She drew in a sigh and continued on to the castle. She hadn’t seen Rosalyn in so long she felt they almost needed an introduction. At this stage of Rosalyn’s pregnancy, she should be checked every week, not monthly.
Rosalyn ushered Fen into the solarium and poured her a cup of tea. “I’m so happy to see you! It’s been weeks, hasn’t it?”
Fen sat on a tufted settee and accepted her wee cuppa. Bonnie, who had been asleep by the window, rose and joined her. Fen stroked her fuzzy head. Rosalyn carefully lowered herself into a chair across from Fen, trying not to sound like the enormous cow she felt she was. Sima stood and went to Rosalyn, nudging her legs, as if to tell her she understood her predicament, having been in it not so long before.
Fen seemed to notice Rosalyn’s discomfort. “You’re pale, dear. I have been ignoring you, haven’t I?”
“Nonsense. No one can do anything for me now, not until this behemoth of a bairn decides to leave his cushy spot.”
“I’d like to check you again.”
“You’re the boss.” Rosalyn settled on the length of the settee, a small pillow under her head.
“Are you getting enough rest?”
“I never seem to get enough rest, but that’s my problem. No one is holding a gun to my head.”
“Well, since Kerry spends only the mornings with me each day, I thought maybe the two of you had finally bonded.” Fen continued to probe, momentarily frowning.
“What’s the matter?” Rosalyn felt a quiver of fear.
Fen immediately calmed her. “It’s nothing. You just seem so big. If I didn’t know your story, I’d think you got pregnant sooner.”
Rosalyn tried to get comfortable. “I feel like I’m carrying around a baby elephant. And as for Kerry, we haven’t bonded, I’m afraid. ’Twas my thought as well that we might grow close, but she’s rarely here until tea time, or even dinner.”
Fen finished prodding. “What do you suppose she does all afternoon?”
“What can one do on this island? She says she explores; I guess that’s possible. I can’t imagine anything else.”
“Well, at least we know she can’t go far, not without leaving the island.”
Rosalyn brought her hands to her cheeks. “Now that I think about it, if she hadn’t come home every afternoon, I wouldn’t be surprised if she hadn’t tried to do that, too.”
They left the solarium and just as they stepped outside, a horse-drawn wagon driven by a neighbor stopped near the entrance and Kerry jumped from the seat, her expression pained. Startled, Rosalyn hurried to her. “Kerry? What’s wrong? What happened?”
Much to Rosalyn’s surprise, Kerry threw herself into her arms and sobbed.
Rosalyn enveloped the girl in her embrace and glanced up at the man on the wagon seat. “Ferris?”
Ferris the Peat doffed his cap. “I dunno, ma’am. She was walking along the path near the spot where I dig me peat. She won’t talk to me, but she’s very upset, as ye can see.”
Rosalyn gently pulled herself away from Kerry and looked into her tear-stained face.
“Kerry?”
The girl’s chin quivered and tears continued to stream down her cheeks. “Someone stole Mariah.” She broke into fresh sobs.
Evan came running from the stables. “Where’s the pony?”
Rosalyn continued to hold Kerry, gently rubbing her back. “If Mariah is the pony, then someone stole her.”
Evan’s expression was nearly as pained as Kerry’s. “Stolen, ye say?”
Kerry stared straight at Evan. “I thought maybe you did it to scare me.”
Evan’s face crumbled. “Nay, I’d never do that to ye.”
“Then maybe it was Duncan. You two are the only ones who know of my secret hiding place. Books have been missing and then returned, and it’s almost as if some trickster is trying to frighten me. It would be just like him to do this.”
“Tell us exactly what happened,” Rosalyn urged.
She did, and when she’d finished, she said, “Oh, I wish I’d looked out to see who it was, but I was scared and now Mariah is gone.”
“Fletcher will know what to do,” Rosalyn promised. “And he wouldn’t have wanted you to put yourself in harm’s way, so you were wise to stay hidden.”
