“Pleased to meet you, ma’am,” the girl said, her voice as melodious and bubbly as Erith had imagined it would be. Beatrice’s first words to her passed her lips to the ear of a stranger, a stranger who had birthed her and rocked her for the first few months of her life.
Erith pulled her arm back and kept it by her side for fear she would overwhelm Beatrice—or possibly herself. Danol’s fingers gently squeezed her upper arm, perhaps to keep her upright.
“Pleased to meet you, too,” she replied, her voice no more than a croak. She coughed to clear her throat.
“And you, Mr. Danol,” Beatrice said. She held out her tiny hand to Danol. He shook it.
“My, how tall you’ve gotten since I saw you last,” Danol said as he grasped her hand.
“You still talk funny,” she giggled. Her parents gasped collectively.
“Beatrice, what did we say about that?” Alice admonished her.
“But he does, Mommy,” Beatrice said.
“That, I do,” said Danol. He winked at her.
The inner Erith fought to keep despair from gaining ground as she watched the scene unfold before her. The outer Erith acted as if everything was normal. Alice kept an eye on her after the introductions were made. Erith couldn’t be civil and ask how their trip was or where they were staying or if they wanted lunch. She had difficulty holding on to her inner self, who wanted to scream out that Beatrice was her daughter and should be with her.
Alice’s protective stance, then her softening expression as she gazed at Erith’s child, indicated that Beatrice would not be with her real mother. Or, conceivably, Erith thought, she was with her real mother now, as Annie, George, and Tommy were with her, and she had no place in Beatrice’s life.
“John, good to see you again,” Danol said as he reached out to grasp John MacDonald’s hand. “This is my wife, Erith. Erith, John, Alice, and you’ve just met Beatrice.”
Erith nodded to the two adults, and as much as she tried, she couldn’t keep her eyes off of Beatrice.
William Horwood, Erith’s solicitor, cleared his throat. “If the ladies would like to wait outside with Loretta, we can attend to business in here.”
“Danol, do you mind if I stay?” Erith asked.
“Of course not,” he replied.
John MacDonald whispered something to Alice, and she took Beatrice outside the office. Horwood followed her to the door. “Loretta, make some tea and coffee and bring it in when you’re ready. Get something for Beatrice and her mother as well.”
The young woman with the brown curly hair who had greeted them when they came in took Alice and Beatrice into another room. “Yes, sir. I’ll get that right away.” Horwood closed the door and showed them to a large, dark wooden table that matched the walls. He pulled out a brown leather chair for Erith and showed John and Danol to a seat. Danol took the chair next to his wife and reached for her hand. He squeezed it once more and then covered it with his other hand. John sat across from them, and Horwood took the chair on the end.
Erith’s heart pounded. She looked at Danol to see if he could hear it. He smiled reassuringly and patted her hand once more. She didn’t know what to do with her other hand, so she laid it on top of his.
“So, what’s this all about?” Danol asked.
“I have not been apprised of the situation as of yet,” Horwood said. “The MacDonalds came here two days ago and asked me to contact you about Beatrice. They wouldn’t say why. Is that not so, Mr. MacDonald?”
“It’s John, please. Yes, that’s right. We didn’t want to say why. We, I mean Alice, is in a tough predicament.” He told them about Ezra. When he mentioned that Ezra had killed Alice’s husband and she had fled, Erith gasped.
“I wouldn’t expect you to understand, Mrs. Cooper. But Alice is terrified that he will find her and put Beatrice in danger.”
Erith only caught part of the conversation after that. Alice MacDonald was doing what any mother would do for her child. Whatever doubts might have been lingering because of her own needs were banished at that moment.
“So, to sum this up, Ezra Shawe was sentenced to be hanged for murder, was commuted to life at the St. John’s Penitentiary, escaped after four years, turned up in Labrador months later, was captured again, escaped in Harbour Main, and is on the loose, probably looking for Alice,” Danol said. “Could he have found out where Alice was from family in Labrador?”
“We haven’t been in contact with anyone,” John said.
“Seems too much of a coincidence that he’d escape in Harbour Main, so close to where you were living,” Danol said.
“I know, but Alice swears her sister didn’t know where she was. That’s the only family Alice has.”
“So, what is your plan?” Danol asked.
“We wanted to leave Beatrice with her mother,” John said. “Alice figures if anything happens to her, Beatrice would be safe then.”
“Alice is Beatrice’s mother,” Erith said.
“Thank you for that, ma’am,” John said. “But Alice has nobody she’d trust more than you to do right by Beatrice.”
“You want us to take Beatrice, and then what?” asked Danol.
“Alice and I will go back home and wait. Ezra will either be caught or will find us.”
“He’s already murdered how many people?” Erith asked.
“Three that we know of,” John said.
“Then why don’t you come with us?” she said. Danol looked at her. “We have your house and my house. We have room.”
Danol looked at John. “Do you mind if I speak to my wife in private?”
“I’ll go check and see where Loretta has gone for that tea,” Horwood said. “Mr. MacDonald, John, would you like to accompany me?” John nodded, and they both left the room, closing the door.
“Erith, what are you saying?”
