Chapter 71

 

The ward was quieter when they entered it.  Several beds were now empty and only one other lady had a visitor, by the look of him it would have been her grandson.   Hester leaned towards Olivia and must have whispered their arrival to her so that both of them turned to face towards the door of the ward room, both bearing a  big smile of welcome, for visitors were always a joy to have, especially in such surroundings as a hospital ward.

 

Minutes of small talk between the four of them, confirmation that the children were well,  Nathaniel missed his Momma, and Erik had another new tooth.  Hope and Hannah sent their mother a picture but Hoss had been showing it to Joe and the wind caught it and blew it away.  “Never mind, “ he assured her, “You’ll  be getting another one very shortly.”

 

They talked about the work they were doing just then, and how Ben had decided not to  build barbed wire fences near Papoose Peak after all as Candy had suggested it would be a futile effort and a lot of expense for nothing.   Ben didn’t argue the point, as Adam said had it been one of them he would have done, just to make sure they knew he was not surrendering the matter too easily.  Candy could obviously do no wrong.

 

“The solution is to bring the cattle down to the low pasture when the bears are out after hibernation  and with their cubs.  They’ll only bring the fence down if they were that determined.” Hoss smiled, looked into Hester’s blue eyes and kissed her.

 

Adam turned slightly aside in order to give them some privacy and stroked Olivia’s hand, kissed her finger tips and then kissed her as she had turned her face towards him.   She smiled “You smell of work,  a good manly smell.”

 

He smiled and realised she couldn’t see that so leaned in to kiss her again,  she relished the taste of him, and for a  moment struggled to put her mind to the etiquette of the situation they were in.     “We had a visitor today.”

 

“I heard “ he smiled   “Peggy.?”

 

“Yes, she was very contrite, very miserable about everything. “

 

“Bridie says that Peggy  may be going to leave here.”

 

“Yes, that’s right.”   she gripped hold of his hand now and  held it tightly between her own, “Adam, I had other visitors too.”

 

“The doctor?  “

 

“No – “  she paused, and for a moment silence hung in the air between them as she wondered how to tell him about her ‘little ‘ visitors.

 

“Marcy?”

 

“No – it was – please don’t be angry with them – it was Reuben and Sofia.”

 

“Reuben and Sofia?”

 

He must have spoken louder than intended for Hoss turned round to  join the conversation “What were they doing here?  Jest saw Sofia, she said she was off school sick…never mentioned about coming here.”

 

Adam nodded,  “True enough.  The little Minx never breathed a word.”

 

“They were desperate to see us, Adam.   You arn’t angry with them, are you?”

 

Adam and Hoss exchanged a glance.   They both knew that for doing less Ben’s hand would have been very heavy on a certain area of their anatomy.   Olivia squeezed Adams hand “Remember your Skakespeare….’The quality of mercy is twice blessed’”

 

Adam shook his head although he was smiling,  he leaned in to kiss her again, “That’s unfair.”

 

“I know.” Olivia smiled, a slow smile that Adam knew would have lit up her eyes, “But it did us all so much good to see them here.  All the ladies enjoyed it – it lifted all our spirits so much. “

 

Hoss grinned and shook his head, made some comment about disobedient children, spoil the child and spare the rod etc.  and Hester told them how much of a surprise it had been to see the two children suddenly appear and how funny it had been when they had hidden under the beds while the nurse and Doctor did their rounds.

 

“Funny huh?” Adam said  between gritted teeth.

 

“Oh Adam,  try and see it from their perspective.” Hester urged, “Nothing is so frightening for a child as to be left ignorant of things like this…their imaginations run riot,  they scare themselves with conjecture and fantasy.  Much better for them to know what the truth really is, surely?”

 

“Are you playing Devil’s advocate, Hester?”  Adam asked with a chuckle in his voice and Hoss looked offended and said something about ‘Don’t you call my wife a devil anything….”

 

Adam  raised his hands as though admitting defeat and then turned to Olivia and asked her if the Doctor had any news about her condition, how was her hand, her eyes…anything…to which she replied that they were going to take off the bandages in the morning   “It’s to see if there is any progress since Saturday, whether they can assess anything to help them for next week…I mean…later on in the week.”

 

“What time?” Adam asked and when she said she hadn’t been told he assured her he would be there, she wouldn’t be facing it alone.

 

They talked some more and then the gong sounded….visiting time was already over.   Kisses and farewells, promises made and smiles exchanged.   Olivia slumped back on the pillows and smiled, the smell of a hard working man lingered a while yet and she loved it.

……………..

 

When Adam had been a child his father had been a stern disciplinarian.   At that time it was expected of any father to ‘control’ their child, to teach them their place, to make sure they never stepped over the line.  Ben had been a seaman, he had lived among rough crude men and if there had been no discipline from the officers on board then the ship would be in a constant state of mutiny.  So it was taken for granted that Adam Cartwright faced a vigilant and regular disciplining…often with a good tanning, if a tanning could ever be considered good,  or a stern lecture, and sometimes a loving kindly reproof.

 

Ben would have argued that travelling through Indian territory, through vast regions of untamed wilderness, over desert, fording rivers, along with a little boy, required strict discipline.  Obedience in the child had to be, at times, beaten into him.  The circumstances of their lives, thankfully, led to the fact that Adam Cartwright did not require many beatings,no doubt due to the fact that he lived at least two thirds of it in constant terror of being scalped or burned alive by the savages through whose territory they travelled.  But when it came, it was  just enough to remind him that obedience saved lives, as it did, often.

 

Hoss had come along,  and once again bereft of a woman’s hand to guide them,  Ben was left with another child to discipline and train.   All three Cartwrights were eternally grateful when Hop Sing came into their lives, even if it was for three different reasons.

 

Of course,  when Joe arrived there had been a woman to gently take the reins at times, and to temper strict discipline with loving kindness, good humour, and whether or not that were a bad thing somehow Joe  managed to respect the discipline he did have and in the main was tolerably obedient.   Whether or not Adam and Hoss resented the fact that their sibling had fewer tannings, lectures, scoldings than they themselves had had,  only they would know and had the wisdom not to mention.

 

But his upbringing and the strictness of Ben’s fathering, had a profound effect on Adam.   As he left the hospital he was mulling over the fact that once again Reuben had been disobedient,  and that Sofia had gone along with him.   His brief discussion with the Doctor about the procedure regarding Olivia’s eyes was another cause for concern.  He walked away from the building like a man carrying the world upon his shoulders and Hoss had the foresight to say nothing but ambled along beside him deep in thoughts of his own.

 

As the brothers reached the Martins’ home Hoss paused with his hand on the picket gate and observed Adam, then with a slight twist to his body prevented his brother from entering the little garden

 

“What’s on your mind, Adam?”  Hoss asked looking at the anxious face thoughtfully, a slight furrow on his brow “You ain’t going to be too hard on them kids of your’n, are ya?”

 

“Well, is that any business of yours, Hoss Cartwright?” Adam replied with a slight sneer in the words, “Or don’t you think I know how to discipline my own children?”

 

“Wal, I was thinking that it was possible  you could see what they did as being disobedient, and I know you’re a great one for kids toeing the line, so to speak, I recall what  you were like when I was a kid…”

 

Adam pulled a face, a grimace of a grin, “Never thrashed you, did I?”

 

“You knew better than to try.” Hoss grinned although a threat of a thrashing from his older brother would be enough to reduce him to abject misery and apologies,  it was more than Adam would have dared to have laid a hand on him knowing that Hoss would have flattened him with one blow in return had he a mind to do so.

 

“Look,” Hoss now said quietly, one hand on his brothers’ chest as though forcing him to restrain himself from rushing into the house to beat the daylights out of the children

“Olivia and Hester got a lot of pleasure from seeing those children today.”

 

“I know it…” Adam replied with a sigh and a roll of the eyes.

 

“And those children needed to see their Ma.  They needed to know that what they were told was not as bad as what they may lay in bed at nights imagining.  Children have very vivid imaginations, Adam, and -”

 

“I know that as well, Hoss.” Adam replied and pushed the restraining hand away, with a grim look on his face as he made his way to the  house.

 

As if he didn’t know all about the fears and the imaginings of a child…how many nights  had he lain in a wagon listening for the sounds of wild savages, or animals, who could come creeping around or feared for his Pa who would have to leave him alone in the wagon while he went hunting.    A night was never so long as the ones when Ben had gone hunting, nor a day so filled with terror as when the wagon was  standing half concealed yet so visible to enemy eyes with only a little boy inside it, waiting, listening, imagining.

 

He pushed the door open and stepped into the room , Bridie came up with a smile and nod, “How were they?”

 

“Did Olivia mention to you about seeing the Doctor about her eyes tomorrow?” Adam asked quietly as he set his hat to one side.

 

“Yes, I mentioned it to Paul  Apparently there’s a Consultant from San Francisco Hospital who will be examining her eyes, he wants to check on how much she can see now so that he can notice any difference on Saturday.”

 

Hoss blundered in and put his hat down on the hall table, and Bridie picked it up and set it on the hook designated for hats alongside Adam’s own.   The brothers glanced at each other as Hoss passed and went into the other room.  Bridie noticed but said nothing, except to assure Adam that Paul had said there was nothing to worry about with regard to the eye examination.

 

“Is Reuben here?”

 

Bridie nodded and stepped aside as Adam entered the parlour.   Reuben and Sofia were sitting side by side reading a book, or rather Reuben was reading while Sofia watched her brother’s finger going from word to word.  Both stopped and looked up as Adam stepped into the room,  and it seemed as though everyone else just simply disappeared, and their father filled the room.

 

He nodded at them both,  looked at Sofia “Feeling better now, Sofia?”

