Free The Nickum by Doris Davidson Page A

she’d let Connie invite him there. Plus, and it was a big plus, if he was serious about the girl, he’d taken far too long to tell his folk. Still, she mused, if her daughter was truly in love, she was willing to put aside her own feelings.
    Connie eyed her mother reflectively. ‘I’ve never thought he was the lad for me, Mam, but nane o’ the other lads have looked twice at me.’
    ‘You should tell him you’re not wanting him, then. Other lads are maybe scared to ask you out if they think you’re his girl.’
    ‘You think that’s what it is?’ Connie seemed more cheerful.
    The porch door banged open to admit Willie, who flung his satchel down on the floor before coming into the kitchen, at which his mother and sister both cried, ‘Pick that up!’ Bending down with a scowl, he lifted the bag and hung it on the peg on the door.
    Heaving a sigh, Emily said firmly, ‘And never mind sitting down. You know fine this is Friday, and you’ve to take the eggs to the shop.’
    ‘OK, but can I get a piece an’ jam first?’
    The two women laughed to each other as they watched him cut a thick slice off the loaf and spread it thickly with Emily’s home-made strawberry jam. Then he went out by the back door, first lifting the basket of eggs which had been sitting on a shelf in the porch, the tackets on his boots making sparks fly from the stone flags on the floor.
    Emily turned to Connie again. ‘D’you think Becky’s putting on weight?’
    ‘I haven’t noticed.’
    ‘I’ve the feeling she’s expecting.’
    ‘Ach, Mam, you’re imagining things. Becky doesn’t want any kids, that would spoil her figure.’
    ‘But it’s not always what you want, is it? I’m sure Jackie wants a family. Most girls are expecting before they can draw breath after the wedding.’
    Connie gave a little giggle. ‘Now you’re coming the bag a bit, but I’ll tell you this, I hope I can find a husband quick, or I’ll be past the age for having any bairnies.’
    ‘Oh, Connie, you’re just a chicken yet.’
    ‘I’ll be twenty-one in August.’
    ‘You’ve plenty time yet to have your family. Beenie was near forty-four when she had her Alice. You’ve another twenty years – you might end up with a whole jing-bang of babies.’ God forbid, she added silently.
    Rebecca Burns was anything but happy about her pregnancy. The morning sickness she’d dreaded had been worse than she’d imagined, lasting for most of the day sometimes, and she couldn’t bear the thought that her belly would start to grow enormous. Of course, it might put Jackie off her, which would be a blessing, for he kept on asking and she kept on refusing, and that couldn’t go on for ever. He would get fed up of it, and turn to some other girl, not that it would bother her, except he might want to leave her. That would be a proper calamity. She was now part of a fairly well-to-do family, and she didn’t want to lose that security.
    If she could get rid of this encumbrance, she would be quite happy to remain as Jackie’s wife, having the wherewithal to buy what she liked and when she liked. She made a trip to Aberdeen at least once a month – Jackie had never complained about it – and that would have to stop if he decided to divorce her. Tom Burns had given them this cottage as a wedding present, so she would likely have to leave, and God knows where she would go. No doubt her parents would take her in, but she didn’t want to go back to scrimping and saving for a year before she could afford to buy a new dress. No, she had better watch her step and keep hold of what she had got.
    One thing she could do, though, to get her life back to what it was, get rid of this blasted infant or whatever they called it at this stage. She was just over three months late, so it should be all right. She’d heard about a woman in Tillyburnie that got rid of them for fifty pounds and no questions asked, so she’d go to her. Nobody knew about it anyway, so tongues wouldn’t