Page 40 of A Lady in Name

The woman’s eyes flicked into life, and Lucy realised she had astonished her with this greeting. She halted before the chair, leaning down to touch the damaged hands.

“You see, I grew up helping my father, the vicar of Upledon. I know how much pain you have been obliged to endure.”

The woman let Lucy’s touch rest on her without comment, but her gaze remained riveted. Lucy felt as if her features were being devoured. A hollow sprang up in her breast, and she drew back, taking her hand away.

“You see my mother in me! Alice Oade? She was your daughter, was she not?”

One of the woman’s hands groped unsteadily and painfully towards Lucy, and the old eyes grew misty with moisture.

“She’ll not speak,” said Mr Oade from behind the chair. “Leastways, only a word or two. She’s lost the use of her voice mostly.”

Lucy looked up at him, the thrum of her heartbeat loud in her ears. “Is it true? Was Alice from this house? Your sister, she must have been.”

He seemed reluctant to admit as much. In an agony of suspense, Lucy waited. At length, Stefan took a hand.

“You invited us in, Oade. And your mother clearly sees a likeness in Lucy. What is the point of holding out?”

He came away from his mother’s chair, and there was belligerence in his stance. “Alice is dead to us. Pa rightly turned her out.”

Lucy’s chest caved in. She looked wildly round for Stefan and found him near enough to touch. She reached out blindly and felt his hand close about her own.

“Hold up, now, Lucy,” he murmured, low enough for her ears alone. “It is no more than you expected.”

He was right. But the truth, when one looked it in the face, had a way of throwing out all semblance of equilibrium. Nevertheless, Lucy stiffened her spine. She would not swoon this time. She caught sight of Dion by the door, shock evident in every line of her slim frame. Lucy released her clutch on Stefan’s hand.

“Dion is like to faint this time.”

He looked round and went quickly over to his sister. “Sit down, Dion.” He glanced at Oade. “You do not object?” The fellow shrugged, and Stefan led Dion to the nearest chair and thrust her down into it. Then he came back to Lucy’s side.

“Have you anything more you wish to ask?”

She gave him a despairing look. “What is the use? He is determined not to tell me.”

A cracked voice spoke from the chair by the fire.

“Alice! My Alice. Gone?”

The thread of grief tore at Lucy’s heartstrings. She went to kneel at the woman’s feet, covering the damaged hands with her own.

“I am so sorry. She died a short time after I was born. Pray believe I knew nothing of her. I would have come to you before, I promise.”

The son, guttural with hate, cut in. “Why would you come? You’ve no truck here. You’re with him. Leastways, you’re with his kin. You’ll have no traffic with the likes of us.”

From her position by the crippled woman, Lucy looked up at him, her heart divided between anger and rough compassion.

“I can see Alice hurt you all. Her mother most of all, perhaps. I know how grief can affect the body, for I have seen it often and often.” She let go Mrs Oade’s hands and sat back. “But Alice’s sins are not mine, Mr Oade. I was fortunate to be taken in by the man who succoured your sister in her time of greatest trouble. He was a man of God and he chose to bring me up as his own.”

“More fool he, to take a bastard into his home,” growled the man.

Stefan took a pace towards him, anger in his face. But Lucy jumped up, throwing out a hand. “Stefan, don’t.”

Stefan paused, his furious gaze fixed on Oade. “You’ll keep a civil tongue in your head, man, or you’ll answer to me!”

The older man snorted. “Fisticuffs? I’d like to see you try!”

Dion shrieked as Stefan made a move towards the man again. She was up, hanging on his arm. “Stefan, no! You must not. Remember why we came.”

Lucy stepped in front of Stefan, facing the aggressor.