The Orphan Girl by Lindsey Hutchinson

Author:Lindsey Hutchinson [Hutchinson, Lindsey]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Head of Zeus
Published: 2017-11-30T00:00:00+00:00

Twenty-Nine

Lily and Davy talked long into the night, she apologising over and over for her bad behaviour towards the man she loved, and he saying he’d forgiven her. They were both grieving the loss of their little girl and neither thought they would ever get over her death. Davy said they could have more children in the future, but Lily dismissed the idea. She felt she would never love another child as much as she had loved Clara. She asked Davy how she could approach her friends after the way she had treated them.

‘Go and knock on their doors, Lily, you might be surprised at their reaction,’ he said as he cuddled close to his wife in the darkness of their bedroom.

‘I will, I’ll go tomorrow.’

The following morning Lily set out for the boarding house in Church Street. Full of trepidation as to how she would be received, she marched on. Knocking at the door, Lily waited, still feeling wretched. The door opened and Emily stood facing her caller.

‘Lily! Oh my goodness!’ Emily pulled the young woman inside by her arm then embraced her warmly. ‘Oh, my dear girl, it’s so nice to see you! Come in, we’ll have some tea.’

Lily’s fear of being rejected melted away as she followed her friend into the living room. The house was quiet, all the girls being out at work, and so the two were able to talk without interruption.

Emily bustled to the kitchen, asking the cook that tea for two be brought into the living room, then she went back to sit with Lily.

‘How are you, sweetheart?’ Emily asked tentatively.

‘I’m all right – no actually I’m not,’ Lily said as tears sprang to her eyes. ‘Oh, Emily, it’s all gone wrong! It wasn’t supposed to be like this! I shut you and Jenny out of my life and – I blamed Davy for Clara’s accident!’ Threatened tears poured down her cheeks and dripped onto her lap.

Emily enfolded the weeping girl in her arms and held her tightly.

‘It was grief that made you do those things, Lily, and everyone knows that. No one will hold you responsible for those actions. Oh, my poor Lily, my poor darling girl.’

Slowly the tears subsided and Lily and Emily talked the morning away, mostly about Clara.

‘I should be going, Emily, I want to go and see Jenny. She’ll be at Webb’s, so I can see the others too while I’m there,’ Lily said at last.

‘Well, don’t be a stranger, come and visit anytime you want.’ Emily kissed Lily’s cheek as they parted company on the doorstep.

Lily walked down Church Street, heading for the marketplace. She saw the tight smiles given from women passing by and she knew they were feeling sad for her. Men doffed their flat caps and nodded. Standing outside Webb’s, she took a deep breath then walked inside.

‘Lily!’ Jenny let out a squeal of delight at seeing her friend.

Walking to the desk where her friend sat, Lily gave her a hug. ‘I’ve come to apologise for being so horrible to you.

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