Family Pride by N/A

Author:N/A
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Canelo Books
Published: 2016-09-02T04:00:00+00:00

* * *

Marigold had watched the wedding leave the church and behind the smiling face of the bridegroom were the ashes of her own marriage. Since Cyril had come home, looked at her swollen belly and walked out again, she hadn’t heard a word from him. Her mother-in-law had called, full of sympathy and asking how she and Daddy could help: her own mother had offered to try and talk to Cyril on her behalf, but Marigold refused all attempts to assist her.

“I’ve got myself into this by my own stupidity,” she told them all, “and I’ll have accept the consequences.” To everyone who asked she refused to give the father’s name. “It’s me that’s to blame, what good will it do to bring someone else into it and bring trouble to even more people.”

“He’s married then, this man who got you into this mess?” her mother asked.

“I’m not saying a word, Mam. You and Dad can try to worm the truth out of me for the rest of your lives but I’m not saying. Best to keep the trouble confined to me and my baby, not spread the problems further and further.”

“It’s my problem, too, and your father’s, and there’s Cyril’s parents. D’you think they don’t care?”

“And d’you think it’ll help if Cyril goes round and punches someone’s jaw?”

“He already has, or almost did,” Mrs Philpot said quietly. “First he grabbed that Ivor, the simple boy from Jenkins’, half demented he was, poor dab, when Cyril accused him of – well, you know. Cyril’s been watching your house from all accounts, seeing who visits you and how often. The postman stayed longer that he thought proper and he got a punch, too.”

“Mr Gregory? Oh, the poor man.”

“Not hurt bad, him being a keen boxing fan, he managed to duck out of the way so he didn’t get the worse of it. No, it was your Cyril who was hurt, fell he did, him with that terrible bad leg. So you see, Marigold, the trouble is spreading. If you told us the man’s name, the trouble would at least be aimed in the right direction and soon be over with.”

“It’ll pass, Mam. Cyril can’t spend the rest of his life waiting for someone to visit me too often. No chance of that now anyway. Everyone thinks of me as untouchable.”

“Will the man, whoever he is, help you with money?”

Marigold laughed bitterly. “That’s a joke that is. He’s never got enough money for himself and whatever happens to him he never will. If he married a millionaire he’d soon be broke again.”

“Sounds like that Gerry Daniels, him that’s married that poor fool Fanny Collins. Bet she’ll find her money slipping away like water down the drains in the thunder storm now she’s got him to keep.” But she didn’t seriously consider Gerry as a candidate for Marigold’s secret lover. Gerry was too smarmy and Marigold too wise to be taken in by an act like his.

“Is he all right, Mam? Cyril, I mean.

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