Mavis’s eyes widened with horror. ‘Oh no, that’s not what happened at all. It couldn’t anyway, because she was too far gone. You must have misunderstood.’

Ted shook his head. ‘I know what he said, he made it very clear.’

‘Why on earth would he tell you that?’

‘I don’t know.’ Ted looked up sharply. ‘But if she didn’t have an abortion and there was no adoption, then what happened to the baby?’

Her lips formed a grim line. ‘Stillborn. They buried the baby not far from the hospital where she gave birth.’

‘Where was that?’

‘I don’t know, although I gather it was far away because that was the whole idea, to take Miss Olivia away from prying eyes and wagging tongues so that she could give birth in peace. That way she could return to Liverpool and lead a normal life as though nothing had happened.’

Ted frowned, deep in thought. ‘If she was going ahead with the birth, then why on earth didn’t she tell me …’ He fell silent, clapping a hand to his forehead. ‘Stupid, stupid, stupid!’ He stared at Mavis. ‘Because he got rid of me before she had the chance.’

Mavis eyed him awkwardly. ‘I was in the room next to her mother’s when he came back from seeing you. He told Miss Olivia that you and your father had found out about the pregnancy and legged it.’

Ted’s jaw practically hit the floor. ‘The filthy rotten …’ He stopped himself before a stream of obscenities could leave his lips. ‘And she believed him?’

Mavis shrugged. ‘He made it sound plausible. He had a letter off your dad explaining that you’d heard the rumours …’

‘Rumours that I’d nicked his stupid fish!’ said Ted. ‘Not …’ he lowered his voice, ‘… not got his daughter in the family way.’ He stopped abruptly. ‘Only you couldn’t have believed him, because if you had I daresay you’d have torn a strip off me when you found out who I was.’

She smiled. ‘You’d hardly come calling if you’d done a runner.’

He smiled back. ‘That’s true.’

Mavis appeared to be thinking. ‘He never told anyone else he’d had fish nicked, so he must have made that bit up just to get rid of you.’

‘And it worked,’ Ted said bitterly.

‘He’s always been good at getting people to do what he wants,’ Mavis admitted. ‘Miss Olivia was no match for him.’

‘What did her mother think?’ Ted asked curiously.

‘She agreed with her husband because she thought you’d run off.’

Ted rested his chin against his forefinger and thumb. ‘Only why not tell me the truth? Why make up an abortion?’

She looked at him darkly. ‘Because he didn’t want you coming round or getting in touch with Miss Olivia, because that way you’d find out the truth, and more to the point, so would she.’

‘True,’ Ted agreed. ‘Golly, how I’d like to see Olivia again, just to let her know that I didn’t leave her in the lurch. I don’t suppose …’ He eyed her hopefully.