Kerry brightened some. “I’m sure it was Duncan. I’m sure of it. He’s probably got Mariah hidden somewhere. Where is he?”
Evan still looked upset. “Lassie, he and Gavin went fishing with Donnie the Digger.”
Kerry bit her lip.” He still could have done it.”
“Let Fletcher figure it out, all right?” Rosalyn said.
“He’ll be mad.”
“How can he be mad? It wasn’t your fault, Kerry. You can’t blame yourself.” She drew the child with her toward the castle. “How about something nice and hot to drink? And maybe a fresh scone?”
Kerry shook her head. “I’m too upset, thank you just the same.”
Rosalyn thanked Ferris the Peat and the women returned to the castle.
• • •
They had barely settled into the morning room when Fletcher rushed inside, visibly concerned. “I saw Ferris the Peat on the road.” He settled down beside Kerry on the small settee. “Tell me exactly what happened, sweetheart.”
Kerry pressed her lips together. “Someone stole Mariah. Are you mad? I think maybe it was Duncan, just to scare me.”
Fletcher put his arm around her. “Of course I’m not mad. Just tell me what happened.”
She explained that shortly after they arrived on Hedabarr she had ridden to the far north end of the island on Mariah, and she had found a cave. “I can look out over the ocean. It’s very peaceful, Fletcher, and I love watching the waves. We have nothing like it in Texas, do we?”
“No, we don’t. So, was anything different about today?”
She frowned, thinking. “Not really. I usually see the wild horses, but today I didn’t because I took a different path. I had taken it before. I go into the hills a little—you know, where there’s one of those big stone markers.”
“The cairn monument?” When she nodded, he asked, “What made you change your course?”
Shrugging, she said, “No reason. Sometimes I just go down the coast. It just depends on how I feel.”
“Could someone have followed you?”
“No,” she answered a bit too quickly. “No one followed me. I would have known. There’s too much open space up there.” She paused. “But Duncan is an excellent tracker. He could have done it, couldn’t he?”
Fletcher stroked her hair. “Why would Duncan want to scare you like this?”
“Who else could it be? No, I’m sure it was Duncan.”
“Could someone have taken your pony for one of the wild ones?” Fen asked.
“No. She was saddled and bridled.” She gasped and her hand flew to her mouth.
“What?” Fletcher asked.
Kerry looked teary again. “The books. I took some books from the library and put them in the saddlebags. Now they’re gone. And I had some stacked up in the cave, too.”
Fletcher felt a wave of relief. “If that’s all that’s worrying you, don’t.”
“But I wanted to read them,” she explained. “Can I go back and get the ones in the cave? Please?”
Fletcher took Kerry’s hands in his own. “One thing at a time, Kerry. The first thing is to find that pony. We’ll get the books too, I promise.” And the son of a bitch who stole Mariah and scared his sister, he vowed.
• • •
Later, Rosalyn changed into her nightclothes and waited for Fletcher to check the doors and windows. He smiled ruefully at her as he closed the door behind him and began to undress. “Everyone’s accounted for except Duncan.”
She went to him and wrapped her arms around his waist. “So this is what it’s like. You stop worrying about one of them and turn around and begin worrying about another.”
“Not exactly what you signed up for, is it?”
&nb
sp; “It’s exactly what I signed up for, my husband. Your worries are mine.” She looked up at him. “Do you really think Duncan did this?”
Fletcher frowned. “It wouldn’t be beyond him to play a trick on someone, but I can’t imagine him scaring Kerry. No, not his little sister.”
“Then who and why?” When he shook his head, she asked, “How will you start looking for the mare? She could be anywhere by now. Even halfway to the mainland aboard the ferry.”
“I’ll check that out in the morning. Whoever took her won’t leave her out to be noticed, that’s for sure.”
She looked at him and gave him a triumphant smile.
“What’s that look for?” he asked, amused.
“Maybe it was because of the trauma, but the first thing Kerry did when she got here was throw herself into my arms and sob. You can imagine my surprise.”
