Edwina (32 page)

Besides that, the house was as they’d left it
that Sunday morning after breakfast. Paige’s schoolwork was on the
desk. She’d made a picture of her teacher with long hair and blue
eyes with outrageous eyelashes. The words “I love you” were printed
at the bottom in perfect form.

Edwina held the paper to her breast and
cried. Cried for Paige, for herself, for the loss of their
relationship. It would never be the same again. Misery overwhelmed
her spirit. Why had God sent her here? Why, if this was what
happened? Had she made an error in coming?

There was only one answer, but when had she
failed?

She picked up the pads that contained her
story, all five of them, and tossed them into the trash can. It was
only a reminder that perhaps life wasn’t as beautiful as
Cinderella’s. It was more like the dreadful plays she’d witnessed
on the stage in Chicago and recently, Edinburgh.

In the midst of her confusion, she heard the
front door open. Wishing to see no one, she shut the office door
and gathered her teacher tools into a bag.

She reached for her stapler, and the door
swooshed open. Mr. Dunnegin stepped in and stopped frozen, his eyes
scanning the room.

She looked where he was looking and gasped.
They’d turned his office into their classroom, and it was chaos.
Stacks of books formed separating walls for teacher and student.
Paige’s papers sat stacked in several places on the lower
near-empty bookshelves.

Edwina’s face colored brightly, and she tried
to explain, “Sir, we turned this into the classroom. Paige
wanted... to be near you, I think.” She could do nothing but shrug
slightly.

“As I see.” He spoke cautiously, but looked
very tired. His movements were slow and meaningful. “I need some
papers. Do ye know where the things were on my desk?”

“Oh yes. Mrs. Gillespie put them all here.”
She walked past him. “Here.”

He seemed relieved.

She finagled her way out of
the corner and tried to straighten up the office. His head bowed
over the papers with a look of deep concern, his forehead wrinkled
in thought.
What could possibly be so
important?
she wondered again.

Suddenly, he looked up from the papers and
said, “I hear ye are going back to the States.”

“Um, yes. I thought you’d—”

“Don’t think for me, lass,” he interrupted
harshly. Edwina could not open her mouth. “Sit down, lass. Tis time
ye heard the whole story.” There was no place to sit. Paige’s
conglomeration of books with her small chair atop was the only
other spot. Both sets of eyes looked at the chair. Edwina’s eyes
formed tears. Mr. Dunnegin just stared. “She sat up there?” The
hint of a smile touched his lips.

“Yes. She could not abide lifting her arms so
high to work on her papers.” Edwina relaxed.

“Did she learn well?”

“She is bright. And already knows her colors,
letters, and numbers. She’s good at spelling, and her memory—she
bypasses me in detail every day. I had to work hard to keep up with
the lass. She . . .” She was running on. “I’m sorry.”

“She is bright. Like her mother.”

Edwina felt her lips lift, surprised she
could find it in her to smile, as a bit of calm settled her raging
emotions. “May I go and visit Paige before I leave?”

“I insist upon it,” he said and then added,
“Leave the room as it is. I would like to speak with ye. Meet me in
the sitting room. I’ll be there in a moment.”

She left the room feeling lighter of heart.
At least they were talking, and he had said she could visit
Paige.

“Oh Lord, thank you. Thank you for believing
in me when I didn’t believe in myself,” she whispered.

Oh what a difference when the heart was heavy
with sorrow—and when it was lifted up in hope.

But
, her practical side cautioned,
be
careful not to hope for too much. He probably wishes to release me,
for he is a kind man.
She’d witnessed a
few of his works of kindness, but they were also present in the
loyalty of his staff and most of all, his daughter.

Edwina chose a chair near the fireplace.
Several minutes passed. She could hear his voice on the telephone
again. He sounded frustrated. When he finally did come, he looked
distressed as he sat, elbows on knees, head hanging between his
shoulders, his hair mussed.

“I have to go to the States. Tonight.”

“Why?” Edwina could not understand. “What
about Paige? She needs you.”

“I know that.” He looked up, pain in his
eyes. “Ye don’t think I know it?” His voice strained.

