Edwina (24 page)

“Well, I care.” Her sister couldn’t seem to
find any more words. Then did. “You just never know who you might
meet. The mayor goes to church, so does the President of the United
States.”

“God looks at the heart, sis.” Edwina had no
trouble speaking; her heart was struck through with love for her
sister at the moment.

“Well, I’m sure He sees the outside too,” she
huffed. “I’ll go change. Perhaps God will see the inside, but
everyone else will see the outside.”

No one but God saw Edwina’s tender smile and
the two tears that fell down her face.

She was leaving her sister,
whom she’d grown closer to lately. And Spencer... that last kiss
had allowed a fission of hope into her usually closed heart.
Lord, am I doing the right
thing
?

“All right, how’s this?”

“You look beautiful,” Edwina whispered, and
it was true. Her sister had on a blue flowered dress cinching
Cecelia’s slender waist. A blue scarf was at her neck. “Where did
you get that dress? I’ve never seen it before.”

“
That’s because it was my
mother’s. She wore this exact dress when she did
Baby Dolls
on
Broadway.”

Edwina walked over and felt the silky fabric.
“Really?”

“Yes. I’ve had it for ever so long and never
thought to put it on.”

“Well, I’m glad you did. It’s beautiful on
you. Do you look like your mother did in it?”

“Yes, I have several snapshots from the
newspapers. I look very much like she did then.”

“Time . . .” Edwina’s voice wavered.

“Oh come now. We’re not going to discuss such
matters. I hate even to think what I shall look like in ten
years.”

“Oh Cecelia, you’ll be beautiful then
too.”

“Stop. This fluff talk is driving me to
distraction. After church we’re going to Rex’s.”

“In our flowery dresses?” It was Edwina’s
turn to stand there, mouth agape, looking down at her flowery
skirt. Rex’s was black-tie only.

“They’ll let me in,” Cecelia stated. “I bet
they will. Let’s go.” The car took them to a downtown church, the
closest

one, which happened to be several blocks from
the condo. Cecelia looked nervous but trotted along, her white
heels

clicking. Edwina settled herself into a pew,
and the music started.

Cecelia squirmed next to her until she almost
said, “Quit fidgeting.” And thought of Bertie.

The time came for the speaker. His words
nullified every- thing Edwina thought to use as an excuse not to
live her life fully. The man told a story about his son who had
worked long and hard hours to be a doctor. He had just received his
medical degree and was killed by a drunk driver only three weeks
later. He’d died before he could become all that he could be.

Edwina sat motionless. Even Cecelia had
stopped her nervous twitching.

The sermon finished and last hymn duly sung,
they walked out into the sunshine. Cecelia put on her
sunglasses.

“We’ll walk back.” She started off. Edwina
followed. No words were spoken. When finally they’d reached home,
Edwina was truly

shocked that her sister had not once
complained about her spiked pumps even though they must have walked
ten blocks or more.

“What time is our reservation?” Edwina left
her flats at the door.

“We’re not going.”

Edwina didn’t even ask why. She thought she
might know. Instead, she went to the Rose Room, carefully put her
skirt and blouse away, and dressed in her worn jeans.

“Want to make lunch?” She found her sister in
the kitchen, which was usually Spencer’s territory. She had changed
into tan dress pants and a matching sweater, the closest thing to
relaxing Edwina had ever seen her sister wear.

“Yes.” Cecelia’s head was in the
refrigerator. “Not sure what we can fix up, but we can give it a
try.”

“What have you got?”

“Hamburger, lots of it. Potatoes in the
bottom drawer, instant ones in the cupboard. And several cans of
green beans. Does that make a meal?”

“Sure does. We can make meat loaf. I’ll peel
the potatoes so—” Edwina stopped.

“So?”

She was going to say, “So you won’t break
your nails.” But that definitely was not nice.

“So you can make the meat loaf, then. It’s
the worst job,” Edwina admitted.

“Why? It can’t be
that
bad.”

“It is. Here I’ll show you.” She threw a
chunk of meat into a bowl, added a few ingredients: ketchup, raw
eggs, oatmeal, and onion, and then said, “Time to mix.”

“I’ll do it.” Cecelia grabbed a large wooden
spoon.

