Winds of Change by Anna Jacobs Read Free Book Online Page A

boiled.’
    â€˜Thank you.’ The words were stiff. Keeping her back turned, Minnie began to make a cup of tea.
    â€˜For what it’s worth, I don’t think it’s fair.’
    â€˜What isn’t?’
    â€˜How your money was left.’
    She saw tears well in Minnie’s eyes, but her sister brushed them away quickly, so she didn’t comment.
    â€˜Are you hungry?’
    Regina stood up and joined her. ‘How about I do us an omlette and salad?’
    Minnie shrugged.
    â€˜Sit down and let me wait on you. It’s about time. You were wonderful with Father and he wasn’t always kind to you. I’ve always been grateful you were there and I didn’t have to get involved, though I’d never have lived with him.’ She shuddered at the mere thought of what that must have been like. ‘I’d have wound up killing him.’
    Her sister looked so surprised at this. Regina said gently, ‘Sebastian and I could have helped more, though, given you more time off.’
    â€˜You had a daughter to raise. That was much more worthwhile than looking after a selfish old man. And Sebastian isn’t the sort to look after anyone. Dorothy waits on him hand and foot. He never had much to do with his own children, except to send them to expensive private schools and boast about it.’ She began to stir her tea, keeping her eyes down.
    â€˜And even though he didn’t do much to help, Sebastian got half of what’s left because he’s the
son and heir
, while you and I have only got a quarter each. I’m a bit peeved about that, in this day and age.’
    â€˜It was Father’s money, to dispose of as he wished. Let’s not talk about it any more. I haven’t got my head around it all yet. If I get a steady income from the trust, maybe things won’t be too bad. How’s Nikki going on at school? She’s going to university next year, isn’t she? What’s she going to study?’
    Regina hadn’t said a word to her brother, but found herself confiding in Minnie.
    â€˜So I told her to get an abortion. It’ll ruin her whole life if she has a baby now; stop her getting qualifications. She can always have children later.’
    â€˜I read somewhere that having an abortion can make it harder to get pregnant again. What does
she
want to do about it?’
    â€˜She doesn’t know what she wants.’
    â€˜Who’s the father?’
    â€˜A guy she’s been going out with for a year: Tim. He’s the same age as she is. Nice lad – well, I thought he was nice, now I’m not so sure. I saw him in town and told him what I thought of him for deserting her, only it turned out he didn’t know about the baby and
she
had dumped him.’
    â€˜She’ll be in shock still, not sure what to do. It takes time to get used to the idea that you’re having a baby everyone will disapprove of.’
    Regina stared at her in dismay. ‘I’m sorry. I’d completely forgotten.’
    â€˜What?’
    â€˜That you’d had a baby.’
    â€˜
I
hadn’t forgotten. I wonder every day what my daughter’s doing and if she’s happy.’
    Regina could have kicked herself for bringing that desperately sad look to her sister’s face. ‘Couldn’t you try to trace her?’
    â€˜Maybe one day, when I’ve sorted out my life.’ Minnie looked at her uncertainly. ‘Don’t push Nikki into doing something she doesn’t want to. I’ve always regretted my baby being adopted.’
    â€˜Why did you agree to it, then?’
    â€˜I don’t remember agreeing. They kept me heavily sedated after the birth. Father could have afforded to help me a bit, just till I got my degree, but he wouldn’t. And then he . . . sent me into that place.’
    â€˜Because you needed professional help.’
    â€˜Did I? Or was it a convenient way to get rid of me while he dealt