The Favourite Child by Freda Lightfoot Page B

you didn’t.’
    Simeon seemed to swell to twice his normal size as he took a threatening step towards his son, huge fists clenched. ‘Take that back, you jumped up, lily-livered excuse for a ...’
    ‘ Stop it! ’ Bella rushed to intervene between father and son, as she’d had reason to do many times in the past. ‘It’s no use quarrelling between ourselves. I brought her here, so Jinnie is my responsibility. I’m the one to sort this out.’
    ‘She s not your responsibility,’ Edward shouted above the tears and accusations, in a voice quite unlike his own. ‘She s mine ! Jinnie and I love each other and I mean to make her my wife.’ At which point Emily let out a terrible scream and fainted clean away.

Chapter Five
     
    By the time Edward and Bella reached the Ebenezer Mission, the warden informed them in stiff, official tones, that the hour was late, being past nine o’clock. Far too late to wake anyone. ‘There was a young man here earlier asking after the very same girl but I told him as I shall tell you, she is asleep and cannot be disturbed. Mind you, he was most demanding, insisted he would be back first thing in the morning. Proper ruffian he looked too.’ She sniffed her disapproval as she crossed well-muscled arms across her ample, purple clad bosom, pointedly expressing her ability to see off such hangers-on with ease, should it become necessary.
    Bella, concerned by this news, asked if he had given any name.
    The warden shook her head. ‘Friend or relative, he didn’t say and I didn’t care to ask. How these gels get involved with such villains I shall never understand if I live to be a hundred. But it’s none of my business. He was wasting his time and I told him as much.’
    Edward, by contrast, possessed excellent manners and was clearly a gentleman. It took him no time at all to exercise his charm on the warden and Jinnie was brought from her bed, still rubbing the sleep from her eyes. The moment she saw Edward, she flew into his arms on a cry of delight.
    Bella hid a smile as she thought how her mother would react to this obvious show of affection. Much to her relief, there was no sign of either parent when they returned home later that night, so Bella helped Jinnie into bed and left her to finish her sleep. There’d be time enough to talk tomorrow.
     
    ‘I never heard owt so daft in me life. Me, married? To Edward?’ Jinnie stared at Bella, astonished disbelief on her pinched elfin face.
    ‘I’m sorry, I thought he’d already asked you. I’ve spoiled it for you, haven’t I?’
    Nay, you’ve spoiled nowt. I’m not fit to lick his boots. He’s a proper gent and me, I’m - I’m...’ Lost for words to sufficiently describe her shortcomings, Jinnie fell to the usual Lancashire epithets. ‘I’m nowt. Less than nowt.’
    Bella chuckled. ‘Oh, I wouldn’t go so far as to say that. You have some rather remarkable qualities. Determination for one thing. Stubbornness. Courage.’
    ‘Bloody minded more like.’
    ‘That too.’
    Jinnie gave a half smile and Bella came to sit beside her on the sofa. It was past midday and her mother had still not risen, so Bella was taking the opportunity for a little heart-to-heart. The two girls had lifted the green paper blind to let in whatever sunlight was available, and so that they could see out on to the soot-encrusted houses opposite.
    ‘Edward’s utterly smitten. He adores you. I rather thought you felt the same way about him.’
    Jinnie looked forlorn. ‘What can you do when clogs let water in?’
    ‘Pardon?’
    ‘Yer can’t help getting wet. And I can’t help loving him.’
    ‘Oh, I see.’ Bella was laughing now. ‘You have such wonderful sayings. I’d never think of them in a million years.’
    ‘What’s so funny?’ she challenged, the upper lip curling in that too familiar snarl and Bella hastily assured her that she’d meant no offence and although the girl flinched away, hugged her determinedly. The shoulders felt