long past three o’clock. Soon the dark blue eastern skies over Lamachan Hill would take on a pearly sheen. The thirtieth of May would officially dawn. And Davina, the sweetest of daughters, would depart from Glentrool.
Only for two months . Leana comforted herself with that thought. But it did not relieve the pain of letting go. Did she mean to keep Davina dependent upon her? May it not be so, Lord . Yet she could not deny the possibility, for she delighted in having a daughter beneath her roof. Loved caring for her, loved mothering her.
Head bowed, eyes closed, she spread her hands across the pages of the Buik. Strengthen thou me according unto thy word . Her own strength would not be sufficient; had never been so. Please, Lord. Give me the courage to say good-bye .
Many minutes later she lifted her head. Nothing had changed. Yet she had changed, and that was enough.
Candle in hand, Leana adjusted the light plaid she’d thrown over her shoulders for modesty’s sake and slipped up the broad stair to the second floor, where the twins’ empty bedroom had been pressed into service. Laid out across the curtained bed were Davina’s two traveling bags, carefully packed and waiting to be buckled shut.
Leana placed the candle where it would do the most good, then began running her hands over the folded contents of each valise to be sure nothing had been overlooked. She’d chosen Davina’s clothing with care; the horses could be burdened with only so much. Fortunately, whaleboned bodices and hooped petticoats were no longer in style. Her daughter’s slender summer dresses, stitched in lightweight fabrics, were easily packed. She tallied the remaining items: an extra pair of shoes, two cloth bonnets, a reticule, half a dozen gauzy muslin tuckers, and gloves in both cotton and lace.
“Here you are, my love.” Jamie stood in the doorway, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. “When I found you missing from our bed, this seemed a likely place to look.”
“Oh, Jamie.” She drew him into the room, lest Davina hear them. “I did not mean to wake you.”
“My troubled dreams are the culprit. Not you.” He kissed her brow, then gazed over her shoulder at the valises. “Counting gloves and stockings again, I see. And have you tucked your heart among our daughter’s gowns?”
Her throat tightened. “First the twins … and now Davina …”
Jamie wrapped her in his arms. “They will come back to us, Leana. Depend upon it.”
The warmth of him, fresh from their bed, the musky scent of his skin, the solid feel of his chest—nothing on earth could offer her such solace. Though her children were leaving, her husband remained.
After a moment he leaned back, then lifted her chin until their eyes met. “You may trust the man who loves you, even as you trust the One who made you. ‘Whoso putteth his trust in the L ORD shall be safe,’ aye?”
“Why, Mr. McKie.” She smiled up at him. “When did you become such a halie man?”
Jamie returned her smile. “When I married such a gracie woman.” Even with his breath thick from sleeping, even with the plaid chafing her bare skin, Leana welcomed his kiss.
Minutes later the sound of a door opening and muffled footsteps in the hall signaled the arrival of the servants, stirring the house to life as surely as Aubert would stir the breakfast porridge with a wooden spurtle .“And so the day begins.” Jamie slowly released her from his embrace. “We leave at six o’clock. Please see that Davina is dressed and at table by half past five, for I’ll not have her ride off hungry.” He stepped back, half turning toward the door, though his gaze still held hers. “I wish ’twere practical to bring you with us, Leana. But I’m afraid that Glentrool—”
“Needs a mistress,” she finished for him. The possibility of her joining them had already been considered. “I am content to stay here with Ian, who’ll have his hands full managing the estate. The maidservant we
Only for two months . Leana comforted herself with that thought. But it did not relieve the pain of letting go. Did she mean to keep Davina dependent upon her? May it not be so, Lord . Yet she could not deny the possibility, for she delighted in having a daughter beneath her roof. Loved caring for her, loved mothering her.
Head bowed, eyes closed, she spread her hands across the pages of the Buik. Strengthen thou me according unto thy word . Her own strength would not be sufficient; had never been so. Please, Lord. Give me the courage to say good-bye .
Many minutes later she lifted her head. Nothing had changed. Yet she had changed, and that was enough.
Candle in hand, Leana adjusted the light plaid she’d thrown over her shoulders for modesty’s sake and slipped up the broad stair to the second floor, where the twins’ empty bedroom had been pressed into service. Laid out across the curtained bed were Davina’s two traveling bags, carefully packed and waiting to be buckled shut.
Leana placed the candle where it would do the most good, then began running her hands over the folded contents of each valise to be sure nothing had been overlooked. She’d chosen Davina’s clothing with care; the horses could be burdened with only so much. Fortunately, whaleboned bodices and hooped petticoats were no longer in style. Her daughter’s slender summer dresses, stitched in lightweight fabrics, were easily packed. She tallied the remaining items: an extra pair of shoes, two cloth bonnets, a reticule, half a dozen gauzy muslin tuckers, and gloves in both cotton and lace.
“Here you are, my love.” Jamie stood in the doorway, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. “When I found you missing from our bed, this seemed a likely place to look.”
“Oh, Jamie.” She drew him into the room, lest Davina hear them. “I did not mean to wake you.”
“My troubled dreams are the culprit. Not you.” He kissed her brow, then gazed over her shoulder at the valises. “Counting gloves and stockings again, I see. And have you tucked your heart among our daughter’s gowns?”
Her throat tightened. “First the twins … and now Davina …”
Jamie wrapped her in his arms. “They will come back to us, Leana. Depend upon it.”
The warmth of him, fresh from their bed, the musky scent of his skin, the solid feel of his chest—nothing on earth could offer her such solace. Though her children were leaving, her husband remained.
After a moment he leaned back, then lifted her chin until their eyes met. “You may trust the man who loves you, even as you trust the One who made you. ‘Whoso putteth his trust in the L ORD shall be safe,’ aye?”
“Why, Mr. McKie.” She smiled up at him. “When did you become such a halie man?”
Jamie returned her smile. “When I married such a gracie woman.” Even with his breath thick from sleeping, even with the plaid chafing her bare skin, Leana welcomed his kiss.
Minutes later the sound of a door opening and muffled footsteps in the hall signaled the arrival of the servants, stirring the house to life as surely as Aubert would stir the breakfast porridge with a wooden spurtle .“And so the day begins.” Jamie slowly released her from his embrace. “We leave at six o’clock. Please see that Davina is dressed and at table by half past five, for I’ll not have her ride off hungry.” He stepped back, half turning toward the door, though his gaze still held hers. “I wish ’twere practical to bring you with us, Leana. But I’m afraid that Glentrool—”
“Needs a mistress,” she finished for him. The possibility of her joining them had already been considered. “I am content to stay here with Ian, who’ll have his hands full managing the estate. The maidservant we
Similar Books
