Read Online Such Sweet Sorrow by Catrin Collier - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Catrin Collier
Ads: Link
distancing barrier of prison screens.
The glossy, curly hair Diana remembered so well was dry and wiry; more grey than black when viewed close up. The hands that had been soft and cared for were gnarled and scarred by deep cuts. But it was still her mother.
‘Mam!’ Diana flew across the kitchen. ‘I thought you had years more to do.’ She hugged her mother, unable to stop the flood of tears she’d held in check since she’d left Tony.
‘Time off for good behaviour,’ Megan replied in a hoarse, cracked voice. ‘Come on now, girl, don’t cry.’
‘Why didn’t you tell me Mam was coming home?’ Diana demanded of her uncle.
‘Because I didn’t want any fuss,’ Megan answered for him. ‘There’ve been so many conflicting reports going around the prison since the war started: first that they were thinking of releasing people from sentences that didn’t involve violence, then they weren’t. I didn’t know whether I had grounds for hope or not until last night when I found that I was going to be one of the lucky ones.’
‘I can’t believe you’re actually here.’ Diana was holding on to her mother as though she was afraid she’d disappear at any moment.
‘Stand back and let me take a good look at you. It’s a real treat to see people without bars between me and them.’ Megan looked Diana up and down.
‘You’ve grown up,’ she declared, stifling a sharp pang of regret that she hadn’t been around to witness the event.
‘Will’s going to be so surprised when he finds you here.’
‘So I gather,’ Megan said acidly. ‘I hear he’s joined the Welsh Guards.’
‘With Glan next door and the Ronconi boys.’
‘I thought he’d have more sense after what happened to your father.’
‘This war will be a very different affair to the last one, Megan.’ Evan’s attempt at reassurance failed miserably.
‘It’s a war,’ Megan asserted flatly, ‘and that means boys will get killed.’
‘Not ours.’
‘Let’s pray you’re right.’ She turned back to Diana, taking her hands into hers. ‘Come on then, tell me what you’ve been doing, without a warder listening in on us for once?’
Diana looked down at the skin on her mother’s fingers: it felt as though she were holding twigs covered in sandpaper.
‘Tea first.’ Phyllis poured out two cups and pushed one towards Diana, and one towards Megan.
‘As it looks as though these two are settling in for a night’s gossip, I think we’d better go to bed and leave them to it, love.’ Evan put his arm around Phyllis’s shoulders.
‘Please don’t go on my account, Evan,’ Megan pleaded. ‘You’re making me feel as though I’m throwing you out of your own kitchen.’
‘I’ve work in the morning and young Brian will be up early to keep Phyllis busy. We’ll talk tomorrow night.’ Evan led Phyllis towards the door. ‘But I’d like to say, welcome home, Megan. It’s good to have you back.’
‘I’ll only stay as long as it takes me to get my own home together again, Evan.’
‘Your home is here, with your children and us,’ he contradicted firmly. He’d only recognised Megan when he had walked in after work because of her resemblance to her mother. Her weight had practically halved in prison, and the harsh treatment had aged her twenty years. He’d always been fond of Megan, and after his brother’s death he had found it easy to transfer the affection he’d felt for his brother to his brother’s family.
‘We’ll see, but in the meantime thank you for looking after Will and Diana for me.’
‘Didn’t they tell you, they’ve been looking after me,’ he winked as he followed Phyllis through the door and up the stairs.
‘Are you really all right, Mam?’ Diana asked as she moved her chair closer to her mother’s.
‘Just a bit giddy, that’s all. It’s been a big day. I still can’t believe I’m sitting here, in Uncle Evan’s back kitchen and not behind a mesh screen in prison. It’s so good to be
The glossy, curly hair Diana remembered so well was dry and wiry; more grey than black when viewed close up. The hands that had been soft and cared for were gnarled and scarred by deep cuts. But it was still her mother.
‘Mam!’ Diana flew across the kitchen. ‘I thought you had years more to do.’ She hugged her mother, unable to stop the flood of tears she’d held in check since she’d left Tony.
‘Time off for good behaviour,’ Megan replied in a hoarse, cracked voice. ‘Come on now, girl, don’t cry.’
‘Why didn’t you tell me Mam was coming home?’ Diana demanded of her uncle.
‘Because I didn’t want any fuss,’ Megan answered for him. ‘There’ve been so many conflicting reports going around the prison since the war started: first that they were thinking of releasing people from sentences that didn’t involve violence, then they weren’t. I didn’t know whether I had grounds for hope or not until last night when I found that I was going to be one of the lucky ones.’
‘I can’t believe you’re actually here.’ Diana was holding on to her mother as though she was afraid she’d disappear at any moment.
‘Stand back and let me take a good look at you. It’s a real treat to see people without bars between me and them.’ Megan looked Diana up and down.
‘You’ve grown up,’ she declared, stifling a sharp pang of regret that she hadn’t been around to witness the event.
‘Will’s going to be so surprised when he finds you here.’
‘So I gather,’ Megan said acidly. ‘I hear he’s joined the Welsh Guards.’
‘With Glan next door and the Ronconi boys.’
‘I thought he’d have more sense after what happened to your father.’
‘This war will be a very different affair to the last one, Megan.’ Evan’s attempt at reassurance failed miserably.
‘It’s a war,’ Megan asserted flatly, ‘and that means boys will get killed.’
‘Not ours.’
‘Let’s pray you’re right.’ She turned back to Diana, taking her hands into hers. ‘Come on then, tell me what you’ve been doing, without a warder listening in on us for once?’
Diana looked down at the skin on her mother’s fingers: it felt as though she were holding twigs covered in sandpaper.
‘Tea first.’ Phyllis poured out two cups and pushed one towards Diana, and one towards Megan.
‘As it looks as though these two are settling in for a night’s gossip, I think we’d better go to bed and leave them to it, love.’ Evan put his arm around Phyllis’s shoulders.
‘Please don’t go on my account, Evan,’ Megan pleaded. ‘You’re making me feel as though I’m throwing you out of your own kitchen.’
‘I’ve work in the morning and young Brian will be up early to keep Phyllis busy. We’ll talk tomorrow night.’ Evan led Phyllis towards the door. ‘But I’d like to say, welcome home, Megan. It’s good to have you back.’
‘I’ll only stay as long as it takes me to get my own home together again, Evan.’
‘Your home is here, with your children and us,’ he contradicted firmly. He’d only recognised Megan when he had walked in after work because of her resemblance to her mother. Her weight had practically halved in prison, and the harsh treatment had aged her twenty years. He’d always been fond of Megan, and after his brother’s death he had found it easy to transfer the affection he’d felt for his brother to his brother’s family.
‘We’ll see, but in the meantime thank you for looking after Will and Diana for me.’
‘Didn’t they tell you, they’ve been looking after me,’ he winked as he followed Phyllis through the door and up the stairs.
‘Are you really all right, Mam?’ Diana asked as she moved her chair closer to her mother’s.
‘Just a bit giddy, that’s all. It’s been a big day. I still can’t believe I’m sitting here, in Uncle Evan’s back kitchen and not behind a mesh screen in prison. It’s so good to be
Similar Books
