Chapter 3

3

1885

Lillian stepped down from the carriage and met her coachman, who held an open umbrella.

"Thank you," she said as she accepted the umbrella. "Please wait for me here."

He touched his cap. "Yes, ma'am."

She passed through the Foundling Hospital's front iron gate and followed the path toward the old brick buildings shaped in a large U. She scanned the grass and stone courtyard but saw no one outside on this rainy morning. When she reached the main door, she rang the bell and waited.

The door opened, and a young girl who looked about ten years old with dark brown hair and pale blue eyes looked up at her. She wore a plain brown dress, white pinafore, and white cap. "May I help you, ma'am?"

"Yes. I'd like to speak to the matron, please."

The girl nodded and gave a slight curtsy. "Please come with me."

Lillian glanced around the dim hall as she followed the girl. All was quiet, and the only other person she saw was an old woman mopping the floor near the far end of the long hallway.

The girl stopped before a dark wooden door. "This is the matron's office." She knocked twice, and a woman called for them to enter. The girl opened the door. "Mrs. Stark, there's a lady here to see you."

Lillian stepped into the matron's office.

Mrs. Stark looked up from behind her desk and studied Lillian with a serious expression. She appeared to be in her fifties, with iron gray hair pulled back into a white cap. She wore an unadorned black dress and wire spectacles. "Thank you, Edith. You may go."

"Yes, ma'am." The girl stepped past Lillian and walked down the hall, leaving the door open.

"Come in. I'm Mrs. Stark, the matron. What brings you to the Foundling Hospital?"

"My name is Lillian Freemont. I believe my niece, Alice Dunsmore, has been a resident here since September 1877. Her mother, Serena Crosby, is my sister, and she is living with me now. She would like her daughter returned to her care."

Mrs. Stark pursed her lips, looking displeased. "Why didn't your sister come herself?"

"She isn't well. She asked me to come in her place."

Mrs. Stark clicked her tongue. "This is highly irregular. Do you have the girl's admission papers?"

"Yes." Lillian reached into her reticule. "My sister also gave me this token that matches the one left with Alice." She laid them on the matron's desk.

Mrs. Stark slid her glasses down her sharp nose, picked up the token, and studied it through narrowed eyes. Setting it aside, she unfolded the papers and quickly scanned them. She looked up. "What proof do you have that you are the girl's aunt?"

Lillian blinked. "Proof?"

Mrs. Stark gave an impatient huff. "I can't very well hand over the girl without a signed letter from her mother or other legal papers proving you have a right to claim her."

"I'm sorry. I didn't realize additional proof would be needed." She took her calling card from her reticule and held it out to the matron. "I have my card."

The woman shook her head, refusing the card. "That could be printed for a shilling at any printer." She rose from her chair, looking as though she was ending the meeting.

Alarm flashed through Lillian. "Please, I assure you, I am Alice's aunt. If you need a letter from my sister, I can bring one back this afternoon."

Mrs. Stark held up her hand to stop Lillian. "The girl may not be here. Let me check our records."

Lillian's heartbeat picked up speed. Was she too late? Had Alice already been sent away?

Mrs. Stark took a leather-bound book from the shelf behind her. "What was the date of her admittance?"

"The eighteenth of September 1877."

The matron opened the book and flipped through. She ran her finger down a page, then shook her head. "There's no need to bring a letter."

Lillian frowned. "No need?"

"It seems Alice Dunsmore died two weeks after her mother left her in our care."

Lillian sucked in a breath. "What?"

"I'm sorry." The matron's flat voice carried no true sympathy. "Your niece passed away from..." She consulted the book again. "The measles."

Lillian stared at her. "I don't understand. How could that happen?"

"It's not unusual." The matron sniffed and closed the book. "Childhood diseases take their toll."

"That's all you have to say? A baby dies, and it means nothing to you!"

Mrs. Stark straightened, her gaze piercing. "We do our best to care for the children, but they often come to us in weak ened conditions, and that makes them susceptible to illness and death."

Lillian rose from her chair. "My niece was in good health when my sister gave her into your care. It's more likely she was exposed to the disease here and died because of your inadequate nursing."

