Read Online True Love Ways by Sally Quilford - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Sally Quilford
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woodwork. And he's got plans. Wants to start
up his own furniture shop.”
“That's a good plan.”
“So he'll make a better dad for my baby, you see.”
Betty put her hand to her tummy.
“Oh, yes, I see,” Meredith said gently. “But whose
baby is it, Betty?”
“It's Jimmy's.”
“Do either of them know?”
Betty shook her head. “No, I haven't said anything
yet. I'm only a couple of months gone. So I could let Bert think it's his,
couldn't I?”
“Do you think that would be a fair thing to do,
Betty? Bert's a sensitive lad. If he ever found out the truth...”
“But I can't marry Jimmy,” said Betty, her voice
rising hysterically. “He's not stable. Anyway, he might be hanged for murder. I
can't tell my baby that his daddy is a killer.”
“Jimmy won't be hanged if we've got anything to do
with it. I think … I think what's happened has taught Jimmy a lesson. I've got
a feeling he won't want to touch a knife ever again. He's still got a lot to
learn, but perhaps finding out he's going to be a father will be the making of
him. You have to give him that chance, Betty. If he lets you down, then be
honest with Bert. I think you'll find Bert will want to help you, no matter who
the baby belongs to. But don't start a life together based on a lie... Oh...”
“What is it, Meredith?”
“I've just thought of something. I wonder... Never
mind. It's up to you what you do, Betty. You don't have to choose to have any
father for your baby. All that will matter is that the baby is loved and cared
for.”
“I don't want my baby born illegitimate,” said
Betty, with some passion. “It's got to have a better life than I've had. Pushed
from one home to another. Treated like dirt because ...”
“But it won't be like that, because your baby will
have a mother who loves it. A child can survive anything as long as it's loved.
And I know you're going to give that child your very best.”
“You've got more faith in me than I've got in
myself,” said Betty, wiping a tear from her eye.
“Well someone's got to believe in you for a change,
Betty.”
To Meredith's surprise, Betty threw her arms around
her. “Thank you. I know the right thing to do now.”
Meredith got up, feeling her knees creaking
slightly, and went back to Drew. He'd filled the punnet with strawberries, and
was eating one of them.
“Haven't you had enough strawberries today?” she
asked.
Drew stood up, and offered her one. “There's no such
thing as too many strawberries.”
After they'd paid for their crops, they walked back
to Aunty Peg's. The sun shone overhead, and Meredith realised that there was no
better place on earth to be than Midchester in the summer. Or anytime for that
matter. The back of her hand kept brushing Drew's fingers, and once or twice
she was tempted to hold his hand, but shyness prevented her.
“Do you know, the sound travels quite well across
that field?” said Drew.
“Oh,” she said, her heart dropping. “What did I say
wrong now?”
In response, he swept his hand around her waist, and
pulled her towards him. His lips found hers, as her punnet of strawberries,
looking like tiny red hearts, tumbled to the ground.
***
“Have you been running, darling?” Peg asked
Meredith, when they sat in the drawing room ten minutes later. “You look a
little flushed.”
“I'm … oh it's a warm day,” said Meredith, trying
hard not to look at Drew.
“Tell me what you've found out.”
Meredith and Drew told Peg what they'd learned that
day, and how Meredith had linked it all together.
“So you think Edith is the colonel's relative?” Peg
thought about it for a while.
“I'm sure that if she was, you'd have found out when
you investigated fourteen years ago,” said Drew. Meredith wasn't sure, but she
thought she sensed a question in his voice. Why hadn't Aunty Peg tried harder
to find
up his own furniture shop.”
“That's a good plan.”
“So he'll make a better dad for my baby, you see.”
Betty put her hand to her tummy.
“Oh, yes, I see,” Meredith said gently. “But whose
baby is it, Betty?”
“It's Jimmy's.”
“Do either of them know?”
Betty shook her head. “No, I haven't said anything
yet. I'm only a couple of months gone. So I could let Bert think it's his,
couldn't I?”
“Do you think that would be a fair thing to do,
Betty? Bert's a sensitive lad. If he ever found out the truth...”
“But I can't marry Jimmy,” said Betty, her voice
rising hysterically. “He's not stable. Anyway, he might be hanged for murder. I
can't tell my baby that his daddy is a killer.”
“Jimmy won't be hanged if we've got anything to do
with it. I think … I think what's happened has taught Jimmy a lesson. I've got
a feeling he won't want to touch a knife ever again. He's still got a lot to
learn, but perhaps finding out he's going to be a father will be the making of
him. You have to give him that chance, Betty. If he lets you down, then be
honest with Bert. I think you'll find Bert will want to help you, no matter who
the baby belongs to. But don't start a life together based on a lie... Oh...”
“What is it, Meredith?”
“I've just thought of something. I wonder... Never
mind. It's up to you what you do, Betty. You don't have to choose to have any
father for your baby. All that will matter is that the baby is loved and cared
for.”
“I don't want my baby born illegitimate,” said
Betty, with some passion. “It's got to have a better life than I've had. Pushed
from one home to another. Treated like dirt because ...”
“But it won't be like that, because your baby will
have a mother who loves it. A child can survive anything as long as it's loved.
And I know you're going to give that child your very best.”
“You've got more faith in me than I've got in
myself,” said Betty, wiping a tear from her eye.
“Well someone's got to believe in you for a change,
Betty.”
To Meredith's surprise, Betty threw her arms around
her. “Thank you. I know the right thing to do now.”
Meredith got up, feeling her knees creaking
slightly, and went back to Drew. He'd filled the punnet with strawberries, and
was eating one of them.
“Haven't you had enough strawberries today?” she
asked.
Drew stood up, and offered her one. “There's no such
thing as too many strawberries.”
After they'd paid for their crops, they walked back
to Aunty Peg's. The sun shone overhead, and Meredith realised that there was no
better place on earth to be than Midchester in the summer. Or anytime for that
matter. The back of her hand kept brushing Drew's fingers, and once or twice
she was tempted to hold his hand, but shyness prevented her.
“Do you know, the sound travels quite well across
that field?” said Drew.
“Oh,” she said, her heart dropping. “What did I say
wrong now?”
In response, he swept his hand around her waist, and
pulled her towards him. His lips found hers, as her punnet of strawberries,
looking like tiny red hearts, tumbled to the ground.
***
“Have you been running, darling?” Peg asked
Meredith, when they sat in the drawing room ten minutes later. “You look a
little flushed.”
“I'm … oh it's a warm day,” said Meredith, trying
hard not to look at Drew.
“Tell me what you've found out.”
Meredith and Drew told Peg what they'd learned that
day, and how Meredith had linked it all together.
“So you think Edith is the colonel's relative?” Peg
thought about it for a while.
“I'm sure that if she was, you'd have found out when
you investigated fourteen years ago,” said Drew. Meredith wasn't sure, but she
thought she sensed a question in his voice. Why hadn't Aunty Peg tried harder
to find
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