Family Drama 4 E-Book Bundle (43 page)

‘Oh, Pearl, I didn’t abandon you. Please let me explain.’

Part of Pearl wanted to know, to hear the story, but the other still held bitterness. Yet the woman looked so sad, so frail, and something touched Pearl’s heart. ‘All right, I’m listening.’

‘This is going to be a long story, and I’m afraid not a pretty one, but I hope you won’t judge me too harshly.’ Emily walked towards the bed, wringing her hands. ‘I think I had better start at the beginning. You see, I’m afraid I was unmarried when I fell pregnant with you, and my father almost threw me out of the house. I had disgraced him, had a love affair with a gardener, and I think that was more unforgivable to him than the pregnancy. It was only my mother who stayed his hand, but I was kept virtually a prisoner until you were born.’

Pearl stiffened. It sounded ridiculous, like something out of a Victorian melodrama. If this was her mother, she was making it up, trying to make excuses. ‘You say my father was a gardener. What happened to him?’

‘Oh, my dear, I’m afraid he was sacked. He never knew that I was pregnant, and it was many years later before I had news of him. By then it was too late. He … he had died in a farming accident.’

Pearl closed her eyes momentarily. So, her father was dead – well, that was if this story was true. ‘What was his name?’

‘Jack – Jack Peterson.’

Unable to help herself, Pearl blurted, ‘What was he like?’

‘Oh, he was a fine man, and I can see something of him in your features.’

Pearl’s voice still held bitterness. ‘If you really are my mother, how come I ended up in an orphanage?’

‘I was told you were stillborn, Pearl, and I find it unforgivable that I was lied to. I had no idea what a devious man my father was, and it seems he paid someone in the orphanage to keep you there.’

‘This is all sounds a bit far-fetched. I mean, if you thought I was stillborn, how did you find out I was alive?’

‘I only found out when my father became seriously ill and, I think, wanted to make his peace with God. He said he’d planned to tell me one day, but not until you had left the orphanage, making it impossible for me to find you. Oh, it was so cruel, Pearl. He wanted me to suffer twice – to grieve when I thought you were stillborn, and then to suffer all over again when he told me you were alive. I can’t tell you how I felt. I was angry, yes, but full of joy too.’

‘So why did you come to the orphanage as a teacher? Why didn’t you just claim me, tell me who you were?’

‘Pearl, it wasn’t that simple. My father arranged for you to be taken into the orphanage without identification, and claimed he didn’t know what name you’d been given. I wrote to the orphanage, giving your date of birth, but they denied any
knowledge of you. I found this very odd, but because I knew you only had a year left before leaving, I was desperate. I used another name and applied for the post of art teacher.’

‘Another name. Why?’

‘Because I had already written to the orphanage for information using my own name, and didn’t want to arouse suspicion. My real name, our name, is Harmsworth.’

Pearl looked away. The story still sounded too fantastic to be true, but if this woman wanted to make excuses, wouldn’t she have found a simpler explanation? Emily then gasped and Pearl blurted, ‘Are you all right?’

‘Yes, don’t worry, it was just a spasm.’

‘What’s wrong with you?’

‘I have a slight heart condition, angina, but don’t worry, I’ve had treatment and I’m recovering. Now, where was I?’ she continued, precluding any further questions about her health. ‘As I said, I was told you were stillborn and you were whisked away before I got even a glimpse of your face. It was a foolish dream to think I’d begin work in the orphanage and recognise you straight away as my daughter. There were so many children, so many of the right age, and though I looked at all their faces, I was still unsure. I tried asking questions, but Miss Unsworth was always evasive, keeping her records under lock and key.’

She paused again, shaking her head. ‘In the end, I knew that time had run out. I had waited a year, until all the children of the right age had gone, and with no longer any reason to stay, I handed in my resignation.’

‘So how did you find me?’

She smiled softly. ‘For the first time it seemed that God was smiling on me. When I went to Miss Unsworth’s office, she was in the throes of leaving too, and had a pile of files on her desk. She was in the process of tearing something up from one of them when I walked in, and thrust it back into the file. As luck would have it she was called away, and I’ll never know what made me do it, but I looked in that file. It was yours, Pearl, and inside I saw my letter, along with another that I recognised was in my father’s handwriting.’

‘What did Miss Unsworth have to say?’

