The Favourite Child Read Online Free PDF

filled with pain and fear. Lizzie was ten years old now and surely past the most dangerous stages of childhood. Besides, she was a grand help to her mother with the little ones. How would she manage without her? The hand that held the spoon began to tremble and Bella gently took it from her. ‘Here, let me. I’ll see if I can get her to take it. The label says it’s made from seaweed so the iron in that might well be of benefit. But if her temperature hasn’t come down by morning, I shall bring the doctor myself, Mrs Stobbs, and pay for him too if need be.’
    Two fat tears rolled down the woman’s cheeks but she made no move to wipe them away, since this would require energy she didn’t possess.
    Recognising her exhaustion, Bella said, ‘Maybe you should try a spoon or two of this yourself. You could do with a tonic too. It’s been one thing after another lately, what with all of them going down with sniffles and coughs.’
    Mrs Stobbs shook her head. Precious medicine was not to be wasted on tired adults when there were sick children in the house.
    ‘Thanks for your concern Bella luv, but we can manage now.’
    ‘I wish I could do more. I’m no doctor and my knowledge of medicine is so inadequate. But I’ll be back tomorrow to see how she is.’
    Once out on the pavement she couldn’t help heaving a sigh, partly from relief at escaping the sweet-sour stink of poverty but also out of a sad resignation, for Bella knew well enough what would happen next. No doctor would ever be permitted over the threshold. Some quack or other would be found, the child dosed till she either revived by sheer good luck or will power or, alternatively, succumb to the inevitable.
    Mrs Stobbs, hovering on her none-too-clean doorstep, half glanced back over her shoulder then drew the door almost closed behind her in a bid for further privacy before beckoning Bella to come closer. Bella could almost taste the woman’s foul breath but didn’t turn away as the whisper came in her ear. ‘I reckon I’m off again.’
    ‘Lord, no. The baby is only - what? Five months?’
    ‘Six!’ As if that made all the difference. ‘He only has to drop his trousers and I’m up the spout.’
    ‘I thought the doctor said you were to have no more children?’
    ‘Aye, he did. But he never told me how to stop ‘em coming, did he?’ Now she glanced up and down the street and Bella, heart already sinking with despair at this dreadful piece of news, began to feel utterly inadequate for the task facing her. Besides four miscarriages, (at least two of which may have been procured) and one stillbirth, caused through fright according to her husband and exhaustion in Bella’s opinion, Mrs Stobbs had almost died following her last confinement. It had taken weeks of careful nursing after the birth to get her well again. Even so, she’d run out of milk to feed the latest addition and the baby had never thrived. Bella brought what beneficial food she could for the child, but it rarely showed interest and spent much of its day in a sort of half-starved stupor.
    ‘That’s what I wanted to ask. I don’t like to put this on you, Bella love, a young lass like yerself, but ‘oo else can I ask? Doctor won’t talk about such matters to the likes of me, so I thought happen you’d find out what’s what for me.’
    ‘What’s what?’ Bella frowned, feeling utterly bemused.
    ‘You know. How to stop ‘em coming .’ These words were hissed in an undertone, partly because women’s matters were never referred to directly, but also because abortion was not only illegal but hopelessly confused with contraception. To make matters worse, the Catholic church was utterly opposed to family limitation in any form, save for what was considered natural. So you couldn’t be too careful. ‘He’s not a bad husband, as husbands go, but careless, if you take my meaning? Particularly after he’s been on the booze. Don’t say owt now. Walls have ears. Just find out for me