Lost Angel Read Online Free PDF
Author: Kitty Neale
a gobstopper,’ Ellen said as she ran to Gertie’s side.
‘That’ll keep you quiet for all of five minutes.’
‘Gertie, you were a bit short with Mrs Brandon,’ Hilda complained.
‘She was just after gossip and I won’t give her, or anyone else in the village, the satisfaction of knowing my business. Now let’s get to the butcher’s and then we can go home.’
Hilda sighed. Unlike Gertie, she missed chatting to people – all right, gossiping if that’s what Gertie wanted to call it – but nowadays she didn’t get the chance. ‘While we’re there I’ll get some sausages and a bit of bacon, but why do you need to talk to him?’
‘Until I get new crops to sell money will be a bit tight, so at this time of year I take him one of my pigs for slaughter.’
‘No! No!’ Ellen yelped.
‘Oh, darn, I shouldn’t have said anything in front of her.’
‘It’s a bit late now,’ Hilda snapped as Ellen flung herself against her.
Gertie crouched down. ‘Listen, Ellen, you like eating roast pork, sausages, and bacon, don’t you? I raise pigs for food, not as pets – but I’m sorry, I should have warned you.’
‘Wh…what about the other one?’
‘She’ll be having a litter soon, and once weanedI’ll sell all the piglets but one which I’ll fatten up for next year. I know it all sounds awful to you, but it’s the way of life on farms and smallholdings.’
Ellen wasn’t mollified, but just then they were all distracted by the roar of an engine as a motorbike drove into the village. At first Hilda thought the driver was going to pass straight through, but then he suddenly braked. The man lifted his goggles, turned to look at her, and Hilda blinked, unable to believe her eyes.
The bag of shopping left her hand in shock and groceries spilled onto the pavement, unheeded as Hilda dashed forward. ‘Doug! Ohh…Doug,’ she cried, her face alight with joy.
Chapter 5
Ellen couldn’t stop smiling. Her dad was here, staying in the cottage, and almost immediately she saw a change in her mother. She was wearing make-up again, even when working outside, and instead of wrapping her hair in a turban, she wore it softly curled around her face.
Working side by side, they got on with the planting, but now her mother’s voice often rose in song as they put in row after row of vegetables. Ellen didn’t understand why she had to sleep with Gertie now. She’d rather have squashed in between her parents, especially as Gertie snored so loudly, but for some reason they wanted to be on their own. There were times too when her parents went off on the motorbike, leaving her feeling excluded, but then they’d come back, her mum rosy-cheeked and smiling, and her dad lifting her in the air, calling her his pumpkin again.
One morning, over a week later, the sun was shining, and Ellen was bashing the top of her egg as her parents chatted.
‘Travelling by train is murder now, Doug. Thank Gawd that bloke lent you his motorbike. It was good of him.’
‘Yeah, he’s a good mate, on board ship and off.’
‘I wish you hadn’t joined the navy. I hate it that you’re at sea with the constant danger from those German U-boats.’
‘I’d have been in just as much danger in the army.’
‘What’s a U-boat?’ Ellen asked.
‘It’s a German submarine. But enough talk about the war. I’ve only got another five days’ leave, so let’s make the most of it.’
‘I think you’re right,’ Gertie said, ‘and as we’ve done so much planting, why don’t the three of you go out on your own for a while?’
‘That isn’t a bad idea,’ Doug said.
‘You can take Bertie with you. I want to go into the village, but tomorrow we need to make a start on the salad crops.’
‘Some leave this is,’ joked Doug, ‘and there was I, expecting you women to spoil me for fourteen days. Come on, Ellen, get dressed and then we can explore the woods.’
Ellen rose eagerly to her feet, but as she did so she noticed a look
‘That’ll keep you quiet for all of five minutes.’
‘Gertie, you were a bit short with Mrs Brandon,’ Hilda complained.
‘She was just after gossip and I won’t give her, or anyone else in the village, the satisfaction of knowing my business. Now let’s get to the butcher’s and then we can go home.’
Hilda sighed. Unlike Gertie, she missed chatting to people – all right, gossiping if that’s what Gertie wanted to call it – but nowadays she didn’t get the chance. ‘While we’re there I’ll get some sausages and a bit of bacon, but why do you need to talk to him?’
‘Until I get new crops to sell money will be a bit tight, so at this time of year I take him one of my pigs for slaughter.’
‘No! No!’ Ellen yelped.
‘Oh, darn, I shouldn’t have said anything in front of her.’
‘It’s a bit late now,’ Hilda snapped as Ellen flung herself against her.
Gertie crouched down. ‘Listen, Ellen, you like eating roast pork, sausages, and bacon, don’t you? I raise pigs for food, not as pets – but I’m sorry, I should have warned you.’
‘Wh…what about the other one?’
‘She’ll be having a litter soon, and once weanedI’ll sell all the piglets but one which I’ll fatten up for next year. I know it all sounds awful to you, but it’s the way of life on farms and smallholdings.’
Ellen wasn’t mollified, but just then they were all distracted by the roar of an engine as a motorbike drove into the village. At first Hilda thought the driver was going to pass straight through, but then he suddenly braked. The man lifted his goggles, turned to look at her, and Hilda blinked, unable to believe her eyes.
The bag of shopping left her hand in shock and groceries spilled onto the pavement, unheeded as Hilda dashed forward. ‘Doug! Ohh…Doug,’ she cried, her face alight with joy.
Chapter 5
Ellen couldn’t stop smiling. Her dad was here, staying in the cottage, and almost immediately she saw a change in her mother. She was wearing make-up again, even when working outside, and instead of wrapping her hair in a turban, she wore it softly curled around her face.
Working side by side, they got on with the planting, but now her mother’s voice often rose in song as they put in row after row of vegetables. Ellen didn’t understand why she had to sleep with Gertie now. She’d rather have squashed in between her parents, especially as Gertie snored so loudly, but for some reason they wanted to be on their own. There were times too when her parents went off on the motorbike, leaving her feeling excluded, but then they’d come back, her mum rosy-cheeked and smiling, and her dad lifting her in the air, calling her his pumpkin again.
One morning, over a week later, the sun was shining, and Ellen was bashing the top of her egg as her parents chatted.
‘Travelling by train is murder now, Doug. Thank Gawd that bloke lent you his motorbike. It was good of him.’
‘Yeah, he’s a good mate, on board ship and off.’
‘I wish you hadn’t joined the navy. I hate it that you’re at sea with the constant danger from those German U-boats.’
‘I’d have been in just as much danger in the army.’
‘What’s a U-boat?’ Ellen asked.
‘It’s a German submarine. But enough talk about the war. I’ve only got another five days’ leave, so let’s make the most of it.’
‘I think you’re right,’ Gertie said, ‘and as we’ve done so much planting, why don’t the three of you go out on your own for a while?’
‘That isn’t a bad idea,’ Doug said.
‘You can take Bertie with you. I want to go into the village, but tomorrow we need to make a start on the salad crops.’
‘Some leave this is,’ joked Doug, ‘and there was I, expecting you women to spoil me for fourteen days. Come on, Ellen, get dressed and then we can explore the woods.’
Ellen rose eagerly to her feet, but as she did so she noticed a look
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