“So, you’ll give it a chance? You’ll try?”
“Yes, Dr. Rose. I’ll try.”
Charlotte Quinn was already seated when they arrived at the posh French restaurant in SoHo. She stood and opened her arms, a nervous, hopeful look on her face. “Elizabeth, darling, how are you feeling?”
Elsie hugged her. “Better, thank you. My ribs still hurt some, but not nearly as much as they did.”
Charlotte turned a warm smile on Dr. Rose. “Dr. Rose, it’s lovely to see you again. Thank you for arranging this.”
“It was my pleasure, Mrs. Quinn.”
“Please, call me Charlotte.”
“Charlotte, then. Shall we sit down?” He held Charlotte’s chair and then Elsie’s before seating himself.
“Elizabeth…I…well, darling, I’m sorry for the misunderstanding last week.”
Of all the things Elsie thought the woman might say, an apology was the last.
“We were so worried about you. Truly, we were. And your father—you know how he can be. But, no…I guess you don’t. When something is very important and things aren’t going well, when he is worried or scared, he shifts into command mode. He trusts his ability to handle anything more than he trusts anyone else. Darling, I have never seen him as upset as he was when the officers came to the house to tell us you had been in an accident. He wanted to leave immediately, but we were in the middle of a terrible snowstorm. He had our driver and helicopter pilot on standby. He wanted everyone ready to leave the minute the heliport was open. I am so sorry it took something as dreadful as this to…well…bring us together. I don’t want a misunderstanding to tear us apart. We love you, Elizabeth.”
As Elizabeth’s mother rambled on nervously, Elsie realized everything Dr. Rose had said was true. Charlotte was fully aware of the distance that had developed between them, and she wanted to repair the relationship.
Elsie smiled. “I know you do.”
Dr. Rose cleared his throat. “Perhaps we should order before we dive too deeply into this.”
Elsie looked blankly at the menu and frowned. She had learned all of the letters and was beginning to be able to read small words, but this menu had no pictures.
Charlotte said softly, “You’ve always liked the eggs benedict. You are also fond of lamb, and there is a lamb sandwich on the menu. Also, today’s special is lapin à la moutarde.” At Elsie’s frown, she added, “Rabbit in a Dijon mustard sauce.”
She wasn’t sure what eggs benedict was and she did like lamb, but she loved rabbit. “I think I’d like the rabbit.”
While they ate over the next hour, Charlotte kept the conversation going with inconsequential things. But eventually, she brought the topic back around to Elizabeth.
“Darling, it seems even though you haven’t recovered your memories yet, you are becoming a bit more comfortable than you were in the hospital. Wouldn’t you rather stay with me at our suite at the Fitzwilliam than be a burden to Dr. Soldani?”
Elsie stiffened. Was she a burden to Gabe? She remembered his words from the previous evening: I would do anything for her. I love her. She shook her head. “I am not a burden to Gabe. While I appreciate the offer, I would prefer to stay with him.”
“I know you better. I can help you remember things.”
“My memory will come back when it does. I like being with Gabe. I love him.”
“But—”
“No. Gabe helps me, too. He is teaching me to read and do math.”
“He isn’t family.”
“I don’t want to argue about this. I would love to see you again and spend time with you, but I am going to continue living with Gabe for now.” Elsie’s tone was gentle but firm.
Dr. Rose stepped in. “Charlotte, ye have clearly raised your daughter to be a strong, capable woman.”
“But she isn’t able to be independent now.”
“Not completely, no. But forcing yer will on her is only going to make her more dependent, not less.”
Charlotte took one of Elsie’s hands in hers. “I don’t want to lose you.”
Elsie squeezed her hand. “You won’t.”
Charlotte smiled and nodded. “Okay. Are you free on Wednesday?”
“I meet with Dr. Rose on Wednesday afternoons.”
“I could pick you up and take you to lunch before your appointment.”
Elsie smiled. “I’d like that.”
