I want to thank Lis for her support and her suggestions, especially with Chapters 1and 6. As always, she acts as my compass and pulls me back when the plot or characterizations begin to veer off course.

The Joys of Parents
By Deborah Grant
200?

“The joys of parents are secret; and so are their griefs and fears.” — Francis Bacon

Chapter 1

“I’m glad my birthday is on Saturday this year,” A.C. said to his parents as they gathered around the breakfast table in their large, airy dining room.

Adam and Bronwen Cartwright exchanged smiles and then gazed proudly at their son. Tomorrow their youngest turned sixteen. Over the past year, A.C.’s voice had changed from a childish treble to a smooth baritone. He was now only an inch and a half short of his dad’s six feet, one inch height. He had the same broad shoulders tapering to a slim waist, and the same long legs. His hair was black like both his parents’ hair, but it was neither curly, like his dad’s, nor straight, like his mama’s. Instead, his hair waved softly. His large dark brown eyes were inherited from his grandfather, Ben Cartwright.

“Yes, you get two celebrations this year,” Adam said, smiling crookedly. “The party with your friends on your birthday, and the birthday dinner with your family tonight.”

Ever since Adam and Bronwen’s oldest daughter had turned one, the Cartwright and Davies families got together to celebrate birthdays. As the Cartwright daughters—Beth, Miranda and Gwyneth—and their cousin, Llywelyn, grew up and married, the birthday celebrations expanded to include their families. Tonight there would be seventeen family members gathered to celebrate A.C.’s birthday: Beth and her husband, Rev. Dafydd Jones, and their three children; Gwyneth and her husband, Mark Pentreath, and their two sons; Bronwen’s brother, Rhys, and his wife, Matilda; their son, Llywelyn. and his wife, Emma, and their two children. Only Miranda wasn’t included since she and her family lived far away in Hanover, New Hampshire in the United States.

“Right now, you’d better hurry and finish your breakfast or you’ll be late to school,” Bronwen said, smiling at her son. He might be sixteen and tower over her, but he was still her boy.

A.C. grinned back at his mama before applying himself to his eggs, bacon and toast.

The three Cartwrights were just finishing when Rhys stuck his head in the dining room.

“I let myself in,” he stated with a grin. Then he turned to his nephew and said with a warm smile, “Happy birthday a day early, A.C.! “I’m looking forward to tonight’s celebration,” and he winked at his brother-in-law conspiratorially.

A.C. thanked his uncle for his good wishes, and then excused himself. Bronwen invited her brother to have a cup of tea, and he accepted with a smile.

“I know A.C is looking forward to his party, but he’s going to be thrilled with the surprise the two of you have planned for tonight,” Bronwen stated.

“I think so,” Adam said. “He’s been dropping enough hints for the last few months.”

“That’s because Robbie’s parents already let him go to the pub,” Bronwen commented, “but I’m glad we both agreed to wait until he was sixteen.”

“I remember when Pa bought me my first drink,” Adam said.

~ * ~ * ~

“I don’t know about you boys,” Dan Marquette said with a grin as he scratched the stubble on his chin, “but I wanna wet my whistle. C’mon.” He started to turn his horse around and Ross followed his pa’s example. Adam cleared this throat nervously.

“Uh, I think I should look for my pa, Mr. Marquette,” he said hesitantly.

“Now, don’t you fret none, Adam,” Dan Marquette said with a slow grin. “Yer pa ‘n’ Mr. McKaren ‘n’ me made arrangements where ta meet up after we delivered them cows to the buyer. They’ve prob’ly already taken Todd to get that arm tended to and are waitin’ fer us.” He winked at José and the vaquero smiled at Adam.

“C’mon, Adam,” Ross said, reaching over and knocking his friend’s hat down over his eyes. Adam grinned at his friend and swatted his hat so that Ross had to make a grab for it, and then they rode off with the others.

Both boys exchanged looks of surprise as they all drew up in front of a ramshackle building with swinging doors. Dan Marquette saw their astonishment and began to laugh loudly. “Put them eyes back in yer heads, boys. Ya worked as hard as any man on the drive ‘n’ me ‘n’ Andy ‘n’ Ben decided ya deserved ta celebrate like men. C’mon, Ross, ‘n’ I’ll buy ya a beer.” He saw Adam hesitate and said, “Rustle yer shanks, Adam. Yer pa’s in there waitin’ fer ya.”

