Coming Home to the Four Streets by Nadine Dorries (books that read to you .txt) 📗

Peggy’s heart sank. She walked away and didn’t turn around, pushing the pram with her head held high and her slippers flapping on the pavement, her humiliation complete. She couldn’t even sell herself, wasn’t good enough for that, because she didn’t own a pair of shoes to her name.

*

There was a queue in the chip shop and it was almost an hour before she arrived home to be greeted by a cacophony of noise. The pain in her abdomen had increased with a vengeance as she’d stood in the queue. She decided that it was worse when she stood and when all this was over, when she had saved her family and they were out of the woods, she would return to the doctor and let them take it all away. What a relief that would be, the rent up to date and a life without pain.

Little Paddy had done all that he could to stop the boys from crying and complaining, he’d even resorted to using Max, letting his brothers hold him one by one, but after half an hour little Paddy’s last resort had lost its appeal. He went out to the entry and dark thoughts ran through his mind. His mother wasn’t coping and he didn’t know what he could do to help. He’d thrust his hands into his pockets and, as he did so, looked up to the Dohertys’ bedroom window. She was there and he’d whispered her name.

‘Kitty? It’s all going bad, Kitty.’

Tears had filled his eyes as the street lamp flicked on overhead and the day relinquished its hold…

‘Little Paddy?’

It was Peggy in the entry, pushing a pram. He could smell the vinegar-soaked newspaper and he laughed with relief. ‘Mam, I thought you weren’t coming back!’ he said.

‘Where’s your da?’ she asked, turning the pram in through the gate.

‘He’s not home yet,’ his voice falling again, along with his hopes, for his mother looked dreadful. As Peggy walked into the house, the complaints the children had stored ready for her return were all silenced by the smell of the hot chips. Even Scamp flew out from under the table.

‘I put Max away,’ whispered the second-youngest to his brother.

‘Sit still, everyone,’ Peggy said as she and little Paddy handed the newspaper parcels to the boys, all sitting in a row of wriggling excitement. The youngest licked the fat off the paper and smeared newsprint all over his face. The others began to giggle at the sight, their mouths stuffed full of chips and the room was filled with laughter.

Then suddenly Peggy felt water run down her legs. ‘Oh, Jesus God in heaven!’ she exclaimed, her eyes stretched wide, both hands on her back in an attempt to suppress the huge ache that had suddenly seized her.

‘What, Mam?’ asked little Paddy.

‘Nothing, Paddy,’ said Peggy, ‘I’m caught short, that’s all, and I need the outhouse.’

The children were so eagerly stuffing chips and saveloy into their mouths that not one had noticed the puddle of water on the floor. The deep ache came again, sharper and longer. Peggy, in a state of confusion, walked towards the back door, her slippers soaked and squelching. She had to get to the outhouse as quickly as she could, biting down an all-consuming urge to scream.

And with it, Peggy was thinking: no, no, no, please God, no, this isn’t happening, it can’t be! But she also knew that no amount of denial would alter a thing; she was about to deliver a baby! She had done it many times before and the pressing urge, deep in her abdomen, was unmistakeable. She shivered, feeling as though ice was running through her veins, and nausea consumed her as she lunged towards the back door. Her sons, high on the excitement of hot food, had not noticed her dilemma, not even little Paddy.

Peggy reached the outhouse door and looked over the wall at Maura’s empty house, feeling a powerful need for her friend. She blinked when she saw Kitty at the upstairs window. She often did, but had never told Kathleen or anyone else, in case they thought she was going mad, but she had no time to think about that now; she was panting furiously, out of breath, a baby was coming and it was coming fast.

Chapter Sixteen

Eric had hoped he could slip out of the dairy and in through the doors of the Anchor before Gladys arrived back from her sister’s over in the Wirral. Cindy’s words had barely left his mind since he had been in her shop. ‘Don’t forget, you know where me and Reg are if you fancy a drink and a natter, we’ve only got one life, Eric.’

One life… those words… His breath caught in his throat as he placed a kiss on the warmth of Daisy’s neck. Was this it for him, this one life, lived in dread and fear of stepping back indoors? Spending more time in the stable with his horse than any man should? Counting the minutes until he could make an excuse to head to his cold and lonely bed in the back of the house? As though sensing his thoughts, the mare bent her head and pushed her nose against his shoulder.

‘Oh, Daisy,’ he said, ‘thank goodness I’ve got you. There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for the very best girl in my life.’

He almost leapt out of his boots as Gladys’s stinging voice sliced through the air. ‘Charming, I’m sure.’ Her tone was unmistakeably acerbic and accusing. ‘I fall in behind the horse now, do I? Well, I have to say, I’m not surprised. Her intelligence is about at your level, so I suppose you’ve something in common.’

Without knowing where they came from, alien words now fell from Eric’s mouth. ‘That’s as may be, but you’ve a face like a horse’s behind,’ he muttered and then, instantly regretting it, finished his words with an exaggerated cough.

‘What’s that?’ said Gladys.

He took a long deep breath and