Read Online Two Women by Martina Cole - Free Book Online Page A

Susan. She was kissing and hugging her mother for ages until June, laughing, said, ‘All right, Susan. Relax, love. I’m here now so stop your carrying on.’
    Deep inside June loved it, loved all the attention after her night of worry.
    ‘I’m sorry about Jimmy, Mum, really sorry. He was a nice man.’
    Joey heard this just as he emerged from his bedroom.
    ‘Fuck Jimmy! Good riddance to bad rubbish, I say.’
    He walked into the kitchen and shouted, ‘Merry Christmas to one and all.’ He kissed his mother and his daughters then taking his wife in his arms, cried gleefully, ‘You coming home then, girl?’
    The kitchen was quiet now as the three other occupants waited with bated breath for her to answer.
    ‘Of course I am, I told you that last night.’
    Granny Mac screamed with derision.
    ‘You’d take on that Scottish ponce’s leavings? You would and all, wouldn’t you? Where the fuck I got you, Joey, I don’t know. Any other man would take the teeth from that whore’s head with his fist after all she’s done over the years.’
    June bowed her head. Her hair was mussed, her make up smeared. She looked like a smudged painting about to dissolve in front of their eyes.
    Turning on her mother-in-law, she bellowed, ‘Right, that’s it. Out! I want you out - now.’
    She looked at Joey then, her face hard, and he realised the change in his wife. Gone was the old June. Here was a much stronger character.
    ‘I want that out of my kitchen unless she can keep a civil tongue in her toothless old head.’
    Joey looked at his mother and suppressed a smile. Inside he knew it was time someone put the old bat in her place and if it was June who did it then so much the better.
    He knew that his wife’s coming back after all that had happened would be a nine-day wonder in the street and he would have to front it out. But he wanted her back; Junie was in his blood somehow. No matter what she did he still wanted her.
    He looked at Susan’s devastated face and felt shame creep over him. If June found out about her there would be murder done.
    Inside he knew he’d been wrong but his daughter was there, she was available. He could dominate her.
    Debbie would have screamed the place down. She was too spoiled, too sure of herself, whereas Susan was born to be used and used she would be all her life. He was as sure of that as he was of his own name.
    With a face and countenance like hers, there wasn’t much else in store for her. Not around these parts anyway. She did what she was told, did Susan. It never occurred to her not to. He attempted to smile at her and she froze.
    His mother was still in her chair, her face white with anger and incredulity. Her son was taking his wife’s part in this and the knowledge made Ivy doubly aware just how precarious her own position now was in this household.
    She hoisted up her bust with her forearms and snarled at them.
    ‘After all I’ve done for you, you treat me like this?’
    June laughed gently.
    ‘Sit down, you old hag, you can stay. But you keep your mouth shut and your head down, you hear me? One word out of place and you’ll go out that door like nobody’s business, do you get my drift? If, and I mean if, I come back there’ve to be a lot of changes here. And you, lady, are among the first of them. No more coming round here giving out with your vicious tongue. No more interfering in my business or the girls’, right?’
    Joey gleefully watched the changing expressions on his mother’s face. If this new Junie was going to shut her up, he was all for it.
    Susan and Debbie were watching closely too, both as interested as their father to know whether their granny would swallow this lot, especially as for once she had a point.
    Their mother had abandoned them and their granny had looked after them as best she could. Or at least as well as someone with her nasty outlook and nasty tongue could look after someone. They’d had clean clothes and meals. Even if Susan had done the