Read Online Winners and Losers by Catrin Collier - Free Book Online

what’s wrong with that, Mrs Jones?’ Ianto demanded. ‘I have just been there and from what I saw, Mrs Palmer runs a clean and respectable house.’
    â€˜She does,’ Sali agreed hastily, responding to the pleading look in Megan’s eyes.
    â€˜I’ll wipe that down and put it away,’ Megan offered, as Sali slid the griddle from the hob and closed it.
    â€˜Sam and Daisy are asleep and the other three came in an hour ago. I sent them straight to bed.’
    â€˜Thank you for staying with them.’
    â€˜No trouble.’ Sali saw the concerned expression on Megan’s face and realized she hadn’t taken the job lightly. She picked up her cardigan from the back of a kitchen chair. ‘I’ll be in first thing tomorrow to help you clean the house before you leave for Mrs Palmer’s. Goodbye, Mr Williams, have a safe journey home. It was nice to meet you.’
    â€˜Mrs Jones, are you a good friend of Megan’s?’
    â€˜I like to think so,’ Sali replied guardedly. ‘Why do you ask?’
    â€˜Can she spend her afternoons off with you?’
    Realizing that Megan’s father hadn’t made the connection between her and Victor, Sali had difficulty keeping a straight face. ‘She is more than welcome to spend as much time as she likes with me, Mr Williams.’
    â€˜Then it’s arranged, Megan. You are to spend all of your free afternoons with Mrs Jones here.’
    â€˜Yes, Dad.’
    Not knowing whether Megan was trying to stop herself from laughing or crying, Sali gave her a reassuring hug. ‘Goodnight. See you in the morning.’
    Betty Morgan turned down the wick on the oil lamp that burned on her kitchen table, opened the door and stole along the passage to her front parlour. She waited a moment for her eyes to become accustomed to the gloom before lifting the corner of her curtains and peering outside. The street gaped back at her, empty, quiet and glistening like tarnished pewter in the wet darkness. She dropped the curtain. ‘They’ve gone.’
    â€˜You sure?’ a muffled voice asked from beneath her parlour table.
    â€˜The street’s empty and I went out to the ty bach a few minutes ago to check the back and the lane. I can’t be certain, but as far as I can see there’s no one around.’
    Joey lifted the edge of a heavy woollen cloth and scrambled out from under the table. ‘Thanks, Mrs Morgan. Did they get any of the others?’
    â€˜Not that I or Mrs Rees next door have heard. I’ve just spoken to her over the wall. But that’s not to say the coppers won’t recognize you or the others the next time they see you and if they do they’ll make your life hell.’
    â€˜As opposed to the bed of roses Mr Morgan, my father and Lloyd are lying on.’
    â€˜They’ve learned the hard way to keep a cooler head than you, Joey Evans, and that’s why my Ned and your father keep a watchful eye on you youngsters when you man the picket lines. Take care of yourself, boy, and that means no going home through Jane Edwards’ house. And don’t go giving me that innocent look neither,’ she advised tartly. Like everyone in the town, Betty knew Joey’s reputation, but she’d watched him grow up and had a soft spot for him. ‘I’ve seen you creeping in and out of her back door a couple of times since her Emlyn was sent down. Your mother would turn in her grave if she could see the way her youngest was behaving. Mark my words; it’ll only be a matter of time before someone else notices what you two are up to and when her Emlyn comes out of clink, you’ll be for it.’
    â€˜I don’t know what I would do without you, Mrs Morgan,’ Joey said smoothly.
    â€˜You’d be playing punchbag for the coppers,’ she pronounced sternly. ‘And it would be a pity to spoil those pretty looks of yours. But I’m telling you now,