this,’ Albert warned him. ‘I say Josie stays here, so get in that car and go.’
‘I don’t trust you with Josie,’ Violet suddenly yelled out. ‘I wouldn’t put it past you to interfere with her.’
‘What did you say?’ Albert roared out, and the girls clung even tighter to each other, looking at the door of the house expecting to see a body come flying out of it. ‘I always knew you were a dirty-minded cow, but that’s sickening. Get out now!’
The girls ran for the woods behind the house, but from behind them they heard the sharp crack of a slap. Violet screamed, then they heard what sounded like the two men fighting for there were crashing noises as if furniture was being overturned.
‘What am I going to do?’ Josie asked. Her face drained of all colour.
‘I don’t know,’ Ellen replied. Her father was so strong she was afraid he would seriously hurt Violet’s brother, and that might lead to criminal charges. Yet what had really thrown her was her stepmother saying she wouldn’t put it past Dad to interfere with Josie. She knew exactly what that meant – only a few months ago a man from Padstow had been sent to prison for raping his daughter, and everyone in the neighbourhood had talked about it for weeks.
‘Would Dad really do that to me?’ Josie asked pitifully, beginning to cry.
‘Of course he wouldn’t,’ Ellen retorted. ‘She just wants to get her brother on her side. She deserves a good thumping for being so evil.’
Josie didn’t reply, but began to walk back towards the farmhouse, leaving Ellen all too aware that she’d lost all the new ground she’d made with her sister in the past few weeks, and once again her wretched stepmother had triumphed by pushing a wedge between them.
Ellen stayed in the woods for a few more minutes, wishing she hadn’t spoken out. Then, realizing her father might need someone on his side, she went back too.
Uncle Brian was slumped in one of the chairs outside the house, holding a bloody handkerchief to his mouth. There was no sign of Dad, but she could hear Josie and Mum opening and closing drawers upstairs.
Horrified, Ellen ran over to the barn and found her father sitting on a box, nursing bruised knuckles. ‘Is she leaving you for good?’ Ellen asked. While she was only too glad to see the back of her stepmother, she didn’t feel the same way about Josie.
‘I couldn’t be that lucky,’ he said dourly. ‘She’ll be back, but she’ll have ruined Josie by then.’
‘Don’t let her take her,’ Ellen implored him.
He looked up at her with troubled dark eyes. ‘I can’t stop her,’ he said, his voice cracking. ‘I tried to, but by bringing her brother here and making me mad enough to hit both of them, I’ve hung myself.’
Ellen realized he meant that if her stepmother did take legal proceedings, the law would be on her side. ‘Please go and speak to Josie before Mum takes her away,’ she pleaded. ‘Don’t let her go thinking you don’t care.’
When he didn’t move or speak, Ellen took that as a refusal and she turned and left the barn. Her stepmother was putting some bags into the boot of the car, her brother was already in the driving seat and Josie was just coming out of the house, her face streaked with tears.
‘Dad and I don’t want you to go,’ Ellen said, catching hold of both her sister’s arms. ‘We want you here.’
Josie pulled away from her. ‘Don’t make it any worse,’ she said, sniffing and rubbing her eyes.
‘Get in the car, Josie,’ her mother called out.
‘Don’t hate Dad and me for this,’ Ellen said in a whisper, not wanting her stepmother to hear. ‘Remember what we promised each other today, that we wouldn’t let her come between us any more.’
Josie just shrugged. Ellen couldn’t tell if that was agreement or her way of saying she didn’t care any more. She got in the back of the grey car and it roared off up the track. She didn’t even turn to wave.
Chapter Five
As
‘I don’t trust you with Josie,’ Violet suddenly yelled out. ‘I wouldn’t put it past you to interfere with her.’
‘What did you say?’ Albert roared out, and the girls clung even tighter to each other, looking at the door of the house expecting to see a body come flying out of it. ‘I always knew you were a dirty-minded cow, but that’s sickening. Get out now!’
The girls ran for the woods behind the house, but from behind them they heard the sharp crack of a slap. Violet screamed, then they heard what sounded like the two men fighting for there were crashing noises as if furniture was being overturned.
‘What am I going to do?’ Josie asked. Her face drained of all colour.
‘I don’t know,’ Ellen replied. Her father was so strong she was afraid he would seriously hurt Violet’s brother, and that might lead to criminal charges. Yet what had really thrown her was her stepmother saying she wouldn’t put it past Dad to interfere with Josie. She knew exactly what that meant – only a few months ago a man from Padstow had been sent to prison for raping his daughter, and everyone in the neighbourhood had talked about it for weeks.
‘Would Dad really do that to me?’ Josie asked pitifully, beginning to cry.
‘Of course he wouldn’t,’ Ellen retorted. ‘She just wants to get her brother on her side. She deserves a good thumping for being so evil.’
Josie didn’t reply, but began to walk back towards the farmhouse, leaving Ellen all too aware that she’d lost all the new ground she’d made with her sister in the past few weeks, and once again her wretched stepmother had triumphed by pushing a wedge between them.
Ellen stayed in the woods for a few more minutes, wishing she hadn’t spoken out. Then, realizing her father might need someone on his side, she went back too.
Uncle Brian was slumped in one of the chairs outside the house, holding a bloody handkerchief to his mouth. There was no sign of Dad, but she could hear Josie and Mum opening and closing drawers upstairs.
Horrified, Ellen ran over to the barn and found her father sitting on a box, nursing bruised knuckles. ‘Is she leaving you for good?’ Ellen asked. While she was only too glad to see the back of her stepmother, she didn’t feel the same way about Josie.
‘I couldn’t be that lucky,’ he said dourly. ‘She’ll be back, but she’ll have ruined Josie by then.’
‘Don’t let her take her,’ Ellen implored him.
He looked up at her with troubled dark eyes. ‘I can’t stop her,’ he said, his voice cracking. ‘I tried to, but by bringing her brother here and making me mad enough to hit both of them, I’ve hung myself.’
Ellen realized he meant that if her stepmother did take legal proceedings, the law would be on her side. ‘Please go and speak to Josie before Mum takes her away,’ she pleaded. ‘Don’t let her go thinking you don’t care.’
When he didn’t move or speak, Ellen took that as a refusal and she turned and left the barn. Her stepmother was putting some bags into the boot of the car, her brother was already in the driving seat and Josie was just coming out of the house, her face streaked with tears.
‘Dad and I don’t want you to go,’ Ellen said, catching hold of both her sister’s arms. ‘We want you here.’
Josie pulled away from her. ‘Don’t make it any worse,’ she said, sniffing and rubbing her eyes.
‘Get in the car, Josie,’ her mother called out.
‘Don’t hate Dad and me for this,’ Ellen said in a whisper, not wanting her stepmother to hear. ‘Remember what we promised each other today, that we wouldn’t let her come between us any more.’
Josie just shrugged. Ellen couldn’t tell if that was agreement or her way of saying she didn’t care any more. She got in the back of the grey car and it roared off up the track. She didn’t even turn to wave.
Chapter Five
As
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