Least Said
Authors: Pamela Fudge
© Pamela Fudge 2016
Pamela Fudge has asserted her rights under the Copyright, Design and Patents Act, 1988, to be identified as the author of this work.
First published by Endeavour Press Ltd in 2016.
My
world
is
the
special
place
that
it
is
because
of
the
wonderful
people
who
share
it
with
me,
be
they
family
or
friends,
and
this
book
is
dedicated
to
every
one
of
you
with
my
love
and
thanks.
‘Hurry
up,
William,
Daddy’s
waiting
for
us.’
Flicking
an
impatient
glance
over
my
shoulder
I
immediately
crashed
into
someone
I
hadn’t
noticed
was
walking
towards
me.
Almost
knocked
off
my
feet,
I
was
grateful
for
the
pair
of
strong
hands
catching
me
by
my
shoulders
to
steady
me.
First
impressions
were
that
the
man
in
front
of
me
was
very,
very
tall,
and
brawny
with
it.
‘I’m
so
sorry,’
I
said
looking
up
into
a
pair
of
green
eyes.
‘I
should
have
been
looking
where
I
was
going.’
‘No
worries.’
The
guy
smiled
down
at
me
and
-
to
my
complete
and
utter
horror
-
I
realised
I
that
I
knew
him.
I
was
immediately
transported
back
to
a
time
and
place
best
forgotten.
At
almost
the
same
instant
I
felt
his
grip
on
my
shoulders
tighten
and
his
gaze
sharpen.
Looking
at
me
more
closely,
he
said,
‘Hey,
don’t
I
know
you
from
somewhere?’
‘No,’
I
said
quickly.
Probably
too
quickly
and
too
emphatically,
I
realised
belatedly,
seeing
the
suspicion
dawn
on
his
face.
With
an
effort
I
laughed
lightly,
dismissively,
and
said
in
the
firmest
tone
I
could
manage,
‘Oh,
no,
I’m
quite
sure
we’ve
never
met.’
I
glanced
down
pointedly
at
the
hands
still
holding
me
and
he
released
me
instantly.
‘My
mistake,’
he
said,
but
to
me
he
didn’t
sound
at
all
convinced.
I
turned
hurriedly
away,
spied
my
son,
and
rushed
from
the
department
store,
sweeping
Will
along
with
me.
As
we
went
through
the
door
I
allowed
myself
just
one
quick
glance
back.
The
guy
was
standing
stock
still
exactly
where
I
had
left
him,
staring
after
me
and
obviously
trying
to
recall
who
I
was
and
where
he
knew
me
from.
‘You’re
hurting
me,
Mummy.’
Will’s
plaintiff
voice
halted
me
in
my
head-long
flight
along
the
busy
street,
hell
bent
on
putting
as
much
distance
as
I
could
between
me
and
the
guy
in
the
shop.
I
stopped,
releasing
at
once
the
iron
grip
that
was
probably
stopping
the
blood
flow
to
his
little
fingers.
‘I’m
sorry,
sweetheart,’
I
crouched
down
and
brushed
the
dark
fringe
from
his
eyes.
‘I
forgot
your
legs
aren’t
as
long
as
mine.’
Will
looked
down
at
his
six
year
old
legs
and
then
at
mine - longer,
thinner
and
clad
in
skinny
jeans,
and
he
laughed.
‘You’re
funny,’
he
told
me.
‘I
know.’
We
grinned
at
each
other
and
set
off
again
hand
in
hand,
more
slowly
this
time.
‘Who
was
that
man,
Mummy?’
Will
said
suddenly,
and
it
was
all
I
could
do
to
keep
walking
steadily
and
to
keep
the
sharpness
from
my
tone
as
I
asked,
‘What
man?’
‘The
big
tall
one
talking
to
you
back
there
in
the
shop
-
he
was
like
a
giant,
wasn’t
he?’
I
laughed,
lightly,
airily,
and
said,
‘He
was,
wasn’t
he?
I
don’t
know
him
at
all,
love.
I
bumped
into
him
because
I
turned
round
to
see
where
you
were
instead
of
paying
attention.
I
was
just
saying
sorry
to
him
for
not
looking
where
I
was
going.’
‘Oh,’
he
said,
losing
interest.
‘Are
we
going
to
McDonalds
now?’
Will
forgot
about
the
man
as
quickly
as
that.
I
just
wished
with
all
of
my
heart
that
I
could
do
the
same.
In
fact,
I
was
so
back
in
the
moment
when
my
past
had
so
suddenly
and
unexpectedly
caught
up
with
me
that
I
almost
jumped
out
of
my
skin
when
I
felt
a
hand
on
my
arm.
I
looked
up
into
my
husband’s
familiar
face
and
snapped,
‘Jesus,
Jon,
don’t
do
that.
You
frightened
the
life
out
of
me.’
‘Not
been
shop-lifting
again,
have
you?’
he
joked
and,
unaffected
by
my
sharp
tone,
he
added
with
a
grin,
’Come
on,
Wendy,
you
didn’t
think
I
was
a
store
detective,
did
you?’
‘Ha,
ha,’
I
managed,
‘you
just
made
me
jump,
that’s
all.’
Will
was
capering
round
his
father’s
legs
in
a
state
of
high
excitement,
eager
to
remind
him
about
his
promise
of
a
visit
to
the
fast-food
chain
that
was
his
favourite
at
the
moment.
I
knew
Jon
would
never
break
a
promise,
but
I
was
equally
keen
to
get
far,
far
away
from
the
city
of
Southampton,
and
put
as
much
space
as
possible
between
me
and
a
past
I
was
desperate
not
to
come
face
to
face
with
again
in
a
hurry.
