“Here! Can you hold her for me, please? She’s fed and dressed which is more than I can say for me.
I’ll be just a minute. Bev’s going to give me a hand upstairs. Now don’t move from there, Anna, I have something to ask you before we leave for the church. Don’t you say a word, George! Remember!”
With this admonition, Jeanette rushed up the stairs leaving Anna holding a warm baby body in her arms.
Alina was entertaining Liam with a storybook and George was loading the dishwasher in the kitchen. There was no one to see the impact on Anna of the little girl who gazed trustingly up into her face with eyes the colour of summer cornflowers.
Bev had spoken the truth when she proclaimed the child’s beauty. She was dressed in a traditional white robe with a lace- trimmed bonnet and matching jacket in the palest shell pink that Anna knew had come from Alina’s hands. A wisp of wavy fair hair, the colour of her father’s, peeked out from the bonnet and she had, from her mother, the beautiful, long dark eyelashes, most often seen on boys. The total effect combined with perfect rosy skin was remarkable. Anna had not been familiar with many babies but even she could tell that this was an exceptional child.
The two were encased in a silent bubble of mutual admiration. Anna’s arms cradled the solid weight of the baby as if they had been waiting for this all of her life. She gazed at the perfect face and felt the promise of a brand new life, untouched by sorrow and failure.
Still holding that clear-eyed gaze, Anna spoke in her mind the thoughts that filled her heart.
Oh, little one, how pure and innocent you are. I wish with all my heart that you will be as safe and happy all your life as you are right this minute.
I hope that those who fall under your spell will treat you with kindness and love and guard your peaceful spirit.
Be open to the adventures life may offer you, little girl. Have courage to dare; be a giver, but beware of life’s takers. Don’t let them steal your soul.
Be all that you can be. Trust in yourself and your instincts.
Above all, be happy, as you were meant to be.
“Now, there’s a peaceful scene! She has really taken to you Anna and that makes my request much easier.”
Anna dragged her eyes away from the baby and tried to focus on what Jeanette was saying about a request. She could not think of anything she could refuse this most fortunate mother at this time.
“George and I want you to be the baby’s godmother. Please say you will! I know it’s very last minute but I really wanted you to meet her first.”
“But …. but I don’t even live here! Surely there are others closer to you both; family members and such. I am enormously flattered of course, but I don’t want to horn in on something so personal.”
“I knew you would say that, Anna! I’d explain better. You are my only Canadian contact who comes here to Oban regularly. I want her to hear the accent so she is happy in both countries. My mother will travel to Scotland whenever she can, but she is tied to the BC coast with my father’s illness.”
As he heard his wife’s pleading falter a little, George jumped in with additional reasons.
“Anna, we do have a Scottish couple as godparents also, but Jeanette wanted especially for you to be included. It’s a kind of tribute for everything you have done for us and for others in this community.”
Anna was having a hard time keeping tears from overflowing. She was deeply touched at this gesture.
She replied with the only possible answer.
“Of course I’ll be a godparent. Thank you both. It’s wonderful!” She hugged the baby gently.
“Oh, what’s this little beauty’s name to be?”
“Well, that’s the really special part. Her middle name is Rosemary, which is my mother’s name. She’s to be christened Annette after George’s mother, but we want to call her Anne for now. When she’s older she can choose which name she prefers. What do you think?”
Anna took a sharp intake of breath. She was immensely affected by this kindness and the tears she had been suppressing simply rolled down her cheeks unchecked.
A baby girl named for her. It was a lost dream now coming true.
Fortunately, Jeanette rescued her child before she was swamped by tears and everyone, including Anna, chuckled to see the baby’s expression of amazement when she was lifted away from Anna’s warm arms.
“Just give me a minute to mop myself up,” asked Anna, and she fled to the powder room in the hallway to gather her dignity, emerging in a moment or two to join the party as they left to walk to the nearby church whose bells could be heard ringing out the fifteen-minute summons.
Anna floated on cloud nine for the rest of the day. She smiled all through the service in the ancient stone church and cradled her namesake when the baptism ceremony began. Listening to the minister’s questions as if for the very first time, she felt the import of the responsibility she was taking on and knew that she would take her pledges seriously for as long as she lived.
The other godparents who stood with her were a younger couple and the parents of three children of their own. Anna could see that this child would never lack for caring adults.
Little Annette Rosemary McLennan did not cry out when the minister let a few drops of water from the baptism font drip onto her forehead. Although ancient tradition insisted that the cry chased the devil from the newborn child, Anna was pleased to see nary a frown on the perfect little face and she watched as the baby’s arms lifted toward her mother as soon as the ceremony was over.
