Read Online A Child's Voice Calling by Maggie Bennett - Free Book Online

cry, Walter, dear, I’m here – your Mabel’s here,’ she whispered. Then she noticed that Miss Lawton was hanging out some washing on the line and smiling nervously at the children.
    Since her elderly mother had died she had remained at 23 Macaulay Road, a woman with no status in the household, largely ignored by Mimi and despised by the maids. ‘Er, hello, Mabel. It’s a lovely day, isn’t it?’ she said.
    ‘Yes, Miss Lawton. Say hello to Miss Lawton, Walter.’
    Walter’s only response was to hide his face against Mabel’s shoulder, and she shrugged apologetically at her piano teacher who bent down to stroke a black-and-white cat sitting on the path. The seat was placed below a wide sash window and through its open top came the sound of upraised voices from the living room beyond the kitchen.
    Mimi was berating her daughter-in-law and Mabel listened in growing dismay, knowing that Miss Lawton could also hear. ‘And what did
you
bring from yer fine Hampshire home, eh?’ they heardMimi demanding. ‘Not a penny. Them sisters o’ yours grabbed the old man’s money and yer never once went back to fight for yer fair share. Yer let yer husband an’ children lose the lot, just ’cause yer was too proud – huh! Too ashamed to show yer face there again, more like!’ As always, Mimi’s refinement was forgotten as her anger rose. ‘Yet yer got the barefaced cheek to come ’ere expectin’
me
to fork out from me own savings, just ’cause ye’re hopeless at managin’!’
    ‘Oh, yes, and suppose I
had
brought money with me, what would’ve happened to it?’ cried Annie shrilly. ‘I’ll tell you – he’d have gambled it all away on the damned horses, every last penny of it. Any cash in Jack’s hand is a bet, nothing more. His wife and his children could starve to death for all he cares. Tell me, Mimi Court, what kind of a man was Jack’s father? Was
he
a hopeless gambler, too?’
    ‘You mind yer tongue when yer speak o’ Jack’s father, Mrs Somethin’-or-nothin’,’ retorted Mimi. ‘’E was a
gentleman
, better ’n any jumped-up country draper, but that’s neither ’ere nor there. Let me ask
you
a question: what’ve
you
done to keep ’im at ’ome an’ away from all this bad influence? All ’e comes ’ome to is an ’ouseful o’ mouths to feed, no idea o’ discipline, an’ yerself lookin’ as if yer was dressed from a Jew’s second-’and clo’es shop!’
    ‘And why is that?’ screamed Annie hysterically. ‘Who is it gives me the children year after year, and doesn’t pay me to feed and clothe them properly? Oh, it was a black day for me when Jack Court crossed my path!’
    ‘I’ll tell yer what, Anna-Maria bloody Chalcott, it was even blacker for Jack – the biggest mistake ’e ever made, marryin’ a useless creature like you. Can’t even use a needle and thread to make clo’es foryer children! Oh, ’ow I wish I’d tried ’arder to make ’im change ’is mind an’ look out for summat better – though Gawd knows I did me best.’
    Mabel gave a gasp of shock at hearing these bitter words and when they were followed by the sound of her mother’s pitiful sobbing she could listen no longer. It was not to be borne. She jerked up from her seat. ‘Come on, Walter, I must go an’ help poor Mummy.’
    ‘Oh, but Mabel—’ began Miss Lawton, white and scared-looking. ‘H-hadn’t you better leave the little boy with me while you go and—’
    But Mabel had already picked up her brother and marched indoors, through the kitchen and into the living room. If they were going to leave, she did not want to have to come back for Walter and besides, he would be frightened if she was out of his sight. She found her mother sitting and weeping inconsolably. Mimi had turned contemptuously away from her, but as Mabel entered she raised her head and seemed about to speak; Mabel brushed past her and went straight to Annie. ‘Come on, Mother, let’s get out o’ here and go home,’ she