False Confidence

By Jay Green

A short story.
When a battered and bruised Shelley bumps into her old teacher, it all seems pretty clear to Victoria; after all Shelley's boyfriend has just got out of prison.
But all is not quite as it seems...

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Release date: Mar 24, 2017
• ISBN: 9781326986452

Jay Green

Jay Green is professor of history at Covenant College.

Book preview

False Confidence

False Confidence

Jay Green

Copyright

Copyright © 2017 by Jay Green

All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review or scholarly journal.

First Printing: 2017

ISBN 978-1-326-98645-2

JRG Publishing UK

False Confidence

In my experience, those who beg for mercy seldom deserve it.

The voice was rich and a little stagey.  Victoria raised her eyebrows and exchanged a look with a grey-haired man who was carrying a large can of water.  They had just stepped into the church through the open door, and the speaker was hidden from them by a screen set up by the congregation in a futile attempt to reduce draughts.  They both paused.

I’m not begging, I’m only asking, the voice was female, sullen and definitely local.

I’m not asking you to lie, only not to bring it up.

My dear, as a member of the clergy...

At this point Victoria stepped back and closed the door noisily to announce their arrival.

A woman barely out of her teens stopped as she rounded the screen.

Hullo Miss, she said, cautiously.

Good morning, Shelley.  Victoria followed Shelley out of the church.  Are you all right? Is something wrong?

Not really wrong, Miss.  Shelley drew a deep breath and sighed as deeply. Just...