The Family Way (Molly Murphy, #12)

“Thank you so much for coming,” Emily said, taking my hand. “I do hope you might come and visit me again when I am married and installed in my own home.”


I must say she did it surprisingly well, making me think that we didn’t really know her and wonder about the wisdom of Sid and Gus inviting her into their home. They chatted with great animation about this all the way back to the station—whom they might approach to find a position for Emily, whether she could stay with this friend or that friend, or whether they would keep her to themselves. I was pleased that they were prepared to put themselves out to rescue Emily, but annoyed at the same time that they had taken the conversation away from the very reason we had gone there. They had clearly lost interest in my original quest.

As they talked, I tried to go over in my mind what facts Emily had shared with me. They seemed to be lamentably few. Maureen did not want to return to the Mainwarings but felt she had no choice. She was angry that Mrs. Mainwaring had come to see the sisters, but hadn’t spoken to Maureen. She had said that Mrs. Mainwaring was not to be trusted. That was interesting. Maureen had had a furious row with someone the day before she left and stormed out of the room, and this row might also have been about Mrs. Mainwaring. She had shouted that she couldn’t be forced to do something that was cruel. But all of this got me nowhere because Maureen had vanished early the next morning.

Gus sensed that I had been silent for a while. Perhaps she realized they had gone off on a tangent. She turned to me. “So, Molly, did you learn anything that might be of use?”

“Nothing much, I’m afraid.”

“So it seems that Maureen is lost, vanished without a trace.”

“I’m not going to give up so easily,” I said. “We now know that she had a shouting match with somebody the evening before she ran away. We know she was angry with Mrs. Mainwaring for coming to the convent and said she couldn’t be trusted.”

“But neither of those sheds light on where she might have gone,” Sid said.

“We know she wasn’t seen at the station,” I said, “Or at least she wasn’t remembered at the station.”

“That could be easily explained,” Sid said. “If she’d just run away from a convent, after having a child, she would be dressed in drab clothing, wouldn’t she? Men do not remember unappealing women.”

“That’s true,” I agreed. “So it is possible she did take the train to New York, in which case we’ve probably lost her. And I’m afraid with no money her chances won’t be good there.”

“You did your best, Molly.” Gus touched my hand gently. “You did more than required. I think you should admit that the quest is out of your hands. Write to her family, give them the Mainwarings’ address, and let them take it from there.”

“I feel there is more I could do, before I give up completely,” I said. “I could show her photograph around the town. Maybe, as you suggested, someone gave her a lift in a wagon or carriage. And I think I’ll go back to the convent and speak to Katy again. She might have more to tell me. She was called inside while she was telling me about Maureen leaving her little statue behind. I’ve a good excuse to go back to speak to her, because I want to hire her as my maid when she has delivered her child. I can say that I want to interview her in private.”

“Hire her as a maid?” Sid said. “Molly, what exactly do you know about this person?”

“I met her when I was at the convent the other day. She seemed like a pleasant girl.”

Sid and Gus exchanged a look. “Molly, dear,” Gus said. “You know nothing about her really, and inviting someone like that into your home is a big risk. She’ll be helping out with your baby.”

“Oh, I like that.” I gave a short laugh. “You meet a girl and two seconds later you invite her to stay with you in New York, promise to find her employment, and take care of her.”

“Well, anyone could see she was a well-brought-up young woman who has been wronged,” Sid said. “This Katy has already proved she is not able to make good decisions and lets her heart lead her head. You need someone solid and sensible to be your servant.”