Title: Test of Faith
Author: Anne B.
Email Address: anneb_neilmacneill@hotmail.com

  Summary: This story takes place after Neil has recovered from a gunshot wound 
  to the chest. He receives a very disturbing letter in the mail. I’ve included parts 
  from RTCG, COTH and the CBS Series. I’ve tried to tie everything together as 
  best I can. This is my first attempt at fan fiction, so please be patient! I’m trying 
  to work out all the mistakes! I’m not an English major, so there are probably a lot 
  of errors. 

  DISCLAIMER: the LeSourd family owns the story of “Christy”. I am writing this 
  for my own enjoyment, and I hope for yours as well. I am NOT making a profit 
  from this story. Any similarities between this and other Fan-Fiction are purely 
  coincidental. 

  This is a Sequel to the Fanfic: “Perfect Help-Mates” (Which was my first attempt 
  at a Fanfic, not my best effort I’ll admit. This was written just after that one. 
  There is a sequel to this one as well.)

                          Test of Faith

                    {Sequel to Perfect Help-Mates}
                            By: Anne B. 

  Prologue:

  From Perfect Help-Mates: Neil and Christy were married in the Autumn of 
  1913. In November 1914 a man named Jedidiah McGlynn shot Neil in the 
  chest. David and Jeb Spencer who took him to the mission rescued him. 
  Dr. William Davis of El Pano was called in to do the surgery on Neil. 
  Afraid that there was no way that the bullet could have missed Neil’s heart 
  Dr. Davis wasn’t confident that Neil would survive. After the operation Dr. 
  Davis told Christy that Neil had a rare condition, his heart was not on the 
  left side of his body as the rest of ours, but on the right, which saved him 
  from certain death. Recuperating at the Mission House for over a month 
  Neil finally He finally returned home. 

  At this same time Christy was expecting a baby. Which Dr. Davis has 
  noted to both Christy and Neil seems to be quite large for her to deliver. 
  The day after Neil’s arrival back home Christy goes outside to thank Sam 
  Houston for caring for their animals why they were away, but while she’s 
  outside her water breaks. She sends Sam Houston to the mission to fetch 
  Miss Alice. 

  That evening Christy presents Neil with their son and Alice surprises him 
  with their daughter. They name the children Neil MacNeill V and Fairlight 
  Alice MacNeill. 

  * * * * * * *

  After all of his time in Cutter Gap, David Grantland was persuaded to take 
  a sabbatical. As much as he hated to be away from the cove, he had to 
  admit that going back to Boston would be a welcome change of pace. 
  There were so many people that he hadn’t seen in such a long while, that 
  going home was actually an exciting prospect! He was nearly ecstatic as he 
  left on the train from El Pano!!

  But his replacement left a lot to be desired. His name was Daniel Blank. 
  He had a constant ‘domineering’ attitude that even Miss Alice found hard 
  to endure. He was not one to take orders from anyone and he hated to 
  have a woman as his superior. On more then one occasion Neil and Christy 
  had heard him refer to Alice as his ‘inferior’ rather than his ‘superior’ as 
  she indeed was. 

  Christy hated to go to the mission unless she knew for sure that Miss 
  Alice would be there. Daniel frightened her. He looked at her in almost a 
  desirous way that made her skin crawl when he was around. ‘Thank God 
  Neil has never seen that look.’ Christy thought. ‘Or the fur would fly for 
  that!’

  * * * * * * *

  Chapter One

  “Helloooo…U-NITED STATES MAIL!!!” The familiar voice of Ben Pentland echoed 
  through the morning air. 

  It was a crisp sunny morning in April 1915. Neil MacNeill was fishing in his 
  favorite spot on the river when he heard Ben Pentland’s familiar cry. 

  Christy was tending to the twins, Little Neil and Fairlight, in the house and had 
  insisted that Neil go out and enjoy himself fishing for a while. He had been 
  cooped up in the mission house for over a month after he was shot and then the 
  twins were born the day after they returned home. He was enjoying being a 
  family man. Holding Little Neil or Fairlight was one of his greatest joys and he 
  thanked God each and every minute of the day for them, for Christy, and allowing 
  him to be there with them. The children were more beautiful than he had ever 
  thought imaginable. 

  * * * * * * *

  “Welcome Ben. What have you got for us today?” Neil asked as he climbed the hill 
  to meet Ben. 

  “I’ve been tryin’ not tah deliver this un Doc, but I can’t hold up the mail, it’s 
  against the law.” Ben replied with a stern expression on his face. 

  “What tis it that has you so troubled Ben?” Neil asked with a slight chuckle. 

  “This…” Ben said thrusting a letter in Neil’s direction.

  Smiling at Ben’s reluctance, Neil took the letter and read the return address, his 
  smile faded immediately as he saw the words: Margaret MacNeill…………He fell to 
  his knees whispering, “Oh Dear God!” 

  “That’s why I didn’t won tah bring hit!” Ben said a note of fear in his voice. “Ur 
  yah OK, Doc?”

  “I don’t know…” Neil said breathlessly, barely above a whisper. He and Alice had 
  received a death certificate and were told that Margaret had been buried in a 
  ‘Potter’s Field’ in Atlanta 3 years ago. How could this be? Had she once again 
  feigned her death? What did she want this time? Neil struggled to his feet. How 
  could such a thing happen, especially now? He was happily married to Christy; 
  they had 2 beautiful children and another on the way. How on earth could this 
  be? Ignoring Ben and the other letters that he had for them Neil stumbled to the 
  cabin. 

  Ben Pentland followed behind. Neil fell into a chair on the porch and put his head 
  in his hands, trying very hard not to cry. Ben knocked on the door and Christy 
  answered it. “I got these here letters fer yah. I think the Doc’s a might upset over 
  that thar letter though, Missus.” Ben told Christy.

  Christy knelt down before Neil. “What’s wrong Love?” Christy said uneasily. Neil 
  held out the letter toward his wife. Christy gasped as she read the name. “How 
  could that be?” She turned to Ben, “Are you going to take any mail to the mission 
  Mr. Pentland?”

  “Why yes‘m.” Ben said. “That’d be mah next stop.”

  “When you get there please tell Miss Alice that we need to see her. Tell her we 
  got a letter from Margaret.” Christy said. “Please go as fast as you can!”

  “I will!” Ben said. “Anything I kin do fer yah, or Doc besides tell Miss 
  Henderson?”

  “No Ben, that will be wonderful if you could just get that message to Miss Alice 
  as soon as possible.” Christy added. “And PLEASE Ben,“ Christy paused with 
  pleading in her eyes. “Don’t tell ANYONE else about this letter!!! PLEASE!!!”

  “Ah won’t. I swear.” Ben vowed. 

  “Thank-you Mr. Pentland. And thank-you also for delivering that message for us.” 
  Christy turned back to Neil.

  “Neil let’s go in the house. I don’t want to leave the children alone too long.” 
  Christy helped Neil up and into the house. 

  Ben Pentland made his way as fast as he could to the mission house. 

  * * * * * * *

  After what seemed like an eternity Christy heard the sound of horses coming 
  toward the cabin. Miss Alice and Daniel had come. Miss Alice knew they’d need 
  spiritual support and comfort in this time, and Daniel was the closest they had to 
  that, at the moment. 

  Christy ran out to meet them. “How’s Neil?” Alice asked.

  “He hasn’t said a word to me since he got that letter. I’m scared. I don’t know 
  what’s going to happen now. Does this mean we aren’t married? We’re expecting 
  our third child. There was a death certificate!… I don’t understand!!” Christy 
  began to sob. Daniel held her as they walked up the porch stairs and into the 
  cabin. 

  Neil sat in the overstuffed chair, holding his head in his hands. Miss Alice walked 
  over to him and crouched down beside him. “Thee and I made a promise to each 
  other. To help each other where Margaret was concerned. Do thee remember 
  that? I’ve never forgotten and I hope thee never have either. We will get through 
  this. Margaret has definitely gone too far this time! She cannot be allowed to 
  destroy this happy, Godly family that thee and Christy have established here. This 
  is not right. There has got to be something that can be done about this!!” Miss 
  Alice paused as she composed herself. “We should open the letter and see what is 
  inside before we allow ourselves to be so upset by this situation.” 

  Neil handed the letter to Alice; he didn’t even care what was inside. If he never 
  found out that would suit him just fine. 

  Miss Alice slowly took the letter from Neil’s trembling hand. 

  Neil reached for Christy with his other hand, drawing her down onto his lap and 
  holding her close. 

  She wrapped her arms around his neck. 

  He buried his face in her hair. Christy knew he was trying his best not to be 
  upset. Neil felt as though his whole world were being pulled apart at the seams. 
  “God will provide all of our needs according to His riches in glory through Christ 
  Jesus our Lord.” Christy quoted. “There has got to be a way out of this and God 
  will help us find it.

  Miss Alice’s hands were shaking as she struggled to open the letter. She sat down 
  trying to steady herself. This was all too unbelievable to be true!!

  Once the letter was open she unfolded the paper and began to read.

  Dear Mac,

  I know I’m the last person on earth you expected, or wanted, to 
  hear from, but I am still your wife. I know… I’ve done it again. I’ve 
  hurt you and Mother. I’m in serious trouble Mac. I need you to 
  meet me at the Livery Stable in El Pano at noon on April 7th. I need 
  to talk to you desperately! Please come Mac! I need you!! Don’t tell 
  Mother about me being in trouble or even that you received this 
  letter.

  Your wife,

  Margaret

  “That is all it says Neil.” Alice added. “The 7th is tomorrow. Are thee going to 
  go?” 

  “I have to face her. I have to tell her what’s happened and that she has to leave 
  us alone. I’m going to talk with William first. I’ll get a divorce if Margaret‘s 
  deception hasn‘t already done that.” Neil stated.

  Christy gasped, “A divorce!?!”

  “I meant from Margaret, my love. I would NEVER think of divorcing you!! You 
  mean the world to me. 

  “But I think we better hitch up the wagon and all go down to the mission I think I 
  should telephone your father, Christy, to get some legal advice on this matter. I 
  hope William will have the answers that we need.” Neil said, sounding stronger all 
  the time. His pain was turning into anger, but he didn’t care right now. This 
  person he had once called his wife would never again ruin his life!!

  Neil and Daniel hitched the horses to the wagon while Christy and Miss Alice 
  bundled up the babies. As soon as Christy and the babies were tucked into the 
  back of the wagon they headed out for the mission house. 

  * * * * * * *

 Chapter Two

  Neil was on the telephone with William. Christy was walking the floor with Little 
  Neil who was being extremely fussy. He always seemed to sense when things 
  weren’t ‘right‘. He could tell when Neil or Christy was upset about something. 
  Tonight was another example. He knew his mommy and daddy were upset and he 
  would not be comforted. 

  Finally, Ruby Mae offered to take him. So she took the baby and rocked him and 
  sang to him awhile and he finally fell asleep, because Ruby Mae wasn’t upset as 
  Christy was. Fairlight was asleep in a cradle in the corner. 

  Christy went over to Neil who was still on the telephone writing notes and slid her 
  arms around his waist. Neil patted her hands with his writing hand and went 
  directly back to taking notes. Christy could hardly stand the suspense. What were 
  they going to do? What about the children? Were they now illegitimate as 
  Margaret had been? The thought of it sickened her. Of course expecting again 
  had a little something to do with that. Where did this leave her and their 
  children? Had she and Neil never really been legally married!?! Her thoughts 
  were piling one on top of the other!! Getting her so confused she couldn’t think 
  straight. Neil was her best friend, her confidant, her EVERYTHING! There just 
  had to be something that could be done. 

  When Neil finally hung up the telephone Christy was frantic!! Pouncing on Neil the 
  moment he hung up she began to heap question after question upon him!!! Neil put 
  his arm around her waist and led her to the dining room where he set her in a 
  chair. Resting his hands on her shoulders he spoke to her firmly, but lovingly, 
  “Christy, calm down and I’ll tell you everything your father said. Just listen to 
  what I have to say lass, alright?” Christy nodded and Neil kissed her on the top 
  of her head.

  Neil opened his notes. “First of all William will have to look into the law on this. 
  He’s never run across a case of this type in his practice. He’ll let us know. 
  Second, Margaret’s reappearance does not make me responsible for her in 
  anyway since there was a death certificate. Of course the laws may be different 
  in Tennessee then in North Carolina where he lives. Plus the fact that Margaret 
  faked her death in Georgia complicates matters even further. Although William 
  said that I should probably travel to Knoxville and make it official, by getting a 
  divorce and setting the records straight. Then Daniel, Christy and I should be 
  married again, only in secret, I don’t want word of this to be spread all over the 
  Cove.

  “Also I’m going to face Margaret. I’m finally putting an end to all of this; I’m 
  sorry Alice, if this hurts you. But I’ve got a family to think of now. I can’t allow 
  her to burst in here thinking she can just take it all away and then leave again. I 
  have to put a wall up to keep her from touching my family!! I stood by her all 
  those years. I’m not doing it anymore. It’s time that spoiled child learned to stand 
  on her own two feet!!!! She has to learn from her own mistakes. I’m not taking 
  responsibility for her anymore, and neither should you Alice.” Neil said with his 
  volume steadily increasing.

  “Bravo!” Cried Miss Alice. “I couldn’t have said it better myself.”

  “Then are we legally married?” Christy asked innocently. Neil crouched down 
  before her.

  “I don’t know. Your father is going to find out. Right now he just doesn‘t know. 
  We will get married again after the divorce is final so that nothing will be left to 
  chance.” Neil took Christy’s hand she had tears in her eyes. 

  Just than baby Fairlight began to cry. Christy fled to the Parlor.

  Crying softly as she fed Fairlight Christy felt lost and alone. Neil came in the 
  Parlor and sat beside them placing his arm around his wife’s shoulders. He 
  stroked his baby daughter’s soft red hair as he spoke. “I’ll never leave you! You 
  have *GOT* to know that Christy. Even if we aren’t legally married, we’ll make it 
  legal, I promise. The three… I mean the *four*, of you mean far more to me than 
  anything else. I’ll not allow Margaret to destroy what we have built together. 
  Besides,” Neil smiled slyly, “we make such beautiful babies together.” He 
  chuckled as he lifted Christy’s face to look at him. “I promise you everything will 
  turn out alright. I won’t leave my family.” Then he bent and kissed Christy gently 
  on the lips. 

  “We do make beautiful babies, don’t we Neil?” Christy agreed looking down at 
  their baby girl with her daddy’s sandy-red, curls. Neil bent and kissed baby 
  Fairlight on the forehead as she ate. 

  “I love you Christy. I hope there is no doubt in your mind that I do. Don’t let 
  doubt creep in Christy, please. I need you to remain strong through this. Your 
  prayers will be extremely important to me tomorrow. Pray for God’s strength for 
  me and I’ll pray yours. Margaret will say vile, hurtful things, but I don’t want to 
  believe them and I don’t want to react in a non-Christian way. I want to have the 
  patience of Job and the Wisdom of Solomon tomorrow, so please keep praying 
  that for me, alright?”

  “I will Neil. I won’t make you go through this alone.” Christy announced. Then she 
  paused a moment as she thought… “Neil, do you want me to go with you tomorrow? 
  We could take Little Neil and Fairlight with us.”

  Neil sat back with his arm around his wife and the other hand on his infant 
  daughter. “I don’t know. I want to have you there, but part of me says I have to 
  face this alone.” 

  Little Neil began to cry. Neil got up and snuggled his baby son, cooing and 
  comforting him, talking softly to him “Don‘t cry wee one, Daddy‘s right here.” 
  Christy loved to see Neil with the children. He was so good with them; they both 
  seemed to hang on to every word that Daddy had to say. Maybe it was because he 
  spoke lovingly to them even before they were born. 

  Christy noticed a tear sparkling on Neil’s cheek. But she wasn’t going to say 
  anything if he didn’t want to. She knew he must be scared. Facing Margaret again 
  wasn’t easy for him to do. She could cut Neil to ribbons with just a few 
  short-tempered words. Her uncaring behavior had hurt him so many times. 
  Margaret had once told Christy that Neil would eat *Christy* alive, but she knew 
  now that it was more like Margaret would eat Neil alive. Margaret had always felt 
  inferior and had looked at Neil the same way. She thought Neil had nothing to do 
  but sit around waiting for her to make one of her ‘appearances’ again. Well, this 
  time Neil didn’t wait, because there was supposed to be nothing to wait for. How 
  does one fake their death, not only once, but *twice*?

  Christy began to pray aloud as she promised Neil she would. “Father God, I 
  thank-you for my loving husband. Neil has been much more than a good husband 
  and father. He’s my best friend, my confidant, and my champion. I believe you 
  meant for us to be together. I had no doubts before now. Please give us wisdom. 
  Give Neil the Wisdom of Solomon and the patience of Job tomorrow as he faces 
  Margaret. Help him, guide him, please put a guard around his heart so the fiery 
  darts that the devil throws at him from Margaret’s mouth will not harm him, but 
  will only serve to make him understand even more how much you… and *I*… love 
  him and believe in him. Do not leave him unaided tomorrow but show yourself 
  mighty on his behalf. Make him strong in who he really is, a child of God, and who 
  we all believe him to be. A strong, good man, an excellent physician, a loving 
  daddy, a wonderful provider, and the best friend I could ever ask for. Please 
  protect him tomorrow and lead him home safely. 

  “I pray also for Margaret, Father, may she see the change in Neil and question 
  where it came from. May she finally see your love shining through to her heart as 
  she observes the love of Jesus through Neil tomorrow. If it be your will Father 
  we pray that you would give Miss Alice the desire of her heart and bring 
  Margaret to repentance and to a saving knowledge of you, In Jesus Name We 
  Pray, Amen.”

  A tearful “Amen” from the doorway told Christy and Neil that Alice was listening. 
  She walked into the parlor toward Neil and the baby. “I have been praying that 
  for Margaret all her life, Christy. I pray that she will see something in Neil 
  tomorrow that she has never been able to see in me.” Miss Alice said placing a 
  hand on Neil’s shoulder and stroking Little Neil’s soft head with the other, smiling 
  down at the baby in Neil’s arms. “I remember when Margaret was this small. I was 
  only a child myself. I wish I had known then what I know now. I would have done 
  things so much differently then I had. But the time for that has past. I now have 
  to live with the consequences of mine own actions and watch what it does in my 
  life and thine. I am so sorry Neil for all the pain I caused thee by not raising 
  Margaret correctly in the first place. I ask thy forgiveness, Neil, and Christy, for 
  this pain that my daughter has caused thee.” 

  “Alice, you know I forgave you long ago. It’s time we put the blame where it 
  belongs, on Margaret.” Neil began. “She’s the one that has chosen this path; you 
  didn’t choose it for her. She turned her back on God, and the rest of us as well. 
  It is Margaret that is to blame, no one else. I contributed to her delinquency 
  myself by indulging her, by supporting her unbelief, by bringing her here to run 
  away from you. I was at fault also, but none of us are as guilty as Margaret 
  herself. I don’t blame myself anymore and you should stop blaming yourself. We 
  are going to be fine Alice, we have the Lord. We have a love that Margaret may 
  never understand. Our Love will endure, not only against Margaret, but it has 
  already stood up against gunshots, feuding, and it will continue to stand against 
  anything else that is thrown at us. God is the cornerstone of our home and our 
  love. We’ve built our home on the solid Rock of our Savior. That’s where it will 
  stay. The floods of life shall no! ! t prevail against us!” Neil was nearly yelling. 

  Daniel came in to hear the preaching. “Doctor, the next time I can’t preach I think 
  I know who I can call upon to take my place!!” Daniel smiled. “Very good Doctor, 
  very good indeed!!”

  Little Neil was beginning to cry louder. Christy went to Neil and switched babies 
  with him. “Good sermon Doctor. I agree with every word.” Christy smiled and gave 
  Neil a soft kiss on the cheek, patting it reassuringly. 

  Christy proceeded to feed Little Neil. 

