Anne Perry's Christmas Vigil Read Online Free PDF

protested again, standing her ground even though she must have been able to see as well as Gracie could that Stan was angry. “ ’E weren’t wi’ Uncle Alf’s—”
    â€œDon’t talk nonsense!” Bertha snapped at her,putting the knife down and raising her hand as if she would slap Minnie Maude around the ears if she did not keep quiet. But it was not anger Gracie could see in her eyes. Gracie was suddenly, in that instant, quite sure that it was fear. She lifted her foot and gave Minnie Maude a sharp kick on the ankle.
    Minnie Maude gasped and turned sharply.
    â€œI’m lost an’ all,” Gracie said. “An’ yer aunt Bertha’s right, I got chores, too. Can yer show me which way I gotta go? If yer please?”
    Shoulders slumped again, wiping her face with her sleeve to hide the tears, Minnie Maude led the way out the back door, past Charlie’s empty stable, and into the street.
    â€œYer right,” Gracie said when they were beyond where Bertha or Stan could hear them. “There’s summink wrong, but yer uncle Stan don’t like yer pokin’ inter it, an’ I think yer aunt Bertha’s scared o’ summink.”
    â€œShe’s scared of ’im,” Minnie Maude said witha shrug. “ ’E’s got a nasty temper, an’ Alf in’t ’ere no more ter keep ’im in ’and, like. Wot are we gonna do?”
    â€œYer gonna do yer chores, like I am,” Gracie replied firmly.
    Minnie Maude’s mouth pulled tight to stop her lips from trembling. She searched Gracie’s face, hope fading in her. She took a shaky breath.
    â€œI gotta think!” Gracie said desperately. “I … I in’t givin’ up.” She felt hot and cold at once with the rashness of what she had just said. Instantly she wished to take it back, and it was too late. “In’t no sense till we think,” she said again.
    â€œYeah,” Minnie Maude agreed. She forced a rather wobbly smile. “I’ll go do me chores.” And she turned and walked away, heading into the rain.
    Gracie went to help Mr. Wiggins, as she did every other day, running errands and cleaning out the one room in which he lived, scrubbing, doing laundry, and making sure he had groceries. Hepaid her sixpence at the end of each week, which was today. Sometimes he even made it ninepence, if he was feeling really generous.
    â€œWot’s the matter wif yer, then?” he asked as she came into the room from outside, closing the rickety door behind her. She went straight to the corner where the broom and the scrubbing brush and pail were kept. “Got a face on yer like a burst boot, girl,” he went on. “In’t like you.”
    â€œSorry, Mr. Wiggins. I got a friend in trouble.” She glanced at him briefly with something like a smile, then picked up the broom and started to sweep. Her hands were so cold she could hardly hold the wooden shaft firmly enough.
    â€œÂ â€™Ave a cup o’ tea,” he suggested.
    â€œI in’t got time. I gotta clean this up.”
    â€œYer ’ere ter please me or yerself, girl?”
    She stared at him. “I’m ’ere ter clean the floor an’ fetch yer tea an’ bread an’ taters.”
    â€œYe’re ’ere ter do as I tell yer,” he contradicted.
    â€œYer want the floor cleaned or not?”“I wan’ a cup o’ tea. Can you tell me why yer look like yer lost sixpence an’ found nothin’? Put the kettle on like I said.”
    She hesitated.
    â€œÂ â€™Nother threepence?” he offered.
    She couldn’t help smiling at him. He was old and crotchety sometimes, but she knew that most of that came from being lonely, and not wanting anyone to know that it hurt him.
    â€œI don’ need threepence,” she lied. “I’ll get a cup o’ tea. I’m fair froze any’ow.” Obediently she