Two Penn'orth of Sky Read Online Free PDF Page A

very hard at him, noting the flush which stained his cheekbones and his unwillingness to meet her eyes. ‘You know very well you haven’t,’ she said accusingly. ‘Why didn’t they come to the wedding? And your mam . . . I mean your mama . . . never said a word, either.’
    ‘No. Well, I suppose she wouldn’t,’ Peter said. ‘Ralph and I fell out badly years ago; we’ve not seen one another since then. I didn’t send him an invitation to the wedding because I knew very well he wouldn’t come; in fact, I did wonder whether Mama and Papa would turn up – they took Ralph’s side, the same as they always have – so you can imagine, I was jolly pleased when they came after all, and even more pleased that they approved of you.’
    Emmy thought for a few minutes, then spoke carefully. ‘Is – is that why you don’t go home any more, Peter? I’ve been hoping that you would take the baby and me down to Southampton the next time you get some leave, though you’ve never suggested it. I suppose it’s awkward with your brother and his wife sharing the house, but if it’s been properly divided . . . well, it would be nice to see where you were brought up.’
    Peter smiled at her, the anxious look clearing for a moment. ‘Oh, I’m sure that can be arranged, my darling,’ he said easily. ‘After all, Ralph and I are both married now and we both have children. I’m sure we’ll get along fine, the way we used to when we were boys, once we all meet up again.’
    ‘Lovely,’ Emmy said contentedly. The baby in herarms began to whimper and thresh about. ‘Oh dear, she’s hungry; I’d best feed her.’ She pulled her nightie aside as she spoke and guided the child’s eager mouth to the nipple, continuing to talk, though she had to raise her voice above the enthusiastic sucking sounds. ‘What exactly did you row over, Peter? It must have been a pretty dreadful quarrel to have kept you away from home for so long.’
    ‘Oh, it’s easy to see you don’t have brothers, my love. Brothers can quarrel over almost anything, like a couple of young stags, locking horns over who will get to eat the best grass. Ralph has a jealous nature, always has had, and resented everything my parents did for me. He works in the family business, you see, but I chose to follow my Uncle Reg, who went to sea as a young man, and rose to be captain of an ocean liner. Seeing that I was getting nothing from the business, the parents gave me a pretty handsome lump sum and Ralph . . . well, he showed his resentment, accused me of battening on Mama and Papa . . . I’m afraid I hit him, he hit me back, and from that moment on we kept away from each other.’
    ‘Aren’t boys and girls different?’ Emmy said wonderingly, holding her little daughter even closer. ‘I know I’m an only child, but Beryl has been like a sister to me all my life. Oh, we fell out sometimes, and in school I had a fight or two with my pal Peggy, but it never turned nasty, if you get my meaning.’
    ‘Yes, but as you’ve already pointed out, neither Beryl nor Peggy is your sister,’ Peter said sharply. ‘Ralph is four years younger than me and spoilt rotten, if you want the truth. Mama always says that she nearly lost him when he was two years old and got a bad attack of croup, but whatever the reason,Ralph has always got his own way; not usually, or sometimes, but always.’
    ‘That’s very hard, certainly,’ Emmy said slowly. ‘But you will take me to visit them, won’t you, darling? And then I’m sure you and Ralph will find all the old resentment and jealousies have disappeared. Why, it will be lovely for me to have a brother and sister, and even lovelier for Diana to have a boy cousin.’
    Peter was beginning to assure her that they would visit the family home as soon as Diana was old enough to take the long journey south, when a nurse popped her head round the door. ‘Did you change Baby’s nappy before you started to feed her, Mrs Wesley?’ she asked,