy Armstrong to run a book on the children's races...
Jo was here, setting up the next item on the programme with children from the school. On the platform, in front of a P.A. system that Nick suspected had been fitted by Marconi, Oscar Blaketon was performing his usual role as Master of Ceremonies.
"And the next item on the programme is a display of country dancing by children from Aidensfield Primary School. Under the direction of our popular local headmistress, Jo Rowan!"
There was applause, and one of the Dads from the school struck up with a concertina. Nick smiled slightly as the dance began. Most of the team were children of farmers or labourers, and their sturdy legs were less than graceful. He caught Jo's eye, and loyally gave a thumbs-up.
He flinched as a flash went off, right into his eyes. He blinked, and saw David Stockwell standing there with his camera.
"David! What are you doing?"
"Oh, sorry, Mr Rowan. I'm... what's-it... Official Photographer. For the parish newsletter."
"It's a bright sunny day, you don't need a flash."
"I keep forgetting to turn it off."
"Anyway, don't you think you'd be better off photographing the entertainment...?"
David thought this over, then headed for the dance. Nick shook his head. He moved nearer to the dancing children.
The concertinist played a final note. The children finished their dance on various different legs. There was some applause, mainly from parents. Nick joined in.
The dancers ran back to join Jo. The crowds were falling back, making way. Oscar tapped the microphone. It whistled.
"And now, it's the moment you've all been waiting for..."
"You're going off?" someone shouted. There was laughter. Oscar ignored it.
"The crowning of our Carnival Queen. The Queen of Aidensfield!" There were oohs and aahs from the crowd, and some more applause. "Well, we've had several entrants this year, with the winner chosen by ballot. Those in second, third and fourth places become the ladies-in-waiting. But we had a clear winner in first. Ladies, gentlemen and children, please put your hands together to welcome Queen Katie Rowan! Daughter of our local police sergeant, Nick Rowan!"
There were cheers, and the applause grew louder. Across the village green, Nick met Jo's eye.
He could see she hadn't known, either.
He watched in amazement as a pony and trap came upon the green, driven by an elderly gent who must have been the grandfather of one of the entrants. Sitting upon the trap, in pride of place, was Katie. She was fifteen now, though she looked practically grown-up. Her long blonde hair was shining and she had a charming smile she had inherited from Nick. She was wearing a red robe trimmed with fake ermine and beneath, a white floaty dress that started late and finished early. High-heeled white shoes and a long, hippyish necklace completed the effect. She looked amazing.
The crowd thought so, too. There were wolf-whistles, and shouted remarks that Nick didn't want to hear aimed at his daughter. There were three other teenage girls around her, in white or pink or blue as the ladies-in-waiting, but everyone was looking at Katie.
Oscar smiled.
"And to crown our Queen, please welcome Councillor Mrs Jowitt!"
There was less applause. No one else on the Parish Council quite knew why Joyce Jowitt was doing this, but she had insisted on a woman doing the crowning, to prevent what she called "funny business".
She was now placing a small tiara on Katie's head, and a sceptre in her hand. She gave Katie a brisk kiss on the cheek. The applause grew louder. David ran forward, took his cap off and bowed. The ladies-in-waiting giggled as he went to take a picture, and one of them shouted:
"That's it, David! Get a good look!"
David went bright red, put his cap on and took it off again.
Nick had seen enough. He went to the platform.
"Oscar, could I have a word, please? In your tent. Now!"
Oscar looked thunderstruck, but he nodded. No one was paying any attention to him, anyway. He stepped down from the platform and led Nick into the organisers' tent.
"What's up?"
"What's up? Katie, the Queen of Aidensfield? When was this decided?"
"By popular acclaim! She won, by twenty-seven votes."
"Oscar, she's fifteen! You have to have the parents' consent. As you well know."
In answer, Oscar went to a table that was covered with spare raffle prizes, emergency refreshments and the paperwork for the event. He found a consent form headed KATHERINE SARAH ROWAN, and pointed.
Nick saw his own name and his own signature looking back at him.
Outside, Katie was missing a lady-in-waiting. Her name was Becky and she was answering the call of nature. As she came out of the tent housing an extremely basic lavatory, she almost ran straight into PC Geoff Younger, who was patrolling the stalls and trying to look dignified. He goggled at her. Her dress, the blue one, was almost as revealing as Katie's.
"Hey, Geoff. You come to have a good look too?"
Geoff swallowed, and Becky giggled.
"Come on then, Officer! You know you want to!"