A thundercloud rolled across the matron's face. "Now, see here! You've no cause to blame us for the child's death."

Hot tears filled Lillian's eyes. "Then who is to blame?"

"Some children never recover from being abandoned by their mothers. They are the ones who carry the ultimate responsibility for what happens to their children."

Lillian clenched her jaw. "It is unfair to blame poor, desperate mothers who have no choice in their situation. They give their children over to you, trusting you to cherish them as they do, but I can see now that trust has been misplaced."

Mrs. Stark's expression hardened. "I believe this interview is finished."

"Yes, it is." Lillian turned to go, but when she reached the doorway, she looked back. "I have been a generous supporter of the Foundling Hospital for many years. As of today, you may no longer count on my support."

She strode out the door, with tears misting her vision. Lowering her head, she started down the hall. Without warning, she bumped into the old woman mopping the floor. "Oh, forgive me. I'm sorry. I didn't see you."

The old woman stilled the mop and motioned her closer. "Don't believe what the matron told you," she whispered.

Lillian blinked away her tears. "What did you say?"

"Your little niece isn't dead. I'm sure of it." She shot a quick glance over her shoulder, then moved away from the matron's door and signaled Lillian to join her.

Lillian's heart hammered as she followed her down the hall.

The old woman leaned close and lowered her voice. "I remember your niece. A real pretty little girl with long blond curls and eyes as blue as the sky."

"But the matron said—"

The old woman shook her head. "There's more going on 'round here than meets the eye."

"I don't understand. What do you mean?"

"Your niece is called Mary Graham now. And she was here until about a week ago."

Lillian pulled in a sharp breath. "Are you sure?"

"Yes. That's when she disappeared ... and she's not the first."

A shiver raced down Lillian's back. "What are you saying?"

The old woman glanced down the hall once more. "I'm saying a few pretty young girls have gone missing, and your niece was the last to disappear."

"You're certain of this?"

The old woman frowned. "I wouldn't lie about something like that."

"I'll speak to the matron." Lillian turned away.

"No!" The old woman grabbed Lillian's arm. "I wouldn't trust Mrs. Stark. You'll have to find someone else to help you find the girl."

Lillian rubbed her forehead, trying to make sense of what she'd been told. "Why would someone take my niece?"

The woman's gray eyes widened, and she whispered, "I'm sorry to say it, but I've heard they take girls and sell them to work belowstairs at brothels."

A dizzy wave washed over Lillian, and she reached for the wall to steady herself. Who would send an eight-year-old girl to such a terrible place?

The old woman shoved her mop into the rolling metal bucket and pushed it down the hall.

"Wait!" Lillian hurried after her.

The old woman looked over her shoulder and shook her head. "That's all I can tell you. Don't ask me anything more."

"But how can I find her? Where should I look?"

The old woman ignored her words, continued down the hall, and disappeared around the corner.

Lillian handed her sister a handkerchief and laid a hand on her shoulder. "I know this is frightening news, but we must not lose heart."

Serena clutched the handkerchief and sobbed. "I never should've left her there!"

Lillian gently rubbed her sister's back, silently agreeing. If only Serena would have humbled herself and returned to her family ... Instead, she'd given up her daughter, and now they were faced with the terrible results of that choice.

Serena wiped her cheeks and lowered the handkerchief. "You must go back and speak to them. Did she die from the measles, or was she snatched away while in their care? They must tell us the truth!"

Lillian shook her head. "It won't do any good to go back now. We don't know who we can trust."

A new round of tears coursed down Serena's cheeks. "Then what can we do?"

Lillian's mind spun. Should she go to the police? Would they believe her or take the word of the matron? Perhaps she should hire a detective to search the city. But she had no idea where to tell him to start. Alice might have been taken away from London. She might even have been sent to the Continent. She swallowed hard, refusing to voice those dreadful thoughts.

Lord, help us!

A wave of courage flowed through Lillian's heart, and she clasped her sister's hand. "This is a heartbreaking situation, but the Lord knows where she is, and it's not beyond His ability to help us find her."

"But how?" Serena demanded.

"I'm not sure of our next step, but if we pray—"

Serena's eyes flashed. "When has praying ever changed anything?" Her throat convulsed. "I prayed and prayed for Robert to come back—for him to love and care for us as he promised. But he never did!"

