CHAPTER 38

February 23, 1919

Dear Grace,

Reverend Burke has found me another place to stay. One of his parishioners, an elderly widow, has offered me room and board in exchange for work around her house. She’s a dear soul who doesn’t mind Christian’s crying. Please pray for me, Grace. I don’t know how I’ll get through these darkest of days. If anything happens to me, promise you’ll raise Christian. And that you’ll never let the Eastons have him. I couldn’t stand for them to raise my precious child.

Grace held Christian tightly on her lap as Reverend Burke’s car swung up the lane toward the Fairlawn estate. The sight of the magnificent house brought up a rush of homesickness along with an attack of nerves. She had loved being part of this family, even for so short a time, making memories she would cherish for the rest of her life.

But what would await her now when she walked through those doors? If only Virginia were here to help her parents understand the panic that had fueled Grace’s impulsive actions. But no one knew where her friend was or if she’d ever be back.

Grace looked out the window at the sky, attempting to ascertain what time of day it was. Judging by the sun, it was likely late afternoon or early evening. Would Mr. and Mrs. Easton be back from the wedding or would the reception still be in full swing? No matter what, she needed to have an honest conversation with them before she left their house for good. If they weren’t home, she’d wait in the nursery until they returned.

At least she wouldn’t have Andrew to contend with since he would have already left on his wedding trip by now. Her spirits sank even lower.

Reverend Burke slowed to a stop near the front door and set the brake. “Maybe I should come in with you. As a mediator, in case things get heated.”

Grace shook her head. “Thank you, Reverend, but I must face the consequences of my actions alone.” The very real possibility loomed that if someone had noticed she’d taken the baby, she could be charged for her crime. She prayed that the Eastons would be magnanimous and show her mercy. “I’d ask you to wait, but I don’t know how long I’ll be.”

“I don’t mind waiting.” He reached over and squeezed her arm. “I’m proud of you, Grace, for having the courage to do the right thing.”

She blinked back the sting of tears. “I don’t feel very brave right now. I wouldn’t blame them if they never let me see Christian again.” A tear escaped and landed on the baby’s sleeve. “If that’s the case, I don’t know how I’m going to say good-bye.” She laid her cheek against his tiny head.

“God will give you the strength, child. And I’m sure the family will come around eventually and be grateful to you for returning their grandson.”

“I hope you’re right.” On a deep exhale, she opened the door and got out. With Christian in one arm and his bag in the other, she climbed the stairs to the front door and knocked.

A few seconds later, Mrs. Green appeared. Her mouth fell open. “Grace? Master Christian? Oh, my goodness. Come in.” She glanced nervously down the hall as Grace stepped into the entry.

The woman’s reaction made Grace’s heart sink. It was clear their absence had been noticed.

“Are Mr. and Mrs. Easton home?” she asked. “I’d like to speak to them, if I may.”

“They’re in the parlor. I’ll tell them you’re here.”

“Thank you.”

Grace set the bag on the floor and looked around the grand entrance, committing every detail to memory—from the burgundy flock wallpaper to the ornate silver candlesticks on the hall table. Hugging Christian tightly to her, she walked over to the gallery of paintings that graced the long corridor wall. As usual, Andrew’s portrait claimed her attention. The artist had done an excellent job of capturing his noble air, the aristocratic angle of his head, the twinkle in his deep blue eyes. Her pulse quickened, and despite the circumstances, she wished they could somehow get past all the animosity and resume their friendship. But he was married to Cecilia now, and he’d never forgive her for what she had tried to do.

“You may come in, Grace.” The housekeeper reappeared in the hall.

“Thank you.” Shifting Christian on her hip, Grace took a deep breath and walked into the room on shaky legs.

Mrs. Easton sat in her usual seat by the fireplace. As soon as she spotted Christian, tears brimmed over and streamed down her face. Mr. Easton rose slowly from his chair, his face ashen, staring at Grace with an anguished expression. As she suspected, Andrew was absent, which was for the best.

