knots. She’d have to wait for Hannah to leave the house so she could help herself to some wheat and barley seeds. And then, she’d have to live through several agonizing days before she’d know for certain, or as certain as some arcane Egyptian method could guarantee.
**
When Gabe came into the bedroom, having put the kids to sleep, Quinn was on her phone.
“What are you doing? I thought you were going to spend an hour with Alice,” Gabe said as he climbed into bed and lay down next to her.
“I did. And now I’m Googling Egyptian pregnancy tests,” Quinn replied, her gaze glued to the screen.
“What?”
“Ha!” Quinn cried. “I found it.”
“Found what, exactly? What does Egypt have to do with anything?”
“Dr. Rosings spoke of an ancient Egyptian way to check for pregnancy. And I’ve found a reference to it. It was called the wheat and barley test. Evidently, the ancient Egyptians realized that something happened to a woman’s urine once she became pregnant. Says here they even thought they could tell if the baby was a boy or a girl depending on which seeds began to sprout after being soaked in urine.”
“You’ve lost me,” Gabe said, trying to see over her arm as she scrolled through the article.
“It seems Alice was pregnant at the time of the shipwreck,” Quinn announced, gratified by Gabe’s astonishment.
“Was she? That must have come as a shock.”
“You bet. Can you imagine not being able to remember something like that?” Quinn exclaimed, setting the phone on her bedside table.
“Maybe she hadn’t known,” Gabe suggested.
“Maybe not. Oh, that poor girl,” Quinn said, dismayed. “It’s earth-shattering enough to find out you’re pregnant in the here and now. Imagine what it was like in the eighteenth century, especially if you had no idea whose baby you were carrying.”
“Surely she’ll remember,” Gabe said.
“I hope so, for her sake,” Quinn replied, and turned out the light.
Chapter 18
March 2018
London
When Katya and Vanessa arrived the following afternoon, the two women took the kids out into the garden, where Gabe had set up a swing and a slide, and let them play while they watched them over a cup of tea and chocolate biscuits. Katya looked stylish as ever, but lines of fatigue were etched into her lovely features, and her hair was scraped into a bun. She’d lost weight, and her jeans hung loosely around her long legs. She reached for a biscuit and bit into it gingerly.
“I know Rhys told you about the baby,” Katya said as she continued to nibble. “He’s so excited, he just can’t help himself,” she added affectionately.
“Congratulations. How are you feeling?” Quinn asked, glad the cat was out of the bag and she didn’t have to pretend she didn’t know about the pregnancy.
“The morning sickness has been awful,” Katya said. “I never felt this sick with Vannie. It’s as if my insides are trying to turn themselves out. I’ve been living on tea and dry toast for weeks. Rhys keeps trying to tempt me with all kinds of goodies, but just the thought of eating them makes me ill.”
“He’s worried about you,” Quinn said.
“I know. He’s a dear man,” Katya said with a tired smile. “But women have been having babies since the beginning of time. I know this is temporary, and then I’ll have a beautiful child to love. I just have to get through the next couple of weeks.”
“How far along are you?”
“Nearly twelve weeks,” Katya said. “I don’t have to tell you, Rhys is thrilled. He’d have a dozen children if he could. He dotes on Vannie. The kid is spoiled rotten.”
“He’s waited a long time for this, but I’ve never seen him happier,” Quinn said. She didn’t think Rhys would ever forget the baby he’d lost with his previous partner, but Vanessa had filled the gaping void, bringing out Rhys’s paternal side.
“I’m happy too. It’s as if we were made for each other,” Katya said dreamily. Her expression suddenly changed. “Vanessa, I saw that!” Katya exclaimed, shaking her head in exasperation. “Say sorry to Mia for pushing her off the swing.”
Vanessa gave her mother a defiant look, but promptly mumbled, “Sorry, Mia.”
“I wonder what it will be like to juggle two kids. Vannie can be a handful.”
“So can Mia. She’s so different from Alex,” Quinn said. “He was such an easygoing toddler. I wasn’t prepared for this little hellion.”
“It’s because she’s a girl. Girls are so much more temperamental, I find. Speaking of which, how’s Emma?”
“She’s all right. Moody. She’s only going to