Twilight's Serenade (19 page)

Ted was at her side almost immediately, but she paid him little attention. Pain ripped through her stomach, and she cried out.

“What is it, Phoebe? Where are you hurt?”

“It’s . . . I’m . . .” She grabbed her abdomen and doubled over. “I’m with child,” she gasped.

Her brother looked at her as though she’d just announced the start of herring season. “What does that have to do with anything? I asked if you were hurt.”

She didn’t want to take the time to explain. “Just help me to the house.”

“What’s going on?” Yuri called as he crossed the distance between them and the boat house.

“She fell,” Ted explained. “From up there.” He pointed up the trail toward the house.

“I need to get to the house.” A moan broke from her lips as the men helped her stand. “I don’t think I can do this.” She slumped against Yuri.

He lifted her in his arms. “Ted, you lead the way. Let your mother know Phoebe’s hurt.”

“Should I tell her about the baby?” Ted asked.

Yuri looked down at Phoebe but said nothing. She nodded. “You’d better. I may very well be losing it.”

A short time later, Phoebe miscarried her fifth child. Having never experienced this before, she was strangely void of feeling. She looked at her mother and then to Lydia.

“I know I should be overwhelmed with grief, but I just feel numb.”

Lydia sat beside her on the bed. “You’re in shock. Things happened so quickly that the full impact hasn’t had time to sink in.”

“Is this how it was for you?” she asked her mother-in-law, then glanced to her mother. Both women had experienced this sorrow, and now she had joined their ranks.

“I both miscarried and had a stillbirth,” her mother said, joining her daughter on the side of the bed opposite Lydia. “Both were difficult, but the birth was worse. I had fully expected the baby to be born healthy—to live. I felt so betrayed by my own body.”

“I lost my babies because of my husband’s violence,” Lydia told them. “I learned after the first couple of times not to expect the children to live. I forced my heart to feel nothing, but of course, that wasn’t possible. I was numb for a time, but always— when I least expected it—the pain came crashing down upon me.”

“Dalton didn’t even know about the baby,” Phoebe said. “I wasn’t sure when he left, and once I knew that I was pregnant, he was missing. I suppose I shouldn’t even tell him.”

“I think you should,” her mother said.

“I think so, too,” Lydia agreed. “This was his child as well, even if he didn’t know about it. You both need to comfort each other—share your mourning. Dalton would want it that way.”

Phoebe nodded slowly, then closed her eyes.

Yuri waited in the living room with Kay and Ted and Phoebe’s children. He felt such sorrow over Phoebe’s loss. He knew she loved her children, and since they’d received word that Dalton and Kjell were safe, she had started to look forward to telling him about the baby. She had, in fact, asked Yuri to say nothing to anyone until she had a chance to give Dalton the news upon his return.

“Mama will be all right, won’t she?” Gordon asked Yuri.

“I think so,” he replied. Seeing the worried expressions of the children, he smiled. “The fall was a bad one, but your mother is a strong woman. I’m confident she’ll be just fine.” He made no comment about Phoebe’s pregnancy, knowing that she’d said nothing to the children.

Just then, Lydia came to join them. Rachel and Connie ran to her, while Alex and Gordon looked as if they’d very much like to do the same. Yuri and Ted got to their feet, along with Gordon and Kay. Only Alex remained seated.

“Is Mama dead?” Rachel sobbed.

“Not at all, my darlings. She is doing just fine. She’s resting right now, and after a few days in bed, she’ll be up and around. In the meantime, I thought since school is out, you might like to come and stay with me. That way your mother can have lots of rest.”

“I’ll stay here and work,” Gordon told them. “But the rest of you should go and stay with Grandmother.”

Rachel opened her mouth as if to protest, then hugged her arms around her grandmother. “I want to go home with you.”

“Me too,” Connie declared. “Then I can play with Laura.”

Alex gave a quick sidelong glance at Gordon and nodded. “I’ll come, too.”

“Good. I can certainly use the help of a strong young man. Now run upstairs and pack your things. Gordon, you can help them. You and Rachel will know what everyone needs to bring. When you come back downstairs, you can give your mama a kiss, and we’ll be on our way.”

The children reluctantly left to obey. Lydia looked at Yuri. “Ted drove us here in the wagon. Do you mind driving us home?”

“Not at all. I’m happy to help.”

Ted reached out to stop Yuri. “Phoebe told me I could help in the boat shop. That’s why we were making our way down.” He ran his hand back through his hair. “I feel like this whole thing is my fault.”

“It’s no one’s fault, Ted,” Lydia assured him. “Phoebe tried to blame herself, as well. These things just happen. I took a bad fall when I was expecting Britta, and it didn’t cause . . .” She fell silent, and everyone seemed to understand.

Ted squared his shoulders. “I still want to help if I can.”

Yuri nodded. “Of course you can. Just come down to the shop in the morning.” He paused and gave Ted’s shoulder a quick pat. “This wasn’t your fault. The Lord giveth, and the Lord taketh away.”

“Blessed be the name of the Lord,” Lydia added.

Chapter 15

W
hen word came that Dalton and Kjell’s ship had been sighted coming into the harbor, the family was beside themselves with joy. Even Phoebe, who was still not fully recovered from her miscarriage, couldn’t contain her excitement.

“Gordon and Alex, run to the dock and see how soon they will start bringing people ashore.” Phoebe hurried to braid Connie’s hair while Lydia helped Rachel.

“I’m so nervous,” Lydia said as she tried to button the back of Rachel’s dress. “It feels like they’ve been gone forever. I do hope they’re all right. The detective scarcely gave us enough information.”

