Read Online The Most Precious Thing by Rita Bradshaw - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Rita Bradshaw
Ads: Link
changed, she wouldn’t think about the river again. Added to which, now she knew she wasn’t going to marry Alec Sutton and let him touch her and use her like he had the night of Renee’s wedding, she was glad. And that might be barmy, she admitted silently, her chin rising a notch, but whatever, she was glad. Seeing him again had made her feel sick to her stomach.
Chapter Four
‘So, you’ve got what you always wanted then?’
The door had hardly closed behind Carrie when Ned spoke, his brown eyes narrowed as he stared into Alec’s face.
‘What does that mean?’
‘You know what it means, lad. You’ll be doin’ right well for yourself with Reed’s lass an’ her the only one. Mind, I dare say that thought’s crossed your mind an’ all.’
‘You saying I’m only marrying her for the money?’
‘Well, doesn’t this take the biscuit!’ Olive now joined in the fray, her voice vicious. ‘Any other man would be congratulating his son on making such a match, but you!’
‘Aye, me.’ Ned glared at his wife. ‘The common workin’ man, the pit yakker, who’s put clothes on your back an’ food in your belly for donkey’s years.’
‘And I’m supposed to be grateful, is that it?’ Olive’s thin eyebrows rose. ‘It’s no more and no less than what any man should do for his family. It’s your duty.’
‘Don’t talk to me about duty, not you.’ Ned’s voice was bitter. ‘Not after the dance you’ve led me over the years. Nothin’ has been good enough for you, has it? An’ you’ve done all you can to make him’ - he jerked his thumb at Alec - ‘as connivin’ as you. Pushin’ him, always pushin’ him since he was at the breast. By, I’ve even had it in me to feel sorry for the poor blighter at times. You convinced him he was too good to go down the pit afore he could walk, an’ everythin’ that’s followed can be laid at your door.’
‘Is that so? Then it’s all credit to me, Ned Sutton, that one of your lads is in a good job with prospects and promised to the boss’s daughter. Is that what you’re saying?’
‘I’m sayin’ he’s put out a line an’ reeled in that poor lass like you did me twenty-three years ago, an’ with about as much feelin’ an’ all. An’ if history repeats itself her life will be a livin’ hell.’
There was no sound in the sitting room now. Lillian was still standing exactly where she had been when Carrie had left, and Alec and David were either side of the range, Alec near his mother and David just behind his father.
The noise of Ned’s teeth grinding broke the silence, and in the seconds before he turned and stomped out of the room, all three children looked from one parent to the other without speaking. The back door banging brought Olive to life. She fairly leaped into the scullery, wrenching the door open and yelling into the yard, ‘Aye, you go! And I’m bolting the door behind you so think on.’
‘You’re not, Mam.’ David’s voice came from deep within his throat and in any other circumstances the look of amazement on his mother’s face would have struck him as comical. He shouldered her out of the way, stepping into the yard.
‘ What did you say? ’
‘I said you’ll leave this door alone till we get back, whatever time that might be.’
‘Why, you--’ Olive’s rage choked her, causing her to take a pull of air before she bit out, ‘You’d take his part against me?’
David made no direct answer to this. Instead he said, ‘I’m warning you, Mam, if it’s locked I’ll break it down, and damn the neighbours,’ before he took off after his father at a run.
Olive stood by the open door for some moments before she closed it and walked back into the living room, her face hot with temper. She looked first at Lillian, who immediately lowered her gaze to the flagstones at her feet, and then Alec. ‘You heard what your brother said?
Chapter Four
‘So, you’ve got what you always wanted then?’
The door had hardly closed behind Carrie when Ned spoke, his brown eyes narrowed as he stared into Alec’s face.
‘What does that mean?’
‘You know what it means, lad. You’ll be doin’ right well for yourself with Reed’s lass an’ her the only one. Mind, I dare say that thought’s crossed your mind an’ all.’
‘You saying I’m only marrying her for the money?’
‘Well, doesn’t this take the biscuit!’ Olive now joined in the fray, her voice vicious. ‘Any other man would be congratulating his son on making such a match, but you!’
‘Aye, me.’ Ned glared at his wife. ‘The common workin’ man, the pit yakker, who’s put clothes on your back an’ food in your belly for donkey’s years.’
‘And I’m supposed to be grateful, is that it?’ Olive’s thin eyebrows rose. ‘It’s no more and no less than what any man should do for his family. It’s your duty.’
‘Don’t talk to me about duty, not you.’ Ned’s voice was bitter. ‘Not after the dance you’ve led me over the years. Nothin’ has been good enough for you, has it? An’ you’ve done all you can to make him’ - he jerked his thumb at Alec - ‘as connivin’ as you. Pushin’ him, always pushin’ him since he was at the breast. By, I’ve even had it in me to feel sorry for the poor blighter at times. You convinced him he was too good to go down the pit afore he could walk, an’ everythin’ that’s followed can be laid at your door.’
‘Is that so? Then it’s all credit to me, Ned Sutton, that one of your lads is in a good job with prospects and promised to the boss’s daughter. Is that what you’re saying?’
‘I’m sayin’ he’s put out a line an’ reeled in that poor lass like you did me twenty-three years ago, an’ with about as much feelin’ an’ all. An’ if history repeats itself her life will be a livin’ hell.’
There was no sound in the sitting room now. Lillian was still standing exactly where she had been when Carrie had left, and Alec and David were either side of the range, Alec near his mother and David just behind his father.
The noise of Ned’s teeth grinding broke the silence, and in the seconds before he turned and stomped out of the room, all three children looked from one parent to the other without speaking. The back door banging brought Olive to life. She fairly leaped into the scullery, wrenching the door open and yelling into the yard, ‘Aye, you go! And I’m bolting the door behind you so think on.’
‘You’re not, Mam.’ David’s voice came from deep within his throat and in any other circumstances the look of amazement on his mother’s face would have struck him as comical. He shouldered her out of the way, stepping into the yard.
‘ What did you say? ’
‘I said you’ll leave this door alone till we get back, whatever time that might be.’
‘Why, you--’ Olive’s rage choked her, causing her to take a pull of air before she bit out, ‘You’d take his part against me?’
David made no direct answer to this. Instead he said, ‘I’m warning you, Mam, if it’s locked I’ll break it down, and damn the neighbours,’ before he took off after his father at a run.
Olive stood by the open door for some moments before she closed it and walked back into the living room, her face hot with temper. She looked first at Lillian, who immediately lowered her gaze to the flagstones at her feet, and then Alec. ‘You heard what your brother said?
Similar Books
