Fallen Grace - Mary Hooper [78]
James took her hand at this, but Grace shook it off, saying he must hear the full story before he offered sympathy. She closed her eyes, the easier to speak.
‘I had a child,’ she said in a voice little above a whisper. ‘And it died. The day . . . the day I first met you at Brookwood, I wasn’t there to mourn my mother. I was there with the sole purpose of burying the little thing.’
She paused again, and this time when James took her hand she was so grateful for the comfort of it that she didn’t take it away.
‘I couldn’t tell anyone.’
‘But no one could blame you for what this man did,’ he said gently.
‘Wait,’ she said. ‘There’s one more thing you should know. The baby I birthed – I couldn’t afford to give him a proper funeral, or even a coffin, so I put him in with someone else who was about to be buried.’
‘I have heard this is sometimes done.’
‘The coffin I chose . . .’ she hesitated, and then said in a rush ‘. . . contained the body of your sister.’ She looked at James anxiously. ‘I only chose her because she sounded kindly. I felt that she wouldn’t mind having my child with her.’
James didn’t speak for a time, then merely said, ‘You poor girl.’
‘I didn’t know then that my aggressor was Sylvester Unwin, but I do now. And later I found out that he had violated Lily, too.’
James nodded slowly. ‘He kept several institutions going and there have been rumours about his conduct in girls’ homes. Last year two complaints were made against him.’
‘And was he charged with anything?’
‘No, because unfortunately the accusations were dropped. Whether he paid the girls off or frightened them into not pressing the charges, I don’t know.’
Grace sat back on the bench, breathing deeply, for it had been difficult and painful for her to say what she had.
‘And so . . . so the adoption certificate remains in the coffin?’
She shook her head. ‘No, I have it here. I tiptoed around his body on the floor and retrieved it.’
‘That’s excellent news!’
‘But what will happen?’ She looked at James fearfully. ‘Will I be accused of murder?’
‘Of course not,’ he said, shaking his head, ‘because you didn’t murder him.’
Grace turned an anxious glance on him.
‘Well,’ said James slowly. ‘He went into a warehouse and had a heart attack, that’s all. No one can discover the circumstances because there’s no evidence – and anyway, who could tell whether or not his heart attack occurred because of your actions at that precise moment?’ He looked at her searchingly. ‘I trust no one saw you?’
‘No one,’ said Grace. ‘I was terrified and hid behind the door for five minutes or so, until his driver came in looking for him, and as he went in, I crept out. I was probably halfway down York Road by the time he found the body.’
‘Very well. That’s it. That’s all we’ll say on the subject. The matter will never be mentioned between us again.’
Grace looked at him with apprehension. ‘I don’t have to go back to the Unwins, do I?’
‘Of course not!’ he said, smiling. ‘And I shouldn’t think you’ve had time to go to Somerset House for the birth certificates, have you?’
Grace shook her head. ‘I have not. And now I’ve spent the money you gave me.’
‘That’s of no account. I’ve been there and obtained them myself.’
Grace caught her breath. ‘And is everything as you hoped?’
‘Indeed. The certificates are completely unambiguous: your father and mother, Reginald Parkes and Letitia, née Paul, were married in April 1840. Your sister, Lily, was born in –’
‘Lily!’ Grace echoed, for in the last couple of hours she had hardly been thought of. ‘Where is she?’ She gave a sigh. ‘How am I ever going to find her again?’
‘We will find her,’ James said with certainty in his voice. ‘I promise.’ Grace smiled at him gratefully and he went on, ‘So, Lily was born in 1844 and you, Grace, in 1845, if I remember correctly.’
Grace nodded. ‘That’s right.’
‘Your father’s name is given on both birth certificates, but on yours it’s written that he’s in foreign parts.’
‘Do you have them with you? Can I see them?’
‘Not at the moment, because they’re with Mr Stamford.