Unforgettable (Gloria Cook) - By Gloria Cook Page 0,100

was very careful not to leave a visible mark on her. Poor Esther thought if she bore him a son he’d change and respect her but when she had finally conceived he beat her in one of his drunken rages. It brought on a late miscarriage. She was nearly seven months along, and not only did she lose the child she also lost her womb and nearly her life. It left her terribly physically and emotionally scarred. Now she can’t stand the thought of anyone seeing her disfigured body.

‘She came to her senses and came to live with me. It was a relief when Chester was killed in a motor accident some months later. It meant dear Esther didn’t have to go through the trauma and indignity of a divorce. You can understand why he has never been mentioned. Esther had quite successfully shut that part of her past out of her mind. Then she met Sedgewick Mitchelmore and made a new life for herself. As you can imagine, Dorrie, I’d do anything – anything – to stop her being hurt in any way again.’

‘Oh yes, absolutely, Honoria, because Greg and I feel the same away about our family members, and you have my word that this confidence will never pass from my lips. I’ve forgotten about it already.’ Dorrie downed the last of her rum, angry with herself. How on earth could she have thought Esther was really a man? Dorrie might be the reliable, down-to-earth one in her family but she had also been more than a little shameful . . . But there was the matter of whether Honoria had paid a thug to kill the two young blackmailers for Esther’s sake. She would think it all through on the walk home. ‘Tell me, dear, where are you off to for the winter?’

Thirty-Three

Finn had a visitor. ‘Your mum said it was all right to come up. See you’re drawing again and got the baby with you.’ Sam stood awkwardly in the doorway, gazing at Finn who was on his bed, back against the pillows and headboard, sketching Eloise who was perched against his drawn-up knees. Sam never knew how to take Finn nowadays. Finn had not been to The Orchards for ages and he no longer asked after his parents – well, his mother – as he used to. Sam felt he must have offended Finn but Sam didn’t know what he had done.

‘Looks like it, doesn’t it? Sit down then, don’t dawdle in the bloody doorway,’ Finn grunted. As it happened he didn’t have any issues with Sam but he preferred, when he had the time, to be with Eloise and to have her all to himself. It was going to be a horrible wrench leaving her throughout most of each week when he started at the art academy.

‘I’ve managed to get hold of a couple bottles of Coca Cola,’ Sam said, flopping down in the tub chair, which was liberally covered with Finn’s cast-off clothes. ‘It’s handy out on the rounds, you can swap anything for some extra fruit or veg.’

‘Great,’ Finn said, reaching out a hand for the opened drink without tearing his eyes away from his sketch of Eloise shaking her rattle. She made a grab for the bottle. ‘No, no, sweetheart, you can’t have this. You finish off your own bottle.’ Tucking Eloise into the crook of his arm he put her bottle of diluted rose-hip syrup to her eager lips. All three in the bedroom glugged down the drink in their own bottles.

‘I got these as well.’ Sam thrust back his shoulders in pride as he threw three little packets on the bed.

Finn picked them up. ‘Rubber johnnies! What do you want those for?’ He was suddenly contentious. ‘You better not be hoping to get fresh with Jenna. She’s a decent girl.’

‘Course not!’ Sam coloured in guilt but hoped Finn would think he was merely embarrassed. He gathered up his trophies. Jenna was refusing a repeat of their love-making unless they got engaged, but Sam only wanted some fun and sex now, not his future mapped out for him. ‘I’m thinking of looking around, and hopefully the johnnies will come in useful.’

‘Things fizzling out between you and Jenna then?’ Finn looked Sam steadily in the eyes. ‘Tilly says Jenna’s been quiet about you lately.’

‘I like Jenna, but she’s just my first girlfriend. I’m not ready to settle down yet,’ Sam said, mildly desperate. ‘You do understand, Finn? Can you say something,