Mother Love

Brown Elizabeth

Description

When a mother's life is haunted by a family secret her children can never discover, is her love a blessing or a curse?Margaret is weighed down by the burden of a secret about her family's history. Her three children each learn different ways of dealing with her regular flares of anger as they grow to adulthood and forge their own paths.Caroline, the peace-maker, becomes a wife and mother, gaining eventual contentment and stability with her second husband. Detached and independent, Matthew pursues a successful career in botany, surrounding himself with friends and family on his organic smallholding. Chloe, a skilled violinist and her mother's adored favourite, cannot escape Margaret's cloying influence and struggles to stay afloat as her life spirals into mayhem.As Margaret's behaviour becomes ever more worrying and bizarre, the dramas that have defined her life become increasingly pronounced. Eventually she is detained under the Mental Health Act. Her secret is safe, but at what cost?

Sujets

• Love
• Love (disambiguation)

Informations

• Publié par: Troubador Publishing Ltd
• Date de parution: 28 janvier 2020
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781838597085
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 2 Mo

Extrait

Copyright © 2020 Elizabeth Brown

The moral right of the author has been asserted.


Apart from any fair dealing for the purposes of research or private study, or criticism or review, as permitted under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, this publication may only be reproduced, stored or transmitted, in any form or by any means, with the prior permission in writing of the publishers, or in the case of reprographic reproduction in accordance with the terms of licences issued by the Copyright Licensing Agency. Enquiries concerning reproduction outside those terms should be sent to the publishers.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.


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ISBN 9781838597085

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To Chloe & Ted
Contents
Prologue

One
Two
Three
Four
Five
Six
Seven
Eight
Nine
Ten
Eleven
Twelve
Thirteen
Fourteen
Fifteen
Sixteen
Seventeen
Eighteen
Nineteen
Twenty
Twenty-One
Twenty-Two
Twenty-Three
Twenty-Four
Twenty-Five
Twenty-Six
Twenty-Seven
Twenty-Eight
Twenty-Nine
Thirty
Thirty-One
Thirty-Two
Thirty-Three
Thirty-Four
Thirty-Five
Thirty-Six
Thirty-Seven
Thirty-Eight
Thirty-Nine
Forty
Forty-One
Forty-Two
Forty-Three
Forty-Four
Forty-Five

Acknowledgements

“They fuck you up, your mum and dad.
They may not mean to, but they do.
They fill you with the faults they had
And add some extra, just for you.”

Philip Larkin
Prologue
mrs rose wesley has pleasure in inviting
…………………………………………………………
on the occasion of the marriage of her daughter Margaret to Mr Clive Johnson to be held at Knight Road Congregational Church, Bedford at 3pm on 2nd March, followed by refreshments in the adjoining Church Hall.
* * *

The White Lodge
Chearsley
Aylesbury
Bucks
19th February

Dear Margaret

You could have knocked us down with a feather when Mother and I heard your news. We didn’t even know you were courting again! You certainly got over that other chap pretty quickly! We will be delighted to attend your wedding on Saturday week, and we look forward to meeting your intended.

With our warmest congratulations,
Harriet and Aunt Ruby

Flat 3
Ivy House
Ivy Terrace
Bedford
14th March

Dear Aunt Ruby and Harriet

Thank you for the napkin set you gave us for our wedding gift. Did you work the embroidery yourself Harriet? You were always handy with your needle. What an unusual colour combination you picked out! I’m sure we will use your gift regularly.
Clive and I had a very enjoyable honeymoon in the Cotswolds. It’s such a pretty area of the country, we only wished we had more time to explore the scenery. Sadly, Clive had to return to work on the Thursday, they really cannot manage without him.
We are settling nicely into our new home, which is small but very cosy. Oh Harriet, I can’t tell you how gratifying it is to have a place of my own. I’m learning to be a housewife and enjoying myself very much indeed. Let’s hope you are lucky enough to find yourself a husband before too much longer! I assure you it’s a very pleasant accomplishment!

