The Golden Anklet

by Beverly Hansford

  ‘I’ll do my very best. What can I do for you?’ Bernard replied.

  Jane plunged in. ‘It’s just that I have what I thought was my parents’ wedding certificate and there are the names of two witnesses on it. I was wondering if you might know them.’

  ‘What are the names?’ asked Bernard.

  ‘John Harvey and Susan Carroll.’

  There was a pause before Bernard replied. ‘John Harvey was a farm worker. I think he later joined the army.’

  ‘And Susan Carroll?’ Jane interjected.

  ‘She would be James Carroll’s older sister. She had left the village some years earlier.’

  ‘Do you know where she went?’

  There was another short pause, and then Bernard said, ‘I think she worked at an orphanage somewhere.’

  This bit of news intrigued Jane. Could it be the same orphanage she had lived in? Perhaps not, but it was certainly worth a try. ‘Do you know where the orphanage was?’ she asked, eagerly.

  ‘I’m afraid not. The information was only village hearsay.’

  ‘Oh, I see.’ Jane struggled to contain her disappointment. She was trying to come up with another question to ask, when the verger broke into her thoughts.

  ‘Is there anything else I can help you with?’ he asked.

  Jane responded quickly. ‘No. I won’t take up any more of your time. You’ve been very helpful.’

  ‘It’s been my pleasure. If I can be of further assistance, do please contact me again.’

  ‘Thank you. I will. Goodbye for now.’

  ‘Goodbye.’

  Jane replaced the telephone and, gathering up her papers, returned to the lounge, where Bob, Gerald and Anna greeted her with questioning eyes.

  ‘What did you find out?’ asked Bob.

  Jane resumed her seat and picked up her mug of tea again. She took a sip and then related the content of her conversation with the verger.

  ‘I think there is an answer here somewhere.’ It was Gerald who responded first to Jane’s account. He had the marriage certificate in his hand again and was scrutinising it. He looked up at Jane and Bob and spoke again. ‘I think there could be a clue with this sister of James Carroll. It’s also interesting that she is alleged to have worked at an orphanage and you were in an orphanage.’ His last sentence was directed at Jane.

  ‘Do you think it might be the same one I was brought up in?’ Jane asked. The idea had been bugging her ever since the verger had mentioned it.

  Gerald smiled at her. ‘The golden rule in family history is not to disregard any information you find, even if it doesn’t seem useful.’ He took a pause and then added confidently, ‘We need to find out a bit more about Susan Carroll.’

  ‘Do you think she could hold the answer?’ asked Bob.

  ‘It’s not impossible,’ replied Gerald, draining the last of his tea.

  ‘Perhaps she’s your mother!’ exclaimed Anna, who had been listening intently to the conversation.

  ‘Well, at least then I’d know who I am,’ replied Jane.

  The conversation continued for a little while, with various theories being brought up and discussed. Then Jane and Bob took their leave, a move Jane welcomed. She felt drained by the day’s events and now just wanted to spend some time quietly with Bob. Once back in her own apartment the full impact of her situation hit her. She was a person without a name. Everything she possessed was in the name of a dead person. She turned to Bob, her face full of questions and anxiety.

  ‘Bob, we will find out who I am, won’t we?’

  Bob sensed her distress. He could see the trace of a tear in her eye. Gently he took her in his arms and she nestled against him.

  ‘Of course we will. I’ll help you. We’ll get to the bottom of everything.’

  ‘Do you really think so?’ Jane had burrowed her face into his shoulder.

  He stroked her hair. ‘Yes, I do,’ he replied softly. ‘We may find that the whole thing is easier to sort out than you think.’

  ‘I do hope so,’ Jane replied, almost to herself.

  Bob held her for several minutes, gently caressing her hair and back.

  ‘Stay with me tonight,’ she murmured.

  His reply was to kiss her gently on the lips.

  Chapter 10

  Jane was glad it was Friday evening and pleased she was on the way home. It had not been an easy week. Almost seven days had passed since the revealing events in Great Wishington, and in that time hardly an hour passed when the question did not come into her thinking: who was she? Again and again she asked herself, but for the present there was no answer and she was forced to accept her false identity.

