“Dianna?”Wallace spoke from the doorway. I lifted my head from the side ofthe bed. “They’re back with the trunks. You should come and getcleaned up. Get out of those clothes.”
The womanseemed sincere. No malice or deceit hidden in her tone, and I beganto rethink my view on Roselyn Wallace altogether. I knew sheharbored feelings for Henry, but that didn’t make her a bad person.And he’d told me she’d met someone. That she was happy and hadmoved on. I was reluctant to believe it. But now I wanted to giveher the benefit of a doubt.
“Thank you,” Itold her. “For everything.”
“It’s notrouble at all, really,” she replied. “Not for an old friend,anyway. I had slept at The Den last night and had been on my wayhome this morning when my driver glanced back and spotted the smokein the distance. I rushed back as fast as I could.”
I stood andwalked toward the door where she waited.
“You shouldlet my doctor have a look at you,” she added. “And the baby.”
I wanted todecline the offer, she’d already done enough saving us from thestreet and tending to Henry’s wounds so quickly. But I did worryfor the baby. I’d inhaled so much smoke. And then the fall from thewindow. Henry had caught me, but my body met his a little toohard.
I rubbed ahand over my belly. “Sure, that would be… that’s very kind ofyou.”
She brushedoff my words. “Please, no need.”
“I insist. Ican’t repay you enough for your kin–”
“No.” Herbrown eyes flashed with impatience. “Please. I don’t… it’s theleast I can do.”
I gave her noreply. I left it alone and followed her through The Siren’s Call,an awkward silence holding us together. Exhausted, I fetched somethings from my chest and went to soak in a warm tub. As the layersof caked soot and smell of singed hair leeched from my pores intothe water, I cried into my wet hands. Not tears of sadness butcries of relief. Of the adrenaline leaving my body.
The events ofthe morning came rushing back and I realized how close we’d come todeath today. If I hadn’t woken when I did. If Henry’s quickthinking didn’t get us out of the building before it came crashingdown around us. And then his unresponsive body lying limp in the streets. My heartsqueezed.
With greateffort, I got up in the tub and stepped out, careful of my wet feeton the slick floor. I dressed in a simple grey skirt and whiteblouse, refusing to even attempt to strap my massively pregnantbody into a corset. What was the point? I tucked the loose ends ofmy blouse into the long skirt and hoisted the waist up over mybelly before venturing out the massive house in search of myfriends.
I found them,in Wallace’s office, the room where I once draped over a chaiseafter nearly fainting. Gus, Finn, Lottie and our three youngdeckhands. All freshly clean but heavy with defeat andexhaustion.
“Dianna,”Wallace said by way of greeting. “Come in and sit down. I was justinviting your crew to stay here at The Call for as long as they mayneed. That invitation, of course, extends to you and Henry.”
“Oh, thankyou,” I told her. “But there’s really no need. I don’t want to putyou out. We’ll find another tavern once Henry is feelingbetter.”
Her browraised in challenge. “I have more than enough room to accommodateall of you. And the medical means to tend to Henry’s wounds.” Sheglanced at my stomach. “Not to mention you and the baby. You’re faralong, Dianna. You need medical care.”
With a sigh, Iglanced around at my friends, their faces drooping with fatigue,and I nodded. “Okay, we’ll stay.”
“Excellent,”she replied and stood from her desk. “My doctor is ready andwaiting for you in the room Henry’s in.”
I followedWallace back to the room where Henry lay in bed, awake now. Hetried to sit up at the sight of me, but winced in pain, forcinghimself back into the bed. I ran to his side, slipping a hand intohis.
“Dianna,” hesaid in a raspy whisper. “Are you alright?”
“Yes,” Iassured him and forced a smile. “Nothing a good bath didn’t help.How are you feeling?”
“Like a burntroast,” he replied jokingly and then cringed as he glanced down athis own chest, wrapped in white dressings.
“Are you inpain?”
Henry’s handsqueezed mine. “Don’t you worry about me. Was that old womanalright?”
“The one youpulled from the fire?” I confirmed. “She was fine. A few burns. Butshe’s alive thanks to you and Finn.”
He closed hiseyes and pressed his head back into the pillow behind it.
“Don’t youever do anything that stupid ever again, do you understand?”I demanded.
Henry’s eyesopened and gleamed up at me. “Yes, ma’am.”
A single tearslipped down my cheek and I leaned over to place a gentle kiss onhis lips before speaking softly against them. “I can’t bear to loseyou again.”
“You won’t,”he mouthed against my trembling lips.
Behind us,Wallace cleared her throat. I’d forgotten she was even in the room.I pulled free of Henry and looked over my shoulder.
“The doctor ishere to examine you, Dianna,” she said and motioned to the singlecot that sat on the other side of the large guest room.
As I laid inthe tiny bed, letting the strange man run his cold fingers over mypregnant body, I stared at the ceiling and dreamed of home. Of theopen meadows and the crash of waves in the distance. Of warm tea asthe sun set on the horizon. But, Irealized, after a moment’s thought, it wasn’t a Newfoundland ofnow. It was the home I came from. The one that wouldn’t exist foranother three hundred years, and the realization stunned me.
“There’s notmuch movement,” the doctor pointed out and pulled me from mydaydream.
“What do youmean?” I asked. “Is that bad?”
“It can be,”he replied, his wrinkled face worn with years of a stressfuloccupation. He stuffed some tools back into a large leather bag.“In this case, I think you’ll be just fine with some rest. The babyis slightly distressed. Could be from the fire. Could be from lackof proper sleep and food.”
“Well, I’meating just fine,” I told the doctor. “But I have been very tired.All the time.”
He patted myhand. “Then