  Neil bounced Fairlight and patted her gently on her back. Christy could see the 
  tense lines drawn in Neil’s face. What were they going to do now? Where did 
  they stand? What would Margaret say to him tomorrow? What would he say to 
  her? Christy knew all of these thoughts had to be racing through Neil’s mind if 
  they were racing through her own. Plus he was probably trying to fight off the 
  anger that was welling up inside of him. She felt it when he was near. You could 
  see it in his eyes. The pain, anger, frustration, confusion as well as love, passion, 
  loneliness, and much more registered in his eyes. It always had. Even when she 
  was oblivious to it, she could think back now and see it there. ‘Oh Dear God, what 
  do we do now?’ Christy prayed silently, as she watched the torment on her loving 
  husband’s face. Then she picked up Little Neil and set him on her shoulder. 
  Patting him gently on the back, snuggling her nose into his baby soft neck and 
  hair. Where were they to go now? I! ! f she and Neil weren’t legally married then 
  where were they to live? Would it be right for her to go back with Neil to the 
  cabin this evening? 

  “Is Little Neil finished?” Neil asked a note of sadness in his voice. 

  “Yes, I suppose he is, he’s sound asleep.” Christy responded.

  “I think we should be heading home. Alice I’ll check back later to see if you’ve 
  heard anything from William. I have to go out to the McHone’s and Holcombe’s 
  today, so I’ll be traveling this way anyhow. If there’s anything urgent, please 
  send for me.” Neil’s voice sounded strange… empty. Christy didn’t like this at all. 

  * * * * * * *

Chapter Three

  Once they were back in their cabin, Christy and Neil tucked Little Neil and 
  Fairlight into bed for their morning naps. 

  Christy closed the door to the laboratory where the baby’s slept. Neil stood in 
  front of the fireplace, just staring into the fire, leaning with both hands on the 
  mantle. Christy came and put her arms around his waist. She could feel how rigid 
  his whole body was. “What can I do Neil?” 

  “I don’t know what any of us can do.” Neil began. “There are no easy answers. We 
  have to wait it out. I’ll go to Knoxville the day after tomorrow. I don’t know how 
  long it will be after that that everything will finally be over. I wish I could make 
  you a promise as to when, but I just can’t do that. It’s funny in a way. Who would 
  have ever thought a man like me would have two wives at the same time?” Neil 
  chuckled nervously.

  “What do you mean, ’a man like you’?” Christy inquired.

  “Well, a ‘hillbilly‘, backwoods Doctor, who‘s not…oh, you know what I mean, I’m 
  sure.” Neil said, never turning his face from the fire. 

  “Neil MacNeill!! You grossly underestimate yourself!! I know Margaret hurt you 
  badly. She thought herself to be inferior and did her best to convince you that 
  you were also, but she was wrong, *dead wrong*!! There is no such thing as a 
  “hillbilly“ the way Margaret thought them. You none of the things that she thought 
  you were. I also think you‘re the most handsome man I‘ve ever met.” Neil smiled 
  shyly still looking into the fire. “You have done so much for me. You’re an 
  excellent provider, a loving husband and father! You’re a pillar in this community. 
  People around here look up to you. I can’t count how many times I’ve heard one of 
  the children say, ’Some day I want to be like Doc MacNeill’ or ‘Doc MacNeill‘s the 
  smartest man I know‘! Not to mention all the house calls you make, how many times 
  you’ve sacrificed your sleep, your health, your meals, and more to care of 
  someone else!! 

  “You are special to *ME*!! Isn’t that what matters? Does it really matter if 
  Margaret thinks so? I think it’s time you stopped trying to be what Margaret 
  expects you to be and start being the man that I know and love. Be Neil 
  MacNeill…that’s all you can do. Be yourself, if Margaret doesn’t like that, 
  then…then…so what!?! Who cares? It’s her loss, not yours, or mine. You don’t have 
  to please her anymore.” 

  Still Neil stood silently gazing into the fire. 

  “Neil, please talk to me?” Christy pleaded moving slightly away from him. “I know 
  you’ve always sought solitude when you had a problem. Especially where Margaret 
  is concerned. But this involves both of us… *no*, this involves our whole family. 
  …Our future. This even affects our past. Are our children illegitimate just as 
  Margaret had been? What about our Christian lives? Have we been living in sin 
  for two years? Where do we stand in God’s eyes?” Christy began to sob. Neil 
  turned to her and drew her close.

  “I don’t believe I care for Margaret anymore. I thought I had forgiven her. Just 
  when I think my life is turning out for the best, she shows up 
  again…EVERYTIME!!!! Why is that!?!”

  “I don’t know Neil, that’s one of the things I just don’t understand. I think maybe 
  it’s a test of your faith. Or should I say, a test of *our* faith. It’s hard on all of 
  us.” Christy soothed. “To tell you the truth Neil, I’m not sure you have let 
  Margaret go completely. I think a part of you is still holding on to her, still trying 
  to please her. Now don’t misunderstand me, I know how much you love me, there’s 
  no doubt in my mind, but I think Margaret insulted you so much, and you tried to 
  please her for so long, you wanted to be what she wanted so that you could have 
  the kind of life and marriage that you always wanted. When you’ve done 
  something for that long, it’s hard to let go and just STOP doing it anymore. Does 
  that make any sense? I mean it’s more of a force of habit then an act of love.”

  Neil looked down at Christy a loving smile on his face. “How do you always know 
  what I’m thinking? I’m still trying to please the spoiled little girl who wanted to 
  run away from home. 

  “You’re right. I wanted to please her, I suppose from the way I feel, I still am. I 
  did want to please her so that we could have the type of marriage that I always 
  dreamed of……… Sometimes I‘ve felt that coming from this place I‘ve become too 
  much of a romantic. You see so much death and devastation around you, not to 
  mention poverty and filth, that you come to think that somewhere--‘out there‘, 
  things are perfect. But they aren‘t. Or at least I found that out soon enough after 
  marrying Margaret.” Neil revealed to Christy, as he lifted her chin and stroked 
  her cheek gently. “I could never have had with Margaret, what I have with you, 
  our marriage is closer to perfect then I ever dreamed it could be. God has 
  blessed me with you, a wonderful woman who cares about me and what happens 
  to me.” Then he kissed his wife gently. “Thank-you Christy for making my dreams 
  come true.”

  “It is my pleasure Doctor, but it’s God you should be thanking and not me.”

  “I do thank Him every minute of the day, every time I look at you… Every time I 
  hear the babies cry. When I watch you nurse them. When I hold them in my arms… 
  when I hold *you* in my arms. Some days I’m so filled with joy I don’t know what 
  to do with myself. Maybe that’s why this happened, why Margaret came 
  back…because I’m too happy.” 

  “You could never be too happy Neil. You deserve all the happiness in the world; 
  after all you’ve been through. 

  “I doubt that Margaret‘s return is a punishment for your being too happy.” Christy 
  hugged Neil. “I know we’ll be alright. You have always taken care of us and I 
  have no doubt that you will continue to do so.” 

  Neil leaned forward and gave his wife a passionate kiss, running his fingers 
  through her hair, but Christy backed away.

  “Have I done something wrong?” Neil looked concerned.

  “No… not really… at least I don’t think so… it’s just that I’m afraid of what God 
  thinks if we now know that we may not be legally married, what’s right and what’s 
  wrong? What does He allow or not allow? Until I know for sure I just have to 
  keep my distance.” Christy looked frightened. 

  “But you’re carrying my baby inside of you already? We have two beautiful 
  children? Don’t you think God has blessed our marriage? Even if it’s not ’legal’? I 
  think in God’s eye’s we *are* married. We made a promise to each other, in the 
  sight of God. He knows we’re committed to each other. Margaret and I had the 
  legal paperwork, but we never had the commitment, or the love that you and I 
  have together Christy. Remember God looks at the heart. My heart is here with you 
  and the children. It is not now nor will it ever be with Margaret! And that’s a 
  solemn promise!” He pinched his wife’s nose playfully. “Besides, there‘s no time 
  for anything else.” Neil said with a wink. “I have to go check on my patients. I’ll 
  be back before Supper.”

  He kissed Christy goodbye and gathered his medical bags. “Good-bye Neil.” 
  Christy called after him as he went out the front door. 

  Worried and alone Christy knelt down to pray. She poured out her problems to 
  God. She prayed that God would show her answers to the questions: ‘were they 
  truly married?’ ‘What should she do now?’ ‘Was she allowed to be with Neil, or 
  should she and the children move into the mission house until the divorce was 
  final and she and Neil were remarried?’ “Dear God! Please help us!!” Christy 
  pleaded at the end of her prayer. “Lord I really don’t know where I stand. I know 
  you don’t approve of divorce, but Margaret led us to believe that she was dead. 
  If we had known that she were still alive, we wouldn’t have gotten married. 

  “We have two children and one on the way, what is going to become of us? Which 
  marriage do you sanctify? I’m confused.” Christy sobbed until she heard Fairlight 
  crying in the next room. Then she rose and went to the nursery to comfort her 
  daughter. 

  * * * * * * 

  Christy was playing with the children on the floor when there was a knock on the 
  front door. She went to answer it. 

  Opening the door a crack and peering out. “Daniel. Please come in.” Christy called. 
  “To what do I owe this unexpected visit?”

  “Neil was at the mission asking about your situation.” Daniel said as Christy 
  offered him a seat in the parlor. “He said you’re wondering how God looks at your 
  marriage?” Christy nodded her head sadly. “I don’t think God looks on your 
  marriage as sinful, but I don’t think He would permit any further ‘relations’ 
  between the two of you. I know that God has blessed this union since before you 
  and Neil were married. I’ve seen blessings on top of blessings for this family, but 
  that was when you didn’t know any better. Now you know that Margaret is alive 
  and therefore you are not properly married in the sight of God. 

  “I think you and the children should move into the mission until such time that you 
  are properly married. That doesn’t mean Neil can’t be with the three of you as 
  often as he wants, it just means that you won’t be left alone together, that’s all.” 
  Daniel announced.

  “Great.” Christy stated sarcastically. “We’re married for two years and we have 
  to go back to having a chaperone, back to ‘courting‘ again…” Christy looked vexed. 
  “What about the children? Neil is always helping me with them day and night. I 
  don’t want them to miss any of that time with Daddy. He’s gone so much of the 
  time as it is with house calls and emergencies, not to mention going on his 
  rounds.” 

  “We’ll have to see what we can do. I just don’t see any other way. In fact…” He 
  paused as he was thinking. “I’m still praying about this, but God does not permit 
  divorce. So I’m wondering if it’s even right for Neil to pursue a divorce or if he’s 
  supposed to go back with Margaret. This is complicated. It’s going to take a lot of 
  prayer.” Daniel said.

  Christy just plopped down hard into Neil’s chair shaking her head sadly. “This 
  whole thing is insane!! I honestly can’t believe that any of this is happening!!” Then 
  she started to laugh, and cry at the same time. “I want out of this nightmare!! If I 
  don’t laugh at this I’m going to go crazy!! This just can’t be happening!”

  * * * * * *

 Chapter Four

  Neil galloped up to their cabin. He was anxious to hear what Daniel had told 
  Christy.

  Neil climbed the porch steps three at a time. Nearly breaking the door down in his 
  rush to get inside. The smell of rabbit stew, biscuits, and coffee filled his 
  nostrils as he entered the house.

  “Christy!!” Neil called out. “I’m home!!”

  Christy came out of the laboratory where she had been sitting as she fed Little 
  Neil. “Welcome back!!” She came over to give Neil a gentle kiss. “How is 
  everyone?”

  “Much better. Sam Houston’s arm is healing up nicely. Iris’s ear infection is 
  clearing up.” Neil stated. “What did Daniel have to say?” 

  Christy first put Little Neil down. Then came back to discuss her talk this 
  afternoon.

  “Daniel said he felt the children and I should move into the mission house until 
  you and I are properly married.” 

  Christy paused waiting for Neil’s reaction. His shoulder’s slumped, he sighed 
  deeply and a look disappointment spread across his face, but it didn’t get any 
  worse than that. “He is also praying about whether or not you should seek a 
  divorce since God doesn’t allow it! He seems to think that there is a possibility 
  that you should stay with Margaret and leave us.”

  Neil dropped into his chair. “How can this be possible? Everything was going so 
  well! Why can’t Margaret ever stay dead? I’m glad she has another chance to be 
  saved, but I wish she could just get out of my life forever and never return!”

  “Let’s eat Neil. You look worn out.” Christy patted him on the shoulder. She just 
  didn’t know what to do anymore. She was as depleted as Neil. The last thing she 
  wanted to do was to move back into the mission and start ‘courting’ again! 

  “Daniel’s coming after Supper to take Little Neil, Fairlight and I to the mission 
  house.” Christy’s heart was about to break as she watched Neil’s eyes. 

  “Back to lonely days and nights…again.” Neil’s voice broke as he said these words.

  “Neil please take us to El Pano with you tomorrow. I want to be with you every 
  moment I can. Please don’t leave us behind! I need to be with you. I’ll stay far 
  back, out of the way. I won’t even let Margaret see me. Just let us go along to be 
  your moral support.” Christy was on the verge of tears. 

  Walking over to the front window Neil stared out at the river flowing by their 
  cabin. Oh, the times they’d spent here! All the wonderful times they’d had in only 
  two short years! 

  “Yes, I’ll take you with me. I need you there with me for support. Even if I can 
  only look over and see you there I’ll know you’re there encouraging me. I want 
  Neil and Fairlight there too.” Neil declared. “We’re not going to give up without a 
  fight!! We won’t let Margaret win!!”

  “Hooray!! Wonderfully said Dr. MacNeill!!” Christy jumped up and ran into Neil’s 
  arms!! Kissing him passionately, but when Neil pulled her even closer she realized 
  what she was doing and quickly back away. “I’m so sorry Neil! I forgot myself. 
  Please forgive me.” Neil looked lost and alone. How could she ever do this to him 
  again!! 

  * * * * * *

  The first night back at the mission house without Neil was the longest night 
  Christy could ever remember, except maybe when Neil had been shot, but at least 
  then there was a good report from Dr. Davis to stand on and build hope. Not so 
  this time. Christy was up all night praying. The babies now slept through the night, 
  but Little Neil whimpered on and off in his sleep. At sunrise he was still stirring 
  in his cradle. He was restless. He knew he wasn’t sleeping in his own home. 
  Christy went to his cradle and rocked it gently as she sang to him. “Hush little 
  baby don’t say a word papa’s gonna buy you a mockingbird…” Her voice cracked 
  at the word Papa. Oh if only Little Neil’s Papa were here!! 

  After breakfast Christy heard their wagon pull up in front of the mission house. 
  She raced out the front door. “Oh you’re a sight for sore eyes!!” Christy yelled 
  from the porch. “I’ve missed you so much!” 

  Neil looked up and smiled. “And you’re the most beautiful sight I have ever seen!” 
  Neil’s favorite saying when viewing his lovely wife. “Aye, lass! I’ve missed you 
  also!”

  Neil ascended the stairs to the porch three steps at a time again. “Did you get any 
  sleep last night Neil?” Christy asked as Neil took her hands in his.

  “None.” Was Neil’s reply. “I was praying most of the night. I just can’t sleep when 
  you aren’t tucked in my arms safe and sound.”

  “Me either. I was up praying also. Little Neil knew he wasn’t at home because he 
  was restless. This morning I think he missed his daddy because he wouldn’t let 
  anyone near him but me. I think you had better go in and spend some time with 
  your son. He misses you.”

  Neil walked into the mission house where Daniel greeted him with a smirk on his 
  face. “I’ll be watching over the two of you this morning.”

  “You’re just loving this aren’t you Blank?” Neil said accusingly. “This is still *MY* 
  family!”

  “I didn’t say anything about them not being your family, MacNeill. It’s just that if 
  you are legally married to Margaret then Christy and the children will be alone. 
  What do you expect them to do if you can’t be married to Christy anymore? 
  They’ll need someone to care for them. You’ll be too busy caring for your wife. 
  God doesn’t allow for divorce Dr. MacNeill!!”

  “I have to visit with *my* son, if you don’t mind, Reverend!” Neil looked as though 
  he was going to explode on the inside, but he was maintaining the ‘patience of 
  Job’ on the outside. 

  “Daniel what has gotten into you?” Christy asked indignantly. “You’re insulting, 
  rude, obnoxious! What is wrong with you? Neil and I don‘t need this on top of 
  everything else!!”

  Daniel didn’t care. He was letting jealousy take over and he was enjoying it. He 
  looked at this letter from Margaret as his invitation to step in and take over 
  where Neil left off. He could be Christy’s husband and a father to the children. 

  * * * * * *

 Chapter Five

  In El Pano Neil and Christy arrived early. Neil laid a blanket out on the ground 
  for Christy and the twins to sit on. Christy wanted to be able to look down on the 
  Livery, not so close that Margaret would suspect she was there with Neil but not 
  so far away that she couldn‘t see what was going on either. The thing she hated 
  most was that the ideal spot was on the hill leading to the ‘Tea House’!! That 
  dreadful place where she had, had to leave Neil with Margaret on one of the 
  longest nights of her life. 

  At Noon, Neil paced nervously back and forth in front of the Livery Stable with 
  his hands in his pockets. Every now and then he would glance up at Christy and 
  the children who were prayerfully watching over the situation, being the moral 
  support that Neil needed. Christy said that if things weren’t going well Neil was 
  to look up at them and shrug his shoulders. Then she would know she needed to 
  pray more fervently for him. 

  Christy noticed Margaret first. Neil was looking up at her and Christy pointed in 
  the direction that he should look. Neil felt like he had a boulder in the pit of his 
  stomach. Seeing Margaret again was a revolting sight to him, especially now. 

  “Mac!! It’s wonderful to see you again!!” Margaret sang.

  Neil felt nauseous. “Margaret.” He said flatly, there was no emotion left in him 
  for this woman. Except maybe hatred and that he knew he would not allow 
  himself to partake of. 

  “Mac! Is that all you’ve got to say for your long lost wife?” Margaret was sugary 
  sweet, but Neil knew there was poison on the inside. “You’re looking splendid! You 
  must be taking better care of yourself these days!”

  “What did you come here for Margaret?”

  “Well, you believe in getting right to the heart of the matter don’t you Mac?…Of 
  course you always did, didn’t you?… I know I’ve been dreadful to you. I want to 
  change all that Mac. I want to come home to you. I need you. I know I’ve said that 
  before, but now I know for sure that I do!” Margaret threw her arms around 
  Neil’s neck. 

  Up on the hill Christy stood up and stared. Neil held up his hand to Christy to tell 
  her to stop. As he pried Margaret off of him, Christy slowly sat back down on the 
  blanket.

  “Margaret. There is no place for you here anymore. I told you once you were 
  dead to me, but now you were declared dead. There was even a death 
  certificate.” Neil said sternly. 

  “But I love you Mac! I’ve just begun to realize how very much!!”

  “I don’t love you Margaret.” Neil paused and glanced up at Christy and the 
  children. “I’m married again. And very happily I might add.”

  Margaret looked as though she would scream, but she did not. Daggers of pure 
  hatred shot from her eyes. She flounced around Neil looking him up and down. 
  Neil tried desperately to keep an eye on Christy without being obvious. “Who on 
  earth did you ever find to marry someone like you? Who could possibly put up 
  with your all night calls, your making rounds of every home but your own, your 
  disgusting hunting trophies and your despicable fishing habit!?!”

  “I don’t think you really need to know who it is.” Neil stated. “It’s really none of 
  your concern.”

  “My concern? I couldn’t be less concerned about you if you paid me! I just 
  wanted to know who to feel sorry for! Who was left in that God-forsaken 
  mountain after the schoolteacher married the preacher? So you finally married a 
  mountain woman, did you? She’s probably as ugly as a hedge-fence!” Neil had a 
  slight grin on his face. Which infuriated Margaret even further. “A hillbilly like 
  you can’t get much better than that I suppose.”

  “Margaret, exactly why are you here?” Neil ignored her comments. He kept his 
  eye on Christy the whole while; except when Margaret was trying to look him in 
  the eyes. 

  “I told you I want to come home.” Margaret sneered. “Besides, you can’t be 
  married to this other woman because you’re still married to *ME*!! I don’t 
  remember signing any divorce papers. You never had the nerve to get a divorce. 
  You want me back and you know it!” She grabbed Neil by the lapels and pulled 
  him close. Holding her lips next to his.

