Read Online Twisted Strands by Margaret Dickinson - Free Book Online
Authors: Margaret Dickinson
Ads: Link
understand. ‘That’s just your gran’s way. She’s always been a bit – well –
sharp.’
Richard was watching Bridie’s face and said softly, ‘There’s more than that, isn’t there, love?’
Bridie blinked but then nodded. ‘It – it was about Andrew. You see, I thought if you and Uncle Richard didn’t want me, then Andrew would. I was sure Andrew loved me . .
.’ Her voice, thick with disappointment, faded away.
‘He does love you, Bridie. We all know that. You know that.’
‘Yes.’ The girl was leaning towards them now, almost shouting at them in her anguish. ‘But why does he love me?’
The two adults stared at her, completely mystified. Then Richard gave an awkward laugh. ‘You’re getting a bit deep for me now, Bridie. You might well ask why anyone loves
another.’
The girl shook her head vehemently. ‘No, no. You don’t understand. He only loves me because I’m the daughter of the love of his life. He doesn’t love me for me .’ She jabbed her forefinger into her chest with such ferocity that it hurt.
‘Who on earth told you a thing like that?’ Eveleen said, angry and disgusted at the person who could have been so unfeeling.
Bridie hung her head and plucked at the edge of the rug again, shredding the fabric between her restless fingers. ‘Gran,’ she muttered.
Eveleen groaned and closed her eyes for a moment. ‘I might have known,’ she murmured.
‘Look,’ Richard said, thinking quickly and leaning over the back seat to take Bridie’s cold hand in his, ‘we can’t sort all this out sitting here and we’ve
got to get help from someone to pull this contraption out of the ditch or we’re never going to get home tonight. But I want you to promise me something, Bridie.’
The girl looked up at him trustingly. ‘What?’
‘If you will go back home now and be a good girl, Eveleen and I will say nothing about this to anyone.’ As Bridie opened her mouth to protest, Richard went on firmly, ‘And
we’ll let a week or two elapse and then we’ll ask your gran to let you come and have a holiday with us in Nottingham. We’ll have time to talk about this and to reassure
you,’ he squeezed her hand comfortingly, ‘that we all love you because you’re you and not because of whose daughter you are.’
Bridie smiled tremulously, but was still not convinced.
‘And now,’ Eveleen said brightly, ‘because your auntie Eveleen has been so very naughty, we really must get help. It’ll be getting dark soon.’
Richard laughed aloud and said, ‘No-one’s hurt, that’s all that matters. Including our stowaway. Now,’ he went on, ‘who do you know with a big, strong
carthorse?’
Bridie stood up and began to scramble out of the motor. ‘Micky’s dad. I’ll run and fetch him.’ And before either of them could stop her, she was running up the lane.
‘Wait there,’ she called back. ‘I’ll fetch Mr Ted.’
‘As if we’re going anywhere,’ Richard remarked ruefully, as he climbed out and stood in the lane looking at his beautiful new motor car, tilted forlornly in the ditch.
‘Really I ought to put you across my knee.’ He arched his black eyebrows wickedly at his wife. ‘If I didn’t think you might enjoy it.’
‘Really, Richard,’ Eveleen admonished, but she was smiling playfully. ‘Fancy saying such a thing.’ She stood up and held out her arms to him. ‘Darling, I am
sorry.’
‘You’re forgiven,’ he said, lifting her out and setting her down on the road. Then he slid down the grass slope and tried to examine the motor.
‘Do you think it’s damaged?’ Eveleen asked anxiously.
‘As far as I can see, no.’ Richard climbed back up towards her. ‘Luckily the ditch is only very shallow and so the workings beneath the car haven’t touched the bank.
It’s still actually resting on its wheels as far as I can make out. So, hopefully, not a lot of harm done.’
Eveleen gave a sigh of relief. ‘Thank goodness.’
At that moment
sharp.’
Richard was watching Bridie’s face and said softly, ‘There’s more than that, isn’t there, love?’
Bridie blinked but then nodded. ‘It – it was about Andrew. You see, I thought if you and Uncle Richard didn’t want me, then Andrew would. I was sure Andrew loved me . .
.’ Her voice, thick with disappointment, faded away.
‘He does love you, Bridie. We all know that. You know that.’
‘Yes.’ The girl was leaning towards them now, almost shouting at them in her anguish. ‘But why does he love me?’
The two adults stared at her, completely mystified. Then Richard gave an awkward laugh. ‘You’re getting a bit deep for me now, Bridie. You might well ask why anyone loves
another.’
The girl shook her head vehemently. ‘No, no. You don’t understand. He only loves me because I’m the daughter of the love of his life. He doesn’t love me for me .’ She jabbed her forefinger into her chest with such ferocity that it hurt.
‘Who on earth told you a thing like that?’ Eveleen said, angry and disgusted at the person who could have been so unfeeling.
Bridie hung her head and plucked at the edge of the rug again, shredding the fabric between her restless fingers. ‘Gran,’ she muttered.
Eveleen groaned and closed her eyes for a moment. ‘I might have known,’ she murmured.
‘Look,’ Richard said, thinking quickly and leaning over the back seat to take Bridie’s cold hand in his, ‘we can’t sort all this out sitting here and we’ve
got to get help from someone to pull this contraption out of the ditch or we’re never going to get home tonight. But I want you to promise me something, Bridie.’
The girl looked up at him trustingly. ‘What?’
‘If you will go back home now and be a good girl, Eveleen and I will say nothing about this to anyone.’ As Bridie opened her mouth to protest, Richard went on firmly, ‘And
we’ll let a week or two elapse and then we’ll ask your gran to let you come and have a holiday with us in Nottingham. We’ll have time to talk about this and to reassure
you,’ he squeezed her hand comfortingly, ‘that we all love you because you’re you and not because of whose daughter you are.’
Bridie smiled tremulously, but was still not convinced.
‘And now,’ Eveleen said brightly, ‘because your auntie Eveleen has been so very naughty, we really must get help. It’ll be getting dark soon.’
Richard laughed aloud and said, ‘No-one’s hurt, that’s all that matters. Including our stowaway. Now,’ he went on, ‘who do you know with a big, strong
carthorse?’
Bridie stood up and began to scramble out of the motor. ‘Micky’s dad. I’ll run and fetch him.’ And before either of them could stop her, she was running up the lane.
‘Wait there,’ she called back. ‘I’ll fetch Mr Ted.’
‘As if we’re going anywhere,’ Richard remarked ruefully, as he climbed out and stood in the lane looking at his beautiful new motor car, tilted forlornly in the ditch.
‘Really I ought to put you across my knee.’ He arched his black eyebrows wickedly at his wife. ‘If I didn’t think you might enjoy it.’
‘Really, Richard,’ Eveleen admonished, but she was smiling playfully. ‘Fancy saying such a thing.’ She stood up and held out her arms to him. ‘Darling, I am
sorry.’
‘You’re forgiven,’ he said, lifting her out and setting her down on the road. Then he slid down the grass slope and tried to examine the motor.
‘Do you think it’s damaged?’ Eveleen asked anxiously.
‘As far as I can see, no.’ Richard climbed back up towards her. ‘Luckily the ditch is only very shallow and so the workings beneath the car haven’t touched the bank.
It’s still actually resting on its wheels as far as I can make out. So, hopefully, not a lot of harm done.’
Eveleen gave a sigh of relief. ‘Thank goodness.’
At that moment
Similar Books
