Sinners and Shadows by Catrin Collier Read Free Book Online Page A

too?’ Harry begged. He loved riding in the car but he loved the horses more.
    â€˜Me too,’ Bella lisped.
    â€˜Why not?’ Sali agreed. ‘It may take us longer to get there but there’ll still be time to call on Granddad after we’ve left Joey at the store. And Rhian can visit him with us.’
    â€˜That’s a good idea.’ Curious to see how Joey would react to his and Sali’s manoeuvring, Lloyd glanced at his brother.
    â€˜But Uncle Joey and I have to finish our game first.’ Harry wiped his fingers on his napkin and dived behind his men.
    â€˜That must be some game you two are playing if it’s made you forget chocolate cake, Harry.’ Lloyd helped Bella climb on to his lap.
    â€˜What time do you have to be in tonight, Rhian?’ Sali asked.
    â€˜Ten o’clock as usual.’
    â€˜I wish I could go home with you.’ Joey took the matchstick Harry handed him and loaded it into his own miniature cannon.
    â€˜Even the store manager is entitled to a half-day off a week besides Sunday.’ Sali leaned forward and wiped crumbs from Bella’s mouth with her own napkin.
    â€˜I couldn’t take Pandy Parade night off, especially at sale time; it’s the busiest of the week. Do me a favour, Rhian?’ Joey fired the cannon and knocked over two of Harry’s cavalry. ‘Put another two of those chicken sandwiches on to my plate for me. War is a hungry business.’
    â€˜What do you think you’re doing?’ Lloyd asked his brother after Mari had cleared away the tea things and Rhian and Sali had taken the children upstairs.
    â€˜Clearing up Harry’s toys.’ Joey lifted the forts and boxes of soldiers on to a side table, ready to be carried to the nursery.
    â€˜Don’t be clever with me. You know what I’m talking about.’
    â€˜Rhian?’ Joey sat in the chair opposite Lloyd’s.
    â€˜She’s a nice girl.’
    â€˜I wouldn’t have asked her out for the afternoon if she wasn’t.’
    â€˜You know what you’re like,’ Lloyd said impatiently.
    â€˜I know what I was like. I’ve changed. I want to settle down.’
    Before Lloyd had time to digest what Joey had said, Sali joined them. She picked up her handbag from the sofa. ‘I needed my hairbrush but even if I hadn’t, I would have found an excuse to come back. In case you don’t know, Joey, Rhian had nothing but grief, misery and tragedy in her life before she went to Llan House. From what I’ve been told, her father was a violent bully, her mother incapable of protecting her, and I know her brother treated her worse than an unpaid slave and skivvy after they died when she was eight. He was kinder to his dogs than to her and when he wasn’t beating them, he kept them chained up on minimum rations in his yard. She didn’t so much as hear a kind word until she met me. So, I’m warning you now, you hurt her and I’ll never speak to you again.’ Without waiting for Joey to reply, she left, closing the door behind her.
    Lloyd glanced at his brother. ‘That, in a nutshell is the gist of what I was about to say to you, Joey.’

Chapter Three
    Rhian ran her fingers over the silk blouse Sali had lifted out of her wardrobe. ‘It’s lovely, but I couldn’t possibly accept it unless you allow me to pay for it.’
    â€˜Pay for my cast-offs? I wouldn’t hear of it.’ Sali held it in front of her. ‘Just look at how much weight I’ve put on. It will be a long time before I can get into this again.’
    â€˜Two months,’ Rhian suggested.
    â€˜I doubt it will stretch over my bust after the baby is born, and it has a back fastening, so it would be useless for nursing.’
    â€˜And when you finish nursing the baby?’
    â€˜It will be out of fashion. Besides, Lloyd and I have no intention of stopping at three.’
    â€˜You want more