  Ignoring her once again. “I was told that you were dead.” Neil said curiously. 
  “How did you get someone to fake a death certificate anyway?” 

  Margaret dropped Neil‘s lapel‘s to answer his question. “I knew the woman next to 
  me at the hospital was dying alone. I thought that was the perfect way to 
  disappear without a trace. So I switched identification with her; when she died, 
  I died. There are so many TB patients that no one bothers to double-check on the 
  ones that die all alone with no family. I was one of the loners. So no one bothered 
  with me.”

  Neil could not understand why his heart was going out to Margaret. Why did he 
  feel sorry for her?

  “Margaret, you don’t have to be all alone.” Neil said. “I used to think the same way 
  you do. But you know what? I was wrong. Before my wife and I were engaged, 
  she came down with Typhoid. I tried everything I could to make her well, but she 
  only got worse. I couldn’t go on without her. I loved her more than words could 
  say. But there was nothing I could do to bring her back. There was only One who 
  could do anything.” Neil paused. “I got down on my knees. I admitted that I had 
  not only fought against God, but I had cursed Him as well. I knew that God was 
  Love. He had given me so great a love for my future wife that I didn’t know 
  existed on this earth. I knew God had given me that love for her. I admitted that 
  I was stiff-necked and proud, arrogant and stupid. I realized that God is the 
  Creator, I am only the created. I am helpless, as helpless as all men. I gave God 
  back the Love He had given me for her. I gave Him her life and mine. I admitted 
  that I was a sinner. 

  “That prayer changed my life, Margaret. God gave me back the love of my life, he 
  healed her of Typhoid, and he gave me my hearts desire, to marry the woman who 
  is now my wife. She was engaged to someone else, but chose me instead, after 
  that prayer. I’ve tried to be faithful to God ever since. And He has blessed me 
  far beyond anything that I could ever ask or think!! My wife and I have two 
  beautiful babies a boy and a girl and we’re expecting our third child in 
  December.” Neil looked at Margaret. Who had tears in her eyes. But he went on. 
  “Last Autumn I was shot in the chest. Exactly where my heart should be, but even 
  before I was born, God had blessed me by placing my heart on the right side of 
  my body. A lot of things fell into place that day that could never have come to 
  pass by accident. They were a miracle sent to protect me. That’s the only reason 
  why I am standing here now.

  “I’m not angry with you anymore. I feel sorry for you… compassion Christian‘s call 
  it. Because you’re in the same place spiritually that I used to be. I’m sorry you’re 
  alone, but that was your choice. If you have God in your life, you don’t need to 
  be alone because He said that He would ‘never leave us, nor forsake us, even to 
  the end of the age’. He would be there with you at all times.”

  Margaret began to cry, not as she had in the past where she forced the tears to 
  come for pity, but a true heart-felt cry. Neil put his arm around her and said, 
  “There’s someone that I want you to meet. I need her help.” Neil guided Margaret 
  up the hill to where Christy was sitting. “I know you’ve met before, but not like 
  this. Margaret, this is my wife Christy. And these two wee ones down here are 
  Neil the fifth and Fairlight Alice.”

  “You did marry the school teacher!” Margaret sounded amazed. “You named your 
  baby girl after mother?”

  “Yes we did.” Christy said. “Why don’t you sit down and join us?”

  “I don’t want to intrude.” Margaret said sadly.

  “You wouldn’t be intruding! I just invited you! Come and sit down here by me. 
  We’ve never had a chance to really talk. Neil, what were the two of you 
  discussing before you came up here?” Christy inquired, having a pretty good idea, 
  but not wanting to assume anything.

  “I was telling Margaret about the blessings that God has given me since we’ve 
  been together.” Neil stated as he sat down by Christy. He wanted to place his arm 
  around her, but he didn’t want to frighten Margaret away. She was open to listen 
  to what they were telling her and that is what they had prayed for last night. 
  “And she was telling me that when she faked her death no one even bothered to 
  look if it was really her that died, because she was all alone.” Neil winked at 
  Christy in a way that Margaret wouldn’t see. 

  Christy knew that this was their signal that he thought Margaret was open to 
  hearing the gospel. “You know something Margaret? You don’t have to be alone. 
  I’m sure Neil has told you that already. God is with us everywhere. He loves us 
  and wants the best for us always. Of course there is still evil in the world and we 
  have to be careful, there are always things that can hurt us. Neil was 
  miraculously delivered from a gunshot wound that should have been fatal. But he 
  still had to endure the pain and anguish of the wound itself. I have two beautiful 
  babies, but I still had to go through childbirth. God doesn’t promise us an easy 
  life. But He does promise us that He will never leave us nor forsake us. He 
  promises us that if we are faithful to Him He will be faithful to us. Believing in 
  Jesus as your Lord and Savior is wonderful. When we do it, we are assured that 
  we will go to heaven when we die. We are all born sinners and we are saved only 
  through God’s grace. Jesus came to t! ! his earth to save us from our sins, and to 
  cleanse us from all unrighteousness. We all need the Lord! I wasn’t born knowing 
  Him. Neil as you well know, wasn’t born knowing Him! Have you noticed a change 
  in Neil at all since you’ve spent time with him today?”

  “Yes, he didn’t want to argue with me! He didn’t challenge anything I said!!” 
  Margaret said. “He’s happier. He acts like he’s free from something…but I don’t 
  know what. How do I get that kind of freedom?”

  “I thought you’d never ask!” Christy said. “First of all you have to admit that you 
  are a sinner. The Bible says that “For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory 
  of God.” Every one of us, by God’s standards, deserved to go to Hell. But when 
  we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we accept the fact that Jesus died on 
  the cross, and in doing so he made it possible for us to go to Heaven. When we 
  accept what Jesus did on the cross and rising again from the dead, we are 
  accepting God’s gift to us, which is eternal life in Heaven. So that after we 
  accept what Jesus did, from then on, when God looks at us, He no longer sees the 
  sin, but He sees Jesus instead. If you want to I can lead you in a prayer that will 
  bring Jesus into your heart?”

  Margaret thought. Neil and Christy held their breath and prayed silently that she 
  would say yes…and she did! “Bow your head, and close your eyes.” Christy began 
  taking Margaret‘s hands in her own. “Now repeat after me: Father God, I know 
  that I am a sinner. I realize now that the only way for me to get to Heaven is 
  through accepting what Jesus did for me on the cross. I ask you now to come into 
  my heart. Save me. Deliver me. Cleanse me. Make me whole. I thank-you for coming 
  into my heart. In Jesus Name, Amen.” Margaret was crying. Christy reached out 
  and held her tight, offering her a handkerchief to dry her tears.

  “I wish mother could have been here!” Margaret cried. “She would be so pleased!”

  “Why don’t you come home with us and you can tell her yourself?” Christy added. 

  “I don’t know if I should. Mother was very adamant about not seeing me anymore 
  last time I spoke with her.”

  Neil spoke first. “I don’t think my children could ever do anything that would hurt 
  me so badly that I wouldn’t want to take them back after they had accepted the 
  Lord into their lives!”

  “Neil, I’m sorry for all the pain I’ve caused you. I know we should never have 
  gotten married. I should have gotten a divorce myself years ago. I must have made 
  you miserable. Just leaving you alone. Not being there for you. This is the kind of 
  life you always wanted,” she said as she waved her hand over Christy and the 
  children. “But I wasn’t able to give you that because I thought only of myself. I 
  still don’t know if I could live with the hours that you keep, but then again, I 
  don’t have to, do I?”

  “It was worth the pain if I endured it only to bring you to this moment right here.” 
  Neil said. “I think we had better start back. I know someone who will be very 
  anxious to meet the NEW Margaret Henderson!” 

  “What about the two of you?” Margaret said. “Are you two legally married now?”

  “We don’t know.” Christy offered. “That’s why I’m now living at the mission house 
  again with the children. And Neil and I can only be together when there is 
  someone there to watch over us.”

  “I’ve caused all of that?” Margaret winced. 

  “In a way, maybe.” Christy said. “It was only because of your death that we were 
  free to marry, so when you came back again, everything has changed. But we’ll 
  make it through. God will provide.”

  Christy picked up Little Neil and handed him to Neil. Then she picked up Fairlight 
  and handed her toward Margaret. “Would you like to hold her?” Christy offered.

  “Yes, I suppose so.” Margaret said. “You know, I’ve never held a baby before.”

  “Aren’t they wonderful?” Neil offered.

  “Yes, they are.” Margaret smiled broadly. “I’m sorry I never wanted to have 
  children Neil.”

  “That’s all in the past. The Bible says that ‘you are now a new creation in Christ 
  Jesus, old things are past away and behold all things are become new‘. Don’t 
  worry about the past. I’ll forgive you if you forgive all the hurtful things that I 
  said to you?”

  “It’s a deal!” Margaret said.

  “Come on. The wagon is over here.” Neil said.

  Margaret had a lot of questions about her new found faith. Christy and Neil tried 
  to answer them to the best of their ability. Which made the trip from El Pano 
  seem short.

  Miss Alice heard the wagon pull up in the front. She ventured out to the porch to 
  find out how things had gone today in El Pano, she stopped in her tracks as she 
  looked out at the wagon, “Margaret?” 

  “Yes mother, it’s me.” Margaret began. “I came back because I wanted to tell you 
  that I prayed with Christy. She said you’d be happy to hear that I accepted Jesus 
  as my savior.”

  “Thank thee Lord!” Miss Alice shouted. She fell to her knees in prayer to thank 
  God for the miracle that she had prayed for all of Margaret’s life. Margaret ran 
  up the stairs and hugged her mother and they laughed and cried together as they 
  never had before! This was truly a glorious day! 

  Fairlight and Little Neil were getting restless. So Christy and Neil snuck into the 
  mission house leaving Miss Alice and Margaret alone.

  * * * * * *

  Chapter Six

  Daniel was adamant about the divorce issue. He was not going to, as Neil and 
  Christy’s spiritual leader, allow them to go to Knoxville and pursue a divorce. He 
  insisted that Neil was married to Margaret and that’s the way it was meant to be.

  Margaret didn’t want to cause problems. She refused to do as Daniel asked and 
  move back in with Neil. Instead she chose to stay at the mission house with her 
  mother. 

  * * * * * *

  Christy was miserable. Three months had past since Daniel told her and Neil that 
  they could not pursue a divorce. Christy’s father had become ill shortly after they 
  returned from El Pano. But with all their problems in the Cove Christy couldn’t 
  seem to bring herself to leave for Asheville. 

  She wanted more than anything to move back home to their cabin in the woods! To 
  go fishing with Neil, to sit by the fire, to sit on the porch and watch the sun rise… 
  But Daniel kept telling them ’no’ they would be sinning in God’s eyes.

  Daniel took her aside one day and told her, “Now that you are no longer married 
  and Neil is still married to Margaret. I want to propose that you marry me and we 
  can raise your children as our own. So as not to cause problems we won’t tell 
  them the facts surrounding their birth or the fact that Neil is their father. Of 
  course we’ll have to change our son’s name, but that can be done easily enough.”

  Christy wanted to punch him, but instead settled on a slap in the face thinking at 
  the same time, ‘if it was good enough for Neil it’s too good for the likes of you!’ 
  Then she said, “Look, I don’t care who you think you are! These children belong 
  to Neil MacNeill!! They are *not* yours and they *never will be*! I will never be 
  your wife and I will never have your children!! I love Neil and only Neil and if 
  you insist on keeping us apart then that’s what we’ll have to do, but I will never 
  abandon hope for Neil and I, or our family!!!” Christy turned to leave the room. On 
  her way out the door she turned back to Daniel and said, “how come I can’t be in 
  a room alone with Neil, but it’s alright if I’m alone in a room with you?” Then she 
  went outside where Ruby Mae was playing with Little Neil and Fairlight.

  “Miz Christy you look awful!” Ruby Mae offered. “Is there anything I can do for 
  you?”

  “I guess there’s nothing anyone can do.” Christy sobbed. Ruby Mae put her arm 
  around her friend and gave her a big hug. There wasn’t much else the girl could 
  do. 

  Miss Alice had business to attend to in Cataleechie. She said she wouldn’t be 
  back for a while and she took Margaret with her. How Christy wished that Miss 
  Alice were back!! Daniel hardly ever allowed Neil to visit now. So Neil had gone 
  on his rounds of the back-woods mountain folk. He didn’t see any reason to 
  remain here. Christy knew how hurt he was, but what could she do, but pray!?

  * * * * * *

  Neil was back from his rounds in a little over three weeks. He stopped by the 
  mission, but Daniel told him that Christy wasn’t there; she had gone to visit Opal 
  McHone. Seizing the opportunity to find his wife alone, Neil rode to the 
  McHone’s. 

  “Opal?” Neil called as he approached the cabin. “Is my wife here?”

  Opal McHone emerged from her cabin wringing-wet with sweat on this hot July 
  day. “I haven’t seen Miz Christy in weeks. I wish she’d stop by once in a while! I 
  sure miss that gal!!”

  “Thank-you Opal.” Neil replied. “I’ll tell her you’d like a nice long visit with her 
  one of these days.”

  “I’d appreciate hit Doc!” 

  Neil rode off. ’Where was Christy?’ Or ‘Was Daniel lying?”

  Neil rode back in the direction of the mission. He rode up close, but not too 
  close, and tethered his horse around the backside of the mission. Then snuck up 
  to the mission house. As he walked past the curtains that surround the bathtub, he 
  could hear someone crying and praying. “Dear God, please bring Neil back again! 
  I don’t know why he hasn’t been to visit us in so long! I miss him so much!” 

  “Christy?” Neil called out in a low voice.

  “Neil is that you?” Christy replied softly. She was in a bubble bath up to her chin.

  Neil peeked through the curtains. Christy’s face lit-up brightly when she saw his 
  face. 

  The curtains parted and Neil entered. He came and knelt by the side of the bath 
  and gave Christy a soft kiss. “I’ve missed you so much!!” He said.

  “And I’ve missed you! Where have you been for so long?”

  “Daniel has apparently been lying to me. He keeps telling me you aren’t here, or 
  you’re busy or there is no one to watch over us if I come into the house. So 
  decided to make my rounds just to get away for awhile.” Neil added with 
  sadness. 

  “I’m sorry Neil! It’s been awful since Miss Alice and Miss Margaret left. Daniel 
  told me that he wants to marry me and raise the children as his own. He wants to 
  change Neil’s name! I told him my heart was with you and it always would be. That 
  my children were yours and that no matter what the circumstances surrounding 
  their births, that they would always be *your* children.” Christy touched Neil’s 
  cheek softly. “I promised to stick by you for better or for worse, in sickness and 
  in health, forsaking all others until *death* us do part. And I intend to keep that 
  promise.

  “Could you hand me a bath blanket please?” Neil held up the large blanket in 
  front of him for his wife to wrap herself in. As she began to emerge from her 
  bath he turned his head to look away only to see Daniel standing on the stairs 
  staring down with a look on his face that cut Neil to the core. He quickly wrapped 
  the towel around his wife and bolted after Daniel. Fury drove Neil at break-neck 
  speed. When he caught up to Daniel Neil grabbed him and spun him around, with 
  vehemence he punched Daniel in the face. As Daniel staggered back and fell to 
  the ground Neil crouched down beside him. Lifting Daniel by the lapels of his 
  jacket. Anger in his voice he said through clenched teeth, “If I ever see or hear 
  of you looking at my wife in the altogether again, I’ll make you wish you‘d never 
  heard of Cutter Gap!!”

  “But she’s not your wife either. What were you doing in there?” Daniel said a note 
  of pride in his tone.

  “I made a promise to Christy to love her and cherish her…I may not be legally 
  married to her, but I did make a solemn promise to her. You didn’t!” Pulling Daniel 
  up to within inches of his face Neil vowed through clenched teeth. If you ever 
  TOUCH Christy, I’ll make you wish you had NEVER been born!!” Neil dropped 
  Daniel to the ground. He got up and ran back to Christy. She was in her room 
  crying. She looked awful. She had dark circles under her eyes as though she 
  hadn’t slept since she moved into the mission house. Sobbing uncontrollably still 
  wrapped in her towel when Neil walked in the room. Christy threw herself into his 
  arms hanging tightly to the blanket around her. All she could do was cry. “When 
  was the last time you had a good night‘s sleep Lass?!” Neil said. 

  “I can’t remember.” Christy admitted with a sniffle. 

  Neil picked Christy up and took her to the bed. Laying her down on the bed still 
  wrapped in the towel he tucked her tightly into bed and crawled on top of the 
  bed beside her. He held her as tightly as he could. He whispered softly in her 
  ear. Stroking her hair. “I’ll not leave you. I’ll stay right here until you are asleep, 
  and then I’ll go spend time with Neil and Fairlight. I’ll be here with the children 
  when you wake up.”

  “Neil?” Christy asked so sleepy she could hardly speak.

  “Yes Christy?”

  “Why are you all dressed up in your suit from Baltimore?”

  “I was coming tah court yah!” He teased. She smiled weakly and he kissed her 
  softly. “Sleep lass!”

  “I like it.” She said faintly, “Thank you for coming to my rescue.” She was asleep 
  almost as soon as the last word was out of her mouth.

  Neil held her for a while longer, partly to make sure that she was sound asleep 
  before he left and mostly because it had been so long since he had held her last. 
  As Neil slowly pulled away from her she rolled over and said, “Neil. I want to go 
  home.” Whether she was awake or not he did not know. But that was the cry of his 
  heart as well. 

  “I want you at home too, Lass.” he admitted then he kissed her softly and left the 
  room.

  Christy slept for six hours. When she awoke she couldn’t remember going to bed 
  in only a towel and in the middle of the day at that!! Then everything came 
  tumbling back to her of what had happened that morning. Did she really see Neil, 
  or was she just dreaming. If she had slept this well, for this long she must have. 
  The only time she ever slept that securely was when Neil was there and he held 
  his arms around her as she fell asleep.

  After Christy got dressed she went downstairs. She seemed to remember that 
  Neil said he would be here when she awoke. There didn’t seem to be anyone in 
  the house. Where were the children? Did Neil have them? Christy prayed that he 
  did! She went out to the yard. It was very quiet for the mission yard. Christy 
  walked around the mission house. 

  “There you are!” Christy said to Neil as she found him playing on the ground with 
  the twins. They were almost eight months old now. They were growing so fast. 

  Neil stood up and moved toward his wife. Unsure what to say it had been a long 
  time since he had gotten a chance to talk to Christy alone. 

  “Thank-you for coming this morning, Neil. It really means a lot to me.” Christy 
  began. She too was unsure what to say. 

  “How did you sleep?” Neil wondered. She looked better, but still overwrought.

  “The best sleep I’ve had since I moved back here. I wasn’t sure if you were really 
  here or not, but when I thought about how well I had slept I knew then that you 
  had been here! Only when I fall asleep in your arms can I ever sleep that well!” 
  Christy confided. “I miss you so much! And Thank-you!”

  “And I miss you my bonnie lass!” Neil came even closer. Resting his hand on the, 
  now, noticeable expansion in Christy’s tummy. “How is the wee one?”

  “I don’t get much time to think about this baby Neil! I’m so busy caring for the 
  twins. I have to do chores around the mission house, I try to avoid Daniel as much 
  as I can, but he’s beginning to scare me. He looks at me in a strange way. It makes 
  me feel dirty, or something!” Christy visibly shivered at that thought. 

  Neil held her tightly in his arms. How was he supposed to leave his wife here any 
  longer with this strife? “Do you remember telling me this morning that you want to 
  go home?”

  “I think I do. I was so tired I don’t remember anything for sure! I wasn’t certain 
  that you were even really here.” Christy looked thoughtful. “You came while I was 
  taking a bath, didn’t you?” Neil nodded. “When I was getting out you saw 
  …Daniel…” Christy’s eyes grew wide with shock. “Neil, he was watching me take a 
  bath, wasn’t he?” Neil nodded again. Christy curled up in Neil’s embrace. She 
  shook so hard that Neil couldn’t stop her. He held her tighter. Then she started to 
  sob. 

