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Ella bit her lip to hide her smile. She rather liked Great Uncle Frederick, even if he was grumpy today. Cara had said he was a lovely older man and they had grown quite close in the past year. “I am going to go check on my sister,” she said, getting to her feet, “but before I do, is there anything I can help with? Anything I can do to help you settle in?”
“No, no.” Emma waved her hand. “Frederick and I both grew up here. We know where everything is.”
*
Baird had dinnerwith the aunts and Uncle Frederick while Ella kept Cara company. Cara didn’t want to be upstairs anymore, but she also didn’t want to be carried. They ate dinner on trays in chairs in front of the pretty marble fireplace and then Ella picked up a book on the shelf and read while Cara took a shower, wanting to be available in case anything happened.
Fortunately, nothing happened, and Cara emerged from the adjoining bathroom wrapped in a huge towel, her hair in a messy knot on top of her head. “I’ve been reading about bedrest during pregnancy,” Cara said, rifling through a dresser drawer for pajamas. “A lot of doctors don’t believe in it anymore, saying it doesn’t help, and in fact, might make everything worse. You can’t go through a whole pregnancy lying around. It’s not healthy. You don’t want a woman to give birth after losing too much muscle tone.”
“But your doctor wants you on bedrest,” Ella said calmly.
“Yes. I’m just thinking this is a bit extreme—me not doing anything, not walking even down my own stairs. I understand not going on arduous hikes and horseback riding, I can see why rock climbing is out, but stairs? Come on. This is absurd.”
“You have cabin fever,” Ella said as Cara disappeared back into the bathroom. “It will pass.”
“It’s not just boredom,” Cara answered. “I’m used to being active. I like being active. I like exercise. Time moves way too slowly when you’re stuck in bed.”
“When do you see the doctor again?”
“Mid-January. The twelfth, I think.” Cara emerged from the bathroom in her flannel pajamas, a hairbrush in her hand. She pulled the scrunchie from her long hair and began to brush it. “There’s no reason I can’t go up and down the stairs here. It’s just a single flight.”
“Well, it’s not a normal flight of stairs. Your single flight is equal to two flights anywhere else. It’s what? Forty steps?” She stood up and motioned for Cara to take her place. “Come sit. I’ll brush your hair. It’s gotten long.
“I haven’t had it cut in ages,” Cara said, sitting down. She closed her eyes as Ella ran a hand down her hair, smoothing it. “You used to brush my hair when you were little.”
Ella took the brush from her sister. Once Cara was settled, Ella lifted the long mass and brushed the ends. “Half the time I’d get the brush tangled.” Ella laughed, remembering. “Then Mom would have to come save your hair from the brush. Remember that one time Mom couldn’t get the brush out? She had to cut some of your hair. You were very calm. If I remember right, I was the one crying. I felt terrible.”
“It was just hair,” Cara said shrugging. “I didn’t really care.”
“I did.” Ella ran the brush from crown to the ends, glad to see Cara slowly relax. The last few weeks had to have been so stressful, and then with Alec gone on top of it, Cara needed some TLC. “I always wanted to have your hair. I didn’t know why I had to have red hair.”
“You don’t still feel that way, do you?” Cara asked.
“No. Once I realized there were plenty of Disney princesses with red hair, I was good with it.”
Cara laughed. “You loved Disney princesses far more than I did.”
“I loved Merida fromBravebest. Ariel was problematic for me. How could one give up your voice for legs? Your voice is important. You have to be known, have to be heard.”
“And Merida made herself known. She was wild.”
“She was strong.” Ella hugged Cara. “Like you. You’re strong. Brave. Always my hero.”
Cara hugged Cara back. “You’re brave, too.”
Ella drew back a little. “Am I?”
Cara nodded, expression serious, and yet there was mischief in her eyes. “Oh yes. You’re sharing a cottage with that fierce Baird MacLauren. Who knew you’d grow up to love Scottish men?”
Groaning in disgust, Ella pulled away. “I do not love Baird MacLean. We barely tolerate each other.”
“Always the first step to true love.”
“There’s no love between us.”
“Something must have happened.
“It doesn’t matter.”
