Roxy's Baby Read Online Free PDF Page B

said you’d help me.’ In the end that was all that mattered, that they would help her.
    Mrs Dyce drew in a long sigh. ‘The first thing I’m going to tell you, or advise you, is to go home. Things probably aren’t half as bad as you think.’
    Here we go again, Roxy thought, no one really wants to help. They just want to send me back. ‘No! Can’t do that. You don’t understand.’ Her voice became as soft as a mouse’s whisper. ‘I’m going to have a baby.’
    She knew by their reaction that this wasn’t news to them. Doreen had filled them in on this too.
    â€˜You want to go somewhere safe, with us? Now?’ Mr Dyce said softly.
    All her mother’s warnings of never going off with strangers rang in her mind. ‘But why are you doingthis? Why should you want to help me?’ she asked them.
    Mrs Dyce sighed. ‘I was in your position once, a long time ago. My parents made me go to a home … for unfortunate girls.’ She paused as if the memory still hurt. ‘They made me have my baby adopted. I wasn’t able to have any more.’ At that Mr Dyce clutched at her hand. ‘So I decided that I would never let that happen to any other girl if I could help it.’
    â€˜We have a nice house in the country,’ Mr Dyce said. ‘There are other girls there. You could come with us today … it would give you time to decide what you want to do.’
    â€˜You won’t tell on me … even though I’m under age.’
    Mrs Dyce shook her head. ‘We won’t tell. Though we would still advise you to go home.’
    Roxy felt better, in spite of her misgivings. If they were advising her to go home, then they must have her best interests at heart, surely? It would be OK. She was sure of it.
    â€˜Mr Dyce will go and get the car. You wait at the front door, I’ll just go and make sure I’ve paid for all this.’
    Mr Dyce left by the side door and as Roxy waitedoutside the cafe she began to feel tired and sleepy. Being pregnant was exhausting. Too much on her mind, too much happening.
    It was almost five minutes before Mr Dyce’s car appeared at the corner, and by that time all Roxy wanted was to sit down and rest. He drove a wood-trimmed Morris Minor estate, and that seemed like an omen too. It was her dad’s favourite car. ‘You can always trust a man who drives a Morris Minor,’ he would say, laughing. She was sure that car was a message. A message from her dad saying she was doing the right thing.
    Mr Dyce beckoned her over. ‘I got lost. It’s all oneway streets here. Don’t tell Mrs Dyce.’ And he winked at her, and there was her dad again.
    Roxy climbed into the back seat. A moment later Mrs Dyce appeared from the side entrance and climbed into the front seat. She turned and smiled at Roxy. ‘I know you must be worried. We’re perfect strangers and here you are going off with us in a car. Normally, I’d be telling you never to be this stupid. But these are strange circumstances that you’re in. On the streets, anything could happen. At least, I know you’ll be safe with us. Me and Mr Dyce.’
    Roxy didn’t answer her. Her mind was in a turmoil,and she ached all over. She felt her eyes grow heavy as she leaned back and watched as the car sped out of London.

Chapter Six
    They were fascinating to watch, this Mr and Mrs Dyce. She fussed around him like a mother hen, picking flecks of dust from his jacket, patting down his hair, constantly touching him. He drove like some old duffer who had just passed his test. Twenty-eight miles an hour, weaving across the white line and fiddling with the air conditioning, winding the windows up and down, trying to find the right channel on the radio.
    Both of them wanted to listen to some play. ‘You don’t mind, do you, dear?’ Mrs Dyce turned and asked her.
    Roxy didn’t mind. She was tired, felt her