he didn’t. She only found out after the fact that he’d already uncoupled himself from her in heart and mind. And he wasn’t the type who’d fight her for their child—she had to grant him that.
“Do what you think is right,” he’d said. His going-away present.
Why in the world was all this resurfacing now? The morning had begun so peacefully. The sun’s rays made the ice crystals sparkle out on the cove. The sky dissolved into a rich cobalt blue. Great weather for pictures. She’d wanted to e-mail Mona Blackwood her first update today, but that would have to wait. A quick shower and out the door.
A snowmobile pulling up at the house spiked her plans. The driver hadn’t even put on a helmet.
Noah.
He didn’t come to the door, just stayed put.
Did he expect her to come out?
That’s just what she did, of course, putting on her winter jacket and beret. She stuck her head out the door.
“Do you want to see me?”
He came nearer.
“Going to Great Sacred Island on the Ski-Doo today.”
“The Isle of Demons?”
“Yes. Today’s your big chance. Ice is solid, but for how long is anyone’s guess.”
“Right away?”
“In an hour.”
He’d already turned around, apparently in a hurry. But then he came back with a Ski-Doo suit.
“Put this on. It’ll be cold.”
She caught the bundle and went back inside.
Her skin tingled after the shower. Maybe it was the body lotion, maybe her anticipation. The Isle of Demons. Marguerite de la Rocque de Roberval.
Banished to an isolated island for disobeying. Love, disaster, death, rescue. Maybe Lori would be the first woman after Marguerite to ever set foot on the Isle of Demons.
She checked the time. Twenty minutes left. She absolutely had to drop in on Patience. She trudged to her neighbor’s house and knocked before entering. She still couldn’t bring herself to just barge in.
Patience was doing the dishes. Lori hadn’t seen a dishwasher in any of the homes. Patience must have seen her coming—her kitchen window provided a perfect view of Lori’s comings and goings.
“Up so early?” Patience said to welcome her. “Did it get too late last night?”
Lori assumed her neighbor knew exactly when she’d come home, but eagerly picked up on it.
“Oh, I’m not a night person at all,” she allowed, “and I got a few good photos in the can. I’d like to thank you again for helping me.”
“Helping? I made it harder for you, I—”
“No, no way do I want you to think that. I’m so glad to have you as a neighbor, I feel so much . . .” She wanted to say “safer,” but Patience might take that as a criticism of Stormy Cove.
“. . . more at home here,” she said.
Patience smiled, her bright face blushing. “Sketches were never my strong point.”
“But you make those wonderful bags and wall hangings!”
“Who told you about that?”
“One of the girls in the pub.”
Patience changed the subject. “Did Vince show you the way home?”
“No, Mavis did. She was about to leave anyway and persuaded Vince I was in safe hands with her. Luckily, she drove pretty slow, if you take my meaning.”
Their eyes met, and Lori thought she could read a conspiratorial understanding in Patience’s eyes. Then she remembered Noah.
“I’ve got to go, unfortunately. Noah wants to take me to Great Sacred Island today.”
Patience looked alarmed. “To the Isle of Demons? That’s much too dangerous. The ice out there is really cracking up.”
“Noah says it’s still stable enough.”
“What does he know? Nobody takes a snowmobile out to the Isle of Demons this time of year. Twenty years ago, a whole family fell through the ice.”
Her face got even redder, not out of embarrassment this time but anger. When Lori didn’t say anything, she redoubled her efforts.
“You know the island’s cursed, eh? Everybody knows that. Nobody would go over there!”
If she hadn’t spoken those last words, Lori would have been inclined to take her
“Do what you think is right,” he’d said. His going-away present.
Why in the world was all this resurfacing now? The morning had begun so peacefully. The sun’s rays made the ice crystals sparkle out on the cove. The sky dissolved into a rich cobalt blue. Great weather for pictures. She’d wanted to e-mail Mona Blackwood her first update today, but that would have to wait. A quick shower and out the door.
A snowmobile pulling up at the house spiked her plans. The driver hadn’t even put on a helmet.
Noah.
He didn’t come to the door, just stayed put.
Did he expect her to come out?
That’s just what she did, of course, putting on her winter jacket and beret. She stuck her head out the door.
“Do you want to see me?”
He came nearer.
“Going to Great Sacred Island on the Ski-Doo today.”
“The Isle of Demons?”
“Yes. Today’s your big chance. Ice is solid, but for how long is anyone’s guess.”
“Right away?”
“In an hour.”
He’d already turned around, apparently in a hurry. But then he came back with a Ski-Doo suit.
“Put this on. It’ll be cold.”
She caught the bundle and went back inside.
Her skin tingled after the shower. Maybe it was the body lotion, maybe her anticipation. The Isle of Demons. Marguerite de la Rocque de Roberval.
Banished to an isolated island for disobeying. Love, disaster, death, rescue. Maybe Lori would be the first woman after Marguerite to ever set foot on the Isle of Demons.
She checked the time. Twenty minutes left. She absolutely had to drop in on Patience. She trudged to her neighbor’s house and knocked before entering. She still couldn’t bring herself to just barge in.
Patience was doing the dishes. Lori hadn’t seen a dishwasher in any of the homes. Patience must have seen her coming—her kitchen window provided a perfect view of Lori’s comings and goings.
“Up so early?” Patience said to welcome her. “Did it get too late last night?”
Lori assumed her neighbor knew exactly when she’d come home, but eagerly picked up on it.
“Oh, I’m not a night person at all,” she allowed, “and I got a few good photos in the can. I’d like to thank you again for helping me.”
“Helping? I made it harder for you, I—”
“No, no way do I want you to think that. I’m so glad to have you as a neighbor, I feel so much . . .” She wanted to say “safer,” but Patience might take that as a criticism of Stormy Cove.
“. . . more at home here,” she said.
Patience smiled, her bright face blushing. “Sketches were never my strong point.”
“But you make those wonderful bags and wall hangings!”
“Who told you about that?”
“One of the girls in the pub.”
Patience changed the subject. “Did Vince show you the way home?”
“No, Mavis did. She was about to leave anyway and persuaded Vince I was in safe hands with her. Luckily, she drove pretty slow, if you take my meaning.”
Their eyes met, and Lori thought she could read a conspiratorial understanding in Patience’s eyes. Then she remembered Noah.
“I’ve got to go, unfortunately. Noah wants to take me to Great Sacred Island today.”
Patience looked alarmed. “To the Isle of Demons? That’s much too dangerous. The ice out there is really cracking up.”
“Noah says it’s still stable enough.”
“What does he know? Nobody takes a snowmobile out to the Isle of Demons this time of year. Twenty years ago, a whole family fell through the ice.”
Her face got even redder, not out of embarrassment this time but anger. When Lori didn’t say anything, she redoubled her efforts.
“You know the island’s cursed, eh? Everybody knows that. Nobody would go over there!”
If she hadn’t spoken those last words, Lori would have been inclined to take her
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