Free Who Was Angela Zendalic by Mary Cavanagh Page A

disgusted that she’d been treated with such inhumanity.
    On Angela’s arrival at Nelson Street a crowd of neighbours were waiting on the kerbside in full royal visit style, gasping with wonder at the sight of the fancy car and impressive nanny. Thereafter, nearly every mother in Jericho turned up to ooh and aah over the sleeping bundle; all to bring even more hand-knitted garments, or bags of ‘good’ things their own daughters had grown out of long ago. A small white bible gifted from Father and Mrs Reynolds, a toy panda from Dr and Mrs Peck, and a satin pram eiderdown from The Mother’s Union. They all stood in smiling delight over the adorable little infant, to touch her curls, to run their fingers down her smooth café au lait cheeks, and to declare in one voice that she was ‘a real beauty’.
    â€˜Do you know,’ Edie said, holding her up to the light at six weeks old, ‘I do believe she’s going to have blue eyes. Who ever heard of that?’
    Miss Glover, the health visitor, also took a look. ‘You might be right, Mrs Zendalic. That’s very odd. I had quite a few coloured babies through my hands when I worked in London, but I’ve never seen it before. How stunning. She’s quite light skinned as well, so I guess the mother must have been a real English rose.’
    â€˜Miss Glover.’
    â€˜Yes, Mrs Zendalic.’
    â€˜Stan and I want to go forward with full adoption of her, all legal and above board. We’ve had a word with our daughter and she’s ever so happy for us to go ahead, so we’d be grateful if you can start the ball rolling as soon as possible. We love her so much the thought of her being taken away is making us feel quite sick.’
    â€˜One step at a time, Mrs Zendalic. Let’s see how things go.’
    â€˜No, Miss Glover. We don’t want to wait. I’m off to see Dr Peck in the morning and I’ll expect full support from you.’

June 1954
Jericho
    J une 18th, 1954
     Dear Mrs Davidson,
    I have received a letter from Mr and Mrs Zendalic’s solicitor concerning your daughter, Angela Josephine Fleur Davidson, who has been in their care for six months now. The letter states that ‘with every day they love the baby more and more, and it would break their hearts if the mother ever took her away.’
    At the start of negotiations the Zendalics were apparently told that legal adoption was the long-term plan for Angela, and thus they have put themselves forward. They have been in discussions with their adult daughter, who is fully supportive of her parent’s request.
    The letter also states that character references will be provided by their local vicar, their GP, their child welfare officer, and various other people of trust including, ‘Miss Peggy Edwards, Senior Librarian,’ whom I know to be yourself. This is a very odd situation indeed. However, I would like you to consider this option very carefully in the interest of the child, and naturally the whole matter will be treated with the utmost security.
    If you agree to go ahead, the Zendalics will have to go through the interview process required by the appropriate adoption board, but I feel sure it will only be a formality. Once approval is granted her original birth certificate and file will be kept ad infinitum, by the Children’s Department of Harrow District Council. A new birth certificate will be issued with the surname Zendalic, and their own choice of Christian names, dated and recorded on the final day of the legal completion.
    Please might I have your views on this matter as soon as possible, so I can liaise with Mr and Mrs Zendalic’s solicitor?
    Yours sincerely,
    Sidney Sanderson
    Peggy passed the letter to Ted, and he read it slowly without comment. ‘It’s the first I’ve heard of it. I’ve been in and out all week and there wasn’t even a hint of anything going on.’
    She