‘He never spoke about the adoption, and neither did she, not in all the years I worked for her. But I was tasked with compiling a report each year about her biological daughter. It was a closely held secret that I never disclosed, and she had me anonymously donate money to her daughter’s school, or to any sports clubs or such that she attended. It was her way of helping from afar, I suppose.’
‘And she never asked you to approach her daughter?’ Rose asked. ‘My grandmother?’
He shook his head. ‘No. She didn’t want to interfere in her life. I was under the impression that it broke her heart to remain hidden, but that she felt it was for the best. You have to believe me when I say that’s all I knew.’
Rose stood then, feeling as if she’d heard enough. ‘Thank you for your time. I appreciate everything you’ve shared with me.’
‘Rose,’ the old man said, rising as she did.
Benjamin stood protectively by her side, his hand touching gently against her back.
‘She was very proud when you graduated from the University of Cambridge.’
Rose felt her jaw hang open. ‘She knew about me?’
‘She was there,’ he said. ‘She told me it was likely the last time she’d be able to travel, and she sat among the audience to cheer you on.’
‘You’re certain she was there on the day I graduated?’ she asked.
‘Valentina might not have been physically present in her daughter’s life, but it wasn’t because she didn’t love her. She insisted on knowing everything about you, about your mother, and of course about your grandmother. It was her way of being part of your lives without feeling as if she was intruding.’
‘Thank you,’ Rose said, her hand shaking until Benjamin closed his palm around hers to steady it. ‘I hope you know how much this means to me. It’s as if everything has finally come together.’
‘There’s one last thing, though,’ Benjamin said. ‘Who was the father of her child? It is the one thing that we haven’t come close to finding out.’
‘Valentina never mentioned the father, and I never saw a birth certificate,’ he said. ‘But she was married for a brief time, almost a year, in fact. The marriage was annulled after her husband was offered a significant amount of money to walk away, and the implication was that he was the father. No one in Argentina, other than my father, even knew that she’d given birth. It was a closely guarded secret that I only became aware of when I took over as her lawyer. It’s fair to say that she would never have been able to leave the marriage if her husband had found out, and certainly there couldn’t have been an annulment. She was an heiress worth a small fortune, and a child would have meant she couldn’t so easily extract herself, even with a divorce. He would never have consented.’
‘This is all a lot to process, but thank you again. For everything you’ve shared.’
‘You’re very welcome,’ he said. ‘If I remember anything else, or you have any other questions, you know where to find me.’
‘I do,’ Rose said.
Rose and Benjamin said their goodbyes and left, walking silently through the building and to his car. It wasn’t until they were seated with the engine running that they spoke.
‘I can’t believe that she knew who I was. That she was there at my graduation,’ Rose said. ‘It’s almost as if she was part of my life without me even knowing.’
‘You would have loved her, Rose. I’m so sorry you never got to meet her.’
‘I just feel so sorry for her,’ she said, leaning back into her seat and turning slightly to face Benjamin. ‘She must have been so lonely.’
‘Perhaps, but she never showed it. She lived a full life, surrounded by people and giving generously to the things she cared about. She was a remarkable woman.’
‘Do you believe that she loved your great-grandfather?’
He nodded. ‘I believe they were in love, but weren’t allowed to be together. Perhaps her pregnancy put an end to things, or their young age, or her marriage. I suppose we’ll never know. But I do believe that if times had been different, they would have been together.’
Rose stared out of the window and tried to picture her great-grandmother as a young woman, thinking of the photos she’d found of her in her younger years. Did she walk these streets, pregnant and alone, trying to figure out what to do? Was she heartbroken when she left her baby behind in London, or relieved? They were questions Rose would never know the answers to, even though she knew she’d most likely turn them over and over in her mind for years to come.
‘Benjamin, I know nothing about horses, but I want to honour Valentina’s memory and ensure that she has a legacythat outlasts all of us,’ Rose said. ‘Would you help me with this? I’ll need someone by my side to guide me, but I very much want to remain a patron of the game of polo, and to expand our ability to care for retired ponies.’
‘It would be my honour,’ Benjamin said.
She beamed at him, so grateful to have him with her.
‘But first, there’s something I’d like to do,’ he said.
She waited, watching the smile that spread across his lips.