“Afterward, we can go shopping. I’m not sure where you got that outfit, but Boho-chic is passé and not your style.”
Elsie shook her head and laughed. “If this outfit is Boho-chic, then it is my style. I don’t care if it’s passé—whatever that is—because I love it.”
Charlotte pursed her lips as if poised to criticize, but stopped herself. She gave Elsie an indulgent smile. “You’re right. If you like it, it’s your style.”
When Elsie was in the car again with Dr. Rose, he asked, “How do ye feel that went?”
“Okay, I guess. I see what you meant now about Elizabeth’s parents being afraid.”
“I thought ye handled things beautifully. Ye were kind and accessible, but you stood firm where ye needed to. I suspect Elizabeth would have had a bit more trouble with that.”
“It’s a little surprising. I come from a time and place where I have few, if any, choices.”
“Indeed. In fact, most of the people I know who travel back in time—especially the women—struggled quite a bit with that. When they return, they usually have a newfound appreciation for their personal freedoms.”
“I’m not surprised. Once I learned I could make my own choices, I really didn’t want to give that authority to anyone else.” Elsie sighed. “It will be hard to lose that when I return.”
As soon as she said it, she knew it wouldn’t be the hardest thing to lose. She would lose her parents again. And Gabe. Her mind was filled with images of the man Elizabeth loved. I could love him too. Nay, Elsie, don’t go there. Ye’ll have Geordie when ye return. Don’t make leaving even harder by giving yer heart to Gabe.
“Are you all right, Elsie? You became very quiet all of a sudden.”
“I’m fine. I was just thinking about my parents…and Gabe.”
“Ah, yes. We should talk about that more on Wednesday. This won’t be easy.”
“No, it won’t be.”
“Maybe I can help you prepare.”
“That’s a good idea.”
Dr. Rose pulled up in front of Gabe’s building.
“Thank you for going with me, Dr. Rose. It helped a lot, having you there.”
“Ye’re comfortable enough to spend time with her on yer own now. That was the goal.”
“And thanks for pushing me in the first place. I think I understand a little more now.”
“Good. I’ll see ye on Wednesday then.”
She nodded and got out of the car. “I’ll see you on Wednesday.”
~ * ~
When Gabe came home that evening, Elsie told him every detail of lunch with Elizabeth’s mother that she could remember. He seemed genuinely pleased to hear things had gone well and that they had plans for Wednesday.
“I was wondering the best way to get you to Dr. Rose’s office. It’s good that you and your mother are spending some time together.”
“That’s important to you?”
“Of course it is. I know you don’t remember this, but I have always thought family was important. In medical school, it was hard for me to understand why you were so distant from yours. It is a little clearer now, but I still think it is a great opportunity for you to bond.”
“Bond?”
He chuckled. “Spend some time getting closer.”
“I see. And do you bond with your family a lot?”
He laughed outright. “Sweetheart, if my family were any closer, we’d be attached at the hips.”
“But you haven’t spent any time with them since I…uh…since my accident.”
“No, my parents’ home is in New Jersey, about an ho
ur away by train. I usually go down there at some point during my days off.”
Guilt rose in Elsie, and she looked away. “And I kept you from that?”
Gabe put a finger under her chin, drawing her gaze back to him. “I don’t always go. Taking care of you was important. And I usually talk to at least one member of my family every day. On my walk to work in the morning, I usually talk to Joey, Dad, or Mom. They are all very early risers. When I walk home in the evening, it’s usually one of my other brothers. Angie is all tied up in high school stuff during the week, but I nearly always talk to her on Saturdays. Nick is an architect with a big firm not far from NYUHC. Once in a while, he meets me at the hospital for lunch. I saw him yesterday.”
“You did? You didn’t mention it.”
“I guess I didn’t. The Sinclairs were here when I got home, and it slipped my mind. But we’re going to go out to dinner with him on Saturday evening.”
“That’s why we couldn’t have dinner with the Sinclairs?”
