Edwina (22 page)

She munched on the sandwich, noting the
off-brand peanut butter was not as good as the name brand she’d
found in Cecelia’s cupboard. She smiled, wondering what Spencer
would say about her choice of peanut butter.

He’d probably stick up his nose and give her
a big smile.

Memories. Good memories. Right now she wished
she could talk the situation over with her mother.

Peggy thinned her hair and gave her a blunt
shoulder cut. “You have the thickest hair. Would you like me to put
in some gold streaks? It would look nice with your brown-red
color.”

True to her nature, she declined. Streaking
would cost too much.

“Okay, if you’re sure.” They talked about old
times.

Edwina pulled cash out of her pocket. She had
to force her friend to take the money. Somehow it had pleased her
to pay her friend well for all the times she’d saved her money.

Out the door she went with her fresh haircut
and her thoughts. She headed for the river walk.

People smiled as they passed. Some politely,
some nodding, some calling out, “Nice day, isn’t it?” She acknowl-
edged everyone.

As she was meandering by, she noticed a
little girl sitting on the old tire sandbox, crying.

She looked around. There were tons of kids
yelling and screaming, but all seemed to have a mommy or daddy
around. This one didn’t.

“Um... are you hurt?” She stood a distance
away from the child.

“No.”

“Why are you crying?” The little girl’s light
hair was mussed and her feet were dirty from the sand.

“Cause I want my mommy.”

“Where is she, honey?” The child starting
crying again, her dirty fists rubbing at her eyes.

“She can’t come home anymore.”

“Oh, I’m so sorry.” Edwina didn’t know what
to say.

Maybe there had been a divorce or, heaven
forbid, a death. “Would you like me to get someone for you?”

“Yes,” she whined.

“Who?”

“My daddy. He won’t come out.”

“Come out?”

She nodded. “He’s in the house. Over there.”
She pointed. Edwina saw a light gray duplex across the street.

“Should I go get him?” The girl nodded
again.

Oh boy, what should she do? She couldn’t
leave the child alone crying with no one to look after her.

“Want to go?”

“No.” She shook her head.

“I’ll go. You stay here and don’t go
anywhere, all right? I’ll be right back.” She leaned over and
caught the brown eyes with her blue ones. “Promise?”

“Promise.”

Edwina walked away, but kept turning back to
make sure the little girl was safe. Still within sight, she knocked
on the screen door. A man came. He looked tired and sad.

“Sir, your little girl is at the park.”

“Yeah, I know. She likes it over there.” His
eyes looked past her.

“Did you know she’s crying?”

“Yeah? She won’t stop. Her mother left two
weeks ago and she . . .” He shrugged. “I don’t know what to
do.”

Edwina had no clue about children, what they
needed.

“I’ll go back and talk to her. If that’s okay
with you,” she added.

“I’d appreciate it, ma’am,” he said tiredly.
“Girls, you know... I don’t know how to handle ’em. My wife, well
she . . .” He stopped.

“I’ll go.” Edwina turned back. “Lord, please
help me,” she whispered, and with a new sense of purpose walked
back to the park.

She sat down on the old tire. “I talked to
your daddy. He loves you.”

“I know.” The girl cried.

“What is your name, sweetie?”

“April.”

“April, what a nice name. My name is Edwina.”
The little girl looked up. “Where do you go to school?” Edwina had
her attention.

“
Northside.”

“I went there when I was little.”

“You did?” The child’s face brightened.

“Yes, and I had a wonderful teacher, Miss
Murphy. She was my favorite.”

“Miss Dovey is my teacher.”

“And is she nice too?”

“Uh-huh. She lets me draw stuff.”

“She does? What do you draw?” The girl’s face
twisted again.

“My mommy.” Edwina couldn’t help it—she put
her arms around the child. She missed her mommy just like the child
did. Tears fell on the little head as it lay against her chest.
Edwina’s hands held the little girl to her, and she rocked. April
whimpered and broke Edwina’s heart in two pieces.

They sat for many minutes. “I can go home
now.”

“You can?” Edwina wiped the tears from her
own face.

