Читать книгу A Family’s Heartbreak - Kitty Neale - Страница 15

Timmy came running from the bedroom with one of Jenny’s stockings over his head and a bag over his shoulder. He began creeping around the front room and putting ornaments in the bag. Jenny watched, wondering what her brother was up to. Next came Peter, running in from the kitchen, and she saw with amusement that he had a saucepan on his head, and his hand clutched a rolling pin.

‘Stop, you’re under arrest,’ Peter shouted, trying to make his voice sound very deep.

Timmy giggled, and dashed to hide behind the curtains.

‘We’re playing cops and robbers,’ Peter announced, smiling at Jenny with a big toothless grin.

‘Yes, I can see that,’ she said, stifling a chortle. Timmy’s face looked funny with a stocking over it, his nose flattened, and Peter looked more like something from outer space than a policeman. But they were enjoying themselves, and as far as Jenny was concerned, that was all that mattered. The boys didn’t seem to mind the cramped living conditions, she mused. In fact, they were thriving. Timmy’s nightmares had stopped, and Peter no longer cried for their mum. Even Pamela hadn’t had one of her nightly accidents for two weeks and was beginning to come out of her shell. Everyone was happy … except Gloria.

‘Listen up, boys. Pam is downstairs cooking dinner with your gran. You’ll be eating down there today, but I want you to promise me you’ll be very good. Your gran has a sore knee, so no getting her running around after you, OK?’

‘OK,’ Peter agreed.

‘Is you and Craig eating downstairs too?’ Timmy asked.

‘Are you and Craig,’ Jenny corrected him. ‘No, love, we’ve got some things to do today. We’ll be back before your bedtime and Craig will finish that story he’s been reading to you.’