“Danol, I can’t let that woman, the mother of my child, I might add, sit in fear while she waits for some man to come and kill her.”
“I understand that part, Erith, but this would have been your chance to get to know Beatrice without any interference from the MacDonalds.”
“I’ve seen the way that Alice looks at Beatrice,” Erith said. “Though it pains me to say this, Beatrice belongs with her. I can’t interfere with that. It wouldn’t be right. I made a decision about this last year, and I won’t go back on that now.”
Danol put his arms around her. “You, my dear, do the most unexpected things. Did I tell you yet today that I love you?” He kissed her. “Looks like we’ll have to make some more room on the Angel.”
“That’s not a problem, is it, Danol?”
“Of course not, my love.” He quickly guided her to the chair. “I’ll go get the others.”
“Danol, I think I’ll go with Alice and Beatrice while you work this out with the men.”
“You’re sure?”
Erith nodded. He held her hand and walked her out of the room. She passed the two men and went to find Alice. They were seated at a small table in a kitchen off the waiting area. Beatrice was munching on a cookie while Alice was fussing with her teacup. Erith noticed it was still full.
“Mind if I join you?”
“Not at all.” Alice moved to the chair closest to Beatrice, allowing Erith to take the chair she had just vacated. Erith took the pot from the table and poured a tea before sitting down. Beatrice commented on her dress and her hat.
“Maybe we can get you one before we leave,” Erith said.
“Oh, can I, Mommy?” Beatrice asked.
“We’ll see,” said Alice.
“That usually means no,” Beatrice said with a pout.
Erith laughed. “Now that I think of it, it usually means no when I say it, too.”
Alice let out a sigh. Erith looked at her and grinned
. She gave Erith a half-hearted smile. Loretta came in to see if there was anything she could get for them.
“Loretta, can you show Beatrice around your desk? If it’s all right with her mother,” Erith said.
Alice nodded, and Loretta asked Beatrice to go with her. The little girl skipped out of the room behind her.
Before Alice could say anything, Erith said, “I know this must be difficult for you. I assure you, I know Beatrice belongs with you. It’s not that I don’t want her. . . . I wish more than anything I could have kept her all those years ago.” She folded her hands around the teacup for warmth and gazed at the swirling liquid inside. “It was not meant to be. I couldn’t keep her because of things that were out of my control. I don’t want that to happen to you.”
Alice shifted in her chair. She was about to speak, but Erith went on. “John explained what’s happening. Danol and I would like you and John to come with us to North Harbour and stay there until the threat is over. We have lots of room, and you’ll be safe there.”
“Why would you want to do this for us?” asked Alice.
“Let’s just say that I know what it’s like to feel trapped and to choose someone you love over yourself. That’s what mothers do. You don’t have to choose in this case. There is another way.”
Alice silently wept into her hands. Erith went around the table and squeezed her shoulders. “Now, why don’t we go to buy that hat? I have a little girl a year older than Beatrice who would love to have a hat, too.”
“We owe you so much,” Alice said hesitantly. “We can never repay you.”
“You do it every single day,” Erith said. “Besides, I have another reason.” Erith removed her hat to show Alice her short hair. She explained what she had done and why, and it later occurred to her that Annie might ask questions. It would be easier if they were playing hats for a few days.
“What about if I braided Beatrice’s hair? I do that sometimes, and she likes it.”
“Yes, and I could do that with Annie,” Erith said. She smiled and put her hat back on. “We’ll pick up a few things for you and John as well. No need to go back to Holyrood. We can leave from the docks tomorrow.” Erith explained that the Angel Endeavours and crew had been dispatched to pick them up.
22
Alice told Beatrice that her parents were going with her to North Harbour, and the little girl was very excited. John came out moments later, and Erith told him that things had already been settled, if he agreed.
“Are you sure, John?” Alice asked him.
“It’s for the best,” he replied.
“Can I get a hat?” Beatrice asked.
“Yes,” both Erith and Alice said at the same time.
“Maybe your mom will get one, too, and I’ll get one for my little Annie,” Erith said.
“Is it safe for us to go out?” Alice asked as an aside to John.
“I’ll go with you,” Danol said. “John, are you coming?”
“No,” John said abruptly. “No, I have things to attend to in the room we rented.”
“The Angel should be in,” said Danol. “We can stay on the boat tonight.”
“We’d rather stay at the boarding house,” John said.
“Please, Daddy, can we stay with the angels,” Beatrice asked.
Alice searched John’s face. “Mind your father, Beatrice,” she said.
“I’ll go,” Danol said. “Maybe I’ll buy a hat, too.”
“Boys don’t wear hats,” Beatrice said.
They ate lunch at a small restaurant on Duckworth Street not far from their solicitor’s office. Erith felt much better about the whole situation with Beatrice. The little girl was well-behaved and was quite jolly. She seemed to have had a happy life up to this point. Erith was very grateful for that.
At Ayre and Sons Department Store, Danol left them so he could run a few errands. He told Erith to take her time and that he’d be back before they finished. Erith felt a new freedom in the city she hadn’t known before. She realized that before meant before Danol. He had changed her life in so many ways.