Love always
Margaret

The White Lodge
Chearsley
Aylesbury
Bucks

Dear Margaret

It sounds like you’re revelling in your new married state! Mother and I visited the Cotswolds last Spring and couldn’t stop remarking on the beautiful countryside. We were lucky enough to have a full fortnight allotted to our little holiday and as you may imagine, we didn’t waste a moment of our time. We stayed in a very comfortable boarding house in Broadway, so we had ample opportunity to get out and about. We felt we had become quite intimate with the area by the time we left and our landlady, Mrs Hayle, was very pressing in her invitation to return soon. Our duties at home have prevented us from doing so to date, but we hope to go back as soon as the opportunity arises.
I thank you for your kind wishes regarding a future husband, but my life is so full at the moment that I find it difficult to imagine how I should fit one in! He would have to be an unusually obliging and adaptable man if he is to meet my requirements! I suppose I always feel that no one can be quite the man my Father was, and I would be fortunate indeed to meet someone who matches his standards. You will know what I mean, of course, you were so fond of my Father, an affection I thoroughly understood when compared with your own Pa. He was certainly one of a kind!
Mother sends her best wishes. We are pleased that you liked the napkin set. It gives us pleasure to think of you in the evenings sitting to your supper and using the gift we worked at so assiduously. I hope Clive is appreciating your devoted care as he should!

Affectionate wishes,
Harriet and Aunt Ruby

Flat 3
Ivy House
Ivy Terrace
Bedford

Dear Harriet

What extraordinary news I have to tell you! I haven’t been feeling very well lately and it turns out that I’m expecting a happy event! A honeymoon baby! I can’t tell you how excited we are. I’m feeling a bit rough unfortunately, but the doctor says it’s nothing to be concerned about. I just need to have plenty of rest and everything will be fine. Clive is so good to me, quite happy to turn his hand to all manner of domestic chore and fussing over me as though I’m a piece of precious porcelain. Do you know, Harriet, I really think I struck gold when I met him! Perhaps one day, you will be lucky too.
It is possible you will be surprised when I tell you that Clive has no idea about the things that Pa used to do. I really didn’t want to tell him and I would prefer it if he never knows. So please don’t mention anything in future. I’m sure you understand my feelings and I need not say anything more on the subject. I’m just looking forward to creating a new family of my own which will grow up without any shadow looming over it. It’s like having a fresh page, snow white and crystal clear. I’m going to be so careful to watch over my children and treasure them so nothing bad can ever happen to them.
Listen to me! It’s the hormones!

Love always
Margaret

The White Lodge
Chearsley
Aylesbury
Bucks

Dear Margaret

Well done to the proud parents! We were desperately worried when we heard you had given birth so prematurely, but when your Mother told us the baby was almost eight pounds in weight, we felt a huge relief. In fact, I should think you were pleased you didn’t go to full term, or goodness knows how heavy baby Caroline would have been!
I hope you like the little matinee jacket that Mother knitted, it will be very useful now the weather is getting chilly. I thoroughly enjoyed quilting the tiny bonnet and like to think of it snuggling your darling baby’s little head.
I’m sure you are relishing motherhood very much, Margaret, and doubtless Aunt Rose must be thrilled to be a Granny again. You’re lucky that she is so fit and well, I expect she will be an eager babysitter for you as Caroline grows. Mother says I must tell you to enjoy these infant days as they are so fleeting. We do hope to be able to see your new little family one day.

Affectionate wishes
Harriet and Aunt Ruby

Flat 3
Ivy House
Ivy Terrace
Bedford

Dear Harriet

Thank you for the sweet gifts you sent for Caroline. I don’t know why Mother told you she was almost eight pounds, she barely tipped the scale at seven pounds six ounces, but she is thriving now. Though I must tell you, babies cry a lot, which is rather wearing after a day of it. Still, the midwife says she will grow out of it so I must be patient with her. She’s such a little thing, but it’s one long round of endless demands. Change nappy, feed her, bath her, wash nappies, and just when you sit down with a cup of tea, she wakes up and we start all over again. You should see the bags under my eyes!
As for Mother babysitting, over my dead body is all I can say. You of all people know she wouldn’t protect me as a child, so why would I trust her with my own children? Who knows what harm might come to them if I left them in her care?
It would be nice to see you and Aunt Ruby but I can’t see my way clear just yet. I hardly find time to brush my hair so we’ll have to wait until I establish a routine and can at least manage a civilised visit. I’m so dreadfully tired I can barely string a sentence together when Clive gets home in the evening. Anyway, thank you for your kind wishes, and please accept my apologies for the lack of promptness in my correspondence.

Fond love
Margaret

The White Lodge
Chearsley
Aylesbury
Bucks

Dear Margaret

Oh my dear! We were quite concerned at your letter. You seem to be having a hard time of it. Mother thinks perhaps you have a case of the “Baby blues”. She says it’s not unusual, and you mustn’t worry because it’s quite natural and you will recover in due cou