“Now, that’s really unusual. I’ll have to think about why you’d feel like that. You haven’t been lost since the day I saw you bossing around all the other slum kids on the streets when you were ten,” Eve said. “You’re the one who could always take care of me. Want to come and help me with about fifteen of these reconstructions I have on my list?”

“Are you kidding? You’re the world-famous forensic sculptor. You know you wouldn’t let me touch them. I’ll pass.” She had to stop this right now before Eve actually started to worry about her. “But I would like you to tell me everything Michael is doing and how much you and Joe are enjoying the lake. Then I’ll tell you all about Fiona and what a bastard of a father she had. And you can tell me how lucky I am that you let me come home with you that day. Is it a deal?”

*  *  *

Jane shook her head and her smile vanished when she pressed the DISCONNECT button on the Skype screen thirty minutes later. She’d definitely messed that up, she thought ruefully. She should have known that Eve would have been able to see right through any attempt Jane could fabricate to hide any disturbance. They’d been too close over the years, and she’d never been able to mask the passion and emotion of her relationship with Caleb from her. It didn’t help that Eve always wanted the very best for her and had a tendency to try to solve all the problems of the universe plaguing her family. Jane would just have to call her back in a day or two and smooth it over.

But talking to Eve had made her feel better as it always did. She’d even discussed Fiona and for once she hadn’t experienced any feeling of antagonism connected to MacDuff’s ancestress. Which had even brought a strange sense of relief.