  Neil prayed silently. ’How am I supposed to leave her here tonight? How can I 
  leave her anymore? Please give me an answer! PLEASE!!’ Neil pleaded… 

  The clansman in Neil wanted to round up his friends and fight it out, but being 
  the only Doctor he’d have to remove anything that they put in. Besides, that 
  wouldn’t do Christy or the three children any good at all…

  After a while Christy calmed herself again. “We have to listen to God’s voice and 
  keep praying for the answers.” Christy said. 

  After dinner that evening Neil and Christy sat out on the porch together. The full 
  moon made it romantic. If only Daniel weren’t standing just 5 feet away!!

  “Neil, I don’t care who’s listening. I love you and I miss you terribly! I want to 
  come home, even if our marriage isn’t legal. I want to be with you and ONLY you!!” 
  Christy began.

  “I want to take you home, but I want everything to right before I do that, Christy. 
  I want our marriage to be sanctified by God. I don’t want to live in sin.” Neil 
  stated. “And now I think my bonnie lass needs to go to bed. You’re near 
  exhaustion Christy. You are putting both yours and the baby’s life in danger. I’m 
  going to take you up to your room and put you to bed.” 

  Neil helped Christy into the house, Daniel stood in the doorway, but all Neil had 
  to do was look at him with the same anger he had that morning and Daniel backed 
  silently away. They ascended the stairs to Christy’s room.

  Neil closed the door to her bedroom and waited on the balcony as she put on her 
  nightgown. He tucked her into bed and once again lay atop of the bed next to her. 
  Putting his arms around her. “Sleep Lass.” Neil whispered softly into her ear. “I 
  promise I’ll not leave you. I’ll stay here tonight. If Neil or Fairlight awaken, I will 
  take care of everything. You just sleep.” 

  “Neil, I can’t remember when I’ve felt the baby move last.“ Christy said, with 
  sadness in her voice. 

  Neil could feel Christy collapse in his arms from exhaustion; he thought was the 
  most likely cause. Neil prayed silently for God to help him to forgive Daniel for 
  doing this to the woman he loved so very much. And for forgiveness for losing his 
  temper the way he had. He lay there with his hand on their unborn child, praying 
  for its health and well-being as well.

  * * * * * *
Chapter Seven

  Baby Fairlight woke earlier than usual the following morning. She and Little Neil 
  could crawl and pull themselves up on the furniture now. Fairlight sat up in her 
  bed and looked at her Mama and Daddy. She could not remember a time when she 
  had seen Daddy this early in the morning. Most days Daniel wouldn’t allow them to 
  see Daddy at all. But today Fairlight was extremely puzzled because Daddy was 
  sleeping with Mama! She called out to them in baby talk. 

  Neil opened his eyes and saw his daughter’s beautiful, puzzled, face looking back 
  at him. He just had to smile! She looked so much like Christy, but only with Neil’s 
  reddish-blond curls. She was so pretty! Fairlight sat and looked at her Daddy 
  with her big blue eyes, her head cocked slightly to the left. Neil slowly moved 
  away from Christy trying very hard not to wake her. He walked around the bed to 
  Fairlight. “Good Morning, my bonnie blue-eyed lassie! How’s Daddy’s little 
  Fairlight this morning?” He said to her as he lifted her out of her bed. He kissed 
  her on the cheek and Fairlight giggled. “Can Daddy have a hug this morning?“ Neil 
  asked sweetly and she gave him one. He took his daughter out onto the balcony so 
  that they wouldn’t wake Christy, but could still hear when Little Neil awoke. Neil 
  pointed out all of the different places to his daughter. “That’s the way we travel 
  to El Pano. Over there is the Cutter Gap. That over there is where Miss Alice and 
  Miss Margaret a! ! re now, in a place called Cataleechie. Oh look Fairlight! See the 
  horses! There’s Daddy’s horse over there, his name is Charlie.” Neil went on and 
  on describing all sorts of things to his little daughter, much of the time she stared 
  up into Neil’s face just looking at him. She hung on every word he said; it had 
  been a long while since she had spent this much time with her Daddy alone. 

  Suddenly there was another call from the bedroom as Little Neil called for 
  Mama, who was the only person he could see at the moment. He was surprised 
  when Daddy and Fairlight came in from the balcony. He looked as puzzled as 
  Fairlight had at seeing Daddy this early in the morning. It tore at Neil’s heart to 
  see the distance that Margaret’s return had caused between him and his children. 
  He had wanted so badly to spend every moment he could with them, but now 
  Margaret had driven a wedge between him and them that he desperately wanted 
  to fill! He hated the puzzled expression on his children’s faces when they saw 
  him, wondering what he was doing there! He wanted them to be happy to see him, 
  not perplexed! 

  With his free hand, Neil scooped up his son. Neil MacNeill V was nearly the 
  mirror image of his father! He had the same eyes, hair, nose, mouth, ears, and 
  bone-structure as his Daddy. Only difference was that Little Neil didn’t need a 
  shave this morning. Neil kissed his son on the cheek. “Good Morning Lad! How are 
  you this fine morning? We best go downstairs and let Mama sleep.” Neil 
  whispered softly. 

  Neil and his children crept out of the bedroom and down the stairs where Ruby 
  Mae was busy preparing breakfast. “Good Morning Ruby Mae!” Neil called. “How 
  are you this morning?”

  Ruby Mae was startled to see Dr. MacNeill coming from upstairs. “Mornin Doc 
  MacNeill.” Was all she could get out of her mouth.

  “Ruby Mae, don’t look at me like that, I stayed the night to watch over the 
  children, I wanted Mrs. MacNeill to get more rest then she has been. She looks 
  worn out. Do you know if she’s been having any problems around here? I can see 
  she isn’t getting the rest that she needs. But do you know of any other problems 
  that she might be having?”

  Ruby Mae looked down at her feet. “I don’t know bout no problems, Doc.” Then 
  she ran to the kitchen. She came back with three bowls of oatmeal. Then without 
  saying another word ran back into the kitchen. 

  Neil placed Little Neil and Fairlight in their highchairs. He started to feed 
  Fairlight first since she had been the first to rise this morning. Then Little Neil 
  got his chance. Neil loved to be with Christy and the children! He longed for the 
  day when they would all be allowed to return home! 

  It had been four months since Christy and the children had moved to the mission 
  house. Much too long it seemed for a man and his wife to be separated. But Neil 
  and Christy were prayerfully seeking God’s guidance and wisdom. They were 
  hoping for a breakthrough soon. Everything seemed to be at a standstill since 
  Christy’s father had taken ill and could no longer look into the legality of their 
  marriage. But somewhere, out-there, there had to be someone with the answers 
  they sought. 

  * * * * * *

 Chapter Eight

  Christy arose late that morning feeling refreshed, but concerned. She hadn’t 
  heard the children when they woke. Where were they? Oh yes, Neil had stayed 
  last night to care for them. She stretched and prayed. Each morning she prayed 
  that today would be the day that their prayers would be answered. She always 
  prayed that Neil would have a good day in what ever he had to do. And that they 
  would all be protected. 

  Unexpectedly she heard a horse whinny out in front of the mission house. Christy 
  rose to see who was visiting…Dr. Ferrand? “I wonder what’s going on?” Christy 
  questioned out loud. She quickly dressed and went downstairs. 

  Ruby Mae was downstairs with the children, all three of them were laughing. 
  They were playing in the living room. “Well, Good Morning you three!” Christy 
  sang. “I’m glad to see that you are having such a good time together!” Christy 
  paused as she glanced around the room. “Where is Dr. MacNeill?”

  “Oh he went home to change and to get his clothes, says he’s goin tah move in here 
  until everythin is settled for the two ah yah. He ain’t been gone long. He’s 
  probably just over the rise if yah want me tah fetch him?”

  “No Ruby Mae, that will be fine. I’ll see him when he returns. Besides Dr. Ferrand 
  is outside. I had better meet with him first. Would you stay with the twins until I 
  can get back?”

  “Shore will ma’am!!” Ruby Mae loved the children and was always willing to care 
  for them. 

  “Thank-you so much Ruby Mae!! I don’t know what I would do without you!” 
  Christy patted the girl on the shoulder. 

  “Ain’t nothin Miz Christy! I love young’uns!! Specially yours!” Ruby Mae said.

  Christy looked out the window and noticed Dr. Ferrand speaking with Daniel over 
  by the school/church building. They seemed to be arguing. “Maybe I’ll wait until 
  the smoke clears!” Christy said to Ruby Mae.

  “Huh?” Ruby Mae asked confused.

  “It seems Rev. Blank is having a disagreement with Dr. Ferrand. I think I’ll wait 
  until that’s over before I go outside. It looks like a pretty heated discussion.” 
  Christy sat down on the floor and Little Neil and Fairlight climbed into her lap. 
  “Well Good Morning to you too! How are my sweeties this morning? Did you spend 
  time with Daddy today? You haven’t seen him much lately, it was so nice for you 
  spend some time alone with him.” Christy smiled at her children. Ruby Mae sat 
  back with a big smile as she watched Christy and the children. “Ruby Mae, it is so 
  hard to believe that these two are this big already! Soon they’ll be walking!”

  “Then you’ll have another baby to care for though!” Ruby Mae added.

  “That’s true! I want to have a dozen children, at least!” Christy smiled at the girl. 
  “I’m sorry Ruby Mae. I shouldn’t be telling you that.” Christy paused feeling shy. 
  Her mother would have the vapors if she knew she had mentioned something like 
  that to Ruby Mae! 

  “I want to thank-you so much for helping me while I’ve been living back here at 
  the mission house. I don’t know how much longer I will be living here, but I sure 
  hope we can go home before the new baby is born. By the way how have the 
  O’Teale’s been? I haven’t seen anyone in so long! I wish I could go visiting 
  somewhere! I miss Opal McHone; she’s been a true friend since Fairlight Spencer 
  died…”

  Just then Dr. Ferrand entered the mission. “Good day Mrs. MacNeill, Ruby Mae. 
  Who are these two little ones?”

  “This is Neil MacNeill V and this is Fairlight Alice MacNeill.” Christy said proudly. 
  “They’re eight months old!”

  “Beautiful children Mrs. MacNeill! Simply beautiful!” Dr. Ferrand paused. “Ruby 
  Mae would you mind taking the children outside for a while so I may speak 
  privately with Mrs. MacNeill?”

  “Yes sir.” Ruby Mae replied. Christy helped her to pick up the children and take 
  them out.

  “Would you like some tea, Dr. Ferrand?” Christy offered. 

  “That would be fine.” Dr. Ferrand looked very solemn suddenly.

  Christy brought in the tea and set it on the table. “Mrs. MacNeill, I hear from 
  Alice that you are having some difficulties. Would you please elaborate on these 
  for me? I want you to tell me in your own words what has been occurring at my 
  mission house.”

  Christy felt cornered. “Well, Doctor. Neil’s first wife Margaret was supposed to 
  have died of Tuberculosis. There was a death certificate and everything. But last 
  Spring Neil received a letter from her, telling him that she wanted to meet with 
  him. In the meeting she told him that she wanted to return home to him. Neil told 
  her that he was now married with two children and another on the way. We spoke 
  with her about having faith in God and that she wouldn’t have to be alone, and she 
  accepted Jesus as her savior. She wanted to tell her mother, so we brought her 
  back here to the mission.

  “Rev. Blank, being the pastor here, was the person that we turned to for spiritual 
  advice. He told us that we were not legally married and that God does not allow 
  divorce so Neil could not divorce Margaret to be with me. I was told to move out 
  of our cabin and back to the mission. Daniel told me that Neil would be allowed to 
  visit us any time he wanted, as long as we had someone to watch over us so that 
  we were never left alone. Well, Daniel didn’t keep his promise. Neil has been lied 
  to about us. He’s been told we aren’t here, when we are. He’s been told that we 
  are busy, even when we aren’t or that there is no one to watch over us, so we are 
  not allowed to see each other! I’ve lived in the mission now for over four months. 
  I’m getting tired of it! But I want to do things God’s way. I don’t want to live in 
  sin any longer. Now that I know the truth, I don’t want to go against God’s 
  wishes.”

  “Did Daniel act inappropriately with you?” Dr. Ferrand asked.

  “Well, he told me that I should marry him and that we would raise the children as 
  our own without telling them the details of their births. That we wouldn’t tell 
  them that Neil was their father. And that we would have to change Little Neil’s 
  name.” Christy answered.

  “Is that all that Daniel has done?” Dr. Ferrand inquired.

  “That’s all that I care to discuss.” Christy admitted shyly as she turned her face 
  toward the table.

  “I was told that Daniel observed you taking a bath?” Dr. Ferrand queried.

  Christy‘s eyes grew wide with astonishment. “How did you know that?” 

  “Let’s just say I have my sources.” Dr. Ferrand continued. “Christy, I have told 
  Daniel that he is being sent away. 

  “I also want to discuss your marital situation with you. Do you mind joining me in 
  the parlor?”

  “No, by all means.” Christy said. “I’ve been praying for an answer to all of this 
  madness!”

  “First of all I think you did the honorable thing by moving to the mission. But 
  Daniel overstepped his bounds. He should never have told you that you were not 
  legally married. Alice met me in Cataleechie because she was worried about you. I 
  have traveled to Knoxville about this matter and I have also experienced a similar 
  dilemma at another time. You and Neil *are* living in sin, but to tell you that you 
  are now to be separated, divorced and move in with other partners is trying to fix 
  a wrong, with another wrong! God doesn’t work that way! He will accept you 
  where you are right now and take over from here. That doesn’t mean that there 
  may not be consequences to the sin that neither of you knew existed. But that 
  decision is in the Lord’s hands. I don’t see how separating this beautiful Godly 
  family that you two are working so hard to build would bring about any good 
  whatsoever! Neil was set free from his responsibility to Margaret when she 
  feigned her death again. Legally t! ! his is correct, because the death certificate 
  is the final judge in a death. When that paper is issued marriage commit ends. The 
  vows even say ‘…until *death* us do part.’ When Margaret declared herself to be 
  dead, and the certificate was issued, those vows became null and void. As far as 
  she and Neil were concerned. Now since your marriage was an unknown sin, I 
  believe that God would not be as severe with you. I know that your marriage to 
  Neil is legitimate. If you would feel better if I married you again, then I would 
  be very happy to do so. I don’t see that I have too, but for your peace of mind I 
  would be more than willing to perform the ceremony again. 

  “Margaret is in the process of making it official, she has filed for a divorce in 
  Knoxville. Neil will only have to sign the papers that he gets. There should be no 
  problem. 

  “Mrs. MacNeill, I have only one thing that I want to say to you about this whole 
  unfortunate situation and that is this…Please go home to your husband!!” Dr. 
  Ferrand smiled broadly at Christy.

  “You mean we can leave! I don’t have to stay cooped up in this mission house 
  anymore?”

  “That’s right, you may go home! I met your husband on the road and he is going to 
  bring back your wagon as soon as he can. You had better get packing!” Christy 
  was so excited that she forgot herself and gave Dr. Ferrand a kiss on the cheek! 

  “I’m so sorry Dr. Ferrand!! I forgot what I was doing!” Christy blushed. 

  “That’s quite alright.” Dr. Ferrand said with a chuckle, and possibly a bit of a 
  blush.

  * * * * * *

  Chapter Nine

  Christy ran up the stairs and started packing up their things. Oh! To be going 
  home finally!! “Thank-you Lord!! Thank-You!!” Was all Christy could think of. She 
  was so excited about going home and packing so furiously that she didn’t even 
  hear the wagon pull up. Suddenly Neil came rushing in the bedroom door. 

  Startled, Christy turned and looked at her husband, seeing him in a different 
  light than she had in months. They were married again. She dropped what she was 
  holding and flew into Neil’s waiting arms. They kissed passionately for the first 
  time in over four months. “I’ve missed you so much.” They said in unison. Both 
  laughed. Neil scooped Christy up into his arms and swung her around. 

  Christy turned her face to kiss Neil with fervency. “I can’t wait to sit by the fire 
  and have long talks, and watch the sunrise and set together. I can’t wait to see 
  you playing ‘Lions and Tiger’s’ with Neil and Fairlight in front of the fire. Oh 
  there are so many day to day things that I have missed so very much. Even cooking 
  your meals and lying in your arms at night. It’s seems incredible how things that I 
  took for granted before have become so immensely important to me. ”

  “Aye.” Neil said. “No one can comprehend how unbelievably lonely I have been. I 
  had so loved having the three of you at home that I had taken for granted your 
  being there. When you were gone I thought I would go insane. Everything was too 
  quiet. Everything was too still. I wasn’t tripping over baby toys on the floor. 
  There was no one to hold close to my chest at night. I couldn’t hear you breathing 
  in the night. I couldn’t smell the sweet fragrance of roses anymore. I started to 
  sleep while holding your pillow just so I could smell you next to me, but the aroma 
  faded all too quickly. Besides, *you* feel much better in my arms at night then a 
  pillow does.” Neil sat down on the trunk holding Christy in his arms. 

  “I never want to be apart from you again Neil.” Christy cried. “I’ve been thinking. 
  Couldn’t we start working on that clinic of yours here on mission property? To 
  centralize your practice so that people could come to you instead of you having to 
  travel to them? I could help you in your clinic? Maybe we could hire another 
  Doctor to join in the practice? I don’t want to be separated from you again Neil. 
  We’ve been apart so often in the short time we’ve been married.”

  Neil held his wife close. Not quite sure what to say. These things had crossed his 
  mind as well. Ever since Dan Scott had returned to Freedom Kentucky to be a 
  doctor to his people there had been a huge void in Neil’s medical practice. He had 
  to admit that. 

  “We’ll talk it over Christy. I agree we have spent far too much time apart. The 
  idea of another Doctor is definitely something that I have been mulling over in my 
  mind. But how do we attract another Doctor out here of all places? We really 
  need to discuss this with Alice and Dr. Ferrand. They already have their hands 
  full here at the mission while David is away.”

  “I wish something could be done that would change all that has happened here. I 
  was so hoping that you and Daniel would be friends and would work together. But 
  now…” 

  “Let’s not go on like this. We have a bright future ahead of us now. We have two, 
  soon to be three; beautiful children and we’ve just found out that we are indeed 
  married. We can go home and enjoy our family and each other. Let’s pack up and 
  get out of here!!!” Neil said as he picked Christy up again and swung her around 
  kissing her softly over and over.

  Setting Christy on the floor, Neil brushed her cheek with his fingers as he smiled 
  into her eyes. With a sigh he turned to find something to load into the wagon. 

  “Neil, why don’t you load the children’s beds, high chairs and toys? I’ll take care 
  of the clothes and things in here.” Christy said as she knelt down beside the trunk 
  and opened it. Then she turned toward Neil, “I do love you!!” 

  Neil set down the cradle he was carrying and went to give his wife a sweet kiss. 
  “I love you also Christy!” When they parted Neil smiled lovingly at his wife as if 
  he were looking at her for the first time. “I’ve almost forgotten how blue your 
  eyes are. I think you’re more beautiful then I remember.” Which made Christy 
  blush.

  “Why don’t we finish our packing and go home.” Christy began, but paused a 
  moment as she thought. “Neil, do you want Dr. Ferrand to marry us again? You 
  know, perform the ceremony once more? He said he would if we wanted him to. I 
  think I would feel better if we did…” Christy paused as a questioning expression 
  crossed her face.

  “A thought just occurred to me. I think we had better seek out Dr. Ferrand and 
  speak with him a moment. Would you please come with me Neil?” Christy asked 
  with concern.

  “What is the problem Christy?” Neil asked as he followed her down the stairs. 

  “When we find Dr. Ferrand then you can hear the question.” 

  * * * * * *

  Dr. Ferrand was currying his horse out in front of the stable. “Hello Dr. Ferrand.” 
  Christy said. “I just thought of a questions that I really need to have answered 
  before we can go home…if we are legally married then why is Margaret pursuing a 
  divorce? If her death, or the death certificate in this case makes hers and Neil’s 
  marriage null and void why a divorce?”

  “Well you see, the only reason why I told her to do that was because she’s not 
  trully dead and she needs to…how do I say this? ‘Come back to life’ so to speak in 
  order to be a ‘real’ person again. This isn’t making any sense is it? How do I put 
  this? You see, when Margaret faked her death she in essence became a 
  non-person. She is neither dead nor alive. Margaret Henderson/MacNeill does not 
  exist in the records of this world any longer. But in order to exist she has to 
  convince to the world that she is alive again or that she never died. I thought 
  maybe we could get around some red tape by having her file for divorce before 
  she is officially ‘alive’ again.” Dr. Ferrand said.

