Eternal Flame by Rochelle Jones

Author:Rochelle Jones
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Publisher: Antrobus Bindings & Prints
Published: 2013-12-24T05:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER TEN

Margaret had been buried the day before. Alice was shocked and miserable over the death of a sweet girl whom she had been beginning to think of as a possible daughter in law. Now this disaster had also resulted in the disappearance of her son. She would have to pause to take it all in before she could consider what to do about it.

Harriet Evans, the landlady knocked at the door. Since Anne’s death she had taken to dropping in more and more often. Alice gradually found herself welcoming these visits as they broke the tedium of the days. The landlady was a cheery soul and not one easily snubbed. Alice had been grateful for her moral support at the time of Anne’s death and now was especially pleased at her sympathy over Robert’s disappearance. She was afraid some of the neighbours might blame her in some way for what happened to Margaret.

“Well, Alice, how goes it?”

“I’m all right. I’ve still not heard anything of Robert though. What can he be doing?”

“Don’t worry. Robert seems a sort to look after himself.”

“Did you attend the funeral? I just didn’t know what to do. I might not have been welcome there, certainly not with the Lloyds.”

“Yes, I went. It was very private though. I don’t think they wanted many people. They seemed completely prostrated, poor things. Well, what do you expect? They always over protected the girl, shielded her too much from life, made it a misery for her if the truth be known, I’d say.”

“She was so sweet. I wish Robert had married her.”

“Well, what’s done is done. Somehow, Alice I don’t really know if it would have been for the best, knowing Robert’s feelings about it, do you? It’s true she would still be alive but would her life have been so very happy? I can’t see Robert settling down, Alice, and looking at the situation honestly, can you?”

“No, he probably wouldn’t have settled, at least not at first. But Margaret might have made something of him, don’t you think?”

“Personally, I don’t. Margaret knew nothing about life and considered him a knight in shining armour. How would a girl like that change him? He was your son, Alice. Do you really think so?”

“I didn’t know her well, or her parents. Perhaps you would be better able to say than me. As for Robert, I never understood him from the time he was seven or eight years old. He seemed to change. My mother was the one who could manage him and even she couldn’t; always.”

“Well then, that slip of a girl certainly wouldn’t have, you can give up any idea of that. He would have led her a dogs life, Alice, but please don’t get offended with me for saying so. I know he’s your son and your only one. But he wouldn’t and won’t make any girl a good husband. Surely you know that?”

“Yes, Harriet, I do, and please don’t apologize for being frank with me. I prefer honesty and plain speaking and I’ve faced the truth about Robert long ago.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.