Miss Purdy's Class by Annie Murray Read Free Book Online

Son?’
    Joey gave a fierce nod, his face a scowl. ‘I’ll look after you. I can help you get better. Look.’ He showed her his bulging pockets. ‘I’ve got coal. And there’s faggots and peas for you . . .’
    ‘Whose bowl is that?’
    ‘Someone borrowed it me.’ He wasn’t going to tell her the truth, that he’d whipped it from the pawn shop when the man’s back was turned.
    Dora was overwhelmed with emotion, hearing the intense determination in his voice, pride covering up the fear and grief of a small boy. She reached out her hand to try and pull him nearer to her, but he didn’t budge. Slowly she shook her head.
    ‘Joey.’ She spoke softly. ‘Your mom might not be able to get better. It’s the consumption. You know that’s bad, don’t you, bab? I can’t hide it from you any longer. My boy’s too grown up for me to hide things from him.’
    Joey’s frown deepened and he stared down at his boots, his jaw clenched.
    Dora was taken by another fit of coughing. Once she had recovered, she went on. ‘I’m not much of a mom to you in this state.’ Her face puckered. ‘Never have been.’ She fought to control herself. ‘Mrs Sim-mons’ll help us all she can, but she’s got so much on her plate already. I can’t even manage to get a fire lit for you, let alone feed you right . . .’ Her voice cracked again.
    ‘I can feed us, Mom!’ Joey burst out. ‘You know I can! If I daint have to go to school, I could feed us easy. I don’t do nothing at school!’
    ‘You’ve got to go to school.’ Dora raised her hand to stop him. ‘Learn to read and write and do your sums, or you won’t get nowhere.’ She took his hand in hers. ‘Listen to me, Joey. Listen carefully. You know that’s why your dad left us, don’t you? Because I was poorly and he said he couldn’t stand to see me getting worse by the day . . .’ She had to believe that. Wanted Joey to believe it, in spite of all he’d seen. The truth was too cruel. How could she say it to her son? I ruined a good man because I can’t help myself. I’m carrying another man’s child, spawned for the comfort of it . . . And now I’ve done the worst thing a mother can do . . .
    ‘Now he’s gone I’ve got no one in the world to help me except for Mrs Simmons and God knows why she bothers with me when the rest don’t. So –’ she choked over the words – ‘I’ve had to let Polly and Kenny go to be looked after for a bit.’ Tears running down her cheeks, she looked into her son’s uncomprehending face. ‘The lady came for them today to take them to the home. She’ll be a sort of . . . auntie to them. Just until things get better. Only I couldn’t manage – not with all of you . . .’
    Her head sank to her chest, her whole body shuddering.
    ‘She ain’t coming for me!’ Joey leapt to his feet.
    Dora looked up quickly. ‘ No , not you. Course not. Nor Lena. Not unless . . .’ She shook her head, her face creasing with pain. ‘No – you’re staying with me. And she said we can see them, sometimes.’ She was weeping again. ‘Now and then.’
    Joey scarcely seemed to hear her. Staring at the flickering candle, he made no movement. On the table the faggots and peas went cold.

 
    Four
    ‘Well, I never!’
    Ariadne Black peered long-sightedly at her newspaper, moving a finger along the line of print as she read.
    ‘The ferrets and dogs of Henley-in-Arden Rat Club killed 435 rats this week – on one farm! What a thing !’
    Gwen, distracted from wondering how Ariadne could make such an incredible burnt offering out of a rasher of bacon, looked up, unsure how to react to this latest piece of information. Ariadne often regaled them with snippets from the newspaper. Gwen exchanged a glance with Harold Purvis, who gazed back at her so soulfully from above his tightly buttoned collar that she wished she hadn’t.
    ‘Don’t you think, Harold’ – Ariadne leant towards him and laid a hand on his arm – ‘that rats are, well . . .