“We moved with my grandma. She can be my
mommy, right?”

“She sure can, April. Anybody can be a mommy
but only if you want them to.” The child seemed perfectly happy to
be on her way. “Remember that no matter what happens, God will
always love you,” Edwina called.

“I know,” April said, her blonde hair blowing
in the wind as she ran. Edwina sat on the tire until her backside
reminded her she needed to get moving. Changed by the episode, she
began to wonder what the Scot’s daughter looked like and what her
mother was like. She didn’t even know the child’s name.

Chapter 36

“M
r. Dunnegin. I’ll take the job.” She spoke into her cell
phone.

“Aye. Ye’ll be a good nanny and teacher, Miss
Blair” he said formally, putting their relationship into employer-
employee mode.

Edwina was grateful. This is the way it would
start, and she could deal with that.

“I will return to my daughter and inform the
Gillespies you will be coming over. You’ll have to trust the word
of a Scot to work out details. You’ll be paid according to your
wishes, within reason,” he added.

“Of course.” She didn’t want any special
treatment.

“I’ll wire travel money.”

“I can get there on my own.”

“Nay, lass, I will do the deciding.”

Edwina, contrite, said, “As you wish.”

“I will leave cash with your sister, since I
assume ye will be coming to say your good-byes and leave from
O’Hare?”

“Right.” He had worked out all the
details.

“How soon can you come?”

“
I do need to tell my
landlord I’m leaving.” Edwina was shocked by her own
words.

“Is two weeks enough time?”

“Two weeks?” she repeated. “Yes, it is.” If
she was going to go, it had to be quick. If the Scot gave her too
much time to think, she knew she’d renege.

“Aye, I can see we will get along fine,
lass.” She didn’t know what to say. “Will you have a pet to bring?
Anything I need to prepare for?”

“No pets.”

“I am going to inform my daughter that you
will be arriving two weeks hence.” He paused. “I will not go back
on my word to the child.”

Edwina nodded, even though she was alone. “I
will be there.”

“Excellent.”

“Mr. Dunnegin, what is the child’s name?”

“Paige. Her name is Paige.” She repeated the
name. “Ye have given me a great gift. I should hope to make it
worth your while.”

“Thank you.” She was humbled at the Scot’s
words.

“My cell will be our means of communication.
Should you find a question that needs an answer, you may call me at
any time.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Lass, you will address me differently in the
presence of my home and family. Mr. Dunnegin or Alexander,
whichever ye prefer. I hope to establish a straightforward
communication with you.”

“Yes,” she agreed, hoping she could live up
to the Scot’s standards. Her knees began to feel like she was
standing in rushing water.

“
I’ll be off. Reardon will
pick you up at the airport in Edinburgh the moment you
arrive.”

“Should I call you or Reardon or Bertie?”

“You will call only me. I will direct my
staff.” Edwina’s face turned red.

“Of course.”

“Welcome to the Dunnegin family,” he said
loudly.

“Aye,” she shot back. The Scot’s hearty deep
voice boomed in her ear and then he was gone. And her goose was
cooked. She had committed herself, and there was no way in the
world she’d let the Scot down, nor his daughter.

Chapter 37

“Y
ou are going where?” That was Cecelia’s response when she’d
told her.

Edwina had already talked to her landlord,
and not surprisingly, he had another renter lined up. There was a
waiting list, it seemed. And with no job commitment to sever, she
was pretty much free to do as she liked.

Her father had been called and shocked into
silence when she’d told him. He’d always known her to seek his
advice before making any big decision. But he had been supportive.
“I wish your mother and I would have traveled more. We were too
connected to our duties here,” he said quietly.

“I know, Father. But you and Mom... you
taught me well. And I do want to live. I don’t want life to pass me
by while I stand here and watch. I’m okay with my decision.”

“That’s all that matters. You say you’ll be
near Edinburgh?”

“Yes. Dad, you and can come and visit.” She
hadn’t called him Dad since she was little.

“Then I will come.” His voice sounded
sure.

“Good, I will be waiting for you.” Her voice
quivered.