“Exactly. I was also planning to go down next week for a couple days if that’s okay.”
“I…I suppose so. I…uh…I am a little afraid to stay by myself, but I’m sure I can manage.”
Gabe took her hand. “I didn’t intend to leave you here, sweetheart. I was hoping you’d go with me.”
Elsie brightened. “And meet your family? I’d love to.”
“Good. We’ll go down Thursday morning and come back on Friday.”
“That’s over a week away.”
He grinned and canted his head sideways. “Is that a problem?”
Just that Gertrude might come and send me home before then. “No. I just…well, we could go on Monday.”
“We could, except Thursday is my birthday and my mom would be very upset if I didn’t come home for it.”
Go with him to his home? She wanted to meet his family. At that moment, she vowed that even if Gertrude came before next Thursday, Elsie would not say the word until after she had met Gabe’s family.
~ * ~
The next day when Elsie visited the Sinclairs’ home, she was stunned. She had been aware that they were very well off, and she remembered that Gabe had described himself as coming from a “working class” family, which she’d assumed meant they had more modest means. She’d thought Gabe’s apartment was quite nice, but she assumed the Sinclairs’ might be larger. She was not prepared for the reality.
Dixon called for her as her parents said he would. The driver stopped in front of a large building like Gabe’s, but fancier. Dixon escorted her `past the doorman and through the main lobby to a set of glass doors. A guard in this private lobby let them in.
“Good morning, Dr. Quinn. I’ve notified the Sinclairs that you’ve arrived. You can go right up.”
“By myself? Where do I go?”
The other guard frowned, obviously confused. Dixon’s stern demeanor slipped for a moment, and she caught a brief glimpse of a smile. “You’ll be fine. The elevator only goes to one floor and opens directly into the Sinclairs’ home.”
Sure enough, when the elevator doors opened, her mother and father were waiting to greet her. The Sinclairs’ apartment, which she learned was called a penthouse, was huge. Gabe’s entire apartment would have fit in the living room with plenty of room to spare. For that matter, she thought perhaps the entirety of Castle Macrae could fit inside their home. There were more rooms than Elsie could count, including one room that contained a beautiful pool of water that was for swimming.
“The water is warm. We’ll swim later if you’d like to,” said her mother. “We can wrap your cast. Jennifer and Caroline leave clothes here. I’m sure there is a bathing suit that will fit you.”
“I think I’d like that.” The water did look inviting.
“I’d like to show you something, Elsie.” Her mother took her hand and led her back to the entryway where the elevator was.
Aldous followed, closing two large, carved, wooden doors. They had been open when she arrived, and Elsie hadn’t paid them much heed.
Aldous ran his hand lovingly over the carved surface. “I had these doors commissioned years ago. In fact, every home we own has front doors like these. No two are exactly the same, but they all have several things in common.”
Now that they were closed, Elsie realized that the two halves came together to make a beautiful tree with roots that spread out as broadly at the bottom of the tree as the branches did above.
“This is called a tree of life,” said her mother. “Your father had certain important symbols carved into the tree.”
“Some are obvious.” He pointed to the base of the tree where the roots began to branch out. “Here is the trinity knot, a Celtic symbol of the Holy Trinity. Our family is rooted there. And here, in the middle of the trunk is a knot. If you look carefully, you can see sixty tick marks around the edge.”
“The pocket watch?”
He smiled and nodded. “Exactly. The pocket watch. Half of it is on the left door and the other half on the right.” He pointed to one of the upper branches on the right door, “Carved into the grain of the wood here is the motto of Clan Sinclair: Commit thy work to God. But if you look carefully in the roots of the tree on the left door, you can see a Latin word, fortitudine, which means: With fortitude, the motto of Clan Macrae.”
Her mother squeezed her hand. “You see, sweetling, the left door represents our roots, our beginnings. The right door represents our present and future.” She pointed to four birds in flight at the top of the right door. These birds symbolize our children: Caroline, Jennifer, Xavier, and David. But there is one more little bird that often goes unnoticed. See there, perched on the nest in the branches on the left? That bird was our way of remembering you, the little one we left behind.”
