Bloody Mary Read Online Free Page A

friends, move on into adulthood, get married. We’ve lived our lives alongside each other.” He glanced at the grinning group, reddened faces glowing in the soft light. “So I’ll cut the speech short, all I can add is you’d better damn-well make sure we get plenty of holidays with you in sunny old Mallorca!”
    Bob took a swig, and chuckled as Bry sat himself back down on the elaborate chair. “You bet, mate, but on one condition: you make sure you look at villas for yourself when you come and stay! We want to see you follow us out there!”
    Peggy giggled. “I’ll definitely drink to that!” She tapped her glass with a manicured, ruby red fingernail. “I’d also like to make a little toast myself. Our Davy’s Claudia’s just found out she’s having our first grandchild. We’re over the moon, aren’t we, Bry?”
    Maureen shot an uncontrollable glare of annoyance at Peggy before settling a practised smile on her pink-stained lips. “Well done Davy and Claudia, we’re very pleased for you, Pegs, Bry. But if we’re talking babies, of course I wasn’t going to say anything yet, you know, I like to keep a little decorum, but our Darren and his wife are also having a baby, a son.”
    “But…” Bob started, incredulous, hastily silenced by a withering stare from his wife. Crestfallen, and understandably irked at the instant upstaging, Peggy smiled politely and returned the congratulations.
     
    The household was quieter in Littleover where Harold and Beryl lived, the pleasant semi-detached house in darkness as they both lay in bed. Harold was breathing softly, a gentle purr, but Beryl couldn’t sleep after the conversation with Sophie. She’d been tossing, turning, heaving, and contemplating for hours, perhaps even wishing she hadn’t seen that Mystical Mary, or whatever she called herself. If she had just stayed at home the telephone confrontation would never have happened.
    Harold and Beryl liked to start the day in a refined way, and every evening she would prepare the table for breakfast, setting out a choice of cereals, the toaster, the crockery and cutlery. As always, the alarm was set for six. This gave Harold enough time to read his morning newspaper without a chaotic rush, before leaving for work at seven thirty. He was very close to retirement, and Beryl knew he would miss lecturing on forensic science at Derby University, but the languid days they had coming appealed to her. At least they had before the reading.
    So now, the worries and confusion on Beryl’s mind eventually became too much and she realised that if she was to get any sleep at all before daylight began to break, she was going to have to be selfish and wake him. “Harold?” She lightly shook his shoulders, and he stirred dreamily.
    “Darling. What is it?” He rolled over to face her.
    “Harold, I just can’t sleep after what happened today. I shouldn’t have woken you, but please can we talk it through?”
    Harold gently took her hand in his. “Of course, darling. Look, I know it’s upset you, and whether it was the wrong decision or the right one, I don’t know. But you have to remember that it also upsets you every time you see her covered in bruises. Sometimes you have to protect yourself, and, at the end of the day, Sophie’s
    a grown woman.”
    “Yes, I know that, but maybe we should support her, I mean, was it fair to essentially suggest that she leaves her husband?”
    Harold was hurting as much as his wife at Sophie’s reluctance to give up on a relationship that was clearly destructive, but he also realised there was little they could do apart from sitting in the background and waiting until their daughter was no longer willing to deal with the violence. He contemplated Beryl’s indecision for a few moments before breathing a reluctant sigh. “I don’t know. It’s such an awful situation. For all of us.”
    Beryl drew herself up, hugging her knees to her chest. “You should have seen her this time,