“Oh no, don’t get the spoon dirty. Here, you
do it like this.” Edwina washed her hands and then shoved them into
the bowl, squishing the meat and raw eggs between her fingers.

“That’s terrible.” Cecelia frowned. “Does
Spencer do it that way?”

“All good chefs do... I think. You just can’t
get all the good stuff in the meat if you don’t do this.”

to.”

“Well, I’m glad you did it because I don’t
think I want

“No, here. Try it.”

“No, you’re doing a fine job, Ed. I’ll peel
the potatoes since you’ve got that in hand.” Cecelia was serious
and then caught what she’d just said, and the girls laughed.

She took several potatoes out of the bag and
said, “Are they always this dirty?”

“Yep. Peeler is over there in that drawer. I
don’t know how you’ll ever find it. You could build an entire house
with that drawer load of tools.”

Cecelia fished and fished until she found
something and came up with a cheese slicer. “Is this it?”

“No, there.” Edwina pointed with her messy
hands.

“Oh, this little thing?”

“Sis, haven’t you ever peeled potatoes
before?” Edwina tried to be diplomatic. She just had to know.

“I can’t remember.”

“Okay, well, let’s get the show on the road.
Where are your baking dishes?”

“How should I know?” her sister squeaked. She
was intent on using the potato peeler correctly.

“Which way do you peel? Outward or toward
you?”

“
Doesn’t matter, whichever
works best.” Edwina washed her hands and was going through
drawers.

Twenty minutes later the meat loaf was in the
oven and the potatoes were bubbling in a pot of water on the
restaurant-size stove.

“Well, that sure smells good.” Cecelia was
washing her hands. “But now I’m going to have to see Cynthia this
week. I broke two nails doing it.”

“I’m sorry.”

“That’s why I don’t do these things.”

“I’m going to make a list of things I need to
do, sis.”

“You go ahead. I’m going to read awhile.”
Read? Since when did Cecelia read? She attended meetings and read
only agendas and such things. Reading contracts, recipes, and
fiction were left to the professionals.

When the list was finished, Edwina went
searching for her sister. The place had enough square footage you
could easily lose a person. When she’d tried everywhere and could
not find her, she shrugged and headed for the den. Which is where
she found Cecelia. On the loveseat reading.

“What are you reading?” Edwina asked quietly,
trying to be nonchalant.

“Emma
. It’s by that Jane Austen woman. You know she was
English.”

“I know.” Edwina smiled and her heart jumped
for joy.

Chapter 40

E
dwina’s heart was motionless—or at least that’s what it felt
like. She was standing at the gate, Cecelia at her side, and they
were both tearless, at least for the moment. And then Spencer
ruined everything when he came running up.

“I thought I’d missed your takeoff.” He was
still trying to catch his breath. Edwina noted his silky blond hair
was hanging loose over his collar a good two inches, and he was
Brad Pitt cute today in his tan trench coat.

Her heart skipped a beat, then started again.
She remembered his kiss—her fourth. The last two from the same
man.

Edwina stood there as though she were going
to the gallows. She had made her first substantial life decision
and stepped out into the unknown, and these two were standing there
looking at her as though she were going to die.

“Look, you guys. Don’t make this hard on me.
I’m step- ping out here, trying something new. The least you can
do, the both of you, is send me off smiling.”

“You’re right,” Spencer said immediately.
Cecelia gazed somewhere over her shoulder.

Silence surrounded them. Edwina felt like she
was a butterfly in a jar with holes poked in the top. There was
just enough air to stay alive.

At that moment the call came over the
loudspeaker, sealing her decision. Flight 463 to Edinburgh.

Jumpstarted, she picked up her carry-on.
Spencer looked like he wanted to kiss her again, but she kept her
distance. The last thing she needed was a third kiss from the same
man. And if it was as nice as the last one, she’d surely lose her
nerve.

“Sis, I love you.”

Cecelia said, “I love you too,” but her lips
were pressed together.

“You’ll visit?” She was looking into her
sister’s eyes.

“I will visit. So don’t do anything foolish
or get yourself in trouble, Edwina, because I won’t be there to get
you out of it.”

“I won’t. I promise.”

“Bye, Winnie.” Spencer hugged her, and she
squiggled from his embrace as the second call to board sounded.

