CHAPTER 15

The passenger train rocked back and forth as it chugged along the tracks. Seated in the sparsely populated second car, Julia swayed along with the rhythm. Lulled by the monotonous click-clack, she fought to keep her eyes open. Another symptom of pregnancy, she’d discovered, was the insatiable need for sleep. She’d never taken so many naps in her life.

Beside her, Quinn drummed his fingers on his thigh. It appeared his relief at Harry’s recovery had been short-lived, replaced now by anxiety over Becky’s fate.

Julia had prayed every night for this girl she’d never met. If Becky had been mistreated at her place of employment, Julia wasn’t sure how Quinn would take it.

“So,” Quinn said quietly about half an hour into their trip, “you were going to tell me about the man we met in the hospital. Dr. Hawkins, I believe his name was.”

Julia stiffened on her seat, the hard back pressing into her spine. It had been several days since their run-in at the hospital, and she’d hoped Quinn had forgotten about him.

Apparently not.

She took a breath in preparation for the unpleasant conversation ahead. “Dr. Hawkins was Sam’s physician. He came to the house quite often.”

Quinn frowned. “I thought Dr. Clayborne was Sam’s doctor.”

“Dr. Clayborne oversaw Sam’s physical therapy, but Dr. Hawkins took care of all his other medical needs. I . . . I worked closely with him in order to make sure I was giving Sam the best care possible.”

“I see.”

Julia dropped her gaze to her hands, which were clasped on her lap. “When I found Sam that terrible morning, Dr. Hawkins was the first person I called. After he’d dealt with matters, he could see I was terribly distraught and prescribed some medication to help my nerves. I was grateful to him for handling things and for taking care of me.” She paused to consider her next words.

Quinn frowned. “Then why did you seem so afraid of him?”

Julia sucked in a breath. How could she explain her aversion to the man? A man Sam had trusted implicitly. “After Sam’s death, Dr. Hawkins was very attentive. He checked in to see how I was doing and ask whether or not the medication was helping.” She hesitated. “Unfortunately, he became a little more . . . friendly than I wanted.”

Quinn’s eyes widened. “He made advances to you?”

She nodded, looking away for fear he would see there was much more to the story.

“But he’s married. I saw his ring.” Outrage rang in Quinn’s voice.

“Clearly that doesn’t stop some men.”

“I’m so sorry, Julia.” His voice was low. “You shouldn’t have had to deal with that. Especially at a time when you were grieving and vulnerable.”

She nodded. “Thankfully, I had Dr. Clayborne to turn to. He was nothing but kind and respectful. Knowing I was out of work, he helped me get a job at the hospital. And he insisted I stay with him and his wife until I could find somewhere to live.” She glanced over at Quinn. “If not for him, I don’t know where I’d have gone.”

“I’m glad you had one decent person to help you.”

“And now I have you.” She placed a hand on his arm. “An honorable man looking out for the best interest of his family.” Julia often thought how wonderful it would be to have a partner like Quinn to share all the challenges that lay ahead. Some nights, fear of the unknown kept her awake until the wee hours of the morning. Only her faith that God would take care of her allowed her to keep going. “Your siblings are lucky.”

“I’m not so certain.” He scowled. “I haven’t exactly lived up to my father’s expectations.”

“Don’t you think you’re being too hard on yourself?”

Quinn turned serious gray eyes on her. “If anything, not hard enough.”

“Well, while I’m around, I’m going to keep reminding you that you’re doing your best. And that your best is more than enough.”

Quinn could have stared into Julia’s luminous brown eyes for the rest of the trip. Having her champion him as some sort of hero warmed the cold places in his heart. However, he couldn’t allow himself to bask in her praise. Not until he had Harry, Becky, and Cecil all safely back home with their mother.

Maybe then the gaping void inside him would be filled.

Maybe then he could finally relax and simply breathe.

The train chugged to a halt, dragging Quinn’s attention to the window. The Peterborough station slid into view, a low, brown-bricked building with black trim. An instant rumble of nerves shot through his stomach.

Please, Lord, let me find Becky without any problems, and please let her be all right.

As if sensing his thoughts, Julia squeezed his hand. “Let’s go find your sister.”

Quinn swallowed, his throat tight, and with a quick nod rose to escort Julia to the platform below. Once inside the station, he asked directions to Hazelbrae.

“It’s called the Margaret Cox Home for Girls now,” the clerk told him. “But it’s right up the road to the left. The big house on top of the hill. You can’t miss it.”