“You have some nerve, miss.” Mr. Easton came forward, and Grace feared he would snatch the baby from her arms.

Before he could, Grace crossed the room and placed Christian gently on Mrs. Easton’s lap. Then she loosened the strings of his bonnet and removed it, smoothing down a few stray hairs.

“Thank you,” Mrs. Easton whispered. “Thank you for bringing him back.”

Grace bit her lip to contain her own rising emotions. She had much to say and needed to remain in control. “I want to say how deeply sorry I am. I acted in haste, out of fear and misguided intentions, but it doesn’t excuse what I did.”

Mrs. Easton swiped at her cheeks, staring at her grandson with such love that a wave of pure remorse washed over Grace at the pain she’d inflicted.

“I do, however, have one request in entrusting Christian back to you.”

Mr. Easton came to stand beside his wife. “You are in no position to make demands of us. I have half a mind to call the constable right now and charge you with kidnapping.”

Grace choked back a protest. It would do no good to antagonize the man.

Mrs. Easton seemed to collect herself. “There’s no need for that, Oscar,” she said firmly. “All that matters is she brought him back. Now, Grace, what is this request?”

Grace hesitated. Insulting their new daughter-in-law would earn her no favor, yet she couldn’t remain silent. “I’m asking that you keep Cecilia from ruining Christian’s life.”

“Why would you say that?” Mr. Easton demanded.

Grace gripped her hands together. “Last night, she came to the nursery to tell me about her intentions for Christian. How she was going to send him off to boarding school in Europe as soon as he was old enough.”

Mr. Easton’s face darkened. “Andrew would never allow that.”

“That’s what I said. She only laughed and told me that she always gets her way.” Needing to move, Grace crossed to the mantel to stare at a group of family photos. Her focus stayed on the image of Andrew as a boy. “I couldn’t bear to think of Christian being raised without love, shoved away like an unwanted toy. Not when I could give him all the love he’d ever need.” She inhaled. The time had come for the truth. She owed them that much. Grace turned back to them. “There’s something else you should know. Christian is my nephew too.” She paused. “I’m Rose’s sister.”

A beat of silence followed. Neither of them looked surprised.

“Andrew told me earlier today.” Mr. Easton scowled. “I knew my instincts were right about you.”

“Hush, Oscar. I want to hear what she has to say.”

Grace nodded to Mrs. Easton, who suddenly didn’t seem quite as fragile. “After Frank died, Rose made me promise I would look after her son if anything happened to her. A promise I took seriously.” She moved closer, keeping a wing chair between them. “Rose had her faults, but she loved your son more than her own life. In fact, I believe it was grief over Frank that ultimately led to her death. She just didn’t have the will to go on without him.” Grace gripped the back of the chair. “I came here prepared to detest Rose’s in-laws, the people who had rejected her without giving her a chance. But instead I grew quite fond of you all.” She shot a glance at Mr. Easton, whose expression remained stony. “I discovered a group of people who, despite their differences, were committed to each other, loyal to a fault at times. I had no doubt Christian was well-cared for—until Cecilia became part of the picture. To be fair, I don’t believe Andrew had any idea what she intended. I think she only showed him the side she wanted him to see.”

“I’m confused, Miss Abernathy.” Mr. Easton came forward, his steely gaze pinning hers. “What does all this have to do with anything?”

Her stomach fluttered, still not immune to his intimidation tactics. “I’m trying to explain my state of mind when I came to work for you. I didn’t come here with the intention of taking Christian.”

“That doesn’t change the fact that you did take him, subjecting us all to incredible distress, even for a short period of time. You knew what that type of upset could do to my wife.”

Grace reached deep for her composure. “Again, I’m truly sorry. I thought I was doing what was best for Christian.”

Mrs. Easton rose with Christian in her arms. “It takes courage to admit your mistakes, Grace. I’m only grateful you came to your senses in time.” She smiled. Her eyes were clear, and she looked much stronger than she had in weeks.