“Oh, Mama, he said they had healed of their injuries. That was information enough,” Britta declared. “They’ll soon be here, and we can ask them all about the earthquake and what happened.”

Phoebe shuddered. “I don’t know if I want to hear everything.”

“Me either,” Lydia admitted. “Sometimes it’s best not to know the details. I think I would be filled with such regret that I couldn’t be there to help.”

“But you were filled with regret anyway,” Britta teased. “So you might as well know what you missed. But no matter, I want to hear their stories.” She bounced Darya on her hip, while Laura danced around the room in a new dress Lydia had made for her. Walking to the window, Britta could see Kay and Ted out on the lawn. “Looks like your brother is sweet on Kay.”

Phoebe laughed. “If his table conversations are any proof of it, then I’d say he’s more than a little sweet. Of course, I think Kay is the first woman who’s stood up to him in a long, long time.” She released Connie, who immediately joined Laura in celebration.

“Look, Connie,” Laura said, “my dress is like yours.”

Lydia finished with Rachel. “You two could very nearly be twins.”

“ ’Cept I’m taller.” Connie twirled in a circle with her arms in the air as if to accentuate the fact.

Phoebe’s mother clapped her hands. “And you both dance so nicely. Like little ballerinas.”

“What’s that?” Connie asked.

“I shall show you some pictures of ballerinas in a book,” Phoebe’s mother replied. “They are wonderful dancers.”

“Can I be a ballerina?” Connie asked her mother.

Just then Gordon bounded into the house with Alex at his heels. “They’re starting!” he proclaimed. “The passengers are coming ashore. Aunt Evie and Uncle Josh said to come right away.”

Britta looked to her nephew. “Would you go down to the boat shop and let Yuri know?” Britta asked her nephew. “He’ll want to come with us to the dock.”

“Sure. Then I’m going back in case they come on the first launch.”

“We’re leaving now, too,” Phoebe assured him. “Come along, children—your father has finally come home!”

Yuri caught up to Britta when they were halfway to the dock. He took hold of Laura and found that Connie immediately took his free hand. “I like you, Yuri,” Connie told him.

“He’s not Yuri. He’s Papa,” Laura corrected.

“He’s not my papa,” Connie countered. “My papa is on the big ship with Grandpa.”

Laura seemed puzzled for a moment, then said nothing more. Britta couldn’t help but chuckle. Yuri glanced over at her with a smile.

“It’s a good day,” he said in a barely audible voice.

Britta couldn’t agree more. “It is a good day. One of the best.”

The dock was teeming with activity, for the arrival of any ship was always cause for celebration. Britta stood back with Yuri and the children while Connie joined her mother and the others to draw as close to the water as possible. She fixed the moment firmly in her mind: the sun shining brightly with only a few wispy clouds to decorate an otherwise brilliant blue sky, the breeze sending only the smallest of ripples across the water and gently rocking the boats in the marina.

Putting her hand to her forehead, Britta shielded her eyes from the sun in order to see the passengers in the approaching launch. There at the front were her father and brother. “There they are,” she announced.

Yuri nodded. “I see them.”

“I can’t see,” Laura said.

Yuri lifted her and pointed to the boat. “See. There they are.”

“Can’t see,” she insisted.

“I’ll take her down with us if you like,” Kay said, coming up from behind them with Ted at her side.

“Would you like to go down to the water with Kay?” Yuri asked his daughter.

Her enthusiasm was evident. “Yes! Yes!”

Britta laughed and Kay held out her hand. “Come along, then. The boat will soon be here.”

Laura fairly danced along as Kay and Ted took hold of her hands. Britta put Darya to her shoulder and couldn’t help but smile at the sight before her. It was only when Yuri began to speak that she turned and forgot the others.

“I’ve thought a great deal about what you said—that you love me—that you’ve loved me all these years.”

She met his gaze, feeling rather nervous. “And?”

“Well, I have to tell you that I was surprised by it. I mean, I knew you cared about me, but I figured it was like a sister for her brother.”

Laughing, Britta only uttered one word: “Hardly.”

Yuri gave her a quizzical look. “You’re unlike anyone else I’ve ever known.”

“I feel the same about you.”

“I don’t know why. I’ve been nothing but a mess most of my life. And you can’t begin to understand how I’m hardened by all that I’ve endured. And frankly . . . well, I don’t think I’m at all what you need in a husband.”

“Why don’t you let me be the judge of that?” Britta replied as casually as she could muster. She didn’t want to appear overly excited by the fact that Yuri was finally speaking of marriage.

“I just can’t imagine that you know what you need, either.”

She fixed him with a stern expression. “I’ve loved you since I was seven. I’ve watched you practically destroy yourself and then recover; you think I don’t know my own heart?”

“Britta, you don’t know what the past has done to me,” he said honestly. “I don’t want to love anyone, because I fear I’ll only make a mess of it again.”

“Liar. You’re afraid you’ll be hurt. Well, welcome to life. It’s full of hurts but also full of pleasures, and you don’t get the latter without risking the first.”

He considered her statement for a moment. “I just don’t know, Britta. I think if I were to ever fall in love with anyone, it would be you.” She couldn’t keep from smiling, but before she could get a word out, he added, “But I just don’t know how long that might take. How long are you willing to wait?”

“I’m not,” she said, surprising him. She could see in his expression that this was far from the comment he’d expected.
Good,
she thought.
Let him be shocked—confused.
She shifted the baby and waited for him to speak.

After what seemed an eternity, he finally asked, “What do you mean by that? Have your feelings changed?”