Kitty Neale 3 Book Bundle. Kitty Neale

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СКАЧАТЬ and I thought Amy would be more … more forgiving. I … I’m still deeply hurt that your father left me for another woman, and … and …’ Celia stuttered, forcing tears to her eyes.

      ‘Mum, please, don’t get upset again.’

      ‘I … I think I’ll go to bed,’ Celia said as she stood up. As always, Thomas couldn’t bear to see her crying; the weapon a useful one. She had won again and as she didn’t want that slut of a girl in her home, nothing would induce her to apologise. She’d planted another seed against Amy, showing her to be unforgiving, and one day soon Celia hoped all her barbs would come to fruition.

      Amy had finished sewing the hem of a skirt that had come loose and Phyllis said, ‘With Rose getting married at the end of August, we’ll have to sort out something to wear.’

      ‘Mum, you never had a good word to say about Rose. What changed your mind?’

      Phyllis sighed. She wasn’t proud of herself, and was determined that in future she wouldn’t be a prude, or listen to gossip. ‘I jumped to the wrong conclusion about Rose and Tommy’s dad, and about a lot of other things too. She’s not as bad as she’s been made out to be, but no doubt the gossips will be tearing her to shreds now that she’s going to marry Samuel Jacobs.’

      ‘He is a bit old for her, Mum.’

      ‘Yes I know, and rich, but he knows that Rose doesn’t love him so it’s not as if she’s making a monkey out of him. He was lonely, but now Rose takes care of him and it’s given him a new lease of life,’ Phyllis said, but then recalling her conversation with Rose she giggled. Old or not, it seemed that Samuel Jacobs was still capable of having an active sex life, but it wasn’t something she could tell Amy.

      ‘What’s so funny?’ Amy asked.

      ‘Nothing … nothing, love,’ Phyllis said, relieved then that Stan walked in.

      ‘Hello, my lovelies,’ he said, grinning.

      ‘You’re drunk,’ Phyllis said.

      ‘No, I’m not. If you think that you should see Frank Cole. When I left he could hardly stand up.’

      ‘Carol’s worried about him,’ Amy said. ‘He’s so hungover every morning and since losing his job he hasn’t tried to find another one.’

      ‘Well, I don’t know what they’re going to do for money then,’ Phyllis said. ‘It’s a crying shame. The man’s gone to pieces since Daphne left him.’

      Stan walked over and perched himself on her lap, saying with a grin, ‘I’m so irresistible that I don’t have to worry about you walking out on me.’

      ‘Don’t kid yourself and get off me, you daft bugger,’ Phyllis appealed. ‘You weigh a ton and you’re squashing my legs.’

      ‘A ton! Now you’ve offended me,’ Stan said.

      ‘I’ll do more than offend you if you don’t move.’

      ‘Give me a kiss and I might.’

      ‘Oh, all right,’ she said, kissing him on the cheek.

      ‘I suppose that will have to do for now,’ Stan said as he stood up.

      Phyllis looked at Amy, saw that her daughter was grinning, and said, ‘I don’t know what’s so funny.’

      ‘You two are,’ Amy said. ‘The way you carry on at times is hilarious, but I’m off to bed now.’

      ‘Not before you kiss your poor downtrodden dad too.’

      ‘I’ll give you downtrodden,’ Phyllis threatened.

      ‘See what I mean. I married a dragon,’ Stan said, appealing to Amy.

      It didn’t work, and with a swift kiss on her father’s cheek she shot upstairs, her laughter trailing behind her.

      ‘Right, Stan, what’s this about a dragon?’ Phyllis asked.

      ‘You know I was only joking, and now that Amy’s out of the way, I’ve got something to tell you.’

      Phyllis listened, and though she had suspected that if Amy continued to see Tommy this would eventually happen, her stomach turned over. ‘Oh, Stan,’ she whispered. ‘I wasn’t expecting this yet.’

      ‘I know, love, I know, but it’s sure to be a long engagement so we aren’t losing our daughter yet.’

      His words made Phyllis feel marginally better and soon after they went to bed where she found a measure of comfort in her husband’s arms. She thought about warning Amy that Tommy was going to propose, that it would give her daughter time to think long and hard about her answer – yet even if she did, Phyllis knew that Amy would still say yes.

      There was no denying that Tommy and Amy loved each other, and when they eventually got married, at least there’d be something to look forward to. Grandchildren, Phyllis thought, smiling a little now as she at last drifted off to sleep.

       Chapter Twenty-Two

      Amy woke up on Saturday morning, her eighteenth birthday, wishing that she didn’t have to go to work. At least the shop would be busy, and she’d made friends with Doreen, who’d been taken on when Linda had been sacked. Doreen was funny and they shared a few laughs when they got the chance, so with any luck the time would pass quickly and then tonight she would be going out with Tommy. Though it wasn’t a big occasion like a twenty-first birthday, Tommy had told her earlier in the week that he had planned something special.

      After yawning and stretching out her arms, Amy got out of bed. Her parents didn’t work on Saturdays, but when she went downstairs Amy found that they were both up and seeing her, they smiled.

      ‘Happy Birthday,’ her mother said, giving her a hug, which was followed by one from her father.

      Amy was then given a birthday card and a flat box tied with a ribbon. She eagerly opened it, smiling with delight when she found a pretty silver bracelet inside. ‘I love it. Thanks Mum, thanks Dad,’ she said, kissing them both.

      ‘I’m glad you like it,’ her mum said.

      Amy then read her card, misty-eyed at her parents’ words of love. Breakfast followed, and they had only just finished eating when there was a knock on the door, her mum letting Mabel in.

      ‘Happy Birthday, Amy,’ she said, passing another envelope and package. ‘I wanted to catch you before you left for work.’

      ‘Oh, thank you,’ Amy enthused, quickly reading the nice card and then opening the package to find a manicure set in a small tapestry case. ‘This is lovely and just what I need,’ she said, hugging her.

      ‘That’s good,’ Mabel said, ‘but I’d best be off.’

      ‘Thanks again,’ Amy called as the woman left. It was all a rush then to get ready for work, and after her parents СКАЧАТЬ