Mud and Gold by Shayne Parkinson Read Free Book Online Page B

occasionally casting a glance in Amy’s direction.
Only when Jack and Susannah arrived at the buggy with their
children did he mount and ride off ahead of them.
    When the buggy reached Charlie’s gate he was
standing there waiting. ‘Hop in, we’ll give you a lift,’ Jack said,
halting the horses.
    ‘We’re not coming,’ Charlie said. ‘We’re
stopping home.’ He reached out a hand to guide Amy down from the
buggy.
    ‘But you’re coming for lunch,’ Jack
protested.
    ‘I’ve changed my mind. Hurry up, Amy.’ Amy
avoided her father’s eyes as she got down.
    ‘Now, Jack, it’s only natural Charlie wants
to have Sunday lunch at home,’ Susannah came in smoothly, covering
the awkward moment. ‘They’ve only been married a few weeks, and Amy is a very good cook. Leave them in peace, they can come
another day.’
    Jack laughed. ‘You’re right. Come next week,
then, Charlie—I miss my girl, you know. Bring her over to see me
soon.’
    ‘We’ll see,’ said Charlie.
    Jack drove off, and Charlie took Amy’s arm,
digging his fingers into the tender spots he had made earlier. He
marched her up the slope, making Amy half-trot to match his stride,
and did not release his hold until they reached the house.
    Amy rubbed at her sore arm. ‘I haven’t got
anything ready for lunch, Charlie,’ she said in a small voice,
wondering just why she was in trouble.
    ‘Get on with it, then.’ Charlie glowered at
her. ‘If it wasn’t the Sabbath I’d teach you not to make a
spectacle of yourself with men.’
    ‘I’m sorry. I didn’t know I wasn’t allowed
to talk to him.’
    ‘You keep away from men, you little bitch.
I’ll not be made a fool of. I’ll not have people saying my wife’s a
whore. Whatever you were before I wed you, you’ll do as I say and
act like a decent woman now. Understand?’ He shook her.
‘Understand?’
    ‘Y-yes,’ Amy stammered. ‘I’m sorry. I didn’t
mean to annoy you.’ Charlie gave her a dark look and stalked
inside, leaving Amy to follow in his wake.
    As she lay in bed that night struggling for
breath under Charlie’s weight, Amy thought about his words. He
thinks I’d do this with another man if I got the chance. He thinks
I’m a whore. That must be a woman who does this with lots of men. I
wish he trusted me. I wish I hadn’t been so bad .
    A more cheerful thought struck her, and Amy
mentally counted days, trying to estimate when her bleeding might
start. She dreaded the thought of having to explain to Charlie why
he wouldn’t be able to touch her for a few days, but the relief
would be worth the fearful task.
    She counted twice to be sure, then once
more, but each time the sum came out the same way. Her bleeding was
already a few days late.
    I’ve only had one lot since Ann was born,
maybe it’s not regular yet . Or maybe I’ve remembered the
dates wrong . Amy pushed back against the knowledge that was
seeping into her awareness. She was with child again; Charlie’s
child. I don’t want it . I don’t want it!
     
    *
     
    In early April the days were still warm, and
Amy had still not told Charlie about the child on its way. Telling
would make it seem a certainty, and she clung desperately to the
hope that she might be wrong. She did not want to go through the
misery of pregnancy and then be ripped apart again to bear this
child of her degradation; the child of a union not of love, but of
fear and revulsion on her part and contempt coupled with lust on
his. So she ignored it, and hoped it would go away.
     
    *
     
    April had seemed safely in the distance for
so long that it came as a shock to Frank when he realised the month
of his wedding had arrived. Only two more weeks and he would be
bringing Lizzie home with him. The thought of sharing his life and
his house with Lizzie made him feel warm and comfortable; when he
thought about sharing his bed with her excitement fought a war with
nervousness, and each day that the wedding drew closer the two
emotions became