Adam spotted his pa and the McKarens straight off and waved to them. He and Ross noted Todd was sitting with his good hand wrapped around a half empty glass of amber liquid.

“Looks like ya got yer arm fixed up,” Ross said as he and Adam moved a couple of chairs to the table where the others sat, while Ben and Dan went to get the beers.

“Yeah, we found a doctor in town,” Todd said.

“Does your arm hurt much?” Adam asked the younger boy as he sat next to him. He took off his sweat soaked hat and ran his fingers through his mop of black curls.

“A little. Not too bad,” Todd replied cautiously, not wanting to appear a baby in front of his slightly older friends. Then he grinned cheekily. “The beer helps.”

“Here you are, son,” Ben said with a smile as he sat the glass of warm beer in front of his first-born. Adam and Ross exchanged quick looks of pride that their fathers finally realized they were men before taking a big swallow from their glasses. They didn’t notice their fathers’ conspiratorial winks.

Todd smiled smugly at Adam’s and Ross’s expressions while Dan laughed loudly, and even Ben and Andy couldn’t help smiling at the boys’ comical expressions. Todd said in a superior tone, “You get used to it.”

“That’s right,” Andy said, sharing a grin with the other two fathers, “just sip it slowly and it’ll grow on you.”

“Yeah, it does grow on you,” Adam said after his second sip and Ben had a hard time choking back a laugh at the lack of conviction in his son’s tone.

At least it’s wet, Adam thought, but I think a glass of cold water from our well would sure taste better. His pa seemed to read his mind and gave his shoulder a quick pat before asking Dan what price they’d gotten for their beef.

~ * ~ * ~

Oh Pa, I miss you so much, Adam thought. It’s still difficult for me to believe you’ve been gone two years now. It’s been hard, but I’ve kept my promise to you: I have grieved deeply, but I haven’t fallen into despair as I did when I lost my Penny.

“When did Pa buy you your first drink?” Bronwen asked curiously.

“It was on my first cattle drive and I was a couple of months short of my fifteenth birthday.” Adam grinned at his wife’s raised eyebrows. “It was the first drive for me and my friends, Ross and Todd. Our fathers had decided they would take us to the saloon at the end of the drive and buy us our first beers. We sure felt grown up. It wasn’t until years later we realized our fathers had taken us because they wanted to be there to make sure we didn’t drink too much or get into any other trouble.” He glanced sideways at his wife before saying, “Saloons on the frontier were rougher than Bert Greene’s pub, and liquor wasn’t the only thing for sale.”

“Tad and Bryn took me for my first visit to our neighborhood pub when I was sixteen,” Rhys said then, his tone wistful, and Adam knew he was thinking of Tad. Rhys and Bronwen had both been a comfort to Adam as he’d grieved, first for Pa and then for Joe. Adam was grateful that he’d been able to offer them the same consolation when they mourned the loss of Tad and Mam.

Rhys smiled as he said, “Sounds like my first drink was pretty tame compared to yours, Adam.” He chuckled, adding, “The most exciting thing going on was a game of darts.”

“I’m glad Bert’s pub is so tame, or I would insist A.C. wait until his eighteenth birthday,” Bronwen stated firmly. Her husband and brother both grinned.

“I remember the struggle I had persuading Matilda to let me take Llywelyn for his first visit to the pub,” Rhys commented. “Of course, she’s never approved of my visits either. I’ve told her it’s not so much the beer as it is the chance to spend time with friends.”

“I enjoy a game of billiards and Bert has the only billiard table in town,” Adam added.

“I decided long ago that your visits to the pub are the masculine equivalent of afternoon tea,” Bronwen said with a little grin.

Both men chuckled and Adam said, “That’s a very perceptive analogy, Sweetheart.” He turned to his brother-in-law then, saying, “I think we need to follow A.C.’s example and be on our way.” Rhys drained his cup and both men stood up. After kissing Bronwen, Adam said, “I just hope Peter gets that gelding here before A.C. gets home from school.”

“I’m sure he will,” Bronwen replied as both men started out the door. Rhys slowed down just enough to say over his shoulder, “Matilda said she’ll be over later to help with the dinner.”

Adam came home early from the mine so he could be there when A.C. returned from school. He and Bronwen were sitting on the verandah’s swing, escaping the house’s stifling heat, when their son approached the front gate.

“I didn’t expect to see you yet, Dad,” A.C. said with a grin.

