The Little Runaways. Cathy Sharp

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СКАЧАТЬ I ought to go now,’ Sally said. ‘I can’t thank you enough for what you’ve given me, Angela, and remember I owe you a favour.’

      ‘Forget the clothes. I should never wear them because of the memories they arouse. Now don’t say another word about them, and if you need to borrow shoes or anything for a special date just tell me …’

      Sally laughed. ‘You’re a real friend, Angela. I’m glad you came to St Saviour’s.’

      ‘So am I; it’s given me a new life,’ Angela said, and pecked at her cheek. ‘Are you all right walking or can you get a bus? I imagine it is a bit slippery out, because I think there was some more snow – just a sprinkling, thank goodness, but it can be treacherous to walk on.’

      ‘Don’t worry, I’ll go carefully. I’ll walk over the bridge and then take a bus,’ Sally said, picking up the bag of clothes. ‘Goodnight, Angela. I think your apartment is lovely … different and smart.’

      Angela accompanied Sally to the door and waved her hand until she was in the lift going down. Then she locked her door, collected the dirty dishes and took them into the small kitchen. As she did so she thought again about Mark and realised that she hadn’t seen him since Christmas. He’d been in and out of St Saviour’s over the last week or so but she had deliberately avoided him and he hadn’t rung to ask her out. She knew that her feelings of anger at him were silly and unfair. She’d missed his company and yet was somehow reluctant to repair the breach between them; Mark was at fault, he should come to her.

      Sighing, and feeling annoyed with herself, Angela ran a bath and slipped into the water scented with Yardley’s English Lavender. She knew she ought to talk to Mark about Nancy, because she had a feeling something was wrong with those children – something that wasn’t visible on the surface. Angela didn’t know why she felt so uneasy about them. St Saviour’s took in a lot of mistreated or damaged children, but there was something different about these two – something hidden.

      Perhaps, she should invite Mark over for a drink one evening and ask what he thought of the children. Angela trusted his judgement and if he thought all was well, she would keep her suspicions to herself.

      It was perhaps fate that Angela should bump into Mark a couple of days later when she went into the isolation ward. She’d made some lemon barley and was bringing a jug of it to the ward, and felt pleased when she saw that Mark was standing close to the boy’s bed with Staff Nurse Carole, checking the records. He turned as Angela entered and smiled, his eyes holding hers for just a moment.

      ‘Good morning, Angela. This young man was just saying he was thirsty.’

      ‘Yes, I came earlier to bring him something …’ Angela’s words died away as she saw her own teddy bear that she’d given to Terry. It was lying on the floor and its head had been torn off the body. The sight of her much-loved toy mutilated like that made Angela go cold all over. This was the teddy she given him to replace the one that Nancy said he’d lost in the fire. Why had he destroyed it?

      Glancing at Terry, she saw a gleam in his eyes and knew that he was waiting for her to say something. He looked expectant, wary but excited, as though he had deliberately done it to make her angry. Carefully keeping her expression blank, she poured two glasses of lemon barley and took one to Terry and then one to Nancy, standing them by the sides of the beds.

      ‘I’m sorry, miss.’ Nancy spoke in hushed tones, glancing anxiously at the nurse and Mark, who were talking and looking at her brother. ‘I know you meant it kindly, but it upset him. He didn’t mean to do it, but when he gets upset he sometimes does silly things.’

      ‘It is all right, Nancy,’ Angela managed, though she was upset. ‘It was only an old thing. I just thought he might like it.’

      ‘He will like it after I’ve mended it,’ Nancy said. ‘If I could have some sewing stuff – I’ve always looked after him, sewing buttons on and things …’

      Angela saw the frightened look in the girl’s eyes and reached down to touch her hand sympathetically. ‘Is that what you would like – some sewing things? I have some spare bits and bobs you could have if you like, and I could get you some material to make yourself a pretty dress you can wear for best.’

      ‘Sister Beatrice came earlier and told us I should join the others for meals and other things. I’ve been given two skirts and two blouses; they’re nice, better than my own clothes. She says I ought to go to school next week – but Terry isn’t well yet, miss. I can’t leave him or he’ll start screaming and breaking things; it was after she said that we should soon have to move to the dormitories that he did that …’ Nancy’s eyes flicked to the mutilated teddy bear. ‘Terry cried after he did it, miss. He wants me to mend it.’

      Angela looked at Terry, but his eyes were flashing and it wasn’t remorse that she saw there. She looked back at his sister reassuringly. ‘All right, Nancy. I’ll fetch the sewing things in my lunch hour and bring them for you.’ It was very unusual for the brother and sister still to be in the isolation ward almost two weeks after they were admitted; but because Terry still woke screaming sometimes, Sister Beatrice had thought it might be for the best until they could decide what to do with them, otherwise they might wake the other children in the dorms. ‘Why don’t you sit over there by the window and look at the garden as you work? It would be better than being in bed when you don’t have to be.’

      ‘I pretended to have a headache so Sister wouldn’t make me get up and leave him …’ Nancy shut up abruptly as Mark approached them, looking thoughtful.

      ‘Hello,’ he said, bending down to pick up the mutilated bear. ‘What happened to this?’

      ‘We had a fight over it,’ Nancy lied. ‘I’m going to mend it.’

      ‘Well, poor teddy,’ Mark said, and put the bear down on a chair. ‘You seem well recovered, Nancy. Sister says you can get up but don’t want to – would you tell me why, please?’

      ‘I can’t leave Terry. He’s frightened on his own and he’ll start screaming.’

      ‘Yes, I thought that might be it,’ Mark said. ‘Well, I’ll have a word with Sister Beatrice for you and see if we can sort something out.’ He looked at Nancy a moment longer and then turned to Angela. ‘If you’re going to your office, I’ll walk with you.’

      ‘I wanted to talk to you,’ Angela said hesitantly. She glanced towards Staff Nurse Carole at that moment and was surprised to see the annoyed expression on the attractive girl’s face. Her pale blue eyes glinted with ice, and Angela received the distinct impression that the girl had taken a dislike to her, though she had no idea why.

      She nodded her head at Carole and walked to the door. Mark opened it and held it for her, closing it quietly behind them.

      ‘That was your bear, wasn’t it?’ he asked. ‘I’ve seen it before – when we brought some of your stuff to London just before Christmas?’

      ‘Yes, it was mine; fancy you remembering. I think it was getting very fragile, but Terry lost his in the fire.’

      ‘So you gave it to him and he destroyed it.’ Mark frowned. ‘It was a shame after you’d had it all those years.’

      ‘It didn’t matter. I expect he is just upset. It may have reminded him of things he doesn’t want to remember.’

      ‘Very СКАЧАТЬ