The Amber Keeper Read Free Page A

drawer and cupboard door she could get her small chubby fists on. When her mother took her upstairs to put her down for her afternoon nap, she happily scattered Johnson’s baby powder all over the bathroom floor. Abbie laughingly cleaned it up while Fay attempted to put a nappy on the toddler, now indulging in a screaming tantrum.
    ‘Oh, she’s coming up to the terrible twos. I remember it well. Aimée was just the same. Fortunately at six she’s now an absolute treasure.’
    Skilfully folding and pinning the terry-towel nappy in place, Fay said, ‘But something of an embarrassment still, I should imagine .’
    ‘Why would she be? She’s the joy of my life.’
    ‘I mean since your daughter is ‒ well ‒ what she is . . .’
    Abbie instantly sobered. ‘You mean illegitimate?’
    Robert chose that moment to appear at the bedroom door. ‘Don’t attempt to deny it. I see no wedding ring in evidence. Admit it, Abbie, you’ve screwed up big time, and Ma has paid the price.’
    His words stunned her into silence for a whole half minute. Abbie had been mildly startled by the sight of her brother after all this time, looking much older than his twenty-eight years. There was already the odd fleck of grey in his brown hair, and he’d developed quite a paunch and signs of a double chin. Clearly, all those smart lunches he must attend as a successful accountant were beginning to have an effect. But his sense of self-importance was as evident as ever.
    Fay hastily pulled a pair of frilly plastic panties over the nappy, then shooed brother and sister out of the room so that she could settle Carrie for her nap. Robert and Abbie stood facing each other out on the landing with expressions as dark as thunder.
    ‘So you start on me the minute I arrive. Nice to see you too. Thanks for that, brother dear. Bit unfair, don’t you think, to blame me when I’ve been living away from home for seven years !’
    ‘You can’t deny you were responsible for her unhappiness.’
    ‘Oh, change the record, please,’ Abbie responded, keeping her voice low so as not to disturb little Carrie, or reveal how upset she was. ‘Why would Mum suddenly decide now that she can no longer live with the shame of my scandalous teenage behaviour, after all this time ?’
    ‘Mother had become increasingly depressed recently, dwelling on the past a great deal. A visit from you might have cheered her. Even the odd letter would have helped.’
    ‘Shows how much you know! I did write, loads in the beginning, but as my letters were generally ignored I gave up in the end. Mum had my address, yet I can’t recall her ever using it.’ Tears were choking her throat, which Abbie desperately strived to hold in check, not wishing her brother to see how badly his words had affected her.
    Robert moved a step closer, dark eyes narrowed, mouth tight with anger as he hovered almost threateningly over her. ‘Your trouble is that you never accept responsibility for anything. You’re far too wrapped up in your own wishes and desires to consider the effect your decisions might have upon anyone else.’
    A flush of crimson crept up Abbie’s cheeks, although out of fury rather than guilt. ‘That is not true! You know I tried my hardest to please Mum. She simply wasn’t interested to hear what I wanted from life, wouldn’t even let me help in the business, although I wanted to for years. But no, my working in a shop wasn’t good enough for her. I had to go to university, then presumably marry a rich company accountant and become an obedient middle-class wife with two-point-four children.’
    ‘Instead you ran off with that piece of garbage and managed to break Mother’s heart by having a bastard child. No wonder she rejected you.’
    Abbie very much doubted he felt the stinging slap she gave to his arrogant fat face, but it certainly made her feel better.

    Later that afternoon, seeing that the strain of the day was beginning to take its toll, Abbie walked her