Read Online The Silent Touch of Shadows by Christina Courtenay - Free Book Online
Authors: Christina Courtenay
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inability to conceive had been a great worry to Sibell during her marriage, but they had only been married a few months when Roland took it into his head to go off and fight. Maude had assured her these things often took time, but since Roland never returned, Sibell hadn’t found out whether she was right.
‘Perhaps. Knowing your father, I’m not so sure.’ Maude squeezed Sibell’s hands in sympathy, then abruptly changed the subject. ‘Now tell me, wherever did you meet that handsome young man you arrived with? It’s very strange, but I’m sure I have seen him before.’ She shook her head. ‘At any rate, he seemed rather smitten with you.’
‘No, no, it was all friendly banter. He meant nothing by it.’ Sibell felt her cheeks heat up in a fiery blush, and began to stammer more denials, then stopped as she saw the teasing smile on Maude’s lips. ‘Now, Maude, you know a man like that would never be interested in a red-headed beanpole like me,’ she said sternly. ‘You’ll have to think of something better.’
Maude’s eyes twinkled. ‘We’ll just see about that.’
Chapter Six
‘Pleeeeease, Mum! I hate it here and I don’t want to keep moving all the time. The flat we looked at yesterday smelled gross .’
Melissa sighed and dug her knuckles into the side of her throbbing head in an effort to ease the pain. ‘Jolie, are you sure you’re not just saying that because you want a dog? You’ll get tired of taking it for walks in no time, you know, and then where will you be? At a new school that might not be any better than the one you’re in already.’
‘Yes, it will. Anything would be better than this one. The kids here are a bunch of wankers.’
‘Jolie!’
Jolie’s expression turned mulish. ‘Well, they are.’
‘Maybe so.’ Melissa didn’t have the energy to argue about her daughter’s use of inappropriate words just then. ‘But why had you never told me before we went to Ashleigh that you hate your school?’
‘I don’t know.’ Jolie shoved her hands into her pockets and refused to look at her mother.
‘Come on, there must be a reason.’ Melissa lifted Jolie’s chin gently so she could see her expression. ‘Tell me. Has someone been bullying you and saying it would get worse if you told on them?’
Jolie shook her head.
‘What then?’
‘Well, I do get bullied sometimes, but it doesn’t matter ’ cos I don’t like the other kids anyway. I hate the teacher, though, she’s always picking on me. Nothing I do is ever right.’
Melissa could well believe it. Mrs Olsen was not a very sympathetic woman and Melissa had often wondered what had made such a person want to be a teacher. She nodded slowly. ‘I know what you mean. Perhaps we could get you moved to the other class, would that help?’
‘No. I don’t want to stay here. I want to move to Ashleigh.’
‘Jolie, let’s talk about this sensibly. You’re not a baby any more so you should be able to understand my arguments, too. Now, do you really think we would cope, living with an old lady? She’s probably set in her ways and although she said she wants people around her, I don’t think she realises what it would mean. Loud music, noise, having to adapt to change …’
‘It was her idea.’
‘I know, but maybe she hasn’t thought it through. And what if we do move in, but find that we hate living in the country? Dorothy might be terribly sad and even more lonely if we changed our minds and moved out again.’
‘Mum, you said yourself that sometimes people have to try new things, even if they don’t turn out the way you think.’
‘I said that?’
‘Yes, when we were talking about Daddy. He wanted to try something new, so why can’t we? If we don’t, how will we ever know whether we like it or not? We already know we hate it here, so …’
‘I don’t hate it, it’s just not ideal.’
‘Yes, you do. You’re always going on about the landlord and stuff and you’re always
‘Perhaps. Knowing your father, I’m not so sure.’ Maude squeezed Sibell’s hands in sympathy, then abruptly changed the subject. ‘Now tell me, wherever did you meet that handsome young man you arrived with? It’s very strange, but I’m sure I have seen him before.’ She shook her head. ‘At any rate, he seemed rather smitten with you.’
‘No, no, it was all friendly banter. He meant nothing by it.’ Sibell felt her cheeks heat up in a fiery blush, and began to stammer more denials, then stopped as she saw the teasing smile on Maude’s lips. ‘Now, Maude, you know a man like that would never be interested in a red-headed beanpole like me,’ she said sternly. ‘You’ll have to think of something better.’
Maude’s eyes twinkled. ‘We’ll just see about that.’
Chapter Six
‘Pleeeeease, Mum! I hate it here and I don’t want to keep moving all the time. The flat we looked at yesterday smelled gross .’
Melissa sighed and dug her knuckles into the side of her throbbing head in an effort to ease the pain. ‘Jolie, are you sure you’re not just saying that because you want a dog? You’ll get tired of taking it for walks in no time, you know, and then where will you be? At a new school that might not be any better than the one you’re in already.’
‘Yes, it will. Anything would be better than this one. The kids here are a bunch of wankers.’
‘Jolie!’
Jolie’s expression turned mulish. ‘Well, they are.’
‘Maybe so.’ Melissa didn’t have the energy to argue about her daughter’s use of inappropriate words just then. ‘But why had you never told me before we went to Ashleigh that you hate your school?’
‘I don’t know.’ Jolie shoved her hands into her pockets and refused to look at her mother.
‘Come on, there must be a reason.’ Melissa lifted Jolie’s chin gently so she could see her expression. ‘Tell me. Has someone been bullying you and saying it would get worse if you told on them?’
Jolie shook her head.
‘What then?’
‘Well, I do get bullied sometimes, but it doesn’t matter ’ cos I don’t like the other kids anyway. I hate the teacher, though, she’s always picking on me. Nothing I do is ever right.’
Melissa could well believe it. Mrs Olsen was not a very sympathetic woman and Melissa had often wondered what had made such a person want to be a teacher. She nodded slowly. ‘I know what you mean. Perhaps we could get you moved to the other class, would that help?’
‘No. I don’t want to stay here. I want to move to Ashleigh.’
‘Jolie, let’s talk about this sensibly. You’re not a baby any more so you should be able to understand my arguments, too. Now, do you really think we would cope, living with an old lady? She’s probably set in her ways and although she said she wants people around her, I don’t think she realises what it would mean. Loud music, noise, having to adapt to change …’
‘It was her idea.’
‘I know, but maybe she hasn’t thought it through. And what if we do move in, but find that we hate living in the country? Dorothy might be terribly sad and even more lonely if we changed our minds and moved out again.’
‘Mum, you said yourself that sometimes people have to try new things, even if they don’t turn out the way you think.’
‘I said that?’
‘Yes, when we were talking about Daddy. He wanted to try something new, so why can’t we? If we don’t, how will we ever know whether we like it or not? We already know we hate it here, so …’
‘I don’t hate it, it’s just not ideal.’
‘Yes, you do. You’re always going on about the landlord and stuff and you’re always
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