The Tulip Girl (44 page)

‘What do you think he’ll do? I mean after he ran away from the farm and we haven’t seen him since? Where do you think he’s gone?’

Theo sighed. ‘There’s no knowing what he might do. He knows now that he can never have you. Michael’s return has shown him that.’

‘Oh no! No!’ Maddie’s eyes were wide and her hand fluttered nervously to her mouth. ‘Oh, he wouldn’t, would he?’

‘What? What are you thinking, Maddie?’ Michael asked urgently as she turned tear-filled eyes towards him.

Her voice was a hoarse, terrified whisper as she said, ‘His father, John Cuppleditch, couldn’t have the girl he loved and look what he did.’

They found him hanging from the very same tree where, twenty-seven years earlier, his father had died.

The police took charge. It was they who cut his body down and gently carried him out of the wood to the waiting ambulance that took him away to the mortuary.

‘How are we to tell his mother?’ Maddie said, as she and Michael stood with their arms around each other watching the vehicle bounce away over the uneven ground until it reached the
road.

‘I think I had better do that, don’t you?’

‘I think you’re the only one who can. You or Adam, but he’s far too young to have to do that.’

‘Are you going to tell Jenny?’

‘Yes, yes. That’ll be a mixture of sadness and joy, won’t it? Poor Nick is dead and yet, we are pretty sure now that we are related. Not sisters, but aunt and niece.’

‘You must tell her what Theo said, that once she knows the truth, he wants to take her to meet her mother, Amelia.’

‘He’s such a kind man, Michael. I don’t know what I’d have done without him these past few weeks. Even over the years, if it comes to that.’

‘Should I be jealous?’

Maddie had no such pretensions. She had not believed Nick’s ravings. ‘No. He’s just a really kind person. I’m glad . . .’ She stopped and only went on again,
haltingly, when Michael prompted her. ‘I was going to say, I’m glad he’s running things now, but that sounds as if I’m glad Sir Peter is the way he is. Paralysed and unable
to speak. But I wouldn’t wish that on anyone.’

‘I know. But Fate has a peculiar way of sorting things out sometimes. Maybe it’s all for the best, eh?’

Jenny was ecstatic to think she was really related to Maddie.

‘Now don’t get your hopes up too much,’ Maddie tried to warn her. ‘Theo’s got to trace the Cuppleditch family first and even then . . .’

‘Oh we are, Maddie, I just know we are.’ Sitting up in the hospital bed, her hand and leg swathed in bandages, nevertheless Jenny looked the happiest she had ever looked.
‘I’ll have to start calling you “Auntie Maddie”.’

‘There are two people waiting outside to see you,’ Maddie teased her. ‘Each with the biggest bouquet of flowers I have ever seen in my life. I reckon they’re trying to
vie with each other to outdo the other.’

Jenny’s eyes widened. ‘I suppose – I hope . . .’ she said firmly, her eyes sparkling with love, ‘that one is Stinky Smith.’

They giggled together like two schoolgirls. ‘But,’ Jenny went on. ‘Who’s the other one?’

‘Your “Uncle Theo”!’

‘How did she take it?’

Maddie, her task the easier one of the two, was anxious to know how Michael had fared having to tell Harriet about Nick.

‘Surprisingly well, but I had a long talk with the sister before I told her, just to make sure it was all right to do so, you know, and they’re going to keep her in for another few
days to make sure she doesn’t have a bad reaction to such awful news.’

Michael’s face was grey with sadness. Maddie put her arms around him. ‘It must have been awful for you to have to tell her that, especially the first time you saw her after all this
time.’

‘That’s what’s worrying me, really. I’m just wondering whether she really took it in about Nick. I mean, she was so pleased to see me and then she was asking about Adam
and telling me all about him and what I’d missed by staying away. As if it was my fault,’ he added bitterly.

Horrified, Maddie said, ‘You didn’t tell her everything Nick’s done?’

‘’Course I didn’t. It was bad enough what I did have to tell her. Mind you, maybe she ought to be told some day.’

‘We’ll see,’ Maddie said.

He glanced at her and then looked away again, an anxious look in his dark eyes. ‘Maddie, what are we going to do about her?’

‘Do about her? What do you mean, do about her?’

‘Well, what’s going to happen to her when she’s fit enough to come out of hospital?’

Maddie blinked at him, not understanding. ‘Am I being particularly thick or something? I thought she’d come back here. This is her home, isn’t it? You don’t mean you
don’t want her here, Michael?’

