‘So it is,’ Ralph said swiftly. ‘But there’s something about the man I can’t quite fathom. He also said his first wife had died tragically. That could have been my mother. Presumably the authorities notified him when she died on board ship. And he has apparently been married again since then.’
‘Well that would be natural, surely?’ she said sharply. ‘It doesn’t make him a villain because he took another wife!’
Ralph didn’t answer this and was certainly not going to tell her what the confectioner in Coney Street had told him on his previous visit to York, that Scott had been a man for the ladies and had been having a liaison with a woman whilst still married.
Ralph and Jack stayed overnight in an inn and the next morning hired horses to take them to Edward Scott’s house. ‘We have been observed,’ Jack remarked as they rode up the short drive. ‘I saw the curtains twitch.’
‘Must be a woman there, then,’ Ralph said with dour humour. ‘Men hardly ever look out of windows.’
The maid admitted them but seemed to be at a loss to know what to do with Jack. She observed him nervously, but when Ralph casually handed Jack his hat and scarf, she whispered to him to wait in the hall, and then scurried out of sight.
‘You’re not alone, Mr Hawkins,’ Scott remarked when he appeared. ‘Who is the fellow with you?’
‘My manservant,’ Ralph replied briefly. ‘I brought him over with me.’
‘Manservant, eh? What is he, an Abo?’
‘He is an Aborigine, yes. Of mixed race. His maternal grandfather was English.’
‘Does he speak any English?’
‘He does.’
‘Hmm,’ said Scott. ‘So, your parents must have made a spot of money if they can afford to let you have a servant come with you?’
‘They have made some,’ Ralph said as if reluctantly. ‘They’re sheep farmers.’
‘They haven’t found gold then?’ Scott seemed more inclined to ask pertinent questions now that Ralph was alone without the presence of Captain Linton.
Ralph didn’t reply directly, best to leave some questions unanswered. ‘As a matter of fact, sir, another reason why I am in England, apart from the confectionery business which I am looking
into – I’m sick of sheep, to be honest sir,’ he added confidentially, ‘is that they are not my real parents. I was adopted by them when I was a child. My
natural
mother died on board the convict ship which was taking her out to Australia, and I thought I’d try to find out if I had any relations still alive whilst I am over here.’
He saw the sudden startled flinch of Scott’s body and the flush which touched his cheeks, and knew with a surety which appalled him that his remark had hit home. Scott, he was now almost sure, was his father.
‘
HE’S CHARMING, ISN’T
he?’ said Harriet after she and Amelia had been escorted home by the two young men, and were eating a cold supper in the parlour.
‘Mr Mungo? Yes he is,’ Amelia agreed.
Harriet looked at her and smiled. ‘Actually, Amelia, I meant your cousin, Mr Hawkins! Mr Mungo is very pleasant, but he is so very foreign that I find it difficult to judge his personality. But yes, he is a perfect gentleman.’
‘But did you not find Cousin Ralph rather self-opinionated? Too sure of himself?’
‘Not at all,’ Harriet protested. ‘His manner is easy and rather familiar, I agree, but I consider that is merely a result of living in a new country without the rigid rules of the old one. His upbringing and environment would surely shape him, but that doesn’t mean to say it is a fault in his character.’
She leaned forward. ‘I couldn’t help overhearing that he was going to look for family
connections whilst he was here in York. Did his family emigrate from York? Were they in a profession or trade? I ask because it would be so interesting if we should have heard of them.’
‘Oh,’ Amelia said. ‘I beg your pardon. Of course you don’t know. Cousin Ralph was adopted by my mother’s brother and his wife.’ She hesitated. ‘They were not emigrants, Harriet,’ she said quietly, ‘nor were they from York. They were convicts, transported to Australia.’
Harriet looked stricken. ‘Convicts! And they never came back?’ she questioned in a whisper.
‘Why no!’ Amelia replied. ‘Very few did. Most had no money and many were forbidden to come back. That was part of the punishment. It was total exile.’
‘Yes, of course it was,’ said Harriet and her eyes filled with tears. ‘Poor souls,’ she whispered. ‘Poor, poor souls.’ She swallowed hard. ‘Amelia,’ she said. ‘Do you – ? That is – ’
‘Yes?’ Amelia was disturbed to see her friend upset as she so obviously was. ‘What is it, Harriet?’
‘Oh – no, it’s nothing! Nothing at all.’