“Your mama and I wanted to give you our gift early,” Adam replied with a wink. “Let’s walk to the barn, shall we?”

I bet I got some new tack, A.C. thought happily. He stopped short when he saw a beautiful black gelding in the paddock, and looked at his parents in wonder. “Is- is he mine?” he asked.

“That’s right,” Adam replied, clapping his son on the back. “He’s all yours. I know you haven’t stopped growing and Peter told me about a colt he had that was nearly sixteen hands. Peter didn’t want to breed from him because of that, but I thought he would be perfect for you.”

“He’s beautiful, Dad!” A.C. exclaimed. “May I take him for a ride?”

“Sure,” Adam said. “I knew you’d want to put him through his paces.”

“Don’t stay out too long. You’ll need to get dressed for your birthday dinner,” Bronwen said. “I ironed a shirt for you to wear tonight and pressed your best trousers.”

“He’s a born horseman,” Adam said proudly as he watched his son canter off.

“I wish he were a little less reckless,” Bronwen said, and Adam heard the touch of anxiety in her voice.

“He’s not reckless where animals are concerned,” he said quietly, putting an arm around her shoulders. “He’s careful not to put his mount in danger.” She looked up at him and smiled faintly, acknowledging the truth in his comment.

Rhys and Matilda were the first to arrive that evening. Under pressure from his wife, Rhys wore a necktie, but he refused to wear a frock coat in the heat of a Cloncurry summer. Bronwen had dragooned her men into wearing neckties as well. Miranda and William had given Adam a Harvard necktie for his sixty-fifth birthday, and he wore that while A.C. wore a navy blue one.

“You are such babies,” Bronwen had said to Adam as they’d dressed. “Wearing a necktie doesn’t even compare to wearing a corset.”

“You have me there, Sweetheart,” Adam had replied with a wink, “but I’m not forcing you to wear a corset.” Her answer was to stick out her tongue. “Such unladylike behavior,” he scolded mockingly. “And from a grandmother. I’m shocked.” They both grinned before he leaned down and kissed her.

“You look very handsome, A.C.,” Matilda said to her tall nephew as he greeted her. “I know all the girls will be hoping you ask them for a dance at your party tomorrow.”

“I’ll do my best to oblige them,” A.C. said with a broad wink.

Oh Joe, Adam thought, right now A.C. reminds me so much of you at the same age. I remember how Pa used to say A.C. was more like you and Benj more like me. Bronwen and I are doing our best to keep in touch with your children and so is Miranda. With Sarah it’s easy, but Benj is another matter. I won’t give up on him, Joe. I promise you that. I know the time will come when he’ll realize how lucky he was to have had you for a father.

“Say, Uncle Rhys, you should see the beautiful gelding Dad and Mama gave me for my birthday,” A.C. said enthusiastically. “He’s nearly sixteen hands.”

“He’s a beauty all right,” Rhys said. “I went with your dad to check him out when Peter told us he thought he had a good mount for you.”

Just then the three Jones children ran into the house shouting, “Happy birthday, Uncle A.C.!” A.C. grinned broadly at his niece and nephews.

Nine-year-old Elen’s caramel-colored hair had darkened to a nondescript brown; her enormous dark brown eyes were still her best feature. She was puzzled when she’d overhear people whisper, “Oh, what a shame she takes after her father,” because she loved her tada and was proud she looked like him.

Huw, whose seventh birthday was only two weeks away, was missing a front tooth as he pointed out proudly to everyone.

“My toof’s loose, too, Grandma! See,” five-year-old Dylan said, grabbing Bronwen’s hand. She smiled at Beth’s youngest, an engaging child, small for his age with his grandpa’s curly black hair.

“Where are your mama and tada?” Adam asked.

“They’re comin’,” Elen assured her grandpa. “Mama just can’t walk fast ‘cause of the baby so Tada said we could run ahead.”

“And we saw Aunt Gwyneth and Uncle Mark and Jory and Benny,” Huw added. “But they were far away. Farther than Mama and Tada.”

“I seed Cousin Llywelyn and Cousin Emma and Ifor and Cafy,” Dylan inserted, not wanting to be overlooked. Then he tugged on his grandma’s hand. “Are we gonna have birfday cake, Grandma? Are we?”

“So, you want birthday cake, do you?” Adam asked before leaning over and beginning to tickle Dylan, who was soon shrieking with laughter. A.C. said to Elen and Huw, “I got one of my presents early. A beautiful black gelding.”

