Page 74 of The Winter Bride

‘It’s your Gypsy inheritance,’ Charity explained. ‘And nothing to be afraid of, I promise you. We believe that the dead can’t ’urt yer. It’s the livin’ you ’ave to be fearful of – or some of ’em at least.’ She went on to tell Annie all about how she and Luca had come from different cultures and how against their relationship their people had been. ‘I was Gypsy and he was circus, and normally we marry into our own. In the end we ran away to be together but thankfully they all accepted us eventually.’

Annie was fascinated.

‘What about your late husband? Was ’e the love of your life?’

Annie flushed and lowered her eyes as she sadly shook her head. ‘I did love Monty, but not in the way a wife should,’ she admitted. ‘Even so, we were content together. He was a very good man.’

‘But Adam isn’t his child, is he?’

The statement made Annie’s head snap up. How could her mother have guessed that, never having met Monty?

Charity smiled. ‘It’s like I told yer, I get these feelin’s an’ I reckon Adam’s dad is the one you love. But as I said, be careful because there’s another who wishes you harm. Anyway, that’s enough about that. Let’s talk of ’appier things. My time wi’ you is so precious I don’t want to waste a minute of it.’

The next two hours seemed to pass in the blink of an eye and by the time she was due to leave, Annie really felt as if they had got to know one another a lot better.

‘You will come again afore you go back to London, won’t you?’ Charity asked anxiously.

Annie nodded. ‘ I can come again tomorrow, if you like?’

‘If I like?’ Charity chuckled as she helped put Adam’s little coat on. ‘You’d be welcome to move in ’ere wi’ me if you’d a mind to. But o’ course I understand you ’ave another life. I’m just grateful o’ whatever time you can spare for me.’

Annie gently squeezed her hand. ‘I don’t blame you for anything that’s happened,’ she said sincerely. ‘And now I’ve got my head around everything, I don’t really blame Luca either. I think it was all a terrible misunderstanding.’

Charity nodded, her eyes sad. ‘Aye, it was, but look what it’s cost us all.’

‘But we’ve found each now. Let’s just be grateful for that, eh?’

‘You’re right, and we’ve all the time in the world to make up fer it, God willing.’ For the first time Charity pulled her daughter into her arms and hugged her, and it felt right.

Annie set off for the cottage with a smile on her face. She had just passed through Riversley Park and turned onto Coton Road when she saw Reggie striding towards her, and her steps faltered. Even now, just the sight of him could strike the fear of God into her.

He slowed as she approached him and leered at her. ‘Word’s going around that you’re related to the circus folk.’

Annie refused to acknowledge him.

‘So Mother was right. She always said you must have come from the lowest of the low. And to think that our poor Monty tied himself to you.’

Annie felt angry colour flame into her cheeks. ‘And word is going around that your father suffered a stroke while visiting the whorehouse. I don’t think you could get much lower than that. But then they do say that people who live in glasshouses shouldn’t throw stones,’ she retaliated. And with that she hurried on, but his reply floated on the air behind her.

‘I’ll get even with you one of these days, you bitch! You just see if I don’t.’

Annie’s insides were quaking but her back remained ramrod straight as she continued on. What was it Charity had said? There’s someone who wishes you harm.

Annie didn’t have to look very far to guess who it might be.

Chapter Thirty-Seven

‘You ’ave a safe journey back now,’ Peggy told Annie on the morning she was preparing to go back to London. ‘And just think, the next time you come it’ll be fer the weddin’. Eeh, I’m gettin’ all excited about it now.’

Annie smiled. It was lovely to see Peggy looking so happy. Apart from the meeting with Reggie, which still left a bad taste in her mouth, the visit had gone really well. She’d visited Charity daily and a bond was beginning to form between them. She’d seen Luca, too, and he’d been warm and welcoming. She had also ordered the flowers for Peggy’s wedding as a surprise. After all, how could you have a bride without a bouquet? She had also asked the florist to decorate the pews and put flowers in the church, and she could imagine how pleased Peggy would be when she saw them.

Luckily Adam slept for most of the journey home, which gave Annie thinking time as she gazed from the train window. She now had two thriving shops, which were showing great profits even after staff wages and overheads. This, added to the small rent she received from Susan and Tim, meant that she was comfortably off. She was also coming to accept her birth parents and for the first time in her life she felt as if she truly belonged to someone.

And yet still there was a great restlessness in her. She sometimes felt guilty that she didn’t spend as much time with Adam as she should. He was with Nancy most of each day while she was either in the shop or out buying stock, and he often told her that he missed her, which tore at her heart. After all, she knew better than anyone what it was to feel lonely and she couldn’t bear to think of her son feeling that he came second to her businesses.

Nancy and Jamie were inseparable now and Annie had no doubt that they would soon be setting their wedding date. And then who would Adam spend his time with while she was working? Marie would have her own baby to care for soon, so she would no longer be available to help and Annie didn’t like the thought of employing a nanny.

Her thoughts were churning as the train pulled into Euston and, lifting Adam, who was getting heavy now, she left the station and went to hail a cab to take them back to the shop.