Page 33 of The Winter Bride

‘We both know what he did to Eve,’ she said quietly. ‘But how can we find out if he’s Nancy’s father, too?’

‘Hmm.’ Peggy pursed her lips as she pondered. ‘Leave it wi’ me,’ she said after a short time. ‘I know a few folk as live in Swan Lane who might remember who the Taylor-Lloyds’ maid was before Eve. I’m sure some of o’ the women I worked wi’ in the workhouse would ’ave been there at the time Nancy were born an’ all. What were Nancy’s mother’s name?’

‘I seem to recall she said it was Emma.’

Peggy nodded. ‘Let me ask about.’ And they went on to talk of other things.

As Christmas approached, Annie invited Levi and Peggy, Susan, and Eve and Davey to have Christmas dinner with them. Eve and Davey politely declined saying they would prefer to stay in their own home with the children, which Annie perfectly understood. Levi and Peggy were delighted to come, but when Annie visited Susan at the shop to invite her, Susan blushed to the roots of her hair.

‘I, er . . . I’m sorry. I would have loved to,’ she said uncomfortably. ‘But I’ve already agreed to have dinner at Tim’s with him and the girls.’

Annie beamed. She’d noticed how happy Susan had been of late and how close she and Tim seemed to be growing and hoped it boded well for the future.

‘Don’t you dare apologise.’ Annie smiled. ‘It’s wonderful to see you happy again. Tim is a really lovely man.’

‘Yes, he is.’ There were stars in Susan’s eyes as she turned away to serve a customer.

The shop was busy in the lead-up to Christmas, so Annie departed and left her to it. Today was the first time she had left Nancy minding Adam and she was keen to get home to see how she’d managed. She needn’t have worried. When she arrived home, she found that Nancy had put Adam down for his morning nap and had cleaned and tidied the whole of the downstairs.

‘Goodness me you’ve been busy.’ Annie looked around with a smile.

Nancy beamed. ‘Yes, an’ I thought after dinner I might make Mr Monty some more mince pies. He seems to like ’em.’

‘He certainly does, but please don’t call him Mr Monty. It’s just Monty; you’re family now, Nancy.’

Nancy flushed with pleasure. She loved living here and already felt at home thanks to Annie and Monty, who really did treat her as one of the family.

Before they could blink, Christmas Day was upon them and they all got up early. Monty lit the fire while Annie fed Adam and then, still in their nightwear, they gathered in the parlour with a large tray of tea to open the presents.

Nancy’s eyes were on stalks as she stared at the gifts beneath the tree. This really was a world away from what she’d been used to at the workhouse where Christmas Day had been much as any other, apart from the fact that they all got a decent meal at dinner time.

‘Ah, now this one is for you,’ Monty declared, handing a gaily wrapped small package to Annie. ‘Happy birthday, darling.’

She smiled as she opened it with Adam’s help and beamed with pleasure when she saw the lovely bracelet inside the box. It was a gold chain, on which charms could be hung, and Monty promised that from then on, he would buy her a charm for every special occasion.

For Monty, there was a leather-bound book he’d been after for some time, and a warm sweater that he said he would wear that day. And then Nancy was handed the first of her presents. She was so excited that her hands shook as she tore the paper off it. Inside was a beautiful red dressing robe. She’d been wearing one of Annie’s old ones until then and could hardly wait to wear her new one.

And so it went on, with each of them opening gifts until the floor was littered with wrapping paper. Even Alfred hadn’t been forgotten and was now happily chewing on a juicy bone and guarding his new ball, while Adam was playing with his new toys.

And finally, there was just one present left beneath the tree, which Annie handed to Nancy.

‘And I believe this one is for you,’ she told her.

Nancy thanked her as she peeled off the paper to find a box underneath. She frowned as she lifted the lid wondering what it could be and gasped as she looked down at a lovely pair of little black buttoned boots made of soft leather.

‘Are these the ones you had me measured for?’ she asked with a catch in her voice.

Annie nodded, watching as Nancy pulled them on. She was relieved to see they fitted like a glove. ‘Come on then, this is the moment of truth. Let’s see if they make any difference.’

Nancy stood up and tentatively took a step, paused and then another and another, and with each one her smile broadened. ‘I’m not limpin’,’ she said in wonder. ‘Look at me!’

Annie felt a lump form in her throat as she watched the delight on the girl’s face and she could have sworn she saw a tear glistening in Monty’s eyes too. The cobbler had done a marvellous job, so good that no one would ever have known that one of the boots was made up higher than the other.

‘This is the best present . . . in fact, the best Christmas ever!’ Nancy flew across the room in her red dressing gown and her new boots and flung her arms around Annie. ‘Just think, no one’ll make fun o’ me now.’

‘No, they won’t, pet.’ Annie was delighted to see the girl so happy and went off to make them all a tray of tea.

Levi and Peggy arrived just before lunchtime and Peggy blushed as Annie admired her dress.