Grace smiled back, then fixed her gaze on Christian, who squirmed in his grandmother’s arms. This could be the last few minutes she got to spend with her beloved nephew. She bit her lip, trying to gather the courage to say good-bye.

Footsteps sounded in the hallway.

Grace’s heart flew into her throat. She’d know that tread anywhere.

Seconds later, Andrew strode into the parlor, a frown creasing his brow. “Is that Reverend Burke sitting outside in his car?” His focus landed on Grace, and he slammed to an abrupt halt.

The color drained from his face, giving his eyes a hollow look.

“Hello, Andrew,” she said quietly.

“Grace.” His vivid blue gaze, filled with a swirling mixture of angst and anger, captured hers. Every nerve ending vibrated across her body.

Then he immediately crossed the room to his mother. “Christian,” he said in a strangled voice. He lifted the child from his mother’s arms and hugged him tightly against his chest, resting his cheek on Christian’s head. “Thank you, Lord.” Andrew’s eyes squeezed shut, the tick in his jaw giving evidence to the extremity of his emotions. When he opened his eyes, a world of pain glistened there, rending Grace’s heart even further.

She twisted her fingers together to keep them from visibly shaking. Her whole being yearned to go to him, to beg his forgiveness, but her feet remained rooted to the floor. “I’ve apologized to your parents, but I want you to know how terribly sorry I am. I panicked and reacted out of fear.” She paused to draw in a breath. “I hope one day you can forgive me for any anxiety I caused.”

His features hardened as he handed Christian back to his mother. Then he speared Grace with a hard look. “Can I speak to you in the library, please?”

Grace’s stomach clenched. Perspiration dampened her palms. “I’d like a minute more with your parents, if you don’t mind.”

He gave a terse nod and strode from the room.

Grace went to stand in front of Mrs. Easton. She rubbed a hand down Christian’s back. “Thank you for everything, Mrs. Easton. I’ve enjoyed my time here very much.” She kissed the baby’s chubby cheek. “Good-bye, sweetheart. Be a good boy for your grandma. And remember, your Aunt Grace will always love you.” Swallowing back her tears, she gave his soft head one last caress.

Mr. Easton stared at her with an unreadable expression, his eyes not quite as hard now.

Despite the urge to bolt, she held her ground. She couldn’t pass up this chance to give some much-needed advice. “Before I go, I want to remind you how fortunate you are to have such a wonderful family. I’d give anything to have my father or my siblings back, even for just a moment.” Her voice cracked and she cleared her throat. “Please remember that when Virginia returns. She loves you all very much. Don’t make the same mistake with her as you did with Frank.”

She glanced at Mr. Easton, trying to gauge his reaction. Would he shout at her and order her to leave? But he remained silent, his guarded expression giving nothing away.

With a resigned sigh, she gave her nephew another kiss, then went to face Andrew for the final time.

Andrew threw open the library door, letting it bang against the far wall, and stalked over to the window. A thousand emotions waged war inside him, spinning through his system until he didn’t know whether to laugh or cry or hurl his father’s decanter across the room.

His throat tightened as the walls seemed to close in on him, and he knew the room was too confining for this conversation. He needed open air and wide spaces. As he stepped back into the hall, Grace appeared.

“Follow me,” he said tersely.

Without waiting to see if she obeyed, he headed to the rear door and strode outside. The first pull of fresh air into his lungs loosened the muscles in his chest. He led Grace to the fountain where they would have a measure of privacy from anyone in the house.

Andrew stood with his back to her, his shoulders stiff with tension. His gaze landed on the old maple tree, calling to mind the night when the two of them had watched the stars together. When everything had seemed so right but then had turned so terribly wrong.

That night felt like a thousand lifetimes ago after all that had happened since.

He still couldn’t believe Grace had come back. All the things he’d imagined saying to her jumbled together in his head. At last, he turned to face her. She looked like a lost waif, her expression so forlorn that his heart pinched. But he wouldn’t soften. Not this time.