 

The little girl nodded, her eyes fixed on Adam’s face as she tried to work out whether or not he knew about their visit to the hospital.   Reuben bit down on his bottom lip, swallowed the taste of misery, and looked at his father

 

“Was Ma alright?”

 

“She was -” Adam paused and took a chair close to them, “Yes, she was quite well.  She was very happy in fact.”

 

“Oh that’s good -” Sofia cried with a smile that stretched from ear to ear on her face, she looked at Reuben “That’s good, isn’t it, Reuben?”

 

“And will she be coming home soon, Pa?” Reuben managed to ask although his heart was beating fast enough to jump out of his skin

 

“I don’t know when she will be coming  home.  It depends on what happens on Saturday.   Aunt Hester will be able to go home though.  No doubt the girls will be pleased to see her again.”  Adam paused “They’ve been worried about her.”

 

“We’ve been worried about Mommy too.” Sofia said with a nod of the head, “And Nathaniel will be worried too, won’t he?”

 

“He is,  he misses her, and he misses you both as well.”  Adam replied and leaned forward, picked up the book to look at the title before setting it back down on the table.  “He can’t very well slip into town and visit Mommy after all, can he?”

 

“No.” Sofia whispered and Reuben blinked and shook his head,  and slowly shrunk back against the settee.

 

“Well, it seems that Mommy and Aunt Hester had some visitors today…” Adam drawled and then pursed his lips and looked at them both.

 

Both children blinked rapidly like a couple of owls caught unawares, they seemed to move closer, Sofia reached for Reuben’s hand.

 

“Bridie and Peggy -” Adam said leaning forward, and his brow puckering into a furrow “And -”

 

“Pa, we wanted to see Ma – we wanted to see her so much.” Reuben blurted out, and stood up, went to Adam’s side and leaned against him, “I couldn’t stay in school thinking about her and Aunt Hester being so close by, and not being able to see them.   -”  he bowed his head and stared down at  his feet, then at his father’s feet, the silence seemed to stretch, “We- we went to the hospital during recess.  Sofia  and me. Sofia was feeling unwell, and – “ he heaved in a deep breath “I guess we were disobedient and =“

 

“Well, yes, you were disobedient weren’t you?  Not just to me, but to the Hospital Authorities who forbid children visiting for very important health reasons, none of which you would understand, and none of which you considered.”   he looked at them both,  at the big eyes, now filling with tears.

 

He understood the hospital rules, of course he did, and he had thought he had explained them clearly enough to the children.  He understood them, even though he didn’t entirely agree with them.  He looked at Sofia who burst into tears and hurried over to him, throwing her arms around his neck and saying sorry sorry until the word became a meaningless jumble.

 

He pushed them both away from him, gently.   Then shook his  head and raised his eyebrows in the way only he seemed able to do…   “I know, I can understand how you both felt. “

 

He noticed the relief on their faces, the way their bodies relaxed slightly,  he put an arm around them both,  and looked at them sternly, the furrow between his eyes deepening, “What you did was wrong, you know that, don’t you?”

 

They nodded “But we wanted to see Mommy SO much.” Sofia cried, “And I thought we could – “

 

“But you lied to your teacher, you said you were ill, you let Bridie think you were ill as well, Sofia, you worried her a lot.”

 

Sofia wriggled in embarrassment and shame,  she shook her head and looked down at the rug at her feet “I’m sorry.”  she looked  up “But I was feeling sick, daddy. I kept thinking of Mommy and then I felt so sick, I couldn’t stay in school any more and told Miss Hayward – truly Daddy, I was feeling sick.”

 

Reuben nodded “I was told to bring her home here….Mr Evans told me to -. “ he paused “  She said she was sick but wanted to see Ma.”

 

“And I did, Daddy, I did.  Then I saw Mommy and it made me feel even more sick, because – because seeing her all bandages all over like she is, it scared me and I got a worry tummy.”

 

Adam sighed and looked at Reuben who volunteered the information that he did go back to school after bringing  his sister to Bridie, and he was glad he saw his Ma because he missed her so much.

 

Adam looked from one to the other, his brown eyes lingering on each little face for seconds at a time.  Then he nodded and pushed them away from him “Very well.   I do understand, and I know that Mommy was really pleased to see you both.” he nearly choked on saying that, what if Mommy would never see them again?  He swallowed and heaved in a deep breath “We’re all worried just now,  there’s a lot going on, but – please – don’t do it again.   Just be good children so that I don’t have to worry about either of you just now…do you understand?  Reuben?”

 

“Yes, Pa,  I’m sorry,  I didn’t mean to make you angry -”

 

“That doesn’t come into the matter just now, Reuben.  I need you to behave, do you realise how important that is just now?”  he looked at them again, then nodded “Reuben, I expect  you to set a good example to your sister, do you hear?”

 

“Yes, Pa.”

 

Reuben bit his tongue, he wanted to explain to his father that it was Sofia who had  the idea on how to see Ma in hospital, it was Sofia who had pushed him into going there.   He kept silent however, knowing that his Father wouldn’t appreciate what would be considered telling tales, getting his sister into more trouble when he, the elder of the two, should have prevented it.

 

They gratefully stepped back as Adam stood up, said something about having something to eat,  and led the way out of the room one hand on Reuben’s shoulder and the other gripping tight hold on Sofia’s little hand as though if he didn’t she would slip away like gossomer wings

 

Chapter 72

 

The bustle of nurses in the ward, the rustle of their starched aprons, the smell that wafted over each patient as they passed by – all ate at Olivia’s nerves as she waited for the time to pass before she was taken down to see the consultant.  Each morning when she had woken the urge to remove the bandages from her eyes had been like a battle in her mind, willing her arms and hands to remain at her side instead of reaching up to remove them.   The fear of bad news, of a negative result, nibbled away at her already frayed nerves, making her mouth dry and her heart race.

 

Adam had assured her that he would be close by, and even with her if the doctor so permitted.    She wondered what he was thinking,  whether or not he had arrived yet, was he pacing the floor, was he thinking the worst,  was he wondering how he would cope with a blind wife?

 

Hester had stopped talking, she had worn out her own patience, chattered as much as she could by way of a diversion and then grown silent as nerves attacked her as well.   When a nurse arrived pushing a wheelchair she felt a surge of relief, the anxious wait was over at last.

 

The nurse approached Olivia and put a gentle hand on her arm, “Mrs Cartwright, time to take you downstairs.   You can lean on my arm while we go over to the wheelchair.”

 

“Is my husband here, do you know if he is in  the waiting room for me?” Olivia asked as she leaned over for the nurse to take her weight and support her to the chair.

 

“I haven’t seen  him, but he could be downstairs.  Here we are now, careful does it…”

Feeling  the edge of the chair seat against her legs Olivia carefully lowered herself down,  the nurse paused a moment before her patient was settled and then walked to the back whereupon she gripped the handles and began to push the chair forward.

 

Olivia didn’t speak, it was a strange sensation being taken through the ward, hearing the sound of the wheels squishing against the floor, the tap tap of the nurse’s shoes and knowing that she had no control over what was happening to her.   There was a pause, a disembodied voice said something over her head to the nurse pushing the chair, she could hear the doors opening and then the nurse was pushing her through them and into the other room.

 

Through a long corridor and then another pause, the metallic ting of the bell as the elevator rose up and stopped at their floor.   The doors opened with a clattering and then the nurse pushed her through and said merrily “Nearly there.”

 

Olivia felt the plunge as the elevator descended, she screwed her eyes shut even though everything was black around her.   Her fingers gripped the arm rest of the wheel chair and she felt the effort  of keeping calm stretching her nerves to fever pitch.  The elevator thudded to a juddering halt, the doors clattered open and the nurse pushed her forward,  then paused

 

“Oh Good morning, Mr Cartwright.  We were wondering if you would be here.” the nurse said brightly and Olivia felt such a light relief at knowing her husband was there that she could have cried.

 

“I wouldn’t have missed being here, Nurse.” Adam replied, his voice sounding like honey to his wife, and when his fingers took hold of her hand and curled around  hers she felt tears wetting her eyes.   He kissed her fingertips and then whispered some endearment into her ear which made her smile, a very timorous smile though it was indeed.

 

They now walked along a corridor and then through into a room where the wheel chair stopped.   Adam released her hand, she heard him talking to someone who now approached her, she could smell disinfectant, the slight whiff of moth balls, tobacco.  A man was standing in front of her, and now leaned down and took her hand, shook it gently, “I’m Mr Callaghan, I’m a Consultant in Eye Surgery from San Francisco General Hospital.   This is a preliminary examination, Mrs Cartwright, so please don’t be alarmed at the results today, it will be just a prelude to the examination on Saturday but will  help me to know how well things are healing and affecting your eye sight.”

 

She drew in her breath, felt the touch of Adam’s hand upon her shoulder and reached out to touch his fingers.  Callaghan turned to Adam and reminded him that although he should not be there, the fact that they had endured so much over the past few days would entitle his presence, but could he please move away so that he could get on with his job.

 

Adam did so, standing by the door, his hat clasped between his hands in front of him and watching with anxious, almost fearful, eyes on his wife.  He had thought over the implications of the changes in their lives if Olivia were blind, but now, the reality of this possible eventuality, made him feel sick inside.   He realised his mouth was dry, and longed for some water.

 

“Nurse, draw the curtains please.   We don’t want the light to cause more problems for the patient.    Sudden shock of light could be unpleasant…”

 

Olivia heard the sound of the drapes  being pulled across the window and then the footsteps of the nurse approaching the wheel chair,  and scratch scratch as the pen scribbled over the paper.  “I’ve read your notes, Mrs Cartwright.   So – now – let me see -”   he cleared his throat “Nurse, remove the bandages.”

