Page 69 of The Winter Bride

‘Good mornin’.’ He looked as uncomfortable as Annie felt as they stared at each other. ‘I hope yer don’t mind me comin’ round ’ere uninvited . . . But I feel I owe yer an apology.’

‘Come on, little ’un.’ Peggy hoisted Adam up onto her hip and headed upstairs. ‘Yer can come an’ ’elp Aunty Peggy pack, eh?’

Once they’d gone, an awkward silence settled on the room.

Finally, Annie said, ‘You’d best sit down.’

He crossed the room and lowered himself onto a sofa just an arm’s reach from Annie.

‘I . . . I’ve been a bloody fool,’ he said, and then flushed for swearing. ‘Sorry, that just slipped out, but it’s the truth. Charity ’as never given me cause to think she’d been unfaithful, it were just me overreactin’. An’ I know it’s too much to expect yer to ever forgive me, but I wanted yer to know that if I could turn the clock back I would. I gather that little chap that just went upstairs is me grandson?’

When Annie nodded, he sighed and swiped his hand across his face. ‘I’ve missed so much,’ he said quietly. ‘He looks a grand little feller. I had a good talk to Barney last night an’ he filled me in on yer life since his mam took yer to live wi’ them. I gather you ain’t always had it easy.’

Annie shrugged. What could she say? ‘I had Levi,’ she told him eventually. ‘And he’s been like a father to me. And Peggy.’

Luca flushed with shame. ‘The father I should ’ave been . . . Anyway, I’ve took up enough o’ yer time. I doubt Charity will ever forgive me, an’ I can’t say as I blame her. I know what a pig-’eaded fool I’ve been. I don’t expect you to, either, but at least I can tell yer ’ow sorry I am.’ With that he rammed his hat back onto his thatch of thick black hair and turned for the door, his shoulders slumped.

He was almost there when Annie said unexpectedly, ‘Perhaps we could take it slowly? Get to know each other a bit, I mean. I understand you’re here for the winter so when I come to visit Peggy and Levi, perhaps I could call on you and Charity?’

His face lit up as he nodded enthusiastically. ‘I’d like that.’

‘Until next time then.’

He nodded again and left, closing the door quietly behind him.

Almost immediately, Peggy appeared with Adam sitting on her hip. ‘Well, what did ’e have to say?’

Annie sighed and swept the curtain of her hair across her shoulder. ‘He came to say how sorry he is and to emphasise that it wasn’t Charity’s fault,’ she told her quietly. ‘But I’m worried it might be too late.’

‘Hmm . . . But yer know it’s never too late. What I mean is, you know who they are now. Perhaps there’s still time fer you to build some sort o’ relationship wi’ Charity, at least. Just think on how you’ve longed to know where yer came from all these years. Well, now yer do.’

Annie gazed thoughtfully towards the window. Peggy was right. At least the mystery surrounding her parents and why she was abandoned was solved. She had a mother and a father who were still very much alive.

‘So, what do you think I should do?’

Peggy was silent for a moment before answering. ‘Well, my advice, fer what it’s worth, is to sleep on it, get used to the idea then go an’ see Charity before we leave fer London.’

Annie nodded. It sounded like sound advice.

The night before they were due to leave, Annie left Adam in Peggy’s care and set off for the circus. It had occurred to her that not only had she discovered who her birth parents were, she’d also gained two siblings. Mercy and her brother Noah were her brother and sister and she wondered if Charity or Luca had told them what had happened.

As she approached Charity’s trailer, Mercy emerged and for a moment they just stared at each other. Then suddenly Mercy flew down the steps and wrapped her arms about Annie with tears in her eyes.

‘Mam has told me everythin’,’ she breathed. ‘I’m still tryin’ to take it all in, but welcome to the family, Annie. I always wanted a sister.’

‘So did I,’ Annie told her in a shaky voice as she returned her hug.

Charity appeared on the steps and her face lit up at the sight of her. ‘Annie . . . I’m so glad yer came. I wanted to come and see yer but felt I had to give yer time to get your head around everything. Luca told me he’d been over. Come in, come in.’

Soon the three of them were seated inside, and Charity leant over and gripped Annie’s hand. ‘I was sure I was having a girl when I was carrying you,’ she said softly. ‘And I was going to call you Skye. But Annie is a pretty name. Who gave it to yer?’

‘Apparently it was Peggy. She was the one who found me on the workhouse steps. I suppose she thought it was as good a name as any.’

‘I’m hoping that we might be able to build some sort of relationship now that I’ve found yer.’ Charity sighed. ‘I’ve missed so much: your first smile, your first steps, your first tooth, you growing up and becoming a mam yerself. I’ll never forgive Luca for denying me that. I’m so very sorry.’

‘You have nothing to be sorry for,’ Annie told her soberly. ‘And strangely enough I don’t feel so angry with my . . . Luca now, either. He must have loved you very much to be so jealous.’ Annie still couldn’t bring herself to address Charity or Luca as Mother and Father and it was clear that Charity wasn’t going to push her to.

‘It’s not going to be easy to build our relationship, with you bein’ in London and us constantly on the road,’ Charity admitted. ‘But I could write to you, if yer wouldn’t mind me having your address. That way I could let yer know where we are and for how long and perhaps you could bring Adam to see us from time to time?’ She gave a tentative smile. ‘I can hardly believe that I’ve not only gained a daughter but a little grandson as well, I can’t wait to get to know him. If you wouldn’t mind, that is.’