Secrets of Stonebridge by Anita Stansfield

Author:Anita Stansfield
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Covenant Communications, Inc.
Published: 2021-05-15T00:00:00+00:00

CHapter EigHt

the truth about dishonesty

The very fear that Milton was describing suddenly rushed through Gina’s entire being with such force that the racing of her heart felt as if it might threaten to kill her, and she became so light-headed she had to grab hold of the windowsill to keep from falling over. A second later she felt her father’s hands on her shoulders and heard his soothing words near her ear. “Come and sit down, my dear. Everything will be all right.”

“Will it?” Gina asked, hearing anger in her voice, although she knew it was only a feeble attempt to disguise the stark fear consuming her.

“Whatever has happened,” Milton said, sitting beside her and taking her hand, “and whatever happens from here forward, I will do everything in my power to help you. And you must believe that I meant what I said. I love you and I always will. There is nothing that will ever change the way I feel about you. But I do believe you must relieve yourself of this burden you’re carrying. You clearly cannot carry it alone. Is there anyone else who knows the truth?”

Gina forced herself to breathe in and out slowly in preparation for being able to tell her father the story of how Janine had come into her life, and he waited patiently, as if he sensed that she was now determined to tell him everything. “Emerald and Ruby and Garn all know,” she said, “but no one else . . . well . . . except the woman who gave birth to Janine . . . whoever she is . . . wherever she is.” Gina heard her father gasp slightly, but he didn’t speak, and he only tightened his grip on her hand as if to encourage her to keep talking. Gina considered the possibility that Janine’s mother might be a maid working in this house, but she couldn’t think about such a likelihood right now. She needed to focus on simply getting through this conversation. She took a deep breath and went on. “But . . . my dear friends were all with me when . . . we found Janine.” Another deep breath. “We went into town . . . ironically for the first time in months . . . the first time since Dwight’s death. They were insistent that I needed to get out, and they had conspired that they were not going to take any excuses.” Now that she’d gained some momentum, it was becoming easier for her to keep going. “There was a big town meeting at one of the pubs that day and they knew it; I believe they thought that a lack of crowds would be easier for me. But because of that, there were very few shops open, and no one was on the street. Garn parked the carriage in front of the bookshop we had intended to visit, and . . . we heard the cries of a baby. She’d been left in an alley between two shops .

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