Balmoral Castle rose in the distance, an imposing granite fortress sculpted against the cold, blue sky. The backdrop of beeches and spruce trees burning orange and gold in the crisp autumn air.
“I wonder if the queen is in residence.” Gavin admired the building and the grounds.
“Possibly,” replied Colin, “although it’s rather late in the season.”
As they crossed the bridge over the River Dee, which sparkled blue in the sunshine, Gavin mused, “Now what? It’s like trying to find a needle in a haystack.”
“Despite what the fellow at the inn said, I think we should ride to Crathie. If memory serves, I know a physician there, or at least he used to be there. It’s a place to start.”
Alarmed, Gavin asked, “Why? Do you think—?”
“No, it’s just a place to start. But even those two women would know enough to get Alice to a doctor if they had to.”
Gavin swore. “And to think I once held both of them in such high esteem. I must have been insane.” He thought of the years he had pined for Birdie, painting a picture of her in his mind that was clearly a fantasy. And Faith? That she would do this to him was even more painful than Birdie’s betrayal, because he had truly thought they were friends.
“Not insane, my friend, just naïve,” Colin reminded him.
• • •
While the men hunted the kidnappers—Robbie had difficulty even thinking of the two women as anything but that—Robbie received a welcome visitor.
She met Eve Innes in the foyer, where Mrs. Murray took her satchel, cape, hat and gloves.
“What brings you to us, dear Eve?”
Eve, plain and serviceable, had warm eyes and a gentle smile. Her face was rather long, and her hair an undeterminable shade of brown, but her personality made up for every bit of it.
“Well,” she answered, allowing Robbie to take her elbow and walk with her into the morning room, “I’ve known the dressmaker in Galashiels for many years. She once had a small shop in Edinburgh, but then her husband became ill and died, so she quit the city and moved to the provinces, closer to her other family. And, I had little to do at home, so, on a whim, I thought to visit both of you! Plus, look in on that brother of mine,” she finished with a kind smile, though her eyes twinkled as she mentioned him.
“I hope your visit with Mrs. Ferguson went well, because I’m afraid your brother and my husband are away at the moment, and I have no idea when they will return.”
They sat together on the settee, knees touching. Eve studied Robbie. “I fear I see sadness in your eyes.”
Robbie rubbed her temples. “Is it that noticeable?”
Eve’s palm covered Robbie’s hand. “I’m a pretty astute judge, my dear. I hope what’s eating at you isn’t too serious.”
“I’m afraid it is,” Robbie confessed. She went on to tell Eve of the bairn, how Alice came to live with them, and how everyone had come to love her. As eager as she was to paint Birdie with a dark brush, she held back, and instead just said that Birdie had become obsessed with the child and had absconded with her.
“Oh my,” Eve replied, a worried frown creasing her forehead. “And Birdie is your sister? I find it difficult to believe a sister would behave in such a manner.”
Robbie chuckled. “You have not met Birdie. To be kind, she’s beautiful, flighty, self-centered, terribly self-absorbed, and often doesn’t think any farther than the next moment or two. Consequences usually mean little to her.”
“And you’re not angry with her?”
“Angry? I’m beyond angry. She has an accomplice, and I hope they both suffer a little for what they’ve put all of us through.” She paused and then added, “I only hope Alice is all right…”
Eve gave Robbie’s hand a squeeze. “Well, I know my Colin, and I know your Gavin, and truth to tell, if anyone can find the bairn, it’s those two.”
Robbie wondered how much to tell the woman. “I don’t know if you’re aware, but since the moment Colin met Birdie, he’s been smitten.”
“I guess I’m not surprised,” Eve answered. “I don’t imagine anything will come of it. If she’s a shallow beauty, Colin’s deformity would surely put her off.”
“Yes, I think for the most part it has,” Robbie said. She went on to tell Eve about Birdie’s initial blindness, and now she had attached herself to Colin because of it, and how Colin, patient man that he was, had read her nearly all of Jane Eyre. “I’d find them curled up together on the settee in front of the fire, Birdie’s expression wistful and sweet as she listened to Colin read.” She shook her head. “I haven’t seen her that way often, truth to tell.”
Eve appeared thoughtful. “I do want Colin to find someone. I don’t have any interest in marriage, I never have. But Colin—he would make such a wonderful father, don’t you agree?”
“Yes, I do agree.” Robbie recalled how besotted both men were when it came to Alice.
“Now,” Robbie began, “you will stay with us a while, won’t you? I would love your company, so please don’t disappoint me,” she added, her voice warm.
Eve glanced around the well-appointed room. “I am rather curious about the house. Colin spoke of it often, but men usually don’t know crocheting from crossbows when it comes to furnishing such a fine place, or even attempting to describe it.”
Mrs. Murray popped her head in. “Will the lady be staying?”
“Indeed she will. Ask Maureen to fix up one of the apartments for her, will you please? And when you have a moment, some tea and scones?”
“With pleasure.” Mrs. Murray briefly studied the two women before leaving them alone.
“Do you have much help here, Robbie?”
“Besides Mrs. Murray, we have one full-time girl and a couple others who come in daily, who live either on farms or in the villages. We have a stable boy, and other employees who take care of things outside, and then there’s Lydia of course, whom you met after her son died. She became Birdie’s nurse and chaperone while she couldn’t see, but now she will be helping Colin with the clinic Gavin is having built.”
“A clinic? How interesting. I haven’t seen Colin in a while; this must be a new venture.”
“It is, and I hope you don’t mind that he’ll be staying out here a couple of days a week, seeing patients.”
Eve chuckled. “He’s rarely at the townhouse anyway. I’m thrilled he’s willing to see patients again, after, well after that horrible accident with the bairn, the mongrel, and his nasty owner.”
“I didn’t realize there was someone else involved,” Robbie mused. “He’s never said as much, at least not to me.”
Eve raised her pale eyebrows. “I suppose it isn’t my place to tell, but somehow I feel it wouldn’t hurt for you to know. Even Gavin doesn’t know the whole story.”
Her interest piqued, Robbie leaned in to learn more.
• • •
Except for Adrianna’s tiresome cough, it was quiet in the little apartment that Faith’s auntie had given them, rent-free until they made more permanent arrangements. And just what would those be, Birdie wondered? She was glad she had Faith on her side; she was the kind of person who could make decisions. That had always been hard for Birdie; someone usually took care of her, and she’d become accustomed to it.
Adrianna had coughed so hard she vomited. With Faith at the market, Birdie had to clean it up, and she was not happy about that, not one bit. The smell made her gag.
She glanced outside, bored. There was nothing to do here, nowhere to go.
Faith entered the room. “She’s still coughing?”
“Yes,” Birdie nearly hissed. “And she threw up all over herself; I had to clean it up.” Her tone let Faith know she wasn’t happy about that.
Faith put her packages on the table and walked to the crib. “Birdie,” she said, her voice low, “I think there’s something terribly wrong with her.”
Birdie sat up. “Just because she’s coughing?”
“Just listen to it. How can you not hear it? It’s not a normal cough; it’s deep and disturbing. And her skin is hot and her lips are cracked. She’s really ill.”
Birdie’s eyes grew wide. “What will we do?”
Faith didn’t remove her coat. “I saw a doctor’s sign in the village. We’ve got to take the babe there, we have to.”
Birdie swallowed hard. “I can’t. You do it, Faithy, you can convince them she’s yours. I just can’t. I just can’t.”
Knowing better than to argue with her, Faith wrapped the baby in a blanket and tucked her close to her chest as she left the apartment to find a doctor.