She made her way down the corridor, barely
able to see the floor. She wanted to turn around and throw herself
at the two of them, but she couldn’t look back. She just
couldn’t.

Once she was settled on the plane, she fell
asleep. It was lunchtime before the male flight attendant tapped
her shoulder gently. She thought about Bertie who’d carried the
candle into the room that night to wake her softly.

Once the plane landed in Scotland and, tired
from the flights, Edwina waited for her baggage. This time, she
reminded herself, she was here to stay. The thought over- whelmed
her. What had she been thinking leaving her family, her
country?

The Scot had called her twice. Once to tell
her the flight numbers and times of departure and arrival, and
now.

“
Yes, thank you. We just
arrived. Slight delay in Chicago, but not long. How many bags? Just
one and my carry-on.”

“One?” The Scot was good at one-liners.
“Yes.” Edwina thought he might not have heard her. “Reardon will
bring you to the farm. I shall meet you

there and introduce you to Paige, leave you
instructions, then I must be off. I will return as soon as I can.
The Gillespies will see to your needs.”

“Thank you. Oh, your man Reardon is here. I’d
best be going.”

“Aye,” the Scot answered and was gone.

Reardon was off a ways, but he had seen her.
What should she say to him? She’d had the distinct feeling that he
had no use for her.

Well, the only way was to hit it square on.
She was on her own. Cecelia couldn’t offer a suggestion, and the
Scot wasn’t here to defend her.

“Miss Blair.” He bowed slightly and reached
for her carry-on.

“I can take it. Thank you. My purse is
inside,” she explained.

“As you wish,” he stated, then lifted the
handle on her bag and led the way.

Uh-oh, he was stuffy. What to do?

She took the seat in the back of the black
car. He got in and, sitting ramrod straight as his position
required, pulled into traffic.

“Sir,” she called from the back. “May I speak
with you while you’re driving?”

“As you wish.”

“Never mind.” She said quietly. Edwina rolled
her eyes, then hoped Reardon hadn’t seen her do it in his mirror.
This was not a good way to begin her new life with the Scot’s
man.

Edwina sighed as she settled into the seat
and remem- bered the last time she’d ridden in this car. Had it
been only four months? Life sure had strange twists. It had all
been a fluke. The Scot standing behind her at the hotel. The castle
visit. Now this?

It was evening yet she could still see the
hills. Soon she would meet her charge.

She’d packed some children’s learn-to-read
books in her book box, but they would not arrive for another week,
maybe longer. Soon she would be a teacher. A mentor. Someone who
would look after a little girl who had no mother.

Her breath came in short gasps at that last
thought. She’d be someone’s surrogate mother. At least for a time.
Edwina began to think of other books she would need. She must first
be well read herself before she could teach the child. And teach
she would.

If the Scot believed in her, then she would
not let him down.

Chapter 41

“A
re we to go directly to the farm?” This to
Reardon.

“Farm, miss?”

“Where the Gillespies live.”

“Ah, you refer to Beaufort Manor.”

“Yes, Beaufort Manor,” she whispered the
words. Didn’t sound Scottish, that was for sure.

“Aye. We will be there in fourteen minutes.”
They had just passed Castle Dunnegin. She missed Bertie and smiled,
wondering what the woman was up to, then remembered Bertie was not
there. She’d taken a holiday. Hopefully, everything was all right
on that front.

Edwina shivered. The temperatures were cooler
here than when she’d left Chicago. Soon she would be walking the
hills, maybe even learn to milk a cow or gather sheep— or whatever
they did with them.

The car slowed and turned off onto a single
brown dirt lane. Her eyes widened. They must be here. Scrunching
down in her seat, she gazed through the large front window.

Ahead on a hill, the outdoor lighting bathing
it in soft yellow, was a blue-gray building made of large round
rocks sunk into cement. It seemed cottage-like in style, but a bit
larger than what she’d imagined. A wide front porch skirted two
sides of the dwelling. Suddenly the long driveway ended, and the
car swung onto the circle. It was a perfect O with a small cherub
waterfall gadget in the middle. She saw four wide concrete steps
that rounded at the sides. Banks of colorful flowers contrasted the
green carpet rolling away from the cottage. Ivy cascaded down the
stair-stepped brick levels on either side of the steps resembling a
waterfall. It looked like a miniature version of the Scot’s
castle.