Fallen Grace - Mary Hooper [62]
‘Well,’ James said soothingly, ‘let us think of other possibilities. I’m no admirer of anyone in the mourning industry – especially the Unwins, who seem to profit from it more than most – but why should they be implicated in your sister’s disappearance?’
Grace looked at him. ‘I fear they have taken her for immoral purposes,’ she said, her face flushing pink. ‘I have heard that there are houses where women are kept to satisfy men’s desires. Perhaps they are keeping her at one of these against her will.’
James Solent shook his head immediately. ‘No, no. I’m sure it’s not that, for even the Unwins have a certain name to maintain and would not be connected with anything quite so scandalous.’ He paused. ‘It’s alarming when our loved ones grow away from us, but I’m certain your sister is well and will contact you in her own good time.’
Grace, fighting back tears, was silent. She’d been quite sure that James would help her, but he didn’t seem to understand.
‘Thank you for listening to me,’ she said when she’d gained control of herself. ‘I must go back now, before the Unwins realise I’ve gone.’
‘Will you let me know when you hear from her?’
‘If I hear,’ Grace said, ‘though how I’ll get a message from Lily when she can’t even write her own name –’
‘Your sister’s name is Lily?’ James asked with quick interest.
‘It is. Did I not say so before?’
James put his head on one side and looked at Grace quizzically. ‘It is not, by any remote and remarkable chance, Lily Parkes?’
Grace nodded. ‘Yes. How did you know?’
‘Lily Parkes!’ James repeated, his voice rising. ‘By all that’s wonderful. And you are her sister.’
‘I am.’
‘Your mother – your mother is dead, I believe you told me. And her name?’
‘Mama’s first name was Letitia.’
James gasped. ‘Your father was Reginald?’
‘Yes,’ Grace said in surprise. ‘But I believe him to be dead also. I never knew him – I was born after he left.’ She added, ‘He didn’t even know of my existence.’
James let out his breath in a great gust, then took both of Grace’s hands in his own. ‘Grace Parkes, you must prepare yourself for a shock.’
Grace burst into tears. ‘Lily is dead! You have heard that she’s dead?’
‘No, not that at all! I don’t know anything about your sister – other than the fact that the whole of legal London is talking about her.’
‘Talking about my sister?’
‘Talking about her, looking for her, speculating about the missing Lily Parkes and her mother.’
‘But why ever should they be?’
‘And they’ll be talking about you, too, once it’s known that you are the other living heiress of Reginald Parkes.’
Grace looked at James, mystified. ‘What has this to do with my father?’
‘Before I tell you,’ James said, ‘would you mind recounting the circumstances of how you came to work for the Unwins, for now I can only think that it is they who are behind Lily’s disappearance.’
Grace looked at him, bewildered. ‘It was merely that Mrs Unwin saw me at Brookwood the day I met you, and asked me to come and work for her as a mute.’
‘And you told her what? Forgive me for being pedantic, but that’s my training. I need to get the facts right and be sure about everything.’
It had just started to snow; large flakes fell gently and softly, and Grace brushed the sparkling crystals from her velvet jacket as she spoke. ‘Well, I thanked her but said I wasn’t interested, and then when our circumstances changed and Lily and I found ourselves on the streets, I was so distressed that I went to see her. I asked Mrs Unwin if she would employ us both, but she said that she could not, and I was about to leave when Mr Unwin came into the room and said that they would take me on as a mute and, out of charity, would offer Lily a position at their house.’
‘Oh, I bet he did!’ James said. ‘And I bet he’d found out your full names by then.’
‘I believe I had mentioned them. But what has