Read Online The Lonely Passion of Judith Hearne by Brian Moore - Free Book Online

that’s it. And her only a kid. But what a kid. What a build.
    Bernard found his red silk dressing-gown, dragged it around
    him like a wrestler preparing to leave the ring.
    ‘Want something?’
    Mr Madden’s face bled red with anger. ‘What do you mean, want something? What the hell do you think this is, a whorehouse? A kid of her age, I should…’
    ‘Go back to your room,’ Bernard said venomously. ‘At once. It’s none of your business.’
    ‘None of my business?’ Madden watched as the girl pulled a blanket offthe bed, wrapping it around the white nakedness of her body. Only a kid, but…
    Chris, what’m I thinking? (Briefly, the picture of Sheila and that Hunky swam before his eyes. It’s guys like him that - and young girls like her) ‘What the hell you mean, my business? Whose business is it? What would your mother say, h? What’s your mother goin’ to say?’
    Mary began to weep, black curls tumbling over her face.
    ‘Never mind my mother. What are you, a Peeping Tom, or something?’
    With an effort Madden took his eyes offthe girl. ‘So it’s me is in the wrong, eh? Well, we’ll see about that. What about y ou? What about her? What would her father say, dirty little oor, a nice thing for a Catholic home.’
    Righteous indignation filled him, flooding his brain with the near-ecstasy of power. The day’s futile drinking, the loneliness, the frustrations, all swam away and left this glorious rage in their stead. No respect. Sheila, listen to your father! Laughing at me-taking her pants down behind my back, that Hunky. And her. As bad. Listen to your father. I’ll show… I’m your father! Old brawler, old underdog authoritarian, he moved towards the terrified girl. ‘And you - get your clothes on. Tramp, hoot in a decent house.’
    His fingers tore the blanket away from her body. Master of the room, he smacked, open-handed, leaving red marks on her thighs.
     
    ‘Dirty little hoor!’ He grabbed her, fondled her in rage, sprawled her across the bed.
    ‘0, mister, please mister. Don’t mister.’
    ‘Leave her alone I’
    ‘Dirty little hoor I’ Standing over her, he flailed her buttocks. Sheila, the woodshed, should of paddled you sooner. I’ll teach you, teach you.
    ‘Leave her alone! thv IaR aLOr I’
    Bewildered, he allowed Bernard to pull him away. He keeled over on his crippled foot, his breathing harsh and painful. Weak, giddy, he watched ever widening circles explode before his eyes.
    It cleared. He saw Bernard’s face. ‘Come on,’ he said. ‘Get
    back in your room.’ ‘You too.’ ‘Okay.’
    They went out together, leaving the girl whimpering on the bed. Stood in the darkness of the corridor in the exhaustion
    follows passion.
    tha, it should tell May. I should tell your mother. A kid like
    that, you could be arrested. I could fix you, all right.’
    ‘Fix who? You went mad in there. Stark mad. You’d have
    raped her if…’
    ‘I’d of what?’
    Bernard put a pudgy finger to his lips. ‘Shh! Keep your voice down. You’ll waken the whole house. I could make it sound bad against you too. And Mary would back me up. It would be two against one, remember that.’
    ‘You’re crazy…’ But what happcned? Wearily, Madden tried to remember. Saw her. Only a kid. Like Sheila. I paddled her. Lost my head. That’s all. That’s art.
    ‘You screwed her, not me,’ he said angrily. ‘Don’t forget that.’
    ‘All right. But you pulled the blanket offher.’
    Did I? What’s the matter with me? What a shit I am. Lost my head. The drink, my trouble. But him, he’s as bad. Worse. Did it sober. ‘All right, forget it,’ he said. ‘Let’s go to bed.’
    In uneasy alliance they descended the stairs.
     
    CHAPTER 4.
    Sunday was the great day of the week. To begin with, there was Mass, early Mass with Holy Communion, or a late Mass where you were likely to see a lot of people. The special thing about Sunday Mass was that for once everyone was doing the same thing. Age,