  The week at work had been particularly heavy and at times stressful. Margaret, who normally answered the telephone, was on holiday, and this meant that the task had to be shared out among the rest of the staff. On some days Annette seemed to receive a continuous stream of telephone calls, and this was a constant disruption to them all. However, the biggest headache was that Annette had suddenly decided to change the timing of a special feature and have it appear in the issue of the magazine currently being prepared, instead of a later one. This had meant extra work for Jane and Amy, and on two evenings both of them had worked late. To make matters worse, Annette had been particularly difficult at times, and as usual it had fallen to Jane to smooth matters over with the rest of the staff affected.

  Even her telephone call to the orphanage had not gone well. After several aborted attempts due to interruptions, she had at last managed to dial the number and wait for an answer.

  ‘Goodmanton Children’s Home.’ The male voice was a trifle abrupt.

  ‘May I speak to the matron?’ asked Jane, as pleasantly as possible.

  ‘We don’t have a matron any more. What is the nature of your enquiry?’

  The reply was uninviting, but Jane was not going to be ruffled. She took a deep breath before answering. ‘My name is Jane Carroll and I was an orphan at Goodmanton for about ten years. I would like some information about my admission details.’

  ‘You need to speak to the manager. Hold on, please.’

  Jane waited for what seemed an incredibly long time before a voice answered.

  ‘Laura Brompton. Can I help you?’

  Jane introduced herself again and explained the reason for her telephone call.

  There was a pause at the other end, then a curt reply. ‘We cannot give you any details over the telephone. You will have to attend in person and bring some form of identification with you.’

  Jane took another deep breath. The response from the manager was hardly encouraging, but she was determined to persevere. ‘When can I come?’ she asked. ‘I live in London. Can it be on a Saturday?’

  She felt sure she heard a sigh at the other end of the telephone.

  ‘The only time I can see you is ten o’clock this coming Saturday morning.’

  Jane thought quickly. She was not sure Bob was free this Saturday, and on top of that Goodmanton was near Bristol. It would mean a dreadfully early start, but she had to do it.

  ‘I would like to come along at that time,’ she replied.

  ‘Very well. What was the name again?’

  ‘Carroll. Jane Carroll.’

  ‘I will make a note and expect you on Saturday. Goodbye.’

  ‘Thank you. Goodbye.’

  As Jane spoke she heard the click of a disconnection at the other end of the line.

  ‘Hmm,’ she murmured. The call had been brief, but at least she had an appointment.

  That evening she rang Bob. His reaction was heartening. ‘That’s great news!’ he exclaimed.

  ‘Can you come with me?’ Jane asked hopefully.

  ‘I’d like to…’ There was a slight hesitation in Bob’s reply, as if he was thinking. He continued. ‘It’s just that I’m supposed to be doing a job at the studio this Saturday morning. I’m pretty sure Jeff will do it, but I’ll have to check. Give me five minutes.’

  Exactly four minutes
later he was back. ‘No problem. Jeff’s quite happy to take over.’

  ‘Oh, that’s marvellous! But I feel that I’m putting everybody to a lot of trouble.’ Nevertheless, Jane was pleased that Bob could come with her. She felt happier about things after hearing his next sentence.

  ‘Don’t worry about it. I think Jeff likes to work Saturday mornings. If he’s at home his wife finds him jobs to do.’ Bob laughed as he finished speaking. He thought of something else to say to reassure Jane. ‘I’m going to cover for him on Monday so that he can have that day off instead of Saturday.’

  ‘Oh, that’s super. I’m so glad you can come.’

  Jane was beginning to look forward to the trip now. Then she remembered something. ‘We’ll have to leave quite early. The appointment is at ten.’

  ‘No problem. Pick me up at seven. You can have a sleep in the car.’

  Jane couldn’t think of a suitable reply to Bob’s flippant suggestion and after a few more pleasantries they said goodbye, with the anticipation of meeting on Saturday.