‘I didn’t wait to confront her, Pearl. I had found you, saw where you had been placed, and that was all that mattered.’

Pearl gazed at Miss Rosen – no, Miss Harmsworth – wanting to believe her, but still she hesitated. ‘Why have you waited this long before coming to see me?’

‘Oh, Pearl, you disappeared. You left the laundry, the hostel, and nobody knew where you’d gone. I was desperate to find you, and if I’d had money I would have hired a private detective, but my father must still have wanted to punish me,
leaving me nothing in his will. I refused to give up, I kept looking but, shortly after, I was taken ill.’

‘So how did you find me?’

‘It was like a miracle, Pearl. I saw your picture in a newspaper, along with a story about your husband.’

‘Bessie was right,’ Pearl murmured.

‘What do you mean?’

Pearl told her about Bessie’s vision. Emily gasped, ‘My goodness, that’s amazing.’

Johnny stirred and Emily moved to the cot, leaning forward to cup his face gently in her hand. ‘He’s lovely, and … and I can’t believe I have a grandson. Oh Pearl, I mourned you for so many years. How could my father do such a thing?’ Her composure broke and tears began to roll down her cheeks. ‘I missed so much, Pearl. Your first smile, your first step, and I’ve never even held you in my arms.’

Something jolted inside Pearl. It was true. This woman was her mother! Johnny’s grandmother! ‘Please, don’t cry.’

Emily dashed the tears from her face. ‘Oh, my precious girl, they are partly tears of joy. I’ve found you. After all these years, I’ve found you!’

Pearl saw the love in her eyes, and suddenly nothing else mattered. With a small cry she rose to her feet, running straight into her mother’s arms.

They clung together, swaying, both now sobbing. Pearl could feel how thin her mother was and as they drew apart she said, ‘Are you sure you’re all right?’

‘Yes, I’m on medication now and there’s nothing to worry about.’

She then took Pearl’s arm, drew her to the bed and they sat down. ‘We have so much to talk about, so much to catch up on.’

‘Yes, I know. Do you still teach art?’

‘Yes, my dear. I left a local school to come to the orphanage to look for you, but they were kind enough to take me back.’

‘I love art too, and until I fell pregnant, I took lessons.’

‘Yes, I recognised your talent, and even dared to hope for a while. But when you were one of the first to leave, I thought your date of birth must have been earlier in the year. Too early for you to be my daughter. Oh, Pearl, we have lost so many years and I can’t bear to be parted from you again. I … I have a cottage in Winchester. Please, will you come to live with me?’

‘With you?’

‘Yes, Pearl,’ she said, animated with excitement now. ‘It isn’t large, but there’s a spare room. I’d love you to live with me, to see my grandson growing up. Please say yes.’

Pearl gazed at her mother, saw the appeal in her
eyes and felt her heart fill with joy. This woman, this frail but beautiful woman, was her mother and was offering her a home. For a moment her face straightened and she hung her head. It would mean leaving Battersea, and though this was something she had longed to do, it would mean leaving Bessie – Derek too.

As though reading her mind, Emily spoke. ‘I realise there are people here that you’ll miss, but you can still see them.’

‘Winchester is so far away and it wouldn’t be easy.’

‘Nonsense. It isn’t that far and there are trains. If you want to see Bessie, you could visit at weekends, and I’m sure she’ll always offer you a bed.’

‘Yes, she would,’ Pearl agreed, yet still she hesitated.

‘Oh, my darling girl, I’ll understand if you want to stay, but will you come with me, if only for little while? I love you, my dear, will always love you, but I want so much for us to get to know each other.’

Hearing her mother’s words, Pearl’s heart once again surged with joy. It was as if her dreams had come true. She had a mother. A mother who loved her. It would be hard to leave Bessie, but she had Nora now and wouldn’t be alone. She could talk to Derek, explain that she’d come to see him as often as she could. He said he’d wait, but it would
be a long time before she was divorced – free. Would he wait that long?

Pearl sighed. There was no way of knowing, the future not hers to see. She and Derek would have to take it one step at a time, but for now, her mother was right. They needed to get to know each other.

She turned, smiling widely. ‘Oh, yes please, I’d love to come to stay with you.’