A few minutes later, as they climbed the steep road, the majesty of the residence almost stole Quinn’s breath. A far cry from the narrow Barnardo building in downtown Toronto, this house sprawled on a wide expanse of property. Some rich benefactor must have bestowed this land to be used for children. How else could a home for orphans afford such luxury?

As they reached the front door, Quinn stopped to wait for Julia.

“It’s magnificent,” she breathed. “I hadn’t pictured anything so grand.”

“Nor did I. I’m going to take this as a positive sign that Becky has had good care.” He looked down at her. “Are you ready?”

“Ready.”

“Right, then. After you.” He held the door open for her to enter. She tilted her chin, gathered her skirts, and swept in the door.

Quinn blinked, certain he’d just witnessed Julia putting on her battle armor, and in that instant, he was very glad he’d agreed to let her do the talking. He tugged his waistcoat into place and followed her inside.

“Good day, ma’am,” Julia said to the woman at the reception desk. Her aristocratic tone held exactly the right mixture of cheerfulness and steel, much like Lady Brentwood when she spoke to the servants. “We’d like to speak with the directress, if you’d be so kind.”

The woman removed her spectacles, a slight frown wrinkling her brow. “May I ask what this is about?”

“It concerns one of the girls who was sent here.”

The woman opened her mouth, most likely to argue, but Julia cut her off. “I understand your need for privacy and that you aren’t able to give out certain information, which is why we wish to speak to the directress herself.”

Quinn held his cap in front of him, willing himself not to fidget.

The woman’s lips pinched together as she rose. “One moment and I’ll see if Mrs. Whitaker has time to see you.”

As soon as they were alone, Quinn let out a long breath. “What is your plan if she’s not available?”

“We’ll have to play it by ear.” She turned to him, a mischievous twinkle in her eyes. “If all else fails, you might have to use your good looks to charm the lady.”

He blinked at her. Was Julia flirting with him?

Footsteps sounded as the receptionist returned. “Mrs. Whitaker can spare five minutes. If you’ll follow me, please.”

Without waiting for them, she spun and headed back down the hallway.

Quinn gave himself a shake, pulling his thoughts away from this confident, flirtatious Julia and how pretty she looked today. He needed to concentrate on this meeting. His sister’s well-being could depend on it.

The receptionist stopped in front of an open door and gestured for them to enter. Quinn waited for Julia to precede him into the room.

Behind a rather cluttered desk, a middle-aged woman rose. “Good afternoon. I’m Mrs. Whitaker, the directress.” She looked at Quinn first, so he stepped forward.

“I’m Quinten Aspinall, and this is Miss Julia Holloway.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Mrs. Whitaker,” Julia said with a charming smile. “You have a beautiful residence here.”

A bit of the wariness left the woman’s face. “Thank you. We’re quite proud of it. Won’t you have a seat?”

As soon as they did, Mrs. Whitaker looked at Quinn. “From your surname, Mr. Aspinall, I believe I can surmise why you’re here.” One brow rose. “You must be a relative of Rebecca Aspinall.”

“Yes, ma’am. I’m her older brother.” He paused. Admitting he was here to make sure his sister wasn’t being mistreated wouldn’t get him very far. “I’ve come to see how she’s doing and to give her news of our mother.”

“Your mother? Rebecca wasn’t an orphan when she came to our organization?”

“No, ma’am. My mother was left a widow with four children to raise on her own.”

Julia leaned forward on her chair. “Quinn went to work to help support the family, but for the last few years, he’s been away at war.”

Mrs. Whitaker murmured something sympathetic. “This war has been a terrible tragedy for both our countries.”

“Indeed it has.” Quinn straightened against the seat.

Julia glanced over at him, then focused back on the directress. “You can imagine Quinn’s distress when he returned to England only to learn that his younger siblings had been sent to Canada. That, on top of his mother’s ill health, was almost too much to bear.” Julia took out a handkerchief from her handbag and dabbed at her eyes.

Quinn tensed. Julia was laying it on rather thick. Mrs. Whitaker seemed to be a clever woman, one who wouldn’t be taken in by dramatics.

Before Julia could say anything more, he jumped in. “I’ve come to ask your help in finding my sister, ma’am. I need to know she’s all right and to tell her I’ve found our brothers.”

“You have? Were they also sent through Dr. Barnardo’s organization?”

“They were.”

“And the people in charge told you where your brothers were placed?”

Quinn hesitated. How could he answer this question without incriminating someone?

“I can’t tell you how much seeing his brothers has eased Quinn’s mind,” Julia added quickly, as though she feared he might say something to jeopardize their mission. “Now, if we can just do the same for Becky, he’ll be able to give his mother the good news that her children are doing well.” She gave the woman a watery smile.