  They were relaxed with each other now and humour had become part of their repertoire. Jane was also increasingly aware that she was growing steadily quite fond of Bob. She felt in tune with him and he had the quiet knack of being a tremendous support to her. The previous weekend it had been his supportive attitude that had lifted her out of her misery. When she had eventually lain, curled up in bed, with Bob’s arms encircling her, she had rediscovered a feeling of comfort and contentment. Not since her brief marriage had she felt that way.

  It was arriving outside the front door of her apartment block that stirred Jane out of her evaluation of the week’s events. Knowing that Bob would most likely stay over on Saturday night had prompted her to pop into the supermarket after leaving the train and buy some essentials and extra food. Now she found her load heavy, and on top of that one of the plastic carrier bags was in danger of losing a handle. She was glad to arrive at her destination without mishap. It was now past seven and she was tired, and with all that she was carrying she considered taking the lift, but she decided to stick to her usual routine and climb the stairs to her apartment.

  As she opened the door of her apartment and stooped to pick up two letters from the mat, she noticed the piece of paper that lay with them. She picked it up and read it.

  Dear Jane,

  I have some more information for you. Can I see you urgently?

  Regards,

  Gerald

  Jane thought for a few seconds. It had been a hard day and she just wanted to relax, but she knew it must be something important for Gerald to have left the note. Perhaps it would be better to go and see him immediately rather than waiting until later. She placed her bags in the kitchen, then made her way downstairs to Gerald and Anna’s apartment and rang the doorbell.

  It was Anna who opened the door. ‘Jane! Come along in,’ was her greeting. ‘Gerald’s got some news for you,’ she announced as she ushered Jane into their lounge.

  Gerald was sitting on the settee. He greeted Jane as she entered.

  Jane sank gratefully onto the settee beside him. ‘Hello, Gerald. You’ve found some more information?’ she enquired.

  Before Gerald could answer, Anna butted in. ‘Jane, would you like a drink? Tea or coffee?’

  Jane smiled at her. ‘A cup of tea would be welcome,’ she replied.

  Anna looked at her with concern. ‘Have you had anything to eat, young woman?’ she asked.

  The mention of food reminded Jane how hungry she was. ‘A long time ago,’ she replied in rather a matter-of-fact way, eager to know what Gerald had for her.

  ‘And what was that?’ Anna asked, with a pretence of sternness.

  ‘Just a roll for lunch,’ Jane answered awkwardly, remembering that she had eaten it at her desk hours previously.

  ‘Goodness gracious! You young girls starve yourselves. Let me get you some food. Cheese on toast OK?’ Anna was in her element.

  ‘Oh, no. Please don’t go to such trouble. I can easily get something later,’ protested Jane.

  ‘Give in gracefully.’ Gerald was watching everything with amusement. Almost under his breath he added, ‘I always do.’

  Jane laughed. She didn’t mind Anna’s faked bossiness one bit and she was really hungry. ‘That would be marvellous.’

  With a grin and a wink, and pleased with her victory, Anna disappeared into the kitchen.

  Jane could not contain her curiosity any longer. Turning to Gerald, she asked eagerly, ‘I know you must have found out something. I can’t wait.’

  Gerald was immediately focused. ‘Ah, now this is interesting,’ he remarked, leafing through the papers on the table in front of him. He extracted a handful of documents. ‘I’ve being doing some more research into the Carrolls,’ he said, ‘in particular Susan Carroll, the witness on your parents’ marriage certificate.’

  He handed Jane a piece of paper. ‘Susan Carroll was married,’ he announced.

  Reading the document brought an exclamation of surprise from Jane’s lips. ‘Susan Marshall?’ She looked at Gerald. ‘The matron at Goodmanton while I was there was Mrs Marshall!’ she exclaimed excitedly.

  ‘I’ve found out more as well,’ said Gerald, reaching for another piece of paper. ‘James Carroll, your alleged father, had three other sisters: Elizabeth and Evelyn’ – he handed Jane the piece of paper – ‘and a third sister, who died as a baby.’

  Jane studied the piece of paper, absorbing the information it contained. Her earlier excitement had dissipated. She turned to Gerald. ‘I wonder if the verger knows anything about these two sisters,’ she said.

