Forgive and Forget Read Free

only Eddie to deal with when he came in. He was late already and the girl knew that her brother, only fifteen months younger than her, was taking advantage of their mother’s illness to stay out playing with his mates. And he was banking on his father, in his anxiety, not noticing.
    But Polly was not about to let Eddie get away with it. He might already be as tall as she was, and stronger, but she’d show him who was boss.
    Oh no, Eddie wasn’t going to get away with anything, not while she was in charge of the household.

Three
     
    Eddie came in at ten o’clock, two hours after he’d been told to be home.
    Polly was waiting for him. She grabbed him by the shoulder as he sneaked in.
    ‘What d’you think you’re doing staying out till all hours when our mam’s ill?’
    ‘Geroff. You’re hurting.’
    ‘I’ll hurt you, you little tyke. I’ll tell me dad an’ he’ll give you a leathering.’
    Eddie smirked. ‘Him? He won’t raise a finger to any of us. You know that, Pol.’
    ‘More’s the pity where you’re concerned. Look, Eddie, if you don’t care about Dad or me, then think about Mam. If she gets to know you’re staying out, she’ll worry.’ Polly was pulling no punches as she added deliberately, ‘An’ it’ll make her worse.’
    Eddie thrust his face close to hers. ‘It’s only while she’s ill that I can get away with it. Don’t you see?’
    Their mother was the driving force in the household. Sarah was the one who administered the punishments and kept her children in line. And now that she was ill Eddie, and even Violet, were quick to misbehave. But they’d both reckoned without their fiery elder sister.
    Through gritted teeth, Polly said, ‘I see all right, but you’re not going to get away with it, Eddie Longden, so you start coming in at the proper time, or else—’
    ‘Or else what?’ he sneered. ‘What d’you think you can do? You’re only thirteen.’
    ‘Fourteen in a couple of months. And as for what I can do – ’ she narrowed her eyes – ‘just try me.’
    For a brief moment doubt flickered in the boy’s eyes, then he pulled himself free of her grasp and swaggered towards the inner door. ‘Go on, then, do your worst.’
    Grimly, Polly watched him go, but she smiled to herself as she heard him tiptoeing up the stairs, his bravado giving way to thoughts of his mother’s wrath when she recovered.
    Polly banked down the fire and followed her brother. Creeping into their half of the bedroom, she was relieved to see both Violet and the baby sleeping. Quietly, she undressed and slipped into bed beside Violet. An hour or two’s sleep was the most she could hope for before the baby woke to be fed . . .
    But to her surprise and relief, Miriam slept until five o’clock, waking with what seemed to the bleary-eyed Polly to be an apologetic whimper. ‘There, there, little love,’ she whispered as she plucked the baby out of her cradle and carried her downstairs. Violet burrowed beneath the bedclothes and went back to sleep.
    Shivering in the early morning air, Polly roused the fire and prepared the baby’s bottle. Just as she’d finished feeding and changing her, William appeared. Polly looked up at once.
    ‘How’s Mam?’
    William yawned and stretched. ‘I reckon she’s a bit better, Polly. She’s asking for some breakfast. Tek ’er some toast up, eh?’
    ‘Doctor said only fluids, Dad.’
    ‘She’s hungry. That’s a good sign, in’t it?’
    ‘I suppose so,’ Polly agreed reluctantly, the doctor’s instructions still ringing in her ears. ‘Anyway, I’ll go up an’ see her and ask her what she fancies.’
    The young girl bit her lip, debating whether to tell her father about Eddie’s lateness the previous night. She didn’t like telling tales and maybe her brother would mend his ways when he heard that their mother was improving. It wouldn’t be many days now before Sarah regained her strength and he’d feel the back of her hand if he was late