Back in Boston...
Elizabeth Quinn lay by herself in the empty room. She was alone at her own request. Completely alone. She was upset, and very angry.
"Even as I lay here ill, perhaps even dying, my own daughter Marjorie has not so much as sent a letter to inquire about my health. After all I've done for that child...Marjorie treats me as if I don't exist!"
"Oh Mother!" someone spoke, "You know very well I'd have been there if I possibly could!"
Mrs. Quinn could almost make out the form of an attractive woman in a bright red suit, with pantaloons...bloomers, she thought they were called....
"Marjorie?" Mrs. Quinn whispered, but the woman was gone.
"Marjorie!", she called, louder.
Then, it hit her. Suddenly and very hard.
The reason why Marjorie had been so distant lately....
Mrs. Quinn felt a profound chill.
"Diphtheria..." she whispered hollowly.
She closed her eyes against the horrible, devastating memories that came flooding back.
The pain of losing a child...the blame...and finally, after a time...the forgiveness.
After some time had gone by, Mrs. Quinn was ready to see her family. She called for Michaela to return.
"Mother? Are you okay? You seem very pale and tired," Michaela said as soon as she came to her mother's room.
"Michaela...." Elizabeth Quinn started.
Then all of a sudden, she broke into tears. Michaela froze for a second, surprised at her mother's sudden burst of tears.
"Why Mother! What's the matter?!" Michaela cried out.
"Oh daughter....why me....why do these things always happen to me?" Elizabeth moaned.
"What things?" Michaela asked anxiously.
"Your father's death, hepatitis, your miscarriage....now this...and Marjorie..."
Elizabeth burst out into tears again.
"Marjorie! I should have treated her better! I should have...I want to replace all my mistakes in the past. Michaela...I would have died without the operation...I would have died...."
"Oh mother...." Michaela hugged her. "Things aren't too late now. You can still make up for all the hurt you've caused. And it can begin by allowing your grandchildren to come and see you, even though you don't have hair."
Elizabeth took a handkerchief and blew her nose. She wiped away her tears and took a deep breath.
"Bring them in."
Michaela hurriedly went around the house trying to find her children. She found Colleen and Katie in Gretta's room, and Brian and Matthew in Brian's room.
"Your grandmother wants you," She said.
Elizabeth waited silently as Matthew came in first. She told him how proud she was of him, and that she hoped he would marry well.
"Just send a note when you marry, and if I can't come, I'll send you something nice for you and your wife," she told him.
"Thank you Grandma," was all he could say.
Colleen and Katie were next.
Elizabeth told Colleen how glad she was that she'd found so wonderful a husband, and that she was proud of her, and how she knew she would be a fine doctor.
"Just like your ma," Elizabeth said quietly, more to herself than her granddaughter. Then she told Katie how much she loved her, and how she knew what a fine young lady she would be someday.
"You can't become anything else with your ma around."
Then came Brian.
"Brian," Elizabeth told him, "you are going to have such a wonderful life ahead of you. Your ma has been telling me how hard you've been working in school, and how you've been writing for the paper. And how you've been doing so much to help your pa and ma with everything around the house.
I want to tell you, that as much as I love your brother and sisters, you have your own special place in my heart, and you have ever since I first met you. And so I want you to be able to do anything you want with your life. So when it comes time for you to go to college, I want you to just say where you want to go, and I'll send you there."
"Grandma!" Brian exclaimed. "Oh thank you Grandma! Thank you so much!"
Michaela watched her mother the whole time with tears running down her face. This was a moment that could never be forgotten.
Meanwhile, Horace sat in the telegraph office staring at a picture of him, Myra, and Samantha. "Those were happy times..."Horace thought sadly.
All of a sudden, he heard Myra's laugh. He turned and saw her holding onto Sam's hand...and her fiancé's hand. Horace bit his lip and tried to ignore them. But the pain was too much. It was like the time he tried suicide....
Hank and Loren were standing over by the livery, talking to Robert E. The three of them saw Myra and the others.
"Looks like Myra's up to marrying a rich guy," Hank said.
"Eh, I don't like the look of that. It ain't right. Myra and that man? It doesn't seem right," Loren answered back.
"It's Myra's decision...."Robert E. began.
Just then, Myra's fiancé reached to pick up Sam. But Sam let out a cry and tried to get away from him. Myra then turned her back to talk someone, just as Sam was given a hard shake for squirming.
