Lionel finally stated. They were in front of a tall, narrow brick building on a busy street.
Rose looked up to gaze up at the building. She took a deep breath, feeling unable to believe that she was at her birth mother’s home.
Chapter Nine
This is it?” Rose asked almost in awe, still staring at the building nervously.
“Do you want me to come with you?” Lionel asked.
“No,” Rose replied. She paused. “Wait. Yes.” I’m not ready to face this alone, Rose realized.
They walked in through the dark green painted front door and up the narrow stairs until they stood at unit 3, which was the flat number Mrs. Harrison had written down. The door was plain and painted a dark grey. On the door was a simple iron number 3 . The solitary number stared at Rose and she was filled with nervousness. With a burden of hesitation weighing down on her, Rose raised her hand to knock. Pausing, she shut her eyes and took a deep breath. Finally, she pressed her fist to the door and knocked firmly on it. She heard the sounds of her knock echo.
A minute passed. Rose clenched her fists as she waited in the silence of the hall, Lionel standing behind her.
Finally, they heard sounds inside. The doorknob turned and the door slowly creaked open. A short, plump woman in a red floral dress and stained apron stood before them. Her thick, salt and pepper colored hair was pinned up in a bun.
“Well?” the woman asked impatiently. “What do you want?” Her accent sounded more New York than London.
“We are looking for Mrs. Jennings. Mrs. Loretta Jennings.” Rose’s voice quivered with her inner nervousness as she spoke.
“Never heard of her,” she woman replied gruffly. “Try checking downstairs with the landlady. She lives in unit 1.” With that, the woman slammed the door. Discouraged, Rose’s shoulders slouched forward and she felt her eye fill up with tears, which she was fast to brush away.
“Don’t worry, Rose,” Lionel said. “Let’s just go downstairs and talk to the landlady. Everything will be fine.”
Rose trudged down the stairs, Lionel in tow. The landlady, who was an older woman, answered the door promptly.
“Loretta Jennings?” the woman repeated the name. “Yes, I do seem to remember her. The lady whose baby went missing, right?”
“Yep, that’s the one,” Rose replied with eagerness, forgetting that Lionel knew nothing of her kidnapping.
“Oh, yes,” the woman said sadly. “Poor thing. She was devastated for years. About two or three years after it happened, she moved from here. Moved out to the countryside, I believe. She wanted to start a new life for herself, I suppose.”
“Do you know of a forwarding address?” Rose asked.
“No, can’t say I do,” the woman responded. “She didn’t leave one, as I remember. Just told me she was leaving.”
“Thank you for your help,” Rose said with a mix of gratefulness and disappointment. She and Lionel left the building.
“What’s this about a missing baby?” Lionel asked as they walked away.
Realizing her mistake, Rose’s face turned white. Can I really trust Lionel with my secret? What if he doesn’t understand?
“Can we talk about it a little later?” Rose requested. “I haven’t told anyone anything about this. At least, no one but Mrs. Harrison. You Aunt Gwen, I mean. I just… I’m just not even sure where to begin.”
“Can I take you out for lunch?” Lionel asked. “Then we can talk about it if you want. And if you don’t want to, we won’t.”
“Yes, that sounds nice,” she replied.
Lionel led the way down a less busy road. They walked beside a large park and then onto a crowded street, with cars zooming by left and right. Rose looked up ahead and spotted a large, regal building surrounded by a high fence and intricate gate.
“Buckingham Palace,” Lionel mumbled, gazing at it with wonder.
“This is it?” Rose asked, almost in disbelief. “This is really it?”
Lionel nodded. “Sure is.”
Continuing
Rose looked up to gaze up at the building. She took a deep breath, feeling unable to believe that she was at her birth mother’s home.
Chapter Nine
This is it?” Rose asked almost in awe, still staring at the building nervously.
“Do you want me to come with you?” Lionel asked.
“No,” Rose replied. She paused. “Wait. Yes.” I’m not ready to face this alone, Rose realized.
They walked in through the dark green painted front door and up the narrow stairs until they stood at unit 3, which was the flat number Mrs. Harrison had written down. The door was plain and painted a dark grey. On the door was a simple iron number 3 . The solitary number stared at Rose and she was filled with nervousness. With a burden of hesitation weighing down on her, Rose raised her hand to knock. Pausing, she shut her eyes and took a deep breath. Finally, she pressed her fist to the door and knocked firmly on it. She heard the sounds of her knock echo.
A minute passed. Rose clenched her fists as she waited in the silence of the hall, Lionel standing behind her.
Finally, they heard sounds inside. The doorknob turned and the door slowly creaked open. A short, plump woman in a red floral dress and stained apron stood before them. Her thick, salt and pepper colored hair was pinned up in a bun.
“Well?” the woman asked impatiently. “What do you want?” Her accent sounded more New York than London.
“We are looking for Mrs. Jennings. Mrs. Loretta Jennings.” Rose’s voice quivered with her inner nervousness as she spoke.
“Never heard of her,” she woman replied gruffly. “Try checking downstairs with the landlady. She lives in unit 1.” With that, the woman slammed the door. Discouraged, Rose’s shoulders slouched forward and she felt her eye fill up with tears, which she was fast to brush away.
“Don’t worry, Rose,” Lionel said. “Let’s just go downstairs and talk to the landlady. Everything will be fine.”
Rose trudged down the stairs, Lionel in tow. The landlady, who was an older woman, answered the door promptly.
“Loretta Jennings?” the woman repeated the name. “Yes, I do seem to remember her. The lady whose baby went missing, right?”
“Yep, that’s the one,” Rose replied with eagerness, forgetting that Lionel knew nothing of her kidnapping.
“Oh, yes,” the woman said sadly. “Poor thing. She was devastated for years. About two or three years after it happened, she moved from here. Moved out to the countryside, I believe. She wanted to start a new life for herself, I suppose.”
“Do you know of a forwarding address?” Rose asked.
“No, can’t say I do,” the woman responded. “She didn’t leave one, as I remember. Just told me she was leaving.”
“Thank you for your help,” Rose said with a mix of gratefulness and disappointment. She and Lionel left the building.
“What’s this about a missing baby?” Lionel asked as they walked away.
Realizing her mistake, Rose’s face turned white. Can I really trust Lionel with my secret? What if he doesn’t understand?
“Can we talk about it a little later?” Rose requested. “I haven’t told anyone anything about this. At least, no one but Mrs. Harrison. You Aunt Gwen, I mean. I just… I’m just not even sure where to begin.”
“Can I take you out for lunch?” Lionel asked. “Then we can talk about it if you want. And if you don’t want to, we won’t.”
“Yes, that sounds nice,” she replied.
Lionel led the way down a less busy road. They walked beside a large park and then onto a crowded street, with cars zooming by left and right. Rose looked up ahead and spotted a large, regal building surrounded by a high fence and intricate gate.
“Buckingham Palace,” Lionel mumbled, gazing at it with wonder.
“This is it?” Rose asked, almost in disbelief. “This is really it?”
Lionel nodded. “Sure is.”
Continuing
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