A tableful of treats awaited the family and friends when they returned to the Victorian villa on the hillside above Oban town. Jeanette disappeared to feed the baby and put her down for a nap while Anna and Alina renewed acquaintance with several local people who were interested in what had been happening lately to the ‘Canadian Contingent’ who had brought a North American energy, and welcome jobs, into their economy.
Much of the conversation concerned Fiona. Callum Moir, the town’s vet, knew Fiona well as an occasional veterinary assistant, and he kept track of her progress.
“Ach, she won’t tell you herself, but she’s won a prize at the college for a study of the Scottish wildcat. She must have been taking pictures of that wee beastie you two rescued. Her theory was, that reared carefully and without too much human contact, the wildcat can be raised safely in animal sanctuaries and gradually reintroduced into wild areas of the country, under protected status, of course.”
Anna was not at all surprised to hear this. She knew exactly how and why that study had been initiated, right in the kitchen of the McCaig farmhouse. Callum Moir had never known all the details of the story and it was unlikely he ever would know.
“She’s quite an amazing person, our Fiona,” agreed Anna. “I have a special present for her, so make space in your surgery for more of those startling wildlife pictures she shoots.”
“I’ll be happy to do that. In fact, several of my regular patrons have purchased her photographs lately. I need a new batch, for certain sure.”
Callum fixed his companion in his steady gaze and continued quickly.
“Now, on a different topic, what’s happening with you, Anna? Any new men in your life?”
She was not shocked by the vet’s abrupt change of topic and the very personal question he asked. She had spent a date evening or two in his company and sensed that she was someone he was interested in for the position of the second Mrs. Moir. She replied calmly that she was far too busy to worry about that and realized at once that the better answer would have been to claim a beau and discourage the acquisitive gleam she saw in the vet’s eyes.
Her mind flashed to the one prospect she could think of for that role. Lawren Drake was the only man she had met, and connected to, in years. If she had mentioned him, it could have led to speculation and, since he would soon be in the vicinity, it would probably have given rise to comments when his age was seen to be so much younger than her own. Oban was a small enough town that gossip swept around the place like wildfire.
She dismissed this line of thought with a mental shake of her head. Best to say nothing, but she wondered who she could confide in about the entire portrait project. Jeanette was an obvious choice as she had been suggested as the one who would seek out a suitable frame for the finished work. Clearly, Jeanette was too busy on this day to take time for Anna’s confidences. She looked around the room full of chattering, happy people. Alina was talking animatedly to one of the Oban hand-knitting team. Alina had not, however, shown any interest in discussing the project further. Her opinion about the artist in question was not in any doubt.
Who then? Fiona might have had an objective view of the matter but Fiona was likely to be far too involved in her new career to be around when Lawren arrived.
Anna sighed. She would just have to soldier on alone for now, following her own instincts. Had she not recently recommended this same path to a certain very young lady?
The elderly gentleman who volunteered at the local library approached Anna to inquire about new book titles in Canada and the question of the portrait vanished from her mind.
The Monday following the christening could not have been a greater contrast in weather. Rain poured endlessly out of a grey clouded sky. Anna searched the farmhouse for umbrellas and found one large golfing specimen in the old wood shed in the garden and another hiding in the back of the barn that served as the garage,
Unfortunately, by the time she had uncovered these, she was soaked to the skin and had to start the process of styling her hair and applying make-up all over again from the beginning. Her dressy outfit for the graduation ceremony had escaped the drenching and was still hanging safely in the wardrobe.
Alina was very thankful that Grant had agreed to drive them to Inverness for Fiona’s graduation. Checking her watch, she saw that this dressing delay would have cost them dearly if they had stayed with their initial plan of taking the train.
While she waited for Anna, she inspected the lounge where Lawren was going to sleep when he arrived in a day or two. She wanted to make sure that nothing too personal was left in full view. She checked that the door to Anna’s office was still firmly locked and then re-checked that the key was in Anna’s possession and not on the hook in the outer kitchen storage area where house and barn keys resided.
Alina had to admit to herself that she was overly suspicious of the artist although she had no real evidence for this feeling. The next few days before she travelled down to Manchester to meet Philip would tell the tale of his true intentions. She meant to keep a close watch on the fellow and also to see what Bev and Jeanette thought about him. Bev, particularly, would have a clear idea of whether he was likely to be an imposter of some kind; a man who wanted more than artistic benefits from his patron.