 

The nurse was gentle, her fingers nimble and Olivia thought that she must have done this hundreds of times during her career as a nurse.    She felt panic causing her heart to race, she imagined it thumping against the fabric of her clothing.    Darkness became dark grey, dark grey became lighter….a hand began to travel around her skull, and Callaghan muttered something when he located the injury caused by the thrown rock.  She blinked, natural tears came to her eyes due to the change in light striking the orbs,  she felt a tear course its way down her cheek and brushed it aside.

 

“Can you see anything?” Callaghan asked.

 

“Shadows of things – shadows – grey shapes…”

 

“Can you describe them?”

 

She shook her head, no, nothing.   Her brain was screaming messages to the eyes, she was straining to be able to see objects, humans, Adam…anything…anything at all.

 

“You can see contrasts of grey…different shades?”

 

“Yes.”

 

He gave a sigh, whether or not of satisfaction she could not tell, but she waited,  and told herself that this was, surely, better than even she had hoped, but then, no, it wasn’t – she had wanted to see everything, just as she would normally have done.

 

Callaghan began to  stare into her eyes, made her look to left, to right, straight ahead. Peered into her eyes with an instrument and then turned to the nurse and asked her to draw back the curtains, let the light into the room.

 

He was staring into the eyes, watching the pupils as they dilated, narrowed, seemed to focus.  He leaned down and stared into them using the instruments from a  tray, telling her to look left, to the right, straight ahead.

 

Can you see anything at all differently than before, Mrs Cartwright?”

 

“I can see there is a window ahead of me, it is a lighter grey, rectanglar.” she replied, her voice wobbled, she was disappointed.  She wanted to be able to tell them that she saw light, she could describe the pattern on the curtains, she could see her husband…

 

Adam swallowed down disappointment too.  His mouth was drier than ever, he bowed his head, and ran a finger across his brow wiping aside sweat.

 

Callaghan nodded, stepped back…scribble scribble on the paper…he looked over at Adam and smiled “Very good.   Very good indeed.  It will be interesting to see what improvement there will be by Saturday.”

 

The nurse stepped forward “The bandages, Doctor?  Do I replace them?”

 

Callaghan paused a moment as he scribbled something down, then he looked at Olivia, and shook his head “No,  let the eyes do some work now,  like every muscle they will atrophy if not used,  so leave them for now.  We shall see how things progress by Saturday.”   he paused again and looked around the room, exclaimed ’Aah,” and walked away to a cabinet, opened a drawer and after rummaging around produced from within a pair of dark glasses.

 

Adam swallowed hard, the first indication of a blind person were the black glasses followed by the white stick, the hesitant steps.  He watched as Callaghan placed them in Olivia’s hand “Put them on yourself, Mrs Cartwright, get used to the feel of them.”

 

Get used to the feel of them?  What in heavens name did that portend?  Adam drew in a deep breath as Olivia put on the dark glasses, her face expressionless.   Callaghan smiled, “I hope to be able to tell you on Saturday that they will not be permanent.”

 

The nurse nodded,  put her hands to the handles of the wheelchair and turned it to the door, where Adam stepped forward,  “May I?”

 

He dropped a kiss on the top of Olivia’s blonde head as he took the nurse’s place, and then very carefully, as though she were the most fragile of the flowers in a field, he pushed her from the room

 

“Adam?” she whispered, and raised her hand which he leaned down to catch hold of  momentarily,  “Does this mean I’ll  be blind?”

 

“You aren’t blind,” he replied,  and shut his mouth firmly in that obstinate, stubborn line his family knew so well.

 

Chapter 73

 

Work at the Ponderosa still had to be done, it couldn’t be left to Joe with his broken arm, Candy and Pa, and the ranch hands were busy getting ready for the spring round up. The promise of more calves than for some years was good as far as profits were concerned but it ate into time that neither Adam or Hoss felt they had just now.

 

Other things had to be dealt with too, paperwork had to be attended to and child care could not be neglected. Adam felt torn into so many pieces that sometimes he didn’t know in which direction he was heading from one hour to the next. Hoss was able to return home to his girls and Erik, to Hop Sing and Ben fussing around but Adam had Reuben and Sofia at Bridie’s so that they could get to school with no problems regarding getting them ready in the morning while Nathaniel was left with Cheng ho Lee until Mary Ann would come for him and take him to play with Daniel and Charlotte, or stop at Ben’s and have all the children together there.

 

Ben was waiting for Adam and Hoss to return the day of Olivia’s eye examination. He had spent some time playing with his little grandson, who had become quieter since the weekend, and Ben rightly supposed it was because he was missing his Mother, and probably his father too for a child always looked for the other parent if one was missing over long. He recognised the signs from a long time ago when Marie had gone, and Joe had pined for her for weeks. At least, he told himself, this little boy would get his Mother back eventually.

 

He had Nathaniel in his arms when Adam entered the house and before his son could notice his presence Ben took stock of the other man as he tossed his hat onto the peg, and turned slowly to the doorway of the big room. The smile was slow in coming and he looked as he was, a man weighed down by problems.

 

Cheng Ho Lee bustled in, caught Adam’s eye and nodded before returning to the kitchen to prepare his master some coffee. Nathaniel held out his arms to his father and in silence the boy was passed from one man to the other, and as the boy wrapped his arms around Adam’s neck Ben asked him how the examination had gone.

 

Adam sat down before answering, moving the child onto his lap and giving him a smile which made the boy look a little confused. Children noticed when smiles didn’t reach the eyes, they realised that the smile was there but something about it was missing.

 

“It went well enough.” Adam replied slowly, crinkling his brow and pausing for thought. “They’ve removed the bandages and she’s wearing dark glasses…”

 

“That’s good, isn’t it?” Ben asked cautiously.

 

“I think so.” Adam nodded and when Nathaniel wriggled to get down he let the boy slip from his lap and watched as he ran to his toys. “I went back to have a brief word with the consultant, a Mr Callaghan.”

 

Nathaniel rummaged noisily in his toy box, Cheng Ho Lee returned to the room with a tray of coffee fixings, the cups and saucers rattled as he set them down. Nathaniel ran back to his father holding a wooden boat in his hands. Hoss had carved it out for him some while back, and Reuben had painted it blue and white. He held the boat up to Adam who smiled, nodded and picked the boy up again to place him on his lap and wait for the child to say something, but Nathaniel said nothing, just clutched the boat to his chest and stared out into the room.

 

Ben poured the coffee and waited, just as Adam waited for his son to gabble some rubbish, Ben waited for Adam to provide him with some information about the comments the Consultant may have made. It was only when the cup and saucer was in his hand that Adam spoke.

 

“Callaghan said the eyes were healthy. The reaction to light and shade, everything was as it should be, but he thinks the blow from the rock has caused the -” he paused and closed his eyes, whether in an attempt to remember the exact words or because he was too tired and didn’t want to discuss it further Ben could not tell. He sipped his coffee, and Ben did the same, while Nathaniel leaned against his father’s chest and waved the boat up and down as though it were sailing on invisible waves.

 

“The blow to her head may have damaged the brain in that the messages it sends to the eyes isn’t getting through – he said it was as though there was a kink in the -” he shrugged “some word or other I can’t recall.”

 

“So what happens on Saturday?”

 

“He’ll see if there’s any change at all, if there is a positive change then it could indicate that the problem will heal itself, in time.”

 

“And if it isn’t a positive result?”

 

Adam shrugged, drank some coffee and then set the cup back into the saucer, back onto the table. Nathaniel held his boat up and said “Boat, Daddy.”

 

“If it isn’t positive then it will be a case of more tests, waiting for results, waiting to see if the problem sorts itself out in time. I don’t know, he didn’t know,” he shrugged, “But he felt positive about it, he thought the results today were good.” he sighed and leaned against the back of the chair, Nathaniel looked at his Grandfather and then at Adam and scrambled down to run into the kitchen “Reuben and Sofia sneaked into the hospital to see Olivia.”

 

He smiled then, the first genuine smile Ben had seen on his face since his arrival and his eyes twinkled, “Seems they managed to slip undetected and even hid under the beds when it seemed that they were going to get caught.”

 

“Uh?” Ben grimaced and shook his head, “They’re getting more like Cartwrights every day, stubborn as mules.”

 

Adam glanced at his father and gave a slight pout, he didn’t like to ‘nit-pick’ and say that they had been Cartwrights for a very long time, but he knew what Ben meant and smiled again, “Guess you could say that, reminded me of Joe and some of his pranks.”

 

“Shows they have spirit.”

 

Adam merely nodded and glanced around the room “It seems wrong somehow, this room, the house – empty without Livvy here, and the children.”

 

“I know what you mean, it was the same when -” Ben paused and frowned, at least Livvy was alive and coming home was what he wanted to say, Adam cast another look over at him, understanding only too well the inference, and remembering for himself the way the Ponderosa had felt when Marie had died…but then it was even worse when Ben had taken it upon himself to leave for months at a time, leaving the empty house for the three boys to rattle in and cope as best they could…yes, a lonely time, a sad home, and Adam turned away to look elsewhere.

 

Not long after that Ben left for his own home, leaving Adam with Nathaniel standing together at the door waving him off. He had felt a twinge of guilt on deciding to leave, knowing that perhaps Adam would have preferred him to have stayed for the evening meal, but there was too much paper work to be done back home and Hoss with three children. He had thought of suggesting that they all moved into the one house, it would be no problem as there was room enough but he knew Adam would, for now, prefer his own company.

 

The evening hours ticked by, and at Bridie’s house Reuben and Sofia were sleeping soundly, reassured that their misdeed of the day had not resulted in any punishment harsh enough to cause them any misery. They had seen their Mother, and even if they had been anxious about her appearance Adam had reassured them adequately that all would soon be well. Even the spiders would, he promised, be removed.