She appeared to have been about to share a confidence, Amelia thought, but then had thought better of it. Yet she seemed to be still in a quandary as she clasped and unclasped her hands and pursed her lips. ‘Amelia,’ she said eventually. ‘Would you – ? Do you think any the worse of your cousin because he is the son of
convicts? Is he tainted because of his parents’ background? Please,’ she said earnestly. ‘I would like an honest answer. It will not go any further than these four walls. It is so very important to me.’
‘Harriet,’ Amelia began. It was now time for total revelation. She had not told Elizabeth or Harriet of her mother’s past, simply because she had thought they were too genteel and unworldly to understand. ‘There are two things I must tell you and then if you wish you may ask the question again. First of all: what I said – was, that Ralph Hawkins is the adopted son of my mother’s brother and his wife, Meg, so he is not a proper cousin. However, his own mother was also a convict, but she died and Aunt Meg looked after him. The other thing I must tell you is that my own mother was also a convict when she was only a girl, but because of my father’s campaigning on her behalf, he obtained a free pardon and brought her home.’
Harriet’s eyes never left Amelia’s face as she was speaking and her lips parted and then closed.
‘So you ask, is Ralph tainted because of his parentage?’ Amelia spoke quietly. ‘Then you must look at me and my brothers and sisters, and ask the same question.’
‘Oh, Amelia!’ A look of pure joy lit Hariet’s face. ‘I am so pleased that you told me! May I tell Elizabeth when she returns? It will mean so much to her. To both of us.’
Amelia was bewildered. This wasn’t the usual reaction when people found out about her background. ‘You may of course, but why? Why does it mean so much?’
‘I can’t explain now. Not until I have told Elizabeth.’ Harriet, usually so blithe, suddenly became overcome with emotion and started to weep and Amelia, startled, thought of Elizabeth, who had also had a weeping fit during her visit to Holderness and had become unwell. Whatever is wrong? she worried. Whatever can be the matter?
‘So why have you really come to York?’ Edward Scott’s voice was brusque.
Ralph put on a surprised expression. ‘As I said, sir. The confectionery – ’
‘And have you found any relatives?’
‘No, not yet,’ Ralph lied. ‘Although I understand my mother probably came from York. It’s very difficult to find records as a matter of fact. The authorities didn’t always make an entry. I have yet to do some research.’
‘I shouldn’t bother if I were you,’ Scott said gruffly. ‘Best to let sleeping dogs lie.’
But he then went on to ask questions in a casual manner, about Ralph’s age and where he was born, dropping them into the conversation as if they were of no real importance.
There came a knock on the door and a woman entered. ‘Morning, Eddy. Oh, beg pardon. I didn’t realize you had company.’
She was of middle years, with dyed straw-coloured hair and dressed unbecomingly in a gown more suited to a younger woman. She spoke in a vapid, commonplace voice.
‘Come in Dolly.’ Scott didn’t rise to his feet as Ralph did, but stayed at his desk. ‘This young fellow has come over from Australia.’
‘How do you do, ma’am,’ Ralph gave a short bow. ‘Ralph Hawkins.’
She floated towards him and extended her hand. ‘From Australia! On business?’
‘He’s going into the sweet industry,’ Scott interrupted.
‘Enquiring into the possibility, ma’am. Mr Scott was recommended to me.’
‘And who is that waiting in the hall?’ she asked. ‘Such a handsome man, Eddy, and as dark as that bureau.’
‘My manservant, Mrs Scott,’ he acknowledged, thinking that she was being most familiar. ‘He accompanied me from Sydney.’
‘Oh, I’m not Mrs Scott,’ she replied. ‘I’m Mrs West. An old friend of Mr Scott’s. We’ve known each other a long time, haven’t we Eddy? Of course,’ she added, rather hastily, Ralph thought, ‘I was a friend of Mrs Scott’s too. I was just passing this morning, and thought I’d drop in for coffee. We have coffee together most mornings, don’t we Eddy?’
‘You’d better ring for it, then,’ Scott said sourly, ‘the girl won’t think of bringing it if you don’t.’
‘I did already,’ she said sweetly. ‘It’ll be here in a minute.’
‘Mr Hawkins is a convict’s son,’ Scott announced. ‘He’s looking for relations.’
‘Really!’ Her eyes grew wide. ‘Do you normally tell people?’
‘It’s no shame in Australia to be the son or daughter of convicts,’ Ralph answered coldly. ‘There are so many of us. Besides we can’t be answerable for our parents’ crimes or misdemeanours.’
‘Of course not. But in England you’ll find it different. If I were you I should be careful who you tell,’ she whined. ‘In the better circles anyway.’
To which you don’t belong, madam, he sneered silently.
