Page 103 of Sunday's Child

The midwife’s house was just two doors away and, luckily for them, Mrs Betts herself answered the door.

‘Miss Nancy, Master Thomas? What can I do for you? Is anyone ill at the castle?’

‘Might we come in, Mrs Betts?’ Nancy glanced over her shoulder to see if anyone was watching. The village gossips would have a wonderful time if they saw them visit the midwife.

‘It’s not what it seems, ma’am,’ Tommy said hastily. ‘I have accompanied Nancy purely out of interest. We believe you might be able to help us with some information.’

Mrs Betts pursed her lips. ‘I don’t discuss my patients with anyone other than close family and then only with the person’s permission. Maybe you ought to see Dr Bulmer for whatever it is you want.’

Nancy shook her head. ‘It’s something that happened many years ago, Mrs Betts.’

‘As I said, I don’t talk about my patients.’

‘We wouldn’t dream of putting you in a difficult position, ma’am,’ Tommy said, smiling. ‘A simple answer will suffice with no details. Nancy has been told that Lady Helena Greystone gave birth to a stillborn child nineteen years ago. Is that true?’

Mrs Betts stiffened. ‘No, it is not.’

‘But Lady Greystone did give birth.’ Nancy clasped her hands tightly together. ‘We’ve been told that by a very reputable person.’

‘Yes.’ Mrs Betts nodded.

‘The same person said the child was stillborn. Is that true?’

‘No, and I’m not saying anything else. You haven’t had any information from me and if it gets round that I’ve told you anything I will deny it strenuously.’

‘Mrs Betts, this is very important to me. As you probably know, I was a foundling left on the steps of the orphanage. It’s been brought to my attention that the date of my birth and the date when Lady Greystone was delivered of a baby are roughly the same. You must have an idea of what happened to the infant.’

Mrs Betts gave her a searching look. ‘What makes you think that you were that child?’

Tommy cleared his throat. ‘Might we step inside, ma’am? We don’t want the whole village to know our business.’

‘Yes, come in.’ Mrs Betts glanced up and down the road as she closed the door after them. ‘Like I said, what makes you think you are related to the Greystones, Miss Nancy?’

‘You must know that Mr Gervase North is living at Greystone Park.’ Nancy could tell by Mrs Betts’ expression that she was well aware of the fact. ‘Well, it was he who suggested it. He is at present looking through the family papers trying to find Sir Oliver’s will. He thinks he is Sir Oliver’s son, but he remembers the night Sir Oliver left for Spain. Apparently Sir Oliver handed a newborn babe to his brother-in-law, Francis North, Gervase’s father. The baby disappeared mysteriously.’

‘And you think it was you?’

‘I don’t know, and that’s the honest truth. This is what I’m trying to find out.’

‘All I can tell you is that I delivered a healthy baby girl late on Saturday evening, the thirtieth of March. It was 1844 and I remember the date clearly because it was the next day that they found Lady Greystone’s body floating in the lake. I was never so shocked. I think we all assumed that she had taken the baby with her, but its body was never found.’

Nancy dashed tears from her eyes. ‘How tragic. Why would she do such a thing?’

‘I’m breaking no confidences in telling you that the poor lady was very ill. She suffered from consumption and she knew she was dying. It seems like the curse of the Greystones, what with Miss Sylvia in a sanatorium in Switzerland.’

Tommy placed a protective arm around Nancy’s shoulders. ‘Thank you, Mrs Betts. I think perhaps we ought to leave you in peace now, but we’re grateful for the information.’

‘You won’t tell anyone that I told you, will you?’

Nancy shook her head. ‘No, of course not. Thank you, ma’am.’ She allowed Tommy to lead her from the cottage. The cold air made her gasp and take a deep breath. ‘What do you think, Tommy?’

‘I think you now know who your parents were, although I don’t see how it could be proved. All the people involved in the deception are dead and gone.’

‘Except for Gervase. Although I don’t know why he chose to tell me. If he hadn’t mentioned the fact that Sir Oliver left a baby with Francis North, I would not have been any the wiser. Now I think I have more questions than answers.’

Tommy looked up as the first drops of rain fell from a pewter sky. ‘Let’s go home, Nancy. We can’t do any more here.’

They walked, heads bent against the wind and rain, but were overtaken by a carriage and four.