A Baby Between Them

by Winnie Griggs

  “That’s natural I suppose,” Nora said. “The search did disrupt a lot of lives for a short time.” Though it hadn’t seemed such a short time while it was happening.

  Before Cam could respond, the sound of a carriage intruded.

  “Now who—” Then realization hit her. “Oh my goodness, I forgot we told Gavin to send word to Boston.”

  Nora popped up and ran to the door. Sure enough the carriage had stopped and Maeve was already halfway out of it. Nora wasted no time running to meet her.

  “Nora, oh, Nora, I’m so sorry. We came as soon as we heard.”

  The sisters nearly collided in their desire to embrace.

  “It’s all right now,” Nora reassured her sister. “We have her back.” She squeezed her harder. “We have her back,” she repeated. Oh, how she’d missed having her sisters nearby. She hadn’t realized how much until just this moment.

  When they finally separated Nora noticed that Flynn had stepped out of the carriage behind Maeve and was talking to Cam in low tones. He had his doctor’s bag with him at the ready. Apparently he’d come prepared for the worst.

  “We would have been here sooner,” Maeve said, “but the young man who carried your message got lost trying to find us.” She looked around. “Where is Grace? I have to see her for myself.”

  “She’s inside with Agnes and James.” Nora linked her arm through Maeve’s as they moved toward the open door. “I’m so sorry I didn’t send word when we recovered her. My mind has been a bit scattered.”

  Maeve gave her arm a squeeze. “Of course it has. I’m just glad it all turned out so well.” She searched Nora’s face, as if looking for reassurance. “Grace is okay, isn’t she?”

  “She seems none the worse for the experience. Of course if you and Flynn would examine her just to be sure I’d be most grateful.”

  Flynn spoke up from behind them. “I don’t mind at all. In fact, I insist.”

  As soon as they entered the kitchen, Maeve gave James and Agnes a quick greeting and then reached for Grace. “Oh, dear, sweet Grace, let me have a good look at you. How you’ve grown since I saw you last.”

  Flynn performed a thorough examination and pronounced Grace healthy, then they all gathered around the table.

  “So, tell me what happened.” Maeve looked from Nora to Cam. “All I know is that Grace was taken. How long ago did this happen? Who did this terrible thing and how did you get our baby back?”

  Nora spoke first. “It happened on Saturday.” Was that really just two days ago? “Do you remember the day Bridget, Grace and I moved into this cottage? How this strange girl came out of nowhere and stole Cam’s horse? Well, she’s the same person who kidnapped Grace.”

  Maeve leaned forward. “But who is she and why would she do such a thing?”

  “Her name is Mollie Kerrigan.” Nora paused a moment, then took a deep breath. “And she claims to be Grace’s mother.”

  “Grace’s… But how… I don’t…” Maeve looked as shocked as Nora had felt when she got the news.

  Nora gave her a sympathetic smile. “I know, it’s difficult to believe. But Mollie stowed away on the Annie McGee and didn’t have anyone or any resources to take care of her baby, so she left her where she’d be easily found. Then she followed us here because she wanted to be close to Grace. Of course, I didn’t learn any of this until she brought Grace back this morning.”

  “She brought Grace back?”

  Nora stood and moved to the stove. “Yes. Because she realized she couldn’t be the mother Grace needs, and she believed that I could.” She stirred the contents of the pot, then moved it to a cooler area of the stove. “Now, the fish soup is ready and the bread is already cooling on the sill. There’s more than enough for everyone so let me get the dishes on the table and we can continue this discussion over lunch.”

  Maeve rose and went to the cupboard. “It smells wonderful. Flynn’s cook is really good at what she does, but I’ve missed your cooking.”

  They talked throughout the meal, Maeve and Flynn asking additional questions about what had happened the past few days, and Cam and Nora providing what answers they could. Then Nora asked them to share a little of what they had experienced working with victims of the fire in Boston. Once again Nora admired the dedication of the newlywed pair for the healing work they did.