“Oh, can we see him?” Elen asked excitedly and Huw repeated the request.

Bronwen replied, “A quick Captain Cook.”

“Do you want to see your uncle’s new horse, ticklebox?” Adam asked Dylan.

“Too right!” Dylan shouted and Adam swung him up on his shoulders. Rhys decided to join them so when Beth and Dafydd arrived, they only found Bronwen and Matilda in the drawing room.

“Everyone else has gone to see A.C.’s new horse,” Bronwen explained as Dafydd seated Beth in a side chair. She was only in her fifth month, but she’d started showing much earlier with this pregnancy.

“If they’re with the horses, you’d better go bring them back, Dafydd,” Beth said with a smile. Her children were every bit as mad about horses as she’d been at the same age.

“Right,” Dafydd replied. He got a footstool for Beth to prop her feet on, and then headed for the backdoor.

At almost the same time, the rest of the family arrived. Four-year-old cousins, Jory Pentreath and Ifor Davies, ran up the path yelling, “G’day!” Behind them, Mark and Llywelyn were pushing baby carriages containing their younger children, while their wives walked beside them, keeping an eye on the boys.

At 22 months, Benny Pentreath was a happy little boy with dark hair and Ben Cartwright’s large brown eyes. His older brother, Jory, on the other hand, was all Pentreath with his father’s thick black hair and narrow dark eyes.

As soon as Matilda saw her grandchildren approach, she went outside and Bronwen followed.

“G’day, Gandma,” Ifor said to Matilda with a big grin.

“Does Grandma get a hug?” she asked and the little boy ran into her arms and hugged her

“G’day, Jory,” Bronwen said with a smile and he grinned back at her. Bronwen knew he wasn’t a demonstrative child, so instead of asking for a hug, she gently smoothed his hair back.

“Me-ma!” Benny shouted joyfully as Mark lifted him out of the baby carriage and he toddled over to Bronwen as fast as his chubby legs would take him. She picked him up and held him and he began to chatter away.

“Oh Benny bach, Grandma wishes she could understand you,” Bronwen said ruefully since she could only follow an occasional word. She smiled wistfully as she remembered it had been the same with her youngest daughter, Penny, who had always been a chatterbox.

Llywelyn started to lift his two-month-old daughter from the baby carriage and his mama immediately hurried over.

“Oh, may I hold her?” she asked and Llywelyn proudly handed Cathy to her grandma. Emma sighed slightly because except when they ate dinner, her mother-in-law would keep the baby with her all evening.

“I’m hungry,” Jory announced and Ifor said, “Me, too!’

“We’re all here now,” Bronwen said. “Dafydd went to fetch the others back from seeing A.C.’s h-o-r-s-e.” The young parents grinned at her spelling the word so Jory and Ifor wouldn’t beg to see the horse. Bronwen turned to Emma and said, “We brought our old cradle downstairs for Cathy.”

While Matilda settled Cathy in the cradle Adam had placed in the dining room and Mark put Benny in the Cartwrights’ old highchair, the others returned. Huw, Dylan, Jory and Ifor ate in the kitchen under the supervision of Mary, the Cartwrights’ maid, while Elen was allowed to eat in the in the dining room with the grown ups.

She saw that her grandma had put a pretty lace tablecloth on the long rectangular table that was twice as long as the table in the parsonage dining room. Grandma had set the table with her pretty blue and white china and her blue-tinted glasses. Elen’s mama had pretty china, but she only used it when she and Tada had company, and Elen and her brothers would have already been fed in the kitchen. Elen knew her brothers and cousins would be eating off Grandma’s stoneware. She felt very grown-up being allowed to eat off Grandma’s china.

“Why don’t you sit by me, Elen?” Bronwen said, smiling warmly at her granddaughter as she indicated the chair on her right.

Elen nodded and moved toward the chair. She couldn’t hold back a little giggle when her tada seated her just as he did her mama. She didn’t see the smile her parents shared. Elen ate the delicious food Grandma and Mary had prepared and listened to the grownups talk.

“Tegan is really looking forward to your party,” Beth said to A.C., referring to her neighbor Jenna Hughnans’ middle daughter.

Elen smiled a little as she remembered how she and Kerra Hughnans had overheard Tegan talking with her friends about Uncle A.C.’s party. Tegan had announced dramatically that she would cark it if Uncle A.C. didn’t ask her to dance. Tegan and her friends all acted so silly about Uncle A.C.