‘No, no,’ he said swiftly as relief flooded his face. ‘But I thought you might not. After all, she’s never been very nice to you, has she?’

Maddie smiled. ‘ “Born and bred in a briar patch, Brer Fox, born and bred in a briar patch.” ’

‘Eh?’

She laughed. ‘Oh never mind. You ask Jen sometime. She’ll tell you what it means, to her and me anyway. But to get back to Mrs T. You’re right. She’s never liked me, but
now I know why, I can understand. But she loves Adam. Don’t ask me why, when he’s my son, but she does. She’s always loved him more than she loved her own flesh and blood. Maybe
because he was
your
son. Even when I first came here, I could see that you were her favourite.’

‘Poor Nick,’ Michael murmured and shook his head sorrowfully.

Yes, it was poor Nick, she thought for even though he had robbed her of eleven years of her life and put her family through a frightening ordeal, she felt no bitterness towards him, no hatred or
resentment. What she felt for the unhappy young man was an overwhelming pity.

‘It’s very sad when no one in the world loves you, not even your own mother.’ There was such a wistful sadness in Maddie’s voice that Michael put his arms around her and
held her close.

‘I love you, Maddie. I always have, from the first moment you came to the farm.’

She nestled against him, feeling safe and really loved now. For the first time in the whole of her life she knew she was loved and wanted by the man she had given her heart to. ‘But I know
what it feels like. Both Jen and me know just what it feels like.’

He stroked her hair. ‘I know, I know. And I’m going to do my damnedest to find your family for you.’

She put her arms around him. ‘You’re my family. You and Adam. We’re a real family now.’

He chuckled and she heard the sound deep in his chest. ‘Well, we will be once I can drag you to the church and get a ring firmly on your finger, Mrs Brackenbury. Oh hell!’

He stopped and she lifted her head and looked into his eyes. ‘What is it?’

He looked down at her. ‘I’ve just thought. I hope there’s no bar to me marrying my step-mother.’

They stared at each other and then simultaneously, they both burst into fits of laughter, leaning against each other.

‘It’s – it’s not funny,’ Maddie gasped.

‘I know,’ Michael spluttered. ‘It’s – it’s deadly serious.’ He fell back on the bed, his chest heaving as he fought to control his mirth – and
failed.

Maddie flopped down beside him and soon the laughter subsided as they lay in each other’s arms and found again the joy they had known so long ago.

They brought Harriet home from the hospital three days later.

‘Sit down by the fire, Mrs T,’ Michael said, ‘and . . .’

‘Now stop fussing me, Michael. I’m quite fit again now. Just let me get back into my kitchen. Maddie’s no time to be running about after me. The work’s all fallen on her
shoulders now.’ For a moment the lines on her face drooped with sadness and, despite her protestations, she sat down heavily in the chair.

‘You take it easy, Mrs Trowbridge. We can manage,’ Maddie tried to keep her voice cheerful.

The woman looked at Michael and no one could have missed the hope and joy in her tone as she asked, ‘You’re staying? You’ve come home?’

Michael smiled and nodded. ‘You’re not going to get rid of me again, Mrs T, I’m afraid.’

She reached up and touched his face and said huskily, ‘I never wanted it in the first place, lad.’

He held her hands and bent over her. ‘I know, I know. But I’m back now – at least I will be once I’ve got myself out of the Army – and we’re going to take
care of you.’ He glanced at Maddie to include her, to make sure that Harriet understood just how it was going to be. ‘We’re all going to take care of each other.’

‘Where’s my boy?’ Harriet asked suddenly, giving both Maddie and Michael a shock. They exchanged a worried glance but then at Harriet’s next words they both breathed a
sigh of relief. ‘Where’s Adam?’

‘He’ll be in later.’

Harriet nodded and, with a sigh of contentment lay back in the chair, and closed her eyes.

Michael gestured to Maddie and they were about to creep away, when she said, ‘I’m sorry for what Nicholas did. I’m sorry he hurt the two of you the way he did.’

They turned and looked down at her, exchanged another glance and with mutual silent agreement sat down.

‘Who told you?’ Michael asked gently.

‘I worked a lot of it out for myself. I’ve had a lot of time to think laid there in that hospital bed.’ She sniffed. ‘Uncomfortable beds they are. I’ll be pleased
to get back into me own tonight.’

Maddie hid her smile.

‘And then,’ Harriet went on, ‘there was a lot of whispering in the ward. I heard snatches when they thought I was asleep. What’s happened to Jenny? Something’s
happened to Jenny, hasn’t it?’

