his eyes.
‘I could be, I suppose,’ she retorted, hearing his sharp intake of
breath. ‘And don’t come all high and mighty with me. I know perfectly
well Mum was having me when you got married.’
Belle was incredulous that her daughter
had no sense of shame, or respect for her father, and her fingers itched to strike
her. But she managed to control herself. ‘You’d better hope to God you
aren’t pregnant. Because if you are, you’ll soon find out what real life
is all about,’ Belle spat out. ‘Now, get upstairs to your room. I
can’t bear to look at you.’
Mariette scuttled out of the kitchen as
fast as she could. Her mother’s furious reaction, and the very fact that
they’d all jumped to the conclusion that she was pregnant, made it seem even
more probable.
What would happen to her if she was?
There was no question of marrying Sam. Even if he agreed to it – which he
wouldn’t – she’d have a miserable life with him, saddled with a baby she
didn’t even want.
People were mean to unmarried mothers
and, judging by her parents and Mog’s reaction, it would start here in her own
home.
She flung herself down on the bed and
cried. She could hear the hum of their voices down below, and every now and thenher father’s became louder. That
was the worst thing. She could live with her mother and Mog’s disapproval, but
she couldn’t bear the thought of her papa being disappointed in her.
Downstairs, in the kitchen, Etienne
paced around angrily. Belle knew that he wanted to rush out of the door and beat Sam
to a pulp. She had to prevent that.
‘He’s young and very
strong,’ she insisted, standing in front of the door so her husband
couldn’t get out. ‘If you go round there now, with all guns blazing,
he’ll retaliate, and you are likely to come off worse. Furthermore, the whole
town will get to hear of it – and once that cat is out of the bag, we won’t be
able to get it back in.’
Mog intervened too. ‘Mari did this
willingly, remember. She wanted a bit of excitement and she got it. Now she has to
learn the meaning of the word “consequences”. As do you! If you go and
beat Sam up, that will suggest to her that he is the only one to blame.’
‘Are you seriously suggesting that
I do nothing?’ Etienne asked, bewildered that they weren’t crying for
the man’s blood too.
‘Of course not,’ Belle said
soothingly. ‘But Mog is right, Mari is as much to blame. I could have
understood her more easily if she’d said she loved him. Sometimes she is so
cold-hearted, I can’t believe she’s my child. Please sleep on it,
Etienne, before you rush off at half-cock. All you will achieve is giving the
gossips far more ammunition.’
Etienne had felt hurt that both his
wife and Mog thought him too old to give his daughter’s seducer a good hiding.
But he could see some sense in at least waiting until the morning before he did or
said anything further.
As it was, he had a sleepless night,
tossing and turning,with unwelcome
pictures of Mari and that unkempt sailor together running through his mind.
At first light he got up, dressed and
quietly slipped out, leaving Belle still sleeping. The fury he’d felt on the
previous night had abated. All he wanted now was to confront the man and at least
try to understand what Mari had seen in him.
He had heard the ex-sailor was camping
on a piece of waste ground close to the start of Flag Staff Hill and, as he walked
towards it, he remembered the only time he’d spoken to him. The man had come
lurching drunkenly out of the Duke of Marlborough one evening, just as Etienne was
passing, and had bumped his shoulder.
‘Steady up and look where
you’re going,’ Etienne had said.
The man had straightened up and looked
askance at him. ‘You must be the Frog war hero, with an accent like
that,’ he’d said with a sneer.
‘And you must be the
‘I could be, I suppose,’ she retorted, hearing his sharp intake of
breath. ‘And don’t come all high and mighty with me. I know perfectly
well Mum was having me when you got married.’
Belle was incredulous that her daughter
had no sense of shame, or respect for her father, and her fingers itched to strike
her. But she managed to control herself. ‘You’d better hope to God you
aren’t pregnant. Because if you are, you’ll soon find out what real life
is all about,’ Belle spat out. ‘Now, get upstairs to your room. I
can’t bear to look at you.’
Mariette scuttled out of the kitchen as
fast as she could. Her mother’s furious reaction, and the very fact that
they’d all jumped to the conclusion that she was pregnant, made it seem even
more probable.
What would happen to her if she was?
There was no question of marrying Sam. Even if he agreed to it – which he
wouldn’t – she’d have a miserable life with him, saddled with a baby she
didn’t even want.
People were mean to unmarried mothers
and, judging by her parents and Mog’s reaction, it would start here in her own
home.
She flung herself down on the bed and
cried. She could hear the hum of their voices down below, and every now and thenher father’s became louder. That
was the worst thing. She could live with her mother and Mog’s disapproval, but
she couldn’t bear the thought of her papa being disappointed in her.
Downstairs, in the kitchen, Etienne
paced around angrily. Belle knew that he wanted to rush out of the door and beat Sam
to a pulp. She had to prevent that.
‘He’s young and very
strong,’ she insisted, standing in front of the door so her husband
couldn’t get out. ‘If you go round there now, with all guns blazing,
he’ll retaliate, and you are likely to come off worse. Furthermore, the whole
town will get to hear of it – and once that cat is out of the bag, we won’t be
able to get it back in.’
Mog intervened too. ‘Mari did this
willingly, remember. She wanted a bit of excitement and she got it. Now she has to
learn the meaning of the word “consequences”. As do you! If you go and
beat Sam up, that will suggest to her that he is the only one to blame.’
‘Are you seriously suggesting that
I do nothing?’ Etienne asked, bewildered that they weren’t crying for
the man’s blood too.
‘Of course not,’ Belle said
soothingly. ‘But Mog is right, Mari is as much to blame. I could have
understood her more easily if she’d said she loved him. Sometimes she is so
cold-hearted, I can’t believe she’s my child. Please sleep on it,
Etienne, before you rush off at half-cock. All you will achieve is giving the
gossips far more ammunition.’
Etienne had felt hurt that both his
wife and Mog thought him too old to give his daughter’s seducer a good hiding.
But he could see some sense in at least waiting until the morning before he did or
said anything further.
As it was, he had a sleepless night,
tossing and turning,with unwelcome
pictures of Mari and that unkempt sailor together running through his mind.
At first light he got up, dressed and
quietly slipped out, leaving Belle still sleeping. The fury he’d felt on the
previous night had abated. All he wanted now was to confront the man and at least
try to understand what Mari had seen in him.
He had heard the ex-sailor was camping
on a piece of waste ground close to the start of Flag Staff Hill and, as he walked
towards it, he remembered the only time he’d spoken to him. The man had come
lurching drunkenly out of the Duke of Marlborough one evening, just as Etienne was
passing, and had bumped his shoulder.
‘Steady up and look where
you’re going,’ Etienne had said.
The man had straightened up and looked
askance at him. ‘You must be the Frog war hero, with an accent like
that,’ he’d said with a sneer.
‘And you must be the
Similar Books