His smile was warm. “I’m sorry a horse thief is what it took to change her mind about you, but I’m happy. And we’ll find the pony.”
They climbed into bed and Fletcher tucked her against his chest and rested his arm on her stomach. When her breathing became regular, he began thinking about the mare. And who might have taken her. And why. He had no positive answers, but before he fell asleep, one thought began to percolate in his brain.
• • •
The next morning, when Fen rode up to the clinic, Geddes was waiting for her. It brought her such simple joy she almost felt like shouting. He helped her down and followed her inside. “I’m happy to see you this morning,”
She grinned. “I’m always happy to see you.”
While Geddes pumped water into the tea kettle, she told him what had happened to Kerry and her pony the day before.
Geddes frowned. “Hadn’t you and Rosalyn been concerned because the girl disappeared every day?”
“Of course, but I certainly didn’t think she would be in any danger. For God’s sake, Geddes, Hedabarr is probably one of the safest places in the world.”
Geddes prepared their tea. “There’s always a couple of rotten apples in the barrel no matter where you are.”
“So, if that’s the case, who are they?” Fen questioned.
“If I could answer that question, I’d be in a different line of work.”
They drank their tea in comfortable silence. When Geddes had finished his, he crossed to her, pulled her up, and put his arms around her.
She gave him a happy smile and nestled close. Amazing how good it was to have someone to lean on after so many years. How she’d missed this kind of intimacy. She let out a sharp laugh.
“What’s humorous, dear girl?”
She stayed where she was, reveling in his strength, his warmth. “I was just thinking how much I’d missed this closeness, when, in truth, I don’t believe I’ve ever had it before.”
“Not in your marriage?” He rubbed his hands over her shoulders and waist, resting them there.
“It was a strange union, but it wasn’t a marriage in so many ways. I thought it was just fine at the time; he and I were always working, rarely saw one another, and when we did we were so exhausted we fell into bed without so much as a ‘good night.’” She turned in Geddes’s arms and gazed up at him. “Not until now did I realize that we may have had a partnership, but we certainly had no marriage.” She cocked her head. “And I don’t want to scare you off, Mr. Gordon, but I think I want a marriage. A real marriage in my old age.”
Geddes raised an eyebrow. “If I marry you, you must promise me a few things.”
“Oh, really? What, pray tell?”
“You must promise to always tell me what’s on your mind. You must never assume I don’t want to listen to what you have to say. If you feel the need to touch me, you are ordered to do so, until penalty of a paddling.”
She gave him a wicked smile. “You would actually paddle me?”
He reached down and ran his hand over her behind. “Indeed. And I would insist that you remove all clothing before I did so.”
Warmth spread through her like thick molasses. “You would paddle my bare behind?”
“I would put you across my lap and fondle your breasts with my free hand and paddle you pink with the other.”
Fen thought about that, her temperature rising. “I’d never have thought you were the sort of man who would take pleasure in such folly.”
“Folly, is it? Nay, woman, ’tis something I’ve thought of since the day I discovered you nose to nose with that sot MacNab.”
“Well, you’re just full of surprises, aren’t you, you devil?”
“I have many more,” he promised, pulling her so close she could feel him hard against her belly.
Her knees went weak. “Geddes Gordon, what I want right now is your naked body. I want to feel you drive into me so deep I’ll feel it in my throat.”
He growled into her ear, dragged her to the cavernous linen closet, and began unbuttoning her trousers.
In her haste to make herself available to him, she completely forgot where they were, what time it was, or who could stop in and discover them any moment.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Her husband was already up and gone when Rosalyn awoke. She dressed quickly and went down the hallway to Kerry’s room and knocked. At Kerry’s faint “Come in,” Rosalyn opened the door and stepped into the room. Kerry was sitting cross-legged on her bed, reading, her glossy curls in sweet disarray over her shoulders and down her back. She looked up. “Is Fletcher gone?”
Rosalyn sat on the bed. “He was gone before I woke up. I’m sure he’s out trying to discover who took your pony right now.”
