Chapter 23

23

2023

Janelle reread the last few lines of the final Gazette article, then leaned back in her office chair. Neil Parker, the matron's assistant, had been arrested and confessed to selling five young girls to brothel owners. All those girls had been freed, and the men who had purchased them had been jailed and would stand trial along with Parker.

Relief flowed through Janelle, and she closed her eyes. Thank you, Lord.

Three of the girls had been rescued in a most amazing fashion by a group of women, including the mother and aunt of one of the girls. The women had staged a protest in front of the brothel to demand the release of all the underage girls being held there.

Janelle wished she could've been there to see those brave women take their stand. Josephine Butler had been instrumental in leading the protest. Reading her impassioned speech quoted in the article had sent goosebumps down Janelle's arms. She was obviously a woman of deep faith and strong convictions. Janelle would have to look her up and see what else she could learn about her.

A knock sounded at her office door, and she called, "Come in."

Jonas stepped into the office, looking handsome and eager to see her. He held up a small leather-bound book, one they had reserved and picked up at the library yesterday. "I read the first two chapters on the way. It's amazing."

Janelle's heart thumped. She rose and quickly stepped around her desk. She'd taken the other book and skimmed the first half without finding anything helpful.

He crossed to her side and opened A Foundling's Tale: Lost, Sold, and Redeemed . "Look at these chapter titles. I think they make it clear the author, Mary Alice, is one of the girls we're looking for." He turned to the table of contents.

Janelle's gaze skimmed down the list. Loved but Born into Poverty ; Life with My Country Family ; Return to the Foundling Hospital ; A Day in the Life of a Foundling ; Stolen Away in the Night ; Sold to the Lady's Slipper ; The Drudgery of a Brothel Scullery Maid ; Valiant Protest in the Street ; Rescued to a New Life ...

He met her gaze with a triumphant smile. "See what I mean?"

Janelle nodded. "I've spent the last hour online reading the other articles in the series. Those chapter titles fit the story perfectly."

"This is a really amazing piece of history." He reached for her hand, a sincere look in his eyes. "I've been thinking ... this story would make a great focus for a documentary."

Janelle's mind spun. "You mean the gala film?"

"No. This would be a separate project, a longer film that could show the full story of what happened to Mary Alice and the other girls."

Anxiety tightened Janelle's stomach, and she bit her lip.

"Trust me, Janelle." He wove his fingers through hers. "I can handle it in a way that shows Neil Parker is the true villain of this story, not the Foundling Hospital."

She slipped her hand from his and turned toward the window. How could he suggest featuring one of the darkest chapters in the Foundling Hospital's history in a documentary? What would people think if they admitted girls in their care had been sold to work in brothels?

Jonas stepped up next to her. "A documentary about human trafficking with a personal focus like this could really grab people's hearts and make a powerful impact."

Janelle crossed her arms. "It could also cast the museum in a very negative light. We're barely holding on financially. If we lose any more support, we'll have to cut staff and programs. We might even have to close our doors."

His excitement dimmed, and he was quiet for a few seconds. "I know it sounds risky, but I'm sure I can write the script in a way that vindicates the rest of the staff and focuses on how the girls were rescued and went on to lead productive lives. I can even end by weaving in the museum's important work with youth today." He laid his hand on her shoulder. "If I don't do it, someone else might find this information and question why it hasn't been acknowledged by the museum. Let me tell the story, and I'll shape it in a way that puts the Foundling Hospital and the museum in the best light possible."

Janelle rubbed her arms, wishing she had the ability to see into the future and know how the public would respond to seeing the story played out in a film.

He slipped his arm around her shoulders. "Why don't I outline the script and show you my ideas? I won't move forward with it until we talk again."

Before she could reply, the office door opened, and Olivia walked in. As soon as she saw them, her eyes widened, and her steps stalled. "Oh, sorry."

Jonas pulled his arm away and stepped to the side.

Janelle's face warmed. "It's all right. Come in."

"I was just coming to get my lunch from my backpack." She started across the office.

Jonas reached for A Foundling's Tale . "We got a copy of the book that was written by one of the girls who was taken from the Foundling Hospital back in 1885."

Olivia paused and sent him a curious look. "A girl wrote it?"

He nodded. "When she was older."

"Oh, I get it." She pulled out her lunch sack.

"Now that we know her name," Jonas said, "would you like to look for information about her while you're working on the transcription project?"

"I guess I could."

"Thanks. That would be great." Janelle crossed to her desk. "Let me write down her name and the dates we have. That should help in the search." She checked the book, wrote the information on a sticky note, and handed it to Olivia.

She read the note aloud. "‘Alice Catherine Dunsmore, born 14 June 1877. Baptismal name: Mary Graham. Admitted to the Foundling Hospital 18 September 1877.'"

"Check the general register for the year she was admitted," Janelle advised, "and then look and see if there is an appeal letter from her mother. Maybe check the medical records too."

"I'll work on it after lunch. I'm going to eat downstairs with Lisa."

Janelle nodded. "Okay. Thanks."

Olivia returned a slight smile, then walked out of the office, her lunch and sticky note in hand.

Later that afternoon, a knock sounded at Janelle's office door. She looked up and called, "Come in."

Olivia sauntered in and returned the sticky note, new information scribbled on the front and back. "I found Alice Dunsmore's records. It said her token was returned to her aunt to give to her mother. But then there was another note that said she donated the token to the museum in 1927."

Janelle blinked. "She gave her token back?"

Olivia nodded.

"Did the records say why?"

"She sent it with a letter and a copy of her book." Olivia glanced at the small leather-bound book on Janelle's desk.

Janelle followed her gaze and sucked in a breath. "We have a copy of her book in our collection?"

Olivia nodded. "That's what the records say. Her letter explains everything. The link is on there." She nodded to the sticky note.

"Thanks. I'll take a look." She spent the next half hour reading those records and the letter. The last item on the corner of the sticky note read Token #942.

Janelle left her office and took the stairs down to the cool and cavernous archive room. She walked down the aisle, scanning the cabinet numbers, then stopped and pulled open one of the drawers. Rows of small, clear glass boxes filled the shallow felt-lined space. Each one held an artifact from the Foundling Hospital's history. Some would be put on display in exhibits, while others remained safely tucked away, holding their stories until someone needed them in the future. She carefully ran her finger down the row, searching for number 942.

She spotted the box, and her heart pinged. She placed it on the table and lifted the lid. A round metal disk with a hole drilled at the top lay inside. A faded red ribbon looped through the hole. The words Remember My Love were etched on the face of the token and surrounded by two hearts and swirling vines.

She studied the intricate design, remembering what she'd read about Mary Alice's mother and aunt. Their love for her had never wavered. They'd refused to give up the search until she was found and returned to their care. That was love well worth remembering.