His mother was asking the impossible. She was as disgusted with Daniel as he was himself but she was still pleading that he give his brother – a child killer – another chance. She was their mum, and as a mum she was trying to build a bridge between them. Peter wasn’t sure that Isambard Kingdom Brunel could build a fucking bridge big enough to span their differences.

Daniel’s murder of that little child was something that no one would ever forget, and very few people – including himself – would ever forgive.

Chapter Thirty-Six

The church was packed out with people and Lena looked at her little daughter proudly. She looked gorgeous. The Christening gown was old now – it had been used by each of them – but it was all the more important because of that. Theresa had hand-sewn it all those years ago, and it made her proud to know that it was still in use.

As she passed her daughter gently to her mother-in-law, Lena smiled. ‘She is so like you, Theresa, it’s uncanny, especially when she frowns! I’m having Theresa as her middle name, in honour of you and all you mean to us. It was your mother’s name as well, wasn’t it?’

Theresa looked at her granddaughter, and she nodded, touched. ‘It was, but I hope this Theresa has more luck in her life than we have had. Doesn’t make the same mistakes. When you’re young, you never see the pitfalls, or the foolishness of your actions, do you? You make people into what you want them to be and, then, when they break your heart, you have to find the strength to carry on. I think you know that as well as I do, Lena.’

Lena understood her mother-in-law was trying to warn her about Daniel and what had happened between him and Peter, but this was not the time or place. Lena had rewritten the commandments so many times. She had made allowances for her husband over and over again; she had convinced herself that as a Catholic and a wife she was honour-bound to stand by her husband no matter what. She had spent so much time at Mass, praying for his salvation, along with her own, but the bottom line was that she knew she would actually walk away from everyone if that meant it would keep her husband safe. Even after all these years, Theresa still didn’t understand that she would never, ever betray Daniel.

Smiling gently, she said complacently, ‘I think this little one will be all right, Theresa; she has us. I know you will always look out for her – they all will.’