Family Drama 4 E-Book Bundle. Leah Fleming

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СКАЧАТЬ style="font-size:15px;">      ‘Did she?’ Derek grinned widely. ‘Blimey, that’s great.’

      So, Pearl had lied, and now Kevin forced a laugh. ‘It sounds like you knew nothing about it.’

      ‘Well, we’re courting, but I haven’t proposed yet. I thought Pearl would want to wait until she’s a bit older.’

      ‘Huh, she’s old enough and, believe me, she knows how to make a man happy.’

      Derek’s face darkened. ‘What’s that supposed to mean?’

      Self-preservation kicked in, and Kevin baulked. Christ, was he mad? If he told Derek he’d been there first, the man would kill him. He desperately sought for a way out. ‘Well, mate, I can see how happy you are, and it’s obvious that it’s down to Pearl.’

      Derek jaws were working, his tension obvious, but as Kevin’s words sunk in, he relaxed. ‘You’re right. Pearl’s a smashing girl, and now I know she wants to marry me, I’ll do the proposing. Mind you, I’ll have to save for a ring.’

      Kevin’s eyes narrowed. He wanted to punish Pearl for turning him down, to make her pay. Not only that, he wanted to sample the goods again. He needed time to work on her and had somehow to put a spoke in Derek’s wheels. ‘If you ask me, she’s a bit young and I reckon you should hold off for a while before proposing.’

      ‘No, I don’t want to do that. Her birthday’s a month away, in October, and I should have enough saved for a nice little solitaire by then.’

      Kevin managed a smile, yet as he walked away it was quickly replaced by a scowl. Christ, despite his trying to put him off, Derek was still going to propose in October. Pearl was a bitch. He’d shown her a good time and she’d enjoyed it, yet she was going to marry Derek bloody Lewis. Well, if that’s what she wanted, fuck her. There were plenty more fish in the sea and he wouldn’t waste his time on her again.

      Pearl was anxiously watching the door, but it was after three o’clock before Kevin returned. She had to speak to him – had to know if he’d told Derek. He was heading for the kitchen and she quickly stood in his path.

      ‘Get out of my way.’

      ‘Did … did you say anything to Derek?’

      He sneered. ‘Worried, are you? Well, you can relax. I didn’t tell him, and in fact he’s welcome to you.’

      Pearl’s breath left her body in a rush, and seeing that Bernie was looking at them curiously, she quickly moved out of Kevin’s way. He swept past, and her heart jumped when Bernie called her over.

      ‘Is there a problem, Pearl?’

      ‘No, I was just saying hello to Kevin.’

      His eyes narrowed. ‘Pearl, I’m saying this for your own good. If you’ve got any ideas about my son, forget them.’

      ‘I … I haven’t got any ideas about him.’

      ‘I’m glad to hear it. You stick with Derek and you won’t go wrong.’

      She gave a slight nod, busying herself with a bit of last-minute tidying before her shift came to an end. Yes, she would stay out of Kevin’s way, but she hated how her treacherous body reacted every time he came near her. Kevin changed like quicksilver: one minute nice, the next horrible. Pearl hung her head. She both loved him, and feared him, yet now wondered if he was right. Had she mistaken sex for love? Was it just lust that she felt?

      It was time to go and as Pearl put on her coat, Nora arrived, beaming widely, her face holding the innocence of a child. For a moment Pearl’s fingers itched to sketch her again and she studied her features, trying to hold them in her mind, but was too worried about Derek to concentrate. Had Kevin told the truth? Had he really said nothing to Derek?

      She called goodbye, leaving the café to walk slowly to his stall, the breath leaving her body with relief when he smiled warmly. Oh, he was such a lovely man, and though he didn’t arouse any feelings in her, she was safe with him.

      Once again Pearl’s resolve hardened. Kevin was dangerous, unpredictable, and it was better to keep out of his way.

      ‘Hello, love, I just saw Nutty Nora charging through the market. She looked like a rag bag.’

      ‘Oh, don’t call her that. She may be slow, but she isn’t nutty.’

      ‘It’s a nickname she’s had for years.’

      ‘It seems so unkind.’

      ‘Yeah, you’re right, it is, and from now on I won’t use it. Mind you, I still think she could do with smartening herself up a bit. Sometimes she lets off an awful whiff.’

      Pearl looked down at her own clothes. She desperately needed some new ones, and as the second-hand shop was at the end of the market she intended to see if she could find a couple of outfits.

      Derek had the local paper and she picked it up. ‘Did you see any bedsits to rent?’

      ‘Yeah, a couple, but there’s no hurry for you to move out.’

      ‘I don’t think your gran would agree. I’m taking up her front room.’

      ‘It’s not her house, love, it’s mine. Gran had the tenancy transferred to my name years ago. She wanted to make sure that if anything happened to her, I wouldn’t get chucked out.’

      Pearl smiled faintly. The house might be in Derek’s name, but it was obvious who ruled the roost. ‘It’s still time I found somewhere else to live.’ She stood on tiptoe to give him a kiss on the cheek, Derek gripping her hand for a moment before she hurried away.

      Her heart was lighter as she opened the door to the second-hand shop, but was greeted by a musty smell that made her nose wrinkle. There was a mishmash of stuff for sale: old books, bits of china, a few pieces of furniture, all covered in dust. She was about to turn tail when an elderly lady came out of a back room, her heavily lined face breaking into a smile.

      ‘Hello, dear. Can I help you?’

      ‘I … I’m looking for a couple of outfits, but …’

      ‘Well, you’re in luck. I’ve just had some stuff in that’s in good nick and looks about your size.’ She shuffled over to a metal rack, her fingers gnarled and bent with arthritis. After riffling through the rail she pulled out a skirt and blouse. ‘Here they are and, as you can see, there ain’t a mark on them.’

      Pearl reluctantly crossed the shop floor but when she got closer, she could see what the old lady meant. The blue skirt looked lovely, pleating from the waist into a flare, and the white blouse immaculate. When the old woman pulled out a dress, Pearl’s eyes widened. It was patterned with pink roses on a cream background, the material heavy and of good quality. The skirt flared from the waist too and there was also a matching bolero with short sleeves.

      ‘You can try them on, if you like.’

      ‘Oh, yes, please.’

      She was led to the back room, finding it piled high with more clothes and old furniture, but there was a full-length mirror. The old lady left, and after СКАЧАТЬ