All three men looked disturbed. Very disturbed.
"That ain't right," Robert E. said worriedly.
"An' he wants to take Samantha away because Horace mistreated her?," Loren asked, just as worried.
All three men looked at each other.
"I think we'd better talk to Matthew about this when he comes," Robert E. suggested.
"He's comin' back?" Hank asked, surprised.
"Comin' back to help Horace, that's what Michaela said in her telegram." Robert E. replied.
Later that afternoon, Jake and Teresa rode up to Loren's store. When Teresa looked across the street, she saw Dorothy and Cloud Dancing on their way to Grace and Robert E.'s home, probably to check on Grace.
"Look," she said to her husband. Jake did as he was told, and seemed a little shocked.
"They're startin' to go public with their little affair," Jake said almost sourly.
"Jake!" Teresa scolded. Then she smiled. "They have the right to do whatever they want."
"I guess you're right. C'mon, let's go order that window!"
Back in Boston...
Satisfied that all was going well with Elizabeth Quinn's recovery, Colleen and Andrew were busy getting ready to return to Philadelphia.
Colleen had only a short time to get there...her three weeks were almost up, and she couldn't delay any longer.
Besides, Andrew's new employer had already sent a wire to Cyrus Cook asking what the delay was. They really had to get back.
Matthew was also very anxious to return to Colorado Springs. He hadn't realized how much he missed Emma. In spite of herself, Gretta was terribly excited about going West.
She only wished she felt better...she was much more tired than she should be. Yet, even with all those doctors around, she hadn't felt comfortable telling anybody. She would be all right in a day or two, she thought. Nobody would have to know. She continued to pack, as Michaela gave her detailed instructions on caring for Katie.
"You can have Colleen's old room. Katie's is right across the hall, next to our bedroom. Katie will eat almost anything, so she shouldn't be too hard to cook for. We usually eat at Grace's Cafe, so don't really worry about cooking all that much."
Gretta smiled.
Michaela looked at her curiously. She was much more proper than a regular poor woman should be. She'd watched Gretta eat, talk, walk....she followed rules of rich etiquette. Michaela then remembered that European girls, rich or poor, were brought up much more strictly than American girls, and decided to brush the idea out of her mind.
Surprisingly, Katie took a tremendous liking to Gretta, Michaela was glad of that. When instructions were given, she went to find Matthew and Brian.
'Not too much longer and I'll be safe,' Gretta thought. 'Safe from the rules of money! I'm so tired of running. Another hour, and I'll be on the train.'
Train. Flashes of snow and blood and steel went through her mind. The scream of metal on metal, dying women, and the roar of fire. Eyes flashed in her mind. Deep blue eyes, so full of pain. Gretta sank to the floor and cried.
As Colleen was walking down the hall heading to her and Andrew's room she heard Gretta crying. Colleen looked into the cracked door and saw Gretta still sitting on the floor.
"Gretta!!! Are you all right?? What happened??" Colleen asked as she went running to help Gretta.
"Oh...."
"Oh, Colleen," Gretta fumbled. "Nothing, nothing's happened. I was just...um..just thinking of..home."
that was really the last thing she was thinking about.
"I understand." Colleen said. "If it weren't for Andrew, I don't know how I could have left for Philadelphia. I can't imagine leaving home, knowing I might never see it again. How did you do it?"
"It's a long story..and, I don't have time to tell right now. Maybe some other time."
"There'll be plenty of time for that when I come home for Thanksgiving. Now, dry those tears. We're leaving for the station in a few minutes."
Train station. Without thinking, Gretta grabbed her left arm, where beneath her sleeve, was a two inch long scar. But an even bigger scar marked her heart.
At the train station everyone said their goodbyes. Soon after Gretta, Matthew, Brian, and Katie boarded the train to Colorado Springs. As soon as the train pulled away from the station and disappeared from view, everyone hurried over with Colleen and Andrew to say goodbye to them before Colleen and Andrew went to Philadelphia.
"Goodbye Colleen, Andrew," said Dr. Mike while embracing Colleen.
"Goodbye Ma, Sully," responded Colleen.
"Goodbye Colleen," said sully as he hugged Colleen.
"Goodbye Andrew," Sully said while shaking Andrew's hand.
