A Mother's Trust Read Online Free PDF Page A

some excuse. I say give him a chance, Phoebe. I don’t know what you’re waiting for, but you no get a knight in shining armour in Clerkenwell.’
    The rays of the setting sun turned the River Thames into a stream of molten lava as it flowed past Pigs Quay on the ebb tide. A cloud of smoke and fumes from the city gas works hung in the still warm air like a feather mattress suspended above the chimney tops. The sky was streaked blood red and purple and heat rose from the cobblestones, making each step that Phoebe took feel as though she were walking on hot coals. There was an eerie stillness as the ships, barges, wherries and lighters had moored for the night and their crews had either gone home or disappeared into the many pubs dotted along the river’s edge. The setting might have been romantic had it not been for the putrid odours arising from the mud and the general city stench of sewage and rubbish left to rot at the roadside, but Phoebe was not in the mood to listen to Gino’s sweet talk. Her mind had been elsewhere all through the evening meal and even now, with Gino holding her hand, she could think of nothing but the desperate situation brought about by her mother’s affair with a notorious gangster.
    ‘You haven’t heard a word I’ve said.’ Gino took both her hands in his and squeezed them gently.
    ‘I’m sorry.’ She met his anxious gaze with an apologetic smile. ‘I’m just a bit worried about Ma. You saw how poorly she was today.’
    ‘I saw only that she was drunk. You can’t live your life for your mamma. She thinks only of herself.’
    Gazing down at the water, Phoebe shuddered as a body floated past, face down with his arms outstretched as if the corpse was flying towards the sea. Gino released her hands and placed his arm around her shoulders. ‘Don’t look, cara. It’s a common enough sight but not one you should see.’
    Phoebe dashed her hand across her eyes. ‘Poor man. What dreadful misfortune could have made him take his own life?’
    ‘He might simply have fallen overboard and drowned, or perhaps he was dead drunk.’
    ‘It’s such a sad ending for anyone. He must have a family somewhere who will miss him and mourn for him. Perhaps he has a wife and children waiting for him at home.’
    ‘Don’t think about it, Phoebe. He could just as easily be a bad man who will be missed by no one.’
    ‘Even so, he looks so lonely floating out to sea on the tide.’
    ‘The river police will fish him out and take the corpse to the dead house. He will be taken care of.’ Gino turned her to face him, laying the tip of his finger on her lips. ‘Forget the unfortunate one, cara. I didn’t bring you here to make you sad.’
    The sincerity in his eyes and the gentleness in his voice was balm to Phoebe’s troubled mind. She smiled. ‘You’re a good friend, Gino.’
    ‘I want to be more than that. You know how I feel about you.’
    She shook her head. ‘Please don’t say any more. I don’t want to hurt your feelings but this isn’t the right time.’
    ‘Why not? Why won’t you let me speak about what is in my heart?’
    ‘There are things you don’t know, Gino. Things that I cannot tell anyone, not even you.’
    ‘You can trust me, cara. I would lay down my life for you. Marry me, Phoebe. Be my wife and let me take care of you forever.’
    She had known for months that he was trying to pluck up the courage to propose. Thus far she had managed to evade the issue, but a moment’s lapse of concentration, combined with the upset of seeing a drowned man floating downriver had made her drop her guard. Now she must face the consequences and give him his answer. Looking into his eyes, she saw both hope and fear. She felt his body tremble as he let his arm fall to his side. They were standing only inches apart but she was certain she could hear his heartbeats. ‘I’m very fond of you, Gino. You’re my dearest friend, but I can’t marry you.’
    Why? His lips formed the word but no