The Favourite Child by Freda Lightfoot

Author:Freda Lightfoot
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: Romance, Fiction, Historical Saga
ISBN: 9780340769010
Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton
Published: 2001-11-01T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Fifteen

Bella barely slept that night, collecting odd glances from Violet at the breakfast table and studiously avoiding any contact with Dan. Still unable to find a job, she walked to the clinic and engrossed herself in paperwork and letter writing, getting through the morning somehow, her mind in turmoil. Who should she believe, Jinnie or Quinn? Who did she want to believe? Even fifteen was too young. But if he had made mistakes in the past, couldn’t he change? Couldn’t she change him?

On Saturday morning she called on Reg Clarke to check on how Sally’s children were doing, taking them a few old clothes and odd items of food and groceries. His eyes lit up at the sight of the parcel in her hand and he eagerly allowed her inside, explaining how he was bearing his loss as well as could be expected but couldn’t cope with looking after his family on top of his work at the factory. Bella offered to find him a child minder but he said the vicar was asking someone he thought might help. Bella handed over the groceries, watching with sad resignation as he carefully stored the few items into his empty cupboard, wondering if the children would even get a taste. Sally had always made them both a pot of tea. Reg merely sat down in his chair by the fire while she examined the four children.

She heated water and bathed them all without assistance, combed their hair free of nits as best she could, put cream on their sore bottoms and dressed them in the clothes she had brought. Then she fed them on bread and jam and milk, advised Reg not to let them crawl about on the floor unless he gave it a good scrub first and finally took her leave, promising to call on the children from time to time, whenever she could manage it.

The visit had taken longer than she’d expected. Since it was Saturday she abandoned all idea of further work for the day and headed for Pendleton Co-operative where she intended to purchase some new boots, her own looking decidedly shabby after the hard wear they’d been given recently. Quite by chance, she ran into her colleague, Dr Syd, who wanted to know where she’d vanished to the previous evening. By the time Bella had finished the tale, she looked ready to personally land a punch on the little doctor’s nose.

‘You realise he’ll be even more of an enemy now.’

Bella looked into her friend’s concerned face and knew that she was right. ‘What was I supposed to do? The toad thinks that just because I’m involved with a women’s clinic, I’m some sort of tart. I could easily have killed him on the spot.’

Dr Syd giggled. ‘I think I would have. You were absolutely right to so forcibly speak your mind and leave. But I reckon we’ll have to deal with the back-draught.’

‘You can’t take everyone’s battle on your shoulders.’ The voice was that of Nurse Shaw’s and Bella swung round, realising for the first time that Dr Syd wasn’t alone.

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