  ‘It’s possible,’ Gerald observed thoughtfully.

  ‘I was in such as state of shock at the time, that I never thought about asking about any other members of the family,’ Jane said solemnly.

  ‘Understandable, in the circumstances. I—’

  He was interrupted by Anna’s entry into the room. She carried a tray, which she put down on the table in front of Jane. ‘Now eat that right away,’ she demanded, taking a seat opposite Jane.

  Jane regarded the tray. A plateful of toasted cheese on bread, with tomatoes on top, together with a small pot of tea, a tiny jug of milk, a little bowl of sugar, and a cup and saucer. There was even a serviette. As soon as she saw the food, she realised how hungry she was.

  ‘Oh, Anna, you’re spoiling me. Thank you.’ Jane felt quite overwhelmed. She was not used to this kind of attention.

  ‘Nonsense. Eat it all up. You’re far too thin. Anyway, I don’t want you fainting on me for lack of food,’ retorted Anna, at the same time grinning cheerfully.

  Jane just smiled and started to pour herself a cup of tea. She knew Anna was enjoying pretending to be stern with her and treating her almost like a little girl. She accepted the role gracefully.

  ‘Gerald’s been finding out a great deal more about my family,’ she announced to Anna, bringing her into the conversation and at the same time starting to munch a piece of toasted cheese.

  ‘Yes, he told me,’ Anna responded proudly. ‘Perhaps you’re the daughter of one of those sisters,’ she chipped in.

  Jane thought for a second before answering. ‘Yes, but if that was the case, why do I have the birth certificate of a dead child belonging to another sister?’ she asked, looking at Anna and Gerald in turn.

  It was Gerald who spoke next. ‘You’re going to the orphanage tomorrow. Find out as much as you can. These places have admission records. You could find that it’s a simple administrative error.’

  ‘I’ll try and do that,’ Jane replied thoughtfully.

  Suddenly, once again, panic started to cloud her thoughts. ‘But everything about me would be wrong,’ she said. ‘My name, my documents… Everything.’ She appealed to Gerald.

  ‘Oh, these things can be sorted out,’ he reassured her.

  ‘Yes, but how?’ She still needed convincing. The thought of what might be before her was overwhelming.

  Gerald gave a
little smile before replying. ‘It may not be as difficult as you think at this stage. You just officially change your name,’ he explained.

  ‘I think your parents might be somebody famous.’ Anna could not help adding her thoughts.

  ‘Oh, I hope not. Getting used to a new name would be bad enough without having to deal with famous parents into the bargain,’ Jane replied with a grin. Anna’s light-hearted approach to things and Gerald’s wise counsel had relaxed her again a little.

  For the next ten minutes their conversation was of more general matters. Gerald gave her one or two extra snippets of advice about what to ask the next day, and Anna wanted to know what time she was leaving in the morning and whether Bob would be going with her.

  Jane finished her meal, asked Anna if she could do the washing up – an offer firmly rebutted – and then, after thanking both of them for their efforts on her behalf, retreated upstairs to her apartment.

  Once there, she realised how tired she was. She retrieved the shopping bags from the kitchen floor where she had dumped them, and put the contents away. She collected together all the things she needed to take with her the next day and put them carefully, all ready, on the hall table. One important thing remained to be done: she had to ring Bob and confirm the arrangements for the morning.

  Bob must have been close to the phone, because he answered after the first couple of rings.

  ‘Hello.’

  ‘Bob, it’s me.’

  There was a chuckle at the other end of the phone.

  ‘Hello, me. Are you all ready for tomorrow?’

  Thinking of the next day made Jane serious. ‘I’m looking forward to it, but I’m also a bit apprehensive about what we might find out. I saw Gerald this evening, and I’ve lots to tell you, but I’m really tired now, so I’m afraid it’ll have to wait until the morning.’ With Bob, she felt that she could express how she actually felt.

  Bob was intrigued, but he could hear the tiredness as well as the concern in Jane’s voice. ‘Don’t worry about it,’ he replied. ‘We’ll deal with everything as it comes.’