Before Geoff could stop her, she grabbed the chain attached to his whistle and pulled him nearer. Geoff received a brief but massive kiss, straight on the lips. He gasped in horror.
Geoff spun round as a flash went off.
"David!"
"Oh sorry, Mr Younger, it's the flash..."
"David... wait..."
David was already halfway back to the Carnival Queen. Becky was laughing as she ran after him.
Geoff wiped his mouth, and gulped.
Becky ran to rejoin Katie and their friends. The Queen of Aidensfield had now stepped down from her carriage and was walking graciously around, waving and receiving applause. There were requests for autographs and photos and, from one or two of the farm boys, kisses. Katie obliged.
She stopped, then changed direction, as she saw Jo Rowan nearby. Avoiding her gaze, she made off around the stalls.
She was approaching the beer tent when a pleasant-faced, fair-haired young man made his way towards her. He was in smart trousers, jacket and polo-neck and was decidedly good-looking. Katie returned his smile. He gave her a polite bow.
"Your Majesty! Congratulations."
Katie giggled. "Thank you!"
"I'm Jonathan."
"Katie... Kate."
"You're looking good, Kate. No, you are. You move with real grace and dignity, and you look sensational. Hey, have you ever thought about modelling?"
Katie's eyes widened. "No."
"You should. There's a fortune waiting in London for girls like you. As a matter of fact, I'm with a modelling agency..."
He took a careful look around, then handed a business card to Katie.
"Call me, yeah? I'm always recruiting. I could set up an audition..."
Katie said nothing, but the shape of her mouth was saying: Wow! Slowly, flirtatiously, she slid the card down the front of her dress.
Jonathan smiled. He gave Katie a friendly pat, then headed back into the beer tent.
Meanwhile, Oscar was striding across the green. He didn't like being ticked off by Nick Rowan, whom he still thought of as his village bobby. Some of these sergeants had too great an idea of their own importance...
He was looking for someone doing wrong, and found them as he saw a fortune-teller's tent, and the sign outside. THE GREAT PEGINI.
He went inside to find Peggy sitting at a round table, dressed in robes and veil. There was a crystal before her, which Oscar strongly suspected was an upturned goldfish bowl. An old lady was seated opposite her. Peggy looked round.
"Councillor Blaketon! Come to see what the stars have in store for you?"
"I know what's in store for you, Mrs Armstrong. I don't remember the Parish Council approving this stall."
"She's very good, Mr Blaketon," the old lady said. "She told me all about my son's promotion... and my niece's wedding."
"Mrs Eckersley, all that was in the parish newsletter last week!"
Peggy quickly covered the crystal with a cloth.
"Come on, then, Mrs Eckersley. Cross my palm with silver."
Mrs Eckersley handed a shilling over. She smiled at Oscar as she left. Oscar scowled.
"Taking money under false pretences is a serious offence, Mrs Armstrong!"
In answer, Peggy took up a small cardboard box, filled with loose change. She dropped the shilling into it, and handed the whole thing to Oscar.
"My contribution to parish funds. I've been busy, this afternoon."
"Oh." Oscar looked into the box. In a moment, he went from retired sergeant to Parish Councillor. "Oh, well... thank you very much, Mrs Armstrong. I'll pass that on to our Treasurer."
Peggy nodded gracefully. Oscar left, still scowling.
Once he had gone, Peggy brought out a much bigger box of money from under the table and started to count it. Deefer was under there too, on guard.
She was interrupted as David entered with his camera.
"I haven't got one of you yet, Aunt Peggy."
"Well, just turn that flash off before you do. It brings my migraines on." She posed for David, looking mystical. David took the picture.
"I got some great ones of the Queen of Aidensfield. And the ladies-in-waiting..." He grinned. "That girl Becky's a right one... you know PC Younger... she only went and gave him a kiss! Right on the lips! I got the whole thing on film..."
"Oh." Peggy stopped counting the money for a moment. "Did you, now?"
Katie had made her way back to the pony and trap. Her high-heeled shoes were on the ground, but her head was in the clouds. Modelling... a fortune waiting...
She felt a tap on her shoulder.
"All right, you'll get your photo. Wait your turn..."
She turned to see her father standing there.
Nick held out a hand towards her.
"All right, Your Majesty. Home!"
There were cries and boos as Nick led her away. Nick ignored them.
As Nick led her away towards the family Ford Cortina, Jonathan reappeared in the crowd, and stood watching Katie until she had disappeared from view.
HEARTBEAT
End of Part One