Georgia turned away and looked in the mirror again. "I remember a woman leaving me at the school, but she never came back for me."
"She couldn't, your father forbid it."
"She could have found a way if she wanted to."
"Adelaide wanted to very much. She just couldn't. She was the one who told your grandfather about you."
Georgia fought back years of repressed tears. "She wasn't my mother anyway. Did my father forbid my mother to come too?"
"I don't know, why don't you ask him?"
She scoffed. "Ask him to tell the truth? He has lied about me all these years; why would he tell the truth now?"
"You're right. Yet, you have the advantage. You can keep him from getting his hands on your grandfather's money. If you do that, everything he has done will have been for naught."
Georgia turned around to face Jackie again. "Would my mother try to keep me from getting it?"
"I don't know that either. I do know that at the reading of your grandfather's will, she did not recognize your name."
"What?"
"I'll gladly show you the video."
"How could she not know my name?"
"We think Mathew told her you died at birth. Please, Georgia, don't let you father win."
Georgia took a deep breath, slowly let it out and rubbed her forehead. "All I have to do is claim the money?"
"That and give us a blood sample so we can prove who you are. After that, all you have to do is show up in court."
"And that's all? I can give the money away, go back to England and be happy, finally?"
"You can do anything you want. We'll even take you there in our private jet."
At length, Georgia sighed. "Does Austin know who I am?"
"Michael is telling him now. He is handling the lawsuit on behalf of you and your grandfather, and he's the one who hired us to find you. I'm sure he's delighted to know who you really are."
"He might not be as delighted as you think."
"Would you like to meet your parents now? I'd be happy to introduce you."
*
In the empty, well-lit mail center, Teresa opened the mailbox she rented, and pulled out the package she sent to herself. She stepped behind a counter, dropped the shawl on the floor, and then ripped the package open. Next, she pulled the skirt of her gown up and ripped the taped baggie off her leg.
"Ouch," she moaned. She pulled stretch jeans on under the dress, unzipped the gown, and let it fall to the floor. As fast as she could, she pulled a sweatshirt on over her head and traded Laura's heels for tennis shoes. At last, she was dressed in unremarkable dark clothing. She put the cash in her purse, checked to make certain her ID and airline tickets were there, put a blonde wig on over her pinned up hair, and then stuffed everything else in an upright trashcan.