Read Online A Cuckoo in Candle Lane by Kitty Neale - Free Book Online
Authors: Kitty Neale
Ads: Link
round here again.’
‘No, Ruth, please don’t say that. I couldn’t bear it if I didn’t see yer both. Can’t you come round when Harry’s away?’
Sally lifted her head slightly, peeping up out of the corner of her eyes. Her gran sounded so sad and her mum’s face was stiff with anger. She held her breath, waiting for her reply.
‘It ain’t just Harry, it’s Mary too,’ she answered, her voice shrill. ‘For God’s sake, how could she stick up for him? No, I’ll never forgive her, and I don’t ever want to see her again.’
Tears filled Sally’s eyes and she hunkered up closer to her gran, throwing an arm around her waist.
‘Look at this poor kid, Ruth. God knows what effect this will ’ave on her. I really think you should take her home now.’
‘Yeah, all right, Mum. Now come on, Sally,’ she added tersely, ‘get yourself up.’
‘Ruth, don’t talk to her like that. It ain’t the child’s fault,’ Sadie admonished.
‘I know that, Mum. But I’m just so bleedin’ angry.’
Sally sat up reluctantly, cuffed her wet face on the sleeve of her cardigan, and dragged her legs over the side of the bed, too frightened to look at her mum.
‘Listen, ducks,’ her gran said, as she lifted Sally’s chin with her forefinger and gazed into her eyes. ‘You didn’t do anything wrong and I want you to remember that.’ She then gave her a quick hug. ‘Bye for now, sweetheart, and don’t you worry. I’ll see you soon, I promise.’
As they went downstairs Sally saw her mum glaring icily at auntie Mary as they passed her in the hall. She had a brief glimpse of her uncle, still sitting in the chair, and then they were outside, her mum slamming the door behind them.
She ran and stumbled, dragged up the street as her mother’s heels beat an impatient tattoo on the pavement.
‘For Christ’s sake, Sally, will you move yerself. Your dad will go mad if I don’t get something for his dinner and I haven’t done any shopping yet.’
In a daze Sally was hauled onto a bus where she huddled as far away from her mother as possible, gazing miserably out of the window. She shifted uncomfortably, sore from where her uncle’s fingers had probed. Why had he touched her like that? He said he loved her, but he had hurt her, frightened her.
As they passed over the railway bridge at Clapham Junction a train chugged through the tunnel beneath them, belching out a cloud of smoke that momentarily engulfed the bus, giving the illusion of time suspending for a few seconds. Sally turned as the mist cleared, finding her mum glaring at her, tight-lipped.
‘Move yourself,’ she snapped. ‘We’re getting off here.’
Startled, Sally lurched down the aisle, and as they got off the bus the police station loomed into view. Her breath caught in her throat and she dragged her heels as they drew near to the entrance. ‘Mum, please don’t take me in there,’ she begged, frantically trying to pull out of her grasp. ‘I’m sorry. I won’t sit on me uncle’s lap again – honest, I won’t.’
‘Bloody hell, Sally, what on earth’s the matter with you! Take you in where? We’re going to the shops, that’s all.’
Her body slumped with relief. ‘I … I thought you was taking me to the police.’
‘Don’t be daft, why would I do that? Now come on, I must get some shopping.’
‘But you told gran you were going to the police station.’
‘Well I’m not, so just shut up about it.’
They dashed from shop to shop. The greengrocer’s, the butcher’s, then the baker’s, her mum grumbling about the prices as her bags gradually filled, until at last they were on their way home.
Sally stood behind her mother, watching as she opened the front door. Stepping inside, Ruth turned swiftly, her fingers to her lips as she pointed to the coat-rack.
‘Quick, Sal,’ she hissed. ‘Go upstairs, yer dad’s home.’
Ken looked up in surprise when the kitchen door opened and Ruth stumbled in, looking pale and
‘No, Ruth, please don’t say that. I couldn’t bear it if I didn’t see yer both. Can’t you come round when Harry’s away?’
Sally lifted her head slightly, peeping up out of the corner of her eyes. Her gran sounded so sad and her mum’s face was stiff with anger. She held her breath, waiting for her reply.
‘It ain’t just Harry, it’s Mary too,’ she answered, her voice shrill. ‘For God’s sake, how could she stick up for him? No, I’ll never forgive her, and I don’t ever want to see her again.’
Tears filled Sally’s eyes and she hunkered up closer to her gran, throwing an arm around her waist.
‘Look at this poor kid, Ruth. God knows what effect this will ’ave on her. I really think you should take her home now.’
‘Yeah, all right, Mum. Now come on, Sally,’ she added tersely, ‘get yourself up.’
‘Ruth, don’t talk to her like that. It ain’t the child’s fault,’ Sadie admonished.
‘I know that, Mum. But I’m just so bleedin’ angry.’
Sally sat up reluctantly, cuffed her wet face on the sleeve of her cardigan, and dragged her legs over the side of the bed, too frightened to look at her mum.
‘Listen, ducks,’ her gran said, as she lifted Sally’s chin with her forefinger and gazed into her eyes. ‘You didn’t do anything wrong and I want you to remember that.’ She then gave her a quick hug. ‘Bye for now, sweetheart, and don’t you worry. I’ll see you soon, I promise.’
As they went downstairs Sally saw her mum glaring icily at auntie Mary as they passed her in the hall. She had a brief glimpse of her uncle, still sitting in the chair, and then they were outside, her mum slamming the door behind them.
She ran and stumbled, dragged up the street as her mother’s heels beat an impatient tattoo on the pavement.
‘For Christ’s sake, Sally, will you move yerself. Your dad will go mad if I don’t get something for his dinner and I haven’t done any shopping yet.’
In a daze Sally was hauled onto a bus where she huddled as far away from her mother as possible, gazing miserably out of the window. She shifted uncomfortably, sore from where her uncle’s fingers had probed. Why had he touched her like that? He said he loved her, but he had hurt her, frightened her.
As they passed over the railway bridge at Clapham Junction a train chugged through the tunnel beneath them, belching out a cloud of smoke that momentarily engulfed the bus, giving the illusion of time suspending for a few seconds. Sally turned as the mist cleared, finding her mum glaring at her, tight-lipped.
‘Move yourself,’ she snapped. ‘We’re getting off here.’
Startled, Sally lurched down the aisle, and as they got off the bus the police station loomed into view. Her breath caught in her throat and she dragged her heels as they drew near to the entrance. ‘Mum, please don’t take me in there,’ she begged, frantically trying to pull out of her grasp. ‘I’m sorry. I won’t sit on me uncle’s lap again – honest, I won’t.’
‘Bloody hell, Sally, what on earth’s the matter with you! Take you in where? We’re going to the shops, that’s all.’
Her body slumped with relief. ‘I … I thought you was taking me to the police.’
‘Don’t be daft, why would I do that? Now come on, I must get some shopping.’
‘But you told gran you were going to the police station.’
‘Well I’m not, so just shut up about it.’
They dashed from shop to shop. The greengrocer’s, the butcher’s, then the baker’s, her mum grumbling about the prices as her bags gradually filled, until at last they were on their way home.
Sally stood behind her mother, watching as she opened the front door. Stepping inside, Ruth turned swiftly, her fingers to her lips as she pointed to the coat-rack.
‘Quick, Sal,’ she hissed. ‘Go upstairs, yer dad’s home.’
Ken looked up in surprise when the kitchen door opened and Ruth stumbled in, looking pale and
Similar Books
