Not that it excuses him, she thought, and he deserves the come-uppance that I think he’s had with his darling wife – and perhaps he led her astray too.
‘I’m so sorry, Delia,’ she murmured. ‘So very sorry that it was my brother who did this to you.’
Delia lifted her tear-stained, red-eyed face to hers. ‘You believe me?’ she said hoarsely.
‘Of course I believe you.’ Jenny handed her a clean handkerchief. ‘Why would you make up a story like that? What I don’t understand, though, is why, after living down south for so long, you brought your son here and left him with a family he had never met – with the man who had ruined your life?’
Delia blew her nose. ‘I didn’t intend to,’ she said thickly. ‘I went home first to see how the land was lying. I didn’t even know if my parents were still there.’ She heaved a breath. ‘And I suppose I really did hope that they might have had a change of heart, felt sorry for being hasty, you know, and would help me in some way. How green I still am. Then we stayed overnight at the Hedon Arms and I was told about the hiring fair so I took Jack – my Jack, I mean; that’s his real name – to see it. It used to be the highlight of my year; I didn’t have much fun in my life. Afterwards we went into the Sun Inn for something to eat. I had only a little money left.’ She swallowed hard. ‘I went to get a plate of bread and beef and when I came back with it Jack had gone into the snug and was sitting at a table watching all the families with their children and I knew what he was missing; and then I saw him, your brother Jack, and I was so upset I had to go out for some air. When I came back again there was my Jack sitting with them and tucking into an enormous plate of food.’
She gave a choking, weeping laugh. ‘I saw your mother and your father, and I remembered how kind Peggy had been to me that day, as if she knew there was something wrong that I couldn’t tell her, and – and I thought that she wouldn’t turn him away. It was an instant decision, impetuous, stupid, and I regretted it the minute I got back on the train.’
She turned to face Jenny again. ‘But it was too late. A step too far. If I’d gone back I’d have had to face them all, confront your brother and accuse him in front of everyone – and what if he’d denied it? Who would they have believed, and what would I have done then?’
Jenny nodded. What indeed? She remained silent for a moment, and it seemed to Delia that Jenny was pondering on a problem, analysing the facts as she saw them without any emotion involved, as Delia was unable to do.
‘Very well,’ Jenny declared at last. ‘Rinse your face and then come back to the table and finish your meal. Don’t try to run away, as I’ll be watching.’
She left the ladies’ room and returned to the dining room; the soup dishes had gone and a waiter was standing near. She apologized and said he could bring the next course, which he did just as Delia returned with her hair tidied and a touch of powder to calm her flushed cheeks.
Neither of them said very much for the rest of the meal, Delia eating little and both declining a dessert or coffee. Jenny asked for the bill, which she paid, then looked round for a porter. There was just one, standing by the inner door, stifling a yawn, and she signalled to him.
‘Order a cab, will you please?’ She smiled sweetly at him. ‘So sorry to keep you, we’ve been catching up with news.’
She turned to Delia. ‘We’re going to sleep on it; I’m dropping you off at your lodgings and you’re not going to think about anything tonight, and tomorrow we’ll meet for lunch – or no, I know, I’ll come here to meet you and then I’ll take you back to my place and we’ll have lunch there. How does that sound?’
‘Thank you,’ Delia whispered, feeling humble and not knowing what else to say. ‘Are you sure, Jenny? I feel as if I’ve put all my problems on to your shoulders.’
‘We’ll share the weight,’ Jenny said. ‘And it isn’t only your dilemma, Delia, it’s also someone else’s, but as he can’t help at this stage it’s up to the rest of us to help out if we can.’
‘Robin!’ Delia whispered. ‘Is that really what my Jack calls himself?’
‘Robin Jackson,’ Jenny said. ‘What is his proper name? Deakin? Delamour?’
‘Jack Robinson Deakin on his birth certificate,’ Delia murmured. ‘But I never told him about the Deakin. He thinks it’s only Jack Robinson and said he didn’t like it as people were always saying Before you can say Jack Robinson. I told him to change it if he didn’t like it. I should never have given him that name. It was a perverse act on my part to prove his birthright, even though an outrage had been committed against me.’
She shook her head and gave a wry grimace, but Jenny suddenly laughed. ‘Robin Jackson! What a smart boy!’ she chuckled. ‘I’ve just realized, Delia, that Robin Jackson alias Jack Robinson is my nephew!’
CHAPTER TWENTY
Jenny lay sleepless in bed. She tried to put herself in Delia’s position; what would she have done in similar circumstances?
For a start she would have told her mother what had happened, but she understood why Delia couldn’t do that with hers; she would have been too frightened and ashamed. She’d always thought that Delia’s mother was a mean woman. She would and obviously did blame Delia; Jenny