  When they were done with the meal, Agnes shooed them from the kitchen, insisting that she and James would take care of the dishes while the “young folk” had a nice visit. Cam and Flynn drifted out to the barn where Nora suspected they would have a more frank discussion about the kidnapping.

  Nora and Maeve carried Grace out to the garden to enjoy the bit of afternoon breeze.

  Maeve smiled in delight when she spotted the bench. “Oh, you’ve had it repaired! It looks nice.”

  Nora nodded. “Cam took care of that. He’s been making repairs around the place for me.”

  Maeve gave her an arch look. “Has he now?”

  Nora felt her cheeks warm. “I intend to pay him for his labors, of course,” she added quickly.

  “Of course.”

  Maeve’s dry tone warmed Nora’s cheeks further. She hadn’t had much time to reflect on how her and Cam’s relationship had changed over the past couple of days. All that she knew right now was that it had changed in some subtle, mysterious way.

  As they settled themselves on the bench, Maeve reclaimed her attention. “That reminds me. Bridget stopped for a quick visit before they headed to New York and she mentioned you were starting a bakery business.”

  Nora nodded. “I’m just beginning but I think it’s going well.”

  “Everyone always said you were the best pie maker in all of County Galway. Some even said you were better than Mother herself.”

  Nora waved off the compliment and gave her sister’s hand a squeeze. Then she changed the subject. “I’m sorry if I pulled you and Flynn away from those poor hurting people who need medical help. But I’m selfish enough to be glad to have you here for a bit.”

  Maeve returned her smile. “There are other doctors to see to the patients, but I only have two sisters.” Then her lower lip trembled. “Oh, Nora, when I think of all you must have gone through! That must have been such an awful, wrenching experience. Are you truly sure you’re okay?”

  Nora took a deep breath. “I won’t deny it was a nightmare while it was happening. But it’s over now and it turned out fine.”

  Maeve’s expression took on a slightly accusing cast. “You should have sent word sooner. We would have come right away to support you through it.”

  “I knew you had other responsibilities taking care of your patients. And I kept praying they would find her any minute.”

  Maeve gave her hand another squeeze. “But you’re my sister. Besides, I love Grace, too, you know.”

  Nora laid a hand on hers. “Oh, Maeve, I didn’t mean to imply you didn’t. To be honest, I don’t think I was quite rational at the time it was happening. Forgive me?”

  Maeve’s face cleared and she leaned over and gave her a hug. “Of course I do.” When she settled back she grimaced. “Is that wicked girl truly Grace’s mother?”

  Nora felt her thinking shift and certainty settled into her heart. “She is.” Saying that out loud cut worse than she’d thought it would.

  Maeve didn’t appear convinced. “But, just because she claims she is doesn’t make it so. She’s done so many awful things—how can you be so sure she’s not lying about this?”

  “She knows too many details about Grace. And there’s a similarity in their features that can’t be denied. She’s Grace’s mother all right.”

  “Where is she?”

  “Cam has her locked up over at the jailhouse.”

  “Grace’s mother, a criminal. So hard to believe.”

  Nora winced at that stark description. Her ambivalent feelings of this morning began to surface again, stronger than ever.

  “What’s she like?” Maeve asked.

 
; Nora thought it best to let Maeve form her own opinion. “You should meet her and see for yourself.”

  Maeve shook her head. “Not right now. I don’t think I could be very nice to her at the moment.”

  Nora couldn’t imagine her little sister being deliberately mean to anyone. “There’ll be time enough later I suppose. She’s not going anywhere.” She touched Maeve’s arm. “But please, meet her before you return to Boston.”

  Maeve was silent for a long moment, then reluctantly nodded. “If I remember correctly,” she said, “Gavin seemed smitten with the girl during his last encounter. How is he reacting to her now?”

  “His infatuation with her ended as soon as she took Grace,” Nora said dryly. “I think he’s been harder on Mollie than anyone else. Except maybe Cam.”

  “I must admit, I have trouble feeling very charitably toward her myself.”