‘She’s going to be fine. She was hurt, but she’s going to be all right.’

‘How? What did he do?’

‘The gun went off. I don’t think he meant . . .’ Michael was trying to be kind, but Harriet said sharply, ‘Gun? He had the gun?’

‘He was trying to protect Maddie. He – he wanted Maddie himself.’

Harriet nodded. ‘I guessed as much.’ She looked at Maddie now. ‘Did you want him?’

Maddie shook her head. ‘No. I’ve never wanted anyone in my life except Michael.’

Harriet nodded. ‘You shouldn’t have married Mr Frank, you know.’

‘No, I know that now. I’m sorry if . . .’

Harriet flapped her hand. ‘Oh, I don’t mean because of me. He’d have never married me.’ She smiled sadly. ‘I loved him, of course, but if he’d felt anything
for me except pity, he’d have married me long before that, now wouldn’t he?’

Michael and Maddie were silent for there was no answer they could give without wounding the woman further.

‘I was as bad as you,’ Harriet nodded towards Maddie. ‘I should never have married John. Oh, I thought I was in love with him. He was me first boyfriend, but we were so young.
And silly. When I found I was expecting, we got married. It was the only thing to do in them days or end up in a home for unmarried mothers.’ She shuddered. ‘I tried to be a good wife
to him. I cooked, washed and cleaned for him. Bore him a son. All men want sons, don’t they? So they say. And then how did he repay me? Seduced the daughter of his employer and got us all
thrown out of our home. I didn’t deserve that. None of us did.’

No, Maddie wanted to cry, but did you ever show him affection? Did you make him feel loved? Did you let him know that you needed him? Aloud, all she could say was, ‘No, of course you
didn’t deserve that. I’m sorry.’

‘But living with his folks, we never had a chance and the love died. Then, of course, when he fell for Miss Amelia . . .’ She broke off and looked at Maddie again. ‘I did come
to the Home to pick you out, you know. I knew their baby had been abandoned outside the Home. One of the maids who worked at the Hall knew about it. I reckon the whole village knew, but nobody ever
said a word. I was curious to see what his child was like. I wanted – I wanted . . .’ For a moment she dropped her head down as she whispered, ‘I wanted to take revenge on you.
And then I even used you like a weapon over Sir Peter.’

‘Sir Peter?’ Now Maddie was mystified.

Harriet nodded. ‘That time you and Mr Frank went to the Hall and he wouldn’t give his permission to change the use of his land. I went to see him the next morning.’

So, Maddie thought, remembering now, Theo had been right.

‘I – I threatened to tell all I knew about him leaving Amelia’s child – his own grandchild – outside the orphanage.’ She put her hand across her face now in
shame. ‘And the next day he had that stroke. I must have caused it.’

Now it was Maddie who reached out and took the wrinkled hand between her own. ‘Don’t, Mrs Trowbridge. Don’t upset yourself. It’s over now. All in the past.’

‘No, no,’ Harriet’s voice was stronger. ‘I must tell you. I want to talk about it. It’s been like a weight all these years. Maybe if I’d told Nicholas the
truth, talked to him about his father, been honest and open, then maybe all this would never have happened. I’ve got to take a share of the blame.’

‘No, no . . .’ Michael began, but she shook her head, denying him the right to excuse her.

‘Poor Nicholas,’ she said. ‘I never wanted him in the first place and then I resented him because of what his father had done and I shouldn’t have done that. It was
cruel.’ She sighed. ‘And crueller still of me to love you, Michael, more than my own flesh and blood. But I couldn’t help it. You were such a sunny-natured little boy and Nicholas
was always so difficult. It was so easy to love you.’

And then Adam, too, because he had been Michael’s son, Maddie thought, but she said nothing.

‘Maybe if I’d shown Nicholas more affection . . .’ Harriet sighed heavily and added, ‘I can’t turn the clock back, can I?’ She patted Maddie’s hand.
‘But I can try to make it up to you.’

‘Mrs Trowbridge, there’s something you ought to know. We’ve – er – found out a bit more in the last few days. We’ve talked to Theo and, well . . .’
Maddie faltered, not knowing if she could carry on. She looked to Michael for help.

Responding, he took over, saying gently, ‘We believe that Maddie is not your husband’s child, but his sister.’

‘His sister?’

Michael nodded. ‘There was a baby born in the woods, wasn’t there, to John’s mother?’