End live,’ she said quietly, ‘so perhaps you would do well to stay indoors out of the way of any trouble.’
‘My dear, Hari, don’t you think I’ve learned anything about human nature from my stay at the prison?’ he said softly.
She inclined her head. ‘Maybe you learned about the ways of criminals but we at World’s End are not all criminals, there are good and bad everywhere.’ She glanced up at him meaningfully, ‘Even in the Grenfell family, mind.’
She stared at him for a long moment wondering if in her indignation she had hurt his feelings, but his eyes were narrowed and she could not read his expression.
‘I must see to mam,’ she said quickly. She brought a bowl from the cupboard and filled it with water from the kettle, there were chores to be done before she could even begin to make a meal for the three of them.
She took a towel and hanging it over her arm, she made her way upstairs, her mind spinning with troubled thoughts. Perhaps it was time Craig Grenfell looked elsewhere for lodgings, there were plenty to be had. Perhaps she was being a complete fool helping Craig Grenfell, was she allowing herself to be taken in by the first handsome man to come into her life?
‘Hello, mam, you’re looking perky this evening.’ Hari thrust her worries into the back of her mind and helped her mother to sit up against the pillows.
‘Come on then, have a nice wash, it will make you feel better.’
Win Morgan sat up and stared at her daughter. ‘I wish you’d stop treating me like a child, Angharad,’ she said irritably. ‘I may be going deaf and it’s true I’m not in the most robust of health but I’m not daft.’
‘I don’t know what you mean, mam.’ Hari damped a piece of flannel and carefully washed her mother’s lined face. ‘Here’s the towel, I’ll see to you as quickly as I can, it’s a bit colder this evening.’
‘You’ve got a man in,’ her mother said suddenly. ‘Don’t bother to deny it now.’ Her voice was stern. ‘I saw him when I went down to make myself a cup of tea, just letting himself out the door he was.’
‘Mam!’ Hari said quickly, ‘I’ve told you not to try to get down stairs on your own, not with your legs so bad.’
‘ Duw , girl, what do you expect me to do when you’re in the shop most of the time? Anyway, you know I have my good days and when I do I like to get up and sit by the fire for a while.’
Hari sighed, it wasn’t much to ask to be able to sit before the comfort of the fire and she was well aware of the frustration her mother must suffer lying in bed all day.
‘Anyway, who is this man?’ Win Morgan rubbed her face briskly with the towel bringing a spurious colour to her cheeks.
Hari decided that her mother must be told the truth, as she had pointed out, there was nothing wrong with her mind.
‘Well, don’t go mad if I tell you all about him,’ Hari said firmly, ‘just hear me out before you pass any judgements.’
‘I’ve never known a girl to make such a fuss over talking to her mother, I’m losing my temper with you, Angharad, for heaven’s sake get on with it.’
‘His name is Craig Grenfell,’ Hari said, folding the damp towel neatly as though it was the most important thing in the world.
‘One of them toffs from the other side of town?’ Win Morgan said in disbelief. ‘What in the name of heaven is he doing here in our house?’
‘He’s escaped from prison,’ Hari said quickly, ‘but he hadn’t done anything, it was someone else who cheated and lied and Craig was the one to take the blame.’
‘My dear Angharad,’ her mother said sharply, ‘don’t you know that’s what they all say? I don’t suppose there’s one prisoner in Swansea Jail who would admit he was guilty. The man’s making a fool of you. In any case,’ she warmed to her subject, ‘we can’t afford to feed ourselves half the time let alone a stranger, what can you be thinking about? You just can’t trust these toffs,
‘My dear, Hari, don’t you think I’ve learned anything about human nature from my stay at the prison?’ he said softly.
She inclined her head. ‘Maybe you learned about the ways of criminals but we at World’s End are not all criminals, there are good and bad everywhere.’ She glanced up at him meaningfully, ‘Even in the Grenfell family, mind.’
She stared at him for a long moment wondering if in her indignation she had hurt his feelings, but his eyes were narrowed and she could not read his expression.
‘I must see to mam,’ she said quickly. She brought a bowl from the cupboard and filled it with water from the kettle, there were chores to be done before she could even begin to make a meal for the three of them.
She took a towel and hanging it over her arm, she made her way upstairs, her mind spinning with troubled thoughts. Perhaps it was time Craig Grenfell looked elsewhere for lodgings, there were plenty to be had. Perhaps she was being a complete fool helping Craig Grenfell, was she allowing herself to be taken in by the first handsome man to come into her life?
‘Hello, mam, you’re looking perky this evening.’ Hari thrust her worries into the back of her mind and helped her mother to sit up against the pillows.
‘Come on then, have a nice wash, it will make you feel better.’
Win Morgan sat up and stared at her daughter. ‘I wish you’d stop treating me like a child, Angharad,’ she said irritably. ‘I may be going deaf and it’s true I’m not in the most robust of health but I’m not daft.’
‘I don’t know what you mean, mam.’ Hari damped a piece of flannel and carefully washed her mother’s lined face. ‘Here’s the towel, I’ll see to you as quickly as I can, it’s a bit colder this evening.’
‘You’ve got a man in,’ her mother said suddenly. ‘Don’t bother to deny it now.’ Her voice was stern. ‘I saw him when I went down to make myself a cup of tea, just letting himself out the door he was.’
‘Mam!’ Hari said quickly, ‘I’ve told you not to try to get down stairs on your own, not with your legs so bad.’
‘ Duw , girl, what do you expect me to do when you’re in the shop most of the time? Anyway, you know I have my good days and when I do I like to get up and sit by the fire for a while.’
Hari sighed, it wasn’t much to ask to be able to sit before the comfort of the fire and she was well aware of the frustration her mother must suffer lying in bed all day.
‘Anyway, who is this man?’ Win Morgan rubbed her face briskly with the towel bringing a spurious colour to her cheeks.
Hari decided that her mother must be told the truth, as she had pointed out, there was nothing wrong with her mind.
‘Well, don’t go mad if I tell you all about him,’ Hari said firmly, ‘just hear me out before you pass any judgements.’
‘I’ve never known a girl to make such a fuss over talking to her mother, I’m losing my temper with you, Angharad, for heaven’s sake get on with it.’
‘His name is Craig Grenfell,’ Hari said, folding the damp towel neatly as though it was the most important thing in the world.
‘One of them toffs from the other side of town?’ Win Morgan said in disbelief. ‘What in the name of heaven is he doing here in our house?’
‘He’s escaped from prison,’ Hari said quickly, ‘but he hadn’t done anything, it was someone else who cheated and lied and Craig was the one to take the blame.’
‘My dear Angharad,’ her mother said sharply, ‘don’t you know that’s what they all say? I don’t suppose there’s one prisoner in Swansea Jail who would admit he was guilty. The man’s making a fool of you. In any case,’ she warmed to her subject, ‘we can’t afford to feed ourselves half the time let alone a stranger, what can you be thinking about? You just can’t trust these toffs,
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