AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Driving in, I leap out and rush over. ‘What’s happened? Where’s Bertie? Is he all right?’
Jen is gripping Luke’s hand, looking nervous, and Pru is glaring at me. The feverish light in her eye makes my stomach roll over uneasily.
‘That poor little boy was left alone in the house,’ accuses Pru, pointing inside. ‘It’s an utter disgrace. Anything could have happened to him.’
‘I’m here, Clara. I was just making popcorn.’ Bertie appears and relief rushes through me.
‘Popcorn? On your own?’
‘Lois was making it but then she went to see you.’
‘I know she did, Bertie. And she shouldn’t have left you.’ I put my arm around him as Lois draws up and parks in the street. ‘But I’m here now.’ I look at Jen. ‘I’m so sorry about this. Lois had... an emergency. But she was gone only ten minutes or so.’I shouldn’t be having to make excuses for Lois!‘Do you... want to come in, Luke?’ I glance anxiously at Jen. Will she still trust me to look after her son, after arriving and finding Bertie home alone?
Before Jen can answer, Pru interrupts. ‘Well, there’s no way I’d be leaving a child of mine here. The things that go on, you wouldn’t believe. But it’s all written down in my notebook.’ She throws me a look that chills me to the bone. ‘I haven’t reported you lot before now, but after this, you leave me no choice. Leaving a six-year-old child alone in the house is a criminal offence. As far as I’m concerned, you’ve run out of chances.’ And she stalks off, back to her own house.
I stare after her, my heart beating wildly.
Oh, God, what do we do now?
‘Sorry,’ says Jen, looking awkward. ‘Bertie answered the door when we arrived, and then that woman came marching over, saying she’d been worried about Bertie because you’d all gone out and left him on his own.’
I shake my head. ‘It was a misunderstanding.’ Still shocked by Pru’s angry speech, I glare at Lois, who’s just joined us and looks very sheepish. ‘I’d never have left him if I’d known he’d be on his own.’ My hands are shaking at the confrontation.
Pru could be on the phone even now to social services.
‘I know you wouldn’t, Clara,’ soothes Jen. ‘You’re as good as a mum to Bertie.’
‘It was my fault,’ says Lois. ‘And I’m sorry. But Bertie’s okay, aren’t you?’ She ruffles Bertie’s hair and he nods cheerfully.
‘That’s not the point, Lois,’ I snap.
‘Look, I think we’ll go,’ says Jen, who can clearly see that things are tricky.
‘Are you sure?’
‘Yes. But... I’ll bring Luke over tomorrow after school?’
I nod quickly, so grateful for her support. ‘Thanks, Jen.’ I bundle Bertie into the house and close the door behind us.
‘She’s a nosy old bag, that Pru woman,’ says Lois. ‘She’s full of hot air. She won’t actually report us.’
I round on her. ‘And how the hell do you know that? For your information, Pru has every right to inform the authorities. Don’t you get it? We left Bertie on his own. And not for the first time.Anythingcould have happened to him!’
Lois, silenced, walks off to the living room, and Bertie runs into the kitchen.
‘Can I have my popcorn now, please? I’m all right, Clara. I know how to make popcorn because I’ve watched you do it.’
‘I know you have.’ I smile at him, a lump in my throat, and when I hold out my arms, he runs straight into them. As I hug him tightly and plant a kiss on his soft hair, I glance uneasily across the road, to Pru’s house, shuddering at the thought of what might be going on over there. Irene’s still off the booze and things have been so much better lately for us as a family. But Pru knows nothing of that.
If we lose Bertie, I’ll never forgive myself for not taking action sooner...
Irene arrives home at that moment, and as Lois makes tea for Bertie, I take Irene through to the living room and explain what’s happened.
She’s angry at Lois, which I totally understand, but mostly, she looks pale and extremely shocked at the idea of Pru calling social services. Lois is hiding in the kitchen, wisely staying out of the way.
‘I don’t know what to do for the best,’ I whisper.
Irene sighs. ‘I’m going over there to talk to her.’