“Do you know what your actions have cost me?” he bit out. “I had to abandon Cecilia at the church in order to search for Christian, which of course infuriated my father. So much so that he gave my promotion to Paul Edison.” Andrew gave a harsh laugh. “I have lost everything because of you—my bride, my promotion, and my father’s respect.”

“I’m terribly sorry, Andrew.” Tears welled in her eyes, magnifying the amber flecks within. “I never intended to ruin your wedding. I didn’t plan much further than getting Christian away from Cecilia.” She looked up. “Can you reschedule the ceremony for another day?”

Andrew squeezed his hands into fists. “In light of Cecilia’s reaction to Christian’s disappearance, I’ve come to realize that marrying her would not be in his best interest.” He hated to admit that Grace had been right about his fiancée when the raw wound of Grace’s treachery still gaped in his chest.

“How could you?” he hissed. “How could you take Christian from us like that? You knew that losing him would devastate me. Not to mention my mother. I thought we were—” He clamped his mouth shut before he said too much.

Grace’s frame stiffened. “I thought we were too, Andrew, yet you chose to cut me out of Christian’s life for no reason other than Cecilia demanded it. How fair was that?”

Andrew closed his eyes, her words striking hard at the core of his guilt. He had been unfair to her, letting her go not only to please Cecilia, but because it would be easier for him not to have Grace under his roof. “I guess we both made mistakes,” he conceded. “But at least I didn’t break the law.”

“I’m sorry,” she repeated. “Sorry my impulsiveness caused you and your family pain. I only wanted to place Christian in my mother’s arms so she could meet her grandson before she died.” She paused to dash tears from her lashes. “I hoped it might make up for losing Peter, Owen, and Rose.”

He stared at her, steeling himself against a wave of compassion before he did something ridiculous like take her in his arms and comfort her.

A bird landed on a branch behind Grace, its cheerful twitter seeming to mock their pain.

“I hope that one day you might be able to forgive me, and perhaps . . .” She lifted tear-filled eyes to his. “Let me visit my nephew.”

Heat flared in his chest. “You must be joking.”

A flash of pain crossed her features. “I wouldn’t need to be alone with him. Someone else could be present at all times.”

He shook his head. “I doubt my father will ever let you set foot in the house again.”

She took a shuddering breath. “If you change your mind, I’ll be at the boardinghouse. I’ll be staying there until I decide what to do.”

“You aren’t heading back to England?” His traitorous heart thudded, awaiting her reply. He told himself he needed to know in case they decided to press charges.

“I’m not sure. Without a job, I don’t know what I’ll do.” Lines bracketed her mouth, sorrow seeming to weigh her shoulders down.

Andrew suppressed an oath. He’d been so busy counting his own misfortunes, he hadn’t considered hers. In fairness, she’d suffered as much as he. She’d lost her sister, and Christian, and now her job. The only tenuous connections she had in Toronto were her former landlady and her minister. At least he had his family, a beautiful home, and, though he’d lost out on the promotion, he was fairly sure he could still have his old job if he chose to take it back.

And now he had Christian, which was all that really mattered. He made an effort to relax his shoulders and soften his expression. “Despite everything, I do appreciate you bringing him back. Not only for my sake, but my mother’s. I know it couldn’t have been easy, so . . . thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” She stared at him for a long moment. Then her gaze darted toward the house. “I should go. I’ve kept Reverend Burke waiting too long as it is.”

Unable to find the appropriate words, he gave a stiff nod.

“Good-bye, Andrew.” The wind blew tendrils of hair across her face as she turned away.

He watched until she disappeared from view, then sank onto the stone ledge of the fountain and closed his eyes. All the anger drained from him, leaving him limp and exhausted. Though he tried hard to hold on to his outrage, he couldn’t seem to hate her for what she’d done.

If only he could, he might be able to forget how much he loved her.