Chapter 22

A week later Adam arrived home with a letter from the bank in New York addressed to Miss Pearce.

They were alone in the big room.

"What on earth could this be about now?" Meg wondered. "From Mr. Welles I suppose. He's lucky to have found that I was still here."

"Well, you'll need to open it to find out." Adam said in amusement.

Meg tore the envelope open and found a letter and another envelope inside. "This is intriguing. I wonder….. I know open it and find out."

Adam smiled on.

Meg read the letter out to Adam.

"Dear Miss Pearce, I must apologise for not sending this to you earlier, but have just discovered it in our archive room. The attached letter has been in our possession for some years. The gentleman who took charge of it has since retired. There was a note pinned to it, saying 'left here by a woman, with instructions to send it on following the death of Mr. Thomas Pearce'."

"This is all very mysterious. This envelope is a little heavy for just a letter. Alright, alright, I'll open the other envelope." Meg said, giving Adam a stern look. She read on…

January 18th, 1836, Medford, Massachusetts.

My Dearest Child,

How it grieves me that I shall never know you or watch you grow to adulthood. But be assured you and your mother are my only thoughts as I lay here losing my struggle for life.

Because of my situation I felt I wanted you to know something of me and of my dreams, we should all have them, you know. Your mother is four months pregnant and if I have a son, I would wish him to be named David James, after me, and if a girl, Margaret Jane after my mother and my wife, your mother, who has looked after me faithfully during my illness.

Meg was not been able to continue reading the letter as she suddenly burst into tears, dropping the letter into her lap. Adam was at her side in a moment and took the letter from her. When he began to read it, he understood her tears and continued reading aloud from where Meg had stopped.

First, let me tell you about me. I worked as a Bank Manager for most of my working life, but that I also have a love of the arts, that is music, art, literature and took great pleasure in playing the organ in church each Sunday. I thank my parents for allowing me to learn to play, as it must have cost them quite a bit for my tutelage. I was hoping to be able to teach you to love these things too, as such a great deal of satisfaction is gained from these accomplishments.

I was given a very good education and was accepted at College, where I gained my literary degree. I would have loved to become a writer, but this was not to be. However, I just hope I have been able to pass on my love of these things to you my Dearest Child.

I have told your mother not to grieve too long after my passing. That I want her to find another man, who will love her and adopt my child. I pray to God that this will be so. It's not an easy life for a woman alone with a child.

I have asked your mother to enclose my pocket watch for you in the hope that when the time comes you will be able to pass it on when you have a son of your own. Be it the only thing of true value that I have. I say value, but my only real true value in my life is you and your mother.

I wish you love and happiness in your life. I only wish that I could have been there for you. Alas this was not to be.

Your loving father

David James

Adam wrapped his arms around Meg. "Oh my love, what a revelation, but think sweetheart what a wonderful shock it is. That devil was not your father, not related by blood at all. Your mother must have left this letter with the bank, once she realised what he was really like. Felt it was safer to be in someone else's hands. No doubt, if he had found it, it would have been destroyed and you would never have known who your real father was. What foresight your mother had."

Adam held up the envelope and saw an object wrapped in a thin material. He opened it up and held up the pocket watch for Meg to see. She was still blinded by tears and not able to focus just then. He lifted Meg out of the chair, sat in it himself and gently pulled Meg onto his lap. She immediately clutched him tight and laid her face against his chest, wetting his shirt with her tears. His arms around her gave her such comfort and soon found that she was no longer crying, just quietly resting there.

"Oh Adam, I have such mixed emotions. My mother not daring to tell me that Thomas Pearce was not my true father. How she must have feared him. And then hearing of the loss of my father, David James. And hearing of his life and dreams, and then the watch. And now I know who I really am. Oh Adam, I can't take it all in."

"I know and understand, but do you know what this means?" Adam said in soft velvet tones.

"What?" Meg asked, still clinging to Adam.

"You now have a full name, Margaret Jane James and we know how old you are." Adam said, trying desperately to bring her out of the shock of it all. "And we know where your thirst for knowledge, love of music and literature came from. From your father. That's such a comfort to know."

I wonder if he went to Harvard, being it's not that far away from Medford."

"Oh, yes it is. Just wonderful. But we don't have an actual birth date, do we."

"I think we can still use June as the month, but I would love, now, to make it the 18th in memory of your father's letter. How would you feel about that?"

"Oh, yes Adam. Thank you. You have such good thoughts all the time. Yes the 18th. So we have June 18, 1836. It's now 1862. So that makes me twenty-six years of age."

"It certainly does, and just right for me." He said, kissing away the last of her tears. "Everyone is going to be so happy for you, that you now know who you really are."

"Adam?"

"Yes, sweetheart."

"Can we find out more about my father, David James, do you think. Not right now, I need time to let all of this sink in." Meg asked, still holding firmly onto Adam.

"Of course. Whenever you're ready. We might even take a long trip to Medford one day, to find out more. It might be that you have relatives there. What do you think?" Adam said, still holding Meg firmly, never wanting to let her go.

"Thank you Adam….. for everything."