It had only been a few days, yet Robbie was beginning to understand Birdie’s need to escape her apartment. At least Robbie could see. But what? Four walls, a window, a few pictures hanging here and there, and not even her own Lady Perlina had come to stay.
The day before Lydia had brought Birdie in for a brief visit. Birdie had Lady Perlina on a makeshift leash; the pup pulled against it and jumped around, clearly uncomfortable. But Birdie was curious as to why Robbie was confined to her bed.
“Will you be here long, Robbie?” she had asked. “Is it the influenza? Have you a fever? I daresay I probably shouldn’t get too close to you; I don’t do well when I’m feeling poorly.”
Lydia and Robbie exchanged wry glances.
“Why do you have Lady on a leash?”
“Colin and I are training her,” she said. “She already knows a few commands. Watch.” Birdie blinked repeatedly. “Lady, sit.”
The rambunctuous dog did as she was told, her tail wagging. Birdie reached into her pocket and brought out a small bit of oat cake, which Lady took delicately. “Good girl. See?” Birdie was clearly excited. Robbie was impressed.
“It does give you something useful to do,” Robbie pondered. She was still a bit resentful about her sister hijacking her dog.
“It won’t be long before she’ll be my eyes, will it Lydia?”
“I don’t think you should go getting your hopes up, my dear.”
Robbie added quickly, “But one never knows how fast a pet will respond, does one, Lydia?”
Understanding Robbie’s meaning, she answered, “I guess one truly never knows. And,” she added, “Lady is a smart little critter. She’s a fast learner.”
“Birdie, would you mind if she came up onto the bed? I’d like to pet her.” She’s my bloody dog; she should be here with me.
Lydia lifted the pup next to Robbie, and she sniffed Robbie, then licked her face. “So you haven’t forgotten me altogether, have you?”
Birdie released a little gasp. “Oh, dear. I have completely taken over the control of your puppy, haven’t I, Robbie?”
Yes, you have. Like everything else in my life. Robbie shrugged. “I guess it’s all right. At least she’s learning something. That’s important.”
After the little visit, Robbie felt weepy. If Birdie hadn’t waltzed back into her life, she would still have a dog. And a good life. And peace. At this moment she was grateful that Birdie had no idea how close she had come to being the current Mrs. Gavin Eliot. Some solace, anyway. She stroked her stomach, wincing as she felt another twinge in her belly.
• • •
In the dim light of the library, Gavin and Colin each nursed a brandy.
“How long do you suppose this will go on?” Gavin asked.
“Since there’s apparently no reason for her blindness, I would guess it would take some kind of incident, traumatic or otherwise, to snap her out of it.”
“I hate to say it, but I do believe Birdie enjoys being waited on hand and foot.”
“And I, for one, enjoy being her slave. Undoubtedly it will end once her sight returns.” He ran his fingers over the scar on his cheek. “When she sits next to me while I read, it almost feels like we’re a couple. Until I come to my senses.”
“I don’t even like to think about what my life would be if I hadn’t asked Robbie to marry me by mistake.”
“Having Birdie as mistress of Erskine House? I don’t know, I realize she is self-centered and spoiled, but perhaps she would have changed, knowing that she would have everything she has ever wanted.”
“Perhaps, yet…”
“No sense contemplating the future, my friend. Drink up. We have some books to go over.”
• • •
In the hallway outside the library door, Roberta Bean, née Fleming, was so surprised at what she heard, she released Lady’s leash. The dog pushed the library door open and bounded inside.
Birdie felt her way into the room; suddenly she could see shapes of furniture and light coming from the fireplace.
“I’m sorry.” She thought quickly. “Is anyone here?”
“Gavin and Colin,” Gavin said. “Is there something you need?”
Birdie stood perfectly still. “No. No, I was walking Lady along the hallway, and she pulled from my grasp. Is she in here?”
“She’s here,” Colin said. “Come, you rascal, we’ll tether you up again.”
As Colin got close, Birdie could see him almost as clearly as if it were daylight. What she saw nearly caused her to faint. Blinking furiously, she said, “Here, let me take the leash. If one of you could help me get back to my apartment, I’d be so very grateful.”
“Come, my ladies,” Colin took her arm, “back to your kingdom.”
Had Birdie not been a woman who could feign any feeling she wanted, she may not have been able to pull off her pretense. But as they got closer to her apartment door, she could see more clearly than ever. But she couldn’t let on. No, not yet.
Her apartment door opened, and Lydia stepped out. So, that’s what the taskmaster looked like. Short, dumpy, a peasant if there ever was one. “Lydia, are you there?” she all but shouted.
Lydia took her arm and led her inside. “Thank you, Dr. Innes. She’s getting tired of being cooped up.”
Birdie used her sight to look at Colin through a veil of lashes. Ghastly. She recalled what Lydia had told her about Colin’s accident, but Birdie had no idea it was so severe; a small scar here and there would have been nothing. She thanked him and went inside.
