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the past,” Mother Elizabeth said. But she could see the distress in Hattie’s eyes and how much she cared about her sister. “And how would you propose to pay for the trip? We don’t have funds for anything like that, and I can’t justify it to the bishop on our books. I suppose your sister would be willing to pay for the trip.”

Hattie shook her head. “She doesn’t know that I want to go. I don’t want to raise her hopes, and then disappoint her if I can’t find anything out.”

“Which is more than likely,” Mother Elizabeth reminded her.

“I have a small trust left from my parents. I wasn’t able to transfer it to the Church. I had to follow the conditions of the trust. I left it for the benefit of my nephew when I took my vows, and to my sister, if anything happened to him. I’ve never touched it, and it could cover the trip.”

“And how long would this take?”

“Maybe a few weeks. I could go when all the sisters go to the lake house in the Adirondacks, if you allow it.” The superior sat silently for several minutes, thinking, while Hattie waited, praying that she would look favorably on the request.

“This is a very unusual proposal, Sister. I’d have to send you alone. I can’t spare anyone to go with you. We need all the younger sisters to help with the older ones at the lake. And I want to remind you of how quickly people jump to criticize the Church, unjustly. There have been stories about those convents, trying to malign them, claiming there was greed and profit involved. I am certain that’s not true. Only grateful people donating honestly to the Church. I don’t want you getting caught up in any controversy, or becoming confused about our motives and theirs. Those nuns who ran the convents that took those young girls in provided a loving service to all concerned, homes for the babies no one wanted, and a place where the unwed mothers could take refuge, to spare their reputations, and their families’. The couples who were unable to have children of their own went home with an infant in their arms, to give them a solid future and a good life. The motives involved were entirely pure. But I also understand your wish to help your sister find her way back from a very dark place. Losing her son must have been heartbreaking for her. Did their marriage recover?”

Hattie shook her head in answer. “He left her and married someone else. She didn’t fight it. She was frozen in grief at the time, and she’s alone.” Hattie had the feeling that if Melissa had remarried, Mother Elizabeth wouldn’t have looked favorably on the request. She didn’t want to indulge curiosity or a whim, but she was willing to help heal the broken heart of a mother who had lost both husband and son. And maybe, as Hattie hoped, this would help, although nothing would bring her sister’s son back, or turn back the clock for the baby girl she’d given up. But perhaps the truth would free her aching heart. It was the only reason Mother Elizabeth would allow Sister Mary Joseph to go.

The mother superior looked stern for a moment. “I would prefer that you not discuss this with anyone, Sister. We will say that you are going on a mission for the order, and we are sending you to visit a convent in Ireland to carry it out. Whatever you discover, you are not to discuss it with the Sisters here when you come back. This is a personal mission, which is very unusual. But I know how hard you work at the hospital, how much you do for our community, and the miracles you managed, saving children’s lives at the hospital in Kenya. I won’t agree to anything like this again. Is that understood?”

“Yes, Mother,” she said obediently. Her heart was beating furiously in her chest. She didn’t know how she’d done it, but she had convinced her and gotten approval for the trip.

“And anything unpleasant you discover, if that should happen, remains between us. You may go when we move to the lake house, and I want you back in two weeks, three weeks at the absolute most. And I want you to report in to me periodically while you’re away. Don’t just wander around Ireland like a free spirit. You’re to stay at the convents you visit, not in local hotels. I will give you a letter from me, sanctioning your mission, but not explaining what it is. Remember who you are, and where your loyalties lie now. We are your family. You are engaging in a compassionate mission for your sister. But she is no longer your primary allegiance. We are Sisters in Christ, as you are also with the nuns in the convents you’ll be visiting. You must remain loyal to them too. This is not a fact-finding mission, to criticize what happened in those convents long ago. You are looking for information about the child your sister gave up, and that’s all. Keep that in mind when you go.”

“Yes, Mother, I will.” But from what she said, Hattie could easily figure out that the mother superior had heard things about those convents too. Most of it had happened before her day, but they must have still been in operation when she was young in the order herself. No matter how pure they were supposed to be, there were always rumors and gossip in the Church. Even those committed to the religious life were human too. It had been true when the rumors began about guilty priests. It was human nature to talk. And even convents weren’t exempt from gossips. In fact sometimes quite the reverse. And there had been whispers about the mother and baby homes for years.

Hattie left her office a few minutes later, and nearly flew. She kissed the mother superior’s hand before