Miss Garstone shut her eyes, but she was not at peace. The hand that was under Jenny’s kept on moving. It was like something that was trying to wake up and couldn’t quite manage it. Jenny’s hand closed on it warmly.
“Don’t. Don’t try, Garsty. It’s bad for you. You mustn’t. Another time when you’re better-”
The eyes opened again. For the first time the head moved. A very slight movement. It said, “No.” She lay quiet, her eyes open, fixed on Jenny. Then she spoke in a thread of a voice.
“Did I say it?”
“I don’t know.”
“It’s-so-difficult. I-must-tell-you. I oughtn’t-to-have-kept it- from you. I never meant-to go-without-telling you. It seemed-best -at the time. Your mother-” She stopped. “She was Jennifer Hill. Your father-your father didn’t know-he didn’t know about you-that you were coming-I don’t think he knew-but Jennifer never said. He was Richard Forbes-Richard Alington Forbes. Alington belonged to him. But you know that-I didn’t keep that from you-everyone knows it.” The cold hand under Jenny’s warm one twitched and turned.
Jenny said quickly,
“Doa’t worry yourself, Garsty. Oh, please don’t!”
“I must.” The two words came out quite clearly and strongly. They were weighted with a deep earnestness. After them she fell silent. It was like watching someone drift. Presently she spoke again.
“I ought not to have done it. At first I wasn’t sure. And there were you, just a tiny baby, and your mother dead and she didn’t tell me anything. If she had told me-I wouldn’t have-let her down. Oh, I wouldn’t! Do you believe me-because it’s true-”
“Of course I believe you. Oh, don’t trouble yourself.”
The pale lips said, “I must-” on a failing breath. She was silent again. After what seemed like a long time she spoke in a faint voice. “I didn’t think there was anything more-not till you were seven and Mr. and Mrs. Forbes had been here all that time. I was talking to a friend of mine, and she said, ‘There’s a way you can be quite sure, you know. If there was a marriage, it will be at Somerset House.’ Did I tell you about the letter?”