Read Online Divided Loyalties by Patricia Scanlan - Free Book Online

comforted her.
    ‘You can’t get pissed, you’re pregnant,’ Shauna pointed out.
    ‘Oh!’ There was silence at the other end of the phone. Shauna grinned.
    ‘Got you there!’
    ‘Forgot about that,’ Carrie said ruefully. ‘Just means you’ll have to drink for the two of us.’
    Shauna giggled. ‘I might just do that.’
    ‘No might about it,’ her sister retorted.
    ‘It’s going to be bad enough trying to keep Dad from having a go at Bobby, without having to deal with that lot. If he and Bobby manage to get through Christmas under the same roof
without having a bust-up, it will be a miracle.’ Shauna sighed.
    ‘I know,’ Carrie agreed gloomily. ‘Put Della sitting beside Dad for dinner.’
    ‘Oh, Carrie, you’re wicked.’ Shauna guffawed.
    ‘See, it’s not going to be so bad after all,’ Carrie teased.
    ‘I did something awful,’ Shauna confessed.
    ‘What did you do?’ Carrie was still laughing.
    ‘Della told me that Kathryn likes brown bread and tuna or fruit salad and yoghurt for tea, so I gave her sausages. Honest to God, even though she can be such a brat, the poor little mite
thought all her Christmases had come together. I hope to God she doesn’t get sick, or at least, if she does, that she waits until they get home. She’s sleeping with them
tonight.’
    ‘Were they organic sausages?’ Carrie asked dryly.
    ‘My ass,’ drawled Shauna.
    ‘Well at least you’ll have organic potatoes and veg for Christmas, so that should suit Madam. I’ll tell Dan to get you the cream of the crop.’
    ‘Thanks. I love Dan’s vegetables.’ Shauna yawned. ‘I’m knackered. I opened a bottle of wine when the kids went to bed and I’ve had three glasses. I
don’t care if it’s rude. I think I’ll go to bed.’
    ‘You go, girl,’ Carrie encouraged her. ‘I’ll talk to you tomorrow. What time are they going at?’
    ‘The sooner the better, but knowing them it will be evening time.’
    ‘I’d suggest you come up to us for lunch, but knowing Della and Eddie, they’d say they were coming too,’ Carrie said.
    ‘We won’t risk it. Thanks for the offer, though. ’Night, Carrie. I’m going to leg it up to bed before they get home. Greg can entertain his family on his own
tonight.’
    ‘Sleep well,’ Carrie told her and hung up.
    ‘I will.’ Shauna yawned again as she switched off the TV and turned off two of the lamps. She left one on so that the others would have some light and slipped upstairs to check on
the toddlers. Kathryn lay sprawled across the double bed in the guest room, thumb in her mouth. Shauna’s heart softened as she looked at the sleeping child. She couldn’t help her
parents; in fact she was very unfortunate in the pair she had, she thought caustically as she gently pulled the duvet over her niece. Fortunately, she’d been worn out after her long day and
had gone asleep almost as soon as her head hit the pillow, so there had been no more whining for ‘Mommy’.
    Shauna went into her bedroom and rooted out one of Greg’s T-shirts for Della. She was so big now one of Shauna’s nightdresses wouldn’t fit her. She left it on the dressing
table along with some bath towels. More washing that she didn’t need, she thought crossly. She’d hardly get away with leaving the same sheets on the bed for Christmas.
    Chloe was fast asleep, her hand under her cheek, looking adorable, and it took all her willpower not to sweep her up in her arms and kiss and cuddle her. A wave of longing swept through her.
She’d
love
another baby. Chloe and Kathryn had bonded over their sausages and played happily for an hour before she’d put them to bed. Chloe loved playing with other children.
She needed company, she needed a sibling. Shauna sighed. Perhaps this time next year she’d be pregnant, she thought optimistically as she closed the door and slipped into the sanctuary of her
own room. It was a horrible night out, the weather had broken and she was glad to lie in bed