Johnny Swanson - Eleanor Updale [73]
‘But you did.’
‘No I didn’t, Olwen. I tried to tell you before. I came here for another reason. Something really important.’ He knew at once that it was the wrong thing to say.
Olwen snatched her hand away. ‘Really important? How? My family are dead. What could be more important than that?’ She was sniffing now. She must be crying.
‘Important to me, I meant. And to my mother.’ It seemed wrong to be changing the subject, but he wanted to explain. His words started tumbling out. ‘There’s someone here who might be able to save my mother’s life. It’s Mrs Langford. The old doctor’s wife from Stambleton. Do you know her? Is she here? She might be calling herself Mrs Morgan.’
He could tell that Olwen wasn’t really listening. She was sobbing quite loudly now. He wanted to comfort her, but didn’t know how. He fumbled in the dark, trying to put his arm round her, but they both pulled away, startled at the sound of brisk footsteps on the stairs.
‘We’ve been here too long! They’re looking for me,’ Olwen gasped through her tears as she slipped down from the table.
‘Please, don’t say that I’m here,’ Johnny whispered back, fearing Olwen might tell on him in revenge for his bad news. He stumbled into a pile of boxes and curled up behind them, hoping that nothing would show if someone came looking.
The door swung open and the light from the stairway flung a huge silhouette of a nurse across the back wall. The points of her starched headdress looked like horns on an angry bull in the contorted image.
A fierce voice boomed out. ‘Here you are! I might have known. You come out from there, young lady! This time you’ve gone too far!’ Johnny heard Olwen sobbing as the furious nurse dragged her from under the table. ‘I’ve had enough of you and your disobedience. Now stand up and stop that stupid crying!’
Through a gap in the boxes Johnny saw the nurse shaking Olwen, tearing off her overcoat and rummaging through its pockets.
‘What’s this? Cake! Cheese! Have you been thieving again?’
‘No, not stealing. It doesn’t belong to anyone. It’s rubbish.’
‘As if you don’t get enough for nothing! You’d better watch your step, my girl, or you’ll get thrown out. And then where will you be? That uncle of yours doesn’t want you back, you know. If you ask me he’s dumped you here, living off charity. Can’t say that I blame him. Nobody would want you, you nasty, deceitful little madam!’
Johnny wished he could defend Olwen. He wanted to jump out and tell the nurse about Olwen’s parents, and how she’d only just found out that she was all alone in the world. But he had to stay quiet. The nurse wasn’t looking for him, and with luck she wouldn’t spot his hiding place. But it hurt to hear Olwen under attack.
‘I said stop that stupid grizzling!’ The arm of the giant shadow rose and swung. There was the unmistakable sound of flesh striking flesh. ‘Now, what have you got to say for yourself?’
Olwen sobbed and started to speak. ‘It’s my mam and dad. And my sister—’ she began, but the nurse was in no mood to listen.
‘I don’t want excuses. You’ve been here long enough to get over homesickness. Stop that snivelling and tell me where you got this food.’
Olwen was shaking with tears as the nurse slapped at the thin fabric of her pyjamas.
‘You’ve been rooting through the dustbins, haven’t you? You’re just a greedy, stinking animal. No better than a pig.’
Olwen’s next breath, caught up in tears and snot, came out as a noisy snort.
The nurse held the coat in the air. ‘And what about this? It looks like Dr Howell’s. Did you take it from the staff cloakroom? You know you’re not allowed to go in there.’
Olwen sniffed. The nurse picked one shoe up off the floor and wrenched the other from Olwen’s foot.
‘You’re coming with me to take these things back straight away. And since you like delving in dirt so much, you can spend the rest of the day scrubbing the outside toilets. You can start with the boys’. You’ll miss all the fun and games tonight, you nasty, scheming, ungrateful child!’
Olwen tried to speak, then