Father Unknown Read Online Free

that she had used it, or of the result.
    Suzie did not enjoy her fillet of sole in the Angel’s restaurant overlooking the cathedral as much as she should have done. It was far superior to the sandwich she would normally have had before setting off to the Record Office. Her mind was still racing, but it was three hours yet before Millie would be home.
    She came back to the present to find Prudence ordering two cokes.
    â€˜Not for me,’ she said hastily. ‘I’ll just have water.’
    What she really wanted was a glass of dry white wine, to still the waves of panic which were washing over her. But she didn’t know Prudence well enough yet to judge whether ordering wine would be a faux pas.
    â€˜Make that one coke, one mineral water.’
    â€˜Just tap water for me, please.’ Better not to get into what she thought of the bottled water industry. She forced a smile for her generous host. ‘How was your morning in the cathedral?’
    She let Prudence’s enthusiasm wash over her.
    It was a relief to enter the hushed atmosphere of the Record Office’s search room. There was a twinge of guilt as she felt the tension of the present begin to slip from her. There was nothing she could do about Millie yet. She could allow herself to sink into the comforting arms of the eighteenth century and the search for Prudence’s family.
    In the panic of this morning, she had forgotten to bring with her the reference numbers of the documents they needed. Her mind was beginning to steady as she located them on the catalogue. She took the file number of the apprenticeship to the help desk.
    The archivist who took it was unfamiliar to her. He didn’t give her the helpful smile she was expecting.
    â€˜This is an apprenticeship indenture.’
    â€˜Yes. I found it on A2A.’
    â€˜You do know that all the relevant details are on the catalogue? You won’t find anything more in the original.’
    She felt the coldness of rejection. ‘I just thought . . . My friend here is over from the States. She won’t have seen one before. And there’s nothing quite like seeing the actual document, the signatures . . .’
    â€˜Where are you sitting?’ Still no smile.
    â€˜Table twenty.’
    He turned away without a word.
    Prudence’s lipsticked mouth made a comic parody of reprimand. ‘Guess I’m making a nuisance of myself.’
    â€˜Don’t mind him. They try to avoid getting out the originals as much as they can. With so many of us doing family history now, the documents would fall apart if they didn’t digitize things. But you ought to see the real thing at least once.’
    She couldn’t deny the thrill when the document arrived and they unrolled the long scroll.
    Prudence began to read it aloud, her voice shaking slightly. ‘ This Indenture made the Twelfth Day of April in the Twentieth Year of the Reign of our Sovereign Lord George the Second by the Grace of God, of Great Britain, France, and Ireland King, Defender of the Faith, and so forth. My, doesn’t that sound grand!’
    â€˜And here’s the names of the churchwardens and the Overseers of the Poor.’
    But Prudence was running ahead of her. ‘ Do put and place Adam Clayson, a poor Child of the said Parish, Apprentice to Thomas Sandford of Norworthy in the same Parish to dwell and serve from the Day of the Date of these Presents, until the said Apprentice shall accomplish his full Age of Twenty four Years. You said twenty-one.’
    â€˜I thought it was. But listen to this: During all which term, the said Apprentice his said Master faithfully shall serve in all lawful Business according to his Power, Wit, and Ability; and honestly, orderly, and obediently in all Things demean and behave himself towards his said Master and all his during the said Term. ’
    â€˜And what does old Thomas Sandford get to do in return?’ Prudence was warming to the search.