 

At the Ponderosa the moon softened shadows by its silvery light, gliding over the dark sky, hiding behind clouds, casting shards of light across the floors, over the beds, some empty and some not. At Adam’s house it stole across the face of the little boy in his bed, and he woke, fluttering his eyes and wondering if it were time to get up and eat, or still time to sleep. Then he remembered Mother was not there, and he began to cry.

 

It was past 2 in the morning, the time Adam usually was up to prowl around the house, or stroll around the yard and view the stars, the moon….or perhaps in the study reading, totting up his own ledgers and not his Pa’s for a change. He was standing by the fire in the sitting room with just the glow from the flames and one lamp by the settee when he heard the wail of the child. He took a last look at the fire, detached himself from his thoughts and made his way to the stairs and to the room where Nathaniel sat in his bed, rubbing his eyes, crying for his Momma.

 

He paused, quivering lip and tears dripping down his cheeks as the door opened. He gave a shuddering sob and got to his feet, rolled out of the bed and ran with toddler steps to his father, arms outstretched, wailing for comfort.

 

Adam leaned down and swept the boy into his arms, held him close and stroked the back of the boys head gently. Years ago he would have done the same for his brother, Little Joe, always wailing about something, but older than Nathaniel was now when he had lost his Mother and woke at night wailing…

 

“Mommy? Mommy gone?” Nathaniel sobbed into the crook of Adam’s neck

 

“Just for a little while, she’ll be home soon.” Adam whispered as though there were others in the house who would wake up, startled, at the sound of his voice were he to speak any louder.

 

“Mommy gone?” the child persisted but clung tightly to his father as Adam carried him back downstairs.

 

On the table was the little wooden boat, abandoned it seemed, and to this Nathaniel pointed “Boat.”

 

Adam picked it up and the boy snatched it up, cuddled it close under his chin, his eyes scanning the room until they fell upon the object he sought and to this he pointed “Boat?”

 

Adam turned in the direction of the pointed finger and shook his head “Ship.” and carried the boy to the shelf upon which the model of the Shenandoah reposed, little fingers reached to grab at it and Adam took it down and carried it over to the table upon where he placed it.

 

Nathaniel had never seen it so close up before and was entranced, he set down his own little wooden vessel that had sailed the waves of many a horse trough, to observe the ship closely. While he did so Adam turned up the lamp, and lit another so that the table and the ship could be better seen. He then picked the boy up and set him upon his lap, “See, Nathaniel, the cabin here – that’s where I used to spend many a night, and a day, and here it where I would walk the deck…” he trailed his finger along the little wooden decking, and smiled, pouted at the memories that were provoked by just doing that…Nathaniel poked at the rigging with a little finger then looked up at his father before settling back to lean upon Adam’s chest, listening to the beat of his heart beneath his ear.

 

How long ago had it been now since he had walked that deck, Adam thought as he stroked the boys back and felt his warmth against his chest. The wind buffeting his face as he stood at the bridge, the storms that had been faced. He thought of the time he and O’Brien had sailed into Alaskas waters in springtime and ice floes had greeted them, snow and sleet and the magnificence of the aurora borealis. Faces flickered through his minds eye, memory was a curse as well as a blessing as Rostov and O’Brien’s faces reminded him of the fight by the ice wall and how O’Brien had fallen…he sighed and shook his head. Then there had been Cassandra Pelman who had nearly killed him and when she hadn’t, had tried again –

 

Little snorts from the child, Nathaniel had fallen asleep, his little boat clasped firmly in his chubby dimpled hand. Adam bowed his head, rested his stubbled cheek upon the boys black curls and reminded himself that he was well blessed. Whatever he and Livvy had to face in the future, they would face head on…undaunted. It was all part of the challenge of life and if there were no challenges then there would be no adventures and then life would pass, be over and nothing gained.

 

He carried the child back to his bed and pulled the quilt over him. The moon had gone into a sulk, hiding behind clouds. Tomorrow there would be rain…

 

Chapter 74

 

The sound of scissors snipping through the cat gut that had been threaded through her wounds sounded like mini-explosions being so close to Olivia’s ear.   She could not help but tense herself, as the nurse snipped away and then carefully tugged the threads through before gently wiping away at the wounds with iodine which made Olivia screw up her eyes and clench her good fist

 

The sound of footsteps which Olivia recognised as those of the Matron, and she noticed how the young nurse stopped in her work.  She imagined the young woman poised with scissors held aloft in one hand while she waited to pay attention to the other Nurse.

 

“How are you getting along, Nurse?   Haven’t you finished yet?” a crisp starched voice,  that seemed to suit her crisp starched personality, Olivia imagined her with a very stiffly starched uniform as well.

 

“Nearly finished, Matron.”

 

“Get on with it then, Nurse.  Don’t take all day over a simple job as that…”

 

The footsteps retreated, the sigh from the younger nurse drifted past Olivia’s cheek, and the snipping recommenced on the injury to her forehead.

 

Olivia sat as still as she could despite the tugging, the pulling, and the sting of iodine.  Hester had left the ward, another nurse had wheeled her away and she had called out farewell as she went through the door to  meet Hoss.   Olivia knew that Adam would be downstairs waiting for her too,  but not to take her home, to take her instead to the Consultants room for the next examination.

 

It had been a strange week.   Shortly after the previous examination on her eyes when she had been given the dark glasses,  Matron had arrived and removed them,  placed large squares of gauze over her eyes and bound them, then replaced the glasses.  She had explained that it was light and the sun shining through could affect her sight, best to be cautious she had said, and patted Olivia on the shoulder as though she were some pet dog.

 

It had filled Olivia with despair.  Not so much the re-bandaging which was not so bad as previously but because of her helplessness.   People around her doing things, natural normal things like walking around the ward, reading letters or books, able to read the expressions on the faces of their loved one…while she was never knowing who was coming near her, who was going to do what unless they told her, oh the dependence upon others was going to be intolerable if she were to be without sight for the rest of her life.

 

There were just a few more stitches to be removed just along the jaw line near her chin.  The nurse talked as she snipped away the threads, “Once these heal  up you won’t notice them.   The Doctor did a fine job on stitching them too,  very small and fine  they are…  the one on your forehead will be easy to hide anyway with your hair, and when  you get old and have frown lines that will make it even better ..no one will ever know…and with the one by your ear, well, your hair will hide that too.”

 

She leaned down to pull away the last stitch from Olivia’s chin, her own hair tickled against Olivia’s face, but she was oblivious of that as she tugged away the last thread and dabbed the injury with iodine.   “There now, you look a little patchy with the yellow from the iodine but it won’t last.”

 

Scissors, tweezers were dropped alongside the stitches in to the metal bowl, and then she was gone.  Olivia heard her walking quickly away,  and knew that she was now alone.   No Hester to talk to…..no one until she went down to the Consultant.    She bowed her head and could have wept.

……………….

 

“Here she is , here’s Mommy.”  Ben cried as he flung open the door to the house so that Hoss could wheel Hester into the building.

 

Squeals from the little girls, a yell from Erik, and a cry of delight from Hester…while Hop Sing nodded and smiled from where he was standing and Peggy  stood beside him, a smile on her face and hands clasped together beneath her chin.

 

“Welcome home, Hester.”  she said with such warmth and sincerity that Hester could only smile and nod over at her above the heads of her children.

 

Erik had clambered onto her lap, hugging her tightly in what was rather more of a stranglehold.   Hannah kissed her cheek, while Hope grabbed a hand and held it tightly while Hoss pushed the wheelchair closer to the fireplace, to where she customarily sat when she was home.

 

Hester dabbed at her eyes, bent down to kiss Eriks plump dimpled cheek, and then to kiss the girls one by one,  before taking a kiss from Hoss who was swelling up with pride and delight at having her home again.

 

“We missed you, dear.” Ben said simply “Welcome home.”

 

“Oh Ben,  I’ve missed  you all so much.  You can’t imagine how miserable a week it has been,  I only wish that Olivia were here now too.” and she wiped more tears from her cheeks which elicited cries of “Don’t cry, Mommy….”   “You’re home now, Mommy…don’t cry.”

 

Peggy felt the burden of guilt once again, it seemed to be like a heavy unremitting load that weighed her down, a dark cloud that shifted and turned to create only misery in its wake.  Ben came and put his arm around her, gave her a hug “Don’t be so sad, Peggy.   Olivia will be home soon -”

 

Peggy gave a bleak smile and nodded,  she didn’t want to pursue the thought of Olivia returning home because it evoked other thoughts,  and fears.   She approached Hester and took hold of her hand,

 

“Was Olivia all right when you left her?”

 

“The nurse was taking out the stitches – she’s healing up very well.” Hester said and very daintily blew her nose,  “Oh dear, I must look a mess. “

 

The door opened with a thud and seemed to fill with Cartwrights as Mary Ann and Joe, with the children, entered the room.  If there was a frission of ice in  the air between Joe and Peggy no one noticed or commented, instead he stood beside Hoss with a big grin on his face

 

“Glad to see you home again, Hester.” he said as Mary Ann placed a bouquet of flowers  in Hester’s arms.

 

“I’m glad to be home, I’ve missed everyone so much.” Hester replied and buried her nose in the flowers and then smiled up at Mary Ann “These are beautiful, thank you.”

 

“How was Olivia when you left her, Hester?” Joe now asked and Hester’s smile faded, a little frown creased her brow,

 

“She was – all right – anxious to get home too, of course.”  she looked down at Erik who was examining his mother’s plaster cast very seriously, prodding it with his finger and looking worried.   “What a sight we are…you with your arm still in the sling, Joe, and me here, like this….”

 

It was a brave attempt to change the subject.  Everyone smiled and Hoss picked Erik up and carried him over to Ben  where the three of them stood in the corner of the room.  Peggy had quietly, unobtrusively vacated the room and gone to seek the solace of her own where she could resume her packing and read a little.

