The Bondage of Love by Catherine Cookson

Author:Catherine Cookson [Cookson, Catherine]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781780360508
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

When the door closed on Katie, Mark said, ‘She wants slapping down, if anyone does.’

‘Mark! You’re talking about your sister. Now, listen to me.’ Her hand was on his shoulder and pulling him round to face her. ‘I’m saying this to you—not to her or to anyone else—you have been rather a trial over the past months. You used to be so understanding. Another time you would have understood and been helpful with Mamie, because you know the trouble I’ve had with her over the years. But you’ve been so absorbed in your own affairs.’

‘Mam!’ His voice showed he was deeply hurt. ‘I’ve been swotting. Yes, that’s the word she used, but I’ve been swotting for months past.’

‘Only since you got the results in the summer term, Mark. Before that you were your usual thoughtful self.’

He swung away from her now, saying, ‘Yes, too thoughtful for the others; I didn’t pay enough attention to what I really wanted, and that was to work.’

‘Don’t be silly, Mark; nobody stopped you from working. You spend too much time playing tennis and squash and such with Roland Featherstone.’

‘Well, he spent the same time on sport and he got through and he’s no better than me.’

She just stopped herself from saying sharply, oh, yes, he is: learning comes easy to him, and he’s got a retentive memory. Moreover, you couldn’t bear the thought of him getting into the London hospital before you.

Fiona walked away from her son and sat down in a deeply upholstered chair to the side of the fire. She was tired. She was always tired these days; not so much physically but mentally. Yet at times her mind seemed empty and groping for something, that elusive something. She had thought that when she got over the business of Mamie, they would all return to being a laughing, happy family. But it hadn’t come about. Sparks had always flown between the two brothers. They were such opposites. One could say that Willie was all heart, and Mark was all head. Yet, Willie had got nine O levels last year, whereas all the trouble was because Mark had only three Cs at A level, and he needed at least three Bs to gain a place at the London Hospital Medical School.

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