Alina recognized that she was not a good judge when it came to Anna’s affairs of the heart. She had been too close to the whole Richard fiasco and it had coloured her feelings about any man who was interested in Anna.
For the first time, she acknowledged to herself that Anna was actually interested in Lawren in more than a professional way. The trouble with this was that Anna was in a particularly emotional place right now because of Richard’s death. It made her vulnerable and Alina was determined to protect her friend from any impulsive moves that might threaten her peace of mind.
“All right! I’m ready again. Is Grant here with the car?”
“Not yet. Do you have the camera bag?”
“Heavens! What’s wrong with my brain? I left it upstairs.”
Anna clattered back up the stairs in her platform sandals leaving Alina with both raincoats, the umbrellas, and the job of watching out of the window for the large black car.
“He’s here!” she sang out, as Grant drew up to the side of the house where the new driveway led to the barn. A paved path from the front door now allowed them to walk along the house, past the big kitchen windows and straight into the car instead of trying to rush down the long gravel pathway and through the gate. Alina was glad her high heels would be spared the inevitable scrapes and scratches the gravel would cause.
They were soon shaking rain off the umbrellas and greeting Grant with delight.
“So glad you suggested this, Grant. We should have known you would want to celebrate Fiona’s success also.”
“I’m happy to be of service, ladies. Now sit back and enjoy the journey. The weather chappies say it will clear in an hour or so and there’s some splendid scenery on the way.”
Anna and Alina exchanged a smile. Although both of them were proficient drivers, it was certainly pleasant to be chauffeured around when they were in Scotland.
“I could get used to this,” chuckled Alina.
“Agreed!” stated Anna, as she settled the camera in its large gift bag safely beside her.
Graduation Day at Inverness University was all about waiting and watching. The excited crowds were huge, jostling and chatting in every nook and cranny as they waited to be admitted to the Great Hall.
Alina regretted immediately that she had not procured a summer hat for the occasion. A varied collection of headgear from tiny fascinators attached to plastic headbands, to full-brimmed cartwheels, that she always termed “Scarlett O’Hara hats’, seemed to be the order of the day for women.
The graduates were nowhere in sight and Anna worried that Fiona would never be able to pick them out from the large assembly.
Grant had wisely obtained a parking permit and he found a convenient spot for the car. When he returned to the crowd in front of the Great Hall he managed to track down his passengers and informed them that he knew where to see the graduates as they entered the side doors to the hall. He had spotted the line-up from the parking lot and watched for a moment as the candidates were arranged in alphabetical order.
Anna and Alina were delighted to steal this opportunity. They might even get a glimpse of Fiona and let her know they had arrived. Following Grant, they left the forecourt and slipped around the side of the massive building. Sure enough a long line of gowned figures shuffled along slowly on a level below them, with a guard of gowned and caped professors carrying clip boards and checking names assiduously.
They scanned the line from end to end and were about to conclude that they had missed Fiona when Grant spotted her. Fiona’s head was down as she was grappling with her robes which were somewhat too long for her and threatened to trip her up if she did not pull them firmly into place. Alina let out a piercing whistle and among the heads that turned to see where the sound came from was Fiona’s dark one with her distinctive neat ponytail.
A frantic amount of waving and jumping up and down then ensued and the three figures were delighted to get the desired response from Fiona. Frantic signalling commenced on both sides which translated roughly to, ‘Wait here after the ceremony and I’ll find you. Wonderful to see you!’
Shortly after this exchange Fiona reached the head of the line and hiked up her robes as she entered the side doors.
The atmosphere inside the hall was unexpectedly warm. Part of this was because of the packed rows of seats and the remainder was because of the lack of air conditioning. Alina folded her program into an impromptu fan and applied it to her face with some vigour.
“You realize this country is backward in some respects?” she whispered to Anna.
“Hush! The cost of cooling this huge place would be astronomical,” Anna commented. “Just be grateful you are not freezing in here in the winter!”
The entire area in front of the stage was filled with eager students. Fiona’s dark head had disappeared in the throng and Alina was calculating there would be a long wait before they could finally emerge into the forecourt again. She noticed Grant had nodded off almost as soon as he sat down and wished she, too, had the ability to cat nap on demand.
After about thirty minutes, a procession of dignitaries accompanied the university provost onto the stage. The chatter and noise of the auditorium dropped down to a muted shuffling of feet as heads turned to the stage and conversation ceased.
The welcome greetings and praise for the graduates occupied the next forty minutes until even Grant woke up and started to gaze around him.
