"Your father doesn't want you to be lonely while I'm away."
He couldn't give her the exact length of time he would be away. She tried not to feel abandoned. As his wife, she realized her duty was to support and encourage him.
"I will be understanding," she promised.
Harrison sat down on the side of the bed and pulled her into his arms. "I wish…"
"What do you wish?"
She leaned into him. "That we had more time together. When am I going to see your Highlands?"
"Soon," he promised. "Try to be patient with your father, all right? He still hasn't recovered from the surprise of having you back. He needs time to get to know you."
Mary Rose didn't argue with Harrison. She tried to push her own wants aside. Her father had suffered long years, and it was her duty to give him as much peace and joy as she could. Adam had told her she had a responsibility to comfort him. Surely she could stand a little more homesickness, couldn't she?
It wasn't going to be possible for her to go home until next spring. The snow would soon cover the passes, making it impossible to cross. She reminded herself she was a strong woman. She could stand a few more months of loneliness for her father's sake.
And Harrison 's. "You once told me that you liked living in Montana, that you could be happy and content there. Were you… exaggerating with me?"
She was really asking him if he'd lied to her or told her the truth. He tried not to get angry. He didn't have anyone to blame but himself for his wife's uncertainty.
"Listen carefully to me. What happened is behind us. I know it was wrong of me to demand you trust me, but I'm going to once again promise you I will never, ever lie to you again. Do you believe me?"
"I believe you."
He relaxed his grip on her and began to slowly stroke her back. "Give yourself more time with your relatives and try not to think about making another change now. You've only just come home."
He was trying to be reasonable and logical. How could she make him understand? Home was with her brothers. She felt isolated amongst her English relatives and was constantly battling her own guilt because she wasn't living up to everyone's expectations. They all wanted the best for her, and every time a wave of homesickness struck her, she tried to remember that fact.
Harrison was exhausted, but he still found enough strength to make love to his wife. She fell asleep with his body pressed up against hers.
She was loved and cherished. And scared.
April 28, 1873
Dear Mama,
I have to spend the rest of the afternoon in my bedroom as punishment because I punched Peter Jenkins in the stomach. Do you remember I told you he's always trying to pester me. Well, he dared to kiss me today. I was so disgusted, I spit and wiped my mouth. I know I wasn't being ladylike, but spitting is better than throwing up, isn't it?
I heard my brothers talking about sending me to boarding school. Will you please write to all of them right away and tell them to let me stay home? I don't need to be refined. Honestly I don't. I'm turning out to be a lovely young lady. You told me so, remember?
I love you,
Mary Rose
P.S. I'm getting bosoms. They're a bother, Mama, and I don't think I like being a girl much today.
Chapter 20
George MacPherson reminded Mary Rose of a ferret. He was a tall, lean man with a long, pointy nose and skinny eyes. She felt a little guilty thinking he looked so much like the homely animal, because MacPherson was extremely kind and solicitous to her. He seemed to be genuinely thrilled to make her acquaintance, and she could have sworn there were tears in his eyes when he spotted her standing in the entrance of the drawing room.
Douglas would have called MacPherson dapper, but he would have made the comment in a mocking tone of voice.
Her father's personal assistant was dressed to the nines in a brown suit, with a gold pocket watch chain looped just so, and brown shoes that were so shiny from spit and polish, she thought that if she looked down, she would have seen her face reflected in the leather. He carried a folder full of papers in one hand and had a black umbrella hooked over his other arm.
Elliott introduced her, then suggested she sit with him and MacPherson while they looked over the monthly vouchers.
"Your father is a very generous man, Lady Victoria. These vouchers release funds from his accounts to support charitable organizations in England. We make the disbursements once a month."
Mary Rose nodded to let the man know she understood, then decided to engage him in conversation about the past.
"Mister MacPherson, you said it was nice to make my acquaintance, but we have met before, haven't we? I was just a baby at the time."
"Please call me George," he insisted. He sat down on the sofa facing her, straightened his jacket until there weren't any visible wrinkles, and then said, "Yes, we certainly did meet before. You were a beautiful infant."
"I was bald."
MacPherson smiled. "Yes, you were bald."
"Father, will it upset you to talk about what happened the night I was taken? I'm very curious about it."
"What did you want to know?" Elliott asked. He was already beginning to frown.
She turned back to MacPherson. "I was told the nursemaid took me from the nursery."
MacPherson nodded. "Your parents had gone to the opening of the new factory. They weren't expected to return until the following day. We still don't know how Lydia pulled it off. The house was filled with staff. We believe she took you down the back stairs and out the back door."
" Lydia was the name of the nursemaid?"
"Yes," her father answered. "George was eventually put in charge of the investigation. Your mother had taken ill, and I wanted to get her back to England and her own personal physician. She trusted him, you see."
"The authorities gave up the search after six months of intense looking, but your father had already hired his own team of investigators. I simply coordinated their duties."
"How long did the investigators work for you, Father?"
"Until four or five years ago. I finally put it all in God's hands and tried to accept the fact that you were lost to me. Harrison wouldn't let me give up though. He began to take over. He followed every lead that came our way."
He reached over and clasped her hand in his. "It's a miracle he found you."
"I understand from your father that you were found in an alley by some street thugs, Lady Victoria," MacPherson said.
She was grossly offended by his choice of words. "They weren't thugs. They were four good-hearted boys who had been tossed out on their own and were doing the best they could to survive. They weren't thugs," she added again in a much harder voice.
"Yes," her father agreed. He patted her hand and then let go of her. "We don't need to talk about those men now, do we? We have you back home. That's all that matters."
Mary Rose didn't want to let the subject go. She turned back to MacPherson and asked, "Did the nursemaid plan it?"
George looked at his employer before he answered. He could tell Lord Elliott was becoming distressed. He obviously wanted to put the ordeal behind him.
"Sir, do you mind if I answer her?" he asked.
"No, I don't mind. She's curious. It's only natural."
"At first, we thought there must have been one or two others involved, but as time went on, we became convinced she acted alone. I wish I could tell you more, Lady Victoria, but after all these years, we still don't have any more information. I believe it's going to remain a mystery. If Lydia had lived, perhaps she could have been persuaded to tell us."