Read Online A Mother's Secret by Dilly Court - Free Book Online

Belinda with a gimlet eye. ‘Geoffrey’s not very good in the bedroom department, eh?’
    Belinda’s hands flew to her cheeks as she felt the blood rush to her face.
    ‘There’s no need to blush and look sheepish, Belle. I can imagine what my dear brother is like in bed and I wouldn’t want to be on the receiving end of his polite prodding. Lord knows how he managed to father a child on poor young Emily, or why he left it until he was forty to get married in the first place. What he must have been like by the time he got to you, I shudder to think.’
    Belinda could stand it no longer. ‘Please, Flora, I didn’t come to discuss my private life.’
    ‘Then what did you come for?’
    Struggling to regain her composure after this frank and embarrassingly shrewd assessment of her married life, Belinda took a deep breath and began slowly. ‘As it happens, I had lunch with Adele and her friends today. We’re on several charity committees and there’s one particular case that’s come to my notice.’
    ‘It must be something close to your heart to bring you out when you should be at home dressing for dinner. I suppose Geoffrey demands it on the dot of eight and not a minute sooner nor a second later?’
    ‘Yes, but that’s not important compared to the fate of this poor child.’ Belinda dropped her hands to her lap, clasping them tightly and digging her fingernails into her palms. ‘A ten-year-old girl needs a good home. She’s used to hard work, so I’ve been told, and is well-mannered and personable.’
    ‘London is full of such children. Why would this one be any different from the rest? And what could I do for her that you could not?’
    Belinda swallowed hard. This was going to be much more difficult than she had imagined. Now that she was putting her thoughts into words the whole matter must sound trivial and unimportant to one who was uninvolved. ‘You know how strict Geoffrey is with the household budget.’
    ‘Parsimonious, you mean.’
    ‘Don’t put words in my mouth, Flora. He’s just careful and encourages me to run the house without undue extravagance.’
    ‘Oh, save me from hearing any more of my brother’s admirable qualities. So you want me to take this child into my house as a servant. Is that it?’
    ‘I thought perhaps you could start her on light duties, perhaps a little dusting or helping in the kitchen, bearing in mind her tender years. And then, when she is a little older perhaps she could train as a lady’s maid? You would hardly notice one more mouth to feed in such a large household, and the situation she is in now is quite intolerable, I assure you.’
    ‘So where is this child now? What makes her life more precious than any other orphan or street urchin in London?’
    Belinda winced as her fingernails cut into her flesh. She must keep calm and not appear too much involved or Flora, who was no fool, would see through her pretence of being a mere patron of a charity. ‘It’s been drawn to my attention,’ she said, making an effort to remember recent newspaper reports on a similar case, ‘that this little girl came from a good family but had the misfortune to be born on the wrong side of the blanket, as they say. She was left with a woman who purported to be respectable and agreed to care for her, but it appears this creature runs what they call a baby farm. She takes infants from their desperate parents for a sum of money and then neglects them grievously. Many of them die but the ones who survive are sold into virtual slavery or prostitution.’ Belinda heard her voice break on a sob, but she could no longer control her emotions. ‘I know you think I am a soft fool, but if I could just save this one poor child . . .’

Chapter Four
    The beating that Cassy had received at Biddy’s hands left her bruised and bleeding. Her calico blouse was ripped to shreds and the babies, who had been awakened by her screams of pain, were bawling their heads off, which further infuriated