Mrs. Whitaker looked at her with a slight frown. “I’m sorry. I didn’t get your connection to the Aspinalls.”

Julia’s mouth fell open, and she blinked. “Really? I thought for certain we told you—”

“Julia is my fiancée,” Quinn interjected. He darted a quick glance at Julia, hoping she wouldn’t appear too shocked. Though he hated telling an untruth, he hoped he would be forgiven in this instance, with the gravity of Becky’s situation hanging in the balance.

Julia met his gaze, her cheeks growing pinker, then turned her focus back to the directress with a wide smile.

“Oh, I see. No wonder you’re so invested in his family.” Mrs. Whitaker beamed at them, then folded her hands on the desktop. “Normally, I’m reluctant to give out any information on our children, but I can see you’re concerned about your sister.” She released a sigh. “Let me assure you that Rebecca is doing very well. She has an excellent placement now, one that suits her in every way.”

Now? The hairs on Quinn’s neck rose. “What do you mean by ‘now’?” he all but growled. Only the weight of Julia’s hand on his arm kept him from jumping out of his chair.

“Nothing to worry about, Mr. Aspinall.” She twisted a pen through her fingers. “Rebecca had a bad fit with her first placement and returned here for several weeks until we found a more suitable home for her. That was about four years ago. Now she’s working for one of the most prestigious families in Peterborough.” She gave a laugh that was a touch too loud.

Quinn wanted to slam his hand on the desk and force the woman to give him the information he needed. But losing his temper would eliminate every chance of gaining the directress’s cooperation. At any rate, he’d learned Becky was living in Peterborough, which meant he wouldn’t have to travel to another destination. That much, at least, was good news.

“How wonderful,” Julia said. “Mrs. Whitaker, I hope you understand how much it would mean to see Becky in person. Would you be able to arrange that for us?”

The woman looked from Julia to Quinn. “I can’t guarantee anything, since it will be up to her employer, but I could contact them and let them know of your situation. Perhaps on Rebecca’s next afternoon off, she might be able to meet with you.”

Frustration screamed through Quinn’s tense muscles. “Her next day off? When would that be?”

“Now, Quinn.” Julia squeezed his arm a tad roughly. “Mrs. Whitaker is doing her best to help. Why don’t we give her a moment to place the call?” She rose and looked at the directress. “We’ll wait outside to give you some privacy.”

“Thank you.” Mrs. Whitaker inclined her head and reached for the candlestick telephone on her desktop.

With little choice, Quinn got to his feet and followed Julia into the hall. He pushed his fingers through his hair as he paced the narrow corridor, not caring if he looked like a wild man.

Julia gave him a stern look. “Don’t lose your patience, Quinn. Not when we’re so close to our goal.”

“How can you say that? I doubt Becky’s employer will allow us to see her. And then what will we do? It’s not like a farm. I can’t just waltz into their house and look for her.”

She came a step closer and stared into his eyes. “Then we will leave it up to God. I know He’s watching out for us. Everything will work out as it’s meant to.”

Quinn envied Julia’s faith, her absolute conviction that all would be well. If only he could be so certain. He forced himself to calm down and think logically about their next step. “What if we can’t see Becky today? Are you sure you don’t mind staying in Peterborough overnight?” At least he’d had the foresight to suggest she bring a change of clothes, just in case.

Julia hesitated for a second, then smiled sweetly. “That depends. Are you offering to pay for your fiancée’s hotel room?”

Heat blasted up Quinn’s neck. He’d forgotten about his fib. “I’m sorry. I don’t know why I said that, but—”

“It’s all right. I don’t mind her thinking we’re a couple.”

“You don’t?”

Her cheeks grew rosy, but she didn’t look away. “Any girl would consider herself fortunate to be marrying you.”

Quinn swallowed. How he wished they were somewhere else at this moment. Somewhere more private, where he might give in to the urge to kiss her and show her how much he truly admired her.

The door opened and Mrs. Whitaker walked toward them, smiling.

“Mr. Aspinall, I have good news. When Mrs. Sebring learned Rebecca’s brother was here from England, she insisted on you coming to see her tomorrow. They’ve arranged for Rebecca to have the afternoon off so you’ll have time to visit. Isn’t that generous of them?”

Relief flooded his body, and Quinn managed a genuine smile. “It is indeed.”

She handed them a piece of paper. “Here’s the address. Be there at one o’clock. Rebecca will be expecting you.”