 

The knock on her door was unexpected, but when it opened Mary Ann peeked inside and gave Peggy a smile, rather a timid one, for their last meeting together had been less than friendly and she was sure that Peggy would not have forgotten it.

 

“Have you a few minutes to spare?”  she said quietly

 

Peggy nodded and indicated the chair for Mary Ann to sit down, while she perched on to the side of the bed.

 

“I felt awkward being down stairs just now.  It wasn’t my place to be there…” she explained with a downcast smile.

 

“I can understand how you feel, Peggy.     You have rather taken the brunt of what happened and it wasn’t really fair of us to treat you like that -” she  held up a hand to stop Peggy saying a word “No,  there’s no need to say anything, Peggy.   If people had behaved in a civilised manner than it would not have happened, would it?” she smiled and then looked at the clothes and suitcases “So you are leaving us?”

 

“Yes, I have had a proposal from Maurice, and – and I thought I would go back home as soon as possible before he forgets he made it.”

 

“I doubt he would forget, Peggy….he’s such a lovely man.  We all fell in love with him a little, I think.” Mary Ann’s eyes twinkled, and her smile was warm and genuine.  “When will you leave?”

 

“On Monday.   I want to see Adam before I go…and a few others.”

 

“Of course.  Of course you would, and I know Adam would be dismayed if you were to leave before seeing him. “

 

“You know that Amanda Ridley will be leaving town at the end of the month, don’t you?”  Peggy glanced over at Mary Ann as she neatly folded away a blouse, “She wants to pursue the Cause, get more involved in it. “

 

“And don’t you?” Mary Ann leaned forward as though curious as to what the girl would say and Peggy smiled and shook her head,

 

“No,  even though it is a Cause I believe in, I don’t think I’m ready to get further involved that I have already been.”

 

“Burned your fingers -” Mary Ann said quietly

 

“Yes, I think so.” Peggy paused a moment, holding a chemise against her chest as she stared thoughtfully out of the window “Well, perhaps not – it is just that I’m not ready for the fight, and what happened here shows that there will be a fight for emancipation. I wanted it to be peaceful transition,  a rather silly naïve vision I think.”

 

“Yes, I think so.  But it showed that is how I was viewing it too – I didn’t imagine it would be accepted any other way than with open arms.”

 

They looked at one another and smiled, then Mary Ann stood up and smoothed down her skirts “Well, the town will be quieter without Amanda in it.”

 

Peggy nodded and placed the chemise carefully along with the other items in the case “She doesn’t want anyone to know yet….”

 

Mary Ann just nodded and walked over to the door, opened it and stood there a moment, “Don’t take too long, Peggy. Hop Sing has prepared a special home welcoming meal for Hester, and he – as well as all of us – would be disappointed if you didn’t join us.”

 

“Even Joe?” Peggy grinned mischievously

 

“Yes, even Joe.” Mary Ann laughed “You should not take any notice of him, Peggy. You know how quick he is to lose his temper but he is just as quick to want to sue for peace afterwards.”

 

Peggy didn’t say anything to that, it seemed to her that Joe had  been very reticent about pursuing for peace with her.

………………..

 

Adam stood very erect and tall in the foyer of the hospital.  He had Nathaniel in his arms, held in the crook of his left arm while he held Sofia by the hand with his right hand.   Reuben stood beside him, looking very smart with his hair slicked down and his boots shining.  Beside them stood Bridie, that bastion of fondness and love, ready to take the children once Adam had to leave.

 

Olivia had not expected to be greeted with such a delegation …when she was wheeled into the reception area of the hospital instead of being taken to the Consultants office she was too nervous to ask what was happening,  but when she heard Nathaniel’s voice calling to her she gave an involuntary cry of delight and pleasure, holding out her arms and waiting for him to fling himself into them.

 

Adam set the child down and as anticipated he ran towards Olivia, ignored the patches of yellow on her face, but flung his arms around her neck and held as tight as he could to her as though he would never let her go again.

 

What a joy to feel the warmth of his body against her, she kissed him over and over, and then when she felt Sofia’s fingers slip into her own she turned her face up to smile at her daughter “Mommy, they painted your face all yellow.”

 

“It’ll wash off.” Olivia laughed

 

“Better than the spiders, Sofee” Reuben said and rather coyly went over to his mother and hugged her “Are you better now, Ma?  Will  you be home soon?”

 

“Soon as I can be….did you see Aunty Hester?”

 

“No,  Uncle Hoss took her away before we got here.” Reuben replied and kissed her again.

 

“It took me a while to – er – coax the authorities to let the children see you,” Adam explained and took her hand to kiss her fingers.

 

The nurse looked pointedly at the clock on the wall and Bridie stepped forward “That’s enough now, children, we have to go.  Say goodbye to your mother – and no fuss!”   she looked sternly at Nathaniel whose bottom lip was quivering but who turned to Adam as if for reassurance that Bridie was right, which she was of course.  Adam picked him up and swung him over to wards Bridie who took his  hand in hers and waited for Reuben and Sofia to join her.

 

They called out their goodbyes and watched as the nurse turned the wheelchair away from them, although Olivia waved until Adam caught hold of her hand because she was waving to the wall, and the children had disappeared already from view.

 

Chapter 75

 

The room was just as it had been on their previous consultation and Mr Callaghan was  standing in much the same position, giving the impression that he had been stored away in situ and only now wheeled out of the box and set back in place.   He was studying the notes he had made from the previous examination and after some moments had elapsed turned to look at them.

 

A handsome couple, he thought – he knew Adam’s history, had heard talk about him from years back, he had even seen him once in the hospital at San Francisco during the unfortunate Pelman affair.  He also knew Soames, a man who had been the Medical Officer on board the Baltimore, and Soames had loved discussing the adventures he had shared with Commodore Cartwright.

 

So, here he was now, standing beside his wife, his hand protectively upon her shoulder and his eyes fixed upon Callaghan as though daring him to tell them anything negative.   As though he was the authority behind such matters, Callaghan thought and then turned his attention to the woman.

 

Olivia Cartwright was a strikingly attractive woman, even if dabbed over with iodine and her eyes covered by the gauze which kept the padding over the eyes.   Callaghan sighed, and indicated to the nurse that the curtains be drawn across. He looked at Adam,  and nodded

 

“If you wouldn’t mind, Mr Cartwright, moving aside so I can proceed.”

 

Adam gave Olivia’s shoulder a light squeeze of reassurance and stepped back to where he had stood previously; he stood and waited, his hands clasped together in front of him,  legs slightly apart.   Callaghan was grateful the wasn’t wearing full dress uniform and barking orders – he wondered briefly if Adam had any memory of meeting him before,  all that time ago.

 

“Well now, Mrs Cartwright…I’m just going to unwind these bandages and remove the eye pads.  As I told your husband your eyes are healthy, that is, they are behaving as they should – reacting to light,  pupils dilating – “ he leaned down and checked that they were actually doing what they should, and nodded, beckoned to the nurse to return the curtains so that the light would come into the room.

 

Olivia blinked, her eyes watered,  tears streamed down her face and the nurse came and dabbed them away.  Callaghan leaned closer with his instruments and stared into each eye.   He took time and care over each one, and then nodded.   The tears dried away as the eyes became accustomed to the light,  he checked them again –

 

“What can you see, Mrs Cartwright?”

 

Olivia had expected to shout and cheer  were she able to see at all, she had fully anticipated seeing everything as she always had throughout her life time.  20/20 vision they had called it once, and she had thought if she were going to be able to see that it would be as sharp and clear as it had ever been.

 

She could see….and she felt immense relief and pleasure, delight and relief at being able to say  to Callaghan that she could,  she nodded “I can see -”  she turned to where she thought Adam would be standing and smiled, yes, he was there, a darkly dressed shape, a pale face – but nothing was clear, everything was as though through a curtain, a vague nebulous view of everything.   “but not clearly.”

 

Adam swallowed the lump in his throat and heaved in a deep breath.  Like Olivia he had, in his ignorance, expected her to leap up out of the chair, rush over to him shouting “I can see, I can see” that wonderful eureka moment –  –

 

Callaghan nodded,  and patted her on the shoulder “Very good, very good.” he said reassuringly.   “Now, I know you’ll be disappointed, you no doubt thought you would be able to see perfectly well,  and perhaps I should have prepared you for the fact that this would undoubtedly have been the outcome of the injury you sustained. “

 

He leaned forward, peered into each eye, took his time yet again to check and recheck the reaction of each.  He looked over to the nurse and asked her to bring the ‘eye chart’ forward and by using this familiar method of testing the vision he was able to discern that Olivia could see quite clearly, although not sharply, what was in front of her within a certain radius.  As the chart was moved back and further back, so she saw less and less clearly.

 

There were other tests, all of which took time,  but Callaghan was patient,  and Olivia was in no hurry to leave without some clear indication of what was happening to her.  Adam leaned against the wall, his leg was aching, he could never stand in one position for too long without wanting to move, or lean, or fidget.

 

Finally Callaghan pulled out a chair and sat down,  he looked at Adam and then Olivia, and nodded. “I’m very reassured by this examination, Mrs Cartwright, even though, I imagine, you are not.”   he smiled at her, and she nodded, clasped her hands together in her lap and tried to look optimistic.

 

“You may not believe this, but there has been great improvement since that first exam.  I am going to prescribe you some eye glasses,  it will be a strong prescription for now, but I feel quite convinced that when I see you in six weeks time you will not need them.”

 

He frowned and looked down at his notes, before looking at her again “It may be that your eyesight will never regain the clarity it once had, you may always need to wear spectacles to help you with close work, but you will be able to see much better over time.  Everything needs time to heal, the injury to your head may never repair itself a 100%, but it will  heal to the extent it can and more than it has already.   You are not blind, nor do you have to worry about ever being blind.   You will just need a little  help to see more clearly.”

