‘He didn’t know, and I am sorry, Nolan. It must be a shock for you and I’m truly sorry for keeping it from you, Gwen, but please know I had my reasons.’
Gwen’s eyes had welled up. ‘It’s the only bit of information I’ve wanted to know all my life. You were an amazing mum when I was growing up and I know how hard you worked to keep a roof over our heads, and the number of jobs you took, but why wouldn’t you tell me?’
‘Because I was scared. When Morgan left and I discovered I was pregnant I was living in the attic room of The Little Blue Boathouse. It wasn’t as easy to be a single mum as it is these days. I was pregnant and unwed and the father gone. My morning sickness worsened and my own mother guessed I was pregnant. She was ashamed of me, called me the black sheep of the family and disowned me. Before I knew it, I was shipped off to a mother-and-baby home.’ Martha’s voice faltered. ‘It was the worst time of my life.’ She swallowed. ‘You’d wake to haunted cries in the night from young mothers whose babies were taken from them minutes after giving birth. When my contractions started, I didn’t want to give birth, not because of the pain, but because I knew they would take you away as soon as you were born. I could see the official papers on the side with a pen ready for me to sign you away.’
Gwen leaned across and touched her mother’s knee. Both of them were engulfed in tears.
‘My whole world plunged into despair and reality hit me. There was no one to help me. I was completely on my own. I had become an outcast in Glensheil, Morgan had married someone else and I was going to have to give you up. But what I didn’t know at the time was that I didn’t have to go through all this by myself.’ Martha handed Morgan’s letter to Gwen.
As soon as she read it, she closed her eyes in evident sadness. ‘He came back for you.’
‘Yes, and my mother sent him away, telling him I didn’t want to see him. If only I’d got to see him, things could have been so different.’
Bea took Nolan’s hand in hers, sadness bleeding between them. Martha could have lived a happy family life with the man she loved, if only her mother hadn’t sent him away.
‘When you were born, I was allowed to hold you in my arms. You were adorable and I loved you instantly with all my heart. But as predicted, the papers were thrust into my hand and I was forced to scrawl a signature. You were to be taken the next morning and given to a family who were going to collect you.’ Martha wiped her eyes. ‘The signature I scrawled was nothing like my signature, and all through the night I stayed awake watching you and planning. And then I took the biggest chance of my life. After only just giving birth, I decided to try and make a run for it.’
‘Oh my gosh,’ murmured Isla.
‘It was like trying to get out of Fort Knox. Luckily, I was on the ground floor with a window we could squeeze through. I wasn’t letting anyone take my baby and though I might not have my family or my baby’s father, I had Bonnie.’
‘Bonnie was Felicity’s grandmother, Rona her daughter. They own the teashop,’ shared Isla, filling Nolan in, in case he didn’t know.
‘I ran into the night, not knowing where I was going. It was pitch black. You were wrapped up tightly in a blanket and I had no money and no food. I was so scared.’
‘What did you do next?’ asked Nolan.
‘I discovered a barn and bedded down for the night. Gwen had food because I quickly learned how to breastfeed. I remember there was an old horse blanket on top of the hay bales, which I pulled over us to help keep us warm, and I must have fallen asleep with you in my arms. The next morning, I was woken up by a very surprised farmer’s wife and I begged her to help me. Luckily, she was a kind person. She invited us into the farmhouse. She fed me and gave me some clean clothes. If it wasn’t for her…’ Martha briefly closed her eyes. ‘Her name was Gwen. That’s who I named you after.’ Martha looked up at a teary-eyed Gwen, who was listening attentively to every word.
‘Gwen got in touch with Bonnie and it was Bonnie who arranged for me to go and stay with her auntie miles away from Heartcross and Glensheil. Bonnie’s auntie Nora was amazing. She looked after us for twelve months and made me feel safe. For so long, every time I left the house, I thought I’d get a tap on the shoulder and they’d take my baby away. I was terrified. Nora helped me train to be a seamstress and she would look after you, Gwen. She gifted me a very old sewing machine and I began to make money. Before I knew it, I was mending people’s clothes and able to stand on my own two feet.’
‘I never knew that’s how you learned to be such a good seamstress,’ remarked Isla.
‘I owe everything to Gwen, the farmer’s wife, Bonnie and Nora and the reason I couldn’t tell you about your father, Gwen, is because I knew he’d got married and I didn’t want to put either of us through the pain of more rejection. I loved Morgan and it appears he loved me too. He was the one who got away and I will always regret the years that were lost because we didn’t know the truth of one another’s feelings.’
‘He really did love you,’ reassured Nolan. ‘I know that from all the stories over the years. I just wish he was here with us now so he could tell you himself.’
‘Me too,’ replied Martha, looking at Gwen. ‘I’m sorry I never shared all this with you before now. I know you got teased at school for not having a father, and the way people looked at us because I wasn’t married. There was a part of me that felt a little ashamed you didn’t have a normal family life and that we spent the whole time scrimping and saving. But there was no way I was ever going to be forced to give you up.’
Gwen stood up and opened her arms wide, pulling Isla and then Martha in, enveloping them in the biggest hug. Martha was sobbing and tears were running down everyone’s cheeks. ‘We’ve wasted a lot of time when we could have been a family, let’s not waste any more,’ said Gwen. Slowing pulling away, she looked at Nolan then took his hand. ‘It looks like you have a new family.’
‘It does,’ he replied. ‘It wasn’t what I expected when I woke up this morning – but although there’s a lot of emotion and pain in this situation, there’s also happiness.’ he said, joining the hug.
An emotional Bea looked on, happy that everyone had been reunited. There was one person missing, though, and Bea gazed up at the sky, wondering what Morgan would have made of all this. As they all sat back down, she unfastened the seahorse necklace and handed it to Martha. ‘Strength and courage,’ she said. ‘You’re a remarkable woman, Martha. Take this. It’s yours.’
Martha gave Bea a watery smile. ‘Thank you,’ she said, clutching the necklace in the palm of her hand.
‘I think we all need something a bit stronger than tea,’ suggested Nolan.
‘I agree,’ Martha, Gwen and Isla chorused, causing everyone to laugh.
As Nolan stood up, Bea went to collect some glasses. ‘Thank God my grandfather kept this boat stocked up with more than enough alcohol.’ He raised a wooden panel on the floor and Bea linked her arm through his as she peered downwards.
There was a secret section underneath and Nolan lowered himself a couple of rungs on a small ladder. ‘Should we have champagne?’ he asked, unsure. ‘I think we have many reasons to celebrate. Martha and Gwen have been reunited and as much as Martha and Morgan’s paths should have been the same, at least now Martha has the comfort of knowing he came back for her … and then there’s you, Bea, a new addition to the family of Heartcross.’
‘And let’s not forget you. You have a new family.’
Nolan smiled. ‘I have and it’s all a little surreal.’ He chose a bottle of champagne and closed the hatch. ‘This was in the mini fridge so at least it will be chilled.’
