Read My Novel, Free: Chapter 6.

Breaking Faith is publishedas a paperback and an ebook. I'm posting individual chapters here, each week,so that anyone who wishes can read the book in full and free of charge.



If you missed the start, here'sthe link: http://stuartaken.blogspot.com/2012/01/read-free-my-novel-here.html
I posted Chapter 1 on 13January, following chapters appear each Friday and can be found via thearchive.
Read, enjoy, invite yourfriends.
Chapter 6
Tuesday 16th March
The kitchen was warm withthe succulent aroma of frying bacon. I grinned at Jenny, the post woman,pretending to pose for me; saucily lifting the hem of her skirt and revealingsupport tights clinging to her size twenty-two thighs.'How about it, big boy? Want a good time with abig, and I do mean bi..i..i..g girl?''You're incorrigible, Jenny. What'd George say?''Since when did you give a toss for the opinion ofany woman's husband, Leighton Longshaw? Any case, he'd be pleased if anotherman found me sexy enough to have his wicked way with me. All talk and trousers,you are. Bet that Abigail Churchfell's not really here at all.''Still in bed, exhausted after another night.''Braggin' again. Losing your touch there, aren'tyou? Been here a couple of months. Don't usually last that long.'Ma slipped bacon, eggs and mushrooms from thefrying pan onto a plate with beans and fried bread. 'Got her hooks into him,that one. If he's not careful, she'll be persuading him to ask her to marryhim.''Oh, Ma! You've made him go all pale, look. He'dbest not have that breakfast, feeling as sick as that.''Hands off, Jenny. Hop it, and let me eat inpeace.''Such charm. No wonder he has them all falling athis feet.''I know. How can they resist?'I took a forkful of bacon to my mouth and paused.'Ma's my favourite. No one can touch her cooking.''Flatterer.' Ma went through the utility room andyelled out of the back door for Old Hodge to come in for his breakfast. Jenny bent close, apparently intent on kissing myear, but pinched a mushroom off my plate instead. She grinned and backed outthrough the office door.'Tomorrow, you'll pay for that.'From the office, she shouted her obscene reply ofhope and closed the door before I had time to accept or reject.Ma returned to dish out Old Hodge's breakfast. Theold man came in and lifted his cap to scratch his head before he sat downopposite me. 'T'old ash in yon corner'll not last through another storm.''You've been predicting the felling of that tree forsixteen years; ever since I came to live here.''Longer than that, Leigh. He used to tell yourUncle Fred it were in imminent danger every spring. I reckon that tree'lloutlast the lot on us.'I began opening the post; a lilac enveloperevealing a four-page letter. A photograph fell from between the sheets,followed by a folded promotional leaflet. I picked up the picture and studiedthe smiling woman in her body paint, before turning to the pale leaves of handwritten text. 'Zizi sends her love to both of you. Hopes to pop up for mybirthday.''Don't know why you don't marry Zoë. She adoresyou and she's so kind.''Sexy, stunning, heart of gold.' Old Hodgeexamined the photograph appreciatively and passed it to Ma.'Never changes. You'd not think she was the sameage as you, Leigh.''Zizi's fine for short spells. I love her to bits,but I couldn't settle down with her. She'll never stop smoking and she won'tleave London, and I'm certainly not leaving Longhouse to live down there, forall the business it might bring.' I lay the letter aside and looked at theleaflet. 'It's the Photographic Show at Olympia end of May. I'll probably godown for a couple of days. Zizi's invited me to stay.''You take advantage of that girl. She deservesbetter.''Zizi knows the score, Ma. She's a big girl.''Zoë's too kind hearted by half.'I opened a couple of bills and cursed. 'We'll haveto cut down on electricity and coal; they're costing me a small fortune.''Long as you and your wenches go naked, you'll'ave to pay to keep it warm or freeze your assets.''Anybody'd think I was made of money. Did you hearthe radio this morning? Prices have risen by seventy per cent in the past threeyears! Ridiculous; no wonder everyone's going bust.'The last two letters were from overseas and Iviewed the envelopes suspiciously. From the German one I pulled out a singlesheet typewritten in schoolboy English with a smaller piece of paper stapled tothe back of the top left corner. 'Bugger me!' I looked at the cheque and passedit to Old Hodge for confirmation. 'That say what I think it does?''More'n you pay Ma in a year!'Ma looked over her husband's shoulder at thecheque. 'Well, that'll keep the house warm for a while anyroad. What's it for?'I read the letter again. 'I've no idea whatthey're talking… hang on. Of course! You remember the place that madeindustrial fastenings, went bust and was bought by a German firm?''Did a catalogue and some advertising stuff forthem as I recall. Never paid you a penny.''They have now. It's funny; the letter refers tomy communication to them and apologizes for the delay in paying. Last time Iwrote any threatening letters was over two years ago. Why now, I wonder?''Does it give the date of your letter?''It says twenty-third of February this year, butthat can't be right.''What about the one from the States?'I opened the other envelope and pulled out anotherletter with a cheque attached. This time I looked at the amount before I readthe letter. 