Little Girl Lost Read Online Free

concerned it was just a bit of fun. I wrote and told him what had happened as soon as I knew but he hasn’t replied. Why should he? It isn’t fellers what pays for a bit of fun – it’s us women. I did think about gin an’ that and those old women in the courts what’ll do away wi’ a baby before it’s born, only girls die, don’t they, and it’s a mortal sin as well . . .’
    ‘Life is unfair,’ Brendan agreed, thinking that this Robbie had probably got a girl in every port. If I ever get to meet him, my fist and his nose will have something to say to one another, he thought vindictively.
    ‘And I know Len will kill me when he gets out of Walton,’ Sylvie continued.
    ‘No he won’t. I realise you’ll have to go to the funeral tomorrow, but Len won’t attend the wake afterwards, if that’s what’s worrying you, and he’ll have a couple of warders with him from start to finish. You must put a brave face on it and simply steer clear of him, apart from saying hello and so on. Remember, even though he’s been slammed up for a couple of years he must have seen you at visiting times, so he’s very unlikely to notice any change in your shape. Why, I fished you out of the river with every garment clinging to you and I couldn’t tell.’
    This seemed to cheer Sylvie, for she gave him a tremulous smile. ‘But as soon as I do begin to show, his horrible old mam will write to him, or visit him in prison,’ she pointed out. ‘And if it ain’t Ma or Pa Dugdale, it’ll be someone else; you know how folk love to pass on gossip. Come to that, I’m not too sure what Pa Dugdale might do if he found out. They’ll know the baby isn’t Len’s, of course, so they might light into me straight away and not wait for Len.’ An enormous shudder shook her small frame and made her thick, silver-blonde hair shiver. ‘I try not to be a coward but it’s hard when you can still remember the pain; I did tell you Len broke three of my ribs once, didn’t I? And he tramped on me toes until me feet were black and blue.’
    Brendan stared at her. He knew adultery was terribly wrong but it was nothing compared with what Len Dugdale had done to her, and if this Robbie Wentworth had had a morsel of sense he would never have dreamed of seducing a married girl, exposing her to such grave danger. Brendan leaned forward in his chair, gazing earnestly into her small pale face. ‘You’re right; you can’t stay at the Ferryman until the baby is born,’ he said gruffly, for he did not want her to see how her predicament had touched him. ‘I don’t mean to save your life one minute and let some bug— I mean some brute half kill you the next. I don’t know when Dugdale’s due for release but that isn’t important, not really.’ Sylvie was gazing at him with wide-eyed admiration, so once again he spoke rather to reassure than to inform. ‘I’ll attend this funeral tomorrow – where’s it to be, by the way? – just to keep an eye on you. But as soon as it’s over and Dugdale’s safely back in gaol, I’ll put my mind to solving your predicament. I’m sure there’s a way out – there has to be.’ He rose to his feet and began to gather up Sylvie’s clothing, now nicely dried out, though very crumpled. ‘The pub will have shut some time ago but I dare say you can get into the Ferryman without being noticed. Anyway, I’ll walk you home, so if you need a boost in through a window . . .’
    Clutching the blankets to her and holding out one hand for the clothes, Sylvie rose to her feet. ‘You are good,’ she said fervently. ‘I never thought I’d be glad to fall in the perishin’ Mersey, but I reckon it were the best thing that could have happened to me. To tell you the truth, when I hit the water I thought of the only advice Annie had give me – you know, hot baths and a big glass of gin – and I wondered if a cold one wouldn’t do just as well.’ She smoothed a hand gently over her still flat stomach, smiling