CHAPTER 3 continued.

CHAPTER 3 cont...

At times she longed to be away from him, but being alone terrified her. Samantha seriously contemplated moving out, but the thought had quickly disappeared. Just when she least expected it, Scott could be so kind and considerate. She just wished that  there could be more continuity in his behaviour. He was a lovely man when he wanted to be, so long as she gave him sex when he wanted it. He could be quite a pussycat really. In anycase, she still loved him.
    Samantha hadn't been very well lately. Stress and anxiety had played havoc in the past with her periods, and it looked as if it was all setting off again. Initially, she hadn't been too concerned. After all, she has stopped her period when she has sat her O'levels, and four C-grades and two A'grades later, her cycle had returned. But this time she felt different. She hadn't actually been sick but nausea occured each moring and she was worried. Samantha wanted to tell Scott, but she hadn't found the right moment. The first thing was to do a pregancy test and then she was to see the doctor the next morning. Facing Scotts parent's was the last thing she needed tonight.
     The drive to the family home in the small village of Stocksfield took only twenty minutes. As they pulled into the long private drive, Samantha's anxiety intensified. She gazed in dread at the beautiful victorian mansion, with it's luscious driveway borders, only to be reminded yet again that she didn't fit in. She was just an ordinary girl with nothing to offer this ostentatious family. The thirty thousand pounds which she had inherited from her parent's estate was no match to the wealth of Scott's family. She'd never told Scott about the money. Appart from being her safety net, her 'get out of jail free card', she couldn't think of using it. In her guilty eyes, she saw it as blood money. In anycase, no way could it come anywhere close in replacing her long lost family.
     'Oh, come in,' offered Mr Carter, as he answered the door; a pleasant enough man who was completely monopolised by his overbearing wife. Samantha followed Scott into the lounge. Opening the drinks cabinet and taking out a crystal decanter filled with whiskey, Mr Carter offered them both a drink. Luckily, they were not dining there tonight, having already eaten. Scott and Samantha sat side by side, on the sofa.
     'So, darling...how is work at the moment,' enquired Mrs Carter.
     'Very good Mother. Jack has offered me a pay rise this month.' was Scott's self-satisfied reply.
     'Oh that's wonderful, darling,' replied Mrs Carter. 'And what about you Samantha...how's the shop? Where is it you work again?'
    Samantha bristled, trying to think of a suitable retort. Scott's mother knew only too well that she worked in the local supermarket.
     'Things are going well thanks. I've just learned how to role a joint actually!'
     Alarm flew accross Mrs Carter's face as she looked questioningly at her beloved son. What did she mean by a joint? The only kind she knew of, she was ashamed to say, was a the type she has smoked during her hazy 'Flower Power' days.
    'I meant a bacon joint,' sniggered Samantha, pleased to have the upper hand for once. 'They're quite hard to do actually.'
     Mrs Carter sniffed and changed the subject. The main focus of the evening was discussing how well Scott's sister, louise was doing at the Royal Victoria Infirmary, where she was trainging to be a nurse. Suddenly, the focus was returned to Samantha.
    'You had a grammar school education,' announced Scott's Mum. 'When are you going to get a proper job?' Samantha's eye brimmed with tears of indignation as she tried to think of a suitable reply.
     'Oh, I'm just there until something better comes along,' and then looked towards Scott for support but none was forthcoming.
   Samantha shouldn't have been surprised at such a rude and demeaning remark.  Mrs Carter had no qualms at telling her if her hair was a mess, correcting her speech or making remarks about her manners. In all, Samantha knew without a shadow of a doubt that in Mrs Carter's eyes, Samantha was nowhere near good enough for her precious son. She was an unwanted distraction.