“Maybe look a little longer before you interrupt his work.I’m quite sure they’re here somewhere.Try the path behind the garage and go up to the old dairy.They’ve gone there before to play.The little one likes the ballroom.”
“The dairy has a ballroom?”
He laughed, revealing a missing tooth in his bottom row of teeth.“It’s been renovated.They use it for parties and such.”
“Okay.And if you see them?”
“I’ll send ’em your way.”He nodded and set off.
Cat walked in the direction the older man directed her, shoes crunching on the frosted ground.The air smelled faintly of smoke and something sweet from the main house kitchen.She could see her breath, quick and uneven, as she pushed through the chill.And then, from somewhere near the long low stone building in the distance, she heard a burst of laughter, high and light, before it was quickly stifled.
“Jillian!”she called, relief mixing with exasperation.“Olivia!”
Silence.
But Cat had lost her patience.“Jillian, Olivia, come here now!”
Two heads appeared above the low stone wall, both girls’ expressions somewhat guilty.“Where have you been?”Cat demanded, her voice shaking.“I’ve been so worried.”
Olivia looked immediately remorseful.Jillian looked triumphant.
Cat stopped a few feet away and jammed her hands into her coat pockets to hide how much she was trembling.“You scared me half to death.”
“We weren’t far,” Jillian said.“We were justexploring.”
“You were supposed to be in your room—”
“We got bored.”
“Then you ask if you can go outside.You don’t just sneak out.”
Jillian’s chin lifted.“We do if you treat us like prisoners.We aren’t your prisoners.You can’t just lock us up.”
Again, Cat’s temper flared.“I didn’t lock you up.I don’t even know if your door has a lock.”
“I’m almost thirteen,” Jillian said, jaw tight.“I don’t need a babysitter, and neither does Olivia.”
The words hung in the cold air, so sharp and sure that even Olivia flinched.
Cat swallowed, her pulse still racing.“I’m not here to babysit,” she said carefully, checking her anger, even as her heart continued to thud too hard, too fast.
What if she hadn’t found them?What if something had happened to them?
“I’m here to help your dad.”
Chapter Four
Dr.Harmon couldhave done a better job trying to understand just why his daughter, Jillian, was so unhappy, Cat thought, walking the girls back to the cottage.Cat didn’t speak because she was still trying to sort through her anger and anxiety, and she didn’t know why the girls were silent unless they were expecting her to tell their father and that would mean consequences, whatever those might be.
Reaching the cottage, she had them strip off their sweaters and damp outer wear and leave by the fire to dry.And then she told them they had twenty minutes to take a bath and dress and be back downstairs for lunch.If they weren’t down at precisely one, there would be no lunch.Jillian looked at her as if wanting to argue, but Cat’s fierce expression must have been enough to discourage Jillian as she turned and walked out, with Olivia following.
Upstairs in her room, Cat changed into warm, dry clothes and her warmest indoor slippers before heading to the kitchen to make some ham and cheese sandwiches.She cut up an apple and added apple slices to each plate before placing the two plates on the table.
The girls arrived together at precisely one.Cat gestured to the table and the girls pulled back their chairs, the legs scraping the old wood floor, before they sat, chairs scraping on the way back in.
“Eat,” Cat said.“We will talk after.”
Olivia tentatively picked up half of her sandwich, but Jillian ignored her plate and stared at Cat.
