Diamonds Fall by Rebecca Gibson Read Free Book Online Page A

fingers, Patsy began to explain the process she had gone through to make it, pointing towards various parts as she explained their conception. Her pride in the item was enviable. She held up her hands to show the small pin pricks she had gotten from using the needle without a thimble.
    "Did you ever sew at home?" Patsy concluded.
    "Yes," Annabel murmured, remembering with a slight blush of shame, the hours she had sat in various fancy rooms amusing herself with this pass time. "But only embroidery. Not anything functional. I had dressmakers for that."
    "If I can find anythin' to do it with, can you teach me to do it proper?" Patsy's cheeks turned red with excitement and Annabel was reminded again just how young she was. She nodded, feeling it was the least she could do, considering everything Patsy had already done for her.
    Annabel stood up, tied her apron around her waist and draped the nightdress and quilt around her shoulders. She went to put on the clogs but decided against it, wanting to feel the ladders rungs beneath her toes. She attempted to throw the clogs up to the second floor so both her hands would be free to climb. The first few attempts failed and Patsy joined in, making it into a bit of a game. When eventually the clogs found the upper floor, both girls cheered, laughing so hard they were soon gasping for breath. Annabel thought about how ashamed her mother would be, if she saw her acting in such a frivolous manor in company but quickly realised she didn't care.
    "Follow me," she said, grabbing Patsy's hand on instinct and leading her towards the ladder.
    Once at the top, Annabel located the clogs, placing them neatly beside her bed and hung the nightdress on a loose nail protruding from the exposed rafters. Her new blanket, placed with the corner turned down, added a final homely touch. Both Annabel and Patsy stood in silence for a little while, soaking in the gloomy space. Annabel watched a lone spider crawl slowly up from the bed and out a wide crack in the window. Patsy shifted her feet on the floor, the movement left marks in the thick dust.
    "Are you alright?" Annabel asked, noticing a worried frown had returned to Patsy's youthful forehead. Patsy looked up, as if caught doing something she shouldn't.
    "Yeah I -" she started, but her resolve crumbled and her shoulders slumped. "I dunno."
    She sat down on the end of Annabel's bed, fidgeting with the ragged edge of her apron. "I'm just - I try to be strong an' that, but I'm worried about Hetty. See, she's not well. I know she's havin' a baby but I don't remember her being like this with her other kids. She's slower an' seems to be hurtin' a lot more." Patsy took a shaky breath. "She never even wanted to marry Tom - I mean, who would? She wanted Daniel but he didn't like her like that, an' he had someone else at the time, so Hetty ended up gettin' real squiffy at the pub an' had a night with Tom - she was so drunk she don't even remember it. Ended up havin' twins. Her mama and papa made her marry `im but said she had shamed them or summit so won't even look at her now. I hate them for doing that to her. She's been left with that dog of a husband who abuses her in all kinda ways, he thinks it's her duty."
    Annabel was listening in horror, her eyes wide. The more she heard about this family the more appalled she became.
    "But this is absurd, surely Tom's happy? Why does he still have to abuse her? You said they already have children, right?"
    "Yeah, two boys, but he wants more - lots of `em. He jus' wants her to deliver `im healthy sons, keep his supper on the table and `is house clean. No romance in this village Ma'am."
    This was the first time Annabel had been addressed thus for a long time, it made her cheeks colour with shame. She felt disgusted acknowledging this distinction in their classes. The things she had deemed so important in her former life were now sickeningly trivial.
    There were another few moments of silence as the information Patsy had just