by Sarah Swatridge
Disgrace
KATHLEEN WILDER could hear voices in the kitchen. It was late, and she was dressed only in her nightclothes.
She stood hidden by the large stone fireplace. She was sure she could see her cousin Edmund and his friend, George, who worked in the stables.
The two of them were bending over her grandmother’s chair. She was about to offer help when she realised they were arguing.
“Leave it,” Edmund said. “Let’s promise never to breathe a word about this.”
George seemed to hesitate then nodded.
“Who’s there?”
Gran appeared from the doorway at the other side of the chimney breast.
She had a stick in her hand and waved it at the two young men, who were now making a hasty retreat out of the back door and away into the fields.
Kathleen hurried back up to her room and tried to sleep. However she was disturbed by lots of comings and goings.
She wrapped a blanket around her shoulders and went downstairs.
“Oh, my love, did we wake you?” Kathleen’s mother soothed.
“What is happening?” Kathleen asked as she took in the scene.
A police officer stood near the door asking questions.
“You go back to bed, love,” Gran said with her usual warm smile.
It was only the following day, when she was running errands in the village for her grandmother, that she heard people saying that money had been stolen from Gran’s kitchen in the dead of night.
“Is that true, Gran?” Kathleen asked on her return. “Did someone really steal your money?” “It’s a sorry affair,” her gran replied. She paused and then put on her usual, cheerful voice.
“There’s no use wringing our hands over it. Why don’t you put the kettle on and make us some tea?”
That was the last she heard of the robbery. No-one in the family spoke of it.
What was more troubling was that Edmund had disappeared and no-one would tell her where he’d gone.
Kathleen missed having her cousin living close by. Although some years older, he always treated her with respect.
Edmund was like a big brother to her. He took time to listen to her and had patience to teach her new things.
“When will Edmund be back?” she asked her mother one day.
“I will not have Edmund’s name mentioned in this house again! Do you understand? He’s a disgrace to us all.
“Thank goodness your aunt has acted so swiftly in arranging for his departure. Now we can put it all behind us and forget he ever existed.”