Lillian's heart twisted. Her sister's hurt was clouding her view. But this was not the time to remind her she had run away with a man who had wooed her and bedded her before they were married. When his actions continued to show his same lack of character and commitment, Serena should not have been surprised, nor should she blame God for the painful outcome of those choices.

Lillian pulled in a steadying breath. "Praying for guidance is always the right response, no matter how desperate we may feel."

"You truly believe He'll show us how to find Alice?" Painful skepticism laced her sister's words.

Lillian knew she must tread carefully. There was no guarantee their prayers would bring the outcome they hoped. "I believe He loves Alice, and He loves us. If she is still alive and in danger, then it stands to reason He wants her to be found and returned to us."

Serena gripped Lillian's arm. "How can He help us find one lost child in a city full of evil people who care nothing for what's good and right?"

Lillian met her sister's gaze. "I don't know. We must ask Him and then follow His lead."

Lillian straightened her jacket and knocked on the Reverend Benjamin Howell's front door. His sister, Eugenia Howell, answered. She was a plump middle-aged woman with kind blue eyes and a gentle smile.

"Good day. Is Reverend Howell at home?"

"Yes, he is. Come in, Mrs. Freemont. I'll let him know you're here." She turned through a doorway to the left.

A few moments later, Reverend Howell stepped into the entry hall. "Good afternoon, Mrs. Freemont. Welcome." He motioned through the archway toward one of the chairs by the fireplace. She crossed and took a seat.

He sat opposite her. They exchanged a few pleasantries, then he asked, "Is there a particular reason for your visit today?"

"Yes." She hesitated, summoning her courage. "I'm facing a rather difficult family situation, and I'm hoping you might give me your advice."

He nodded. "I'd be glad to listen and offer any assistance I can."

Lillian told him about Serena's illness and the decision to bring her sister home to rest and recover. He nodded, approval in his eyes. Her cheeks warmed as she explained her sister's relationship with Robert Dunsmore, her pregnancy, and her decision to give her daughter into the care of the Foundling Hospital. His expression grew more concerned as she told him about her conversation with the matron.

"She said there was no hope of reclaiming Alice because she died shortly after Serena left her in their care."

The reverend's eyes widened. "I'm so sorry."

Lillian leaned forward. "But when I left her office, a cleaning woman stopped me just outside the matron's door and told me that it wasn't true."

He frowned. "I don't understand."

"She said my niece was in residence until very recently when she ... disappeared."

Confusion filled the reverend's face. "Disappeared?"

"Yes. And apparently my niece is not the first young girl to go missing from the hospital. The woman believes they were taken to work belowstairs at a ... brothel." Her face flamed, and she lowered her gaze.

"I see." His brow creased, and he shifted his pained gaze away.

"I don't know if what the matron said is true or if she is lying to cover up what is going on at the Foundling Hospital. If my niece has been taken, then I must find her. But I'm not sure what my next step should be." She clasped her hands. "I thought of going back to the matron, but the cleaning woman warned me not to trust her."

He rose and paced across the room. "This is serious—very serious indeed."

"I considered going to the police, but I have no proof. The records say my niece died, so I'm not sure they would believe me." Lillian sighed. "I thought it best to speak to you first."

He turned toward her. "In all my years serving at Good Shepherd Church, I've never heard anything that would lead me to doubt the integrity of those overseeing the Foundling Hospital. It's always been spoken of as a worthy charity. But it's possible there might be someone on staff who could be bribed to alter records and make it possible for your niece to be taken."

"So, you think the cleaning woman is telling the truth?"

"I don't see any reason for her to lie, but she could be mistaken. Why don't I make some inquiries and speak to the matron under the pretense of confirming your niece's baptismal name and place of burial. That seems like a reasonable request. Perhaps I'll be able to find out something more."

"Thank you." Lillian rose from her chair. "I don't want to believe my niece died as an infant, but the thought that she has been stolen to work in a brothel is too dreadful for words."

"Both are painful to consider. But if she is alive, there is a chance of finding her and returning her to her mother. Let's pray that is the case, then we'll do what we can to discover where she's been taken."