Bertie nervously cleared his throat and said gently, ‘I’ve got a solution to that. If you married me, she’d take my name and I’d bring her up as my own and I’d make sure that she never wanted for anything.’
Abi looked so shocked that he gave her a smile. ‘Don’t look so surprised. I’m not just saying this out of the goodness of my heart! You must have realised how I feel about you, Abi. I love you and have since the moment I first set eyes on you.’
‘B-but how can you say that? I’ve just given birth to another man’s child! I’m soiled goods.’
He shook his head. ‘You just made a mistake and you could never be soiled to me. I don’t expect you to give me an answer straightaway but if you say yes, you’ll make me the happiest man on earth. We’ll go off somewhere and get married quietly and no one need ever know that she isn’t my baby. Will you at least consider it?’
Abi was speechless for a moment and merely nodded at this gentle young giant who had never shown her anything but kindness. Unlike Hugo, he had never expected anything from her and she suddenly realised with a little jolt that she had grown to be more than fond of him. But was that enough?
She turned her attention back to the baby, who hadn’t so much as whimpered and as she cradled her against her breast, she knew what true love was. ‘How about the name Grace?’ she suggested and Bertie nodded enthusiastically. ‘And what is your mother’s name?’
‘It’s Rebecca.’
‘Then Grace Rebecca it is.’
When she came back upstairs some half an hour later, Mrs M was thrilled with the choice and proud as punch that Abi had chosen to give the newborn her name. She gently took Grace out of her mother’s arms. ‘You might be on the mend but you’ve still a long way to go before you get your strength back,’ she scolded when Abi objected and Bertie chuckled as he leant over to peck her cheek. ‘But I’ll tell you what I’ll do, I’ll get Bertie to carry her crib back up here and she can sleep beside you once I’ve fed her.’
Once Mrs M had left the room, Bertie grinned. ‘Just think, she could be your mother-in-law!’
Abi smiled back feeling tired but more contented than she had for a very long time, then she turned her head on the pillow and within seconds was fast asleep.
Chapter Forty-Four
‘Ican’t believe we’re into March already,’ Emmy said as she tied the ribbons on her bonnet beneath her chin. Aggie had agreed to watch Imogen for her while she popped to the apothecary to pick up her aunt’s heart tablets and she was looking forward to a gentle stroll in the sunshine. It wasn’t often she managed to get out during the day.
‘I shouldn’t be long,’ she promised as she lifted her bag and set off. Soon she was strolling past the railings of the park enjoying the fresh air.
‘Psst .?.?. Emmy .?.?. over here!’
Emmy paused and peered through the hedge on the other side of the railings only to gasp when she saw a rather dishevelled looking Jasper crouching there. Her first instincts were to pick up her skirts and run for dear life, but then common sense prevailed. It was broad daylight so he wasn’t likely to try and harm her, surely.
‘What are you doing here?’ she hissed. ‘Don’t you know that the police are looking for you?’ She could hardly believe the change in his appearance. His clothes were shoddy and with his beard and his workman’s cap he looked nothing like the smart young whip she remembered.
‘I didn’t mean to shoot my father,’ he hissed back, looking over his shoulder to make sure he couldn’t be overheard. ‘It was an accident .?.?. he was trying to take the gun off me. But I’m not here about that.’
When Emmy hovered uncertainly, he hurried on, ‘It’s about Jake .?.?. he’s been hurt,badlyhurt, and I need you to come with me. I can hardly fetch anyone to help him, can I? You were the only one I could think of.’
Her eyes were wide with fear now. ‘What do you mean – he’s hurt?’
‘He went to help some tramp in a warehouse down by the docks and they turned on him. I saw Jake go in then the tramp ran out and when I went in to check on him, I found him lying on the floor. He was unconscious and there was a lot of blood. I didn’t know what to do.’
‘Oh no!’ Emmy’s heart was thumping painfully now and she didn’t even think to ask how Jasper had just happened to be there. All she could think about was Jake lying injured. Without waiting for his reply she went on in a shaky voice, ‘Take me to him at once.’
Jasper disappeared, joining her on the pavement a moment later, looking left and right to make sure they were not being observed.
‘Hurry!’ she urged as they moved on, half running and half walking.
Sometime later, he pointed ahead. ‘The warehouse is down there.’
Above the roof of the near-derelict building, she could see the ships at anchor in the dock and the first feeling of something being not quite right began to niggle away at her insides. ‘B-but I didn’t think these warehouses were in use any more,’ she said uncertainly as her steps slowed.
‘They’re not. The vagrants tend to sleep here, that’s why Jake was going to help one. You know what he’s like when it comes to helping the needy. But hurry or we might be too late to help him.’
It was all she needed to spur her on and seconds later they entered the building and she came to a halt as her eyes adjusted to the gloom. Just as Jasper had said there was evidence that people had recently slept there. Cardboard boxes were strewn about with layers of newspapers inside them and empty bottles and food wrappers were discarded across the floor. The smell of sewage and stale bodies was appalling and she almost gagged.
The only daylight that filtered in was from the holes in the roof but she had no time to take in any more for Jasper was hurrying towards a door that led down into what appeared to be a cellar.
‘He’s down here.’ He was out of breath now and so was she but she found a new strength suddenly and ran after him, picking her way down the steep wooden stairs. It was even darker down there and when something warm and furry suddenly ran across her foot she screamed.
