Winners and Losers by Linda Sole Page B

– that aching, empty feeling that had set in after her son died in hospital and everyone thought she had neglected him. She would never have done that . . . although she had been drinking too much because she was grieving for her husband.
    Emily had believed in her. Dan had apologized after he realized what was going on, but he had thought she was at fault in the beginning. Perhaps he still did. He hadn’t brought his family to visit for ages and she knew he had been to Emily’s once or twice.
    She looked at her receptionist, realizing that she hadn’t replied. ‘Nowhere special,’ she said. ‘It is a business matter.’
    Frances wondered why she’d lied as she left the hotel and got into the taxi, giving the driver instructions. She leaned back against the seat, trying to keep calm and not worry. There might not be any need to worry, because she didn’t know if there was anything really wrong with her yet. It was just that she hated hospitals. She had ever since little Charlie had died and the nurse had looked at her as if she were a murderer.
    She had been desperate when Dan drove her to the hospital. She had never ceased to regret that she hadn’t taken her son to the doctor sooner, but she’d thought it was just a chill – just as she’d put off seeing a doctor when she started to feel unwell herself.
    She couldn’t really be ill. She wasn’t even thirty-seven yet – wouldn’t be for ages. It was stupid to feel so nervous of these wretched tests . . .
    Daniel finished loading the milk churns and watched as the lorry trundled off down the road that led back to Stretton. The trouble with living miles down a drove was that he had to start milking half an hour earlier in order to get the milk to the pick-up point on time. As he climbed back into the seat of his tractor, Daniel was wondering what it was all about, the struggle to survive and keep his head above water.
    He hadn’t planned it this way! If he’d done things differently, he might have had his own garage now. He knew he could have made a reasonable living from that and then he could have handed the small-holding over to Connor, as he’d planned. A scowl settled on his face as he realized that his dreams were vanishing like early-morning mist. If he had to pay that scheming hussy for keeping her mouth shut . . . But he wouldn’t, damn her! He would tell Alice the truth . . . But as he saw the smoke rising from the chimneys of his home, Daniel realized he could never tell her the truth.
    Alice worked so hard and got very little in return, except a handful of children and more work. It wasn’t the life he’d promised her or himself. He was caught in a trap and he couldn’t see a way out.
    â€˜Damned if I do and damned if I don’t,’ he muttered to himself as he shut off the tractor and headed towards the kitchen. What was the worst that could happen? Alice wouldn’t leave him . . .
    As he entered the kitchen the smell of vomit hit him. Alice was pacing up and down, looking worried to death, and Sally was obviously ill again. All thought of telling his wife about Maura fled as he saw the red patches in his youngest child’s cheeks.
    â€˜I think she is really ill this time,’ Alice said. ‘I don’t know what to do, Dan. I have to get the others off to school and—’
    â€˜What’s wrong?’ Connor asked, walking into the kitchen. ‘If you want to take Sally to the doctor, I’ll look out for the others. Danny will help, won’t you?’
    â€˜Yeah,’ Danny replied, looking at his screaming sister. ‘Is she going to die?’
    â€˜No, of course she isn’t,’ Alice said. She thrust the child at Daniel. ‘Hold her while I get ready – and then you can take me to the doctor’s.’
    â€˜The surgery won’t be open for another