was dying.’ Sylvia launched herself at her sister like a wild animal.
‘YOU BASTARD!’ Lashing out with her fists, she caught Georgina a hard blow on the side of her face. ‘You always told tales on me, even when I asked you not to. Tell-tale tit, that’s what you are!’
Screaming like a banshee she let up with the blows, only long enough to grab the curtain cord. Yanking it down, she threw it round Georgina’s neck. She began to pull tighter and tighter, all the while laughing like a crazy woman. ‘I said I’d pay you back,’ she hissed softly, ‘and now it’s time.’
Terrified for her life, Georgina fought hard. The cord was rough and scorching her neck, and Sylvia was strong in her wild rage. After a desperate struggle Georgina managed to loosen her sister’s hold on her. She threw aside the cord at the same time as twisting Sylvia’s arm nearly out of its socket. Sylvia screamed and leaped back, the spitting Fury transformed to an injured animal in a moment.
‘I’m sorry … I’m sorry!’ Sobbing uncontrollably, Sylvia cowered away. ‘I didn’t mean to hurt you … please, Georgina, don’t tell on me, will you? Please don’t tell Mother.’
Georgina couldn’t speak; her throat felt as though it were on fire. Backing away from her sister, she ran to the bathroom where she locked the door and for a moment stood with her back to it, terrified in case Sylvia followed her.
‘She’s mad!’ The words issued in a harsh, broken whisper. ‘Stark, staring mad!’
Emblazoned on her mind was the unbelievable. Her own sister had tried to kill her!
In the mirror she saw her neck was marked by the cord. Still trembling, she splashed cool water over her face and neck; she scooped it into her hands and drank it, every gulp feeling red-hot in her throat.
‘Georgina!’ Sylvia’s quiet, pleading voice sounded close to the keyhole. ‘Please come out. I won’t hurt you any more. I never meant to do it. Please, Georgina … I’m so sorry.’
Georgina ran the tap faster and faster so it might drown out her sister’s voice. Time and again she scooped up the water and drank it down, groaning with each mouthful yet determined to ease the fire inside.
‘Please, come out, Georgina. I’m really frightened …’
Georgina turned the tap full on. She sat on the floor with her back to the door and listened to her sister pleading. Shocked rigid by the incident, she made no attempt to open the door, or to reply. Instead she kept very quiet, hardly daring to breathe.
Presently the pleading stopped and there was no sound from the other side of the door.
Now the tables had turned again. ‘Sylvia?’ Georgina’s voice issued in a harsh, rasping sound. ‘Are you there, Sylvia?’
No answer.
‘Sylvia?’
Still no answer.
Clambering up, Georgina turned off the tap and put her ear to the door.
The silence was eerie.
Softly now, she inched open the door and looked up and down the corridor. Sylvia was nowhere to be seen.
Quickly and soft-padded as a cat, she made her way downstairs to the sitting room.
‘Sylvia?’ The soft sound of crying sent her towards the sofa. ‘Where are you, Sylvia?’
It took but a moment to find her. Crouched down behind the sofa, Sylvia was crying like a bairn, arms folded across her face, and her hands tugging so viciously at her hair, it was likely to come out by the roots.
On seeing Georgina she looked up, her eyes red and swollen, and her mouth quivering. ‘I’m insane, aren’t I?’ she asked. ‘They’ll lock me away now, won’t they?’
Going gently forward, Georgina slid to the floor beside her. All her fear had evaporated when she found the pathetic weaping wreck of her sister. ‘No one’s going to lock you away,’ she whispered, her heart softened – at least for now. ‘I won’t let them!’
‘When you tell Mother what I did,’ wide, confused eyes stared up, ‘she’ll make them lock me away.’
‘I won’t tell,’ Georgina promised. ‘I can’t.’
‘Why can’t you?’
‘You know why.’
Reality was never far away, and somewhere in the darkest corner of her mind, Sylvia remembered. ‘Mother isn’t here any more, is she?’
Georgina shook her head. ‘No …’
‘She’s with Daddy, isn’t she?’
‘Yes.’
Sylvia was quiet for a time, before declaring sadly, ‘They can’t come back, can they? They’re never coming back?’ The sadness flickered and was quickly replaced with a half-smile. ‘So, you can’t tell on me, can you?’
Georgina slid her arm round those trembling shoulders. ‘Are you all right, Sylvia?’ she asked. ‘Has the anger left you now?’
Sylvia nodded. ‘I know what I did, but I couldn’t stop. I’m sorry. Really sorry.’
‘It’s all right now, Sylvia. It’s over.’ She feigned a bright smile. ‘Maybe a little sleep would do you good?’
Sylvia returned her smile. ‘Yes … I’m tired.’
Georgina nodded. ‘Come on then. I’ll help you upstairs.’
As they climbed the stairs, Sylvia began to speak at length about Luke. ‘One minute I’m convinced he’s got another woman, and the next I’m ashamed even to think it. He does love me, I know that.’ Her voice trembled. ‘I wish I didn’t make life so difficult for him.’
‘You can’t help the things you do,’ Georgina assured her. ‘You’ve been very ill.’ Leading her into the bedroom, she settled her on the bed, and sat beside her.
‘I know that,’ Sylvia admitted, ‘but it’s my own fault. I cheated on Luke and now I’m being punished.’
Leaning sideways, she laid her head on Georgina’s shoulder. ‘I thought Arnie was exciting, but he was just violent.’ Hatred marbled her voice. ‘I’m glad he’s in gaol. He should rot there!’
The look on her face bespoke the loathing she had for Arnold Stratton. ‘I’ll never forgive him for what he did to me!’
‘Hatred is a bad thing.’ Holding her tight, Georgina could feel the rage in her sister. ‘You need to rest now.’ Gently laying her back against the pillow, she told her, ‘I’ll come up later and see how you are. Sleep now.’
‘I will.’ Letting herself be covered over with the eiderdown, Sylvia slid deep into the bed until she was comfortable. ‘Just for a minute or two,’ she said. ‘Then I’ll be ready to go shopping.’ She smiled dreamily. ‘I do love him so. I hope they haven’t sold that scarf. I so much want Luke to see me in it.’
Georgina waited and watched, until Sylvia had drifted into a deep, restful sleep. She saw how Sylvia had drawn her arm out from under the clothes and gently covered her over again. ‘You’re my only sister,’ she murmured. ‘We’ve had our differences over the years, but it hurts me to see you like this. What use is Luke to you now – or you to him? He wants you to be better, but that’s not going to happen. And he doesn’t want me at all …’
Strolling round the market square, Luke did not feel the biting wind as it tugged at his face and blew open his jacket. After spending most of his time in the factory or at home, it was always a pleasure when Tuesday came and he could be outdoors, in the fresh air.
Dressed in his forest clothes of brown cord trousers, thick dark jumper and heavy boots with his cap pulled well down over his ears, he was unrecognisable