The Elephant Girl (Choc Lit) by Henriette Gyland Read Free Book Online

enough.’
    ‘You’re right about that.’ Aggie put her fork down, suddenly looking very tired. ‘I’m sorry, but would you mind awfully if we continued this conversation tomorrow? These confounded medicines sap my strength so.’ She pulled at a lever on her chair which pushed her halfway up, but still she had difficulties getting out of her seat.
    Overcome by a sudden pity, Helen got up to help her, but her grandmother waved her away.
    ‘I’ll manage. Be a good girl and ring for Mrs Sanders so she can tidy up.’
    Mrs Sanders appeared almost immediately as if she’d been waiting right outside. With expert hands she helped the old lady into an electric bed at the other end of the room, took off her too-tight pumps, and pulled a blanket up to cover her hips. This done, she cleared away the tea things and left the room without a word.
    ‘Do you want me to go?’ Helen asked.
    Aggie patted a chair next to the adjustable bed. ‘Stay a while, Helen.’
    This was the first time she’d used Helen’s name since she got here, as opposed to ‘child’ or ‘girl’. Helen experienced a rush of something. Affection? ‘You never really liked my name, did you?’
    ‘Helen is a perfectly sensible name.’
    ‘I meant my real name. Yelena. Ridiculous, I think you said.’
    ‘Hm. I may have said something like that. It seemed a little too … exotic for a girl like you.’
    ‘No one in your social circle had daughters who married foreigners. My mother brought shame on the family, is that what you thought?’
    ‘It seemed unnecessary, when there were so many suitable English men vying for her attention. But I wasn’t ashamed of her.’ Aggie leaned back against her many pillows and closed her eyes. She sat like this for a while, and Helen thought she’d fallen asleep when she said, ‘They’re trying to put me in a home, you know.’
    ‘Who?’
    ‘My daughters, who else? Letitia doesn’t think I’m able to look after myself. Getting me a nanny was just one step in that direction. Ultimately I think she’ll have me declared mentally incompetent in order to control my shares. I don’t blame her,’ she added in response to Helen’s look of disbelief. ‘That’s how I brought her up, to have a head for business. I just don’t think I can hold out against the pressure much longer.’
    They sat in silence for a while longer, then Helen blurted out the question which had been on the tip of her tongue throughout. ‘Tell me about Fay.’
    Aggie eyed her through half-closed lids. ‘You took your time.’
    ‘I didn’t exactly get a word in edgeways, with you going on and on about the company, did I?’
    That brought a flicker of a smile to Aggie’s pale lips. ‘Go on.’
    ‘Where is she? How long has she been out of prison?’
    ‘A few months. You’re not going to do anything silly, are you? Anyway, what makes you so sure I know where she is?’
    ‘Why else would you send your trained monkey to tell me she’d been released?’
    ‘It was the only way to get you to come home.’
    Helen jutted out her chin.
    ‘All right, all right.’ Aggie sighed. ‘Sweetman has all the details. I’ll get Mrs Sanders to call him this afternoon. I take it you’re staying here.’
    ‘Well, you’re wrong. I’m not. I’m in a hotel for the time being. My home was never with you. You made that quite clear a long time ago.’
    Aggie had the decency to look shamefaced but soon recovered. ‘Fine. If you let me have a phone number for where you’re staying, I’ll make sure the information reaches you. Also, I do think you need to see our doctor in Harley Street about your, er … well, condition.’
    ‘My epilepsy. It’s okay, you can say the word. I’ve had plenty of time to come to terms with it.’
    ‘Yes, your epilepsy. I’d feel more at ease if I knew you’d seen Dr Urquhart.’
    ‘As it happens, I called from India and wangled an appointment with my old consultant. The NHS is good enough for some of us.’
    Her