David insisted on taking my classes all day. When I protested, he gave me a hurt look. I remembered the day before and finally submitted. I wanted to be with the children. I knew that their smiles and hard work would cheer me up. But since I had to relent to David's will; I had to keep myself busy. I spent the day indoors cleaning until I was breathless and then writing fervently to my family. I wondered what they were doing in Ashville and how George was doing in school. For the first time in a long while, I felt homesick. I got a sharp image of George's mischievous grin, and it made me laugh out loud.
"I am glad to find thee in good spirits, Miss Huddleston." Miss Alice called from the doorway. She stood there with her hat in her hands and a smile on her face.
When I saw her standing there I wanted to cry all over again, but I bit my bottom lip. How could I explain to her that I was in love with her son-in- law? What right had I to even be in love with him? But I wasn't in love with him--I told myself. I wasn't!
"Now thou art a million miles away." She said and walked inside the room. She lifted my chin to look at me closely. "What is troubling thee?"
"David--" I said, but I could no finish my statement. I only looked into her dark eyes searching for something, but I did not know what. She did not say anything, but her expression portrayed such love and understanding that I felt better. I couldn't bring myself to tell her the terrible details of the day before. I only sat there looking at her.
"It's okay, Christy. Tell me when thou art ready, but remember I am here to listen, if thee wishes to talk." She patted my hand and started to leave the room.
"Miss Alice," I said. She turned to me again.
"Margaret has moved back to Neil's house. I thought that you might want to know. I am sure that she would like to see you."
Miss Alice's face turned somber. She looked at the floor and then smiled back at me. "Thank you, Christy, for telling me, but Margaret and I parted badly last time we saw each other. I am afraid, well, I just do not think that she would wish to see me." With that, she turned and left as quietly as she had come.
******
At dinner that evening neither David nor I said a word. There were many awkward pauses. Miss Alice tried to fill the silence with stories of Cataleechie and how the children were getting along there. Ruby Mae chirped away about fishing with Rob Allen and Creed. She described every detail and said that Rob Allen wrote a poem as they were standing on the banks of the river.
After dinner, I walked out on the porch for some air. David followed me outside, and I got a sick feeling in my stomach. I sat on the rocker and David pulled a wooden chair beside me. Nothing was said between us for a long time, I wished that I had not come outside. The night air was cold and fresh. The stars shone so bright. I looked for the Big Dipper and then the Little Dipper. When I began searching for Orion, David took my hand.
"Christy," he finally said. "I know I put you in a bad position yesterday--"
"David--" I started to interrupt, but he did not let me.
"I am so sorry for that." He continued. "It was not how I had things planned at all. I wish I could take it all back and start over." His eyes drooped; he looked so sad. I watched him pull at the laces of his boot.
As I sat there at the edge of the rocking chair, I said a silent prayer -- God, please give me the strength and the words to tell David what I must tell him.
There was a long pause and finally he said. "Christy, will you marry me?'' He slipped his hand into his coat pocket and pulled out the blue, velvet box. The pallor of his face was ashen, and he looked so tired. He had stayed up all night looking for me.
I swallowed. "David, you are so wonderful. You are too wonderful. I love you with all of my heart, I do, but--" I looked directly into his eyes, somehow I had strength. "I can't love you like that. You are one of my dearest friends in the whole world, but I can not marry you." I had finally said it. I looked at him. He had fixed his gaze on the tip of his boot. I could see the tears glisten in his eyes.
"I suppose you are going to marry Neil then?" He said bitterly.
"No, David. I am not going to marry anyone, ever!"
"You will, Christy, some day you will marry, and I can not bare to think that it will not be to me." He had tears on his cheeks. I stood and knelt in front of him. I took his hand and held it tightly.
"David, I am so sorry. I don't want to hurt you; I never want to hurt you. You deserve so much better than me. You don't want to marry someone who isn't going to love you the way that you should be loved." My heart broke when he turned to me with pain on his face and his lip trembling. He stood up; said nothing; and walked down the steps, across the yard, into his bunkhouse. I watched until he closed the door behind him. When his light went out, I went inside, gave my goodnight salutations to Ruby Mae and Miss Alice and went up to bed. I climbed under the thick quilts and pressed my face deep into my feather pillow to muffle the sounds of my crying.
******
School resumed as usual. After I had told the children that Rev. Grantland and I were not going to be married, the children did not mention another word about it. They must have sensed my uneasiness. David would not talk to me. Days went by, and he said nothing besides what was minimally required. I slept very badly, if at all. I felt so tired and yet, I could not sleep. When I did sleep, I had nightmares and woke with a headache. I plunged myself deep into my work. I made detailed plans in my teacher lesson book; I wrote a spring play for the children; I cleaned the mission house, organized my room, and did laundry until I had blisters. I tutored Lundy Taylor after school--he was making real progress in reading. When I told him how proud I was of him, he smiled with pride. I started Opal on reading lessons and continued with Fairlight.
I had not seen Doctor MacNeil since the morning I had returned from my night in the woods. Sam Houston said that he saw him and Mrs. MacNeil fishing when he stopped by to show off some rocks that he had found. I told myself that I was glad that they were getting along. Maybe they had forgiven each other. I wondered if Miss Alice had been to talk to her.
Farilight was my only refuge. "Miz, Christy," she said one day after school. "Let's you and me go on a nice long walk." She flung her arm around my neck. She turned to Zaddy who walked beside us. "Zaddy can watch after the leest- uns while Miz Christy and I take a walk." Zaddy nodded dutifully to her mother. Then Fairlight turned back to me. "We could take some bread and honey with us."
Her voice was like a fresh cool mountain breeze. For the first time in over a week, I smiled heartily.
We walked all afternoon along Tumbling Creek, wading and laughing as we stumbled upon rocks. Then we treked up the mountain top. We ate bread and honey at the summit of Pinnacle Mountain. The new, green folliage of the trees spread soft and bright before us. The spot was the prettiest I had yet seen in the cove.
"Oh Fairlight. This is just beautiful." I said.
She gazed at me for a long time and smiled. "How are you Christy? I've been watching you--you look tired and you have been working too hard."
"Oh, I'm okay, Fairlight. I am just trying to stay busy."
"The word's around that Neil and Margaret are not really back together. He is just letting her live there because he is worried about her health."
"Oh Fairlight, it's okay. They should be together. They're married. What kind of person am I if I wish for them to be miserable." I stirred the soil with a stick.
She gathered me in her arms and hugged me tightly. "You are such a wonderful person Christy Huddleston." She pulled away and looked at me. "You are my best friend--I've been wanting to tell you that. I am so glad that God sent you here to me."
"Oh Fairlight, you are my best friend too. I have never known a friendship like yours. I love laughing and talking with you." I watched her tuck her blonde hair behind her ears, which turned a pale pink as she blushed. "When I first saw you," I said. " I thought that you looked like a princess--a highland princess." She hugged me again and this time I had tears in my eyes.
"I just don't like to see you hurtin' like this, is all." She said.
"I am going to be fine. The children are the reason I am here. I am not going to lose sight of that. But this walk has helped me immensly. We should do this once a week at least." We laughed, and after a short reflective silence, we started for home.