At first, Alice protested that she was spending too much, but Erith was insistent on the dresses, undergarments, hats, footwear, and so much more. Beatrice was having a wonderful time, but Erith made sure that she was not stealing the little girl’s favour from her mother. Beatrice helped her pick out items for Annie, and when Danol returned, he selected some things they thought George and Tommy would like.
The bill was totalled, and Erith added the items to her account. She signed and asked them to send the invoice to her solicitors.
“Your husband doesn’t mind you spent all that money?” Alice asked after Danol left to arrange for the packages to be delivered to the ship. He had confirmed to her that the Angel Endeavours was docked and being loaded while they shopped.
“This is the money that I inherited from my father,” Erith said. “But if it were Danol’s, I don’t think he would mind at all.”
“I’m sorry. That was not my place to speak,” Alice said. “This is all new to me.”
“It’s okay,” Erith said. “I didn’t always have money. I came into my father’s fortune a few years ago. Before that, I worked three jobs in order to adopt the children from the orphanage.”
Alice tried to hold back a gasp. Erith laughed. “I’ll tell you all about me on our trip around the coast.”
“How long have you and Danol been married?”
“Well, since it’s now afternoon, just over a day.”
Alice gasped again. “You mean you came for Beatrice on your wedding day?”
“It sounds a bit selfish to get married before coming here, but everyone was waiting,” Erith said.
“I’m sorry. That didn’t come out right,” Alice said. “I can’t believe that you would come. That’s still not right. I don’t know what I’m trying to say. . . . You’re not what I expected you to be.”
“What did you expect?”
“I don’t know that, either. It’s hard to say. I guess I was so worried about Beatrice, and maybe never seeing her again, that I didn’t expect you to be . . . nice. That’s not fair of me, I know.” Alice lowered her gaze. “I’ve said too much.”
“Not at all. To be honest, I was hoping that I’d hate you and that I could take Beatrice home with me. But then I heard that you were willing to sacrifice yourself for the good of your daughter, and I realized I was trying to right a wrong that neither you nor Beatrice were a part of. All I wanted for Beatrice when she was taken from me was that she be loved. I can see she is.” Erith held out her hand to Alice. “I can’t hate a person who loves my child. I should say, who loves her child.”
Alice slowly took her hand, and Erith squeezed it. She reminded Erith of herself before Danol. She pondered on Alice and John’s relationship for just a moment. It was not her affair to worry about, as long as they were good to Beatrice. That part was obvious. They both loved her little girl.
“Mommy,” Beatrice said. She ran and hugged Alice. Danol’s eyes met his wife’s, and she smiled at him.
“You two have returned,” Erith said. “What have you been up to?”
“It’s a secret,” Beatrice said.
“Can you tell me?” Alice asked.
“No, then it won’t be a secret,” Beatrice laughed. “Right, Danol?”
“That’s right,” he said and winked at Alice. “I heard you were the best to keep secrets. That’s why I told you.”
Beatrice grinned and ran to Danol and hugged him. He tossed her hair, and she laughed and ran back to Alice. “It’s time to go see Daddy,” she said.
They walked back to the boarding house on Gower Street. On the way, Beatrice asked a multitude of questions about the boat, North Harbour, and the children. John met them at the door, and the child ran to him.
He scooped her up and hugged her.
“Can we please go with the angels, Daddy?”
“I’ve been thinking that maybe it’s a good idea,” said John. “If it’s all right with your mother.”
Alice stared at John for a moment before she nodded.
Beatrice grabbed him around the neck and hugged him fiercely. “Thank you, Daddy,” she said.
“I thought you were shopping,” said John. “I don’t see any packages.”
“Danol sent them all to the boat. I got a pink hat.”
“A pink hat for a beautiful young lady,” John said.
“Do you need a ride?” asked Danol. “I can send somebody for you.”
John looked at him. “We have a small trunk,” he said.
“Can we walk and send somebody for the trunk?” Alice asked.
John didn’t answer right away. “Yes, we can do that,” he said at length.
Danol nodded. “We’ll have supper on the boat. I told the cook we might have a few extras. Everything is ready for you.”
Alice smiled. “That’s awful kind of you.”
“Nonsense, we’re going that way. There’s always room for more.”
Beatrice held her parents’ hands as she skipped along the street between them. Danol and Erith hung back and strolled arm in arm. “How are you doing, Erith?” Danol asked his wife as he patted her hand.
“Surprisingly, I think I’ll be all right,” she said. “Right now I feel like the luckiest girl in the city.”
“I know I’m the luckiest man around here,” Danol said, picking her up and swinging her around.
“Danol Cooper, put me down!” Erith exclaimed as heat rose in her cheeks.
But her husband just grinned and spun her again. Somebody laughed behind them as a man tried to avoid the hem of Erith’s flaring skirts. Danol laid her down and muttered an apology to the man. They both giggled, linked arms, and followed the trio along the sidewalk. As they neared the place where she’d been stabbed the year before, Erith drew closer to Danol. He put his arm around her back, and they continued past the spot. She relaxed and eased into his embrace.
The Liars Page 12