"Goodbye Sully, Michaela," Andrew answered. Then Colleen and Andrew boarded the train. After finding their seats, they waved out the window, at Sully and Michaela, as the train slowly pulled away from the station.
On the train to Colorado Springs, Gretta was having trouble controlling herself, she was so scared she just wanted to start crying and to get of the train. But she was on the way to Colorado Springs to make a new life for herself and to put her past behind her. But just when she was feeling a little more confident, flashes of the train, snow, people crying for help flashed through her mind. 'Oh what am I doing here??' she asked herself...'What am I doing here...'
Matthew watched his travelling companion with a worried expression on his face. He knew something was wrong, but he didn't know how to ask her. They weren't extremely close, but he considered her a friend.
Gretta's mind was spinning. She couldn't believe her stupidity. 'How could I have thought I could handle this,' she thought to herself. 'What was I thinking? I can't do this! And we just left, how am I going to be able to make it for the remainder of the trip?!?'
Suddenly Matthew's caring voice broke into her thoughts.
"Gretta, are you okay," Matthew asked, his voice full of concern.
"Oh, I'm fine," Gretta lied, trying desperately not to break down.
"Try again. You can tell me. Please, let me help you," Matthew said.
"Thank you Matthew. It is a rather long story. Are you absolutely sure?"
"Of course I'm sure. After all, we do have several days, right?"
"Okay, here goes. Several years ago,..." Gretta began.
...in Switzerland. I fell in love with a wonderful man. My family...did not approve. I told them I would no longer be seeing him. That was a lie."
She paused for a moment, collecting her thoughts. Matthew took her hand.
Gretta continued. "We saw each other in secret, never going for more than a day without meeting at least for a few moments. We went for several years like this. Then I found out my family was moving to another town. Only a train ride away.
We were both heartbroken...until Johann decided he would simply follow me. He secretly booked passage on the very same train...."
Gretta's eyes filled with tears.
"What happened, Gretta?" Matthew wanted to know.
"I...I can't... "
She wiped her eyes with her handkerchief. "We still have time...perhaps I will tell you more later. Please do not make me go on."
"Of course not," Matthew said, reassuringly "You'll tell me the rest when you're ready. I can wait."
"Thank you Matthew." Gretta forced a smile, "You've been a very good friend."
Several hours later, after Brian and Katie had fallen asleep, Gretta looked at Matthew. 'I can't lie anymore,' She thought.
"Matthew," she said, softly. "I haven't been really honest."
"What do you mean?" Matthew asked.
"Well, um, about Johann, that's all true, but you don't know the half of the story. I think I must start again."
Gretta took a deep breath, while Matthew set back to listen. This was going to take awhile.
"First of all, my name isn't Gretta, well, not really. It's a..a..nickname, I think you say in English, that Mamita, that would be Anna, gave to me.
She was my governess.
Before she took the position, she lost a child who died in infancy, named Gretta. She would talk, so Mother said, of my remarkable resemblance to her child, so Gretta became my nickname.
Anna was always just like a mother to me, so I called her Mamita, which is Spanish, for little Mother. My father, was Frederick Ryan, he was British, and my name, is Victoria Ryan. Heinrick was Johann's name."
She paused to see Matthew's reaction. He was astounded.
"Ryan's the..the.."
"Richest man in Europe, or was. Johann was poor, so you can imagine why my family disapproved. Can you imagine the scandal it would have caused when everyone found out that I has eloped the week before we moved?"
"You eloped?" Matthew nearly shouted. Gretta had had quite a past.
"Nobody knew. You see, our plan was, that when we got to Zurich, we would take a boat down the river, and settle in Italy. I've always loved Venice. Things weren't meant to be.
The train crashed. The engine exploded. My father was killed instantly.
My mother had stayed behind until Father found a suitable estate, and my brother, Nicholous, stayed with her. But Johann, was not so lucky. He died in my arms. I was the only survivor."
By now, Gretta was nearly sobbing.
"I'm so sorry, Matthew." Gretta said, after she'd calmed down a little. "I had no wish to burden you with my sadness...but you and your family have been so kind. I thought it only fair..."
"Gretta." Matthew replied. "It's all right. And I understand what it's like to lose the one you love..."
Matthew began to tell Gretta about Ingrid.
It would be quite some time before either one of them would be able to sleep.
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