Nest of Sorrows by Ruth Hamilton Read Free Book Online

profession, people in general . . . her whole life would likely go down the drain. It occurred to him that he must cut a comical figure kneeling by the bed with a small child. But medicine, he told himself firmly, comes in all kinds of bottles, and this was medicine for the soul.
    ‘Dear God,’ he began, his voice suitably sombre. ‘Look down on this little girl and bless her. You gave me the gift of healing, and now I seek to mend this child’s tortured soul. She prayed for her father to die, but this was a mistake. Guard the life of Peter Murray against all aggressors, and forgive Katherine for her error.’ He then threw in a bit of Latin, a
quod erat
, a couple of
ad infinitums
and a
Deo gratias
. After all, the child was a Catholic. He glanced sideways at her. ‘OK?’ he asked.
    Her face positively glowed. ‘Yes. Ta, Doctor. I thought I could never tell nobody about what I’d done.’
    He left her there on her knees and went down to tackle Rachel. ‘That bloody man of yours doesn’t deserve a girl like Katherine! She’s whipping herself because of the way he’s treated her.’
    ‘I know.’
    ‘And look how he treated you too, eh? Like a rag for the cart, like something to be cast away as worn out. Bloody fool, he is.’
    ‘Things are better now, Doc,’ she said lamely.
    ‘Better? They’d better be better. I’m not having her blaming herself for London burning. He can never mend what he’s done, never! If she carries on like this, I’ll have her removed to the Cottage Homes. She needs peace from all of you, especially those stupid nuns. You’re a sensible woman, Rachel. How can you let the old crows put so much nonsense into your children’s heads?’
    ‘It’s our Faith. You can’t dictate our Faith!’
    ‘I can if it’s killing her! Now. Keep the wireless switched off at news time and don’t let her near a paper.’
    ‘Eh? She reads the headlines on her way to school. I can’t stop her knowing what’s going on. And you’ll not take my child away, Dr Barnes. I shall write to Peter this very day and tell him what you’ve said. I shouldn’t be at all surprised if he goes AWOL if he thinks you’re putting his daughter away.’
    ‘His daughter? Huh! He never recognized her existence till recently. The damage is done, Rachel. No matter how nice he is to her in the future, that girl will never forget how she was spurned. This could alter her whole life. Fortunately, she’s young enough to pull herself together, but it’s no thanks to either of you.’
    ‘What was I supposed to do?’
    ‘You could have left him. Permanently!’
    ‘I’m a Catholic . . .’
    ‘Ah. You see? We’re back to that again, back to your bloody religion. Well, you mark my words, Rachel Murray. That child is disturbed and a disturbed child makes an unstable adult. On your head be it!’ He picked up his hat and stormed from the house.
    Judith arrived home from the library. ‘What’s for tea?’ she asked.
    ‘Tea?’ roared Rachel. ‘Tea? Your sister’s up there ill, and all you can think about is your stomach.’
    ‘She makes herself ill.’
    Rachel stared hard at her older daughter. ‘Happen she does, Judith. And happen she just can’t help it.’
    ‘Why can’t you behave yourself like Judith does?’ Rachel Murray stood in front of the grate, her hand outstretched towards her difficult daughter. ‘Judith never gets in trouble. And look how smart she is in her uniform. She never comes home looking like the cat’s dragged her out of the river. Where’ve you been? We’ll be on blackout in a minute, I’ve been past meself worrying. And there’s your Grandad poorly too up yonder. We’ve got to hurry up.’
    Katherine wiped a smudge of mud from the end of her nose. She didn’t care. It was 1944, she was ten years old and she was in love. ‘I’ve been playing with Mike Wray. We got a bit interested in building a house, so I forgot the time.’
    ‘Forgot the time? You’ve been on that bombsite