“We have remembered you and prayed for you every day of our lives,” said her father.
Elsie was speechless. She reached out and touched the carving of the bird on the nest. The wood was smooth, as if it had been touched often.
“The rest of the family understood the Celtic knot, the motto of Clan Sinclair, and the four birds in flight were fairly obvious,” said Jo.
“Only a few people ever questioned fortitudine. It isn’t very obvious, and it seems like a good place to be rooted, so it was easily explained,” said her father. “And no one knows about the pocket watch except for Gerald Rose, but he didn’t even notice it at first.”
Her mother smiled. “However, the little bird on the nest has been the source of speculation for years. Some people think it represents me with an empty nest.”
Her father laughed. “That rather leaves me out of the picture, but it’s understandable.”
“When the children were still young, they thought we hoped for another child. Other friends and family members have believed this over the years too, or they believed that I had miscarried a child at some point.”
Aldous nodded. “We simply allowed people to speculate. Only Gerald, your mother, and I knew how very real the little bird in the nest was and how very much we missed her.”
Tears filled Elsie’s eyes as her fingers caressed the symbol of her parents’ love for her. Dear God, she didn’t want to leave. There was nothing for her in the past. Her parents were here. The man she loved was here. Nay, Elsie, the man Elizabeth loves is here. Someone does wait for ye.
Chapter 16
Gabe always loved his first day off after working seven in a row. He usually slept in and did nothing except catch up on laundry. But today he awoke with the woman he loved in his arms and the sure knowledge that the day would not be spent doing nothing.
Although he had joked with her about her social calendar at the beginning of the week, it turned out that her days had been filled while he worked. Her mother had taken the whole day off to spend with her on Wednesday. He didn’t think anything about it until that evening when he’d asked her about the day.
“It was very good. We had a lovely lunch and then went shopping.”
&
nbsp; “Sounds like a typical mother-daughter day.”
“Does it? My mother said we’d never done that.”
“Really? That’s hard to believe.”
“It’s what she said. I’m not sure why it surprises you. You said you didn’t think we were close.”
“I know I did, but lunch and shopping—or pedicures—with mom is my sister’s favorite thing to do. Hands down.”
“Pedicures? What’s a pedicure?”
He smiled. Frankly, he wondered if Elizabeth had ever taken time for a pedicure. “A pedicure is a foot treatment. You soak your feet in warm water for a while and then someone rubs the dry skin off, trims the nails, massages your feet and lower legs and finishes by putting polish on your toenails.”
Elizabeth had looked incredulous. “Really? And women like this?”
“In my experience, they do.”
“Maybe I should get my mother to go with me for a pedicure.”
“It would probably do you both good.”
Elizabeth had spent Thursday and Friday with Mrs. Sinclair, who had taken her to see a variety of attractions in the city. Elizabeth’s favorite had been the Central Park Zoo.
“There were so many animals I’d never seen before.”
“You probably have seen them, you just don’t remember.”
“Right…that’s what I meant. But I loved it. Mrs. Sinclair says that the Bronx Zoo is even bigger. She’s going to take me there the next week you work nights.”
“If you thought the Central Park Zoo had a lot of animals, wait until you see the Bronx Zoo. It’s the largest zoo in the United States.”
Her eyes lit with a youthful exuberance that was both charming and insanely attractive. It made him want to be the one to take her there. Still, there were plenty of new experiences to share with her. Not if she gets her memory back. He tamped that little voice down. If all of her memories returned today, it would be a blessing. But even as he had that thought, a small part of him was falling in love with this version of Elizabeth. He had to admit, if only to himself, that he wasn’t anxious for things to change.
Today, however, he had her to himself for most of the day, and he’d planned a few things that he was sure would please her.
Once Found: The Pocket Watch Chronicles Page 14