 

Olivia nodded, her eyes moved from object to object, she could see the face of the nurse, not clearly,  that was true, but she was confident that what the doctor was saying was quite true.   She was not blind, she could see, even if as though ‘through a glass darkly’ and she clung to the promise that it would get better.

 

He leaned against the edge of a long desk and folded his arms across his chest, surveying her in silence for a moment before he spoke again “Like anything that is injured the healing process can be painful.  You will experience severe head aches, what we call migraines –  you have had some already I should think?”

 

“Yes, some -” Olivia replied quietly as though ashamed to have to admit to such a thing.

 

He nodded gravely “They will eventually fade, over time, but they will be severe for a while, may even cause nausea, so when you feel that one is starting do take yourself off to a quiet room and lie down.  I shall write a prescription for some medication you  could take to help.  Try and sleep it off if possible. “

 

He tapped his mouth with his forefinger, glanced sideways over to where Adam stood although the rancher was staring into space as though he wished he wasn’t there,  and then continued “You may find your eyes will grow tired  and that in turn will produce headaches too…in strong sun light you will need to wear your dark glasses for a while.” he smiled briefly,  and nodded “This is all temporary.   It won’t last.”

 

They were silent for a good minute, before Olivia realised she should speak.  She didn’t know whether to ask him questions, what, in fact, she should ask him,

 

“Thank you, Mr Callaghan.” she said quietly and reached out her hand which he took and shook within his own, “When do I see you again?”

 

“In six weeks time.   I’m afraid it will have to be in San Francisco as I have a lot scheduled for the coming months but do not want to lose  the opportunity of seeing and checking your progress.    Would you be able to do that?”  he flung the words over at Adam who nodded and asked for a specific date which Callaghan promptly provided.

 

“I’ll get your eye glasses ready for you by tomorrow before I leave town.   I don’t think the doctors here want you to leave hospital yet awhile, until your other injuries are better healed…am I right ?”

 

“Yes, sadly you are,” Olivia replied with a rather whimsical smile, “I would have preferred to have been going  home but -”

 

“It was a tragedy that it happened at all,” Callaghan said, turning from her to sign some papers with a black scrawl of ink.  “So, I shall see you tomorrow with your glasses, and after that, in six weeks time.”

 

He nodded to her, and that was all, they were dismissed and with a wry downturn of the mouth Adam went to the wheelchair and carefully manoeuvred it out of the room.

 

Once outside Olivia reached for his hand and held it close.   She could see, that was the main thing, some things were out of focus and other things were much clearer.  It was not perfection, not as it was and how she wished she had never taken her sight so much for granted – she put a hand to her face, touched her skin the flesh warm beneath her fingers.   “It’s going to be alright, isn’t it?”

 

Adam nodded “Yes, of course it will be.   I will contact Martha and ask her if she can handle us for a few days – it will be a holiday, of sorts.”

 

She laughed then, her laughter clear and tinkling and lightning her husband’s  heart at the sound of it, “A holiday, Adam…goodness me, whatever next?”

 

“Perhaps Pa would like to come too -” Adam grinned and chuckled, “I’m sure Martha would love to have him stay for a while.”

 

Olivia laughed again….she knew Martha would love to have them all stay with her, but just how happy Ben would be at the idea was another thing altogether.  The nurse came to take the wheelchair from him,  but he relinquished it with some regret, and then squatted down closer to his wife and touched her face, gently;   she in turn leaned to him and cupped her hands around his face and stared into his eyes,  tears welled up into her own,  and she gave a rather tremulous smile

 

“I was so frightened, Adam…I thought I would never see your dear face ever again – “ and lightly her fingers traced along  a furrow of his brow, evidence of many years of his fierce frowns and scowls,  she shook her head as though in wonder, as though being  able to see was a miracle after all

 

They didn’t speak a word but the intensity of their gaze was so intimate that the nurse turned her head as though to give them more privacy before he rose to his feet, bade her farewell and stepped back for the wheel chair to be whisked away and back to the ward.

 

 

Bridie and Paul Martin were waiting for Adam’s return to the house, for along with the children they were more than eager to know the result of this latest examination.  When the wicket gate creaked shut it was Sofia who jumped out of her chair and cried out “Daddy’s here – Daddy’s coming -” and rushed to the door closely followed by Bridie, and behind her came Reuben and Nathaniel, all squashed in together by the front door.

 

Bridie could tell from Adam’s face, from just the way he stood that there was good news.  There was a lightness about him, as though he had shed off a heavy weight, as though he could finally throw off a burden and get on with life.

 

He removed his hat, kissed Bridie on the cheek and winked over at Paul, who had come up behind them all like a trusty sheep dog.   He stooped to pick up Nathaniel who demanded immediately to know where his mommy was,  and then followed Paul and Bridie into the parlour, the children trailing behind him, apart from Nathaniel who clung jealously to his position in his father’s arms.

 

He told them all what had taken place,  with Bridie smiling and nodding, while Paul nodded and frowned and asked several questions along  medical lines that Adam just about kept  up with, and Sofia leaned against one leg while Reuben stood as close to him as possible

 

“So when is Ma coming home?”  Reuben asked

 

“Will she be able to see us again, will she be able to read stories to  me?” Sofia demanded

 

Nathaniel put his thumb in his mouth and decided to stay silent, this was all too much for him, he didn’t understand a thing that was going on, and just wanted the reassurance of his Pa’s arms around him, and to know that he was safe there, and that along with all the words he was hearing there was the promise of Mommy coming home.

 

Chapter 76

 

It was Hoss who took Peggy’s luggage to the trunk of   the buggy and  carefully positioned the cases and boxes into place.   Then he returned to the porch and stood beside the wheelchair where Hester was seated, Erik on her knee and the girls standing on either side of her.   It was a near perfect family picture, a snapshot of their life together, and Peggy smiled as she glanced back at them while she walked over to the where Adam stood beside the horse, stroking its nose and patiently waiting.

 

Ben, Joe and Mary Ann, with Constance in her arms and Daniel tugging onto Joe’s hand stood a little further aside.  They had all said their farewells.   Joe had even embraced Peggy and asked her to forgive him for being so grumpy,  which had made her laugh.   She felt light hearted now, it was the right time to leave,  to get back to who she really was and to what she would become in the future.

 

Adam took her elbow and assisted her into the buggy, tucked her skirts tidily away and then walked around the back of the vehicle to  get in,  take up the reins and flick them to get the horses started and to slowly jounce out of the yard.  Everyone waved, everyone shouted ‘Good bye, Peggy..’  and she smiled to herself as she realised no one had said ‘Come  back soon.’

 

For some while they drove along in silence, the horses trotted along at a steady speed and she knew that they would get into town with enough time and to spare for her to be at the station at Golds Hill for the train.   It would  be a long journey.  She was still not sure about stopping off to visit her mother and Will,  although she had written to them to tell them she was returning back to England and leaving the Ponderosa on such and such a day.

 

The sun was warm to her face and she adjusted the fine net veil that covered her hat, fastened there by a small posy of silk violets and rosebuds.  Adam stole a quick glance at her from the corner of his eyes and smiled before resuming  his attention on the horses.

 

“Adam?”

 

“Yes, Peggy.”

 

“I – I just wanted to say that I’m sorry this time spent on the Ponderosa was not the most pleasant – I realise that things I said and did were -” she paused for the right word, he didn’t speak to interrupt her train of thought although he was interested in what she was saying,  he gave a slight smile when she continued “ungracious,  and unfair.   As a guest here, I – I rather abused your hospitality.”

 

She looked at him, quickly before turning back to view the road ahead, dust was spiralling from under the horses’ feet, a jack rabbit ran for shelter into the rocks, a gopher stood on its hind legs to view their passing.   Adam shrugged

 

“Well,  I’m sure my Pa and  Hoss – who were your hosts – appreciated your apology, Peggy.   After all, you stayed with them, not Olivia or I.”

 

“I know – I have apologised.  I behaved wretchedly, like a spoiled child.  I – I said things to you -”

 

“- that you felt you needed to say at the time, Peggy. “   he said quietly, sternly, as though he were the teacher in school and she an errant pupil.  “Now put it out of your mind.  It’s done, it’s over -”

 

He knew it wasn’t over.  She knew that too.   Ripples of what had happened would linger long after she had left.  Olivia’s recovery would take time, Hester’s leg would need weeks yet to heal.   Then there were the people who had suffered in town,  the Spencers, others of whom she knew nothing apart from them being victims of that crazy wild Saturday.   Then there would be Amanda Ridley writing her Editorials, stirring things up before she left to further the Cause elsewhere.

 

So it wasn’t over, not really.   The Cause would ripple on and on,  build up and swell, engulf many many more until it became global, and then the social standards of the time would be overturned, changed for good.   Just for the moment she wondered if it would be for the betterment of all.

 

“When I get back to England I intend to marry Maurice Stevens.” she said matter of factly, just in case he had forgotten.

 

“He’s a good man.” Adam replied, and she was grateful that he didn’t start talking about love and being sure of her feelings for him.   He smiled over at her, “You’ll be doing us a favour if you do marry him, Peggy,   he was so charming and handsome that he quite swept Sofia off her feet.  I was sure that in a few years time she would have run off to find him again and marry him herself.”

 

She laughed, politely.   It was too close to her own feelings for him, and she had a slight shiver in the pit of her stomach at the irony of it.   But then little girls needed their Prince Charmings in their lives…didn’t they?   It was just a shame that she had not out grown hers,  but had pursued  him over the years without the happy outcome she had hoped.

