In the Land of the Long White Cloud

young man was the last person to see Lucas alive.” She calmly tried once more, but the old man exploded at her.
    “And kissed him good-bye, eh? Spare me these stories, Gwyn. Lucas is dead. He should rest in peace, but please leave me in peace too! And I don’t want to catch that boy in my house when I’m done here.”
    Gerald turned away. Gwyneira led Steinbjörn out with an apologetic expression on her face. “Please forgive my father-in-law; it’s the whiskey talking. He never got over Lucas…well, him being what hewas, or that he ended up leaving the farm…deserted it, as Gerald puts it. Lord knows he had his part in it. But that’s ancient history. I’m grateful that you’ve come, Mr. Sigleifson. Let’s go to the house; you could no doubt do with some refreshment.”

    Steinbjörn could hardly bring himself to set foot in the manor. He was sure he’d make one mistake after another. Luke had occasionally brought to his attention certain details of correct table posture and the rules of etiquette, and even Daphne seemed to know something of these matters. But he himself knew nothing and was terribly afraid of making a fool of himself in front of Gwyneira. She, however, led him entirely naturally in through a side door, took his jacket, and then rang, not for the maid apparently, because they met straightaway with the nanny, Kiri, in the salon. Gerald had recently lifted his prohibition on the young woman bringing the children along when she was cleaning or taking care of other housework. He had eventually realized that if he banned Kiri to the kitchen, Paul would grow up there.
    Gwyneira greeted Kiri kindly and took one of the babies out of the baby basket.
    “Mr. Sigleifson, my son Paul,” she said, though the last words were drowned out by the baby’s earsplitting scream. Paul did not seem to relish being taken from his adopted sister Marama’s side.
    Steinbjörn pondered a few things. Paul was still a baby. He must have been born during Luke’s absence.
    “I give up,” sighed Gwyneira, laying the baby back in its basket. “Kiri, would you take the babies please—Fleur too; she still needs to eat, and what the two of us have to discuss is not suitable for her ears. And could you please make us some tea—or coffee, Mr. Sigleifson?”
    “Steinbjörn, please,” the boy said shyly. “Or David. Luke called me David.”
    Gwyneira’s gaze passed over his features and his ruffled hair. Then she smiled. “He always was a little jealous of Michelangelo,” she remarked after a pause. “Come, sit down. You had a long ride.”
    To his astonishment Steinbjörn did not find the conversation with Gwyneira Warden difficult at all. He had initially been worried that she didn’t know about Lucas’s death, but George Greenwood had obviously already said something. Gwyneira had long since overcome the first waves of sorrow and only asked sympathetically about Steinbjörn’s time with her husband, how they had come to know each other and what had happened during his final months.
    Finally Steinbjörn described the circumstances of his death, blaming himself anew.
    But Gwyneira saw things as Greenwood had and expressed herself even more strongly. “There’s nothing you could do about Lucas being unable to tie a knot. He was a good man, God knows I treasured him. And as it turns out, he was a very gifted artist. But he was hopelessly lacking in common sense. Still…I think he always wished he could be a hero just once. And he was in the end, wasn’t he?”
    Steinbjörn nodded. “Everyone talks about him with the greatest respect, Mrs. Warden. People are considering naming the rock after him. The rock that…that we fell from.”
    Gwyneira was touched. “I don’t think he ever wanted more than that.”
    Steinbjörn was afraid she would burst into tears any moment, and he certainly had no idea how to properly comfort a lady. But then she regained her composure and continued with her questions. To his amazement, she asked a great many questions about Daphne, whom she remembered very well. After Greenwood reported having met the girl, Helen had written straightaway to Westport, but had yet to receive a response. Steinbjörn confirmed their suspicion that the red-haired Daphne in Westport was indeed Helen’s charge from long ago, and he informed her about the twins as well. Gwyneira was blown away when she heard about Laurie and Mary.
    “So Daphne found the girls! Now how did she manage that? And