“Maybe not now, but you will.”

A tremor of pain passed through Alice’s abdomen, and she put out a hand to steady herself. She was too weak to maintain her anger and needed to try something else; it was only Ruth who stood between her and Eadie. “Mum, it’s me, Alice,” she pleaded, looking into her eyes, searching for the woman who had nurtured and raised her, the woman who was supposed to know what it meant to be maternal.

“I know you can’t see it now, Alice, but one day . . . one day you will thank me.” Ruth seemed so calm, so composed, and then it dawned on Alice: her mother actually believed what she said, that she was helping her.

Alice stepped forward, inches from her mother’s face. “I don’t care about the future. All I care about is Eadie. Now, where is she?”

“This really is best for both of you.”

It seemed hopeless; her mother was unreachable, and Alice slumped back, propping herself up with one hand on the table as the tears began to fall. “How could you possibly know what’s best for us? It might be best for you, but it’s not best for me, and it’s certainly not best for Eadie.”

“It might not seem that way now, but I sought guidance and the Lord answered.”

“You have to tell me where she is,” Alice pleaded.

“Hebrews, Alice. ‘Marriage is honorable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge.’ ”

Alice could feel hysteria overtaking her, and she took a deep breath as she tried to stop shaking. She’d once been grateful for her mother’s faith, as it had helped Ruth grieve when her father died, but this was beyond pious; it was irrational.

“Haven’t I always taken care of you? Aren’t I doing that right now? Just let me take care of things—”

“For God’s sake, who’s feeding her? You have to tell me where she is, or I’ll go to the police and tell them what you’ve done.”

“No, you won’t, or you would have already done it.” Ruth stood stiffly while Alice was cowed and trembling, her body failing her, and she tried to summon more strength.

She leaned closer to Ruth. “Yes, I will,” she said slowly, enunciating each word.

“And what do you think they’ll do? There are thousands of missing children, and the police certainly won’t care about the illegitimate ones.”

Something inside Alice snapped. She had never so much as raised a hand to her mother before, but now she grabbed her by her wrists, fingernails digging into her skin. “Tell me where she is!” she screamed into her face. “Tell me!”

“Get off. You’re hurting me!”