Page 70 of Strangers in Time

“It didn’t seem so at the time, but then I had nothing to compare it to. But looking back I can say that it probably was quite a lot, yes. I’ve come to learn that she is rather… fragile.”

“Will you go to Cornwall to see her?”

“It would be very difficult. You heard what Mr. Oliver said.”

“But she might do better if she can see you. She might come home even.”

“The thing is, Charlie, my mother nearly burned this place down by accident because she was a bit off in the head.”

He shrugged. “My grandfather was gettin’ forgetful like andsometimes seein’ what weren’t there. Gran just let him be and he come back right after a time.” He paused. “If you did end up goin’, how would you get to Cornwall, Miss? By train, like Mr. Oliver said?”

“I suppose so, yes. I’m just not sure how much it would cost.”

He looked around the elegant room. “But surely you got plenty of money.”

Molly looked at him uncertainly. “My father left some funds, but they’re running low.”

Charlie glanced guiltily at his teacup and set it down on the table. Then he stared at the cast-off shoes she’d bought him like they were terribly expensive things instead of costing a few odd shillings.

“My mother loved me very much. Perhaps too much.”

“You said that before, but I still don’t know what you mean by it,” said Charlie.

“Do you know the word ‘obsessive’?” she said cautiously.

Charlie shook his head.

“It’s when someone cares so deeply about another that it affects their mind. They can do things that will actually be harmful to themselves and the ones they love because of it.”

“And you think your mom is like that?”

“I think she might be. I just couldn’t see it before. But I’m much older now and I can understand things more clearly.”

“Well, even if she was this obsessed thin’, it’s still hard not to be with her. I’d give anythin’ to have my mum back.”

“I feel the same way, Charlie. My parents mean everything to me.”

Charlie looked into the flickering flames. “You’d think your father would want to be round to help you. And her.”

She shot him a glance. “Y-yes. There must have been something very important for him to go off like he did. Toabandonus like that.”

“He don’t sound like that kinda bloke.”

Molly said in a strained voice, “But he just walked out, Charlie. Without a word to me.”

“I don’t want to say it, Molly, but…” He looked at her warily.

“Iknowhe might be dead. But he wasn’t dead when he left home, obviously. He could have communicated with me, but he chose not to. That was not right!”

“What if he don’t come back?”

“Things will become… complicated. Even more so than they are now.”

They fell silent and listened to the rain as the wind continued to hurl the drops against the glass. Molly turned her head slightly to gaze at Charlie. He looked both far younger, and, in a certain way, older than she. They had both lost their parents—he permanently so, while there was no guarantee that the result for her wouldn’t be the same as the one Charlie now endured.

“My mother’s family is originally from Yorkshire,” she said abruptly.

“Yorkshire?”

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