Free Across a Summer Sea by Lyn Andrews Page A

through the tiny window the back-yard door open and Richie Seddon come up the yard.  
    Her hand flew to her mouth. If he knocked he might wake Frank and there’d be another scene. Quickly she opened the door and went out.  
    ‘Richie, what are you doing here? Hasn’t there been enough trouble?’  
    He looked concerned. ‘I just came to see if you were all right, Mary.’  
    ‘I’m fine. Things are great, thanks. Now will you go, please? I’ve the washing up to do.’  
    ‘Don’t you ever stop working, Mary? You wait on them all hand and foot.’  
    ‘Well, you know the saying. “A woman’s work is never done.” It’s true.’  
    He looked at her closely, noticing the frown lines on her forehead and the dark shadows under her eyes. ‘You look far from fine . You look tired and upset. I’m sorry, Mary.’  
    She managed a smile. ‘That’s all right, Richie. It . . . it wasn’t your fault. Now, I really must go and I’m sure you have far more exciting things to do than stand here in the cold talking to me.’  
    ‘Like what?’  
    ‘Oh, Richie! Just go !’ she urged, still smiling and giving him a gentle push.  
    ‘All right! I’m on my way. Happy Christmas, Mary.’  
    She relented a little. ‘Happy Christmas, Richie, and thanks for calling.’   
    She watched him close the door and shook her head before turning and going back into the house.  
    Unknown to her her absence had been noticed. Frank had woken, thirsty, and had gone into the scullery for a drink of water. With narrowed eyes and his mouth set in a grim line he watched the brief conversation. By God! She was determined to carry on humiliating him! Even now they were probably planning their next meeting. Rage surged through him. So great was the force it made him shake. Oh, he’d been drunk last night, but not too drunk to realise what they’d been up to out in Nellie’s yard. Probably everyone had known, had been sniggering behind his back. ‘That poor, stupid fool Frank McGann being led a fine dance by his wife and her fancy feller and right under his nose.’ The memory of her laughing with Richie’s arm around her waist brought other images, darker images into his mind to torment him . . . and now they were together again. In his back yard, planning God knew what other things! Well, he’d had enough of this and he wasn’t going to belittle himself again by tackling Richie Seddon. No, he’d deal with her .  
    Mary was startled to see him standing in the scullery. ‘Frank! I thought you were dozing!’  
    ‘And you made the most of it, didn’t you? Planning your next meeting with him !’  
    Mary was horrified. ‘Frank, I was doing nothing of the kind! How could you even think such a thing? He . . . he came to see if I was all right and I sent him away. I chased him off!’  
    ‘And you expect me to believe that , after last night? You must think me a bloody fool. You couldn’t wait to see him again. “Oh, it’s all right, Richie, Frank’s asleep and anyway you taught him a lesson last night, he won’t bother us again!” ’ He mimicked her voice cruelly.  
    ‘Frank! Stop it! Stop it, it’s not true. None of it is true!’ she cried.  
    ‘Don’t lie to me, Mary. Even young Nora Phelps knows what you and he get up to.’  
    ‘Nora knows nothing. There is nothing to know. Frank, please, this is crazy, stupid . . .’  
    Her words made him squirm with humiliation. ‘Oh, so now I’m crazy and stupid? Well, I’ve had enough of it. I want you out of here in an hour! And you can take the kids with you. I’m not breaking my back to keep a roof over your heads, food on the table and clothes on your backs, let him do it! Let him buy you fancy white blouses and tartan jackets. Let him pay to dress you up like a tart!’  
    Shocked though she was Mary fought back. ‘Like a tart ? Frank, I bought those things in Paddy’s Market. They were probably third- or even fourth-hand. I buy nothing for myself.