The Bobbin Girls Read Online Free PDF Page A

asked you last night and you were too tired. I ask you this morning and you’re too busy.’
    ‘This isn’t the moment. We both have to get to the mill.’ Lizzie was buttoning her coat, tying a scarf around her hair and feeling in her pockets for her gloves. She hadn’t been sleeping too well lately. Too much worrying, and felt tired and weary, like an old woman, though at forty-six she was far from that. She wasn’t surprised by her husband’s persistence; rather she’d been amazed how long it had taken him to discover what she was up to. She’d been writing letters for weeks now. All in vain.
    ‘It’s about our Alena, isn’t it? I thought I told you not to interfere.’ And Alena watched, appalled, as his hand lashed out, slapping Lizzie across the face so that she fell awkwardly against the table, the corner of it jabbing into her side. Alena felt her palms grow sticky with sweat as she ached to run down the stairs and defend her beloved mother. It wasn’t the first time she’d seen such a thing happen. Ray Townsen had a quick temper, everybody said so, but would the next instant be as sweet as pie with his poor wife, kissing her better and making cups of reviving tea. Alena had long since vowed that no man would treat her so roughly, however sorry he might be afterwards.
    Lizzie recovered her balance in seconds and, hand to her cheek where the livid marks of his fingers were already beginning to show, hissed back at him under her breath.
    ‘Will you hush? Do you want the child to hear?’ She made no reference to the slap. But then she never did, accepting it as her lot. ‘We’ll talk about this later, I tell you.’ She really didn’t want to talk about it at all, but supposed he had the right. Lizzie came out into the hall, still searching for her gloves, to stand unknowingly below her daughter, hiding above on the landing. Ray followed her and Alena sank further into the shadows, praying they wouldn’t see her, or hear the thud of her heart.
    ‘She’s been asking a lot of difficult questions lately, and I’m running out of ways to avoid answering them.’
    ‘You should never have lied to her in the first place.’
    ‘I didn’t lie! I’ve never lied to her. I simply haven’t told her everything, that’s all.’
    ‘You don’t know everything.’
    Lizzie turned on her husband, eyes blazing with anger. ‘That’s why I’m trying to find someone who does. Without much luck, I might tell you.’
    ‘And what difference would it make if you found your answers?’ he persisted.
    By way of reply Lizzie went to the bottom of the stairs and called: ‘We’re going, love. There’s some porridge on the stove. Don’t be late for school now.’
    ‘I won’t,’ Alena called back, trying to make her voice sound far away, which wasn’t too difficult since she felt as if she were choking. She didn’t move until the slam of the front door told her they were well on they’d gone. Even then she stayed where she was, shivering with emotion, and something cold and hard in the pit of her stomach that felt remarkably like fear.
    ‘Eavesdroppers hear no good of themselves.’ Tom’s low voice in her ear made her jump. She hadn’t even heard him approach.
    ‘I wasn’t eavesdropping.’
    ‘Yes, you were.’ His wide infectious grin seemed to stretch from ear to ear, and even as her mind struggled to make sense of what she had just heard and seen, Alena couldn’t help thinking it was no wonder her brother was so popular with the girls. He really was a handsome, devil-may-care sort of fellow, with his fair hair and melting brown eyes. But then she adored him too. The youngest of her four brothers, Tom was her favourite
    ‘Ma and Dad were quarrelling. Did you hear?’
    ‘Not a word.’
    Alena met his gaze directly and for the first time in her life knew that he lied. ‘Have you had your breakfast, child?’ he barked, in a fair imitation of Ray Townsen. And when she flung one leg over the banister rail