A.C. grinned at his sister before saying, “So are all my mates. I know I plan on dancing with as many girls as I can.”

“And I’m looking forward to dancing with my wife,” Adam said, winking at Bronwen.

Llywelyn smiled at Matilda, who was seated across from him. “I’m grateful to you, Mama, for taking care of Ifor and Cathy tomorrow. It’s been ages since Emma and I have been dancing.”

“Yes, Aunt Matilda, it’s so nice of you to watch Jory and Benny as well,” Gwyneth added.

“No worries,” Matilda said with a beaming smile. “Ifor and Jory are almost inseparable and Benny won’t be any problem. The four of you should just enjoy yourselves and dance the night away.”

Everyone smiled, Beth a little wistfully since her condition made dancing unseemly.

Dafydd knew Beth felt sad that she couldn’t join the dancing and so he decided to change the direction of the conversation. A.C. was seated on his right and he said to him, “Your new mount is a real beauty.”

“Too right,” A.C. said. “Dad said he’d help me train him to cut cattle so I can use him next summer when I work at our cattle station.”

Looking down the length of the table, Adam saw Bronwen’s pensive expression. He knew she had mixed feelings about A.C. spending his next summer vacation working and living on the station. She glanced down the table and when their eyes met, he smiled encouragingly.

“What happens to Bucephalas?” Gwyneth asked, referring to the Welsh cob that had been A.C.’s mount since he outgrew his pony.

“Your mama and I were going to discuss that with Dafydd and Beth,” Adam replied. “Elen is too young now, but we thought that in a couple of years, Bucephalas could be hers.” Seeing the expression on his son-in-law’s face and interpreting it correctly, he added quickly, “I know you don’t have room to stable that many animals, but we could keep Bucephalas here.”

Dafydd and Beth saw the hopeful look on their little girl’s face and exchanged a glance that was a mixture of exasperation and resignation. Beth smiled at her daughter, adding in a no-nonsense tone, “It would still be your job to care for Bucephalas, Elen fach. You’d have to get up extra early every morning and come here to take care of him before school, and again every evening before high tea.”

“I will. I promise,” Elen said, her eyes shining and her face aglow with happiness. “I can start tomorrow morning.”

“Why don’t you start just grooming him and feeding him in the evenings,” Adam suggested mildly. “That way he’ll get to know you.”

“And I’ll keep taking care of him in the mornings,” A.C. said with a wink.

“And Dylan can begin caring for Sport in the evenings,” Beth said, referring to A.C.’s old pony, which Elen had inherited. “When you’re old enough to ride Bucephalas, Sport will be Dylan’s.”

“Ifor and Jory are doing a good job taking care of their ponies,” Llywelyn said, “and they love their riding lessons,” he added, smiling warmly at his uncle. Then he chuckled, adding, “Of course, they’re both anxious to ride at a gallop.”

“I know,” Adam replied with his crooked grin. “I think tomorrow when I give them their lesson, I’m going to teach them to post. If they can trot, they’ll stop thinking so much about galloping.”

Gwyneth said with a dimpled grin, “I have a hard time picturing Blackie and Brownie galloping.”

Her daddy winked at her, saying, “That’s what makes them the perfect mounts for a pair of four-year-olds.”

They were just finishing the meal when Dylan ran into the dining room, with Jory and Ifor at his heels, and asked, “Can we eat the birfday cake?”

“Uncle A.C. gets to open his birthday presents first,” Beth said as Huw joined the others.

“Oh. Right,” Dylan said, his disappointment obvious and the adults struggled to hide their amusement so they wouldn’t hurt his feelings.

Seeing that everyone was finished, Bronwen suggested they all adjourn to the drawing room. Just as Emma had known she would, Matilda lifted Cathy from the cradle and carried her to the other room. Benny wanted to sit on his grandma’s lap but the other boys sat cross-legged on the floor, while Elen perched on the arm of her tada’s chair. Huw volunteered to bring his uncle his gifts.

“Open ours first, Uncle A.C.,” Dylan begged, and with a wink, A.C. agreed. A.C. unwrapped the gift and held up a dress shirt of fine white linen. “Oh Bethy, thanks,” he said, reverting to his childhood nickname for his oldest sister. “I’m going to wear this to the party tomorrow night,” he added with a warm smile. “Now, what shall I open next?”

