Love or Duty--A saga set in 1920s Liverpool by Rosie Harris

instructions.’
    Penny squared her shoulders determinedly. ‘I’ll talk to my father as soon as I get home; I’m sure he will reconsider his decision when he hears what happened today.’
    â€˜I very much doubt it,’ Miss Grimshaw said sternly. ‘The other governors were in full agreement with him. The only thing I can advise you to do Penelope is to take an extended holiday. I will do my best to reinstate you at a later date after you have returned the child to its mother.’
    As the taxi approached Penkett Road Penny became apprehensive about how her own family would react when they heard the news about Kelly’s latest accident.
    She blamed her father; if he hadn’t interfered none of this would have happened, she told herself. She knew she daren’t say that to his face but she felt very resentful because by discussing Kelly with Miss Grimshaw he had made her life so much more difficult.
    Arnold would also be furious when he heard the news, she thought worriedly. He had made it clear from the outset that he wanted nothing to do with Kelly and he’d kept his word. Penny knew he couldn’t wait for Kelly to recover and to go home to her own family.
    Even so she found it very hurtful that she had barely seen anything of him over the last month. She was aware from the many rumours that her mother heard and seemed to delight in reporting back to her that he had been carrying on almost as if she didn’t exist.
    According to her mother’s reports Arnold spent most of his evenings and also his weekends at the tennis club. Whenever he attended any other social function or dance he escorted one of the girls from the tennis club.
    â€˜People are talking and wondering what is going on between the two of you,’ her mother repeatedly told her. ‘The next thing you know he will be breaking off your engagement and I dread to think how upset your father would be if that happened.’
    â€˜There’s nothing very much that I can do about it since you won’t look after Kelly in the evenings. If you did that then I could go out with him occasionally,’ Penny had pointed out rather tersely.
    â€˜Your father has strictly forbidden me to do so,’ Mrs Forshaw stated primly. ‘Not that I want to have anything to do with the child anyway.’
    â€˜I know you don’t want to help with her but Mary or Mrs Davies would do so if only you would let them,’ Penny reminded her.
    â€˜That is completely out of the question. Both Mary and Martha Davies are employed to work for us, not spend their time looking after some child from the Liverpool slums.’
    â€˜What on earth has happened now, Leonora Forshaw demanded as Mary ran to tell her that a taxi had pulled up outside the house and Miss Penny was helping Kelly out of it.
    â€˜I don’t know but the little girl seems to have her arm in a sling,’ Mary said breathlessly.
    As Penny helped Kelly into the house Mrs Forshaw frowned. ‘Another accident?’ she asked in an icy accusing tone.
    â€˜Yes, Mother. I’m afraid Kelly has had another accident and has broken her arm.’
    â€˜How very careless. First it was her leg and now it’s her arm. Does she do it on purpose?’
    Penny bit her lip to stop herself from answering and entering into an argument with her mother. She knew it would be pointless to do so and only antagonize her mother even more.
    It had been a long day for both of them and Penny felt quite relieved when Kelly asked in a tired little voice if she could go to bed and have her supper brought up to her.
    â€˜Of course you can if you are sure you want to do that,’ Penny agreed.
    She had to admit that Kelly did look tired and exhausted. There were traces of tears on her face and whether these were as a result from all she had gone through at the hospital that day or because she was upset because she sensed that she wasn’t wanted back at Penkett