 

“We have a lot in common,  Maurice and I.   We both love our work – as you know. And  Maurice is totally dedicated to  archaeology. “ she stopped herself there, it sounded as though she were trying to  provide reasons for her considering him as a husband when really it was all about something more than  a mutual pleasure in their work.

 

Adam said nothing,  he stared ahead and thought of little Peggy,  funny little Peggy – and the morning he had ridden over with the pony “You’re not trying to be my friend, are you?  Because it won’t work you know -”

 

He sighed and turned to smile at her, and nodded “You just make sure you’re happy, Peggy. “

 

“I will.” she replied and then looked about her – and recognised the area as the excavation site,  where she had been to look over the resting place of the Spanish soldiers, to finalise things for the Smithsonian. It seemed so long ago now and as though it had been someone else who had been there, worked there, walking in Maurice’s footsteps as he had walked in those made by those Conquistadors.   She sighed and Adam nodded,

 

“Could be more secrets yet to be discovered there, Peggy.” he said quietly,

 

“I just thought that too .   There are so many tunnels honey combed through those hills.”

 

He chuckled “Well, if we find anymore bodies that go back further than four hundred years I’ll let Maurice know – although I should imagine there could only be those of some long bearded old prospectors there now.”

 

She smiled, nodded and looked ahead of her as the town seemed to come rushing towards them.  They passed the cemetery where Frank Dayton was buried with the hypocritical words graved on the headstone “Beloved husband of -” she shivered, and averted her eyes.

 

Now into the town itself  and Adam carefully guided the horses through the traffic,  not that it was so busy,  but wagons,  surreys, even the odd carriage or two passed them as they made their way along the Main Street of town.  People passed by,  stopped to look into the store windows,  ignored the smell of horse dung through which the wheels of the buggy passed and deposited elsewhere.   Small children clung to their mother’s hands,  babies wailed in their perambulators pushed along by their weary mothers who had never realised that producing these wee babes would lead to endless nights of little sleep.

 

The sound of childrens voices as they passed the school on C Street reminded Peggy  about Sofia and Reuben, she wondered if they understood what had happened on that Saturday afternoon and if they blamed her at all.   Amanda Ridley strolled past, her head high and her hat looking like a little ship cresting the waves of her rich strawberry blonde hair.  She paused to look over at them and raised a hand in greeting and farewell.  She nodded at Peggy as though she wanted her to know that she – Amanda Ridley was going to continue the fight – but she smiled at Adam who had nodded over to her and tipped his hat in acknowledgment of her presence.

 

They passed  Bridie in conversation with Mrs Grayson,  Bridie waved but Mrs Grayson didn’t, instead she turned her head to look in the other direction.  Peggy understood why, having received a little farewell note from Lucy who had told her that she would  be leaving Virginia City with Amanda at the end of the month.

 

Abel Greigson was coming out of the Mail Depot with a letter in his hand and a smile on his face.   Peggy looked over at him,  wondered if there had really been any chance of a romance,  anything at all, with the handsome young man,  but then she smiled and shook her head.

 

“Abel Greigson -” Adam nodded over to the young man, “I wondered for a while if you would consider him a good catch.  You would have returned to the Running D if you had snared him.”

 

She frowned,  she didn’t like the thought of snaring anyone – it sounded callous – she wondered if that was how Adam thought of her, hard hearted, ambitious, callous.

 

“I wasn’t out to snare anyone, Adam.” she said quietly, twisting the handles of her purse between  her fingers, “Anyway, it’s the Box G now. “

 

He nodded, smiled again, “Yes, it is.  All the same -”

 

“No,  Abels’ a very kind young man, but -” she paused, her heart had given a little jerk, and she smiled and looked at him “He isn’t t he man I would want to marry, it would be like living with the ghost of someone I once knew a long time ago,   I want to be back with Maurice,  I know the man I want to marry.”

 

Adam nodded again, without looking at her he put out his hand and folded his fingers around her hands, squeezed gently before releasing them again, “I’m glad to hear it, Peggy.”

 

They were taking the turning to Gold Hill now, the horses were enjoying the sun on their backs every bit as much as she was with it warming her face.   In a few hours she would be on the train and for a moment she felt a sense of sheer relief,  she would feel safe – she didn’t know why she thought that but she did – she would feel safe and it would be taking her back to Maurice and to the world that she really understood.

 

Abel Greigson looked over as the buggy passed him, but it was too late to salute the woman sitting so straight backed and smartly dressed beside Adam Cartwright.   He smiled vaguely and then looked down at the letter in his hand.   He ripped it open and took several paces to where there was a bench upon which he could sit.  Mrs Corby nearly bumped into him and he raised his hat absent mindedly in apology,  but she was already continuing onwards, pushing the perumbulator ahead of her in which her baby son grizzled and drooled.

 

He smoothed out the paper and glanced down at the signature, nodded to himself as though it gave him confirmation of the person who had written to him and after taking a deep breath began to read

 

“Dear Mr Greigson, Abel,

 

Following my previous letter – I do apologise for not leaving a forwarding address as I was not sure whereabouts I would be at any given time.  Forgive me also for presuming that you would be at all interested in what occurred upon my arriving at Worsop,  I have so few associates or friends with whom to correspond that I really needed to share the events of these past days with you.  I do hope you do not mind or think I am taking liberties.

 

I arrived at my sister’s house and found everything in turmoil as her husband had left home one morning and never returned.   It would appear that he had decided to start a new life for himself elsewhere,  and, as it turned out, with someone new in his life.   He had turned his back on my sister and their son,  as well as upon Alice, my daughter.

 

Emily- of course – blamed everything upon everyone else, but she is unhappy, heart broken, so in her own pain inflicts pain upon others.   Alice is confused as you can imagine, she loved the man she believed to be her father so it was a blow to her young heart to have him leave in such a fashion.  My sister, in her anger, did not hold back from revealing the sordid truth from the child.  But, be that as it may, it worked in my favour as she was more than willing to let me take Alice from her while she clung onto her son, who is, after all, her own flesh and blood.

 

So now I have a daughter who does not really understand that she is my daughter.  She is wilful and pampered, for my brother in law loved her dearly,  another cause for resentment from my sister towards her.  I am now living in Genoa with Alice, and  in time I am hopeful that she will be able to let go of her pain and confusion, and accept me as her mother for I love her, as I have loved her dearly all these years.   I see my dear  Paul in the way she walks, and some of her gestures, and she has  his nose…ah, such fond memories she awakens within me each day.

 

Thank you for listening to me, dear Mr Greigson…I leave you my address here at the bottom of this page.

 

I wish you well for the future, may you have joy and  happiness all your days

 

Sincerely

 

Elizabeth Godfrey”

 

Abel  folded the letter neatly and slipped it back into the envelope.   This he tucked into the pocket of his jacket and when he stood up he turned his head in the direction the buggy had taken, to Golds Hill.  He thought of Peggy Dayton,  how she had leaned against the tree in front of the ranch house, and told him about the swing that had been there, how she had sat on it and counted a hundred, and hundreds more as she waited for her father to return home.

 

He smiled and shook his head, and then smiled again – who was to know, perhaps, just perhaps, there could be a swing there again one day, with a little girl swinging back and forth in the sun with daisies growing at her feet.

 

Chapter 77

 

Conclusion

 

The excitement about Olivia’s homecoming to the Ponderosa bordered at times on hilarity.   One would easily have thought that she had been absent from home for at least a year instead of two weeks but nevertheless it was Hester’s fault in creating mayhem by suggesting a welcome home party.

 

Being stuck in a wheelchair or hobbling about on crutches had left Hester feeling bored and grumpy so suggesting a party not only lifted her spirits but gave her a cause to work on.   Adam said that Olivia would not want a party, she would be tired and probably just want to go to bed when she got home.

 

Hoss agreed with his brother and declared, without a single blush, that of course Adam would want to get his wife to bed as soon as possible which made Adam smirk and earned Hoss a slap on the arm from his wife for making such suggestions… And in front of the children too.

 

Sofia was constantly running to her father or to another adult declaring “Is Mommy really coming home today, is she?   When will she be here?  Is she really coming home?”

 

Nathaniel worked himself into a tizz with excitement, running around and getting in everyone’s way, laughing one minute, weeping the next and generally peeing more than usual.

 

Reuben had taken flowers to the bedroom and stood at the doorway to look around him at the sun bright room with the beautiful butterfly quilt that had been made for his parents on their wedding day.   He had picked the flowers himself and now carefully placed them in a vase on the window cill.   He looked over at Adam who had followed him upstairs

 

“They won’t die before Ma gets home, will they?”

 

Adam placed a hand on the boys shoulder and confirmed they would probably die as they usually needed some water to ” keep them going.”  For some reason this caused them both to laugh.   It wasn’t really funny at all but was a pleasant shared moment.

 

Hop sing and Cheng Ho Lee got into a discussion about what to cook, it had to be some of Missy Olivia’s favourite things but then Adam said it wasn’t necessary to go to such lengths as Olivia wouldn’t be able to eat it all anyway.  This earned him a tirade of Cantonese rant from the old man which made Adam laugh because Hop Sing always  forgot Adam understood Cantonese so he stormed off to his kitchen after giving the rancher a ferocious scowl and pithy curse.

 

Mary Ann got herself involved by saying a party was a great idea and perhaps could be held at the Ponderosa’s main house so that Olivia wouldn’t have to be worried about having a mess in hers to clear up afterwards.  Adam said that there was no need to go to any such trouble as there wasn’t going to be a party.

 

Ben strolled over and declared it would be a good opportunity to try out a new recipe he had for punch but Joe said he liked the punch they always had as it had a real good knock out effect.   Adam protested that his wife had had enough of knock out effects to last her a life time.

