Читать книгу A Father’s Revenge - Kitty Neale - Страница 19

It was Saturday morning, a special one in May, and as probate had been granted earlier than expected Pearl, Derek, John and Nora were moving to Battersea the next day.

To Pearl’s relief, Kevin hadn’t been in touch and John had become a little more communicative.

‘Happy birthday, darling,’ she said as he walked into the kitchen.

‘Happy birthday, Johnny,’ Nora said as she ran forward to give him a hug. ‘You all right?’

‘Yes, I’m fine.’

Pearl knew that Nora was sensitive to John’s feelings, and it was obvious his words had failed to reassure her as she looked at him sadly.

Hoping to lift the mood, Pearl was about to give John his present when the doorbell rang. ‘I’ll get it,’ she said, thinking that it might be the postman.

‘Hello, Pearl.’

‘Bernie! I wasn’t expecting you.’

‘It’s all right. I know John won’t come to Southsea with me, but as this is a present I couldn’t put in the post, I left early to deliver it myself. It’ll be nice to see the lad, but I can’t stay long. I’ve got to get back to Dolly. She hasn’t heard from Kevin again and despite her medication she’s getting herself in a right old state.’

‘Come in, but please, don’t mention Kevin in John’s hearing.’

‘Now look here, Pearl, this can’t go on,’ Bernie protested. ‘I know you felt you had to tell John the whole truth about Kevin, but we haven’t seen the boy in ages and it isn’t fair that we’re suffering for it too.’

‘I know and I’m sorry, but John won’t visit you while there’s a chance he’ll bump into Kevin.’

‘Let me talk to him. I might be able to persuade him to change his mind.’

‘No, Bernie, it isn’t the right time. John’s upset enough about us moving to Battersea tomorrow and I don’t want anything else to ruin his birthday.’

After a pause, he agreed, ‘Yeah, all right.’

Relieved, Pearl ushered Bernie into the kitchen. Derek looked surprised to see him too, while John’s face was a picture as he looked at his grandfather, part pleasure, part panic.

‘Happy birthday, lad,’ Bernie said, placing the box on the table. ‘Now don’t hang about – open it.’

As he lifted the lid, John gasped with wonder. He reached inside to lift the tiny ginger kitten into his arms. ‘Oh, Granddad …’

‘There’s a farm up the road and I knew that one of the cats was having kittens. The farmer was happy for me to have one, and thankfully it worked out the right time to take it away from the mother. Sorry, Pearl, I hope you don’t mind.’

Even if she had minded, Pearl wouldn’t have had the heart to burst John’s bubble. Her son looked happier than he had in weeks. ‘I’m fine with it, Bernie, but it’s just as well we’re moving out tomorrow. My mother isn’t keen on cats.’

‘Granddad, is it a boy or a girl?’ John asked.

‘It’s a ginger tom, lad, a boy.’

‘Has he got a name?’

‘Not yet. It’s up to you to choose one.’

John lifted the kitten onto the palm of his hand, gazing at it, and Nora came to his side, obviously enchanted too. ‘Look, Johnny, he got stripes.’

‘Yes, like a tiger. How’s that for a name?’

Nora shook her head vigorously. ‘No. Don’t like tigers.’

‘There’s no hurry, John, think about it for a while,’ Pearl suggested.