So here it was. Gavin, the poor, mild-mannered bookworm, had gotten her and Robbie mixed up. Birdie almost chortled. Well of course he had wanted to marry her! She had yet to meet a man who hadn’t toppled head over heels for her. If what she heard was correct, it was she and not her sister that Gavin had proposed to in the first place!
Her heart pounding, she felt her way through her apartment, although she could see a little. By the time she reached her bedroom door, she knew what she had to do.
And the more she thought about things, the more upset she became. She closeted herself in her bedroom, explaining to Lydia that she wanted to rest, then went to the window. There were gardens outside, very pretty, too, if one cared about such things. She turned and studied the room. It was pleasant, she had to admit. She was anxious to see the rest of the house, but of course would have to bide her time. No telling what Robbie would convince Gavin to do if they found out she was no longer blind.
No place to go. She had absolutely no place else to go. Her eyes narrowed and a tiny smile ticked the corner of her mouth. This place was rightfully hers, anyway. That thought made her angry. Had Gavin not been such an absentminded fool, she would be mistress of the house at this very moment. And how much better that would have been than having to pretend to enjoy Joe’s company or even his touch. She shivered. Thank God she never got with child. At least Gavin was handsome; she could live with that, even if he was bookish.
And what about Colin Innes? She made a face. Too bad he was so badly maimed. He was, after all, a physician. A surgeon, no less. But in truth, she had merely been shocked to look at him that first time. If he ever went back into practice, he might make a good living.
But now, she had to focus on herself. Keep up the pretense of blindness. Be watchful. If she was a clever girl, she could keep everyone fooled for as long as she wished.
• • •
Robbie drew her gaze away from the pile of sheets she had rolled up on the floor. So, that was it. She should tell someone, Lydia perhaps. Maureen would probably faint dead away if she was told there was a dead bairn in the bedding.
Her lips quivered, and she bit down on them. Dead bairn. The words were as heavy and morose as they sounded. No way to make it better, was there? The bairn is up in heaven with the angels, Papa would say. The bairn is in a better place, Papa would say.
Sorry, Papa. Robbie didn’t think it was that easy. Well, perhaps it was, but it didn’t take the pain from her heart.
Once again her gaze went to the pile on the floor. It had to be removed; she couldn’t stand it any longer. Not wanting to alert everyone to her dilemma, she inched from the bed, feeling the strong discomfort between her legs, and put on a fresh nightgown that Maureen had put at the end of her bed. She bent and hauled the bedding into her arms and made for the door. That was as far as she got.
• • •
“She’s coming around.”
Colin’s voice.
“Robbie? Can you hear me?”
Gavin.
She opened her eyes and found them at her bedside. Momentarily confused, she asked, “What are you doing here?”
“We might ask you what you were trying to do,” Colin scolded.
Robbie blinked and moved her legs. And remembered her loss. “I…it’s…I was…”
Gavin took her hand. “We know, Robbie. You should have called someone. Instead, you took it upon yourself and fainted dead away.”
“You made quite an awful thud as you fell,” Colin said. “The bedding cushioned you, thankfully.”
Lydia scurried in. “I took care of the laundry.” She gave Robbie a kind and gentle look. “I’m sorry, dear heart. I’m so sorry.”
Tears sprang from Robbie’s eyes; she couldn’t stop them. “It’s just one more thing my sister has taken from me,” she said softly.
“If it were me,” Lydia said, “I don’t think I’d be quite so rational about it.”
“I’m too tired to be anything else,” Robbie answered. She gave them all a weak smile. “Maybe later.”
Gavin took her hand in his and squeezed it. “That’s my girl.”
She looked at his handsome face, strong jaw, dimpled chin. He smiled at her as if he was proud of her. Did he mean he was proud because she wasn’t the kind of person who would retaliate against such an outrage? Or did he mean he was proud because she would do what had to be done when she was stronger? He might be surprised. Robbie had taken about as much from her sister as she could. Something had to be done. Unfortunately it would have to wait until she was stronger, and Birdie could see again. And knowing Birdie, she knew which would come first.
Rather mean-spiritedly, Robbie wondered if Birdie would even tell them when she saw signs that her sight was returning.
Lydia broke her reverie. “I wrapped the bairn in a towel; what do you want to do with her?”
Robbie started. “It was a girl?” Tears came again.
“Aye, and whether she was fully formed or not, I expect you’ll want to bury her.”
“There’s a small family cemetery on the south side of the house, away from the wind,” Gavin explained.
Robbie nodded, a lump in her throat. “Yes. We’ll put her there.”
“Will ye name her?”
“Hope. She will be Hope.” Robbie glanced at Gavin and saw that his eyes were shiny with tears. Hers came again.
Suddenly there was a shout from downstairs. “Hello? Where is everyone? Lydia? You promised me tea and some sweets. Hello?”
They all looked at one another, then Lydia threw up her hands and went to wait on the “poor blind girl.”