A Secret Mind by Kaye Kelly

Author:Kaye Kelly [Kaye Kelly]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781775530206
Publisher: Penguin Random House New Zealand
Published: 2012-01-15T00:00:00+00:00

twenty

Mai was awoken by the baby’s vigorous kicking. It felt as if she’d only just dropped off to sleep. She rubbed her abdomen, soothing the restless baby.

‘You’re like your father, little one, all arms and legs,’ she murmured, hoping the likeness stopped at its gender and she would, at last, have a daughter.

On reflection, her life with Henry had been far happier than she could have hoped, but there were times when she felt her Chinese heritage had been overshadowed by European ways. She longed to have another woman of her own race with whom to share the thoughts and notions that European women found hard to understand. It was one of the reasons she so desperately hoped the child she was carrying would be a daughter. As yet she’d not given thought to boys’ names, but she’d long since decided on Alyssa should it be a girl. Henry hadn’t objected, though she suspected he would be happy no matter what her choice.

‘Shall we make it Alyssa Mai for its mother?’ he’d suggested, then, grinning, added, ‘though I should think it would be happier with a less flowery name should it turn out to be another son.’

‘Alyssa Mai,’ she said now, loving the seamless sound of the name rolling off her tongue.

After dressing, she felt a little more refreshed and ready to face the day. Which was just as well, she thought, when their breakfast was interrupted by the inevitable early-morning knock on the shop door. It was not a customer but Sylvia and Libby Budd, accompanied by Arnold Price, who greeted Mai when she answered the knock.

‘We’re sorry to call so early,’ Sylvia said, ‘but we were up long before the sparrows this morning to get here in plenty of time to do our business.’

‘You’re welcome to call any time, you know that.’ Mai took Sylvia’s hand and drew her inside the shop.

‘You’re looking … well,’ Sylvia commented, hugging Mai.

Mai was aware of the slight hesitation in Sylvia’s voice as her eyes swept over her bloated face.

‘You wouldn’t have said that if you’d seen her yesterday,’ Henry commented, not realising Sylvia’s remark had been less than truthful. ‘It was a day of shocks for all.’ He related the goings-on of the previous day. ‘I think we’re well rid of the Harringtons,’ he said.

‘We most certainly are,’ Mai agreed, ‘but I think it may be some time before Jimmy sees it that way.’

‘Some folk are born fools,’ snorted Arnold Price.

‘Jimmy’s no more a fool than the next man. I’ve no doubt there are others in the town who have been taken in by Elmer Harrington and are the poorer for it,’ Henry said, scowling at Price.

Mai secretly applauded Henry’s staunch defence of Jimmy, but she cast an anxious look at Sylvia, thinking the other woman may have taken offence at Henry’s brusque retort. But she was gazing into space, the conversation appearing to have gone over her head.

‘Come out the back with me — there’s still some tea in the pot,’ said Mai, taking Sylvia’s hand.

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