Free The Soldier's Daughter by Rosie Goodwin Page B

sister.
    Briony chuckled. ‘I’m very pleased you think so, but come on . . . it’s time for bed now and if the kitten is staying I shall have to feed him and find him a box for him to sleep in while you two get undressed and have a wash. Oh, and you’d better start thinking of a name for him as well if he’s going to be living here. We can’t just call him “Cat”, can we?’
    Highly delighted, the children scooted away to do as they were told. Their bedrooms were bitterly cold but Briony had made them both a hot-water bottle.
    ‘Tommy at school reckons it might snow this week,’ Alfie informed her as she tucked the blankets up to his chin and bent to kiss him. He slept in the tiny boxroom at the back of the house.
    ‘I think your pal Tommy could be right,’ Briony shivered. ‘It’s certainly cold enough and if it does, I’ll have to get your sledge out of the shed for you.’
    She then went to tuck Sarah in to the double bed that they shared. ‘You won’t forget to feed the kitten, will you?’ the little girl asked sleepily as Briony kissed her goodnight.
    ‘I certainly won’t,’ Briony promised, stepping out onto the landing. It was then that her shoulders sagged. They would miss the small wage that Lois had earned, and now it seemed they had a cat to care for too – but then, she asked herself, how much can one little kitten cost to feed?
    Her mother was stirring when Briony got back downstairs and the girl glared at her as she began to clear the pots from the table. There was all the washing-up to do before she even thought of getting the children’s clothes ready for school the next day.
    ‘What time is it?’ Lois asked groggily as she heaved herself up in the chair.
    ‘It’s evening,’ Briony answered shortly as she headed for the sink with her hands full of dirty dishes. ‘And if you want your dinner it’s in the oven, although it’ll probably be dried up by now.’
    Lois stared at her daughter uncertainly. She had never heard Briony use that tone of voice to her before, but then as the events of the day slowly came back to her, she said guiltily, ‘I’m afraid Mr Finn told me today that he wouldn’t be needing me any more.’
    ‘I know that,’ Briony snapped. ‘And I know
why
too.’
    ‘Oh.’ Lois looked so forlorn that Briony felt herself softening, but she wasn’t done with her yet.
    ‘You didn’t meet the children from school either,’ she accused. ‘How would you have felt if anything had happened to either of them, Mum? Dad would go mad if he knew that they were having to make their own way home. Alfie is just five years old!’
    To Briony’s horror her mother promptly burst into tears. ‘I know he would. Oh, I’m so sorry. I’m just a poor apology for a mother, aren’t I? But I just can’t seem to function properly without your dad.’
    ‘We all miss him, Mum,’ Briony said soberly. ‘But we have to try and keep on and make him proud of us. And the thing is . . . Well, I’m worried about your drinking. It seems to be getting out of hand.’
    Lois knew that she was right. Her head was thumping and her mouth felt like the bottom of a birdcage. However, desperate to make amends, she said, ‘Leave that washing-up to me. If I’m going to be at home all day from now on, it’s time I did my share of the work. You go and put your feet up, love. You’ve been rushing about all day.’ It was then that her eyes fell on the kitten still curled up fast asleep on the hearthrug and she gasped in horror as her hand flew to her throat. ‘What is that creature doing in here?’
    ‘It’s a kitten that the children found on their way home from school. Someone must have abandoned it and they’ve adopted it,’ Briony said steadily.
    ‘But . . . but it could have all manner of diseases. It might even have
fleas
!’ Lois said in disgust. ‘And animals need feeding and looking after!’
    ‘I don’t think you’ll need to worry too much about that. The children adore him