Under the Bridges Read Online Free

I shouldn’t bother you with my worries.’
    â€˜I think I can guess. It’s your Lorna, isn’t it?’
    Nancy nodded.
    Her mind went back to the previous Saturday evening. Joe liked to relax in front of the TV. He never missed ‘Scotsport’, and sitting with a cup of tea and scone in front of the set—well, it was the best evening of the week.
    Lorna had breezed into the living-room.
    â€˜Shut the door behind you, will you?’ Joe said without looking up.
    â€˜Had a nice evening, dear?’ her mother asked. ‘A Billy Fury film, wasn’t it?’
    Lorna had wondered how to approach the subject of Pete. Well, she was grown up, old enough to earn her own living. What could they say?
    â€˜I met a boy in the café. Nice lad.’ Lorna looked pleased with herself.
    â€˜What’s his name?’
    â€˜Pete.’
    â€˜You’ll bring him home, so we can meet him.’ Nancy knew Lorna probably wouldn’t, but it was worth suggesting.
    Lorna took a deep breath.
    â€˜I’m seeing him again. We’re going dancing—’
    â€˜What?’ Joe was alert now. ‘You most certainly are not, until we know something about this lad. Bring him home to meet us, then we’ll see.’
    â€˜Oh, Joe,’ Nancy pleaded. ‘Don’t be so hasty . . .’
    Lorna had stormed out of the room, and they heard her bedroom door slam.
    Nancy looked at Joe.
    â€˜You’d think you’d never been young yourself. Isn’t that attitude a bit . . . well, old-fashioned?’
    â€˜She’s getting ahead of herself, that one,’ Joe had mumbled. ‘I’m not having it.’
    Now Nancy sighed.
    â€˜They haven’t spoken all weekend, Jenny. They’re so stubborn, the two of them.’
    Jenny smiled sympathetically.
    â€˜Families, eh? Who’d have them?’
    Nancy remembered with a pang that Jenny’s only son was living in Canada. She only knew her grandchildren through photos and airmail letters.
    â€˜So what am I to do?’ she asked, feeling tears prick at her eyes.
    â€˜Nothing, love,’ said Jenny. ‘Let them sort it out. Joe will calm down.’ Big gentle Joe, Jenny knew, could flare up suddenly. But he’d never stay cross for long.
    â€˜I hope so,’ Nancy said with misgivings. ‘But I have a feeling there’s trouble ahead.’
    â€˜Well, there’s no point in worrying now. What about that cup of tea before we start work?’
    * * *
    â€˜I can’t do these sums.’ Roy was sitting at the kitchen table, his homework jotter in front of him.
    â€˜They’re too hard.’
    â€˜You’re going to break that chair if you swing on it like that,’ Nancy said, turning round from the sink.
    The door burst open and Matt arrived like a whirlwind.
    â€˜Sorry, Mum, could I have tea a bit early? We’ve football practice tonight.’
    â€˜Oh, I’d forgotten. But that’s no bother. Roy, I’ll need to set the table. Could you move your books?’
    Roy appealed to his brother.
    â€˜Matt, can you do sums? We’ve a test on Friday.’
    Matt leaned over Roy’s shoulder.
    â€˜Oh, that’s easy. To get the fraction, you divide by the bottom figure and multiply by the top one. See? No bother at all. Now you put in a bit of practice on these sums and if you do well in the test, I’ll take you to see the Pars play on Saturday. That’s a promise.’
    â€˜Great!’ Roy swept his books off the table and bolted from the room
    Nancy smiled at her elder son. Not many young men of his age would have offered to take a young brother to a football match. Roy would be in seventh heaven.
    â€˜Mrs Mackay!’
    Nancy wished Shona McAllister wouldn’t call keep calling her Mrs Mackay. She’d tried, without success, to make their relationship less formal.
    â€˜Hallo, Shon—Miss McAllister.’
    The young teacher smiled, and