Lonely is the Valley by Gwen Kirkwood

Author:Gwen Kirkwood [Kirkwood, Gwen]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Lume Books
Published: 2015-11-16T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter Six

Ceri spent the night curled up in the large armchair in Mary Mackay’s bedroom, too anxious now to leave her alone. She was awakened from an uneasy doze just after seven in the morning. Swiftly, she grabbed the telephone extension before it could disturb the older woman.

‘Please wait while I get to the kitchen extension,’ she whispered softly. Forgotten was her humiliation and battered pride. The caller must - simply must be Mark - and she longed for his support both for herself and for his mother.

As soon as she picked up the telephone receiver Stella Jenkins’ strident tones came sizzling over the wire. It was clear something had upset her badly, and equally clear that she had not yet seen Mark by the way she all but screamed that he had ‘left it too late.

Tired and depressed already, Ceri could only listen in stunned silence to the stream of invective which now poured into her ear - accusing Mark’s mother of thwarting all her son’s plans by using his money to build herself a useless retreat in the wilds of Wales, and then exaggerating all her trivial aches and pains to keep him tied to her side - just when he should have been on the spot, improving and expanding at Burnbrae. When Ceri tried to interrupt, she herself became the target for the other woman’s vile temper, until her time and patience ran out. As she slammed down the receiver she realized that both she and Mary Mackay had an implacable enemy in Miss Stella Jenkins - an enemy she hoped she would never have to meet.

Wearily she returned to the bedroom to replace the receiver there. Mary Mackay lay in a crumpled heap across the bed, her breath rasping painfully, the pillows in wild disarray. Ceri knew at once that she had been trying to reach the telephone. How much of that dreadful exchange she had overheard, Ceri dared not guess.

She prayed silently as she dialled Dr Rees’ number with fingers that shook.

‘Get Mark home today, Ceri,’ Doctor Rees advised quietly a short time later. Ceri gazed at his grave expression with a sinking heart. ‘I shall be back after lunch, but call me earlier if you need me,’ he said kindly.

When Ceri returned to the bedroom Betsy was already there but Mary Mackay’s blue eyes opened and focused on Ceri’s face. ‘Do… you…really… care. For…Mark?’ The few words cost her a tremendous effort. Ceri knelt beside the bed and smoothed the silvery hair with a gentle hand, striving to swallow the knot of tears which had gathered in her throat.

‘I love him with all my heart.’ Her voice was a whisper but her words were sincere. Mary Mackay nodded weakly, but her sweet smile flickered before her eyelids drooped once more.

‘Aye, I kenned ye loved him lassie, even if things are not as they should be richt noo. I’m glad ye telt her. She’ll be at peace noo,’ Betsy murmured with tears in her eyes.

There was no reply at Bumbrae when Ceri tried to contact Mark and her uneasiness grew.

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