“She’s with me.”

“Get her away then… somewhere safe. As soon as you can.” He sounded frantic.

“I mean to.”

“Alice doesn’t know about any of this, does she?”

“Yes. You see, Maddy was there, in the alley holding Alice after she was wounded. They both heard Drayton issue the threat.” She wondered how to tell him. “Raymond, there’s something else – something Alice said. It’s the real reason I rang you.”

“You mean you’ve spoken with Alice?” The big man became excited. “They wouldn’t let me near her. No visitors yet, they said.”

“No, we haven’t been able to speak with her either. Maddy was all for going to the hospital, but I thought it was too dangerous, so I got an old friend of mine to talk with Alice.”

As Ray listened carefully to what she had to say, Ellen explained, “Her name is Connie. She cleans the wards there, in the post-surgical part, and by sheer luck, she managed to see Alice, just for a matter of minutes, that’s all. No, listen – please. Oh, damn!” Quickly dropping another coin into the slot, she told him everything.

“Alice is beside herself with worry. She told my friend that Maddy must be deceived into believing she had not survived, that they had not been able to save her. It must have been a hard thing for her to ask, but as I’ve already had the devil of a job trying to dissuade Maddy from going to the hospital, I’m sure Alice did the right thing. She obviously knows her better than anyone so, may God forgive me, I told Maddy what Alice wanted her to believe.”

For a while, Raymond made no response. And then, in a quiet voice he told Ellen that yes, Alice did know Maddy better than anyone, and yes, to his mind also, she had done the right thing. “Alice loves her like a daughter, and however much she might want her near, her only concern would have been for Maddy, and the child.”

Greatly relieved, Ellen explained how Maddy nonetheless was insisting on staying in the area to oversee “official” things with regard to Alice. “You know what I mean?” she said in a whisper. “She means to stay until Alice has been properly laid to rest.”

Raymond did not hesitate. “Please, go back and tell Maddy that she’s to leave everything to me; and that I would be honored to take care of Alice.” In truth, to love and honor Alice was the uppermost thing on his mind, so he wasn’t really lying.

Thanking him, Ellen assured Raymond that she would contact him later, when they were more settled.

For now though, she had yet another call to make, which was short and to the point. And she made it immediately.

“Hi, Grandad, it’s me – Ellen.”

The old man was delighted to hear from her. He was even more delighted when she told him she was on her way to see him, and that she was bringing a friend to stay for a while.

Maddy was already at the door when Ellen returned. “What did Raymond say?” she entreated Ellen. “Will he take care of her?”

Seeing how pale and drawn she was, Ellen thought it best to make their move within the hour. “Everything is organized.” She slid an arm round Maddy’s shoulders. “Raymond said he would be honored to take care of Alice, and that I should get you to safety as soon as possible. Oh, and you mustn’t worry about money.”

Her mind was made up. “We’d best be away, Maddy… the sooner the better, like now!” Holding Maddy’s shivering body, and looking into those bloodshot and sorry dark eyes, Ellen feared for the other girl’s state of mind.

All Maddy could think of was Alice. “Dear Raymond, he’ll look after Alice, I know he will. And when this is all over, I’ll maybe see where she… where…”

She could not bring herself to say it, because the idea of looking down at a headstone with Alice’s name on it, was more than she could bear.

The girls spent a couple of hours packing and tidying up the house, making all safe and secure. Ellen took all her important documents with her, not knowing when she would be back. Fortunately, Maddy had her checkbook and her handbag, with a few mementoes in the bottom, but that was all.

In no time at all, they were on their way to Euston station.

Deep in thought, Maddy had little to say during the journey. The London traffic was thickening by the minute, as rush hour approached. Their cab frequently stopped and started, heading down the City Road toward the Angel and Pentonville Road, then on to King’s Cross and Euston. Maddy observed the office workers, errand boys and deliverymen, and wondered how it was that something so bad could have happened such a short time ago, and all those people could just go about their normal lives, unaffected, unaware.

The world kept turning, she thought sorrowfully. Day followed night, and life went on as usual.

As they drew up at the lights opposite Eversholt Street, her quiet gaze strayed to the large, handsome church which stood like a sentry guarding the corner of Upper Woburn Place.

Maddy was deeply drawn to it. “I’ll catch you up in the forecourt – near platform thirteen,” she cried, grabbing her bag and coat. In a moment she was hurriedly climbing out of the taxi. “Don’t worry. I’ll find you. I just need a minute, okay?”

Afraid that her friend had a mind to run away, Ellen tried to take hold of her and pull her back inside, but she was too late. Then, as the lights changed and the traffic began to hoot behind them, she realized she’d have to get out too.

Frantically fishing through her bag, she gave the driver a five-pound note, then heaved herself and the big suitcase out on to the pavement. And then she was hurrying after her friend, who was dodging round the corner and up the steps of St. Pancras Church.

“Maddy… wait!” Ellen panted, but the other girl had already disappeared.

Lugging the suitcase after her, Ellen puffed around the corner, to the huge, imposing double doors of St. Pancras Church, and went inside. It was only a minute or so before she spied Maddy. Kneeling in the front pew, her head was bowed and hands clasped in prayer, the soft sound of her crying echoing eerily from the walls.

Quietly, so as not to disturb her, Ellen slid into the back pew, and sat on the hard wooden seat, her eyes on Maddy, and her heart sore.

She herself had only known Alice for five minutes, but she had recognized a good woman when she saw one. Alice had been Maddy’s confidante, and it was common knowledge that in the absence of any family of her own, she had loved and cared for The Songbird as a mother would.

That love had been proven in Alice’s selfless act when, at a time when she needed her most, she had sent Maddy away.

Ellen could only imagine Maddy’s pain right now. And so she waited, and watched, until Maddy was able to continue the journey that would take her further away from everything she knew and loved.

Unaware that Ellen was just a few steps behind her, Maddy prayed through her pain. Gazing up at the statue of Jesus on the cross, she was deeply moved by the loving eyes that seemed to look right into her soul. She observed the wounds on His hands and feet, and a sense of wonder flowed through her.

She sighed, a deeply felt sigh that drained her emotions. “You took so much away from me, Lord – my family, my place in this world of Yours. Everything I knew… it’s all gone.” She paused awhile, to think of Alice; the comfort she had brought and the wisdom she shared. “You gave me Alice, and oh, I loved her so much. And now, for some reason I don’t understand, You’ve taken her away from me.”

Passing her hand over the place where her baby lay, she whispered, “But You’ve given me Ellen, and You’ve given me something else, too, something so very precious.”

She pressed the palm of her hand over the tiny shape. “This baby is a new life, a new start. Someone of my own, who I can love and cherish, and take care of, for the rest of my life. And I thank You for that, Lord.”