  “I don’t think she would ever have deliberately hurt Grace. Even when she abandoned her on the Annie McGee, I think she was only trying, in her own way, to do what was best for her daughter.”

  “What’s going to happen to her now?”

  “I suppose she’ll end up going to prison for a time.” That idea didn’t sit so well with her.

  Maeve apparently sensed some of her ambivalence. “And how do you feel about that?”

  Nora tried to gather her scattered thoughts. She wanted to say that justice was being done, that Mollie was getting what she deserved. But it wasn’t that simple.

  When she looked at Mollie she saw the girl-woman who had lied and cheated and stolen to get herself where she was today. The person who’d taken Grace from her and put her through two days and nights of gut-wrenching, heartbreaking worry. The person who could still lay claim—

  No! She wouldn’t even think of that possibility right now.

  Yet this was also a girl who was hurting and needed a friend. A girl who’d felt alone, abandoned and scared. A frightened girl who had given birth alone while hiding in the dank bowels of a ship. A girl who’d eventually decided to do the right thing for her baby and risked capture to do so. A girl who, for all her faults, was still a child of God.

  Finally she met Maeve’s gaze. “I want to help her.”

  Chapter Seventeen

  Cam and Flynn stood out by the barn, leaning against the newly patched fence. Cam had already filled Flynn in on the grittier details Nora had left out of her recounting, and reassured him about Nora’s and Grace’s ongoing safety. He’d even admitted, with some trepidation, his spending the past two nights in the house and was relieved when Flynn merely thanked him for the protection he’d offered his sister-in-law.

  Now they stood in companionable silence, staring at Amber prancing about the enclosed barnyard.

  When they heard steps approaching, Cam knew before turning around that it was Nora. Strange how attuned he was to her presence.

  “That’s a fine horse you’ve acquired,” Flynn said.

  “Thank you, but Cam here had more to do with the selection than I did.”

  Cam smiled. Nice to hear both her easy use of his name, and her acknowledgment of the part he’d played.

  “Still,” Flynn continued, “I know it’ll be a relief to your sisters to know you have a means of transportation now.” He straightened. “And speaking of your sisters, I did send word to Will and Bridget about this matter before we left Boston. I imagine they’ll be here tomorrow at the latest.”

  Cam sensed something different about Nora, something unsettled. “Is something the matter?”

  She met his gaze and straightened. “Actually, I’ve made a decision, and I’d like to have a family meeting to discuss it.”

  Family meeting. Surprising how deeply that exclusion cut. “I suppose I should be getting back to town anyway. Ben is probably ready for—”

  Her look stopped him. “Actually,” she said with a diffident smile, “if you have time, I’d like for you to join us, too. This is going to affect you as much as anyone. And I’d really like your thoughts on the matter.”

  That last comment made the invitation feel much less like an afterthought. He nodded. “Of course.”

  Cam and Flynn followed her back to the kitchen and the whole group took seats around the table, including Agnes and James. Grace lay sleeping in a cradle situated between Nora and Maeve. Cam was seated on Nora’s other side. He wasn’t sure if that had happened naturally or not, but he was glad to be there.

  For a while no one said anything as Nora seemed to take a moment to gather her thoughts. The sober, determined look about her made her appear isolated. Cam wanted to give her hand a squeeze but held himself in check.

  Finally she looked around the table. “I’ve been doing a lot of thinking this morning about what’s happened, and about Mollie herself. I know she’s done some terrible things, but she’s suffered through a lot of hardship and pain, as well. Is it really necessary to have her spend time in jail? I mean, does it serve any useful purpose?”

  Had she let the girl’s story soften her heart? “She broke the law, Nora,” he said, refusing to apologize for locking up a confessed kidnapper. “I had no choice but to arrest her.”

  Nora gave him a reassuring smile. “I know you were doing your job, Cam, but if Grace is truly her baby, can we really call it kidnapping?”

  He refused to be swayed by such slippery logic.

  But Flynn spoke up before he could. “That’s not the only law she broke.”

