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Authors: Kerry Tombs
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couple were very Christian in their actions. Did they not require anything from you in return for their generosity?’
‘The lady said her husband wanted five pounds to help towards the costs of Lily’s upbringing.’
‘Five pounds is rather a lot of money.’
‘I had a few pounds put by, sold the old ring I had, and the farmer gave me some towards the amount, he was very good, but said I would have to go elsewhere and find work. They did not want the disgrace on the farm. I did not want my baby taken away ma’am, and put in the workhouse.’
‘Of course not. So you met this woman and her husband at the railway station and gave her five pounds. What happened next?’
‘She took away my darling Lily,’ sobbed Alice.
‘That must have been very distressing for you, but at least you had the reassurance that your daughter was being looked after by these kind people, and that you were free to visit her at anytime?’
‘That’s what I thought, ma’am. She said I should wait six months before I could come and visit Lily. Give her time to settle in, she said. But I missed her so much. You understand that, Mrs Ravenscroft?’
‘Of course; that is only natural; you are her mother.’
‘So last week I went to their house in Cheltenham, but when I knocked on the door the servant came out, and told me that there was no one by the name of Huddlestone living there, and that there had never been anyone living there with that name.’
‘Perhaps you went to the wrong house?’ suggested Lucy.
‘No Mrs Ravenscroft, it was the right house. 22 Suffolk Square in Montpellier, Cheltenham. That is what she told me, and that is the address that was on the letter.’
‘Do you still have the letter?’
‘Yes ma’am,’ replied Alice reaching into her pocket and retrieving a folded sheet of blue paper.
‘Do you still have the envelope?’
‘No ma’am.’
Lucy read aloud the letter—
22 Suffolk Square,
Cheltenham
.
3rd November 1889.
My Dear Miss Corbett,
Thank you so much for your letter.
My husband and I were very touched by your story, and are looking forward so much to seeing both you and little Lily.
I thank the day the good Lord bought us together!
Now, to our arrangements:
Please bring Lily to Droitwich railway station on Thursday afternoon. Mr Huddlestone and I will meet you on the platform at 3’o’clock. Do not forget the items that we discussed.
We have so much we can give Lily.
God bless you, my dear!
You are our salvation.
Your good friend,
Amelia Huddlestone.
‘I am sorry, I threw away the envelope. Tell me, Mrs Ravenscroft, what have they done with my Lily? Why were they not there when I went to the house? If something terrible has happened to her, I shall never forgive myself! To think that I have given away my baby!’
‘There now, Alice, do not be alarmed. I am sure that there must be a sensible explanation for all this. I will have a word with my husband when he returns from Droitwich tonight, and we will go together to Cheltenham sometime in the near future and make enquiries on your behalf.’
‘Oh, thank you ma’am. I am so besides myself with worry. I would be so grateful to you and the Inspector.’
‘Can you tell me what this Mrs Huddlestone looked like?’
‘She was thin, with grey hair, probably around forty in years and she spoke in a strange kind of voice, soft and musical it were. I could tell, though that she wasn’t from around these parts. Her voice was different.’
‘May I keep the letter?’ asked Lucy rising from her seat.
‘Yes ma’am.’
‘Did you give this Mrs Huddlestone anything else besides the five pounds?’
‘She asked that I give her all of Lily’s clothes. I did not have much. I wrapped her in a red shawl.’
‘Now you leave the matter with us. I’m sure that my husband will be able to get to the bottom of this. He is very good at solving mysteries,’ smiled Lucy.
‘Oh thank you, Mrs
‘The lady said her husband wanted five pounds to help towards the costs of Lily’s upbringing.’
‘Five pounds is rather a lot of money.’
‘I had a few pounds put by, sold the old ring I had, and the farmer gave me some towards the amount, he was very good, but said I would have to go elsewhere and find work. They did not want the disgrace on the farm. I did not want my baby taken away ma’am, and put in the workhouse.’
‘Of course not. So you met this woman and her husband at the railway station and gave her five pounds. What happened next?’
‘She took away my darling Lily,’ sobbed Alice.
‘That must have been very distressing for you, but at least you had the reassurance that your daughter was being looked after by these kind people, and that you were free to visit her at anytime?’
‘That’s what I thought, ma’am. She said I should wait six months before I could come and visit Lily. Give her time to settle in, she said. But I missed her so much. You understand that, Mrs Ravenscroft?’
‘Of course; that is only natural; you are her mother.’
‘So last week I went to their house in Cheltenham, but when I knocked on the door the servant came out, and told me that there was no one by the name of Huddlestone living there, and that there had never been anyone living there with that name.’
‘Perhaps you went to the wrong house?’ suggested Lucy.
‘No Mrs Ravenscroft, it was the right house. 22 Suffolk Square in Montpellier, Cheltenham. That is what she told me, and that is the address that was on the letter.’
‘Do you still have the letter?’
‘Yes ma’am,’ replied Alice reaching into her pocket and retrieving a folded sheet of blue paper.
‘Do you still have the envelope?’
‘No ma’am.’
Lucy read aloud the letter—
22 Suffolk Square,
Cheltenham
.
3rd November 1889.
My Dear Miss Corbett,
Thank you so much for your letter.
My husband and I were very touched by your story, and are looking forward so much to seeing both you and little Lily.
I thank the day the good Lord bought us together!
Now, to our arrangements:
Please bring Lily to Droitwich railway station on Thursday afternoon. Mr Huddlestone and I will meet you on the platform at 3’o’clock. Do not forget the items that we discussed.
We have so much we can give Lily.
God bless you, my dear!
You are our salvation.
Your good friend,
Amelia Huddlestone.
‘I am sorry, I threw away the envelope. Tell me, Mrs Ravenscroft, what have they done with my Lily? Why were they not there when I went to the house? If something terrible has happened to her, I shall never forgive myself! To think that I have given away my baby!’
‘There now, Alice, do not be alarmed. I am sure that there must be a sensible explanation for all this. I will have a word with my husband when he returns from Droitwich tonight, and we will go together to Cheltenham sometime in the near future and make enquiries on your behalf.’
‘Oh, thank you ma’am. I am so besides myself with worry. I would be so grateful to you and the Inspector.’
‘Can you tell me what this Mrs Huddlestone looked like?’
‘She was thin, with grey hair, probably around forty in years and she spoke in a strange kind of voice, soft and musical it were. I could tell, though that she wasn’t from around these parts. Her voice was different.’
‘May I keep the letter?’ asked Lucy rising from her seat.
‘Yes ma’am.’
‘Did you give this Mrs Huddlestone anything else besides the five pounds?’
‘She asked that I give her all of Lily’s clothes. I did not have much. I wrapped her in a red shawl.’
‘Now you leave the matter with us. I’m sure that my husband will be able to get to the bottom of this. He is very good at solving mysteries,’ smiled Lucy.
‘Oh thank you, Mrs
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