Lonely Girl by Cox Josephine

Author:Cox, Josephine [Cox, Josephine]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Published: 2015-01-28T18:30:00+00:00

Since the brief telephone conversation, Rosie had stood at the window, patiently watching for her uncle Patrick to arrive.

Equally anxious, Barney leaned over her shoulder, panting his hot breath into the back of her neck.

‘Oh, look! He’s here!’ Relieved when she saw the car turning in, Rosie was on her feet and hugging Barney. ‘Come on, boy, let’s go meet them!’ The two of them were outside and at the car before Patrick could even climb out.

‘Woa!’ Scrambling out of the car, he grabbed Rosie in his arms. ‘Oh, me little darlin’, have you been watching for me all this time? After I told ye to close the curtains and stay away from the windows!’

‘I’m sorry, Uncle Patrick, but I was worried.’ She peeked into the car. ‘Where is he?’ Her face showed her disappointment.

‘Who?’

‘My daddy. I thought you were bringing him home.’

‘Ah, sure, I never promised no such thing, me darlin’.’ He was dreading her next question. ‘I’m just here to fetch you back to our house. Auntie Kathleen’s waiting for ye, so she is.’ He opened the rear passenger door and ushered Rosie and Barney inside. ‘You stay there now while I secure the house.’

As he ambled away, Rosie confided in Barney. ‘I got it wrong, Barney. It seems Daddy is waiting back there with Auntie Kathleen. But why didn’t he come home with Uncle Patrick? Now he’s got to drive all the way back, and then later he’ll probably run us all back here again. It seems an awful lot of trouble to me.’

Rosie was beginning to think the world had turned upside down, and everything had gone awry.

She shrugged. ‘I expect Mother’s with him now and they needed to spend some time with Auntie Kathleen. Dad was saying only the other day how we haven’t seen Auntie Kathleen in a long time. Ever since she and Mother had a falling-out over nothing at all. When he said Mother should apologise because it was her who had started the argument, Mother got angry and told him to mind his own business.’

The two of them watched Patrick going from window to window, checking everywhere. Finally, he shut the door, giving the door handle a little shake. ‘There ye go!’ He climbed back into the car. ‘All safely locked up.’ He handed the house key, which she’d left inside, in the lock, to Rosie. ‘Right! Off we go. I expect Harry and your auntie Kathleen are anxious to see us back, eh?’

As they drove, Rosie had many questions, but one in particular. ‘Uncle Patrick?’

‘Yes, sweetheart?’

‘Me and Barney searched all over for Daddy, and we couldn’t find him, so where was he?’

‘I’m sure I have no idea.’ Patrick had been dreading the question.

‘But he’s at your house now, waiting for us. Isn’t he?’ Rosie had that deep-down feeling again that something was very wrong.

Patrick began to panic. What should he tell her?

He followed the truth as far as he was able. ‘No, sweetheart, he is not at our house, and neither is your mother.

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