his real family, if he has one.’ Meg turned to her friend. ‘I have never told anyone this before, but I know that I can trust you. Ralph is not my son. His mother died on board ship when we were being transported. I didn’t give birth to him.’ She gave a small involuntary sob. ‘He is my son,’ she said fiercely. ‘But now he needs to find out about his real mother, the women who gave birth to him.’
‘And no-one else knows?’ Lucinda asked softly.
‘Only Ralph Clavell and two others, and,’ she added bitterly, ‘Captain Boyle has always suspected.’
‘But it doesn’t matter any more, surely?’ Lucinda asked. ‘Ralph is an adult.’
‘No, it doesn’t matter to anyone but me,’ Meg whispered. ‘But it proves that I’ve been acting a lie all of these years and now I’ve been found out.’ She lowered her head. ‘I’ve tried so hard to change my life. To prove that I’m as good as anyone else. But I’m not.’
‘But you are! There is no-one perfect. Not a single one of us. If you knew the thoughts I had sometimes, you would know that I am a very wicked lady!’
Meg gave a shaky laugh. ‘I do know one perfect lady,’ she said, wiping her eyes. ‘Joe’s sister. She always was an angel even though terrible things happened to her.’
‘I’d like to meet this perfect lady.’ Lucinda smiled. ‘For I don’t believe in her!’
Meg gave a gasp. ‘Would you? Oh would you, Mrs Boyle? Would you see her and take a message from us? I know that Ralph will visit but he might forget what I want him to say.’
‘Of course I will,’ Lucinda assured her. ‘I would be delighted to.’
Meg grew thoughtful and hesitated before saying, ‘But no, I couldn’t ask you. It would be too difficult for you. Captain Boyle wouldn’t like it if you visited Emily. She was once a convict.’
‘Captain Boyle is not coming with me,’ Lucinda assured her, ‘and I shall tell him only what I want him to know.’ Her lips turned down. ‘My husband has his secrets, or he thinks hehas,’ she added. ‘I have a reason for asking about your son, Meg. Can you tell me when he will be travelling and on which ship? You see, Phoebe and I will be travelling without an escort and I would be grateful for some help on the voyage.’
‘He’d be glad to help, I’m sure of it. I’ll find out ’details.’
‘One other thing, Meg.’ Lucinda Boyle’s expression was anxious. ‘I rather think that your son Ralph is fond of Phoebe. What do you think of that?’
Chapter Seven
‘ DEAREST MAMA AND Papa,’ Amelia wrote. ‘I can’t think how I came to be involved in one of Aunt Anna’s mad schemes. She wants me to be a schoolteacher! I have insisted that I would be no good at all as I haven’t the patience, but she is so persuasive and persistent, rather like you are, Papa, and I am to meet the Misses Fielding tomorrow.
‘They cannot afford any help apparently, they are on their “uppers”, as Aunt Anna says, and lead very frugal lives. I suppose I can stay for a couple of weeks, but I shall insist on being home for Christmas.
‘From your ever loving daughter,
Amelia.’
The house in which the Misses Fielding lived and taught was tucked away in Back Swinegate, a narrow lane off St Sampson’s Square, the busy market area which was lined with old inns, shops and houses. Amelia and her aunt were welcomedat the door by Miss Harriet, whilst Miss Fielding, the elder of the two sisters, was making tea.
‘We have a girl comes in to help each morning,’ Harriet explained as she ushered them into the parlour, a cosy, crowded room with a piano, a desk, table and sideboard, shabby chairs and a bright cheerful fire burning in the grate. ‘But otherwise we manage very well on our own,’ she added. ‘Of course we have always had to, since we were very young.’
‘Have you no living parents, Miss Harriet?’ Amelia asked boldly. Harriet Fielding was perhaps five or six years older than herself and as her sister
‘And no-one else knows?’ Lucinda asked softly.
‘Only Ralph Clavell and two others, and,’ she added bitterly, ‘Captain Boyle has always suspected.’
‘But it doesn’t matter any more, surely?’ Lucinda asked. ‘Ralph is an adult.’
‘No, it doesn’t matter to anyone but me,’ Meg whispered. ‘But it proves that I’ve been acting a lie all of these years and now I’ve been found out.’ She lowered her head. ‘I’ve tried so hard to change my life. To prove that I’m as good as anyone else. But I’m not.’
‘But you are! There is no-one perfect. Not a single one of us. If you knew the thoughts I had sometimes, you would know that I am a very wicked lady!’
Meg gave a shaky laugh. ‘I do know one perfect lady,’ she said, wiping her eyes. ‘Joe’s sister. She always was an angel even though terrible things happened to her.’
‘I’d like to meet this perfect lady.’ Lucinda smiled. ‘For I don’t believe in her!’
Meg gave a gasp. ‘Would you? Oh would you, Mrs Boyle? Would you see her and take a message from us? I know that Ralph will visit but he might forget what I want him to say.’
‘Of course I will,’ Lucinda assured her. ‘I would be delighted to.’
Meg grew thoughtful and hesitated before saying, ‘But no, I couldn’t ask you. It would be too difficult for you. Captain Boyle wouldn’t like it if you visited Emily. She was once a convict.’
‘Captain Boyle is not coming with me,’ Lucinda assured her, ‘and I shall tell him only what I want him to know.’ Her lips turned down. ‘My husband has his secrets, or he thinks hehas,’ she added. ‘I have a reason for asking about your son, Meg. Can you tell me when he will be travelling and on which ship? You see, Phoebe and I will be travelling without an escort and I would be grateful for some help on the voyage.’
‘He’d be glad to help, I’m sure of it. I’ll find out ’details.’
‘One other thing, Meg.’ Lucinda Boyle’s expression was anxious. ‘I rather think that your son Ralph is fond of Phoebe. What do you think of that?’
Chapter Seven
‘ DEAREST MAMA AND Papa,’ Amelia wrote. ‘I can’t think how I came to be involved in one of Aunt Anna’s mad schemes. She wants me to be a schoolteacher! I have insisted that I would be no good at all as I haven’t the patience, but she is so persuasive and persistent, rather like you are, Papa, and I am to meet the Misses Fielding tomorrow.
‘They cannot afford any help apparently, they are on their “uppers”, as Aunt Anna says, and lead very frugal lives. I suppose I can stay for a couple of weeks, but I shall insist on being home for Christmas.
‘From your ever loving daughter,
Amelia.’
The house in which the Misses Fielding lived and taught was tucked away in Back Swinegate, a narrow lane off St Sampson’s Square, the busy market area which was lined with old inns, shops and houses. Amelia and her aunt were welcomedat the door by Miss Harriet, whilst Miss Fielding, the elder of the two sisters, was making tea.
‘We have a girl comes in to help each morning,’ Harriet explained as she ushered them into the parlour, a cosy, crowded room with a piano, a desk, table and sideboard, shabby chairs and a bright cheerful fire burning in the grate. ‘But otherwise we manage very well on our own,’ she added. ‘Of course we have always had to, since we were very young.’
‘Have you no living parents, Miss Harriet?’ Amelia asked boldly. Harriet Fielding was perhaps five or six years older than herself and as her sister
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