The Godforsaken Daughter by Christina McKenna

Author:Christina McKenna [McKenna, Christina]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Lake Union Publishing
Published: 2015-03-17T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter twenty-three

Saturday afternoon found Ruby at the kitchen sink, scrubbing a saucepan. She hadn’t slept well and was feeling anxious at the thought of the twins’ arrival off the three o’clock bus.

The previous weekend, they’d gone to Manchester to see George Best playing at Old Trafford. Maybe they’d have his autograph, but she wasn’t holding out much hope. They rarely gave her gifts, just stuff they didn’t want themselves or had grown tired of. There was a drawer in her bedroom chock-full of half-used bottles of perfume, worn handbags, fake jewelry with bits missing . . . the works.

In the front room, Martha was having a chinwag with Ida Nettles. It was unusual for Ida to visit on a Saturday, but Ruby was in no doubt that her actions the previous evening, and Father Kelly’s visit, had sent her mother to the phone with an invitation to her friend.

She rinsed the saucepan under the faucet and set it on the drainer, stood for a while staring out the window. It was a calm afternoon: the sun shining, Beldam Lake as smooth as glass, shimmering in the distance. The window was in need of cleaning, but Ruby didn’t much care. She now had more important things to think about than cleaning windows and knitting tea cozies. She’d allowed the more mundane household chores to slide of late, but the mother hadn’t seemed to notice. Or if she had, she didn’t say anything. Ruby knew that her daughter’s mental state was more of a concern to Martha these days. Why else had she summoned Father Kelly?

Thoughts of the priest stole into her mind. Every time they did, she pushed them out by envisioning the ritual she’d perform at the solstice, just four days away. It was now more important than ever that she stick to her plan. Because she was sure he was trying to break her connection with Dana. Snatches of Edna’s writing came to her.

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