hopes of forging some kind of connection with her real family had died. She’d taken the rejection hard at the time, realising that in her great-aunt’s eyes she was tainted by her father’s genes, and perhaps was viewed as some sort of bad-luck charm to those of her mother’s family who’d survived, and who’d apparently rather not have her amongst them.
Turn around and come back, Alex , she told herself. You know self-pity’s a pointless place to go .
Finding free access to the Fenns’ drive this time, she quickly parked up on the gravel outside the front door and even before she could knock Maggie Fenn was coming out to greet her.
‘Do you have time to come in?’ Maggie invited, her kind eyes looking as anxiously hopeful as a child’s in a toyshop who has no money.
‘I’m afraid I’m in a bit of a rush,’ Alex replied guiltily. ‘I’m due in court ...’
‘Yes, of course, of course. I know how busy you are. Here’s the photograph.’ It was wrapped in brown paper and carefully tied up with black ribbon.
Touched by how smart she’d made it look, Alex said, ‘I’ll make sure he gets it.’
Maggie’s smile faltered. ‘Thank you,’ she replied.
Unable simply to walk away, Alex said, ‘Is everything all right? You seem a bit ...’
‘No, no, I’m fine. Truly. I just ... Well, they came to take Oliver back to his mother yesterday, so I’ve got a bit of an empty nest I’m afraid.’ She took a breath and shook her head, pulling herself together. ‘You know his mother hasMunchausen’s ... Actually we have to call it something else now, don’t we?’
‘FII,’ Alex answered. ‘Fabricated or Induced Illness.’
Maggie nodded. ‘I do hope he’ll be all right.’
Putting a hand on her arm, Alex said, ‘Don’t worry, his social worker and the family support team will keep a very close eye on him.’
Maggie braved a smile. ‘I’m sure they will. And before we know it I expect I’ll have another troubled little soul or two to be running around after. Let’s hope so, eh? Oh, I don’t mean ... I’m not wishing them to be ...’
‘It’s OK, I know what you mean,’ Alex assured her. ‘Now I’m afraid I really do have to run, but I’ll give you my details in case you want to call for a chat at any time.’ As she scribbled her numbers on a slip of paper she wasn’t quite sure why she was doing it, especially when Maggie Fenn wasn’t even in her area. However, she couldn’t just abandon the woman, giving her nothing when she was clearly so upset.
‘Send Daniel our love when you see him,’ Maggie said, taking the details. ‘And if you happen to run into Oliver at all ... I know he doesn’t come under your office ...’
‘Don’t worry, I’ll tell him,’ Alex promised with a smile, and still feeling awful for having to rush off she ran back to her car, knowing already how unlikely it was she’d be able to get across town in time for the hearing.
However, an hour later she was listening to the senior magistrate saying to Annie, ‘... so I’m afraid Mrs Ashe, that in light of this recent incident you’ve left us with no alternative but to keep the current custody arrangements for your children in place.’
Sensing Annie’s confusion and panic Alex quickly reached for her hand.
‘What does he mean? What’s he saying?’ Annie cried as the magistrates started to leave the court and the lawyers began packing up their papers. ‘No, don’t go! Come back, you can’t keep my children. Alex! You have to stop him. Please, make him come back.’
‘Ssh, ssh.’ Alex tried to soothe her. ‘I’m really sorry, Annie. I didn’t ...’
‘But you said he’d let me have them ...’
‘That was before what happened in the street.’
‘But that doesn’t have anything to do with it. Make him come back!’ she shouted to one of the clerks. ‘Tell him he’s got it wrong. He can’t keep a mother from her children. It’s not right.’
‘Come on,’ Alex whispered,
Turn around and come back, Alex , she told herself. You know self-pity’s a pointless place to go .
Finding free access to the Fenns’ drive this time, she quickly parked up on the gravel outside the front door and even before she could knock Maggie Fenn was coming out to greet her.
‘Do you have time to come in?’ Maggie invited, her kind eyes looking as anxiously hopeful as a child’s in a toyshop who has no money.
‘I’m afraid I’m in a bit of a rush,’ Alex replied guiltily. ‘I’m due in court ...’
‘Yes, of course, of course. I know how busy you are. Here’s the photograph.’ It was wrapped in brown paper and carefully tied up with black ribbon.
Touched by how smart she’d made it look, Alex said, ‘I’ll make sure he gets it.’
Maggie’s smile faltered. ‘Thank you,’ she replied.
Unable simply to walk away, Alex said, ‘Is everything all right? You seem a bit ...’
‘No, no, I’m fine. Truly. I just ... Well, they came to take Oliver back to his mother yesterday, so I’ve got a bit of an empty nest I’m afraid.’ She took a breath and shook her head, pulling herself together. ‘You know his mother hasMunchausen’s ... Actually we have to call it something else now, don’t we?’
‘FII,’ Alex answered. ‘Fabricated or Induced Illness.’
Maggie nodded. ‘I do hope he’ll be all right.’
Putting a hand on her arm, Alex said, ‘Don’t worry, his social worker and the family support team will keep a very close eye on him.’
Maggie braved a smile. ‘I’m sure they will. And before we know it I expect I’ll have another troubled little soul or two to be running around after. Let’s hope so, eh? Oh, I don’t mean ... I’m not wishing them to be ...’
‘It’s OK, I know what you mean,’ Alex assured her. ‘Now I’m afraid I really do have to run, but I’ll give you my details in case you want to call for a chat at any time.’ As she scribbled her numbers on a slip of paper she wasn’t quite sure why she was doing it, especially when Maggie Fenn wasn’t even in her area. However, she couldn’t just abandon the woman, giving her nothing when she was clearly so upset.
‘Send Daniel our love when you see him,’ Maggie said, taking the details. ‘And if you happen to run into Oliver at all ... I know he doesn’t come under your office ...’
‘Don’t worry, I’ll tell him,’ Alex promised with a smile, and still feeling awful for having to rush off she ran back to her car, knowing already how unlikely it was she’d be able to get across town in time for the hearing.
However, an hour later she was listening to the senior magistrate saying to Annie, ‘... so I’m afraid Mrs Ashe, that in light of this recent incident you’ve left us with no alternative but to keep the current custody arrangements for your children in place.’
Sensing Annie’s confusion and panic Alex quickly reached for her hand.
‘What does he mean? What’s he saying?’ Annie cried as the magistrates started to leave the court and the lawyers began packing up their papers. ‘No, don’t go! Come back, you can’t keep my children. Alex! You have to stop him. Please, make him come back.’
‘Ssh, ssh.’ Alex tried to soothe her. ‘I’m really sorry, Annie. I didn’t ...’
‘But you said he’d let me have them ...’
‘That was before what happened in the street.’
‘But that doesn’t have anything to do with it. Make him come back!’ she shouted to one of the clerks. ‘Tell him he’s got it wrong. He can’t keep a mother from her children. It’s not right.’
‘Come on,’ Alex whispered,
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