Divided Loyalties Read Online Free PDF Page A

her sister tightly, ashamed of herself.
    ‘Yep. He’s great. He did the test with me. If I could only drag him away from his bloody glasshouses and tunnels he’d be perfect,’ Carrie said ruefully.
    ‘Men and their work.’ Shauna shook her head. ‘You’ll never believe it,’ she added slowly, ‘but last night I asked Greg if
we
could try for another
baby.’
    ‘And?’ Carrie arched an eyebrow at her expectantly.
    Shauna wrinkled her nose. ‘He wasn’t too keen. He more or less said we’re only just getting back to something like normal after having Chloe. I just think now’s the time
to go for it, so that they’ll be company for each other. I’d really love Chloe to have a sister or brother. I don’t want her to be an only child. It must be lonely. If I
didn’t have you I don’t know what I’d do.’ Her voice wobbled and to her dismay she burst into tears.
    ‘Hey, hey, what’s wrong?’ Carrie looked at her in concern before putting her arms round her and giving her a comforting squeeze.
    ‘I don’t know.’ Shauna sniffled. ‘I suppose Greg’s attitude doesn’t help, and then bloody Della on the phone, and Dad being in hospital and me feeling guilty
about you being up all night, especially now, knowing that you’re pregnant. Sorry, I know it all sounds very me, me, me, and you’ve enough on your plate too. It must be my
hormones,’ she wept, her words almost incoherent.
    She knew why she was crying but she couldn’t say it to her sister. She couldn’t say that when she had measured Greg’s attitude to having children against Dan’s, her
husband had fallen far short and it hurt. Desperately. She wanted to be loyal to Greg but all she felt was resentment surging through her.
    ‘Don’t worry about last night. Didn’t you collect Olivia for me today and let me get some shut-eye? Aren’t we going in to see Dad together? Don’t beat yourself up
about it, Shauna.’
    ‘It’s just that you’re so kind to him and I’m such a bitch to him. I don’t feel any love for him, I’m just angry at him.’
    ‘We’re different, Shauna. You stood up to him. I don’t have your pluck, I tried to deal with it in other ways, more passively, I suppose. It doesn’t mean that I agree
with him all the time or like the way he behaves,’ Carrie said wearily.
    Shauna wiped her eyes. ‘You’re just a kind person, Carrie, and, let’s face it, I’m a wagon.’
    ‘No you’re not,’ her sister said stoutly. ‘Stop crying, now. Here’s Olivia.’
    ‘Mammy, look what I found.’ Olivia danced across the sand waving a small crab. Her cheeks were bright from the fresh air and the bracing breeze whipped her copper pigtails around her
face.
    ‘Ah the poor little thing. Is he alive or dead?’ Carrie asked, peering at the crab.
    ‘Dead as a dodo,’ Davey assured her. ‘Couldn’t have him for tea.’
    ‘You’re not going to eat my crab,’ Olivia protested.
    ‘Don’t start,’ warned Carrie as the pair squared up for a row.
    ‘But Mom,’ her son objected. ‘I only said—’
    ‘Enough. You’ve got five minutes left and then we’ve to go and see Grandpa.’
    ‘I’m going to have a funeral for my crab,’ Olivia announced mournfully. ‘You can all come.’
    ‘A funeral for a
crab
!’ Davey scoffed.
    Carrie quelled him with a look as Shauna stifled a giggle, amused at their carry-on. Chloe gurgled happily, adding her tuppence-worth, kicking her little wellington-clad feet happily over the
edge of her buggy, delighted to be with her cousins. ‘Out, out,’ she entreated, arms outstretched, straining at the straps that held her prisoner.
    ‘Come on then,’ Shauna relented, opening the clasp and releasing her daughter from her captivity. Chloe, ecstatic at her freedom, legged it for the sea. She was in much better form
today and her cheeks weren’t as red. The tooth was finally through. At last, Shauna thought gratefully as she called on her daughter to be careful.
    ‘Don’t