The Frozen River by Clare Flynn

Author:Clare Flynn [Flynn, Clare]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fiction, Family Life, Marriage & Divorce, Friendship, Small Town & Rural
Google: yKetDwAAQBAJ
Amazon: B07GPSCP9Q
Publisher: Cranbrook Press via PublishDrive
Published: 2019-08-11T05:00:00+00:00

26

Joan waited until she was alone with Helga before raising the question of Alice returning. They were in the kitchen at Hollowtree Farm, choosing hymns for Don’s funeral.

‘Alice came to see me yesterday. It was just a flying visit. She’s back in Ottawa now.’

‘Alice?’ Helga’s voice was sharp. She looked up from the battered hymnal she was holding.

‘She’s coming back to Hollowtree.’

‘What’s brought that on? She’s been gone five years.’

‘It didn’t take Tip Howardson long to find out she’d come into her aunt’s money. He turned up on the doorstep, asked her to marry him and when she sent him packing he took Catherine from the schoolyard, without permission. Alice was frantic. Fortunately, he dropped her home. It was all designed to frighten Alice.’

Helga turned her attention back to the hymnal, but was evidently curious because after a few minutes, she asked, ‘Does the child know he’s her father?’

‘She didn’t but he told her he was – told the teacher too and the damn fool woman let him take her. Alice told Catherine it was untrue, but she’s petrified he’ll take her again. Catherine has to find out eventually that she’s illegitimate, but Alice doesn’t want her to know Tip’s the father. Doesn’t want him anywhere near her girls. Or herself, for that matter.’

‘She should have thought of that years ago, instead of opening her legs to that thug.’

‘Please, Ma. Don’t talk like that. If Alice could wind back the clock she would, but that would mean not having Catherine – and she loves her. So does Rose. The poor child can’t help who her father is.’

Helga sniffed. She went back to studying the hymnal, but after a while said, ‘I thought Howardson was already married. Some woman in America.’

‘Divorced.’

Helga curled her lip.

‘And the story he told Alice about having a child was made up. He’s a complete and utter lowlife. Poor Alice was well and truly suckered by him.’

Helga gazed out of the window. ‘Mind you, Tip could be charming when he chose to be. He was a sweet kid when he was small, until the bullying started at school. Maybe that’s what turned him bad. Walt was the only classmate who gave him the time of day.’

‘Really? He’s the biggest bully himself.’

‘It’s often the way. A bullied kid can turn into a bullying adult – especially when he gets a bit of power.’

They lapsed into silence, for a few moments, until Helga asked, ‘So where’s she planning on living when she comes back?’

‘She mentioned buying a place in town, close to the school. But in the meantime–’

‘She wants to move back here.’ Helga jerked her head in the direction of the barn.

Walt Armstrong had built a makeshift home next to it when he and Alice had married. Alice and Rose had lived there until they went to Ottawa.

‘I can’t stop her anyway,’ said Helga. ‘She owns that place. Even if it is on our land.’

Joan placed her hand on her mother-in-law’s arm and squeezed. ‘She’s family, Ma. Walt’s wife and the mother of his daughter.

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