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The door to Amy’s bedchaies But Amy held up her hand “Stop I don’t want to hear what happened, or what you did I hters’ private lives It was so I learned after Vivianna came to London, and then Marietta ran off with that dreadfulyour hearts, so I si my sanity”

Francesca began to laugh She sank down on the bed and found that after adown her cheeks, and she wasn’t surewhether she was still laughing, or crying, but whatever the case, she felt better for the release of emotion

She loved him She loved Sebastian Thorne, or the Earl of Worthorne, or whoever he was She had done the hter of a courtesan could do—fall in love

“Mama, you are a very oman,” she said at last, when she had mopped her cheeks and blown her nose

Amy looked melancholy “Do you know, sometimes I think I am a very stupid woman Or at least a very blind woman when it co whether to disclose a secret “Helen spoke tothat I never for ame ever since”

“Telloff her slippers and ainst the pillows

Aan to unpin the wisp of lace decorating her fair hair “I probably shouldn’t, but I know you will be discreet, Francesca You are good at keeping secrets, my dear”

“I try” I have plenty of my own

“Helen told o, after she hadin Yorkshire at the ti of it The man loved her, or so she believes, but they decided there was no future for them and they had to part Probably the fact that Willia to do with that,” she added wryly “But that’s not the worst of it After the man had left the scene, never to return, Helen discovered that she ith child ‘Forbidden fruit of an adulterous union,’ hat Willia, but he refused to take on the child as his own Helen went away to have the baby, and they said she was staying with friends Later on she returned to London as if nothing had happened The child was adopted by some acquaintance of Williaain, so she never knehat becairl She held her baby for a few irl”

Francesca lay in her corieved for her aunt “Poor Helen So ere shopping, and she was saying that she wished she had a daughter of her own…?”

“She does have one, but one she’s never met When it was all over, Williahtened to break her proirl would be twenty-one, and I think Helen would love to find her, but she’s afraid to make the attempt”

“Afraid of William? Mama, that man has much to answer for”

“There is that, but I think she is hter would hate her for abandoning her She has seen enough of abandoned daughters to know it is not all plain sailing when they are reunited with their mother,” she said with a smile at Francesca

“And perhaps her daughter won’t have been as lucky in her adopted ho back “Yes, I see”

They were quiet, conte the mystery of Helen and her child, separated at birth, and whether they would ever find each other again At last Francesca heaved a sigh and cli them in her hand, made her way to the door She paused and looked back