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Rising from her spot beside her sister, Dorothea walked around the fire Mr. Garner had lit and came to stand in front of Keir. “Do you know of a friend for me also?”
Keir grasped her little hand. “Dunna worry, lassie. We’ll find ye a friend.” He glanced at Sarah, seated beside him. “Ye know, I find the people ye end up caring about the most are the ones that find their way into yer life quite unexpectedly.” He leaned closer and whispered confidentially, “Keep yer eyes open, will ye, Thea? One day, the one who’s meant to be yer best friend will simply stand right in front of ye.”
With shining eyes, Dorothea nodded. “I will,” she promised breathlessly. “I promise.”
Keir smiled, realizing in that moment that he would not mind having a little girl like Dorothea. Indeed, he would not mind at all…
… and his gaze strayed back to Sarah.
Chapter Nine
A CHILD’S HEART
Sarah looked up at the bright blue sky and thought that it had been a long time since she had last seen such a beautiful day. Not a gray cloud was in sight, and the sun shone brightly, warming her face despite the chill that still lingered in the air. She breathed in deeply, almost tasting a hint of salt upon her tongue as they ventured a little closer to the coast every day.
Seated once again upon Autumn’s back, Sarah enjoyed the soft swaying of the horse’s gait. It felt familiar and comfortable, and it made her heart feel lighter. Indeed, today was a beautiful day.
“Mother seems sad,” Dorothea remarked in a heavy voice.
At her niece’s words, Sarah felt her heart sink, her gaze lowering to the small child seated in front of her. She sighed, knowing that despite every little bit of joy they had found these past few days, a dark cloud remained. “She does, does she not?” Sarah murmured into Dorothea’s ear; after all, there was no use in pretending.
Dorothea nodded, then craned her neck and looked up at Sarah. “Why is she so sad?”
Again, Sarah heaved a heavy sigh, her mind spinning with everything that had happened. How much of it ought she to share with a four-year-old? A four-year-old she had only met a fortnight ago?
Casting a glance over her shoulder, Sarah saw the carriage rumbling along behind them, Mr. Garner seated on top. Ahead, Keir rode with Augusta on Scout, one arm pointed toward the horizon as he spoke to the girl.
“Aunt Sarah?” Dorothea prompted, clearly demanding an answer. And, of course, she deserved one.
“Well,” Sarah began tentatively, “why do you think she is sad?” Indeed, perhaps, it was wise first to ask the child’s opinion. More than once on their journey had the girls surprised Sarah with something they had observed, with the way some things appeared to them she would never have seen.
Dorothea’s little shoulders rose and fell with a deep breath. “I thought perhaps she does not like traveling,” she murmured, then abruptly craned her neck to look at Sarah, as though a new thought had just occurred to her. “Will we ever go back home?”
Ice settled in Sarah’s stomach. “Where is home for you, Thea?” she eventually asked, wondering why the girl was askingherand not her mother. However, perhaps Dorothea simply did not want to worry Kate. The little girl seemed to have a keen insight into another’s feelings and needs.
Dorothea shrugged. “I remember the place we lived before… with Mother and Father.” Again, she looked up at Sarah. “Where is Father? Will he come, too?”
At that, the lump in Sarah’s stomach twisted and turned painfully. “Well… Thea,… No.” She smiled at the little girl tentatively. “He is not coming.”
“Why?”
Although Sarah had known that this question would come, she was not in the least prepared for it. Never had she had to search for words to explain the world at large to such a young soul. What if she said too much? What if she did not say enough? What if she simply chose the wrong words?
“Aunt Sarah?”
Closing her eyes, Sarah sighed for a moment, simply feeling the soft swaying of Autumn’s gait. Then she looked down at Dorothea, meeting the girl’s bright green eyes. “You see, sometimes life is very difficult, very complicated. There is not one right decision. There are simply many to choose from, each one bringing something good and also bringing something bad.”
Dorothea nodded, her eyes becoming distant, as though she truly knew what Sarah tried to say. “Father didn’t want us to see Mother, did he?”
Caught off guard, Sarah stared at her little niece.
Dorothea nibbled upon her lower lip, a contrived look upon her face. “I heard him say so,” she whispered, as though afraid to betray a secret. “He didn’t know I was there, but I heard him. He was angry, and Grandmother said mean things to him. Then he was sad.”
Not knowing what to say, Sarah wrapped her arms around the little girl and held her tightly, savoring the feeling of Dorothea snuggling back into her. “If you could choose any place in this world where you would like to be more than anywhere else,” Sarah whispered in Dorothea’s ear, “where would you go?”
For a long moment, the girl remained quiet, and Sarah felt her body move with each breath she took. A slight tremble seemed to travel up and down her arms, and yet otherwise she remained perfectly still. “I want to be wherever Mummy and Augusta are,” Dorothea finally said, moving to turn around and look at Sarah. “And I like being where you and Keir are.” The ghost of a smile teased her lips. “And Loki. I truly like him.”
Sarah smiled at her little niece. “He likes you, too, as do we all, and we are very happy to have you with us.”
