Family Drama 4 E-Book Bundle. Leah Fleming

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СКАЧАТЬ bloody girl had probably thrown herself at him and, like all men, when it was handed out on a plate he found impossible to resist. Damage control, that’s what she had to think about now, but the thought of losing her son to marriage made her groan in despair.

      Dolly was desperate to find a solution, yet something Kevin said refused to go away. She tried to lock it behind a door in her mind, but it forced its way out. Kevin said he’d been the first, Pearl a virgin. Not only that, Pearl said with assurance that Derek wasn’t the father, and that meant she hadn’t slept with the man.

      Dolly shook her head in despair again. She wanted to think the girl a tart, one who had set out to trap her son, but deep down knew it wasn’t true. Yet could they still bluff it out? Maybe they could accuse the girl of lying – but even as the thought crossed her mind, Dolly doubted it would work. Pearl had only been in the area a short time, but she was well liked and the locals might not take kindly to a denial. Dolly wasn’t stupid; she knew that, unlike Pearl, she wasn’t liked and many would be glad to see her brought down.

      As her mind continued to work, Dolly came to the sickening conclusion that they had no choice. When Pearl named Kevin, he would have to face up to his responsibilities.

      Once again Dolly groaned, dreading the idea of losing her son, yet as she closed her eyes against the thought, she was struck by a way to keep him by her side. Kevin would have to marry Pearl, but she could see that they remained close by. In fact, there was no reason why they couldn’t live here. Without a job, Kevin couldn’t support a family, and Pearl could continue to work in the café.

      Dolly exhaled loudly. It wasn’t perfect, but it was a workable solution.

      ‘Here you are, Mum,’ Kevin said as he returned with a cup of tea.

      ‘Right, sit down and let’s talk. Firstly, I don’t want people to think that you’re to blame, so keep your mouth shut about Pearl being a virgin. It won’t hurt to cultivate the idea that she threw herself at you.’

      Kevin’s face reddened. ‘All right, Mum.’

      ‘Now, like it or not, you’re gonna have to marry the girl.’

      ‘Marry her! But—’

      ‘Shut up, Kevin. You’ll do as I say, and this is how we are going to handle it …’

      Bernie came into the room a little later, his face blanching when he heard that Kevin was the father of Pearl’s baby.

      ‘I’m ashamed of you,’ he spat. ‘How could you take down that nice, innocent girl?’

      Dolly reared to her feet, face suffused with colour. ‘Don’t you dare say that! Pearl threw herself at Kevin, and when it was so easily offered, how was he supposed to resist?’

      ‘Yeah, well, I didn’t, that’s for sure.’ As soon as the words left his mouth, Bernie stepped back, but Dolly was already advancing towards him. Christ, he was so upset about Pearl that he’d spoken without thinking, but he was too late to avoid Dolly’s huge hand, the slap across his face making his ears ring.

      ‘Don’t put me in the same class as Pearl Button,’ she yelled.

      ‘Sorry, love,’ Bernie placated as he rubbed his cheek, knowing that if he didn’t defuse the situation more of the same would follow. He should stand up to her, and should’ve done so from the start of their marriage, but she’d been pregnant with Kevin and, anyway, he couldn’t hit a woman. Oh, there had been times when he’d been tempted over the years, but despite everything she’d laid on him, he just couldn’t do it. Instead he found it easier to allow Dolly to rule, preferring the quiet life. ‘I shouldn’t have said that. You’re nothing like Pearl Button.’

      ‘Huh, I should think so too.’

      Bernie exhaled with relief as his wife sat down again, secretly thinking that the girl’s qualities were far superior to his wife’s. In the short time Pearl had been working for them he had come to admire her soft, gentle nature. She’d had a rotten life so far but she wasn’t bitter, yet as he listened to the plans that Dolly had made, his heart went out to the girl. Dolly would get her own way as usual, and Pearl didn’t stand a chance.

      Unable to resist, he said to Kevin, ‘So, Pearl threw herself at you?’

      ‘Well … yeah. She fancies me and made it plain.’

      Bernie eyed his son with distaste. Since childhood, Kevin blinked rapidly when lying, a dead giveaway, and he was doing it now. ‘I wouldn’t fancy being in your shoes when Derek Lewis finds out.’

      ‘Mum’s going to sort him out.’

      ‘Yes, you leave him to me,’ Dolly said. ‘I’ll go round to his place as soon as the market closes, but for now my head’s splitting and I’m off to have a lie-down. In the meantime, Bernie, it’s about time you dusted this room.’

      As the door closed behind his wife, Bernie saw the look of scorn Kevin threw at him. ‘Don’t look at me like that, son. After all, this shows you ain’t any better than me. Instead of facing Derek Lewis, you’re letting your mother fight the battle for you. I reckon you’re more a chip off the old block than you realise.’

      ‘I’m nothing like you! I wouldn’t let a woman lay a hand on me, and that’s something Pearl Button will find out.’

      Bernie swallowed the bile that rose in his throat. He didn’t doubt that Pearl would suffer at Kevin’s hands, and when she did, it would be his fault. Kevin had seen too much – witnessed him being beaten and humiliated, so much so that he was determined not to suffer the same fate. His eyes closed. Oh, Pearl, what have I done?

       Chapter Twenty-Three

      ‘What do you want?’ Connie Lewis asked when she opened the door to see Dolly on her doorstep.

      ‘I’d like a word with Derek.’

      Connie’s eyes narrowed suspiciously. Derek had come home from the market in an awful state, and she cursed Pearl Button. Just as she had feared, the girl had broken his heart, but even she’d been unprepared when he told her that Pearl was pregnant by another man. Now Dolly Dolby had turned up wanting to talk to Derek, and astutely she knew there could be only one reason.

      ‘I can guess why you’re here. Pearl’s pregnant and I reckon your no-good son is the father.’

      ‘Watch your mouth, Connie Lewis. That girl threw herself at my Kevin.’

      A voice roared from behind Connie and she nearly jumped out of her skin.

      ‘What did you say?’ Derek demanded, thrusting his gran to one side.

      ‘Look, I ain’t having a slanging match on the doorstep,’ Dolly said, imperiously pushing her way past Derek and into the small hall. She looked around swiftly before marching into the kitchen, Connie scurrying after her and Derek following with his fists clenched at his side.

      ‘If Kevin’s the one who got Pearl pregnant, I’ll bloody kill him!’

      ‘It takes two, Derek, and as I said, Pearl threw herself at my son.’

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