Chapter Text
"She will be alright, won't she, Matey? It... I suppose it IS the only option?"
The young voice was as near tears as Gwynneth had ever heard it. She couldn't answer for a moment, the emotion of the past few weeks had taken it's toll on her just as much as her young charge. She replied with a briskness that was still gentle, to those in the know. She had watched this girl grow up, and all of her charges gave her an element of motherly feeling, and in this case the school family connection made it all the more. However' right' within the morals of the day, the action just taken was a brave and very difficult one.
"She'll have a wonderful life, and parents who will love her as their own. She'll never know anything about it. They're going to tell everyone she's theirs, born abroad. Luckily they've been out of the country - for a few months anyway - so there's no one to realise it isn't true."
Her companion blinked back tears, and became suddenly interested in the countryside outside of the train carriage. Gwynneth, understanding the reasons, didn't press her for any more conversation, but busied herself to get them ready for the next swop of trains. Once all was prepared, she fell into a thoughtful silence.
It had accidentally worked out quite well for maintaining the secrecy needed in these types of affairs. The long summer holiday, timed just right to cover the last months of an unusually symptomless pregnancy. The timing of the couple to be returning from a long trip abroad, and Gwyneth meeting them just after discovering the news. Their obvious delight at the possibility of a baby finally swaying her charge to agree to give the baby up. However much she struggled with it at the last, they both knew that it was the right decision. At her age, the young girl knew that this wasn't something she could cope with. She didn't even think she wanted a family, or children at all, and now this sudden surprise, born of an innocence about how to prevent such things.
Matey felt responsible, it was something she should have prepared more of the girls for, the temptations of boys and the risks. She should have realised before, been aware of the possibility. She had been shocked beyond measure when she realised how far along the girl had been at the end of term. It was so very rare that pregnancies went unnoticed like this, showed so few signs until the sudden last few weeks when it had become obvious. The excitable, immature 'child' that this young mother still was just wasn't ready, wasn't able to cope. It was better all round this way.
The quiet, gentle lady and earnest seeming man who'd taken the girl had promised to keep them informed, and Gwynneth had accepted on the proviso that they sent any information to her, not the girl. She wanted her young charge if at all possible to forget what had happened, and she knew that if her family found out they would chase the child down, take her in as one of their own. That wouldn't be fair, either to the couple who were the little girl's new parents, or to the children of the rest of the family, which had a nursery full to bursting as it was. No, this was the best way, all round.
The father would perhaps have objected, but he hadn't been informed, simply because everything had happened so quickly. In fact Gwynneth herself didn't know who he was, although she had her suspicions. She was far from sure of the solidity of a man who would be so risky with a girl so young, and she didn't want the girl to be pressured into marriage and a family if she didn't want them.
No. It was for the best.