  “Dr. Ferrand, You can be devious when you want to.” Neil teased with a big smile.

  “Yes I suppose I can!” Dr. Ferrand smiled.

  “Doctor, I think my wife would like to be remarried. It would make her feel much 
  better if we did that.” Neil said smiling at Christy.

  “We’ll need two witnesses. Who could we get for that?” Dr. Ferrand asked. 

  “How about Opal and Tom?” Christy asked. “Or Ruby Mae?” 

  “Let’s go round up our witnesses!” Neil called.

  “Why don’t we try to find Opal and Tom first?” Christy asked since Fairlight was 
  no longer with them, Opal had been such a friend to her, that there was no one 
  she would rather have stand with her today.

  * * * * * *

  Opal and Tom McHone were more than willing to help out. They came back to the 
  mission with Neil and Christy. 

  This time the wedding was inside the mission. They wanted to make this as private 
  as possible. 

  When the ceremony was over Christy felt so much better. When Dr. Ferrand said, 
  “You may kiss the bride.” Neil took Christy in his arms and kissed her like he was 
  never going to let her go. Dr. Ferrand smiled, a bit embarrassed. Tom and Opal 
  backed off the far wall gazing at the floor. Finally Dr. Ferrand tapped Neil on 
  the shoulder. 

  Neil backed away from his wife slowly while still gazing into her eyes. “Yes… 
  Well…” he cleared his throat trying to cover his embarrassment. “I suppose we 
  should finish packing up your things, get our children and head for home.”

  Then turning to Dr. Ferrand he said, “Thank-you Dr. Ferrand. I’m sure we will 
  feel much better now… Tom, Opal thank-you so much for taking the time out to 
  help us.” He shook everyone’s hand. Then he and Christy turned to go back 
  upstairs to finish packing.

  Neil brought down the cradles and packed them into the wagon. He went back 
  into the Dining Room and retrieved the High chairs. He and Dr. Ferrand carried 
  out their trunk full of clothes. Christy carried out the crate of toys. 

  “I think we have all of the paraphernalia.” Neil said. “Where are the children?”

  “With Ruby Mae.” Christy said.

  “And where is Ruby Mae?” Neil asked.

  “I’m not sure. I sent her out to play with the twins when Dr. Ferrand came in. I 
  haven’t seen them since then.” Christy answered, fear rising within her.

  “Oh no.” Neil said. “Let’s split up and look for them. I don’t know why, but I think 
  Blank is in on this.” 

  “He wouldn’t hurt the children? Would he?” Christy asked.

  “After what he did to you the other day I think he’s capable of anything. I’ll take 
  the Bunkhouse. You go to the school. I’ll get Dr. Ferrand to help.” Neil planned. 
  “Go Christy!”

  Christy ran for the schoolhouse. Neil ran for the bunkhouse. Christy searched 
  inside and outside of the school building, but no children and no Ruby Mae. Neil 
  yelled from the bunkhouse, “Dr. Ferrand? Dr. Ferrand?”

  Christy came running closely behind Dr. Ferrand. “What is it?” Christy asked.

  “Christy, wait out here, please!” Neil begged. 

  “Is it the children?” Christy cried.

  “Just wait out here.” Neil pleaded once more. “Dr. Ferrand please come inside.”

  Neil followed the Doctor into the bunkhouse. Inside they found Daniel on the 
  floor in the corner holding the twins. Both of them crying. Ruby Mae was crying 
  because Daniel wouldn’t let her have the children back.

  Daniel said, “I told you to stay away from me MacNeill!! You’ve got Margaret; go 
  back to your wife!! This is going to be my family!! You’re living in sin. Stay away 
  from me. Go back to your wife Doctor and leave this family to me!!”

  Dr. Ferrand looked at Neil with wide eyes. Both were astonished by what they 
  had found. 

  “Ruby Mae?” Neil called. “Ruby Mae stop crying and listen to me.”

  “I’m listening Doc.” Ruby Mae answered. 

  “I want you to go outside and tell Christy that the children are fine. DON’T tell 
  her what’s going on in here!! Do you hear me? DON’T tell her what’s going on in 
  here!” Neil instructed.

  “I won’t say nothin. But I’ll let Miz Christy know about your young-un’s!!” Ruby 
  Mae answered. 

  “Thank-you Ruby Mae.” Neil said.

  * * * * * *

  “Miz Christy. Doc MacNeill said I should tell you that the children are fine.” Ruby 
  Mae said.

  “Thank-you, but where are they?” Christy asked.

  “Inside, but you’re supposed to stay here. Doc MacNeill said so.” Ruby Mae 
  announced. 

  “Why can’t I go inside Ruby Mae? Those are my children… Is something wrong in 
  there? Tell me Ruby Mae!” Christy begged.

  “I’m not supposed to tell yah nothin. Just that yer young-un’s is all right. Why 
  don’t you pray for Doc MacNeill, your young-un’s and Dr. Ferrand.”? Ruby Mae 
  suggested.

  “I suppose you’re right Ruby Mae. I only wish I knew what I was praying for.” 
  Christy said.

  * * * * * *

  Chapter Ten

     “Dr. Ferrand, Daniel is your employee.  But those are my children he’s
  holding.  If he hurts either of them I won’t be responsible for my
  actions!!”  Neil nearly snarled.
     “Dr. MacNeill, this will get us no where.  What I need for you to do is
  to talk to your children.  Try to calm them down.  When they are quiet then
  perhaps I can speak with Daniel.”  Dr. Ferrand said.
     “Alright, I’ll try.”  Neil said.  “Neil?  Fairlight?  Everything is all
  right.  Daddy’s right here.  Don’t be frightened wee ones!  Daddy won’t let
  anything happen to you.  Listen to Daddy, Daddy’s going to tell you a
  story.”  Fairlight stretched out her hand toward him.  Neil reached out to
  touch his daughter’s tiny hand but Daniel pulled her away sharply and
  Fairlight cried out in pain as she fought against Daniel’s tight hold on
  her.  “Blank!  Stop it you’re hurting her!!”  Neil yelled.  “Fairlight,
  Daddy’s here.  Just listen to me sweetheart.  I know it hurts wee one but be
  a brave girl Fairlight.  Daddy’s proud of you Neil.  You are a very brave
  boy.”
     “Stop calling yourself that MacNeill!  It’s not true!!”  Daniel
  protested.
     Neil ignored him.  He new he had to get the attention of his children and
  hold it so that Dr. Ferrand could speak to Daniel.
     “Once upon a time in the land of Scotland there lived a man that the
  Scottish highlanders called “Bonnie Prince Charlie”…”  Neil started his
  story for his children.  He paused a moment, “Ferrand, they’re quiet, speak
  to Blank before I take matters into my own hands.  My daughter is in pain,
  I’m not going to put up with this much longer before he causes internal
  injuries!”  Then he continued with his story for the children trying very
  hard not to allow the pained look on Fairlight’s sweet face to affect him.
     Dr. Ferrand moved over onto Daniel’s bunk.  “Daniel.  We spoke of this
  earlier.  These are Neil’s children.  It’s not up to you to stand in the
  way.  You cannot break up this family.  To break them up would be a sin
  also.  You can’t right one sin with another.”
     “Well if I can’t have these children then neither can MacNeill!”  Daniel
  screamed as he rose from his sitting position on the floor and lifted Little
  Neil and Fairlight.  Both Neil and Dr. Ferrand jumped up and moved toward
  Daniel.  As the children started to scream.
     Neil had begun to lose his temper.  But now, the way Daniel was hold his
  children he was afraid to attempt any rescue because Daniel might drop them
  or worse.  He couldn’t hold out much longer watching his children suffer.
  Neil prayed silently for wisdom and protection for his children.
     “Dr. Ferrand?”  Neil spoke softly.  “I want you to get his attention.  In
  a way that he has to turn away from me in order to see you.  I need a
  diversion.  When I do something I need you to be prepared to catch one of
  the children.  I’m going to try to get Fairlight first because I don’t like
  the look on her face.  Daniel may be causing injury.  I need to examine her
  soon.  She doesn’t look good to me.  I’m frightened because she’s in pain
  and she’s not crying!  Do you think you can find something?”
     “I’ll do my best.  I see what you mean about your daughter.  I will keep
  my eye on your son.”
     Dr. Ferrand began speaking to Daniel about his sermon for Sunday morning.
    As he spoke Dr. Ferrand walked past Daniel to the kitchen area.  Daniel
  lowered his hands with the children still in them.  As Dr.  Ferrand entered
  the kitchen Daniel turned with him and without thinking turned his back on
  Neil.
     Neil lunged at Daniel and punched him in the kidney area.  Daniel yelled
  and threw up his hands.  As he did so Neil grabbed Fairlight and Dr. Ferrand
  grabbed Little Neil.  Daniel spun around to come after Neil at which Neil
  laid him out on the Bunkhouse floor with one blow to his nose.  Dr. Ferrand
  looked down at Daniel, “I think we’re going to have to set that nose.  But
  first I’ll tie him up and you examine Fairlight.  Dr. MacNeill, when I have
  him tied up would I’ll call Christy in for you.  She’s got to be worried
  sick.”  Dr. Ferrand said.  As he got out a rope and tied Daniel’s hands and
  feet.
     Neil laid Fairlight on the bed.  She was crying which was a good sign.
  He looked at her little tummy and found a massive bruise, with minimal
  swelling.  Christy came rushing in and saw the bruise on Fairlight’s
  stomach.  “What’s happened Neil?”  She said frantically as she took Little
  Neil from Dr. Ferrand.
     “It’s a very long story and I’d rather discuss it privately later, if you
  don’t mind?”  Neil said as he continued to examine Fairlight.  “Dr. Ferrand,
  would you be so kind as to get my medical bag from the wagon for me?”
     “Yes of course.”  Dr. Ferrand said.  Then he raced from the Bunkhouse.
     “What should I do Neil?”  Christy asked.  “That bruise looks awful.  Do
  you have to operate?”
     “I’m not sure.  I wish I could see inside with out having to open someone
  up!  Especially my own daughter.  I’ll have Dr. Ferrand look at this when he
  returns.  I need a second opinion.  I’m too emotionally involved to make a
  clear decision.  There doesn’t seem to be any swelling and that’s good.  But
  we’ll have to keep a close eye on her for a while!  Christy, if anything
  seems unusual, constipation, excessive tenderness in the area, swelling,
  pulling up her legs as she cries, ANYTHING that Fairlight wouldn’t normally
  do!  Most especially I need to know if you notice even the slightest rise in
  her temperature.  Let me know immediately!  I have to know right away
  because it could be a dangerous situation.”   Neil reached for Christy’s
  hand and looked into her eyes,  “I’m sorry Lass!  There just wasn’t a way to
  prevent this from happening.  We did our best, please believe that.”
     “I believe you.  I just feel badly for Fairlight.  She’s so little!  What
  can we do to lessen the pain?”  Christy asked.
     “I cannot do anything to lessen the pain because it may mask symptoms
  that I need to see.  As her Daddy my heart aches for her and I want to take
  away all her pain.  But as a physician I know I cannot do anything because
  it might make matters worse.  Do you understand that Christy?”  Neil said.
     “Yes, I trust you Neil.  I know you wouldn’t hurt any of our children.
  I’ve seen you fuss over a tiny scrape!  I know you’d do something about this
  if you possibly could.  You’re too good a father to let your child suffer
  needlessly!!”  Christy consoled.  “I also understand that this probably
  hurts you more then it does Fairlight.  I know how strongly you feel for
  others.  Most especially the children and I.  It’s that compassion for
  others that makes you such an excellent Physician, Husband and Daddy.”
     Dr. Ferrand came in with Neil’s medical bags.  “Dr. Ferrand?  What do you
  think of this?”  Neil asked.
     “I wouldn’t operate unless I witnessed some sort of complication.  I
  would watch out for them for a few days at least.  If none show up then you
  won’t need to operate.”  Dr. Ferrand commented.
     Neil listened to Fairlight’s heart and abdomen to make sure everything
  was working properly.  “All seems to be working in proper fashion.  I can’t
  tell you about the long term.  I wish there were guarantees but there
  aren’t.”  Neil said, and then he smiled down at his daughter and brushed her
  hair back off of her sad little face.  Then he kissed her softly on the
  forehead.  “Daddy loves you so much Fairlight!  Don’t ever forget that!
  You’ve been a very brave little girl this afternoon.  Daddy’s proud of both
  of you.”  Then Neil gently picked up their daughter and handed her to
  Christy.  “We have to be very careful how we pick her up for a few days,
  maybe even weeks.  It could be quite painful if she’s picked up the wrong
  way.”
     “Not to mention we’ll need to watch out for our ‘he-man’ son over there
  when he decides he’s going to sit on her!”  Christy laughed.  Fairlight
  smiled too!  “Neil did you see that?”
     “Yes I did!  She’s feeling better already!!”  Neil laughed.  “Now I
  should look at Neil and see how he’s doing.  Although I really needn’t
  bother, considering the way he’s crawling and getting into trouble
  *already*!!”  Neil captured his son and wrestled him down on the bed to
  examine him.  Neil laughed heartily as he tickled and played with his son
  while trying to examine him.  “There’s nothing wrong with this lad except
  he’s over due for some serious tickling!!”  Neil laughed.
     Christy smiled, then looked over to Dr. Ferrand who was helping Daniel
  into a chair.  Daniel’s nose was bleeding and his eyes were watering
  profusely.  Dr. Ferrand examined Daniel’s nose.  “Neil, this nose is broken.
    We’ll need to set it.  Do you want me to do it?”
     “No, I’ll take care of it Doctor.  I’ll need bandages from Alice’s
  supplies though, could you get me what I’ll need?”  Neil asked Dr. Ferrand.
     “Of course I will, but will you be alright treating Daniel;
  considering…everything?”  Dr. Ferrand said with concern.
     “Doctor I wasn’t always, but now I am first and fore-most a Christian.  I
  will look on Daniel with the mind of Christ.  I will not look on him with
  what I feel inside me.   If I did that he would have been gone after I
  caught him looking at my wife in the bathtub!!  He wouldn’t have been here
  to do this to Neil and Fairlight!!”
     “Neil, calm down.  Please!  I’ll go get the bandages.  Just tell me what
  you need.”  Christy offered, she was afraid to let Neil treat Daniel without
  Dr. Ferrand present.
     Neil gave Christy a list of the things she needed to find in Miss Alice‘s
  Dispensary.

     After Christy was outside, taking Fairlight with her, she prayed first
  for their daughter and her health.  Then for Neil that he would be able to
  forgive Daniel.  Then for Daniel that he would be able to find peace.
     Christy found the bandages in Miss Alice’s supplies then scurried back to
  the bunkhouse.
     “Neil?  Are these what you wanted?”  Christy asked when she returned.
  Neil nodded his head tersely.
     “Christy I have to set this nose and I think you had better take Neil and
  Fairlight up to the mission house before I do that.”  Neil said.  “You won’t
  want to be down here as I do this.”
     “Alright Neil.  Please remember that he is a human being and as such you
  should have compassion on him.”  Christy said.  “I know Daniel is having a
  difficult time.  Please don’t hurt him on purpose.”
     “Christy, I’m a physician.  I don’t hurt people on purpose.  I try to do
  my best to alleviate their pain.  So would you please go up to the mission
  house now so I can get on with what I need to do?”  Neil said.  Then he
  reached for Christy and kissed her tenderly as he did Little Neil and
  Fairlight.  “I love you.  Why don’t you make sure we haven’t left anything
  behind.  I’ll be there in a little while.”
     Christy and the children left.  She took them back to the mission house.
  This had been home to the children for half of their young lives.  It hurt
  to think that they had no idea where they truly lived.  They were too young
  when they moved in to the mission to remember their family cabin.  At least
  tonight neither Neil nor Christy would be lonely!
  *       *       *       *       *       *
 Chapter Eleven

  Horses were coming up the path to the mission as Christy was sitting in the Parlor 
  with her children playing on the floor. Fairlight didn’t feel like playing, she sat in 
  mama’s arms and snuggled. But Little Neil was into anything he could get his 
  grubby little hands on!

  Christy rose to see who was outside. “Fairlight look! It’s Miss Alice and Miss 
  Margaret!” Christy scooped up Little Neil and walked out onto the front porch. 
  “Welcome back! I’ve missed you!”

  Margaret now wore a Quaker bonnet and a charcoal gray jumper with a white 
  blouse. Christy marveled at the changes in Margaret since she had gotten saved. 

  “It is a welcome sight to see my home again!” Said Miss Alice. “How are thee doing 
  dear?”

  “I’m doing better. Especially since Dr. Ferrand got here this morning!” Christy 
  started saying. “Neil moved to the mission, after an incident occurred. I’ve been 
  doing much better since then. Neil, Dr. Ferrand and Daniel are in the bunkhouse. I 
  think I’ll save all of the details for later.

  “How is everyone in Cataleechie?” She asked as they were walking into the 
  mission. Miss Alice had scooped up Little Neil and was carrying him inside. 

  “The same as usual the children are a wonder! Though we did not spend much time 
  there. We have been in Knoxville most of the time. I am glad to see that thee has 
  gotten some much-needed rest. I was very worried about you. I needed to have 
  Dr. Ferrand handle this situation because I knew nothing about it, at least not 
  legally. But I did see what it was doing to thee and I could stand it no longer! 
  That is why I had to go and meet him in Cataleechie. I do hope everything will 
  turn out better for thy family from now on! I will be praying that way for all of 
  thee.” Miss Alice walked over and kissed Christy on the cheek.

  * * * * * * *

  Neil and Dr. Ferrand came in through the front door. “Alice! Welcome back!” Neil 
  said. “We’ve missed you around here!” Neil gave Alice a peck on the cheek.

  “I have my ideas as to why.” Miss Alice replied.

  “Alice, I think we had better sit down in the parlor and talk. There have been 
  many new developments since you left.” Dr. Ferrand announced.

  Miss Alice, Dr. Ferrand, Neil and Christy filed into the Parlor. Miss Margaret 
  went to help Ruby Mae work in the kitchen. 

  * * * * * * *

  Miss Alice didn’t find it too difficult to believe what Neil and Christy were 
  saying about Daniel; she had seen it coming for sometime now. Daniel was having a 
  breakdown. There was no doubt about it. “Jacob, I think Daniel should go away 
  for a time of refreshment, a time to regain what he has lost. I understand what 
  has been done. My heart goes out to the both of thee, Neil and Christy, and to thy 
  children. But I do not think it is morally right to prosecute him!”

  “He could have killed both of our children this morning, Alice! We could still lose 
  Fairlight! I can’t feel sympathy for a man like this.” Neil announced angrily as he 
  paced in front of the others in the parlor. “I’ve seen breakdowns before when I 
  was a medical student. It’s not a pretty picture. What if we send him away and he 
  comes back here to attack my family again? I have to keep them protected the 
  best that I can… I swear, if he comes back after my family again, I’ll pick up and 
  move everyone out of here faster then you can say ‘Jack Robinson’ whether the 
  cove has another physician or not we’ll leave immediately! That’s a promise Alice! 
  I won’t let this happen again. 

  “It’s very possible that the stress he put on Christy may have affected our child 
  that she’s carrying! What do I do about that? What if our child dies or has 
  already died because of this? How am I supposed to look at Blank then?” Christy 
  could see the tears in his eyes. She was as worried as he was. She still had not 
  felt the baby move and it had been quite a few days now, she couldn‘t remember 
  when she had felt it last. 

  Suddenly Fairlight screamed. Neil and Christy ran quickly to their daughter’s 
  side. She was vomiting profusely; she was pulling her legs up to her chest. Her 
  eyes sunken her cheeks hollow. Her face looked ashen. Anxiety was etched on her 
  precious little face.

  “Alice have a look at Fairlight? I want your opinion.” Alice walked over beside 
  Neil. He lifted Fairlight’s pink dress and showed Alice the damage done by 
  Daniel’s hands this afternoon. Fairlight’s abdomen was severely distended. She 
  seemed to have the hiccups. Neil checked her heart rate and found that it was 
  rapid. She had a high fever as well. 

