Catherine looked up to her aunt. "So she WAS a spy."
"Yes, she was. How did you know?"
"I know some things about her. She was employed by MI5 and others that we may never know," Catherine said as she walked around the study. "They unclassified some of the MI5 records. Her code name was Parcifal. But why didn't you tell me about this sooner?"
Elizabeth looked at her intently and whispered, "Because, love, it was a secret."
"But I still don't understand. She married Ethan Marshall 2 months later. Why?"
"Read the second letter. And please, darling, sit down. You're making me dizzy."
She did was she told. She sat down on the large, comfortable chair and read the letter.
George,
I know that by now news about my marriage has reached you. It's true. I married 2 months ago to a good man, Ethan Marshall. We had met after the war and became friends. When I told him I was pregnant he told me he would marry me. Yes George, I'm pregnant. I give birth in about 5 months.
But you have to keep a secret for me. Ethan is not the father. I want you to understand the real reason for my actions. I work for MI5 and so does Ethan. We both understand the dangers. As of right now, Ethan has already been called in for another job. He is trying to pull strings so that I won't be called in anymore. Although I don't think it will work. I'm too valuable to them with my language skills. But Ethan should be back from Vienna next week with news.
Please don't judge me or think ill of me. John is the father. But you must promise me that you will never tell him. NEVER! They would use it against me and it may put him in danger and I can never do that to him. If anything happens to me, at least someone will now.
Please George you are the only one I can trust.
Sincerely,
Marguerite
"So Ethan is not really your grandfather? Lord John Roxton is?"
"Marguerite had a son. She called him William John in honor of his brother and John"
Catherine was stunned. The files that Mr. Forth found mentioned nothing of this. "So George kept the secret obviously. And Grandfather never knew this?"
"Well, by that time both Marguerite and Ethan had disappeared in a job they were on and George became William's guardian. But he still didn't say anything in hopes that one day they would return."
Catherine took out the files that she had been given. "The MI5 files say they were captured in Germany in 1941 by the Gestapo. They were never seen again."
"George still hoped. But on his deathbed he couldn't hold to the secret any longer. He asked for your grandfather William and gave him this letter. He told him that he sent a copy of this letter to Lord John with the changes to be made to William's birth certificate. Unfortunately John had gone on another safari deep in Africa from which he never returned."
"So he never learned the truth either."
"I'm afraid not, my dear. The letter was probably lost. And the changes never incorporated. So Father could do nothing."
"Couldn't he have gone to the Roxton estate and inquired about it?"
"He did, but because John had not returned from Africa there was nothing he could do. One letter was not enough since his parents were gone and George had passed. There was no way of proving the allegation. The Roxton estate went to one of John's cousins. And as much as we are the real heirs, we can't prove it. His cousin, James Roxton, inherited the title."
At that moment Mildred walked into the study. "Miss Catherine, there is a Mr. Forth on the phone for you."
"Thank you Mildred. I'll take the phone call. Excuse me Aunt."
"Good afternoon, Mr. Forth, plans have changed. I need you to look into any papers of a Professor George Edward Challenger. When can you have anything for me?"
"Miss Reilly, we may have uncovered something bigger than what we already have. It seems that your great-grandmother's child William John might be Lord John Roxton's son. We just found some letters!"