Chapters (52)
- Cover
- Margaret Dickinson
- Dedication page
- Contents
- Part One
- One
- Two
- Three
- Four
- Five
- Six
- Seven
- Eight
- Nine
- Ten
- Eleven
- Twelve
- Thirteen
- Fourteen
- Fifteen
- Sixteen
- Part Two
- Seventeen
- Eighteen
- Nineteen
- Twenty
- Twenty-One
- Twenty-Two
- Twenty-Three
- Twenty-Four
- Twenty-Five
- Twenty-Six
- Twenty-Seven
- Twenty-Eight
- Twenty-Nine
- Thirty
- Thirty-One
- Thirty-Two
- Thirty-Three
- Thirty-Four
- Thirty-Five
- Thirty-Six
- Thirty-Seven
- Thirty-Eight
- Thirty-Nine
- Forty
- Forty-One
- Forty-Two
- Sow the Seed
- Note
- ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
- Copyright page
Kate rolled her head from side to side on the pillow.
‘Well, come on then . . .’
‘Just – leave me alone!’ she whimpered.
‘Oh sorry, I’m sure.’
The door opened and Isobel marched down towards them, coming to stand beside Mavis to stare down at Kate. ‘Oh, you’ve found her then?’
Mavis turned questioning eyes upon Isobel, who said, ‘One of the lads from MT said some bloke came to see her . . .’
‘Yes, it was Danny,’ Mavis put in. ‘You know, the famous Danny we’re always hearing about . . .’
‘Well, she came back and began throwing water all over the Humber,’ Isobel went on. ‘To coin his phrase, not mine, she was “bawling her eyes out and making a right pig’s ear of it”, until Chiefy sent her off duty.’
‘Eh?’ Mavis stared aghast. ‘Oh, heavens! Me putting my great size sevens right in it.’
‘As usual,’ Isobel murmured, but now they both looked down again at Kate, then they sat either side of her on the bed.
‘What’s the matter?’ Isobel asked.
‘Come on, Kate,’ Mavis coaxed. ‘You can tell us.’
‘He’s – he’s . . .’ Fresh tears spurted and Mavis pushed a handkerchief into her hands. ‘Getting married!’ Kate wailed.
‘Married? You – you mean – not to you?’
‘Of course she means not to her, idiot, or she wouldn’t be blubbering like this, would she?’ Isobel snapped.
‘Then – who?’
‘My – best – friend.’
‘Oh hell! That is rough,’ Isobel muttered, and for once there was real sympathy in her voice.
‘You don’t understand . . .’ Kate began, then stopped. How could she explain it all to them? It would sound very odd. She was in love with her own half-brother. No – no, she couldn’t tell them; certainly not Isobel, even though they were friends now, and not even the easy-going Mavis. It would sound decidedly odd to them.
She made a determined effort and pulled herself upright. ‘I’ll be – okay, honest,’ she sniffed and blew hard into the handkerchief. ‘It was just a – a shock. But really, I’d rather not talk about it. Best to try to forget, you know.’
They regarded her seriously for a moment, then, taking their cue from her, Mavis said, ‘That’s the spirit, girl. Tell you what, we’re off duty tonight. If his nibs doesn’t want you, we’re off down to the pub in the village. All right?’
Kate nodded. Anything, she thought, to blot out her own thoughts right now.