A Child of Secrets by Mary Mackie

Author:Mary Mackie
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Canelo
Published: 2021-09-15T00:00:00+00:00

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Seeing the gypsy, Lily had felt her heart jump with hope, then plummet with despair. The woman was so old, so dirty. Even so, she might know something about a child who had been left here eighteen years ago. You haven’t been happy lately, her words repeated in Lily’s mind. But how did this gypsy know it, unless she truly had the gift of second sight?

‘What is it you want, lady?’ the woman asked. ‘The future? The past?’

‘Oh… both! Everything!’ Lily was near bursting, questions tumbling together incoherently in her brain. ‘Do you know anything about a stolen child that was left here eighteen years ago? She was left in a basket, on a doorstep. I’ve asked so many times before, whenever I’ve met any of your people. But none of them will tell me anything. Oh, please… I must know. I must know where the child came from – who her real parents were. Can you tell me? Please… Tell me everything you know.’

‘Everything?’ In the ruined face the single eye both mocked and pitied. ‘That would take long, cost much. More than you could afford, lady.’

Money, Lily thought. Of course! She searched in her pockets for her little pouch purse, and found there a silver florin which she offered impulsively. ‘That’s all I have with me. But there’s more at the rectory. If you call this evening, I’ll give you… I’ll give you a guinea!’

‘Well…’ Holding out her dirty hand, the gypsy accepted the florin, spat on it and closed her long fingers round it. Then she cocked her head like a bird, staring at Lily with her one bright eye. ‘A stolen child, you say? Eighteen years ago? A long time, lady. Give me your hand. Let’s see if it will tell us…’

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