She quickened her step to hide her annoyance. ‘I find the people of Maiden’s Creek on the whole better company and far more honest than those my father thought were suitable company.’

Richard huffed. ‘You have been away from England too long, Addy.’

She stopped and faced him. ‘Tell me again, Richard, how did you find me?’

He turned guileless blue eyes on her. ‘I told you, your father knew where you were.’

‘And how did he know?’

‘He had his ways.’ He paused. ‘Oh, very well, you have a right to know. That maid of yours had a sister in Yorkshire, didn’t she?’

Netty’s sister in Whitby who had taken them in when Adelaide first fled her father’s home. It stood to reason that Netty had kept in touch all these years and she could hardly take issue with her friend for that, but now it seemed so obvious. It wouldn’t have taken much persuasion, particularly if it was silver, for Mary to have kept Sir Daniel informed of her sister’s whereabouts.

‘So, he knew about—about Danny?’ She could understand her father not wishing to renew any contact with her, but to cut his own grandson from his life? Ten years of hurt and abandonment threatened to overwhelm her in the main street of Maiden’s Creek. She bit back the sob that had risen in her throat.

Richard nodded. ‘Of course he did.’ He stopped and caught her arm, swinging her to face him. ‘He was a vengeful, mean old man, Addy.’

‘He’s dead and there’s nothing I can say to him now, but what of his estate? What became of that?’

Richard shrugged. ‘Your cousin, I suppose. I didn’t think to ask. My only thought was of finding you and the child.’

They were passing the school. The sounds of the younger children reciting their times tables came drifting out the open windows. Danny would be inside the hot classroom, labouring over an arithmetic problem. Another wave of anger washed over her. Even a few hundred pounds from the man’s massive wealth could have ensured Danny had a good education at a school in Melbourne.

‘He made no provision for Danny at all?’

‘Not that I am aware of.’

Fit from the years of climbing the steep paths around Maiden’s Creek and fired with fury at her father, Adelaide made the sharp climb up to the mine without difficulty but Richard fell behind and was panting heavily when he arrived at the flat yard surrounded by mine buildings.

They met Will Penrose heading for the mine’s main adit. He stopped as Adelaide hailed him.

‘Mrs Greaves, what brings you here?’

‘Telegram for Mr Cowper.’

‘He’s down the main lead. I was just going to him. Give it to me and I’ll take it.’