  Alice put her hand over her mouth. “You’re going to have to operate Neil!” Alice 
  whispered.

  “I was hoping to avoid that, but I can see now that I cannot. Dr. Ferrand, would 
  you look at this also. I want to make a wise decision. The last thing I want to do is 
  to operate on my eight-month-old daughter!! I’ll find some reason not to operate if 
  this is left to me alone. But if you both agree, then I’ll do it.” 

  Dr. Ferrand came forward and examined Fairlight. “Dr. MacNeill, your assessment 
  is correct. You do need to operate. The sooner the better I’d say. I’ll assist you 
  and Alice can handle the instruments.”

  Neil wanted to cry, but he knew that wouldn’t do Fairlight any good whatsoever. 
  He wanted to lift her up to his shoulder and hold her lovingly as Alice and Dr. 
  Ferrand readied things in the other room. But the pain of moving was more than 
  she could bear. 

  Neil looked over at his worried wife. “Christy, lass.” Neil tried to be as delicate 
  as he could about this. “I have no choice anymore. We’ve examined Fairlight and 
  determined that she needs an operation.” Christy wanted to protest, but knew that 
  three medical professionals couldn’t all be wrong. Tears began to roll down her 
  cheeks. “I have no guarantee’s for you Love. I wish I did! I don’t know what I will 
  find when I get inside. I think she has Peritonitis. What that means is that when 
  Daniel held her so tightly this afternoon he must have ruptured something inside, 
  now there is fluid, or some bodily substance that does not belong in the 
  peritoneum and it is causing an abscess. I have to go in and drain it. Then clean 
  up everything I can. Please pray for me!!” 

  All Christy could do was nod her head. She held Fairlight’s head in her hand; she 
  leaned forward to smell the sweet fragrance of her hair. Admiring the long 
  sandy-red curls on her head. Holding her small hand. Christy loved everything 
  about her children. As much as she had faith in God, as much as she trusted Neil, 
  Dr. Ferrand and Miss Alice she knew that she might be saying ‘Good-bye’ to her 
  daughter. When Miss Alice came in to tell Neil that everything was ready, Alice 
  came over to retrieve Fairlight. Reluctantly Christy relinquished her daughter to 
  Miss Alice, she kissed her tenderly on her forehead, cheek and hand. Miss Alice 
  did not attempt to lift Fairlight but carried her cradle to the room set aside for 
  her medical services, as the torrent of tears began rolling from Christy’s eyes. 

  Neil lifted his wife to her feet and held her close, burying his face in her neck 
  they cried together. Dr. Ferrand came in and told them, “You need to leave your 
  daughter in God’s hands now. He’s the only One that can help at this point. Mrs. 
  MacNeill pray for strength for your husband this won’t be easy for him, pray for 
  protection for your daughter… pray for a miracle! You’ve seen them before. I 
  heard of the miracle that happened when your husband was shot, the same God 
  that did that is still in control today. He has not changed. If He decides that your 
  daughter should go home, then we are not to question why, we need to put him in 
  control and give it all to him.” Then he turned and left.

  “That’s what I did when you were sick Christy. I gave you over to God and he 
  gave you back to me. Not only did He make you well again, but He also changed 
  your mind so that you saw me in a different light and you fell in love with me. I 
  love you more today then I did then! I’ll do my very best, but I need you to be 
  praying… will you do that for me? I need strength. I need you to continue to be 
  prayerful through this ordeal.” 

  “I will pray for all of you! And I’ll also pray that you will have steady hands!” 
  Christy avowed as she kissed Neil’s trembling hands before he turned to leave the 
  room. She was thankful that Little Neil had lain down to sleep peacefully. 

  Dropping to her knees in front of a chair in the Parlor, Christy set herself to 
  pray.

  * * * * * *

  
  Chapter Twelve

  An hour and a half later Neil entered the parlor. Christy didn’t want to look into 
  his face. She was afraid she’d read bad news in it. She just kept her gaze 
  intently on Neil’s riding boots. She had been kneeling by the chair, so it was no 
  stretch for her to keep her gaze down low. She braced herself for the worst, not 
  quite sure how one would brace oneself for news of that type. 

  Neil walked over and knelt before his wife. “Fairlight is resting comfortably. 
  There was some damage to the intestinal tract. I’ve cleaned up everything that 
  was causing the infection. I’ve staved off the abscess that was forming. I’ve 
  repaired all the damage that I could find. Now we just have to wait and see… and 
  of course pray. She should awaken shortly. Someone should be with her around 
  the clock because I don’t want her to cry anymore than need be. Crying could 
  cause more problems. She’s a brave girl and a very good girl. We’ll pray that she 
  will be herself and she should be fine.” Neil drew Christy’s face up to look him in 
  the eyes. “She’s as well as can be expected Christy. Don’t give up now.” Then he 
  folded Christy into his arms and held her tightly placing a soft kiss on the top of 
  her head and leaving his face there. He sat and rocked her for a while. 

  “When can I see her?” Christy asked.

  “Right now, if you like.” I’ve placed her in her cradle in the Dining Room, by the 
  fireplace, for now. We can move her someplace else if need be, later. Miss Alice, 
  Miss Margaret, Dr. Ferrand and Ruby Mae have offered to help us care for 
  Fairlight. We’ll take turns around the clock. I know you’re going to want to be 
  there all the time, but you have to think of the wee one inside of you as well.” 
  Neil paused as he looked away from his wife. “Do you want me to examine you 
  and I can tell you how the baby is doing. I know I would like to know what is 
  going on in there, but I will leave the decision up to you, if you don’t want to 
  know for sure just yet, I’ll understand. Have you noticed anything today?”

  Christy shook her head sadly. “I want to know, but I don’t. As long as the baby is 
  still inside, I can at least pretend that everything is all right. If you tell me that 
  it’s all over, then I have to give up that hope. Do you know what I mean?”

  “Aye Lass, I feel the same. Maybe the Physician in me wants to know what’s going 
  on, but the Daddy in me doesn’t want to find out any bad news about one of my 
  children.” Neil drew Christy close and hugged her. “Let’s go sit with Fairlight.” 
  Then he helped Christy to her feet, slid his arm around her to support her and led 
  her to the Dining Room. 

  They each took a chair and set it next to their daughter’s cradle. She hardly 
  moved at all. If it weren’t for the steady rise and fall of her tiny chest Christy 
  would have wondered if she were still alive. “I think her skin tone is better than 
  it was before, Neil. At least she’s not in so much pain anymore!”

  “I’m certain we’ve done well. Dr. Ferrand double-checked all my work. I was so 
  nervous. Thank-you for praying that I would have steady hands! I needed that! 
  My hands were trembling so badly I was afraid to start the operation. But as I 
  positioned the scalpel I felt my hands become steady. That was a miracle! Let’s 
  hope that there are further miracles here tonight.” 

  Christy took Neil’s hands and said, “Let’s pray together, Neil. 

  “Heavenly Father, I pray that you would continue to perform your miracles in our 
  lives. We thank-you for the one’s that we have received and we pray that you 
  would perform yet another miracle in Fairlight’s life. Please bring her through 
  this surgery and the ensuing recovery with no complications. So that she will have 
  no pain, and no more abscesses. In Jesus Name we pray. Amen.” 

  “Amen.” Neil added. “Christy, thank-you. Your prayers have brought me through so 
  many trying times! So many difficult situations! I can’t thank-you enough for 
  being an obedient prayerful Christian. You have been an excellent example for 
  me. Without you and your prayer’s behind me there is a great deal that I couldn’t 
  have done.” He placed his arm lovingly around his wife. This was going to be a 
  long night for both of them. 

  * * * * * * *

  A few hours later, Fairlight began coming around, first by moving her tiny little 
  fingers. They twitched ever so slightly. But both mama and daddy noticed! They 
  turned to each other and smiled. Within a few minutes she was moving her hands 
  and her arms. Then she turned her head from side to side. When she scowled; 
  that look that said she was about to cry, Christy knelt down beside her daughter’s 
  cradle and sang softly to her as she gently rocked the cradle while holding 
  Fairlight’s small hand in hers. Fairlight calmed, but continued to awaken. Her eyes 
  fluttered and she looked at Mama with her eyes half open. “Hello, sweetheart! 
  Mama and Daddy are here. Don’t worry. You just sleep.” Fairlight closed her eyes 
  again and fell back to sleep. Christy continued to sing and rock the cradle. 

  Once their daughter was soundly back to sleep once again, Neil looked at Christy, 
  “I think you should get some rest, also.” Neil told his wife. “You and the wee one 
  need you to get all the rest that you can.” 

  “I can’t leave Fairlight! What if she wakes up when I’m not here? What will she 
  think if I’m not here?” Christy asked.

  “I’ll be here Christy. I promise I won’t leave her. I’ll stay until you get up in the 
  morning and then you can take over while I sleep. Remember, I can sing also!” Neil 
  said with a chuckle.

  “Yes, I remember! And beautifully, I might add.“ Christy paused a moment. “I was 
  hoping tonight would be a special night for the two of us, not another nightmare.” 
  Christy confessed. “When are we ever going to be truly happy together?”

  “I am happy with you, Christy. No matter what we’ve been through, I wouldn’t 
  exchange it for anyone else’s life. I love having you as my wife and I love all 
  three of our children. Maybe we don’t have as much ‘private’ time as we would 
  like, we still have each other and our love for one another.” Neil smiled lovingly at 
  Christy. “I will never tire of you Christy. I have never, and will never wish that I 
  had done things differently and not married you… NO MATTER WHAT”

  Christy got up from her position on the floor and walked over to Neil. She took 
  him by the hands and dragged him to his feet. “I feel the same about you. I will 
  never wish that I had done things differently. I would never wish to exchange my 
  life for that of another. No matter what we are going through.” Christy said. “I 
  love you with all of my heart Neil MacNeill, I wouldn’t trade what we have 
  together for anything!” Then Christy kissed Neil in a way that told him she was 
  serious. 

  “I promise we’ll make up for all of our lost time together when I can finally be at 
  home again! I won’t forget about that, ever! We need each other, as you told me 
  once before, ‘It’s the dance that matters’ Mr. MacNeill. We have a lot to catch up 
  on when we can finally be alone again.” Christy whispered in Neil’s ear. “I’ll see 
  you in the morning. If Fairlight should need me for anything during the night, 
  please wake me!!”

  “I will, Christy! If Fairlight needs mama for anything I will call you immediately. 
  I promise.” Then Neil kissed his wife ‘Good Night’. 

  “Once again, I have to go to sleep alone…” Christy said sadly as she turned to 
  leave.

  * * * * * * *

  The hardest part of the next week turned out to be keeping Fairlight from 
  wrestling with her brother!! She felt so much better after the surgery than she 
  did before, that the incision didn’t seem to faze her much at all. Neil and Christy 
  were very happy to see their daughter progressing as she was! Neil wanted to 
  keep his family at the mission for at least the first week in case any complications 
  set in there would be someone to assist immediately. But that didn’t prove to be 
  necessary. At the end of the week they were making plans to return to their 
  cabin. 

  * * * * * * *

  Dr. Ferrand, Daniel and Margaret were going to be leaving together on Monday. 
  Dr. Ferrand had asked Miss Alice to allow Margaret to come along because he 
  might need a helping hand with Daniel. Miss Alice had agreed. She had people she 
  needed to look in on and there was no one else that could possibly go along.

  * * * * * * *

  “Well, Mrs. MacNeill, are you ready to go home?” Neil said with a loving smile to 
  his wife as he entered her room at the mission. 

  “Really? Do you truly mean that Neil? We can honestly go home? Today!?!” Christy 
  was amazed. “You’re not teasing me are you Neil?”

  Neil walked over and took his wife in his arms. “No, my love! I am not teasing you!! 
  I will pack up the children’s beds and highchairs right away. I’m not letting you or 
  the children out of my sight today and I’m not leaving any time go by before I get 
  us all out of here and back into our cabin, where we belong!! I’ll leave you to 
  pack-up the things in here and I’ll get everything downstairs. I’ll be back up to 
  help you when I’m through.” Neil kissed Christy sweetly and winked at her as he 
  turned to leave the room.

  They were going home!!! Christy wasted no time in packing up all of their things 
  this time if clothes weren‘t folded, so be it! They were on their way home and 
  that was all she cared about at this point. 

  Little Neil was playing on the floor in the bedroom and Fairlight was sleeping on 
  her mama’s bed. They were both right here safe and sound, in plain sight, this 
  time. 

  By the time Neil came back upstairs Christy had everything packed up and ready 
  to go. All that needed to be done was to bundle up the children and get into the 
  wagon. 

  Dr. Ferrand helped Neil carry the trunk downstairs and put it onto the wagon. 
  Together Neil and Christy bundled up the twins. 

  * * * * * *

  Chapter 13

  When they had all said ‘Good-bye and thank-you’ to everyone it was hard for both 
  Neil and Christy to believe that they were finally on their way home *together*!! 

  “I feel like I raced out of the mission this evening!” Christy laughed. “But I just 
  had to get out quickly!! I couldn’t stand to be there any longer! I can hardly 
  believe that we’re finally on our way home… together.” 

  Little Neil and Fairlight looked confused as Neil and Christy brought all of their 
  things into the cabin. They couldn’t remember ever living here. They had spent 
  more than half of their very young lives living at the mission. It hurt both Neil and 
  Christy to see the children so perplexed about being home. Christy had to admit 
  that if felt rather strange to her as well. It would be wonderful when they were 
  all used to living here again.

  “Neil, I’m not leaving this cabin for anything!!” Christy declared with a broad 
  smile, as she stood in the center of the parlor with Fairlight in her arms and her 
  other had on her expanded tummy. “I’m staying in this cabin until this baby is the 
  same age as Little Neil and Fairlight are now!!” 

  “That long Lass?” Neil questioned.

  “Well, maybe not *that* long, but I don’t ever want to leave here! I wish we could 
  barricade our family into this cabin and none of us would ever have to go 
  anywhere for a long, long while!!! I know that can’t be done, but I sure would like 
  to see us all have a normal family life, at least for awhile.” Christy stated.

  “I know how you feel Lass, but we need to look at things realistically. I’m a 
  Physician, emergencies are going to arise.”

  “I’m just dreaming Neil! I’ll pray that we can have at least somewhat of a normal 
  life again. At least ‘normal‘ for the MacNeill Family, that is.” Christy chuckled as 
  she winked at Neil.

  Neil built a fire in the fireplace. Christy built a fire in the stove. Little Neil and 
  Fairlight played on the floor at Daddy’s feet. Fairlight was a bundle of energy 
  since the surgery. She wanted to climb and get into mischief. 

  Neil struggled to keep them both away from the fire. When he had a blazing fire 
  started he turned to his children. Fairlight just had her stitches removed so they 
  couldn’t play rough and tumble, but Neil played rough with Little Neil and 
  Fairlight got to ride on Daddy’s back. 

  Christy watched Neil and the children from the kitchen. They were a family 
  again! Neil was playing with ‘their’ children in front of the fire as she had always 
  dreamed her husband would! They were having so much fun she thought she might 
  be intruding if she came into the room, but Neil noticed her before she could 
  finish that thought. “Come join us!” Neil called out to his wife with a huge smile on 
  his face.

  Christy sat down on the floor next to Neil; she took Fairlight and played gently 
  with her while Neil wrestled with Little Neil on the floor. “Aren’t boys silly 
  creatures Fairlight?” Christy asked her daughter playfully. Fairlight was laughing 
  at the sight before her eyes and hoping she could join in the battle! She reached 
  for her Daddy as he came near her. He would kiss her hand or shake it as he went 
  by. Fairlight was not satisfied but Neil could not wrestle with her now, not until 
  she was completely healed. 

  Christy laughed and laughed at her husband and children. It was so much fun to 
  be a real family again! When Neil had, had enough wrestling with Little Neil he 
  sat down next to Christy. She set Fairlight on the floor again. Their son seemed to 
  be tuckered out just enough to leave his sister alone! The children each picked up 
  a toy and became absorbed in it.

  Neil turned to face Christy. She reached up and brushed the stubborn curl from 
  his forehead. He smiled lovingly at his wife. “You look as though you are seeing 
  me for the first time?” Neil commented.

  “I feel as though I am!” Christy admitted. “It seems like forever since I’ve seen 
  you for this long at a time.” 

  Neil whispered, “It’s been an eternity since we’ve been alone together.” Neil 
  leaned forward and kissed his wife ardently. He took Christy’s French braided 
  hair bringing the braid to the front and he removed the ribbon holding her hair in 
  place. Then with the fingers of a surgeon unbraided her hair one section at a 
  time. Neil ran his fingers through Christy’s hair and she moaned softly. Neil 
  smiled a loving smile at his wife. “I think it’s time to put Neil and Fairlight to bed, 
  Christy.” Neil whispered softly into his wife’s ear.

  “I think so too.” Christy blushed slightly as she rose from the floor, picking up 
  Fairlight who looked ready for bed. She was an active child, but since her 
  surgery she tired more easily. 

  “Say Good night to Daddy, Fairlight.” 

  Fairlight held out her arms for her Daddy. He reached up and took her; he hugged 
  her as tightly as he dared. “Good-Night my little Fairlight. Daddy loves you very 
  much!!” Then Fairlight gave daddy a kiss. Neil hugged her one last time and 
  Fairlight reached up for mama. 

  Neil turned to his son and started tickling him and rough housing with him trying 
  to tucker him out before putting him to bed. 

  When Christy was finished putting Fairlight to bed she came in to fetch Little 
  Neil. “Time for bed young man.” Christy sang. 

  “Good night Neil! Daddy loves you very much!” Then Neil kissed his son goodnight. 
  Little Neil hugged his daddy then reached for mama. Christy smiled at Neil as she 
  picked her son up from his daddy’s arms. 

  Christy put Little Neil to bed. 

  She wondered if the lavender dress would fit her yet, then she looked down at 
  her six-month pregnant tummy and decided that there was no way that it would 
  fit her anymore. She held her hands on her tummy for a few minutes waiting to 
  see if there was any sign of movement at all. There was none. 

  When Christy emerged from the laboratory Neil had a slow song playing on his 
  phonograph and he had put out every lantern in the house and was waiting for his 
  wife standing in the only light in the room, the warm glow from the fireplace.

  “Oh Neil! How romantic!” Christy said tenderly.

  Neil walked over and took his wife in his arms. He held her close and began to 
  dance slowly and rhythmically to the music. He raised her chin so she was looking 
  at him and leaned down to kiss her passionately. Christy raised her arms and ran 
  her fingers through Neil’s hair. 

  Just then there was a knock at the door and someone was yelling “Doc MacNeill!! 
  Doc MacNeill!!”

  Neil pulled reluctantly away from Christy and went to the door. It was Bob Allen. 
  “There’s been a shootin’ Doc! Down by our place two boys havin’ an argument with 
  guns! Looks pretty bad you gotta come right now!!” 

  “I’ll be right there Bob! Saddle my horse for me!” Neil said. Bob ran toward the 
  stable. Neil turned to Christy. “I’m sorry Lass!”

  “You have to go Neil! You have no choice. Someone may die if you don’t.” Christy 
  soothed. 

  “I’ll miss you Lass!” Neil consoled as he kissed Christy good-bye. 

  “I’ll miss you also. I look forward to your homecoming. Please wake me when you 
  get back.” Christy pleaded.

  “I will, I promise! Nothing will keep me from it Lass!!” Neil looked at his beautiful 
  wife and sighed. “Leaving you right now is one of the hardest things I’ve ever had 
  to do. I’ll see you when I get home. Pray for the boys in the shooting and myself. 
  I love you Christy MacNeill.”

  “I love you too Neil. I will be praying for you all. I wait with breathless 
  anticipation for your return.” Christy said softly. “Good-bye Neil.”

  “Good-bye Christy.” Neil said quietly as he turned to leave.

  Christy felt tears stinging her eyes as she watched Neil walk out the door. But 
  this was their life. If she wanted to have what was a normal life for them, then 
  she had to expect him to be called away on emergencies a few times a week, at 
  least. She walked over to the window to be there just in case Neil looked back. 
  She couldn’t make out much of anything in the darkness. Only a couple of 
  shadows and then she couldn’t make out which was Neil and which was Bob. 