'Bloody hell! Must be my lucky day. It's in dollars but I'd sayit's for twice the other one! Someone up there loves me.''Letter mention anything about a reminder from youon February twenty-third, by any chance?'I screwed up my face at Ma but read the letter.'This is too weird. I don't recall sending details of the serial numbers of anyslides, but that's how they say they identified them as mine, and I definitelydidn't write a letter to …''Faith did. She told me she'd been going throughyour bad debtors file. Said there were over thirty unsettled accounts in thereand none of 'em touched for nearly three years.''I've been busy.''Aye. I reckon she's brought in her salary for ayear and a half, or more, Leigh. Shame you got shot of her. Wonder who'sgaining from her efforts now?''Shit!'Ma and Old Hodge exchanged meaningful glances andI knew I was in for advice or criticism; probably both.'Look, it wasn't my fault she left. I never meantfor her to go.''Perhaps you should've told her.'I couldn't out-stare Old Hodge so I looked at theletter again.'Said you'd lost a gem there, didn't I?''Look, it wasn't my fault she misunderstood…''Course not, Leigh. I mean, innocent little lasswith no experience is bound to have a proper grasp of the big bad world. Boundto know more'n a businessman who's travelled and seen life, been educated andhad a few advantages. No, you're right, Leigh; bound to be her fault there wasa misunderstanding.''Now, Ma, don't be too hard on the lad. I mean,it's not as if he prides hissen on knowing women. Not like he believes heunderstands them or owt.''True enough. Always been honest about that, hasour Leigh. Still, bright and able lass like that shouldn't have any troublefinding work with only a million or more out of work and no transport out thevillage, should she?''None at all. Mind, let's be fair, Ma. He's notsaid he'll not try to get her back, has he?'I knew I was beaten. But I wasn't ready to admitit. Faith's accusation had stung and still irked me. That I could see sometruth in her assessment made it even more difficult to accept. I looked at thetwo cheques and the accompanying letters again. Her efforts had brought in afifth of my annual turnover. There was no doubt I owed her. And I certainlymissed her being about the place. It was not just her work and organisation,but something strangely compelling about her mere presence.'Course, problem is, Ma, pride can blind a man.'Old Hodge slurped the last of his tea and picked up the bacon rind from hisplate. 'I'll be back at it now. Want yours, Leigh, or can the birds have it?'I nodded at the rind on the edge of my plate andOld Hodge took it. He turned in the doorway, lifted his cap and scratched hishead, all the time looking at me as if he expected something. 'Terribleaffliction, blindness.' He shook his head slowly and plodded off into thegarden, his body shouting disappointment.Merv was tying the apron round his waist as Ientered the finishing room. 'You're up for a bonus for that special job lastweek. I can pay you now. And I want you to know you've Faith to thank.''That little twat? 'Ow's that then?''She was doing her job.''Not now she ain't. Skinny tart's signing on withthe other no-hopers. Fuckin' good whippin' from her father an' all if he's anysense. Serves 'er right, if you ask me.''I didn't ask you, Merv. But I want you to knowyou've reason to thank her. There's a chance I might ask her back, you see?''After what the bitch said to you? I'd never 'aveher tight little arse back 'ere if I were you.''Just as well you're not, then, isn't it? Sufficeit to say, if she decides to return, I expect you to treat her with morerespect.''Can't respect a skinny tart that don't know 'owto be a woman.''It's not a request, Merv, it's a requirement.' Istayed long enough for the message to sink in.In the bedroom, Abby was diagonal across the bed,the quilt wrapped round her upper body but one leg uncovered from thigh to toe.Her blonde hair, like a halo against the deep blue pillow, hid one eye butexposed a small ear. I tried to ease the bedding from beneath her but she woke,as I'd hoped, and twisted to frown up at me. I told her about the cheques andpraised Faith.'So you're going to beg her to return? Doubtshe'll get any more for you. Can't be that many bad debtors in your files, canthere?''A few more, those two were by far the biggest.''There you are, then. She's done you a favour bydoing her job. I'd let her stay where she is. I mean, do you really want asquare like that working here with her yesterday attitude? Leave her be, Leigh,you're well shot of her. She's not cool, not sexy, not in the groove, man.''You can be a hard bitch, Abby.'She sat up and shrugged the covers off. 'But softand sexy with it.'I nodded. She was beautiful to look at. 'Aye,well, you might as well stay where you are for the moment. I've a job inBradford. I'll be all today and most of tomorrow. Might stay over at Abdul's ifhe's got something on.''You mean if he's lined up one of his escort girlsfor you.''Me? Involve myself with a woman who sells it? Idon't think so. Not even if someone else is paying the bill.''Come back tonight, Leigh. I'll make it worth yourwhile.''I don't doubt it. Depends how long it takes andwhat Abdul has in mind. It doesn't do to reject the hospitality of an Afghan,you know, especially a well heeled one.' I bent and kissed her. Her own perfumemingled with the spray she used liberally.She stretched an arm up to pull me closer, hertongue parting my lips before she disengaged to speak. 'Don't go.''Living to earn.' I let her fall back onto therumpled ultramarine sheet. 'See you later.' 'Tease!''I'll make it up when I get back.'She groaned with frustration and punched thepillow as I left. I resisted the temptation and hurried downstairs.Packing my gear in the office, I missed Faith. Shewould have everything prepared and would wait by the gate to close it after me.As I was about to leave, Abby wandered in, wrappedin the sheet from the bed. She let it fall around her feet as I looked at her.'Come back to bed with Abby, baby.''Work to do. Someone's got to keep this placegoing.'She tongued her parted lips and stroked her handdown the flat of her belly to loiter in the short blonde curls.'Temptress. I'll see you later. 'Bye.' It wasn'teasy, but I left.            At the gate, I turned to look at the house and suddenly Imissed the way Faith would stand there until I left the lane end, not wavingbut watching and wishing me a safe journey. I wondered whether she would comeback after the way I'd let her go###
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