Daughters of Rebecca Read Free

‘Graves will come back here and see to everything, so don’t worry.’
    Dumbly Shanni allowed herself to be led back along the silent court towards where the coach was waiting. She sank into the cold leather seat and closed her eyes. Her mother was dead and nothing Shanni could do would bring her back to life.
    Llinos Mainwaring stared across the breakfast table at her husband. ‘I’m so sorry for Shanni Price, deprived of her mother in such dreadful circumstances.’
    Joe Mainwaring put down his paper. ‘I know. The barbarism of the wooden horse was a terrible thing for you to see, my love, and you must try to put it out of your mind.’ His dark hair was streaked with a ribbon of silver and hung to his shoulders. He looked noble and proud, every incha man of mixed race. His American-Indian blood showed in the gold of his skin, and his inheritance from his white father was the bluest eyes Llinos had ever seen.
    And the years had been good to him, Llinos thought lovingly. She felt her heart swell with joy. He was her husband, and though he was past his fortieth birthday he was as dashing and handsome as the day she first met him.
    â€˜You did your best for the poor woman,’ he said. ‘You ensured she had a decent Christian burial and you found the little girl a position in service.’
    â€˜I worry about Shanni Price, though,’ Llinos said. ‘She’s so young, so vulnerable. What effect will her mother’s death have on her, I wonder?’
    â€˜She’ll survive,’ Joe said. ‘You suffered a great deal of hardship when you were young too and you survived, didn’t you?’
    â€˜I suppose you’re right, but then I had you.’ Not always, insisted a small voice inside Llinos’s head. Once Joe had left her for another woman. He had fathered an illegitimate child, a child growing up even now somewhere on the plains of America. As always, it was the woman who bore the consequences of an affair, and Joe had come out of it unscathed. Like the awful Mr Spencer. She pushed the unpleasant thoughts aside.
    She took a piece of toast, ignoring the dish of devilled kidneys and steaming bacon. Whenever she thought of Joe’s mistress her appetite left her. She forced her mind on to other matters. ‘Perhaps we’ll hear from Lloyd this week.’
    â€˜Our son is growing up now,’ Joe said. ‘He isbecoming a man. We must stand back from him, let him mature in his own way.’
    â€˜But he’s still very young.’ Llinos protested, ‘and I hate him being away. I’m sure a local school would have served just as well as one in England.’
    â€˜He’s at my old school,’ Joe said. ‘I received an excellent education there and I wanted Lloyd to have the best.’
    â€˜I still think of him as a baby,’ Llinos said softly. ‘I know he’s into his teen years now but I still want to hug him close, to feel his arms around me.’
    â€˜Llinos, my love, to you Lloyd will always be a child. That’s the way of it with so-called civilized people. In the animal kingdom a newborn matures fast or dies.’
    â€˜Don’t start on your American-Indian philosophies!’ Llinos said lightly. ‘Not over breakfast – you’ll give me indigestion.’
    Joe helped himself to more toast. He ate silently, his whole being contained. Anyone would think he was still on the plains of his homeland, wary lest an enemy creep up on him. He looked up, and Llinos was comforted by the love she saw in her husband’s eyes. Would she ever understand this man who, after years of marriage, was still an enigma to her? She doubted it.
    â€˜Why the scrutiny?’ Joe asked. ‘Not thinking about the past again, are you, Llinos?’
    She shook her head. ‘I try not to, Joe, but sometimes I’m overwhelmed with the pain of it.’ She looked down at her hands, hands that had moulded