  After the sound of horses hooves faded into the distance Christy turned and 
  walked over to Neil’s desk. She took the matches and lit the lantern. Picking it up 
  she and walked into the laboratory to check on the children. They were both 
  sound asleep. She made sure they were tucked in securely.

  Next she ascended the stairs to their bedroom. It was too lonely in here, but she 
  told Neil to wake her when he arrived home, so she had better be where he could 
  find her. He would expect her to be in their bed upstairs. She dressed for bed 
  and picked up a book that she had started reading and climbed into bed. She 
  read until the book fell from her hands into her lap. She snuggled down into the 
  bed, blew out the lantern and pulled Neil’s pillow close so she could smell his 
  scent on it. It didn’t take long for her to fall asleep, it felt so good to be back in 
  *their* bed once again! If only she could fall asleep in Neil’s arms tonight, she 
  would feel wonderful.

  * * * * * *

 Chapter 14

  At the Allen cabin Neil found two boys that he recognized, but didn’t know well. 
  They were from families that Neil had met on his rounds of the mountain families. 
  Both boys were shot in the abdomen; each must have shot the other at the exact 
  same moment, leaving very similar wounds. Mary was hysterical as always and Bob 
  had to calm her down. The Allen children were all huddled together in the corner 
  bed trying to sleep. 

  The two boys were both injured badly. Neil wasn’t sure if he could save them 
  both. If he operated on one the other might die! He prayed silently for wisdom. If 
  only Alice were here he needed a trained nurse right now! 

  After closer examination Neil decided which boy to begin with. Thankfully the 
  Allen’s had been thinking ahead and had huge pots of water boiling and linens 
  ready for him. 

  “Bob, I’ll need you to handle the ether for me.” Neil announced. “Hold this loosely 
  over his nose and mouth.” Bob complied.

  ‘When will these people ever learn that feuding never gets them anywhere? It’s 
  stupid and senseless!!’ Neil thought to himself viewing the wound as he poused his 
  scalpel. ‘What would it take for them to learn? Christy tried to teach the children 
  about the uselessness of feuding in school. Grantland had preached against it in 
  the pulpit!’ Neil had stood up against it many times himself, such as when the 
  Allen’s were going to hang Bird’s-Eye Taylor for shooting Tom McHone and 
  Bird’s-Eye was innocent! Neil knew that all along, because Bird’s-Eye was such a 
  good shot that if he had wanted to kill Tom he wouldn’t have missed! 

  But this case . . .these were children! Neither boy could have been older than 
  thirteen! They had taken up the feuding ways so early! What could be done? That 
  would be another item to add to his list of things that needed prayer!

  After both operations were complete Neil cleaned up and cleaned the area where 
  he had been working. These boys would have to be watched. Which meant that 
  Neil would have to be here all-night and possibly all the next day. When they 
  were doing better and danger was passed he would send Bob to the mission to 
  bring the wagon. Alice and Ruby Mae would be able to watch over them until they 
  were well enough to return home. 

  * * * * * * *

  Christy was awakened in the morning to the sound of Little Neil calling for her 
  downstairs. She sat up and looked at Neil’s side of the bed. No he hadn’t come 
  home last night. It must have been extremely serious in order for Neil to have to 
  stay overnight! 

  After Christy had the children fed and changed she took them out onto the front 
  porch to get some fresh air and sunshine. “Teacher! Teacher!” Christy heard 
  someone calling her. Even though they had, had a new teacher for almost a year 
  now, the children of the cove could not get used to calling her anything but 
  ‘teacher‘. 

  Christy looked up to see Creed and Little Burl Allen scurrying her way. “What is it 
  boys?” Christy questioned.

  “Howdy teacher! We got somethin fer yah!” Creed called.

  “Howdy teacher!” Little Burl said.

  “Howdy to you both!” Christy said. “What have you got for me?”

  “This here’s a note from Doc MacNeill, said I’m ah-posed tah de-liver it to yah!” 
  Creed announced with pride.

  “Why thank-you boys! I appreciate it! How are the boys that were shot near your 
  place last evening?”

  “They’s in bad trouble Miz Christy! Doc wrote all bout it in that thar note we 
  brung yah!” Little Burl added. “He told us so hisself!”

  “Alright then, I’ll just have to read my note to find out!” Christy smiled at the 
  boys. “Would you boys like something before you go? Some water or maybe 
  something to eat? I believe Dr. MacNeill was paid his fee the other day with a 
  bushel of apples if either of you are interested.” Both boys’ faces lit up at the 
  thought of an apple!

  “If in it won’t be no bother, we’d love an apple!” Creed announced.

  “Why don’t you watch the babies for me a moment and I’ll get you both an apple! 
  After all I have to reward you some how for bringing me that note all the way to 
  my cabin!!” Christy walked into the kitchen and picked out two apples for each of 
  the boys. 

  “Here you go. I’ll give you both two apples because you did such an especially 
  good job delivering that note to me! I can’t thank-you enough!”

  “Thank yah ma’am!! That’s right nice ah yah!” Creed said. Little Burl whispered 
  something into Creed’s ear. Christy had to smile at the way Creed’s face 
  scrunched up as his brother spoke. “I was hopin you’d fer get that Burl!!” Creed 
  said softly.

  “Miz Christy, Doc MacNeill said we’s tah give yah one more thing too!” Little Burl 
  announced.

  “What is it?” She asked.

  “This!” Said Creed as he gave Christy a peck on the cheek and then wiped his 
  mouth off saying, “Yuck!!”

  Christy blushed. How could Neil ask Creed to do that? But then her husband was 
  always one to do things that surprised her!!

  * * * * * * *

  It was late afternoon before Christy got a chance to be alone and sit down to 
  enjoy the note from her husband. She put on one of Neil’s shirts so she could feel 
  close to him, and then she stoked the fire and curled up in the chair in front of 
  the fireplace.

  “My Darling Christy,

  The boys were wounded much worse then I had at first thought they might be. I 
  hope to be home this evening if the boys are stable by then. I want to deliver 
  them to the mission where Alice and Ruby Mae can watch over them. I’ll be 
  sending Bob and Creed to the mission to pick-up the wagon as soon as the boys 
  are ready to travel. Hopefully it won’t be too late and I’ll be able to send Creed 
  to our cabin to let you know I’ll be home soon. 

  You don’t know how many times today I’ve thought of you at home. I can scarcely 
  wait to wrap my arms around you and hold you close. To have you sleeping beside 
  me at night again. I want to see you in the firelight again with music playing in the 
  background. I am breathless at the mere thought of you my love.

  I pray I won’t be too late.

  Yours always and forever, Neil

  Christy shivered slightly thinking of Neil coming home soon. 

  * * * * * * *

  Neil checked the boys over one last time after he and Bob placed them into the 
  back of the mission wagon. Neil hopped into the back to watch over the boys 
  while Bob and Creed sat in the seat up front. 

  Charlie was tethered to the back of the wagon until Neil needed him. 

  Neil doubted that he would have the boys settled in before dark. He tried as 
  hard as he could to keep his mind on his patients and off of his lovely wife, but it 
  had been so very long since they had been alone together that he couldn’t block 
  the sight from his mind of her as he had seen her the night she told him she was 
  expecting Neil and Fairlight, she looked stunning in the lavender dress with her 
  hair hanging down, standing in the glow of the firelight. He found himself 
  breathless at the mere thought of her. At the moment the thought of her cooking a 
  meal at the stove was more than he could bear. 

  Then he remembered their wee one, which had not moved in quite awhile. He knew 
  it was getting to the point where he was going to have to examine his wife and 
  find out for sure, but he wouldn’t press that tonight, that could wait until 
  tomorrow. Tonight it would be just the two of them. 

  * * * * * * *

  After the boys were settled in and Neil had given Alice and Ruby Mae 
  instructions he asked Alice to use the telephone. 

  * * * * * * *

  It was getting late so Christy got the children ready of bed, she had purposely 
  kept them up from their afternoon naps so that she could put them to bed 
  whenever Creed came to announce that Neil would be home soon. But when Creed 
  didn’t show up she was sure that Neil wouldn’t be back until tomorrow at the 
  earliest. Maybe he would send Creed with another note tomorrow to tell her how 
  things were going at the Allen’s. 

  After the children were in bed Christy stoked the fire in the fireplace, then went 
  into the kitchen and heated water for a bath. She moved the bathtub in front of 
  the fireplace to keep warm. She was upset about Neil not coming home this 
  evening. Quite a while ago she had told Ruby Mae that taking a bath and washing 
  her hair always made her feel better. It had been a long day! The children 
  weren’t a lot of trouble, it was just frustration over Neil not being there for so 
  long. She put out all of the lanterns and started some relaxing music on the 
  Victrola to help her relax. She sat and soaked until she actually nodded off to 
  sleep in the tub. 

  Some time later she was awakened by the sound of a horse out front. Jumping 
  from the shock hoping no one would just come walking into the cabin, Christy 
  panicked. It had to be an emergency. No one would come calling at this time… not 
  after dark!! 

  Then she heard someone bounding up the stairs!! She jumped up to grab her bath 
  blanket just as the door opened and Neil came rushing in.

  Relief swept over Christy as she relieved that it was only Neil and not a neighbor.

  “Christy!” Neil sighed. “Now there’s the most beautiful sight I’ve ever seen.” He 
  breathed deeply. Neil took his wife in his arms as he reached up and removed the 
  combs from her hair drawing her into him as he kissed her eagerly. He scooped 
  her up in his arms and carried her up the stairs.

  As he laid his wife on the bed he said, “I‘ve taken the next week off so we can 
  spend every possible moment together. Dr. Davis is taking over for the week. We‘ll 
  have an entire week to enjoy each other and the children!” He whispered softly 
  into her ear. He slid in bed next to his wife and took Christy in his arms drawing 
  her to him as the baby moved vigorously. Christy jumped back in surprise looking 
  down at the expansion of her tummy. “Neil did you feel that!?!” She said 
  excitedly.

  “Yes! Christy I did!” Neil placed his hand on her tummy and the baby moved again. 
  He leaned over and hugged Christy’s tummy as he kissed their unborn baby. “Ah 
  wee one! You had us worried sick! You were afraid that Daddy didn’t love Mama 
  anymore weren’t you? You were waiting for Daddy to show Mama how much he 
  still loved her before you’d make your presence known again! You need never 
  worry anymore because Daddy’s going to be right here and I’ll show Mama how 
  much I love her as often as I possibly can!” Then with tears in both of their eyes 
  they gazed at each other and Neil once again took his lovely wife in his arms. 
  “Now where was I?” He whispered barely audible into her ear.

  * * * * * * *

  In the early morning Christy was awakened by their ‘wee one’ as Neil liked to call 
  their babies before they were born. The baby moved around so much this morning 
  that she couldn’t get back to sleep. In her discomfort she rolled around so much 
  that she woke Neil. “What’s the matter lass?” Neil asked as he took Christy in his 
  arms. 

  “I think our ‘wee one’ wants his Daddy again!” She called out. “He’s moving around 
  so much now that I can’t get any sleep!”

  “Let’s see.” Neil took his hand and placed it on Christy’s tummy and began talking 
  to the wee one and the baby quieted down. Then Neil proceeded to tell the baby 
  the story about the ‘Silkie’. Christy was as enthralled by the story as their baby 
  seemed to be!

  When Neil finished, Christy said, “I still think that’s a beautiful story Neil!”

  “It’s a story about my life.” Neil said shyly. 

  Christy looked at her husband and her heart went out to him. “I know what you’re 
  talking about Neil, but it’s not true anymore! Now it truly is a ‘Fairy Tale’ as you 
  once told me that it was. I’ll not leave you Neil, I promise!” She took his hand and 
  laid it back on her tummy, “Does this look like I’m planning on going anywhere?” 
  Christy giggled.

  Neil slid his arm around his wife and drew her close. “I could *never* go on living 
  without you and the children! You mean the world to me!” He proceeded to kiss his 
  wife thoroughly.

  An hour later they fell asleep in each other’s arms. Completely satisfied with each 
  other and the new life they were beginning once again!

  * * * * * *

  
  Chapter Fifteen

                          THREE MONTHS LATER

  On a cold day in December Christy began having the first signs of approaching 
  labor. 

  “Neil, I think you had better take the children to the mission for a while.” She 
  said shyly coming into the parlor where Neil was sitting on the floor playing with 
  the twins.

  “Really?” Neil asked with surprise. “Are you sure?”

  Christy nodded her head. “Most definitely! I think you had better pack up their 
  things in the wagon and take them down there soon! I don’t think it’s going to be 
  more than a day or two. It may not even be that long, so I think you had better 
  get them to the mission as soon as you can.” She paused as she looked out the 
  window. “I’m sorry… it’s snowing.” 

  “It’s not snowing hard, Christy. There should be no problem.” Neil looked at the 
  sky through the window. “It‘s clearing up already. I’ll get the wagon all set. Can 
  you get the twins bundled up?”

  “I’ll do what I can.” Christy said. Neil went out to the stable. Christy looked down 
  at the twins. They had just turned one year old and had been toddling around all 
  over the house for weeks already. Little Neil had been getting into mischief for 
  months, even before he could walk. Now that he was walking he had to be 
  watched constantly! They could both say ’mama’ and ’dada’ and they would both 
  point to Mama’s tummy while patting it and say ’Baby! Baby!’ Christy would say, 
  ’Yes, that’s where baby is!’ Fairlight was a bundle of energy since her surgery! 
  Christy loved them both very much; it would be much easier for her to take care 
  of them once the baby was born, though. ‘Thank God Neil has been able to stay 
  home more with us these last couple of month!’ Christy thought to herself. 

  Neil packed up everything including the twins and headed for the mission. Christy 
  felt the tears sting her eyes as she watched them drive away, she knew they 
  wouldn’t be gone long, but when they returned things would never be quite the 
  same again. It would probably be even better, but at the moment her hormones 
  were running away with her emotions. 

  Christy turned on her heel and headed for the laboratory. First thing to do was 
  make up the bed and get the extra linens and things ready that she knew Neil 
  would need when ‘the time’ came. Then she went to the kitchen to make lunch.

  * * * * * * *

  Neil pulled the wagon up to the front of the mission house. Ruby Mae ran outside 
  when she heard the wagon. “Doc MacNeill? What are yah doin here?”

  “Mrs. MacNeill says it’s almost time for the new baby, so I’ve brought the twins 
  here until the baby is born and Christy is feeling up to caring for all of them. 
  Could you take them in so I can bring in the other things?” Neil asked.

  “Sure can!” Ruby Mae always loved caring for the MacNeill children. 

  As Ruby Mae entered the mission carrying the twins, Miss Alice turned around to 
  see what was happening and to whom Ruby Mae was speaking baby talk!! 

  “Ah, Ruby Mae, let me guess. Mrs. MacNeill is going to have the new baby soon.” 
  Miss Alice beamed.

  “Yes ma’am! Doc MacNeill’s outside unloading the rest of the belongings that he 
  brung with him for the twins.” Ruby Mae answered.

  “Well, I best see if I can help the good Doctor bring in anything.” Miss Alice 
  offered.

  “Neil!” Miss Alice declared as she approached him outside. “I hear thee are going 
  to be a proud papa again soon?” She smiled shyly.

  “Yes, it looks like it should be in the next couple of days. At least Christy thinks 
  so and from what she tells me I agree with her prognosis. I’m not about to argue 
  with an experienced mother. She knows better what’s going on inside of her then 
  I do.” 

  “Will thee be needing my assistance?” Miss Alice asked.

  “I believe Christy wanted me to deliver this wee one. At least that’s what she tells 
  me.”

  “I’ll come everyday and check on the three of thee to see how things are 
  progressing. Then when the baby arrives I can spread the news that the ’new’ 
  MacNeill has arrived.” Miss Alice teased. 
  “Christy will be glad to hear that you’ll be by to check on us. She’s been a tad 
  edgy lately. But then I suppose I would be also if I were in her shoes!” Neil 
  laughed as they carried the last of the things into the mission house. 

  Neil walked over to where Ruby Mae had Little Neil and Fairlight in the parlor. 
  “Well, I’ve got to get back to mama before she starts to worry about me. I’ll see 
  you all soon! I love you Neil!” He hugged his son tight and Little Neil hugged 
  Daddy in return. “I love you Fairlight!” He hugged his daughter tight and she 
  reciprocated as well.

  “Thank-you Ruby Mae for watching over the twins at this time. I cannot tell you 
  how much this means to us.” Neil added.

  “It’s a pure pleasure Doc MacNeill! I love yer young’uns!” Ruby Mae said beaming.

  “I know I’m leaving them in excellent care.” Neil said. “Good-bye Ruby Mae.”

  “Bye Doc.” Ruby Mae called as Neil headed for the door.

  Miss Alice was standing out on the porch. “Well Alice, the next time I see you I 
  may be the father of *three* children!!” Neil said ecstatically! “Did you ever think 
  you’d hear that about *ME*!?”

  “I always hoped thee would find true love, Neil and I can’t tell thee how happy I 
  am that thee have! Christy is a wonderful young woman and I am so glad that the 
  two of thee are happy together.”

  “I need to get home before Christy needs me Alice, so I’ll say Good-bye for now 
  and we’ll see you tomorrow.”

  “Good-bye Neil, tell Christy that we shall be praying for her.” 

  “I will and thank-you for the prayers.” 

  * * * * * * *

  It didn’t take long. At five O’clock the next morning Christy wasn’t feeling well. 
  She was very uncomfortable. So as not to wake Neil, she walked down to the 
  front room. While stoking the fire in the fireplace to warm the house she felt the 
  first contraction. She rose to her feet after it was over and when things were 
  still continuing an hour later she ascended the stairs to their bedroom. She 
  thought she should tell Neil what was going on before she could no longer make it 
  up the stairs. 

  “Neil?” She whispered softly. “Neil wake up.” She kissed him softly. He 
  instinctively reached out with his arms and drew her toward him, kissing her 
  ardently. Then he opened his eyes and smiled at her. 

  “You surprise me Mrs. MacNeill!” Neil said as he tried to kiss his wife again. But 
  she backed away. “What’s wrong lass?”

  “I’m sorry Neil, but this isn’t that kind of a visit my love! I think ‘the time’ has 
  come, Neil.” 

  Neil sat up straight in bed. “Right now?”

  “Well, no, not this very moment, but labor has definitely begun.” 

  * * * * * *

  Christy had been in labor for six hours. Neil wiped her brow with a cool wet 
  cloth. “It won’t be much longer, I’m sure of it.” Neil assured her kissing her 
  forehead sweetly. 

  “This baby has got to be a boy! He’s as stubborn as you are!” She grimaced.

  “And you aren’t stubborn, are you Christy?” Neil chuckled. 

  She glared at him. “Now is not the time to try and pick a fight with me Neil 
  MacNeill! Not unless you want me to bite your head off!” Just then another 
  contraction struck her hard. This was much worse than when the twins were born.

  “Watch me Christy!” Neil demanded. “Breath slow and easy. Like this…” He said 
  showing her how. She tried to copy what he was doing as well as she could.

  After that contraction Christy asked Neil, “How much longer is this going to go 
  on?”

  “I don’t know Christy. Things are progressing slower this time then they did last 
  time. I’m sorry lass. I wish there was something I could do to help you.” 

  “Hold my hand.” She called. “Keep wiping my face with the cool cloth. That’s 
  about all you can do accept help me breathe . . . Oh no! Here we go again!”

  Christy held on to Neil’s hand so very tight that she thought she would hurt him. 
  This time breathing correctly didn’t help much. She screamed for Neil, even 
  though she knew he was right there holding her hand. 

  When it was over and Christy could speak again she said, “I didn’t squeeze your 
  hand too tight did I?”

  “You could never do that, especially at this time. With all you’re going through I 
  couldn’t possibly complain about the way you squeeze my hand!!” Neil declared as 
  he wiped her brow again with the cool cloth and kissed her forehead once more. 
  “I’m sorry I put you through all this!”

  “It will be worth it in the end!”

  Christy gripped Neil’s hand as tight as she could as once again the pain swept 
  through her. 

