The Unloved Read Online Free PDF Page A

around the corners of her mouth. “I suppose you were hoping it might be a boy about your age, weren’t you?”
    Jenny flushed, but Marguerite chuckled softly. “Don’t try to fool me, Jenny. It wasn’t all that long ago that I was your age, and I can tell you I’d a lot rather have had a new boy coming to town than a new girl. It always seemed we had entirely too many girls, and not enough boys to go around.”
    Jenny’s flush gave way to a grin. “I bet you could have had any boy you wanted, Miss Marguerite.”
    “Well, I won’t say I didn’t,” Marguerite replied. “Of course, after my hip went, so did the boys. It’s amazing how unpopular a limp can make you.”
    Jenny gasped in embarrassment, but Marguerite only laughed again. “Oh, come on, it wasn’t the end of the world, even if it seemed like it at the time. And if I hadn’t had the accident, I wouldn’t be teaching, would I? And then I never would have gotten to know all of you.”
    “But you would have had a career—” Jenny started to protest, but Marguerite shook her head.
    “It doesn’t matter. I haven’t had a bad life, and whatever Imight have done couldn’t have been as much fun as having you girls around.”
    They were on the second floor now. A thin, high-pitched voice pierced through the door at the far end. “Marguerite? Where are you? I want you!”
    “Oh, dear,” Marguerite whispered. “Now I’m in trouble, aren’t I? Well, you run along, Jenny, and I’ll see you on Thursday.” Giving the girl’s hand an affectionate squeeze, Marguerite waited until Jenny had started down toward the first floor, then hurried up the hall to try to calm her mother once more.
    She found Helena sitting up in bed, glaring angrily at Lucinda Willoughby, whose face was a mask of controlled indignation. On the floor at the nurse’s feet were the remains of the breakfast the old woman hadn’t touched all morning.
    “She’s fired,” Helena snapped as soon as Marguerite came into the room. “I won’t have, her in my house another moment!”
    “Now, Mother,” Marguerite began, but Helena cut her off.
    “Don’t you patronize me, Marguerite! This is my house, and I will have what I want.”
    Marguerite opened her mouth, but for a moment no words came out. Finally she turned to Lucinda. “What happened?” she asked, though she was almost certain she already knew.
    “I came in to ask her if her breakfast was all right, and found it on the floor.”
    Helena’s eyes sparkled with anger, and she drew herself up in the bed. “I told her it was cold, and she took it upon herself to tell me I should have eaten it when it was hot! I won’t have a—”
    “All right, Mother,” Marguerite broke in, struggling to control her own voice. “I’ll have Ruby take care of the mess, and we’ll start looking for someone else this afternoon.” With her eyes she signaled Lucinda into the hallway, then joined her a moment later, after listening to Helena’s demands as to the sort of person who must replace “the incompetent trash you hired.”
    “I’m sorry, Lucinda,” she said as she accompanied thenurse down the main stairs. “I know it wasn’t your fault, but I don’t see what I can do—”
    “It’s all right, Marguerite,” Lucinda replied. “If she hadn’t fired me, I would have quit anyway. And not for the reasons you’re thinking,” she added quickly, seeing the concern in Marguerite’s eyes. “I’ve dealt with a lot of patients and been called a lot of names. It doesn’t bother me—sick people get that way, and I don’t blame them. It’s tiring being ill, and you have to make allowances for that. But for her, having me around isn’t going to help.” Lucinda sighed, and shook her head sadly. “She’s just been getting madder and madder, and that’s not good for her. With some people a little good, honest temper can help. But not for someone like her, with a heart that could go any minute. I’ll think on it and see if