Family Drama 4 E-Book Bundle. Leah Fleming
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Название: Family Drama 4 E-Book Bundle
Автор: Leah Fleming
Издательство: HarperCollins
Жанр: Современная зарубежная литература
isbn: 9780007532445
isbn:
‘Yes, it is strange, but it’s just as well she came in. If she hadn’t, I dread to think what would have happened.’
‘Me too, love and you should have seen the state of the place. Still, Nora will be all right now. We’ll take good care of her until someone in her family turns up.’
‘Huh, and you call me soft. You’re just as bad.’
‘Yeah, well, keep it to yourself. I don’t want the customers to think I’m an easy touch.’
‘There’s no chance of that,’ Pearl said, yet smiling fondly at Bessie.
It was only a little later when the door opened with a ping, and Pearl saw that Bernie had returned. ‘Has Johnny been good?’
‘He always is. Talk about a placid nipper. As agreed, I’ll pick him up at nine on Saturday and that will give us a couple of hours with him before we go.’ His eyes saddened. ‘Dolly’s gonna be heartbroken to leave him – me too.’
Bernie leaned over the pram, gently kissing Johnny on the cheek, and he gurgled with pleasure. ‘’Bye, lad. Grandpa will see you on Saturday.’
Johnny’s chubby hands reached out to touch Bernie’s face, and suddenly Pearl felt selfish. Bernie and Dolly were Johnny’s grandparents and, other than her, the only family he had. She’d been an orphan, with no relatives of her own, and now she was depriving her son of his only family. She still couldn’t bear the thought of letting them have Johnny for the weekend, but maybe she could take him to see them occasionally? In the meantime, she still had to carry on with the charade.
‘The rental on the cottage has been finalised now so we’re all sorted,’ Bernie said. ‘It’s a nice little place and we’ll be fine there for a while. We’ll be going down in Kevin’s car. There’s no sense in leaving it to rot.’
‘I didn’t know you could drive, Bernie.’
‘Of course I can, love, but it’s been years since I had a car.’
‘Oh dear, are you sure you’re not out of practice?’
He grinned. ‘Don’t worry, I’ll be fine, and when he comes to stay Johnny won’t come to any harm with me.’
Pearl lowered her eyes. Yes, Johnny might be safe with Bernie, but after Kevin’s warning, she still couldn’t say the same about Dolly.
On Friday morning, Pearl was rearranging the window display when she saw Derek Lewis talking to a costermonger. Across the distance he saw her, and then, crossing the road, he stood outside, looking at the picture in the window that hadn’t sold. For a moment he studied it, and then he came into the shop.
‘Is that painting of the market one of yours, Pearl?’
‘Yes, but it isn’t one of my best.’
‘I can see my old stall, and I’d like to buy it.’
‘You don’t have to do that. You can have it for nothing.’
‘Thanks, but I’d rather pay.’ His eyes flicked around the shop. ‘Where’s Bessie?’
‘She’s upstairs. Nora’s staying with us for a while and they’re sorting her room out.’
‘What, nutty Nora? Oh, sorry, I know you don’t like to hear her called that, but why is she staying here?’
Pearl briefly explained and Derek said, ‘I don’t think she’s got any other relatives.’
‘Not even distant ones?’
‘Not as far as I know.’
Johnny jiggled in his pram, arms waving as he gurgled happily. Derek smiled. ‘Bit of a bruiser you’ve got there, Pearl.’
‘Yes, that’s what everyone says.’
‘How are you coping?’
‘I’m fine. What about you? Are you enjoying your job at the gym?’
‘Yes, but I still miss the market at times.’ He paused, licked his lips and then said, ‘Like me, Gran thinks there’s more to your story than meets the eye. Are you still sticking to it, Pearl?’
‘Well, it wasn’t quite like Dolly presented it, but it doesn’t matter. It’s all water under the bridge now.’
‘It wasn’t just Dolly, there was Kevin too. He told me that he wasn’t the first to … well, sleep with you.’
‘What!’
‘It’s all right, Pearl. I know now that he was lying.’
‘Oh, Derek … how could he?’
‘Self-preservation, love, and, knowing what I’d do to him, I ain’t surprised. I’m just annoyed that I believed him. Despite your denial, I still reckon that like that other girl, he raped you.’
Pearl shook her head. There had been enough lies and Derek deserved the truth. ‘No, as I told you before, he didn’t rape me. Like a fool, I was flattered by Kevin’s attention and couldn’t believe he was interested in someone like me. I should have stopped him, I know that, but I didn’t. I’ll never forgive myself for hurting you, and hope one day you’ll find happiness with someone else.’
He was quite for a moment, but then said, ‘All right, Pearl, and thanks for being honest. As for finding someone else, well, I’ve got a date tonight.’
‘Have you? Oh, that’s wonderful.’ Pearl kicked herself. She sounded over-enthusiastic, but finding that Derek had moved on lifted her spirits. ‘Do I know her?’
‘I don’t think so. Her name’s Jessica Bailey and she brought her son to the gym to ask about boxing lessons.’
‘Her son?’
He smiled faintly. ‘She’s a widow. But enough about me. How much is the painting?’
‘Please, Derek, let me give it to you as a gift.’
For a moment she thought he was going to refuse, but then he said quietly, ‘All right, and thanks.’
She lifted it down. Derek took it from her hands and held it up. ‘Yes, look, that’s my stall, and I can even see china on display.’
Pearl looked at it too, but critically, once again thinking that she hadn’t got the proportions right. Oh, she missed art classes, missed sketching. Bessie had insisted that she keep any money from the sale of her pictures, and she was so grateful, saving hard for a few materials.
‘I hear on the grapevine that Bernie and СКАЧАТЬ