  When it was over, Neil checked her to see how far things were progressing. He 
  closed his eyes trying very hard to keep his emotions in check. Even after six 
  hours Christy didn’t seem to be any farther than she was when she told him that 
  she was in labor!! He turned away from his wife so as not to disturb her too much 
  with the look of concern on his face. “I’ll get some fresh water Christy, I’ll be 
  right back.” Neil said, just so that he could get out of the room for a while to 
  recover his emotions. He walked outside to get the water, praying as he walked 
  along. “Dear God, please help Christy! I don’t know what’s going on or what 
  exactly to pray for, but you know what’s going on. Please help her. Please make 
  her labor progress faster! I don’t know how much more she can stand. I love her 
  so much! Please, please help her! Amen” He wasn’t sure if that was the exact way 
  to pray but at the moment it was the best he could do.

  “*NEIL*!!!!!” Christy screamed from inside the house…

  * * * * * *

  Chapter Sixteen

  Neil bounded up the stairs three at a time and sprinted into the laboratory. He 
  fell to his knees at Christy’s side. She was writhing in pain, gripping the 
  bedclothes with all her might. Neil wiped her brow and face with the cold fresh 
  water as he silently prayed once more for his lovely wife. 

  With only a short time to rest in between, another contraction exactly like the 
  last one struck again. Christy screamed again and this time gripped Neil’s hand 
  with a strength that Neil never thought possible out of such a small woman. He 
  tried to wipe her face again, but it was difficult with her gripping his hand so 
  firmly.

  After the third contraction of his type Christy said, “I feel like I have to push 
  Neil!”

  “I just checked a few moments ago. You were no where near ready.” Neil 
  commented.

  “But I still feel that I have to!” Christy cried as the fourth terrible contraction 
  hit. Neil couldn’t do much while Christy had hold of his hand. He looked around 
  the room and found something that Christy could hold on to while he checked to 
  see what was happening. 

  He pulled back the bedclothes, “Christy! I see a head full of curly red hair! It 
  *is* time to begin pushing, love! Let’s get this over with so we can relax and enjoy 
  our wee one!”

  With the next contraction Christy began to push, but with the strength of these 
  contractions it didn’t take much to get this baby out into the world! Neil thought 
  he would have been better off if he had, borrowed a baseball glove from David 
  before this birth, for the baby came so quickly! 

  “You were correct Christy!” Neil announced. “It’s a *big* boy!!” Neil held their 
  son up for his mama to see for the very first time! The small, bawling, red-faced 
  boy looked more beautiful to Christy then just about anything she had ever seen! 

  “He’s got to be twice the size of Neil or Fairlight!!” Christy said startlingly. “Can I 
  hold him?”

  “Of course you can!” Neil said. “Just let me wrap him up first, it’s a wee bit chilly 
  in here.” Neil wrapped his son in a blanket and handed him to Christy, a proud 
  smile began in his eyes and swept across his entire face. “Besides I’ve still got 
  work to do! You better feed him he’s probably hungry!” 

  Christy proceeded to nurse their new son. She looked admiringly down at the 
  bundle in her arms, “Yes, he *is* worth everything I have gone through today!” 
  she declared reassuringly to Neil as well as herself. “You look just like your 
  daddy, just as your brother Neil does, but only you have sandy-red hair with long 
  curls.” Little Neil’s hair wasn’t quite as curly, but as long as they were all healthy, 
  that’s all that mattered anyway! Although Christy smiled to herself, it would 
  probably be difficult to tell the two boys apart, as they got older.

  When everything was finished and cleaned up, including their baby, Neil climbed 
  onto the bed beside his wife and new son placing his arm around Christy, holding 
  her close. “He’s a strapping lad!” Neil announced. “He’s a whopping nine pounds 
  five ounces!! He’s considerably larger than Neil or Fairlight, but not twice as 
  large at least.”

  “He’s all MacNeill! He looks as much like you as Little Neil does.” Christy said as 
  they both looked down at their new son with broad smiles on their faces. The new 
  baby picked that exact moment to yawn and open his eyes. “He’s a blue-eyed lad 
  as well!“ Neil commented. The baby had hold of Christy’s finger with his one hand 
  and Neil’s finger with his other hand. “Would you like to hold him Daddy?” 

  “I most certainly would!” Neil announced. Christy handed their new son to his 
  Daddy. She turned to face them. “Well Daddy, what shall we name our new lad?” 
  Christy said trying to use her best Scottish brogue.

  Trying out his best mountain accent Neil said, “Where’d yah learn to talk so 
  funny?” They both laughed and startled the baby and he began to cry loudly. “I 
  think he needs his mama now.” Neil said nervously. Christy smiled and took their 
  son to sooth him. 

  “So what do you want to name him?” Christy asked. “I’ll leave it up to you this 
  time, any name you choose I’ll agree with.”

  “Well now! I *have* given this considerable thought! I like Charles Edward after 
  ‘Bonnie Prince Charlie’.” Neil said shyly.

  Christy leaned over their baby and cooed, “Welcome to the MacNeill Clan, 
  Charles Edward!” Neil smiled proudly. “Just don’t get him confused with your 
  horse! Promise?”

  “I promise Christy!” Neil said as he leaned forward toward his wife‘s face. 
  “Thank-you Christy not only for allowing me to name our son, but also for giving 
  him to me in the first place. I know this whole ordeal was rough for you. I love all 
  four of you with my whole heart Christy!” He drew his wife into him and hugged 
  her as best as he could with the baby in her arms. Then he cupped her chin in his 
  hand and drew her head up to look at him. He whispered ever so softly, “I love 
  you Christy MacNeill! I‘m very proud of you!” Then he kissed her thoroughly. 

  “Thank-you Neil!” Christy said shyly as she snuggled into his embrace and placed 
  her head on his chest. He drew her close and held her tight. 

  Baby Charles started to cry. “I think someone’s hungry again!” Neil commented. 
  Christy leaned back against her husband’s chest and proceeded to nurse Charles. 

  * * * * * * *

  When Alice came to check-up on them that afternoon Christy and Charles were 
  asleep on the bed side-by-side.

  Miss Alice crept into the laboratory to sneak a peek at the new baby. She was so 
  taken with Charles it was difficult for her to keep from picking him up and 
  snuggling him! 

  * * * * * * *

  Back in the front room Alice looked at Neil, “He is definitely thy son Neil. He has 
  got thy rugged features and sandy-red curls. He is a handsome boy Neil. Thee 
  should be very proud of him. Tell Christy that I am proud of her as well.”

  “It was a difficult labor, but Christy said it was worth it after she finally had 
  the baby in her arms.” Neil commented.

  “How big is he? He seems to be a very big boy!”

  “He’s nine pounds five ounces. Plus he’s twenty-one inches long. He’s considerably 
  larger than Neil or Fairlight.”

  “I am glad she did not suffer too long. Six hours in pain may seem like forever, 
  but at least it was no longer. Our prayers have been answered. By the way what 
  did thee name him?”
  “Thank-you for praying for us, Alice. His name is Charles Edward MacNeill. 
  Christy allowed me to name him.”

  “Ahh! After the ‘Bonnie Prince’!! And thee are very welcome Neil. I will not stop 
  praying now, just because the baby is born. I will continue to pray for health and 
  happiness. And strength also.”

  “We can use that as well!” Neil commented with a chuckle. 

  “I shall see thee again tomorrow Neil. Take good care of that new baby and do 
  something extra special for that wife of thine! She has undergone far more than 
  any woman should have to endure during this pregnancy! If she protest‘s, tell her 
  *I* told thee to treat her with kid gloves! She deserves it!!”

  “I will Alice. Beginning with Supper in bed!”

  “That’s the way Neil!” Alice proclaimed.

  * * * * * * *

  With Alice on her way back to the mission, Neil walked into the laboratory and 
  enjoyed the sight of his beautiful wife and newborn son both sound asleep. A 
  tear flowed from his eye as he watched them. He lifted his face toward heaven 
  and whispered, “Thank-you!” He stood by a few moments longer his heart 
  pounding harder in his chest as he tried to understand how he got to be such an 
  extremely blessed man! 

  Charles stirred slightly. Neil couldn’t help but pick him up and cuddle him. He 
  walked back and forth in the laboratory bouncing his new son speaking lovingly 
  to him. Every now and then he would look at his attractive wife and think of what 
  she had just endured today to have *his* child! He had never had anyone love him 
  so much! 

  Charles must have been getting hungry; Neil couldn’t keep him quiet any longer. So 
  Neil sat on the edge of the bed and kissed Christy’s cheek sweetly. “I think our 
  son is hungry again Lass.” He whispered tenderly into her ear then he kissed her 
  softly on her lips. 

  Christy roused slowly with a smile on her face. She stretched and opened her 
  eyes to see her loving husband smile caringly at her. She loved the way he looked 
  with a baby in his arms. She smiled broadly at him. “I love you Neil MacNeill! 
  More than life itself!” She whispered.

  Neil leaned over and kissed his wife affectionately. “I love you also Christy 
  MacNeill! I can’t thank-you enough for all you’ve done for me and for all that 
  you’ve endured on account of me. Thank-you for *THREE* beautiful healthy 
  children Christy! I never thought I would be this blessed! Please don’t ever think 
  that I don’t appreciate all that you’ve done for me.” He said as he handed Charles 
  to Christy so she could feed him. As she took the baby to nurse him, Neil sat 
  beside his wife and rested her back against his chest. He stroked Christy’s hair 
  as he spoke to her. “I need you Christy.” He whispered with tears in his eyes. “I’ve 
  been watching you and Charles as you slept. You are extremely beautiful, inside 
  and out! I can’t thank-you enough for marrying me!” He paused for a moment. 
  Christy instinctively knew that he had more to say then he was revealing.

  “What’s wrong Neil?” Christy asked softly.

  “What makes you think something is wrong, Lass?”

  “I know you Neil MacNeill. You’re holding me a stiffly as a board. There is 
  something else on your mind that you aren’t telling me.”

  Neil looked away shyly. “Why did you, Christy?”

  Christy looked at her husband with confusion. “Why did I marry you?” She 
  asked. 

  Neil nodded his head. “I wanted to be with my best friend. I wanted to be here 
  with you all the time. I knew inside that you were the man I was to spend my life 
  with. For some reason I didn’t realize that I was in love with you at first, I think 
  I was just so used to being friends with you. But then we became best friends. 
  That developed into love without my actually realizing it. When you told me that 
  you loved me and you wanted me to marry you; I was for the first time faced with 
  my true feelings for you. I was as shocked by *my* feelings as I was by yours. 
  During that fever, and the walk back to the mission I had a lot of time to think. 
  When I looked deep within myself, I could no longer deny the feelings that were 
  inside of me . . .for you. When you carried me down that mountain, I realized how 
  much I wanted to be in your arms and stay there. I haven’t wanted to be 
  anywhere else since. My love for you has only grown deeper and stronger over 
  time. I love you with my whol! ! e heart! I never want to be with anyone but you 
  and there is nowhere on this earth that I would rather be than right here with 
  you.

  “I know how badly you wanted to be a father! I remember your excitement when 
  I first told you we were expecting Neil and Fairlight! How you whirled me around 
  and danced across the room! I was thrilled to make you so happy! I love to see 
  you like that. I see that same excitement in your eyes when we have a baby and 
  when you play with the children! It’s the look of a really ‘Daddy’, not just a 
  father! I can hardly wait to have the next one, but for now I’ll enjoy the three we 
  have…” She looked at Neil with a sly smile. “But I’ll enjoy their daddy even more!” 
  She said as she raised her eyebrows.

  Neil leaned down to his wife’s face. He whispered, “Words cannot express how 
  very much I love you!” He kissed her passionately as he raised his hand and 
  placed it ever so softly on her chin and neck. “I will never tire of you! You mean 
  the world to me. If we never have another child, I’d still be the happiest man 
  alive. 

  “But I have to admit that I love to watch you nursing our babies, caring for them, 
  giving them baths, playing with them. Those are all sights I could never tire of.” 
  He placed his hand gently on baby Charles’ tiny head full of soft curls. “I still 
  believe what I told you once before that we do make beautiful babies together!” 
  Neil smiled slyly at Christy. 

  “I agree with you Dr. MacNeill! We have three of the most beautiful children on 
  the face of the earth!” Christy agreed with a little giggle. 

  Charles finished eating and Christy placed him on her shoulder and patted his 
  back. “Well, mama” Neil said. “I’ve got something I have to do. I received 
  instructions from Alice that I had better fulfill. I’ll be back soon!”

  “What instructions?” Christy asked. 

  “I’ll tell you when I return. You two need your rest.” Neil got up from the bed and 
  walked out of the room.

  Christy sat on the bed holding Charles. She could hear Neil in the other room 
  bustling about, opening and closing doors. She smiled shyly, wondering what was 
  going on that she didn’t know about. Suddenly she could smell food cooking and 
  she realized that Neil was making Supper. 

  * * * * * * *

  Chapter 17

Charles fell asleep in Christy’s arms she looked down at him and smiled. He looked so much like his Daddy it was amazing! 
Touching his soft curls she giggled, “So this is what Neil looked like when he was a baby?” She said to herself. 

Neil carried in a tray for Christy. “For my wonderful wife! Supper in bed!”

“Why thank-you, Neil! But I could have gotten up and ate at the table with you.” Christy flashed a radiant smile at him.

“I was told to pamper you, and pamper you I shall. Beginning with Supper in bed.“ He set the tray down before his wife. “I’ll 
take Charles while you eat.”

“Aren’t you going to join me? I don’t want to eat alone!” Christy asked. “You could put Charles in his cradle for awhile.” Neil 
looked a little disappointed to have to put his new son down. “He won’t disappear Neil! He’ll be right there when you finish 
eating. You can even pick him up and hold him again, I promise!”

“Well, I suppose I could.” Neil said with a touch of sadness as he looked at their newborn son in his arms. “I’d love to spend 
some time with my lovely wife also.” Neil placed Charles in his cradle, stood back and gazed at him a few moments before he 
turned to his wife. “I’ll be right back, Christy.”

When Neil returned with his supper, he sat next to Christy on the bed and they prayed together before they ate. “This meal 
is delicious Neil!” Christy announced. “Thank-you! This was what Miss Alice instructed you to do?”

“Not exactly. She said, and I quote: ‘do something extra special for that wife of yours! She has endured far more than any 
woman should have to during this pregnancy! If she protests, tell her *I* told you to treat her with kid gloves! She deserves 
it!!’ So I’m doing what I was told, although I was already going to make you supper in bed.”

“I appreciate it. It’s extremely difficult to get up and around this time.” Christy admitted.

“You’ve probably bruised the bones this time because Charles was so large. It could hurt for a few months.” Neil said. 

Christy moaned, “That long Neil!?” He nodded his head.

Neil leaned over to Christy and kissed her sweetly, “That just gives me more time to spoil *you* for a change.” 

She smiled sadly at him. 

* * * * * * *

The following day when Alice came to check on them Christy and Charles were both awake. 

Neil led Alice into the laboratory where Charles was having his midmorning snack. Christy looked up from the baby and 
smiled at Miss Alice as she entered. “Good morning Miss Alice!” Christy crooned.

“Good morning, Mrs. MacNeill! How is little Charles this morning?” Alice inquired. 

“Fine as frog hair ma’am!” Christy giggled and so did Alice and Neil.

Neil sat on the edge of his wife’s bed, “I think you’ve spent too much time with the children at the school Mrs. MacNeill!” 
He chuckled to his wife then turned back to Miss Alice. “He’s a strong, healthy lad Alice!”

“With an insatiable appetite!!” Christy giggled. 

“Let’s just say he’s got a *healthy* appetite.” Neil corrected. 

* * * * * * *

Alice returned the following morning. This time she had the very great privilege of being the first person other then Neil 
and Christy to hold Charles Edward MacNeill!! She was so pleased with the new baby. She had always hoped to have a 
grandchild of her own, but had not been so blessed at this point in her life, and as things were for Margaret, the chances 
were very slim that Alice would ever have the distinction of “Grandma”. 

Smiling at Christy, Alice realized that this young woman was like a daughter to her in every way and therefore her children 
would be treated as much like her grandchildren as Margaret’s children would. Neil had been her son-in-law for years and 
over those years she had come to respect and love him, not only as her son-in-law, but also as a son. The three MacNeill 
children were as precious to Alice as any she had ever met, or ever hoped to meet. “He’s a handsome boy!” Alice declared as 
she reluctantly handed Charles back to Neil. There was a strange look on Alice’s face that neither Christy nor Neil could 
comprehend. Tears in her eyes could have been happiness, but there was far more behind them that she was not allowing 
anyone to discover. Alice Henderson had learned many years ago how to control her emotions and put on a veil of 
indifference. In the work that she did that was the only way to survive. But what ever was behind her tears at this moment 
would remain Alice Hend! erson’s private sorrow, at least for the time being for she would tell no one what was causing her 
such pain. 

In the month or so, following the birth of Charles, Neil returned home from his rounds to announce to Christy that David had 
returned to the Cove. With an indistinguishable look on his face, he made her sit down before he told her all the news. 

Once seated on the settee in front of the fire Christy looked at Neil with a somewhat worried expression on her face. Neil 
paced a little, while clearing his throat. “Christy,” he finally began. “You’re not going to believe this…”

“What is it Neil?” She asked a bit nervously.

“I’ll begin this way… When Dr. Ferrand took Daniel away from here, he decided to take him to a hospital in Boston for his 
‘treatment’. While he was there Dr. Ferrand decided to contact David to visit Daniel at the hospital and offer him spiritual 
comfort. 

“David began coming the very next day and each day following that. To make a long story, short, as David visited the hospital 
he saw more of Margaret. She has now returned to the Cove as well… as…You’re not going to believe this, I can’t believe it 
myself!! ……………………………….................................. Mrs. David Grantland!!!”

Christy sat dumbfounded upon the settee her eyes transfixed on Neil. She couldn‘t possibly heard what she thought! “I’m 
sorry! I must have heard you wrong, Neil. I thought you said that Margaret has come back to the Cove as Mrs. David 
Grantland?”

“That is exactly what I said.” Neil smiled wryly with raised eyebrows. 

“But…” Christy couldn’t get the words out. “How?”

“You’ll have to ask them that question.” Neil exclaimed. “I didn’t stick around long enough to hear the details. I wanted to get 
home and watch your reaction to this announcement. Let me say, you didn’t disappoint me in the least!” 

Christy smiled finally. “Margaret!?!… And… David!?!” Neil nodded his head. “I can’t believe it!!”

“Neither could I, but it’s the truth. I don’t know whether to be pleased or feel sorry for Grantland!” Neil chuckled. Christy 
only smiled. 

* * * * * *

The Grantland’s seemed happy together. Neil had to admit that he wondered at first if Margaret was not up to her old tricks 
once again, but she seemed to be taking her role as a pastor’s wife seriously. Every Sunday she was at church, cheerfully 
greeting the people and during the week she was working at the mission and helping David as he visited the needy. All in the 
Cove was impressed by Margaret’s actions, none more then Neil MacNeill. He was happy to see Margaret’s changes, but 
never once regretted his decision to remain married to the true love of his life--Christy. 

* * * * * *

After the Grantland’s had a chance to settle in; Alice invited some of the mission’s closest friends from the Cove to come 
and celebrate, including, of course, the MacNeill’s. 

* * * * * *

Christy felt awkward in this scene at the mission. David was bubbling over with enthusiasm accepting the slaps on the back 
and even the teasing from the other men with great pride and dignity. She felt a pang of “something” as she watched David 
and Margaret together, maybe it was jealousy, maybe it was sadness, most likely it was trepidation were these two meant 
to be together? But that was a question that was certainly NOT for her to answer! 

Neil had a strange smirk on his face most of the evening. Christy wondered what it was, but then realized that who in all 
this world knew Margaret as well as Neil? Even Miss Alice did not know her own daughter the way that Neil did. Therefore 
the ’unknown smirk’ must have been one of a secret that he was unwilling to share this evening. Christy knew in her heart 
that the last things she wanted to hear was a “secret” that Neil would share with David about Margaret. Neil never spoke to 
her of the times that he had been with Margaret and there was no way on this earth that she wanted him to begin sharing 
them now!!

* * * * * * 

End of Chapter 17

Coming Soon Chapter 18!!