The Chinese Egg Read Online Free Page B

Chrissie was my first, I acted like I did.”
    â€œDid my mother cuddle me?” Vicky asked. She’d often nearlyasked this question before, but never quite. Now it came out easily. That was the sort of person her Mum was, warm and easy.
    â€œAs if she could eat you. You were what I’d call good-looking for a baby. Neat little face, you had, and thick black hair. Quite long, it was. I remember your mother showing me how it was almost long enough to plait. About half an inch.”
    â€œWas Chris pretty then too?”
    â€œI’ve never seen such a little horror. Bald, and her face sort of squashed up sideways.”
    â€œDid you mind?”
    â€œAfter all that trouble? I wouldn’t have changed her for the world.”
    â€œWhat did my mother say? About my father? Or anything?”
    â€œTold me she hadn’t seen him for months. That was when I asked if her husband was coming at visiting time. Silly question, I should have known better.”
    â€œHe was her husband, then? I mean, was she married?”
    â€œI told you, might have been. She called herself Mrs., but then they mostly do. The nurses like it better.”
    â€œShe didn’t say anything else about him? My father, I mean?”
    â€œSaid once you didn’t look like him. Like her, you were. Dark hair like yours, she had. Lovely girl. I cried so much when she went, I almost couldn’t feed Chrissie.”
    â€œWhen did you decide you’d take me too?”
    â€œI wanted to as soon as I heard she’d gone. But of course I had to ask Dad. It was his business just as much as mine.”
    â€œWhat did he say when you told him about me?”
    Mrs. Stanford unexpectedly laughed. “You know Dad. First thing he asked was, what class did your mother come from.”
    â€œAnd what did you say?”
    â€œI told him your mother was a nice girl. Well spoken. Might have been a secretary or something like that. But she was a working girl. Working class like us. Then he wanted to know about her family, and I told him your mother said she hadn’t any.”
    â€œWhat did he say then?”
    â€œSaid he supposed I meant to have you and he wouldn’t stand in my way. It wasn’t as if I could have any more of my own, you see.”
    â€œDid you mean to? I mean, if you hadn’t had to have all that done after Chris was born, would you have had another?”
    â€œAlways meant to have six. Well, four at any rate.”
    â€œDid Dad want six?”
    â€œI don’t think I ever got as far as asking. I think he’s quite happy with just two of you.”
    â€œIf my father did know about me, I suppose he could have found me? If he wanted to, I mean?”
    â€œIf your mother changed her name I don’t see it would be easy for him.”
    â€œBut if he really wanted to, he could have?”
    â€œI don’t see how.”
    â€œSo he might have tried and never found me?”
    â€œYou shouldn’t go on worrying about it, Vicky. You know Dad and I think just as much of you as of Chris. You’re just the same as if you were our own.”
    â€œIt’s not that. It’s just not knowing.”
    â€œWhat do you want to know then?”
    â€œI don’t know. What he’s like, I suppose. I mean if I knew what sort of person he was, I’d know more about me, wouldn’t I?”
    â€œI don’t see that. The way I look at it, it’s the people who’ve brought you up, who’ve had everything to do with you since you were a baby, that make most difference to what you’re like. Not a man you’ve never even seen.”
    â€œI might have seen him. He might live round here. He may be someone I see every day and don’t know about.”
    â€œYou’ll only make yourself unhappy if you. . .” Mrs. Stanford began, but was interrupted by Chris’s voice from upstairs.
    â€œMum! Mum! I’m ready for the