The front door led into a large hallway big enough to fit a reading area. There was a doorway on either side of us, and a doorway behind the reading nook.
“Take Caro to get her things.” Roane gestured to the door behind the reading nook.
I nodded to Caro to show me the way, concerned by her paleness. Despite her obvious distress, she kept her chin held high as she led me to the dark wooden door. “Watch your step,” she murmured as she opened it.
Three small stairs led down into a dark corridor. From the outside the cottage was cute, but inside . . . I shuddered. It was gloomy, dreary, and did not have a good vibe. That pang echoed in my chest again at the thought of Caro spending most of her life here. She turned right and led me to a door at the end of the hall.
Her room was surprisingly bright. A large wooden-framed window allowed a lot of light in despite the surrounding trees outside. The walls were covered in old-fashioned ivory wallpaper with little blue birds all over it. There was a white Shaker-style bedside cabinet to match the dresser, armoire, and single bed.
The floorboards were old and a little warped.
It was a pretty room in the summer, but I could only guess at how cold it was during the winter.
Caro opened a cupboard door on the wall opposite the window and pulled out an old leather suitcase.
“What can I do?” I asked.
She blinked rapidly as if she’d forgotten I was there. “I can manage. I’m not taking much.”
True to her word, she only packed underwear, socks, and an extra pair of shoes, and removed a mere two outfits from the armoire. “I . . .” She glanced up at me shyly. “Things are moving so quickly, and I know I shouldn’t try to do too much at once, but I think I’d like some new clothes.”
I gave her a small smile. “We could make a day or two of it. Maybe go to Newcastle to shop.”
Caro nodded and then picked up the picture frame sitting on her bedside cabinet. “My mother and father,” she whispered, placing it gently in her case.
According to Roane they hadn’t been much in the way of parents, but I’m sure they were a far sight better than her aunt Helena.
When Caro dropped to her knees by the floor at the window, I raised an eyebrow in curiosity. Her small, elegant hands pried at the floorboards, and to my surprise two boards gave way. She reached into the hole in the floor and pulled out a large shoebox. I stepped forward and peered in as Caro removed the lid. Inside was what looked like a journal, a pile of comic books, and to my surprise, three historical romance paperbacks. They looked like they’d been read many, many times.
Caro smiled tremulously. “My contraband.”
I crouched beside her, incredibly sad that a twenty-two-year-old woman had to hide these things. My fingers brushed the cover of one of the books. “You’re a romance fan.”
Her cheeks flushed a lovely rosy color. “They’re wonderful escapism.”
“They are,” I agreed.
“One of the first things I’m going to do once I have access to my accounts is buy an e-reader and just stock it full of romance novels.”
She sounded so young in that moment, it broke my heart a little. Her aunt had kept her in a perpetual state of confusion—repression versus teenage rebellion. Caro hadn’t been given the chance yet to become an adult. I shrugged off my sadness because she was still so young, and it was happening now. Her life was about to change for the better. I’d called Penny in the early hours of the morning, knowing it was early evening for her in Melbourne, and asked permission to allow Caroline to stay in the second bedroom until we could find her a more permanent situation. Penny, unsurprisingly, had been all for it.
“Buying an e-reader would be the first thing I’d do,” I chuckled as I straightened. “Come on. Let’s pack this stuff too.”
Caro emptied the contents of the shoebox into her suitcase and closed it.
“Ready?”
“Just one last thing.” She reached up behind her neck and unclasped the gold cross.
It fell on the wooden bedside cabinet with a delicate clatter and a hiss of the chain. At my questioning look, Caro’s expression tightened. “It’s the only gift Helena ever gave me. I’ve had to wear it every day for ten years, shackled to her, not to Christianity, just as she always intended.”
I released a slow, heavy breath. “I hope this doesn’t sound condescending or patronizing because believe me it’s not meant to be taken that way . . . but I am so, so proud of you.”
The right corner of her mouth quirked up. “You made me brave enough to do this. All of you—you, Roane, Viola, even Patrick. I—I couldn’t have done it without you.”
“You could have,” I disagreed. “And I think you’ve been thinking about this for a really long time. This didn’t just happen overnight, or because we offered you support to do it. You’ve mentally prepared yourself for this moment and finally got yourself to a place where you could do this. The credit is all yours.”
She released a shaky sigh and gave me a small nod. “Let’s go see how Roane and Patrick are faring.”
Roane and Patrick were waiting for us in the hall, Roane holding a manila folder in his hand. Shadow loped forward at the sight of us, and Caro reached for him gratefully. As if he knew she needed him, Shadow was loyally sticking by her side. That’s what I loved about dogs. Some were very attuned to our emotions and offered their loyalty and love in return for the same.
Affection wasn’t a game with dogs like it could be with humans, who often withheld it out of pettiness or in one-upmanship and doled it out when it suited their purposes. I guess that’s why I liked dogs more than I did some people. You always knew where you stood with a dog. Either they liked you or they didn’t.
“Got everything?” Roane’s voice was gentle, but his expression was not.
Caro nodded and he put his arm around her. “Then let’s go.”
I followed them out, thankfully without having to lay eyes on Helena again.
“You call if you need anything else,” Patrick said once we drew to a halt at the vehicles.
“Thanks, Trick.” Roane held out his hand to shake his friend’s. “I owe you.”
“You owe me nothing. It was my pleasure”—he shot the house a dirty look—“believe me.”
“Thank you,” Caro offered shyly.
“You’re going to be fine, Caro.” Patrick gave her a soft smile, nodded at us, and then got into his car.
“Let’s go.” Roane held open the passenger-side door for Caro while I got in the back with Shadow and Caro’s small, lonely suitcase. Before Roane put on his seat belt, he handed the manila folder to his cousin.