Read an Extract from A Father’s Revenge

Chapter One

Dolly Dolby smiled at her secret. For so long she had been woolly-minded, medicated after her mental breakdown, but just lately she had surreptitiously stopped taking the pills that Bernie, her husband, fed her. She felt that her mind had come alive again, that she was in control and thinking clearly for the first time in years.

It was a lovely spring day in March and Dolly was looking forward to seeing John, her grandson. He was the image of his handsome and dark-haired father, so like Kevin that every time she saw him her heart jolted.

Kevin was in prison, serving a fifteen-year sentence for robbery with violence, and had refused to allow her to visit him. She had no idea why, but then, to her joy, he had at last replied to one of her letters. The first thing she’d noticed when she went to see him was that Kevin’s eyes now burned with religious fervour and it was as though her son had been reborn. He wrote regularly now, his letters full of his plans to help others when he was released, and though until then she hadn’t had much time for religion, Dolly had gone down on her knees and thanked God for her son’s religious conversion.

At last Dolly heard the sound of a car pulling up outside their cottage which sat on a quiet lane on the outskirts of a village near Southsea in Hampshire. They had no close neighbours, though that didn’t bother Dolly. Nowadays she preferred seclusion. She had once owned a café in Battersea, London, and ruled the roost. No one had dared to cross her, but her world collapsed when Kevin had been arrested. There had been so much gossip, the story reaching the newspapers, and she’d been brought low with shame.

However, many long years had passed since then and pushing the memories to one side, Dolly flung open the street door. Her husband Bernie had taken to gardening with a passion and some of the daffodils were in bloom, but Dolly only had eyes for her grandson as he walked up the path.

‘Hello, Gran,’ John said, briefly accepting a cuddle before pulling away.

Dolly flinched, upset that he wasn’t more affectionate with her. Kevin had once rejected her too, and now his son was doing the same. No, stop it, stop being silly, she told herself. John was nearly thirteen years old now, no longer a little boy who wanted hugs. She had to control herself, had to stop imagining slights where none was intended. Briefly touching John’s shoulder, Dolly ushered him inside.

‘You took your time,’ she said huffily to Bernie.

Bernie frowned and for a moment he looked at her intently. ‘You seem to forget it’s a two-hour round trip to Winchester and back.’

Dolly didn’t want Bernie to realise that she hadn’t been taking her pills. ‘Sorry, love,’ she said meekly. ‘It’s just that I couldn’t wait to see John and the time seemed to drag. I expect you could do with a cup of tea?’

‘Yes please,’ he said, ‘and I might as well tell you now that Pearl wants John back by four. They’re having a bit of a do.’

Dolly’s lips pursed at the mention of Pearl. She had no time for John’s mother, never had. It didn’t matter how many years had passed, she refused to talk to her and even sacrificed calling John on the telephone in case it was Pearl who answered it.

Pearl had been a naive sixteen-year-old when Dolly first met her. She had been a thin, nervous, mousy little thing with huge brown eyes that seemed to take up much of her face. However she’d blossomed, ensnaring Kevin by becoming pregnant with his child. Dolly tried to prevent the marriage, to prove Pearl a tart, but then Kevin admitted she’d been a virgin. With no other choice, they had married, but Pearl then turned Kevin against her – his own mother. Dolly would never forgive her for that.

‘Dolly, did you hear what I said?’ Bernie asked.

‘Yes,’ she said, dragging her thoughts back to the present. ‘Why is Pearl having a bit of a do?’

‘It’s her mother’s fiftieth birthday.’

Nobody had made a fuss when it was her birthday, Dolly thought. Not only that Pearl’s mother, Emily Harmsworth, got to see John every day, not just once a month, and now even this visit was being curtailed. It still rankled that when Pearl had divorced Kevin she’d been granted sole custody of John, and from the start she had laid down the rules. There was only one that Dolly agreed with: that John should be told only that his father was in prison for robbery and the rest kept from him.

Dolly forced a smile as she tousled John’s hair. ‘I’d planned to cook you a lovely dinner, but never mind,’ she said, pretending acquiescence to Pearl’s demand for his early return, ‘I’ll do us a nice lunch instead.’

‘Smashing,’ said John, grinning.

Dolly led him into their sitting-cum-dining room which was overstuffed with heavy, mahogany furniture. It had come from their previous home, but looked a bit out of place in this low-beamed cottage.