‘So what crime did your father commit, to be sent out to Australia? And I suppose your mother followed him out there?’ she enquired. ‘A lot of women did. Or so I’m told.’
‘It was his mother, Dolly,’ Scott interrupted. ‘His mother was sent out. But she died on board ship.’
Ralph watched her intently as her mouth worked and her cheeks beneath the painted colour paled. ‘How sad,’ she said hoarsely. ‘And – and, how old were you?’
‘I was only a few days old when she died.’
‘So you were born on the ship? She died of childbed fever, I expect?’ Her head nodded as she spoke.
‘I’m not sure.’ He found it quite easy to lie to them. He had no desire to tell either of them what he knew. Not yet at any rate.
‘So, you know nothing of her, then?’ She looked at him intently. ‘Nothing of how she came to be on the ship?’
‘Not yet,’ he said easily. ‘But I intend to find out.’
‘Are you a married man, Mr Hawkins?’ Scott asked abruptly.
‘No sir, I’m not.’
‘But you have come of age.’
‘Why yes, sir, why do you ask?’
‘I wondered how you would set up this business. Will you get a bank loan? Or perhaps your relatives will help you? Captain Linton is a relative I think you said?’
‘Relatives of my adoptive parents, not, strictly speaking, my own. But no, I won’t be seeking any financial help. I have sufficient funds to start up a business on my own.’
Edward Scott nodded, then gave a thin smile. ‘Then I think I can probably help you, Mr Hawkins. If you take the benefit of my advice there is money to be made.’
Odd, thought Ralph. He previously said that I wouldn’t make a fortune.
‘It needs to be set up properly. I recommend that you use my accountant. Henderson knows how to look after money. He’ll keep yours safe until you’re ready to start.’
‘But – I only need information at this point,
sir.’ Ralph was startled at the swift turn of events. ‘I intend to start up in Australia, not here in England!’
‘Yes, yes,’ Scott blustered, ‘but you need credentials to open accounts, you’ll need to show you have sufficient money to start up in business.’
Ralph looked at the satisfied expression on Scott’s face and began to feel uneasy. He’s up to something. I’m sure of it.
‘
WHAT DO YOU
think then, Eddy?’ Dolly West chewed on her lip, watching from behind the curtain as Ralph rode down the drive. ‘He can’t be her lad, can he?’
Edward Scott scowled. ‘There were hundreds of women sent out, there’s no reason why he should be. Besides I wasn’t told she’d had the child.’ But he fiddled with papers on his desk. ‘He didn’t look like me, did he?’
She shook her head. ‘No, not a bit and he didn’t look like her either, too tall for one thing. But still,’ she looked anxious. ‘It seems funny though. He’s the right age and everything.’
‘What do you mean?’ he said sharply. ‘What’s
everything
mean?’
‘Well, you know – his mother dying on board ship. And her babby’d have been due before they got to Australia. Seems funny,’ she repeated.
‘It’s not funny,’ he growled. ‘Not funny at all. I don’t want some stranger claiming me as his father and expecting God knows what from me.
But on the other hand—’ An idea which had come into his head earlier took deeper root. ‘He’s not poor by the look of it. He’s brought a servant with him.’
Her eyes sparkled. ‘You should have taken a peek at him, Eddy. He’s ever so handsome, though I don’t usually take to darkies, but his skin was a sort of treacly colour and he looked very muscular and strong.’
He gave her a withering glance. ‘He’s an Abo! A native. Not a proper person. They’ve been almost wiped out and quite right too, in my opinion. They’re of no use. They serve no purpose except as servants, and there are plenty of white folks who can fill that role.’
She shrugged. ‘Like Ada, you mean,’ she said, speaking of the maid. ‘Well, she won’t stay long. She’ll be on her way soon if you ask me.’
‘Well I didn’t ask you, so shut up,’ he answered sharply. ‘Now go and make yourself useful and then come back in half an hour and you can post a letter. I’m going to write to Henderson and arrange a meeting for Mr Hawkins. Then we’ll find out who he is and if he has any money.’ A sly grin came to his lips. ‘And if he has, well, I might just discover my long-lost beloved son.’
Reluctantly she went towards the door. ‘But you won’t get up to anything, will you Eddy?’ She turned towards him. ‘We shouldn’t push our luck too far.’
He dismissed her with a curt wave of his hand, then he sat staring at the door as it closed
behind her. She had her usefulness, had Dolly, but sometimes she weakened and he couldn’t be doing with that. She was expendable. He’d not be questioned or have his hand stayed from its purpose, not by anybody. His wives had discovered that to their cost.