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Chapter 2 |
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It was seven o' clock on Saturday evening. Jackie stood at the window. |
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A car drove slowly up to the front door and stopped. |
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A tall man with white hair got out. It was Albert, the husband of Molly' s sister. |
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' Here' s Uncle Albert,' Jackie said. ' Always late.' |
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She went out of the room and opened the front door. |
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Albert came in and went at once to Molly. |
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' Oh, dear. I' m very late. I am sorry,' Albert said. |
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' Fifty years old today! What a wonderful dress!' Molly did not smile. |
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' Thank you, Albert. We' re all getting older.' |
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Tonight she wore a long black dress, and the two black dogs sat at her feet. |
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' Everyone is here now. Let' s go in to dinner,' she said. |
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Everyone stood up and went to the table. ' The table looks nice, Jackie. |
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What wonderful flowers!' Diane said. |
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She was a beautiful girl, with long black hair and dark blue eyes. |
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She wore a long red dress. Albert sat down next to Roger. |
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Roger was Molly' s son, her second child. |
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He lived in Cambridge, in an expensive house. |
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' Someone called Peter stopped me down the road,' Albert said. |
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' Who is he? He' s very angry with you, Molly.' |
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' That' s Peter Hobbs, from the house across the road,' Jackie said quickly. |
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She looked across the table at Molly. ' |
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He lost his job last week and he' s angry with everyone.' |
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' It' s Molly he doesn' t like,' Albert said. |
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Molly said nothing. Everyone began to eat. ' How is Aunt Annie?' Jackie asked. |
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' She' s much worse now,' Albert said. ' She stays in bed all the time. |
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She needs a nurse twentyfour hours a day.' ' I am sorry.' Molly said. |
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Albert stopped eating and looked at Molly. |
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' It' s very difficult and very expensive, you know. |
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Annie feels very unhappy because you don' t visit her, Molly. |
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She loves you very much. You are her little sister you know.' |
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Molly closed her eyes for a minute. ' I know that, Albert. |
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I am fifty years old, but I am always her " little" sister. |
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Well, we can talk about it later.' Albert laughed. ' Oh yes, we can talk later. |
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It' s always later with you, Molly. Always tomorrow. Never today.' |
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Jackie watched her mother. Her mother was angry with Albert. |
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Molly never liked talking about her sister Annie |
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and she did not like visiting her because she was very ill. |
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' That' s a beautiful dress, Diane. Is it new?' Jackie asked. |
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' Thank you, Jackie. Yes, it' s new, and very expensive. I got it on Wednesday,' |
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Diane said. She smiled at Jackie.' All your things are expensive,' Jackie said. |
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She remembered the phone call on Thursday about the train ticket. |
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' I don' t like cheap things,' Diane said. ' And I' m going to need more money soon. |
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I want to go to America. Can you help me, Roger?' |
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' Oh no,' Roger said. ' Nobody wants to help you, Diane. |
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You don' t like working, we all know that, but we all want you to get a job.' |
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Diane laughed. ' It doesn' t matter, Roger. I don' t need your help. |
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Mother always helps me. Mother loves me best.' |
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She suddenly smiled, a quick, beautiful smile. But her eyes were cold. |
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Jackie looked at her mother. Molly' s face was white. Jackie did not understand. |
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Was her mother afraid of Diane? Jackie wanted her mother to be happy today. |
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' Would you like some more meat, Uncle Albert?' Jackie asked. |
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' Roger, can you give everyone some more to drink?' |
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Roger got up and began to give more wine to everyone. |
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' This is good wine.' he said. Molly smiled for the first time. |
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' Yes, your father loved this wine. He often drank it.' |
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' Yes,' Albert said, and looked at Molly. ' Expensive, too.' |
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' Would you like to meet Mr Briggs this weekend, Roger? Jackie asked quickly. |
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' He' s the new man at the farm. He wants to meet you.' |
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' Briggs? Briggs?' Molly said, suddenly angry. ' Don' t talk to me about that man. |
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I don' t like him. He wants half my garden for his farm. |
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He needs more land, he says. I don' t want him in my house. |
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He' s always dirty and he has bad teeth.' Jackie stood up and got her bag. |
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' Excuse me, I want a cigarette.' ' Cigarettes! Always a cigarette in your mouth,' |
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Molly said. ' I don' t like it. Cigarettes aren' t good for you.' |
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Jackie began to smoke. She felt angry but she said nothing. |
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She wanted her mother to be happy this evening, but it was very difficult. |
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Roger drank some more wine. ' Well, Mother, perhaps Mr Briggs is right. |
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The garden is very big, you know,' he said. ' It' s a lot of work for you . |
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The house is big, too. You' re fifty now. You need to be more careful.' |
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' Roger! I don' t need a nurse, you know! |
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I work in the garden every day I feel happy there.' Molly stood up. |
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' I know you all want my money. You come here for a free dinner, |
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you don' t want to see me. You don' t love me. |
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You want my house, and my money. Well, you can all wait. |
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Nobody is getting more money from me, not before I die!' |
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' Don' t say that, Mother!' Jackie cried. Molly walked across the room to the door. |
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' I feel ill now. I' m going upstairs to bed.' Molly left the room. Nobody moved. |
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' One day I' m going to kill that woman,' Diane said quietly. |
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Roger looked at Diane but said nothing. Albert moved his head slowly up and down. |
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' Ill! She' s angry, that' s all,' he said. ' Molly always gets angry about money. |
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Why can' t she be good to her sister? Annie' s going to die soon. |
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Molly knows that.' Jackie finished her cigarette and stood up. |
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' Would everyone like some coffee? Come into the kitchen and let' s drink it there.' |