Chapter 52
Fifty-Two
Marjorie had long since stood up from her seat in the carriage and was now hanging over the edge of the open window again, staring at the corner of the house around which her father had disappeared.
She had become tired as the minutes stretched out, but strangely, she felt a certain bubbling excitement growing, the longer the time went.
That bubbling excitement, however, translated into her hanging out further and further to the point where Peg had left her seat in the carriage and had set a firm grip on her.
Marjorie’s vigilance was finally rewarded by the sight of two figures, a man and a woman, coming around the house’s corner.
In her excitement, Marjorie clapped her hands, which caused her to become unbalanced.
A lunging tug by Peg caused both of the carriage’s inhabitants to tumble backwards, onto its floor.
Nothing daunted, Marjorie crowed, “It worked! It worked!”
A winded Peg could only grunt in response, and she received another accidental elbow in her stomach as Marjorie scrambled to her feet.
“I must go see them, Peg. We shan’t be returning to Scotland!
” and she was out and running toward the figures as fast as her legs could take her.
She flung herself at them and was rewarded with a double embrace.
Pulling her father down for a kiss, she murmured, “Thank you for parleying, Papa.”
“You are most welcome, imp,” came the reply.
Her kiss on Aurora’s cheek was met with a dozen kisses in response. She interrupted them with a single question: “Pax?”
“Pax, Marjorie. At least for today.” And Aurora smiled at her daughter, a smile which turned into a laugh, which Marjorie watched in awe as it seemed to start in Aurora’s toes and went all the way to the top of her head. Alec joined in, the two adults giving themselves over to the moment.
Marjorie felt their giddiness, while it also bewildered her. She clung to the happiness radiating off them in waves and decided to ignore anything beyond that. Burrowing once again into the middle of the new unit her father and Aurora made, she held on tightly.
“Mama,” Marjorie whispered so softly no one else could hear. “My mama.” And then she stopped talking and simply felt contented and secure. She was home.