Page 20 of The Forgotten
“I’ll see to everything. Nan’s in the kitchen, preparing broth,” Petra lied. Lady Blythe would be livid if she knew that Nan was sleeping. Petra took a clean shift from the trunk and helped Lady Blythe change before tucking her back into bed. She needed a wash, but that would have to wait until she felt better and wasn’t shivering so violently.
“Just let me be,” Lady Blythe croaked. “Need rest.”
“As you wish, lady.”
Petra fetched an extra blanket, added another log to the fire, and stepped out of the room, leaving the door open to air out the terrible smell. She opened the window on the landing just a crack, sucking in fresh air. Lady Blythe would be furious if she knew that precious heat was being wasted, but the miasma that permeated the entire floor was so awful it nearly made Petra ill. She waited a few minutes, then shut the window and went downstairs to the kitchen where porridge was simmering over the open flame. Judging by the smell emanating from the pot, it was badly burned. Petra carefully moved the pot out of the flames and examined the contents. She’d expected to break her fast with Lady Blythe and was hungry, so she might as well eat. Petra helped herself to a bowl of porridge, careful not to scoop up any burned bits, and a cup of ale. She’d have to let the pot soak once it cooled and have Nan scrub it clean later.
Petra ate slowly, her stomach burning with disappointment. She’d so looked forward to seeing Avery, but now she would spend the day cleaning up vomit and emptying out the filthy chamber pot. She felt sorry for Lady Blythe, but the old lady had the constitution of an ox; she would recover in a day or two. Petra finished her breakfast and filled a bowl for Lady Blythe. Perhaps she would take a spoonful or two. The thick porridge might help to absorb some of the bile in her gut.
Lady Blythe had stopped shivering and had thrown off the extra blanket, her eyes now more alert. “Where’s Nan?” she asked again, peering behind Petra. “Did she burn the porridge? I’d beat her blue if I had the strength.”
“It’s only a little burnt. Will you take some, lady?” Petra asked as she perched on the side of the bed.
“No porridge, but I’m thirsty. Mouth so dry. Bring me a cup of ale.”
“Right away.” Petra returned downstairs, left the bowl of porridge for Nan, and filled a pewter mug with ale. She held the cup to Lady Blythe’s lips, helping her to drink. “Are you feeling better now, lady?”
“A bit. It was that mutton,” Lady Blythe grumbled. “I’ll have a stern word with that butcher come market day. If he thinks he can sell me rancid meat, he has another think coming, the rogue.” Petra had the mutton as well, but she felt quite well, and Thomas slept through the night untroubled by indigestion. Perhaps something else was ailing Lady Blythe, but Petra refrained from suggesting it.
“Shall I send a message to Father Avery and tell him not to come today?” Petra asked with a sinking heart.
“No need. Have Nan make a kidney pie and some peas. Tell her not to skimp on the butter for the peas and to bake a fresh loaf of bread. There are some apples in the cellar. She can make stewed fruit for dessert. The food at the priory is plain and never plentiful. The poor man looks half-starved.”
“Is Father Avery to dine alone?” Petra asked, mystified. With Thomas away and Lady Blythe indisposed, he would be left to fend for himself, which wasn’t very hospitable.
“No, you foolish girl. You can keep him company. I’m sure you can manage to hold a polite conversation for an hour. You can benefit from Father Avery’s wisdom, even if he won’t benefit from yours. But at least he’ll have a good meal in him. I owe him that much for the kindness he’s shown me. Now, get me some more ale.”
Petra ran downstairs to fetch the ale. She’d give Nan the two hours she promised her, then wake her up in time to make the meal Lady Blythe ordered. She’d help her cook. The thought of spending an hour alone with Avery left her nearly breathless with fretfulness. What would they talk about for a full hour? Would he feel angry at having to dine with her instead of Lady Blythe? Would it be terribly awkward?
Petra glanced toward the stairs, then approached the window and opened it all the way. Father Avery was probably used to all kinds of awful smells, living with monks who weren’t known for their fondness for bathing, but she’d be damned if he had to inhale the reek of vomit while dining with her.
NINETEEN
JANUARY 2014
Edinburgh, Scotland
“How can one child have that much energy?” Gabe asked as he sank into a wing chair and reached for his coffee cup, taking a healthy gulp. “I’m exhausted,” he complained.
“Having second thoughts about fatherhood already?” Quinn asked as she sat down across from him. Gabe offered to pour her some coffee, but she passed. She was jittery enough as it was.
“Of course not. Emma is…” Gabe replied, searching for the right word but not coming up with one immediately. The smile of awe on his face told its own story, however. “Amazing. An absolute miracle,” he added happily.
“She certainly is, but a very energetic one,” Quinn laughed.
They’d taken Emma to lunch after her playdate at the nursery school and then made their way to the zoo where they spent several hours walking from one enclosure to another, making a pit stop at the petting zoo as any self-respecting parent would. Having seen every single animal, Emma demanded to go back to see her favorites, which proved to be nearly all the animals they’d already seen. Since it was too early to bring her back to the Lennoxes after the zoo, Emma had expressed a desire to go to a playground and spent another hour running around manically from the slides to the swing and back again. Gabe followed her around for the first half hour, terrified that she’d hurt herself or get abducted by a lurking predator, but he soon exhausted himself andconsented to sit on a bench that offered a panoramic view of the entire playground. He never took his eyes off Emma but quickly learned that he didn’t actually have to go down the slide with her.
“And just think; we get to do it all again tomorrow,” Quinn teased.
“I think it’s time we went home,” Gabe replied. “Emma has had time to get used to us. We can’t stay here forever, and I think the Lennoxes would like their life back. What do you say we leave tomorrow?”
Quinn considered that idea for a moment. She supposed Gabe was right. Even if they waited another week, it wouldn’t be any easier to announce to Emma that she was going to live in England with the two people she’d only just met. Mari asked them not to tell Emma that Gabe was her father just yet. She said the child needed time, but there was never going to be a perfect time. It was time to tear the plaster off and deal with the pain.
“All right. Tomorrow, we go home, but tonight, I attend this cocktail party.”
Before the zoo, Quinn had left Gabe and Emma at McDonald’s after the playdate, Emma enjoying her Happy Meal and Gabe looking dubiously at his own burger. Gabe didn’t hold with junk food, but Emma had been adamant that her mum allowed her to have McDonald’s once a week, and it was time for her treat. Quinn strongly suspected that Emma was playing them like a violin but had no wish to argue, not when she needed to escape for an hour to buy a dress. Gabe looked terrified when Quinn waved to him through the window and took off for the nearest shop. She didn’t need anything fancy, just a little black party frock that didn’t cost a week’s pay. Quinn found the perfect dress on a clearance rack, and shoes to match. It wasn’t black, but it was too pretty to pass up and priced to sell. The dress was made of satin, in a decadent shade ofclaret, and had an asymmetrical design that gave it a trendy and unique appearance. Quinn was smitten. She paid for her purchases, grabbed her bags, and raced back to McDonald’s where Gabe was beginning to look slightly desperate.
“Thank God you’re back,” he breathed. “She wants ice cream.” Quinn didn’t think this was reason for panic, but recognized Gabe’s dilemma only too well. He was afraid to say no and upset Emma, which was understandable, but it was important for them to establish their authority.
