Page 68 of The Winter Bride

Annie dropped heavily onto the nearest chair, shock coursing through her.

Charity turned to her and gently took her hand. ‘I think you’re owed an apology and an explanation, my love. You see Luca’ – she nodded towards him – ‘has always been very possessive and jealous around me. In truth I think it’s his only fault. He was a wonderful husband in every other way. But every year we take on casual labour when we visit different sites to help erect the big top and the rides. That’s how we came to know Barney. He helped out one year and kept coming back. Before you were born, we took on a chap called Don. A brash sort who thought he was God’s gift to women. Unfortunately, he took a shine to me and began to follow me about. Everywhere I turned he was there until one night he caught me behind the big top and became brazen. Luca came upon us. I was trying to fight Don off, but Luca thought we were in a clinch and pasted him within an inch of his life. The next morning, Don was long gone and we never set eyes on him again, but that same month I discovered I was with child. Luca here put two and two together and came up with five. The stupid fool assumed you were Don’s. It didn’t matter how much I denied it. I’d never even kissed the chap, but Luca had made his mind up that I’d been unfaithful and moved out of our trailer. And then on the morning you were born, when I woke up after a long difficult labour, he told me you’d been born sleeping and that he’d buried you without even giving me a chance to hold you.’ She began to sob broken-heartedly, and Annie’s heart went out to her. How the poor woman must have suffered to be so wrongly accused and to have lost her child.

‘A-and then some time ago,’ Charity went on in a shaky voice, ‘I glimpsed you and thought how alike you and Mercy were. That’s when I began to ask questions about you, although I was sure I must be wrong. I couldn’t believe that Luca could be so cruel as to dump my baby. And then today when I saw you in that shawl . . .’ Her shoulders slumped. ‘I would have recognised it anywhere. I’m of Gypsy stock and my grandmother made that shawl. It’s one of a kind. When I questioned where it was, Luca told me he’d wrapped you in it before he buried you. He wouldn’t even tell me where your grave was. I’ve mourned you all these years.’

Annie looked towards Luca and was shocked to see that he too was openly weeping.

‘Look at her, Luca. Can’t you see that she’s your daughter?’

‘I- I think I made a terrible mistake,’ he muttered brokenly.

Charity nodded. ‘You most certainly have, and Annie and I have been made to suffer all these years because of your unfounded jealousy. This poor girl.’

Luca’s face crumpled as he looked at Annie. ‘I’m so sorry. Can you ever forgive me? I was young and foolish and I let jealousy rule me head.’

There was a tap on the door and it inched open to reveal Peggy. ‘Don’t worry, Adam’s on the swing boats wi’ Barney an’ Levi,’ she told Annie. She looked at Luca and shook her head. ‘I heard what your missus just said an’ you should be ashamed o’ yerself. What this poor woman must ’ave suffered. An’ do you ’ave any idea at all the hardship you’ve caused this poor girl? I were on duty at the workhouse on the night you left ’er on the steps. I heard sommat outside and opened the door just in time to see someone disappearin’ off down the road but it were too dark to see who it was. But seein’ you, I ’ave no doubt who her dad is. That mop o’ hair o’ yours is quite recognisable an’ it’s the exact same colour as Annie’s.’

Luca put his head in his hands, his shoulders shaking.

‘Anyway, let me get this young lady ’ome. I dare say she needs time to come to terms wi’ what she’s learnt. An’ you two . . . well, all I can say is yer need to talk an’ sort yerselves out. There’s been enough heartache.’

With that she took Annie’s hand and led her outside where Annie took a great lungful of air. Her head was swimming with what she’d learnt and she didn’t know what to think.

‘Come on, pet. Let’s get yer home. Adam will be fine wi’ Levi.’ Peggy gently led her away and they made the trip back to the cottage in silence.

Once they were there Peggy immediately sat Annie by the fire and hurried away to make her a cup of hot, sweet tea, laced with a little brandy – Peggy’s standby for shock.

Annie simply sat staring into the fire. At last she’d discovered who her birth parents were, but their first meeting had been nothing like she’d always envisaged. She’d imagined her mother taking her in her arms and whispering endearments to her, but Charity had been far too upset for that. And rightly so if what she’d said was true. How could Luca have simply taken her baby away and left her as he had? And yet he’d thought that she was the outcome of an affair, so could he be forgiven? At that moment, Annie was far too shocked and upset to decide.

‘Here yer go.’ Peggy handed her a steaming mug and Annie sipped it, enjoying the burn as it slid down her throat.

‘Why didn’t you tell me you’d seen someone that night I was abandoned?’ she asked eventually.

Peggy looked guilty as she turned her head to stare at the flickering flames in the fire. ‘As I said, it were too dark to see who it were apart from the size of ’em. I guessed it were a man, but I couldn’t be sure, so I thought it were a case of least said soonest mended,’ she admitted.

‘And what am I supposed to do now?’

Peggy pursed her lips. ‘Leave ’em to sort ’emselves out, then we can go from there. It might be that yer want nowt to do wi’ ’em. Or at least, with ’im. Yer mam weren’t to blame fer what happened, poor soul. All these years she thought she’d given birth to a dead baby only to find that yer were so close all the time. It’s enough to break ’er heart an’ I don’t know if she’ll ever be able to forgive yer dad fer what he did.’

Placing her tea down, Annie untied her shawl and slung it across the back of the sofa. ‘If I hadn’t decided to wear that today, Charity might never have been sure. And to think I had a Gypsy grandmother.’

‘Well, at least we know where yer lovely black hair came from,’ Peggy said, hoping to lighten the mood. ‘But just remember, what you do next is up to you. If you want nowt to do with either of ’em, that’s fine. You’ve lived long enough without a proper mam an’ dad. Or it may be that you can build up a relationship with ’em given time. They don’t seem like bad people an’ it would be lovely for Adam to ’ave a real gran’ma an’ gran’pa, an’ a new auntie an’ uncle. Not like Mrs Taylor-Lloyd. Just take yer time.’

Levi brought a very tired little boy home almost an hour later and Annie got him ready for bed, glad of something to take her mind off what had happened.

‘Actually, I think I might ring Marie and Ruth and tell them I’ve decided to hang on for another couple of days, if you don’t mind delaying the journey,’ Annie told Levi and Peggy when Adam was safely tucked up in bed.

‘I think that’s very wise. You’ve got a lot to think about.’ Peggy smiled at her. ‘But just remember it ain’t all doom and gloom. At least you know where yer came from and who you are now.’

‘I do, don’t I?’ Annie gave a little smile. ‘I’m not an orphan any more, am I?’

Chapter Thirty-Four

It was mid-morning the following day when a knock came at Peggy’s door. Annie looked up from the floor where she and Adam were playing with a wooden train set that Davey had collected on his rag-and-bone rounds. Levi had repainted it and it now looked brand new and Adam loved it.

Levi had gone out to help Tim on his rounds and Peggy frowned as she wiped her hands on her apron and made for the door. ‘I wonder who this could be.’ She opened the door and blinked in surprise. ‘Oh, er . . . you’d better come in. You’re lettin’ all the warm out.’

When Luca stepped into the room and respectfully removed his hat, Annie swallowed.