Set Me Free Read Online Free PDF Page B

vulnerable child hurt by the person who should have loved her most.
    A year passed and Lara seemed to improve. She kept the picture of her mum in her diary, and many times I’d seen her looking at it, studying it as if she could somehow get her back, bring her back to life, be reunited with her.
    I could feel her heartbreak, I could feel the fury she carried inside her and had nowhere to go, a fury that must have been a thousand times stronger than mine. It was bound to spill out of her sooner or later, unstoppable, like a black flood. My heart bled for my daughter, and I held my breath, knowing in my bones that a storm was on the way.
    And it came. One weekend, to my surprise, Ash decided to take the children for Sunday lunch at their grandparents’ house, which was a very rare occurrence. Apparently, Harriet had summoned them. Them , not me. It was generally advisable for the two of us to avoid each other. My mother-in-law always thought her son had married down. After all, I was a daughter of humble bakers, Italian immigrants. It’s a wonder they came to our wedding – in all photographs we took that day, Harriet looked like she was drinking curdled milk.
    Later that day, Ash came home livid. He dropped Lara and Leo at the house without a word, ignoring my questions, and went for a drive. Lara looked mutinous and mortified at the same time, a tangle of emotions that I was left to deal with, and Leo was very pale and very quiet. I settled Leo in front of CBeebies so that Lara and I could talk.
    â€œWhat happened?” I asked as she leaned on the kitchen island, her body language tense and unsettled.
    â€œWell, Grandma was sort of horrible in general. She asked me if they teach us manners where I come from.”
    I gasped. The bitch!
    â€œI couldn’t think of a smart remark fast enough, but Leo said, ‘Lara comes from England, like me,’ and gave her a look, you know that look he does when he’s mad at you? It was funny.”
    â€œDid you say anything?” I asked, fearing the answer.
    â€œNo. But then Leo toppled the gravy boat and there was gravy everywhere. Apparently that was an expensive linen tablecloth.” She rolled her eyes.
    â€œThe perfect choice for when you have a three-year-old at your table!”
    â€œExactly. Leo was mortified, he was bright red and I thought he would cry. Dad shouted at him and then at that point he did cry. Grandma said he deserved a good spanking, and I couldn’t help it, Mum, I tried, but I was so angry. I don’t want anyone to hit Leo . . .”
    Like her father did to her, I thought, and my heart broke.
    â€œLara, I understand you wanted to defend him. I really do. I would feel the same if that woman ever tried to lay a hand on Leo.”
    â€œYou don’t know what I did.” She looked down. I felt my blood run cold.
    â€œWhat did you do?”
    â€œI threw the gravy boat at her.”
    â€œOh, Lara.” I rubbed my forehead. There was no excuse for that.
    â€œIt didn’t hit her. It landed on the floor and it shattered. It was horrible. She said nothing like that ever happened at her table. That I was crazy and probably my parents were crazy, too, and—”
    â€œOkay. Okay. We have established she’s a complete . . . witch, but Lara, seriously, you don’t throw stuff at people!” I said, aware of how lame my reprimand sounded. Of course she knew that.
    â€œI swear I couldn’t help it, Mum.” Her eyes were shiny and she was wringing her hands, the way she did when she was upset. My heart went out to her, but I steeled myself.
    â€œLara, you need to try to control yourself! You’ll get into a huge amount of trouble.”
    â€œI know, I’m sorry,” she said, and I could hear tears in her voice. One moment later she began to sob, lifting herself up on a stool and taking her face in her hands. I wrapped an arm around her shoulder.
    â€œLook.