had been ordered to provide housing and meals for the British and Hessian troops stationed in Queens and Suffolk counties, not an arrangement they relished, but they had put up with the invaders to protect their homes and loved ones. Quinn didn’t find any references to the town of Milford, possibly because it no longer existed or may have been renamed or absorbed into a larger township of a different name. And given what she’d seen of the town and shoreline, it was impossible to tell which part of Long Island it had been located in. The only thing she thought she knew for certain was that it hadn’t been on the shore of the Long Island Sound.
Likewise, there was no mention of either Jocelyn Sinclair or Ben and Derek Wilder, but she hadn’t really expected there to be. Few civilians made it into the history books unless they had done something heroic or met with a gruesome end that had resulted in repercussions that couldn’t be ignored, sparking change or outright rebellion. Disappointed, Quinn shut the laptop and was about to put the kettle on when the doorbell rang.
A young woman stood on the step, a curtain of hair obscuring her face as she looked down at her phone, a bag slung over her shoulder. She looked up when Quinn opened the door, her gaze anxious. Quinn smiled, her heart simultaneously leaping with nervousness and joy. The visitor was a few years older than the last time Quinn had seen her, her hair now had coppery streaks, and her face was no longer that of an adolescent girl but a young woman, but Quinn would know Daisy Crawford anywhere. At first glance, she didn’t resemble her birth mother, but the tilt of her head, the direct way she looked at Quinn, and the defiant angle of her chin were pure Jo.
“I’m sorry,” Daisy began as she shoved the phone into the pocket of her jacket. “I don’t know if you remember me.” Daisy looked lost for a moment, probably second-guessing her decision to come.
“Of course I remember you. I’m so glad to see you, Daisy. Do come in. I was about to make a cup of tea. Have you eaten?”
“No,” Daisy said softly, visibly relieved that Quinn wasn’t angry with her.
“Come through to the kitchen,” Quinn invited as they entered the house. “I can make us some sandwiches, or an omelet, if you prefer.” Quinn had eaten a yogurt before going to collect the children and suddenly realized she was quite hungry.
“It doesn’t matter,” Daisy said. “Whatever you were going to have is fine with me.” She set her bag down on a chair and came to stand by the worktop, leaning against it just as Jo had done when she visited Quinn.
“Ham and cheese?” Quinn asked. “I got a taste for it while I was in America. They really do go well together, especially with a slice of tomato and a bit of mustard or mayonnaise.”
“Sure. Sounds good.”
“Are you in London by yourself?” Quinn asked. Daisy should have been at school, but Quinn didn’t want to sound accusatory or overly maternal. It wasn’t her place.
“I’m meant to be home sick,” Daisy replied. “I’m not, though,” she added hastily. “You don’t have to worry about me being around the children.”
Quinn nodded. The thought had crossed her mind, but she didn’t want to admit it. “So, what brings you to London?” Daisy would have taken the train from Leicester, so she must have had a plan when she set off.
Daisy averted her eyes, her cheeks turning a lovely shade of rose. Quinn noticed that she was clasping her hands anxiously. “I needed to speak to you. I hope you don’t mind me showing up like this.”
“Of course not,” Quinn said, although she was a bit baffled by Daisy’s sudden arrival.
Daisy took a deep breath. “I don’t even know where to start.”
She looked so nervous; Quinn felt a wave of sympathy for her. She couldn’t begin to imagine what had brought Daisy to her door but didn’t want to rush her. She’d tell Quinn the reason for her visit in her own time. They hadn’t seen each other since Jo’s funeral, two and a half years before, and even then, they hadn’t really spoken to each other. The Crawfords had left immediately after the burial, and there’d been no contact since. As far as Daisy was concerned, Quinn was her absentee aunt’s long-lost sister, not someone she’d have reason to seek