“Then stay with her.” Edwina was on her feet.
“She only wants you. Her father. She needs no one else but you.”
Her voice cracked.

“Sit down, Edwina,” Mr. Dunnegin
commanded.

She had never heard her given name on his
lips. Not once.

She sat.

“If I don’t go back now, I will lose my
daughter,” he stated flatly.

Edwina’s eyes widened, but no words came.

“Say nothing, lass. I will tell you all, but
you must give me your word not to speak of this to anyone.” He eyed
her.

“Maybe I shouldn’t—”

His hand went up to stop
her. “You are involved. And it is right you should know what is
happening. Else . . .” Edwina’s nervous system shot into first
gear. She felt like she was flying in a jet airplane with no
protection.
What did he mean
involved?

“My wife’s name was Elizabeth Avril Halstead.
She came from Beaufort, South Carolina. She loved to dance and was
performing in a ballet here in Edinburgh when I met her.” His eyes
softened.

“I called her Beth. We married against her
father’s wish, and she suffered for it. He is the tobacco king of
the Southern states and a very rich man. And a very vicious man. He
expected Elizabeth, his only child, to take over his billion dollar
business, and she refused. She married me, and then Paige was born.
Four months after her birth, Beth went back to work. It was too
soon. She . . .”

Edwina saw his throat working. She stared at
her knee- caps and waited, the room full of oppressive
emotions.

“She loved to dance. At rehearsal, she
fainted and fell off the stage.”

Edwina’s hand went to her mouth to hold back
a gasp. She wanted to get down on her knees at the man’s feet and
comfort him like a child.

“Her father blamed me.” Edwina pressed her
fingers to her lips. “Beth’s father never knew about Paige. And for
three years it worked; we kept her existence a secret. But Mrs.
Rudeski, whom we thought unaware of the dire situation, gave out
information, and Beth’s father contacted his powerful attorneys. He
has been trying to take her away from me and turn her into the
business mogul his own daughter would not become. The trial, if you
can call it that, is nothing but a pack of money hungry vultures
looking for a place to land. And my daughter is their dinner.”

Edwina could not sit. She stood and paced the
short distance behind her chair.

“Is that why you came to Chicago?”

“Yes. I needed powerful attorneys. Cecelia
set me up with hers and several others. We have a good team, but
it’s touch and go. The man has money, he has power, and he has his
men working all sorts of under-the-table deals. When you called...
about Paige’s accident—we were about to be called to testify
against him.”

“I’m so sorry.” Edwina stopped pacing.

“It is unfortunate timing, but if I don’t go
back . . .” The words hung in the air like a death sentence.

“Go back. I’ll stay here... if you’ll let
me.”

“I need you to stay, Edwina. She needs you.
She keeps calling for mommy. She said when she did, you answered so
was it was all right to call you mommy.”

Tears formed in the handsome eyes, and Edwina
wanted to throw herself at his feet and beg his forgiveness for
everything that had happened.

“I told her she could call you mommy, as long
as she remembered who mommy really was.” He looked up.

“Right.” She nodded her head and thoughts
flew like wild birds in a cage. “Have you any pictures of Elizabeth
and Page together?”

“Yes, but they are in the safe where no one
would ever find them. We kept them hidden to keep Paige’s existence
from her grandfather.”

“Well, now that it’s out could I... I mean,
would you allow me to take pictures of her mother to her?”

“Of course,” he said and rose to his feet
slowly. “I’ll get them.”

Edwina paced the entire room, stopping to
gaze out the windows at the beautiful scenery. But she saw none of
it, only knew that Paige’s life was about to be changed if some-
thing wasn’t done. And she wasn’t about to let that happen.

He came back, the pictures in a small shoe
box. He set it down on the side table and pushed his hands through
his hair again.

“I need to get back tonight. Can ye go up and
be with her? The Gillespies need to come home for a day. They’re
worn to the edges.”

“Yes, I’ll go. Will you tell them it is
okay?”

“They already know I came back for you.”

She nodded. “Then go. I’ll be here until you
tell me to leave.”

“Not likely, lass.”

His voice was barely audible, but Edwina knew
she had heard right.

