Eloquent Silence by Margaret Weise Page B

the house to where Annie was hanging out the washing on the clothesline at the rear of the house.
    ‘I’m not going out there to live under any circumstances,’ Annie said as she continued pegging up the little girls’ dresses. ‘Did he tell you what he said to me?’
    ‘No. What was that.’ A smile flashed across George’s broad, calm face as he awaited her reply.
    ‘He said if he got me out there I could yell as loud as I liked when he belted me and no one would hear me., or words to that effect.’ Annie turned away from him and resumed pegging out the washing.
    ‘Is that right?’ asked George with surprise written all over his face. A cheerful, down-to-earth man, George was not of the overbearing, egocentric type who rode roughshod over their womenfolk.
    ‘Yes, it’s right,’ Annie told him over her shoulder.
    ‘I’m sure he was only joking, Annie. It would be a great start for you two youngsters.’ George gave a twinkling smile as she turned towards him. An encouraging smile that Annie was not prepared to allow to sway her decision.
    White-faced, she walked over to speak to him in a low voice so that the neighbors would not hear. ‘No, George. It would be the finish for me. Of me. I’m sorry I can’t go along with your plan for this. It would be more than my life is worth.’
    There had been no chance of persuading Annie after that, even though both men tried for days to get around the words Conrad had spoken on their return from inspecting the property. Joking and making small talk over drinks in the evening until both were perceptibly tiddly while making all kinds of futile promises to Annie, cut no ice. She knew her husband well enough by then to realize the truth of the earlier conversation.
    Several days later, Conrad, who had been listening to the latest of many exchanges between Annie and George, peeled himself away from the door frame and walked off in disgust, making a kick at the dog as he passed. Fortunately, the dog, Mitzi, knew him well enough to remove herself from the area as quickly as possible.
    Foiled again by that miserable bitch of a wife of his, thought Conrad in displeasure. A man must have been crazy to marry the bastard. When I met her she was a positive and lively-minded girl. What happened to turn her into what she is now? Grimacing disapprovingly, he took a can of beer from the fridge and had a good swig. She won’t hold me back forever. I’ll beat her into shape yet and make her toe the line.
    ––––––––
    B ut on the night when Annie was trying to make up her mind how to break the news of the new pregnancy to seething Conrad, suddenly he stood in the kitchen doorway on his sturdy, stocky legs like tree trunks. He was glowering a further fierce warning at his wife whose face was streaked with tears and whose chin ran with blood.
    ‘Don’t tell anyone I hit you,’ he threatened ominously. ‘You’ll be sorry if you do.’ He looked straight at Annie who was pale and silent and wordless. His eyes glittered with barely suppressed rage. ‘Don’t you dare say anything,’ he repeated through set teeth.
    ‘There’ll be a bruise there tomorrow,’ she answered with as much defiance as she could muster. ‘They’ll be able to see for themselves.’ She knew that nothing could assuage his black moods once they set in and that she would simply have to grin and bear it to be able to come out the other side without further violence.
    Her arm was smarting where he had grabbed it to pull her towards him for the slap. To finish off, he gave her a deft backhand blow to the head to be going on with. She thought that should just about do it—just about work the poison out of his system for that night.
    ‘If you tell anyone you’ll be sorry, I’m warning you, Annie.’ His face was set in the usual grim line and the aura of danger still surrounded him. ‘Don’t antagonize me any further if you know what’s good for you.’
    He still spoke through his teeth in a