“Has Fiona had her turn yet?” he asked hoarsely.
“Don’t you worry Grant,” replied Anna in a low voice. “They haven’t even started to call the names, I’m afraid.”
“Oh, I see! Ah’ve nivver been to one of these things afore. Does it aye take this long?”
“I’m afraid so, Grant. But there are many students graduating today.”
“I jist hope they all get jobs, then!”
Anna noticed one or two heads in the vicinity nodding in agreement as this pithy comment travelled along the rows of parents and friends.
Fortunately, the pace of processing the graduates was fairly speedy. After watching brave parents try to make it down to the stage in time to film their progeny at the moment when the appropriate mortar board was passed over their heads, Anna decided to stay seated and get her pictures in the comparative sanity of the outdoors.
Their hands were sore with constant clapping when, finally, Fiona made her way across the stage and shook hands with her biology and zoology profs. Anna noted how quickly Fiona adjusted her robe before descending the steps and returning to her seat. Smart move, she thought. Tripping on these steps would not be the kind of attention Fiona would relish. Her colouring was more florid than usual but Anna imagined the girl was used to the great outdoors with cooling winds blowing around her, rather than this exciting and superheated venue.
Finally, and with great relief, the crowd exited the hall following the graduates. All the doors were flung open and everyone rushed to the cooler air to find their special person, take pictures, and escape to a town restaurant to celebrate.
The Oban party caught up with Fiona in the place she had designated, and were relieved to find she had kept her bothersome robes for a while longer. Grant kindly took pictures while Alina surreptitiously lifted the robes at the back so they would seem a better length for the photographs.
Fiona was radiant with delight to see her friends again. She had been so intent on final exams and projects that she had felt like a cloistered nun in the last few months. There was much news to share including her apprentice position with the Highland and Islands Wildlife Service where she would be monitoring hunting and fishing practices on some of Scotland’s large estates and mapping the territories of osprey and other endangered species.
“Oh, Fi, I am so happy for you!” rejoiced Anna, enfolding the girl in her warm embrace. “You have worked so hard for this and you deserve every bit of your success.”
“I have you to thank for a large portion of that, Anna Mason, and I will never forget it,” she responded solemnly.
“Och, away with you!” said Anna, in her best imitation of a Scottish accent.
All four dissolved in laughter and Fiona was shooed off to return her robes and rejoin them at the car.
The evening was a triumph.
Grant drove them to a small Italian restaurant off the beaten track where they had a splendid meal toasting Fiona in champagne then quaffing red wine with their meals. Anna whispered to Grant that she would make sure he had a bottle of the red to take home and enjoy, since he was staying sober in order to drive the women safely home.
Fiona was thrilled with her new digital camera and the dozen red roses from the women that Grant had placed in the rear of the car for her. Alina had brought a selection of A Plus knitwear for Fiona including their new Fair Isle knitted cap with the pompom on top and side panels that would ensure her ears were warm whatever the weather.
“Let me know if the colours don’t suit you,” she said. “We have a wide range to choose from.”
Fiona thanked Alina and did not mention that she would most likely be proudly wearing the headgear of her new profession when on duty from now on.
Fiona was driven back to the university residences and stood at the entrance blowing kisses and smiling from ear to ear with her hands full of gifts as the car set off for Oban where Grant would eventually enjoy the wine with his patiently-waiting wife.
The Scottish summer nights were long and light and the two women were able to sit back in comfort and watching the twilight shade the land as they thought over the eventful day.
“So, what’s next on the agenda, Anna?” asked Alina in a sleepy voice.
“Lawren arrives some time tomorrow,” she replied. “You will be travelling south in another day or two, I think. How do you feel about that?”
“Well, it’s merely a trial run, of course. I don’t hold out much hope for a relationship but I will give it a try, if only for your sake, Anna.”
“Now, don’t feel obliged to do this for me! Philip is my half-brother but we are virtually strangers and you don’t owe me anything in that department. Take it day by day, Alina. You will know what to do.”
“I hope you are right.”
At this point all conversation ceased until they had reached Oban again. Each woman had much to think about.
“It has been a grand day, ladies,” was Grant’s parting comment. They waved until the car disappeared down the lane and arm in arm the two friends walked the paved path to the front door and soon headed for bed, tired but pleased.
For Anna, a deep feeling of contentment swept through her. She had acquired a goddaughter and sent a young woman out into the world who was like a daughter to her. Life is strange, she thought. The things we long for do not always appear when we need them most but sometimes, if we are patient, they do arrive when we can appreciate them most.