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‘He was an overseer on a property and, to be honest, I think Vern would say he had everything he needed. All the space in the world, all the peace in the world and the most beautiful woman in his bed.’

Both Darnells gasped as he’d hoped they would and Emily chuckled quietly.

Tom continued. ‘Being poor isn’t a crime.’

‘He stole her life,’ Elizabeth bleated.

‘I doubt it. I think her family stole it. She wasn’t allowed to be with the man she wanted to marry – her first love – and so, as I understand it, when the opportunity rose again to be with someone she genuinely liked, she took it. She was pregnant, after all, and her chances to raise her child in a family environment would have been slim at best. I’m sure you offered her a way out of having me.’

Elizabeth didn’t confirm his suspicion but had the grace to look back at him sheepishly. ‘We only wanted what was best for her, what she deserved. Your mother was the most beautiful and gifted person. There wasn’t anything she couldn’t do if she turned her mind to it, whether it was music, or sport, or art. She was educated and she was fun. And she gave it all away for nothing.’

Tom gave a small laugh, refusing to feel insulted. ‘She gave it up for me, Mrs Darnell. My mother never let a day go by without making sure I understood how loved I was. And I felt the same way about her, which is why it was so cruel to deny me that final farewell to her and my sister.’

Elizabeth looked down and her lips pinched. ‘That was all a long time ago, Tom.’

He nodded. ‘And I’ve been stewing on it for all that time. What you may not know is that my mother left me very well set up.’ The Darnell family frowned as one. ‘The solicitor told me that she’d established a trust for when I came of age. And my grandfather – the same one who felt badly about how his daughter was treated – regularly put money into that trust for me. I know now why my mother impressed upon me to never forget the name of the law firm. She didn’t tell me why, but she knew my curiosity would get the better of me at some stage – as it did.’

Giles and Elizabeth shared shocked glances. ‘My father never spoke a word of this,’ she snapped.

Tom shrugged. ‘I can only presume he didn’t wish you to know – or indeed anyone except my mother. And she didn’t touch it, according to the solicitor. It has quietly amassed over the years and earned interest . . . so you could say that I am now an independently wealthy man too.’

‘I . . .’ Giles looked stunned. ‘How much money are we talking about?’

The laughter as it came felt good to Tom. ‘Now you’re an educated man, Giles, and you know that’s a rude question – even this country bumpkin wouldn’t ask such a thing. Just know I don’t need or want your money, but I will demand my share if I don’t get what I do want, which is simply the name of my father.’

‘I think my mother needs the smelling salts,’ Emily said to her father, nodding towards her mother, who was tottering to the wall to steady herself. They both helped Elizabeth into a nearby chair. ‘Come with me, Tom.’

‘Where are you going?’ Giles demanded.

‘I’m seeing Tom out,’ Emily said, squeezing Tom’s arm to prevent him from saying any more. ‘You tend to Mother.’

She led Tom to the front door and opened it. ‘I think you’re marvellous and I’m so happy to be your cousin. Can you wait here a moment? I didn’t think you needed to spend another second around their appalling rudeness.’

Tom grinned. ‘I’ll be by the gate.’

‘Back in a tick,’ she promised.

Emily emerged from the house a few minutes later holding out a small white calling card. ‘Here, Tom. I can’t say whether this is still current in terms of an address, but I doubt his name has changed,’ she said.

He took it and read the name: William John Stern. He looked back at Emily, eyes shining. ‘My father?’

‘The man who wanted to marry Aunt Moira and presumably fathered you. But I think you said your real father was Vern Catchlove and that, I hope, won’t change . . . Unless he wasn’t good to you?’

‘He’s the only father I’ve known.’

She nodded, tapping the card. ‘This man came looking for Moira. I happened to answer the door, even though I wasn’t meant to.’ She gave a sound of frustration. ‘But I was always doing things I wasn’t meant to, and he gave me this card to give to my aunt or someone who might get it to her. But your mother had been moved to another of the houses. Of course, they soon came up behind me and sent him packing before I could tell them about the card, and then I decided I wouldn’t because they’d been so mean to Aunt Moira and this nice gentleman of hers. Never gave him a chance and told him my mother never wanted to see him again.’

‘Did they tell him she was going to have a baby?’

‘No. I eavesdropped on the brief but wretched conversation – it was as rude and terse as you can imagine.’

‘Do you remember much about him?’

‘Well, from a child’s perspective I recall him as tall and extremely good-looking, with lovely teeth and a bright smile that reached all the way to his eyes – one of those smiles that made the leap to me, and made me want to smile back. His hair was like yours, thick and blond but slicked down with hair oil and a very neat parting. He was dressed in a suit and his shoes were polished.’ She gave a tight smile. ‘I can’t give you much insight into him because I barely had more than a minute or so in his presence and then I was shooed away. But he had a nice voice, not dissimilar to yours, and he was polite to my mother even though she was rude and dismissive towards him, as she always is.’

‘And they never knew you had this?’

She shook her head. ‘I’ve kept it for years in an old trinket box and frankly had forgotten about it until you came in today.’