Kerry stared at the window. “Duncan came by earlier. He didn’t take Mariah.” She placed a bookmark in her book and put it on the bed.
Rosalyn read the title. “The History of Scotland?”
“It’s really interesting. Did you know there was once a black king in Scotland who came here from Africa?”
“I had no idea,” Rosalyn answered, surprised that a twelve-year-old would find such a dusty tome readable.
Kerry couldn’t quite look at Rosalyn. “I’ve been such a terrible brat.”
Something in Rosalyn’s chest melted. She touched one of Kerry’s curls and watched it wind itself around her finger. “You’ve been through a lot. Your whole life has been turned upside down, and just when you become even a little comfortable with your new environment, someone steals your pony.” She gave Kerry a sympathetic smile. “No one blames you.”
“But you should. I’ve been mean and cross.”
“Who else could you be mean and cross to? Not to your brothers, certainly.” She gently stroked Kerry’s bare arm. “I knew that under all that frustration was the sweet girl her brother told me about.” A sudden twinge gripped her lower back, and she sucked in a harsh breath.
Kerry sat up straight. “Are you all right?”
Nodding, Rosalyn said, “It’s just this bairn; he can’t seem to settle down when I want to. ’Tis nothing to worry about.”
Kerry continued to watch her, her expression fearful. “Will it hurt—you know, when it comes out?”
Rosalyn tried to get comfortable, finally opting to leave the bed and sit in the small settee beside it. “I won’t deny it. I’ve been through this once before.”
“You had another baby? What happened?”
“She died.”
Kerry’s eyes welled with tears. “Oh, Rosalyn, I’m so sorry. I didn’t know. I’m so, so sorry.”
“’Tis in the past. And you know,” she added, trying to lighten the mood, “it wasn’t your fault.” She motioned to Kerry. “Come here and sit with me.”
Kerry scooted off the bed and nestled herself snugly beside Rosalyn. “I don’t hate you, Rosalyn.”
Smiling, Rosalyn pulled her close. “I know you don’t, sweetheart.”
“But I’ve been so awful.”
“Let’s think about something we could do together. I know, why don’t you and I take a rig and go find your cave
and retrieve those books you left there? Then I can see what you found so interesting every day.”
Kerry’s face lit up. “Can we do it now?”
“Let’s at least wait until we’ve had some breakfast, all right?” She wasn’t at all sure she should be leaving the castle in her condition, but at the moment, Kerry’s priorities were first and foremost in Rosalyn’s mind.
• • •
Astride Ahote, Fletcher rode north, hoping to find the path Kerry had taken the day before. At the cairn monument, he took the fork that went a short way into the hillside. As he rode further, the crofts became fewer and fewer, especially now that he wasn’t as close to the ocean. Out of the corner of his eye he saw movement in the trees. A wisp of smoke coming from a rundown cottage. The thatched roof was in dire need of repair and the place didn’t look habitable.
He left Ahote behind a line of beech hedges whose fire-bronze leaves blazed in the September morning. The place appeared vacant but for the smoke. He noticed a path had been worn over the coarse marram grass, one that went directly to the cottage. He found the door to the cottage padlocked, and the small window in the door was painted over. He circled the building, noting that all the windows were painted from the inside. He suddenly remembered seeing windows exactly like that somewhere else. It was when he made the decision about the goat. Douglas the Lum’s shed. Curious.
As he returned to the front of the cottage, something winked at him from the grass. He picked it up and turned it over, his gaze lingering over the object. He knew what it was. But what was it doing here?
• • •
Wrapped in warm clothing and lap robes, Rosalyn and Kerry settled into small carriage. Marvella had put extra blankets in the back. She had insisted on packing them a small lunch. By the looks of the box, they could be gone for a couple of days and still have food left over.
Rosalyn briefly took her eyes off the mare, glanced over, and saw Kerry chewing at her nails. Kerry noticed and put her hands in her lap. “I know I shouldn’t do it.”
“We all have habits we’d like to stop.”
The Pleasure of the Rose Page 23