  Nora shifted her gaze back to the others at the table. “I know. She also tried to steal Cam’s horse, but she didn’t keep it long.”

  “She didn’t try, Nora,” Cam protested. “She actually succeeded in stealing Fletch. How long she kept him is beside the point.”

  “But if you don’t press charges on the horse stealing…”

  “Why wouldn’t I? Nora, she’s a criminal. She’s done lots of very bad, unlawful things.”

  “She abandoned her baby,” Maeve said. “Twice.”

  Cam could see Nora trying to hold her frustration in check.

  “But look at how young she is,” she argued. “And her life hasn’t been easy. It appears she hasn’t had much in the way of family or friends to help her along the way.”

  “We had a difficult time too,” Maeve insisted. “But we didn’t resort to stealing.”

  “But we had each other,” Nora reminded her. “And then you found Flynn.”

  Maeve glanced quickly at her husband and squeezed his hand, then turned back to Nora, a softer look on her face.

  Cam frowned. Nora might be winning her sister over, but not him. “I’ll admit, if what she told us is true she’s had lots of trials and troubles to deal with. But how do we know she’s telling the truth?” He raised a hand to stop whatever counterargument she was about to make. “And even if she is, that’s no excuse for breaking the law. As your sister pointed out, other folk have had it as bad or worse and they got by without turning to crime.”

  Her expression immediately softened and the sympathy in her expression told him she was thinking of his past. He quickly spoke up again. “No matter what her situation, she could have just asked for help, rather than stealing and lying.”

  “Yes, she could have. But, for whatever reason, she didn’t and we can’t go back and change that. I want to help her now.”

  Nora’s willingness to forgive was admirable, especially after all that had happened, but he didn’t understand this misguided determination from a woman who was usually so practical and levelheaded. “Why? Why would you want to help someone who wronged you so deeply?”

  “Because she’s Grace’s mother.”

  That simple statement silenced them all for a moment.

  Finally Flynn spoke up. “What do you suggest we do? Surely you don’t think she shouldn’t have to suffer some sort of consequences for what she’s done?”

  “Of course not. Just because someone is sorry doesn’t mean they don’t have to make reparations for what they’ve done. But putting her in p
rison doesn’t do her or any of the people she wronged any good. Especially since I don’t think she’s a danger to anyone or likely to repeat her crimes.”

  Cam wasn’t so sure about the last part but decided to hold his peace on that score—for now. “So, as Flynn asked, what do you think we ought to do?” He knew she’d have a plan—she always did. And he also knew he wasn’t going to like it.

  “Wouldn’t it be better,” she replied, “not just for Mollie but for everyone involved, if she did what she could to make it up to the people she wronged? We could make a record of everything she’s stolen and everywhere she’s trespassed, and determine the lost value. Then we give her a way to earn money so she can pay it all back.”

  She’d obviously already put a lot of thought into this scheme of hers. “You do realize that letting her out of jail might not be doing her a favor, don’t you? She might not be interested in working off her debts.”

  “If she doesn’t want to work in exchange for her freedom, then I’ll drop this whole plan without another word. But I really don’t think that’ll be the case. I sense that, deep down, there is something good in Mollie. We just have to help her find and nurture it.”

  “Everyone in town knows her story by now.” Cam was still trying to get her to see reason. “Who do you think will be willing to take a chance and hire her?”

  “You will.” She lifted her chin. “Mollie can help me do the cleaning at the jailhouse and at your and Ben’s places. That way you can keep an eye on her, the townsfolk can see you trust her, and she can pay you for the use of your horse and earn a little toward paying the shipping company for her passage.”

  He raised a brow. “But that’s taking away money you need.”

  “Actually, I can use the time I save to spend more hours on my bakery business. It will let me fill those orders I’ve had to turn away.”

  Cam found his own frustration level growing. “And suppose she tries to run away again the first chance she gets?”

  “Then you’ll find her and bring her back, and this time she’ll have much harsher consequences to deal with. But fear that she might not accept our help is no excuse not to offer it.”