Page 47 of The Forsaken (Echoes from the Past #4)
THIRTY-NINE
London, England
“Perhaps you should wait until you know more before you tell Seth,” Gabe suggested as he set the table for dinner. “He’s been through enough. Don’t you think?”
“Yes, he has, but I just feel awful about withholding this from him,” Quinn replied.
“Have you been able to track down Hetty Marks?”
“I have, actually. She still lives in Leicester, and has a Facebook page. I sent her a message. I hope she responds.”
“What about searching for Quentin on Facebook? There can’t be that many women named Quentin residing in the UK,” Gabe suggested.
Quinn transferred some cheesy pasta into a bowl and set it on the table. “I did a search for a Quentin. I got eleven results in Great Britain. Most of them were teenagers, and there were two women who appeared to be well over forty. None of them looked like they could be the right one.”
“Perhaps she moved abroad, or isn’t a fan of social media.”
“That’s possible, of course, but most people these days leave some sort of electronic footprint.”
“That they do. I’ll tell Emma dinner is ready,” Gabe said, effectively putting an end to the conversation.
Quinn set the salad bowl on the table and poured Emma some milk.
Her hand began to tremble and she nearly spilled the milk on the table as a terrible thought occurred to her.
She might not have found anyone named Quentin who fit the profile because her sister might be dead.
She’d assumed, and desperately wanted to believe, that her twin had been treated and released after Sylvia left her at the hospital, but what if her medical issue had been more severe?
What if Quentin had never left that hospital alive?
Child mortality in twentieth century Britain was very low, but it still happened.
And given that Sylvia hadn’t thought to seek help for Quentin immediately, she might have wasted precious moments that made the difference between life and death.
Quinn kept this awful thought to herself while they ate. There was no sense telling Gabe about her fear. Hetty Marks would know if Quentin had survived, and if Ms. Marks answered the message Quinn had sent, she’d put her mind at rest, one way or another.
Quinn forced herself to put Quentin out of her mind for the moment and smiled as Emma went on and on about her upcoming party.
She was so excited. Emma had made a lot of friends over the past few months, and was finally beginning to feel like she truly belonged.
Even her Scottish accent, which had been quite strong when they’d met her in Edinburgh, had softened as she unwittingly imitated the pronunciation of those around her.
Emma was beginning to sound more like Gabe, who still had a trace of a northern accent, but after years of living in London almost sounded like a bona fide southerner.
“Is Grandma Sylvia coming to the party?” Emma asked.
“I think we’ll just have the children,” Quinn replied. “It won’t be any fun for the adults.”
“But she is my grandma,” Emma protested. “And Jude will be there.”
Gabe and Quinn exchanged looks.
“Grandma Phoebe is coming down for your birthday,” Gabe announced .
“But what about Grandma Sylvia? And what about Grandma Susan and Grandpa Roger? I miss them.”
“Sweetheart, you know they live in Spain,” Quinn explained patiently.
“Why? Why do they live in Spain?” Emma demanded. “They are not Spanish.”
“My dad has severe arthritis, Em. Living in a warmer climate helps him feel better.”
“Will he die if he comes back? Like Grandpa Graeme?” Emma asked, her eyes round with worry.
“No, he won’t die, but if he remains here permanently, he’ll be in quite a lot of pain. He can come and visit from time to time though.”
“Grandma and Grandpa Allenby came for the wedding, and they are going to come for the new baby,” Emma reasoned. “Don’t they think my birthday is important?”
“Of course they do. I’m sure they’ll send you a lovely present.”
Emma stared at Quinn balefully and stabbed at the lettuce on her plate. She was clearly hurt, but Quinn wasn’t at all sure what to say. Her parents were comfortably off, but they couldn’t afford to fly back to England for every occasion.
“I’m finished,” Emma announced, pushing her plate away. “Can I go to my room?”
“Of course. Wash your hands first,” Gabe reminded her. Emma stomped off and Gabe turned to Quinn. “It’s all right,” he assured her. “Emma has to get used to dealing with disappointment. It’s a part of growing up.”
“She’s only going to be five, and she’s had to deal with so much pain already. ”
“I know, but your parents are not coming, so Emma can either accept that as fact or feel bad and allow her disappointment to ruin her party,” Gabe reasoned.
“Should I have invited Sylvia?” Quinn asked and giggled when Gabe’s eyebrows shot upward.
“After the conversation you two just had? I think not. Let it be, Quinn. Emma will have a wonderful party regardless.”
“I know. I just want it to be perfect for her. It’s her first birthday with us, and five is kind of a big deal. It’s a rite of passage, since she’ll be starting primary school next month.”
“Don’t remind me. The pressure is on to make a decision about the move,” Gabe replied.
“Have you spoken to your mother about it?”
“She’s moved back home, but she hasn’t been herself, Quinn. I think she’s depressed.”
“She’s still grieving for your dad.”
“Of course she is, but it’s more than that. It’s almost like she can’t stand being in that house. She’s even taken up gardening, which she hates, just to get outside.”
“She’s lonely, that’s all.”
“It’s a lonely place,” Gabe replied with a sigh.