THE FERALS 


By Tessa Harvey


CHAPTER EIGHT

A few days later, Ethel decided to take the children for a "feast." Seeing Ethel reminded Brodie of the fish 'n chip shop near where they used to live, and he kept talking about their time there on Christmas Eve. He was beginning to realise it was meant as a joke when Ethel had said she had come to visit  for a "nice cuppa" and somewhere to sleep, but he was still a little puzzled. Didn't she have food and drink and a bed at her house? Couldn't she see that their house had burned down? After a while he shrugged and got on with his life.

As the children left with "Auntie Ethel," happy and chatting, she gave Jake a wink and said, "now lad, get a move on!"
The children didn't really notice, but Jake flushed scarlet. Yesterday Ethel had talked to him in a motherly way and told him life was "too short to muck around!"

So he had invited Alice and Sophie to visit. When the two adults were left alone, Jake suddenly went down on one knee and said to Alice: "Will you do me the honour, Alice, of being my lawfully wedded husband?" He wasn't sure exactly what her response would be, but when her eyes danced with laughter and she suddenly giggled, and could not stop, he felt mortified.

"What did you just say?" Alice managed to gasp between giggles.

Beginning to feel annoyed, Jake thought back and suddenly realised what he had said. He too laughed and re-phrased that all important question! 

Alice pulled him into a hug and they spun around together. "Yes," she said softly, radiant. "I would really love to be married to you, Jake. A new beginning for us all."




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