Read Online A Daughter's Secret by Anne Bennett - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Anne Bennett
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us.’
‘I will be there,’ Aggie promised, and she watched him move away until the darkness swallowed him.
Minutes later Aggie passed right by Tom, who had melted into the shadow of the hedge. His senses were reeling with what he had overheard, and he waited only until McAllister’s footsteps faded down the road before catching up with his sister.
‘Aggie.’
The girl nearly jumped out of her skin. ‘Tom, what are you doing here?’
‘What do you think?’ Tom said. ‘I am trying to look after you, and I tell you, Aggie, if I was fully grown I would take McAllister apart with my bare hands.’
‘That wouldn’t help the situation at all.’
‘Neither will this,’ Tom said desperately. ‘Aggie, you can’t just go to England. It’s madness.’
‘It’s the only thing I can do,’ Aggie said. ‘Look, Tom, there is no alternative. You do know what ails me, I suppose?’
‘I guessed, and then I heard you talking with McAllister after Mass. I was behind a tombstone and decided to follow you in case McAllister should try punching you again.’
‘I’m grateful, Tom, really I am,’ Aggie said. ‘Butif you know it all then you will see that I cannot just bide here as if there is nothing the matter, though I will be heartsore to leave and I will miss you all greatly.’
‘But, Aggie, I might never see you again,’ Tom said plaintively.
Aggie swallowed deeply because she loved Tom dearly and would probably miss him the most of anyone.
‘That is a cross both of us must bear.’
‘Aye, because of bloody McAllister.’
‘And me, Tom.’
‘Don’t give me that,’ Tom said. ‘I saw you when you came in that night and you wouldn’t have known what you were doing. This is all McAllister’s fault, and because of him I will lose my sister.’
Aggie heard the break in Tom’s voice. She swallowed the lump threatening to choke her and put her arms around him. Generally they weren’t a family that hugged and kissed, and such displays of affection would have embarrassed Tom in the normal way of things. That night, however, it seemed right. Tom hugged his sister back. He would always miss her. Hatred for McAllister burned in his soul.
Twice the next day, Thomas John asked his daughter if she was all right because she couldn’t shift the melancholy that seemed to have settled around her, and each time she said she was fine.
‘You seem out of sorts,’ he had said the first time and she had assured him she felt all right.
The second time he said, ‘Is there anything on your mind, Aggie? You look sad.’
Aggie managed a watery smile for her father. ‘I can’t go round with a great grin plastered over my face all and every day,’ she said as light-heartedly as she could.
Thomas John, however, mentioned his concerns to Biddy. She didn’t see Aggie as a person very often, just as an extra pair of hands, but when her husband brought it to her attention, she could see that something was amiss. ‘What’s up with you, girl?’
Knowing her mother wasn’t the sort to fob off, Aggie muttered that she felt under the weather.
‘In what way?’
‘It’s hard to explain,’ Aggie said. ‘All at sixes and sevens.’
Biddy looked at her daughter and saw her pinched white face, the blue bags beneath her eyes, and the fact that there was so little flesh on her bones. ‘Maybe your daddy was right and you needed a tonic after the measles, for you had it worse than any of the others. Must be that that has affected your monthlies too.’
‘Yes, that must be it,’ Aggie said in little more than a whisper.
‘Yes, well, that can make a person feel sluggish, I always think,’ Biddy said. ‘If you don’t pick up in the next few days I will get your daddy to take you into Buncrana to see the doctor.’
Tom came in the door just as Biddy said this and heard her. His eyes met Aggie’s sorrow-laden ones across the table and he felt pity for her wash over him. Yet he knew that if she was determined to
‘I will be there,’ Aggie promised, and she watched him move away until the darkness swallowed him.
Minutes later Aggie passed right by Tom, who had melted into the shadow of the hedge. His senses were reeling with what he had overheard, and he waited only until McAllister’s footsteps faded down the road before catching up with his sister.
‘Aggie.’
The girl nearly jumped out of her skin. ‘Tom, what are you doing here?’
‘What do you think?’ Tom said. ‘I am trying to look after you, and I tell you, Aggie, if I was fully grown I would take McAllister apart with my bare hands.’
‘That wouldn’t help the situation at all.’
‘Neither will this,’ Tom said desperately. ‘Aggie, you can’t just go to England. It’s madness.’
‘It’s the only thing I can do,’ Aggie said. ‘Look, Tom, there is no alternative. You do know what ails me, I suppose?’
‘I guessed, and then I heard you talking with McAllister after Mass. I was behind a tombstone and decided to follow you in case McAllister should try punching you again.’
‘I’m grateful, Tom, really I am,’ Aggie said. ‘Butif you know it all then you will see that I cannot just bide here as if there is nothing the matter, though I will be heartsore to leave and I will miss you all greatly.’
‘But, Aggie, I might never see you again,’ Tom said plaintively.
Aggie swallowed deeply because she loved Tom dearly and would probably miss him the most of anyone.
‘That is a cross both of us must bear.’
‘Aye, because of bloody McAllister.’
‘And me, Tom.’
‘Don’t give me that,’ Tom said. ‘I saw you when you came in that night and you wouldn’t have known what you were doing. This is all McAllister’s fault, and because of him I will lose my sister.’
Aggie heard the break in Tom’s voice. She swallowed the lump threatening to choke her and put her arms around him. Generally they weren’t a family that hugged and kissed, and such displays of affection would have embarrassed Tom in the normal way of things. That night, however, it seemed right. Tom hugged his sister back. He would always miss her. Hatred for McAllister burned in his soul.
Twice the next day, Thomas John asked his daughter if she was all right because she couldn’t shift the melancholy that seemed to have settled around her, and each time she said she was fine.
‘You seem out of sorts,’ he had said the first time and she had assured him she felt all right.
The second time he said, ‘Is there anything on your mind, Aggie? You look sad.’
Aggie managed a watery smile for her father. ‘I can’t go round with a great grin plastered over my face all and every day,’ she said as light-heartedly as she could.
Thomas John, however, mentioned his concerns to Biddy. She didn’t see Aggie as a person very often, just as an extra pair of hands, but when her husband brought it to her attention, she could see that something was amiss. ‘What’s up with you, girl?’
Knowing her mother wasn’t the sort to fob off, Aggie muttered that she felt under the weather.
‘In what way?’
‘It’s hard to explain,’ Aggie said. ‘All at sixes and sevens.’
Biddy looked at her daughter and saw her pinched white face, the blue bags beneath her eyes, and the fact that there was so little flesh on her bones. ‘Maybe your daddy was right and you needed a tonic after the measles, for you had it worse than any of the others. Must be that that has affected your monthlies too.’
‘Yes, that must be it,’ Aggie said in little more than a whisper.
‘Yes, well, that can make a person feel sluggish, I always think,’ Biddy said. ‘If you don’t pick up in the next few days I will get your daddy to take you into Buncrana to see the doctor.’
Tom came in the door just as Biddy said this and heard her. His eyes met Aggie’s sorrow-laden ones across the table and he felt pity for her wash over him. Yet he knew that if she was determined to
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