Forgive and Forget Read Online Free PDF Page B

Halli-day’s kindness but also at the gentle concern in Leo’s voice.
    Polly had grown up knowing Leo. Her earliest memories had been of him kicking a ball about in the street with lads of his own age. But despite being lavished with love and whatever his hardworking parents could give him, Leo was surprisingly unspoilt. He was well liked amongst his peers and popular at school, and even when he joined the police force he still retained the friends he’d always had.
    ‘By heck,’ they teased him, ‘we’ll have to mind our Ps and Qs now he’s to be a copper. He’ll run us in soon as look at us.’
    ‘That’s true.’ Leo would grin, giving back as good as he got. ‘I’ve warned me mam, if she dun’t toe the line, I’ll run her in an’ all.’
    They’d all laughed, but there was a grain of truth in Leo’s threat – or rather promise. If he became an upholder of the law, he meant to carry it out to the letter, no matter what.
    But now he was a police constable, albeit still in his probationary period, he saw his job as something more than just apprehending criminals. He meant to be a help to the community. And so he was happy to stand on the doorstep with a bowl of hot stew in his hands to help his neighbours.
    As little Polly Longden reached out to take the bowl, he noticed for the first time how she was growing up. To him she’d always been just the kid from up their street, the eldest of a family whose older son had the makings of a real tearaway.
    ‘You’ll have to watch that Eddie of theirs,’ his mother had always warned him. ‘He’s a bad ’un. He’ll be the death of his poor mam, if I’m not mistaken.’
    Well, the poor mother had died. It had not been young Eddie who’d caused it but the disease that was bringing such heartache and suffering to their lovely city, a city Leo now felt responsible for.
    Now, close to, Leo noticed Polly’s eyes for the first time – green and sparkling and her pretty little face surrounded by that glorious cloud of red curling hair. He saw too that there was a blush to her cheeks that he hoped wasn’t the start of the fever.
    ‘Thank you,’ she was saying shyly. As she took the bowl, he saw her hands tremble.
    ‘Careful.’ Leo laughed. ‘Don’t spill it.’
    ‘It’s very kind of your mam. Please thank her.’
    Leo nodded and his expression sobered. ‘She said you reckon your dad might be starting with the fever?’
    Polly bit her lip and nodded. ‘We’re waiting for the doctor now. I – I thought you were him. When you knocked, I mean.’
    ‘Is there anything else I can do for you? D’you want me to come in and wait with you?’
    ‘No, no – I wouldn’t want you to catch it. I mean – I don’t know if you can catch it exactly . . .’ Her voice trailed away.
    Leo shrugged. ‘Me neither, but I’ve been amongst it enough just lately that if I’m going to get it, well, I will. And me ma’s helping folks out all the time.’
    Polly nodded. ‘I know. She’s been very good to us.’
    There was a brief pause whilst they looked at each other; Polly with the bowl of stew in her hands that was becoming almost too hot to hold. But she wasn’t going to admit it – not whilst there was chance of talking to Leo for a few minutes longer.
    ‘There’s something else,’ Leo said. ‘Mam’s got chance of an old cot going begging. It wants doing up a bit, but she thought you might be glad of it.’
    ‘Ooo yes, please, Leo. Mebbe Dad could—’
    ‘That’s all right. I’ll have a go at it. Paint it up and that.’
    ‘That’d be grand.’ She felt herself close to tears at his kindness. ‘Baby’s sleeping in a drawer at the moment.’
    Leo smiled briefly. ‘I’d best be off. Don’t forget, if you need any help, just you let us know.’
    Polly gave a watery smile in response. As he turned away, she called, ‘Please thank yar mam.’
    He did not look back but raised his hand in acknowledgement.

Six
     
    ‘I can’t be one hundred per cent