Read Online Goodbye to Dreams by Grace Thompson - Free Book Online Page B

sure there would be no such doubts.’ He sighed and added, ‘As if the poor man had a premonition of his demise.’
    ‘God works in mysterious ways,’ boomed Uncle Ben.
    ‘There is something wrong with it!’ Dorothy insisted. ‘My son is the son of the eldest son and named for his grandfather. It smacks of coercion and undue influence to me. Someone put pressure on him.’
    Rhonwen looked at the sisters, smiled sympathetically and gave a shrug as if telling them to shake off the abuse.
    ‘Come on, Ada,’ Cecily said. ‘We’ll go down and make another pot of tea while the relatives hear the rest of the will.’
    ‘There’s more?’
    The sisters linked arms and left the babble of voices behind them and went downstairs to the back kitchen. Once inside the cold room Ada closed the door and they both danced around, laughing with joy.
    ‘It’s over! The news is out! Once Mr Grainger has told them firmly that the shop is not their business, we’ll be free to do with it what we want.’
    The kettle had been simmering on a low jet and they quickly made tea, washing the cups while the tea steeped. Then, completely serious-faced, they returned to where the family now sat in subdued silence. Mr Grainger had finished speaking and the silence his words had invoked remained almost intact when the tea was drunk. Then people began to rise and Ada went downstairs to hand out coats and assist their guests to depart.
    Waldo and Melanie Watkins stayed, obviously wanting to discuss something with the sisters. Dorothy also delayed leaving.
    ‘Where’s Annette?’ she demanded. ‘I don’t know what’s the matter with the girl but she’s never where I want her to be. Never doing what I want her to do.’
    ‘She’s in the stables with Willie, Auntie Dorothy,’ Ada told her.
    ‘What?’
    ‘Feeding the horses. I went with them but I came back in because they were talking to each other not to me.’
    Dorothy bustled down the stairs and as she opened the back door,Annette and Willie came in. ‘What have you been doing?’ she demanded. ‘I’ve been waiting this ages for you to come home.’
    ‘You needn’t have waited, Mam. I can find my own way, I am sixteen, remember.’ The girl spoke quietly with no intention of giving offence. Made anxious by the disapproval on her mother’s face, she added, ‘Sorry if you waited.’ She lowered her head and followed her mother back upstairs.
    Willie hesitated, wondering whether to stay and ask if he was needed any more that day, or sit in the stables until everyone had gone. The decision was taken from him.
    ‘Wait there a minute, will you, Willie?’ Waldo called. ‘I want a word when Dorothy has gone.’
    Willie waited, clutching his cap in nervous fingers as Dorothy and Annette came down again and out through the shop. Ada and Cecily beckoned him to go upstairs as they closed the door after them with relief.
    Waldo sat in the wide leather armchair near the fire. Melanie was adding coals and stirring the ashes with a brass-topped poker. ‘You young ladies will be needing some assistance,’ Waldo said, gesturing for Willie to sit. Willie remained standing against the wall just inside the door.
    ‘Yes, it’ll be difficult for a while but we’ll manage. With Willie to help with the heavy work.’ Ada smiled at the boy. ‘We couldn’t manage without Willie and that’s a fact.’
    Willie relaxed; he had been expecting the sack. ‘I’ll do anything you want me to do. Just tell me.’
    Ada motioned for him to sit and this time he moved forward and sat on the edge of a chair, ill at ease in such comfortable surroundings, and angry with himself for feeling so. He was jangled after the time spent with Annette, who had spoken to him with admiration and a respect for his skills and knowledge as she questioned him about the care of the two horses and the trap and the cart. He wanted to go home and lie on the bed and think about her.
    ‘First of all,’ Waldo began, ‘I think you