A letter arrived from Gavin’s mother for Robbie, thanking her for her hospitality.
We did so enjoy our time with you, getting to know you and seeing how well you and Gavin get on. I couldn’t be happier as a mother to know that my son has found such a wonderful, kind, and lovely young woman to marry. We, too, are thankful for the mistake! Gavin has always had his head in the clouds. Both Durham and I want the two of you to come visit us soon. The children keep asking when they can return to Erskine House! You are a fine hostess.
Robbie put the letter aside, intent on writing Linnea of their latest adventures: caring for her hysterically blind sister and the accident that killed Joe, her husband.
She stood and felt dizzy, something new in her pregnancy. She should see a doctor, but there wasn’t one locally, and she didn’t want to raise any questions by asking to go into the city. And Colin? She wasn’t ready to tell him her news, especially when she hadn’t told Gavin. The dizziness passed quickly, and she was on her way to her writing room when she met Colin in the hallway.
“So it’s Jane Eyre, is it?”
Colin rubbed the back of his neck. “She likes it.”
“Of course she does,” Robbie responded. “She’d like it if you read her Mrs. Murray’s grocery list.”
He chuckled. “At any rate, she wants to see you.”
Robbie pulled in a deep sigh, releasing it on a whoosh, and pushed open the door. “Birdie?”
“Robbie. Come,” she said, patting the place beside her, “come sit with me.”
Robbie took a seat and gave her pooch, Lady, a scurrilous look. The dog wagged its tail.
“You know,” Birdie began, “it’s been a puzzle to me how you and Gavin even knew each other well enough to marry. It was obvious that he had a huge crush on me, but, as far as I can remember, he didn’t know you were alive.”
Blunt. Very Birdie. “Time changes things,” Robbie said. “We happened to meet at university,” she said, pleased with the quick lie.
Birdie raised her eyebrows. “Oh, how interesting.” She seemed to ponder a moment, and then said, “I wonder what would have happened if I had gone to university too.”
Robbie reached over and scratched her disloyal pet. “But you didn’t. You bought a lot of fancy clothes, and got married.” She wanted to add, “to my beau,” but at this point it didn’t matter anymore.
Birdie’s face creased into a frown and said with a woeful sigh, “And now you have all this. And I have nothing. I can’t see anything, but I know the house is beautifully appointed. I have felt the furniture, their coverings are soft and expensive. And it isn’t just some little cottage in the woods; I swear it took five minutes to walk to my apartment from the front door.”
Robbie didn’t know how to answer. “Is there anything you want?”
Birdie closed her eyes and rested her head against the back of the settee. “I want your life, Robbie.” She turned to Robbie and smiled, overly bright. “You know I’m kidding. A nice cup of hot tea would be lovely.”
Robbie left, knowing she had to tell Gavin about her little lie. And also knowing Birdie meant every word she said.
• • •
It was two weeks before Robbie got Gavin alone; he’d been back home clearing up some legal issues regarding Erskine House.
In that time, Robbie had felt the quickening, very slightly, but she knew what it was. It really was time to tell Gavin what was happening with her body. When she heard his carriage arrive, she hurried down the hallway past Birdie’s apartment, and suddenly the door opened swiftly, the knob catching Robbie directly in the stomach.
As she bent over, cradling her abdomen, Birdie bursted from the room, waving her arms and ranting.
“I don’t care! I can’t stand being cooped up in here a minute longer.”
Lydia came out behind her and saw Robbie bent over. Alarm registered on her face.
“Get back inside, Birdie, please.”
“I’m going crazy in here by myself. I want to be out where everyone else is,” she shouted.
Lydia gave Robbie a worried look, but Robbie pressed a finger to her lips and shook her head.
“I promise you can, truly I promise. But for now, would you please, just for me, go back into your apartment? I’ll bring you fresh sweets and some tea.”
Birdie huffed. “Oh, all right. But hurry. Robbie is always promising to bring me tea and she never does. I’m starving, and I’m bored.”
When Birdie was inside, Lydia went to Robbie. “What happened?”
Robbie continued to hold her stomach. “The doorknob hit me in the belly.”
Lydia ushered Robbie down the hallway into the parlor and made her lie down on the settee. “We’ll have to see if it did any harm.”
“How will we know?”
“The only way we can. You’ll have to monitor things, like if you start to bleed, let me know immediately. And cramping. I hope to God you don’t have any cramping.”
“Would that mean I’m going to miscarry?” The thought weighed heavily on Robbie.
“Not necessarily, but we would take some precautions.” She stood a moment, her hands tented over her mouth. “I’m thinking we should let Dr. Innes in on our secret.”
“I suppose, but I must tell Gavin.”
“You mean to tell me you haven’t told him, and he hasn’t figured it out for himself?”
“These past weeks have been so hectic, with Birdie here and all, and then Gavin had to go home. We just don’t seem to have any time alone.”
“Pardon my frankness, dear, but not even at night?”
“I haven’t wanted to worry him.” But was that the truth? Robbie didn’t know how he would react, for she still wasn’t convinced he would ever love her as she wanted and needed to be loved. Knowing she carried his child could send him either way, she thought.
A sudden cramp made Robbie wince, and Lydia said, “I think for now you’d best stay put. Go to your room where it’s nice and peaceful, and try to rest.”
Robbie sat up slowly. “So you’re going to treat me like an invalid?”
“Why not? There is nothing going on in this place that needs your specific attention. When I see Dr. Innes, I’ll send him up. I want you to tell him.”
“I doubt he knows all that much about pregnancy,” Robbie murmured.
“Well, I wager I’ve delivered more bairns, but surely he knows the basics.” With that, Lydia took Robbie’s arm and walked her to her room.
• • •
They were all ensconced in Robbie’s suite, the men looking quite baffled.
“Robbie is with child,” Lydia announced.
Silence.
Suddenly Gavin’s face lit up. “But, that’s wonderful. Isn’t it?”
Robbie felt a rush of relief.
“It should be and probably is. She was walking past Birdie’s apartment when the door flew open, and the knob hit Robbie in the stomach.”
Colin understood immediately. “How far along are you?”
Robbie counted back. “Four months, I believe.”
“Four months?” Gavin nearly roared. “Why haven’t you told me?”
“Things have been so hectic, Gavin, and well, I guess I don’t really have a reason.”
His frown turned to worry. “You’re not happy about this?”
“Of course I am, but to be honest, I wasn’t sure you would be.”
Colin intervened. “All right, so now everyone is happy. Robbie, I want you to keep to your bed, maybe a week or two, to make sure things are all right.”
“What am I supposed to do with myself?” Robbie groused.
“Finish that book you’ve been working on,” Gavin said with a knowing grin.
“You know about that?”
He reached out and touched her hair. “You talk in your sleep.”
Before everyone left her alone, she asked each of them for a favor. “Please don’t tell Birdie how this happened. She couldn’t see me, after all. Tell her anything, but don’t tell her the truth. And Gavin, be warned: she asked how we got together, and I told her it was at the university.”
He gave her such a warm smile she felt teary. “Good to know.”
When she was alone and resting on her bed, she thought that wasn’t it perfect that Birdie would be the one to possibly terminate her pregnancy, inadvertent though her actions had been? Robbie had a strong feeling that if Birdie could change places with her and have Gavin’s baby herself, she would do it. It would be the ultimate prize; all other things she had taken from her sister were nothing compared to this.