“Edwina... your mother would be proud.”

“
I know. I have to go, but
I’ll be in touch. I leave September 15. Will you be at the
airport?”

“I’ll be there.”

“Thanks.” Edwina began to pack. Her father
approved. That was all that mattered. Those few minutes on the
phone confirmed what she always knew. He loved her for who she was.
It was a great gift. Perhaps—hopefully—she would be able to love
the Scot’s child the same way.

There were too many things to take. She
needed closure. A breaking of the past for the new and her sensible
nature decided that her one allowance would be books. Because, she
reasoned, Paige would need to read the classics.

It was easy to pack her clothes—she had few
enough of them. Her black dress she left hanging in the closet. It
would lie on the very top to keep it from wrinkling.

Trinkets, bedding and dishes were donated to
her friend at the Goodwill store. She’d saved many a dollar at that
store. It was time to give back. The good-bye had been tearful, yet
encouraging. Edwina could see the hope in her friend’s eyes.

“Maybe some day I’ll have an adventure in my
life, too.”

Edwina had hugged her and gone walking down
the street, tears falling.

The apartment was cleaned top to bottom on
the last day. The Volkswagen was packed. She had only her suitcase
and books to worry about.

The Scot had called after he arrived home.
“Will ye be bringing ye’re books, lass?” How did he know she had
books? “Yes.”

“
Leave them behind. I will
pay to ship them.”

She started to argue, but remembered he was
her employer. She’d pay him back at some point in the future.

“Yes, sir.”

“Mr. Dunnegin or Alexander,” he reminded
her.

“Oh yes.”

She heard his chuckle.

“My daughter’s full name is Paige Alexandria
Gabrielle

Dunnegin, and she looks just like her
mother.” Edwina smiled. “Paige Alexandria Gabrielle Dunnegin,” she
repeated, the words rolling on her tongue.

“Yes, and well said. Ye’ve picked up the Scot
brogue already.”

“It seems I have,” she admitted.

“We’ll be hearing from you then, lass?”

“Yes.”

“Aye, twill be good when you are here.” He
was gone.

Edwina was getting used to the fact that when
a Scot was done talking, he was done talking. Saturday morning came
too quickly. She said her good-byes to the landlord who had come up
to inspect the apartment. The new renter had already dropped off a
few belongings that now sat in the landlord’s garage. She was to
spend today and Sunday with Cecelia and fly out on Monday morning
at 6:38 a.m. She pulled the last dress from the closet and packed
it on top, just as she planned, then closed her case and snapped it
shut. With one last look around the empty apartment, she turned and
exited the door and descended the outside steps for the last time.
Everyone was at work by now. She stood by the big oak and gave it a
pat and stuffed the suitcase in the Volkswagen. She’d sold her car
to Spencer. He wanted to get a new paint job and loved the fact
that the upholstery on the seats was still like new. Edwina had
kept heavy bath towels on the seats, just like her father.

The books had been hauled downstairs and
boxed and were even now in the landlord’s garage awaiting the
delivery service truck.

She had walked the park last evening, setting
to memory the St. Joseph River, the way it looked when the sun
sparkled on the moving waters. Life was a little like that—always
moving, no matter what the weather, no matter what went on in the
human race, the river always kept moving.

A thought had struck her just as she was
about to leave. She had knocked at the door of the gray duplex and
was greeted by an older woman.

“Are you April’s grandmother?”

“I am.” The woman looked concerned.

“Oh, nothing’s wrong, I met April a couple of
weeks ago at the park,” she gestured behind her, “and we talked. I
was just wondering how she is doing?”

“Are you the lady who went to Northside
School?”

“Yes, I am.”

“The child will not stop talking about you.
Would you like to come in for tea?”

“I’m so sorry, but I can’t. I’m leaving this
morning.”

Oh, I’m sorry to hear that. April would have
loved to see you.”

“May I leave her a note?” Edwina thought
quickly, but her hands were empty. “Please come in. Surely you have
a few minutes. I have paper right here.” Edwina stepped inside the
house. It was older, but neat inside.

“What smells so wonderful?”