Dreams Can Come True by Vivienne Dockerty Read Free Book Online Page A

he just didn’t know. Nothing would be the same again. He wanted to go down to the Brown Horse and knock seven bells out of this blackguard, but he knew he was as much to blame as the lad.
    “Papa,” came Hannah’s voice, full of sorrow. He looked up to see the tearstained face of his daughter, as she reached up to take hold of his hand.
    “Papa. Was my mother pretty? And can you tell me why she died?”
    “Oh, Hannah,” was all Jack could say, then he stood to engulf her into his arms. He kissed the curls that had escaped from the pins that held up her fragrant-smelling hair.
    “She was as pretty as you are, with the same pussycat eyes. She died giving birth ter you. Some sort of fever they said. I couldn’t look after yer, with my work that is and we didn’t have a proper home. So I sent yer to live with yer grandma, but it was Maggie who took yer on. I’ve a lot to be thankful for to Maggie. She forgave all me transgressions, when I came back ter be with you.”
    “I know,” replied Hannah, as they both sat in chairs beside each other, not letting go of each other’s hand.
    “Maggie has been the only mother I have known. I shall tell her how much I am grateful when she brings in the tea. But why has Mikey been so horrid? What you did when you were younger hasn’t really affected him.”
    “It’s because he loves his mother and when he was a baby he was separated quite a lot from her. She worked many hours and your grandma was quite mean, by only allowing Maggie ter see him for a few hours each day.”
    “Poor Maggie. No, I’ll continue to call her mother, she doesn’t deserve anything less. Ah, here she is.”
    Hannah moved away from her father and smiled tremulously at Maggie, though inside she was still in turmoil; sad for the woman who had died giving her life, but grateful to her father’s wife, who had treated her as her own.
    “Ah, that’s better,” said Maggie, as she sipped her tea. Her colour had come back and she saw that Jack and Hannah were now on better terms. Though her son was still angry, she knew, because he had ignored her knocking when she had gone upstairs with his tea. Mikey would come round, she thought, especially if she allowed him to take up a career in the Army. She would miss him, but she knew that he hadn’t been happy at Sheldon. While Mr. Arlington was still around no one could get a look in. Even
she
still had battles with him, if she wanted to change things or amend.
    “Now young lady,” Jack said, trying to put on a serious voice. “I think yer’ve served yer time at finishing school and are ready to take some pressure off yer mother now. I think she’s got some plan to create a grand building company, so you will be needed here to make sure the household is running smoothly. Then perhaps yer could take over some of her social duties as well.”
    “I’ll try, Father,” replied Hannah, in a small voice. “And I’m assuming I’ll not be allowed to see Eddie again. Though I’m sure he didn’t mean to hurt our family, he was just repeating something his mother said.”
    “Ah yes, the pot boy. He isn’t really the type of person we would choose for the company of our daughter. We prefer yer didn’t see him, Hannah, but who am I to make the rules, when I broke them all when I was young?”
    “I think we would all benefit from a holiday, Jack, like you were saying before. Let me visit the bank and sort our affairs out, then we’ll consider where would be best fer us all,” said Maggie.

Chapter 3
    Eddie had been devastated when Hannah left him at the cottage. Gone were his hopes and aspirations that one day he would marry her. She would hate him now for bringing up the past, though it had been purely accidental. He had mooched home, furious with himself for causing his loved one pain. Though the person to blame was his mother, who couldn’t keep secrets to herself for long.
    Five anxious months passed by, with him not even being able to get a sight of