Page 21 of The Winter Bride

‘Oh yes, he’s a lovely chap. He has two little girls, you know? Elsie, who is nine, and Laura, who is seven. It was so nice to meet a man who is so devoted to his children after . . .’ She blinked to stop the tears from falling.

‘After Theo?’

Susan nodded. ‘Yes, you know he never showed any interest in Constance.’

‘But not all men are like him,’ Annie pointed out. ‘As you’ve discovered with Tim. You like him, don’t you?’

‘I do but . . .’ Susan chewed on her lip. ‘I suppose after Theo I’m just afraid to trust another man.’

‘But you shouldn’t be.’ Annie patted her hand. ‘You have so much more life to live and you’re too young to spend it alone. Constance wouldn’t want you to, she would want you to be happy, so give him a chance, eh?’

Susan smiled. ‘I will. Now tell me how you’re getting along.’

‘I’m bored.’ Annie sighed. ‘Monty has all but wrapped me in cotton wool. I wouldn’t lift anything heavier than a teacup if it was left to him. I keep telling him I’m just having a baby, I’m not ill, but he still fusses.’

‘Then you should think yourself lucky. All Theo did when I was having Constance was try to persuade me to go to a back street abortionist and get rid of her. I’m so glad that I didn’t.’

They spoke of Constance until it was time for Susan to leave. Her life with them had been too short but neither would have missed it for the world and they would always treasure the memories they had of her.

Later that evening, once Monty was home, Annie said pensively, ‘All this time sitting about is doing me no good at all. I have far too much time to think. I worry about what I will tell the baby when it’s old enough to ask about its grandparents. How can I tell him or her that I was abandoned shortly after being born?’

Monty knew how much Annie wanted to find out who her birth parents were, and unknown to her he had already made tentative enquiries of anyone who had worked at the workhouse at the time, including Peggy. The problem was, every time he so much as mentioned it to Peggy, she closed up like a clam and told him to let sleeping dogs lie, much as she did to Annie.

‘We’ll find them one of these days,’ he told her with a confidence he was far from feeling. ‘Meantime perhaps me and the baby will be enough for you?’

‘Of course you will,’ she assured him, laying her head on his shoulder. And it was true, she was extremely lucky to have such a kind husband. So she closed her eyes and counted her blessings.

Chapter Eleven

It was late October and Annie was so bored of her own company that one morning she decided to put Alfred on his lead and take a gentle stroll round to the shop. It was doing so well now that she’d employed another woman, Mrs Jenkins, to help Susan, because she herself could no longer visit the warehouses to order stock since Monty had put his foot down again, and told her that she must rest until after the birth. Although she knew he did it with the best of intentions she still sometimes felt stifled.

The weather had turned cold and the leaves were drifting down from the trees as she walked beneath them, Alfred frolicking joyfully at the side of her. She passed the church and was about to turn into Bridge Street when a figure ahead of her caught her attention and she gasped.

It looked like Alex.

Surely it couldn’t be him; she’d been so sure that she’d never see him again. She blinked, thinking to dispel the image, but when she opened them again, she knew it was him, and she started to panic. But it was too late to avoid him, he had seen her and his smile stretched from ear to ear as he quickened his steps and moved towards her. He was just as handsome as she remembered and her heart began to beat faster as he drew abreast of her.

‘Annie, I’ve been looking for you. I was in the area so thought I’d call in, but when I got to the house in Swan Lane the maid told me you had moved some time ago. She did tell me that you had your own shop in Bridge Street, though, so I was just on my way to find you. How are you? You look . . . beautiful.’

Annie gulped, her cheeks burning. She was wearing a warm cloche hat and a heavy cloak that disguised her swollen stomach.

‘I-I’m very well. And yourself?’

‘All the better for seeing you. And who’s this little chap, eh?’ He smiled as he bent to stroke Alfred who instantly started to lick his hand.

‘This is Alfred. I’ve had him for a while now.’

‘How lovely, and your own shop too. It’s wonderful to see you doing so well. Where are you living now?’

She took a deep breath before forcing herself to say, ‘I live with my husband. We bought a house in Attleborough Road.’

She watched the smile slide from his face to be replaced by a look of shock. ‘Y-your husband? I, er . . . didn’t know you’d got married.’

‘Yes . . . In March.’

‘I see . . .’ In that moment all his hopes and dreams turned to dust. He’d had so much he wanted to tell her, so much to hopefully look forward to, but it seemed he had come too late. Annie was a married woman now and the last thing he would ever want to do was hurt her. ‘Then I hope you’ll both be very happy.’ They stared at each other for a long moment before he stepped back and said, ‘Well, at least I got to see you, but I won’t keep you standing here in the cold any longer. I’ll head back to the station and get my train to London. It was nice to see you.’

‘You too.’