So, happy new year. Sorry for the long silence. Life decided to
happen all over the place. Let's see what Erika and Glen have been
up to in our absence.
When this chapter opens, Erika has been in Scotland for four weeks
managing that hotel. She's visited the Montroses several times
before, but this time is different because we get to see it. They
get along well, like old friends, and we hear some news from Bermuda.
Lalla's son, Frankie, has an apprenticeship at a flower nursery, and
Lalla seems to be making great friends with the owner, if you know
what I mean. Nothing under the table about it, just a budding
relationship that Erika writes off as probably ending in marriage.
Could this be foreshadowing? Nah.
The three of them sit down to a home cooked meal and are thoroughly
enjoying it. Then the phone rings and Douglas answers it to find out
he's gotta go do an appendectomy. He's a doctor, remember? I
didn't. So, he rushes off and leaves the two women alone for the
first time since Catrina's great unburdening. She continues her
trend. She and Douglas are both trying to be a couple now, so that's
working much better for them. She no longer thinks he's uncaring or
blames him for their children's deaths, and it scares her to see how
she could have lost him. What a good thing she decided to keep
trying and make a relationship, huh?
Catrina runs out of the room to cry somewhere else for a moment, and
comes back with raspberries and cream for dessert. Then she asks
about Glen and Erika. Wait, Erika and whom? Erika says that she and
Glen left it in Bermuda and that it's over. Catrina says that's too
bad, because she's pretty sure Glen was in love with her. Erika
thinks so too, but she won't say it. ...because why would she say
anything about love and Glen to anyone ever? Anyway, the permanent
manager of Glenbrae Castle's daughter is doing well in New Zealand
and they'll probably be heading home in 10 days. The two agree to
keep in touch even after Erika moves on.
As Erika's leaving, Catrina gets a chance to say what a wonderful
husband Douglas is and whatnot. Then, she can't hold this in any
longer: “I just have to tell you, Erika. I wasn't going to because
it's really much too early, but...” Erika guesses that Catrina is
pregnant and is correct. Maybe I was too busy trying to figure out
how Glen was getting back in the novel, but I didn't see that coming
at all. Anyway, it seems that Catrina's and Douglas' rocky
relationship is in the process of righting itself. If only something
like that would happen between Erika and someone else...
Erika drives back to the fancy-pants Glenbrae Castle and there's a
message for her from Phyllis Talbot, her stepmother. Erika takes the
call in her office, which was a good call. Erika's dad apparently
has a heart issue and he's about to die. He was asking for her. So,
despite the coldness she's felt for him for years, Erika recognizes
when it's time to get over it and she gets in the car to see him. I
didn't realize she was so close to them, but it's just four hours
from Glenbrae Castle to the hospital where her father is.
Erika is shocked to see how frail her father is, but his eyes
brighten when he sees her. Basically, he tells Erika that her mom
was super-jealous even when there wasn't cause...and then there was.
He couldn't leave Phyllis with a baby on her own so he had to leave
Erika's suffocating mother. Erika didn't know this part before, so
it puts that whole situation in a new light. Erika's father's wish
is for Erika not to hold Phyllis accountable for this and to make up
with her. Erika's dad manages to hold on until his other daughter,
Erika's half sister, shows up. Deborah, the half sister, Phyllis and
Erika are all around him for awhile. Then he slips away into the
night.
Phyllis asks if Erika wants to come to their house before she drives
back to her hotel. Mindful of her promise, Erika agrees. While
she's there, she begins to see Deborah, as a sister. Apparently,
Debbie is having similar emotions to what Erika had at 18. Anyway,
Erika tells Phyllis what her dad wanted, and says that she's going to
try to make it happen. Phyllis says that Erika will always be
welcome in their home and Debbie agrees. See? This is the
relationship I was talking about being mended. You guys thought that
foreshadowing was about something else, didn't you?
Then the doorbell rings. Oh those neighbors, this is not the time
for sympathy. Erika volunteers to get the door because Phyllis can't
handle that right now. She opens the door to discover a nosy
neighbor who saw their car come back and has concluded the old man
has “finally kicked the bucket”. She wants to come in and bother
Phyllis and Debbie but, remembering her promise and generally being a
good person, Erika turns her away. No, I'm just messing with you.
It's Glen. End of chapter.
All right. They've only got one chapter to make it up to each other,
explain how much they mean to each other and finally make some sort
of commitment. I don't think this is the type of book where they'll
have to end up married, but I'm not really sure. So, my prediction:
Glen looks in shock at Erika and says, “This isn't Gertrude's
house.” Erika, assuming Gertrude is one of his women, slaps him
and shuts the door. Because her assumption is correct, Glen walks
sadly away, never to find Gertrude because she gave him the wrong
address.
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