 

Sofia ran up to leave the house with her father, she wanted to go and collect her mother from hospital, but then so did Reuben.   Nathaniel was ruled out of the equation as he had pee’d himself again.  Adam said all the children would have to stay home as he was taking the two seater.

 

Sofia promptly burst into tears, Nathaniel did likewise although not sure why, but Hester gave her niece a cuddle and said she had to stay home to get prettied up for the party and they needed her help to decorate the room.  Reuben snorted and muttered something about ‘girls and babies’ and got a stern look from Ben who hated seeing any of his ” girls” upset.   Reuben said that “Sofia would only tell Ma about the party anyway, you can’t trust her to keep a secret”

 

Sofia insisted with a stamp of the foot that she could keep secrets too and Adam grabbed his hat and said he was going, to which Hoss yelled “Take your time getting back, brother, after all you ain’t had Olivia on her own her two weeks.”

 

That earned him another slap on the arm from his wife but Adam could be heard chuckling as he left the room………..

 

 

Nurse Haslett moved the mirror closer to her patient and smiled at her.  Over the course of the past two weeks she had grown very fond of Mrs Cartwright who was now peering into the glass and fluffing up her fringe to hide the scar on her forehead.

 

“It doesn’t show at all, does it?” Olivia said drawing the mirror closer so that she could see more than the fuzzy outline, she reached for her glasses and put them on carefully, still unused to this additional prop in her daily routine “That’s better…yes, it looks all right doesn’t it?”

 

“More than all right, Mrs Cartwright.” Nurse Haslett agreed and dimpled a smile.she stepped away from the wheelchair as firm footsteps were heard approaching them.

Matron and the doctor stood side by side beside Olivia.  “All ready to leave us then, Mrs Cartwright?  Just a final check over before we discharge you …” And the Doctor smiled and began a swift examination…her hand, now covered in a light dressing, he declared was healing very well,and the contusions on her skull also.  He checked the scars and nodded agreeing with Matron that they would soon fade.

 

Olivia knew all about scars, she could have written a book about them as she mentally catalogued those on her husbands body.  The Doctor declared her discharged and patted her absent mindedly on the shoulder before leaving the ward.

 

Olivia buttoned up her Spencer jacket and then set her straw bonnet with the silk forget me nots and violets on the brim onto her head.  It was a pretty little bonnet, one of her favourites.  Adam had delivered the clothes the previous evening and she had been more than happy at seeing he had brought along the bonnet.

 

Nurse Hazlett nodded and then took the handles of the wheelchair to take Olivia from the ward to where her husband would be waiting to take her home.

 

Home!  Olivia felt a tingle of relief and pleasure trickle through her.  No one realises how precious were the moments spent at home until it is no longer there to enjoy.

 

Adam was standing in reception twisting his hat round and round; he felt like a teenage boy again, his heart jigging with the thrill of seeing her with the knowledge that she was coming home.  He turned upon recognising the squeak of the wheels as the Nurse brought Olivia from the elevator and pushed her towards the man waiting for her so anxiously.

 

Adam carried his wife to the waiting surrey and gently settled her down on the comfortably padded seat, then smiled up at her, cheeks dimpling and eyes twinkling.

 

“Ready for home, sweetheart?”

 

“Oh yes, yes I am.” and she leaned down to kiss him, almost shyly.

 

He nodded, slipped his hat on and with a grin made his way to the other side of the surrey, clambered up to take his seat and then settled in beside her.  “Home it is then,” he said and looked at her, drank in the sight of her and nodded, “You look beautiful.”

 

She shook her head and laughed, slipped her arm through his and then with a flick of the reins the horses stepped forward into a smart trot.   They passed Miss Tyndale who waved and smiled at them, receiving a smile and wave in return.   Roy Coffee paused outside his house and waved, a big grin on his face and the sun glinting from his glasses as he watched the couple’s surrey weave it’s way through the traffic.

 

They left the town behind them and the horses quickened their pace as though they knew that soon they would be comfortable and back in their stalls.  Dust billowed from the dry road, and the burgeoning green of the trees provided shadow as they made their way along the hard packed road.

 

They passed the site of the last resting place of the Spanish soldiers and where Peggy had made her final assessments before she got carried away with the latest Cause.  Onwards with the sun warming their faces with a soft sun kissed breeze.  Olivia sighed happily, and leaned her head upon his shoulder and closed her eyes.

 

She could smell the manly smell about him despite his having used some cologne before coming to collect her.  It smelt musky, sensual and she sighed again.  The warmth of his body against hers reminded her of the muscle that existed, and with each movement he made she could feel them flex, tauten and relax.  She slowly slipped her hand over his fingers and felt them beneath hers, the strength of them, the gentleness of them.  She wondered what he was thinking as they drove along the soft thud of the horse’s hooves dull upon the roadway.

 

He was whistling a tune beneath his breath, and every so often would look down at her, and smile before returning his attention to the road.  Through the avenue of trees at which years before Will and Laura had been riding before stopping to sit by the river and admit the love they had for one another.  Adam glanced over at the rocks where he had that more recent confrontation with Peggy and wondered if Maurice really knew what he was taking on by marrying her.

 

He avoided the turning that would have taken them home, instead he sent the horses onto the meadow where the wheels crushed down and bent over the gaudy coloured spring flowers that nestled among the grasses.   He drove so that the sound of the grass and the flowers springing up behind them was a gentle swish-swish-swish.

 

He stopped by the old tree under which they had often gathered as a family, a favourite and beautiful view for them all.  There was a hollow between the big roots and here he carried her and set her down as though she were as fragile as the most slender glass.

 

She reached up with her good hand and touched his face, smiled, half closed her eyes and then raised her face to be kissed.   His hand brushed away her hat, gently removed the glasses and folded them away, his hand caressed her face, his lips kissed her lips, her nose, her throat and the smooth skin where the hollow of her throat invited his lips and the beat of her pulse quickened to his touch.

 

Her jacket was swiftly removed, as was her blouse, flung over to join with his shirt, and the sun shone down and gently  bathed them with soft golden sun beams as two became one and for an instant of time the world was forgotten in a kaleidoscope of colour and feeling and magic.

…………….

 

Sofia fidgeted and wished her dress was not too tight.  She had grown since she had last worn it and wondered if she should ask to go home and wear something different.  She looked around her, and watched as Marcy balanced on the top of a step ladder to fix another streamer to the wall.   Mary Ann came into the room balancing glasses on a tray which she carried over to the table where Ben was adding something from a bottle into the glass bowl that Sofia knew she was not to even dip her finger into for  a lick.

 

Bridie placed a magnificent chocolate cake in the centre of the table and Sofia wondered if it was possible for anything to look more delicious.   She  grabbed Bridie by the hand and smiled up at her, just hoping that this dear friend would remember to give her the biggest slice.

 

Ben looked up and winked over at her, so she smiled and was going to run over to him when Hester called her over and asked her to go and find Hope.   The table was groaning with food, Sofia had heard  that expression said and now paused a the table for a moment to listen but if it was groaning it was impossible to hear above the noise of people talking, children shouting and yelling and the laughter that was going on.

 

Luke and Joe were talking about who knew what in the corner of one room, Joe had a bottle of something under his arm which was supposed to be going into the glass bowl with all the other alcohol.   Reuben was helping Hoss to move furniture around, making sure no one got hurt or bumped into in the process.

 

Candy and Ann arrived with the children, and Rosie immediately ran over to Sofia and grabbed her hand,  David ran off to find Daniel and before long the room was almost empty of children as they ran out to play in the yard.   Hester watched for a moment as the boys chased one another around, yelling and whooping, while the girls clambered to the top of the corral fence and sat on the top bar looking like a row of plump little pigeons.

 

There was Rosie, and Sofia, and then Hannah and Hope.  All sitting there basking in the sunshine, their hair shining,  their dresses smooth and neat over their stockinged legs.

 

Samuel, Nathaniel. Erik and Constance sat together playing quietly in a corner, they had exhausted themselves over the hours of preparation, always seeming to be in the way and being moved about from one place to another.  Now they were settled and happily playing with little James and Anna, the twin children of Marcy and Luke.

 

Hester leaned back and sighed, releasing her breath and realising that she could quite willingly now go to bed.   Hoss came and took hold of her hand, kissed her cheek and grinned.   Sofia ran in “Is Mommy really coming home?  Is she?”

 

The grandfather clock ticked the hour, chimed and hic-coughed its way through the hours.  Ben emptied another bottle into the punch bowl and then gave it a good stir,  then took a sip.  It made him cough and his eyes watered,  Sofia wondered if he was crying and was going to ask when Joe said something that made everyone laugh – something about not lighting any matches near the punch bowl.

 

She gave up.  Adults were very strange at times.  She ran back outside and there, just as she had stepped onto the porch, there came Daddy and Mommy,  the surrey turned into the yard and with a shriek Sofia ran towards them.  Adam clambered down and caught her, swung her in the air and onto Olivia’s lap.

 

“Mommy,  you’re home…really really home.”

 

Olivia laughed, nodded, kissed her little girl “Yes, darling, I’m home…”

 

Sofia hugged her as tightly as she could, from the corner of her eye she could see Reuben and Nathaniel running out, hand in hand, to greet her. Adam grabbed Nathaniel and swung him into the air to bring him over to his mother with Reuben running beside them.  She turned to gaze up at Olivia, her eyes big and shining and then in a very loud whisper said “Oh Mommy, you’ll never guess what – Aunty Hester and everyone -”

 

“Sofia!” Reuben cried

 

“ – are having a welcome home party, just for you -” she sighed and rested her cheek upon Olivia’s chest, and smiled contentedly.

 

Mission accomplished – so what more is there to say now but farewell, family, and God speed.

 

The End

 

Shetland Islands

November 11th 2018

 

Tags:  Peggy Dayton