Empowered by his words, she made a
suggestion. “Might Reardon drop me off before he takes you to the
airport?”

“That would work. My flight leaves at eight
o’clock. I’ve got two hours and need to get some papers together. I
do not plan on stopping to say good-bye to Paige. We already said
them, and I don’t want to upset her further.”

“Sir—Mr. Dunnegin,” she remembered.

“Call me Alex, Edwina,” he stated, brooking
no sass.

“All right. Does Paige know about her
grandfather?”

“No, and I do not want her to know anything
until it’s settled. I pray to God it works out. The man is trying
to destroy my reputation as a father, and he could well do it since
I travel so much, leaving Paige with others.”

Edwina bit her bottom lip. What to do? “I can
testify for you,” she offered.

“They’d crush you in a minute,” he shot back.
“You don’t know the kind of people, if you can call them that, that
we’re dealing with. Best if you stay with my bairn and let me
handle this. But thank you otherwise.”

Edwina nodded. “Have you eaten anything?”

“No.”

“I can put something together in the
kitchen.”

“Yes. Do that. I can’t remember when I ate
last, and I need to be at full brain power for these next few
days.” She headed for the kitchen, her heels clicking on the wood
floors. Her intent was to get the Scot on the road and vie for the
child’s care until he could return and give it to her himself.

Edwina knew where Mr. Gillespie kept his
vegetables. She chopped on the wooden board until she realized she
was chopping the head off the man who called himself Paige’s
grandfather.

She boiled a chicken in a large pot, added
the overly chopped vegetables, and sliced the homemade bread. There
was no meat for sandwiches, so she made grilled cheese on
bread.

“Coffee?” she asked when Mr. Dunnegin
appeared in the kitchen.

“Tea. Smells good.”

“Sit, I’ll get everything.” She clanged bowls
onto the wooden table meant only for the kitchen help. No one cared
to dine at the fancy table in the next room.

He sat at the old table, his suit jacket
hanging over the back of the chair. He looked like death warmed
over. She remembered the times she had been unsympathetic. Had she
known... well it was too late now.

She ladled the soup into his bowl, laid a
sandwich on a saucer, and pushed it toward him.

“Aren’t ye going to eat?”

“Sure, if you want me to . . .” He reached
over and set the extra bowl in front of her, placed a sandwich on a
saucer, and pushed it toward her. There had been a twinkle in his
eye. Edwina smiled for the first time in days. “I am starved,” she
admitted.

“Then eat,” he ordered.

Chapter 51

“T
hank ye for dinner, lass. I shall not forget your
assistance,” Mr. Dunnegin stated before she exited the car at the
hospital.

“Not likely. You’ll have to pay through the
nose for it,” she teased and took Reardon’s offered hand. She
leaned down and said, “I will pray for you.” Mr. Dunnegin’s eyes
caught hers.

“Thank ye, lass.” He handed her the box of
precious pictures. Edwina took the box and with a look told him she
would care for them with her life. Reardon waited by the door until
she was inside the hospital.

Lord, I walked out of here dejected, and
you’ve brought me back with a job to do. Please, Lord, help Mr.
Dunnegin to win. Help Paige to get better. And, Lord, please
forgive me for the mess I’ve made.

Edwina’s shoes clicked as she skimmed across
the floor toward Paige’s room. She needed to put her arms around
the little girl. Heart jumping wildly in her chest, Edwina put her
hand over it.

She knocked first and opened the door slowly.
At first glance she saw the Gillespies each in a chair, each with a
weary look. Their faces brightened, “Then ye’ve not gone, lass?”
Mrs. Gillespie hugged her.

“Nay, and I shall not until the... until
Laird Dunnegin tells me to go,” she said forthrightly.

“Now there’d be a bonny lass.” This from the
older man.

“I am to give you orders from your employer.”
They gave her their attention. “He has given me the word that both
of you are to go home and sleep. I am to stay with Paige.” Their
bodies relaxed slightly. Edwina knew they had kept the secret of
Paige’s grand-father well; she had never heard a disparaging word
from either of them.

“Ye’re sure, lass?”

“Would Mr. Dunnegin tell you anything but the
truth?” She teased lightly, hoping to encourage them.