“We went together with Llywelyn and Emma,” Gwyneth said. “Why don’t you open ours next?”

When A.C. opened their gift, he discovered a Dunkerley slouch hat that had come all the way from Sydney. (When Mark and Llywelyn had attended the Technical College in Sydney, they’d discovered a hatter named Benjamin Dunkerley and liked his slouch hats very much. Even after they moved to Cloncurry, when they needed new hats, they’d contact Benjamin Dunkerley.)

“Beauty!” A.C. exclaimed, trying the hat on.

“It’s a bonzer hat, Uncle A.C.!” Huw said and everyone agreed.

“Why don’t you give me Uncle Rhys and Aunt Matilda’s gift next, and I’ll open Miranda and William’s last,” A.C. said to Huw then.

Matilda had sewn him a new pair of white flannel trousers. (“Because I know how much you enjoy playing cricket,” she said with a little grin.) Miranda and William’s gift proved to be a book. “What a surprise,” A.C. remarked with a wink. “The Call of the Wild. Well, it sounds interesting.”

“Who wrote it?” his dad asked.

“Jack London,” A.C. read from the book jacket.

“He must be a new author,” Adam said, “but Miranda and William have excellent taste.”

“Can we have the birfday cake now?” Dylan asked hopefully. The cake was sitting on the tea table and he had been eying it all the while his uncle opened his gifts.

“Yes, you may,” Bronwen replied with a smile. “We just need to light the candles so your uncle can make a wish.”

“But there’s a postcard here for Mr. Adam Cartwright, Jr.,” Huw said.

“Oh, bring it here, please, Huw,” A.C. said while Dylan sighed loudly, earning warning frowns from his parents.

A.C. saw that on one side of the postcard ‘Best Birthday Wishes’ was printed in fancy script under a basket of violets. He turned it over and read aloud, “‘I wanted to wish you a happy birthday, A.C. Hope you don’t mind the flowers but I couldn’t find a birthday postcard without them. Your cousin, Sarah.’”

“That was very sweet of Sarah,” Bronwen said. “May I see it?”

With a smile, A.C. handed the card to her and Bronwen held it so she and Adam could both look at it. Then she said with a smile, “All right, let’s light the birthday candles.” Dylan, Jory and Ifor gave a cheer, which woke Cathy, who began to scream.

“I imagine she’s hungry,” Emma said, standing up. Reluctantly, Matilda gave Cathy to her. “I’ll take her to the library,” Emma said quietly. “Don’t let Dylan eat up all the cake,” she added with a grin.

“I’ll save you a piece,” A.C. replied with a chuckle.

Dylan’s eyes grew as big and round as saucers when A.C. handed him the first piece of his birthday cake—a sponge cake covered with boiled icing and sprinkled lavishly with coconut.

“A.C.,” Beth scolded, “he’ll have a stomachache if he eats that. Now, give half of it to Huw.”

“Please, Mama,” Dylan begged. His expression was tragic as he watched his uncle place half his slice on another plate before setting his on the tea table in front of him. He picked up his fork, ready to get his first bite, when he felt his tada’s hand on his shoulder.

“No, Dylan bach. You must wait until everyone has his piece of cake. Remember?’

“Oh. Right,” Dylan said, heaving a huge sigh. His parents exchanged a longsuffering look while the other adults smiled.

As soon as he saw everyone had a piece of cake, Dylan immediately shoveled an enormous bite into his mouth. A bite so big that he couldn’t chew it with his mouth closed and his two young cousins immediately followed his example. Their mothers were mortified.

“Boys, take smaller bites,” Bronwen said firmly, “and slow down.”

“Right, Grandma,” Dylan said after swallowing, a ring of sticky icing around his mouth. “It’s a bonzer cake!”

‘Too right!” Jory and Ifor chorused, their faces also smeared with icing.

After everyone finished their cake, it was time for the youngest children to be in bed so the Joneses, Pentreaths and younger Davies gathered up their offspring and said their goodbyes.

“Mark and I will join you in about an hour,” Llywelyn said quietly to his uncle and dad.

Once the young families left, Adam turned to his son. “You got some nice presents,” he remarked.

“Too right!” A.C. replied with a big grin, “and my new horse is a ripper! I have the best parents in the whole world.”

Adam grinned back at him and said, “Your uncle and I thought we’d go to Bert Greene’s pub for a drink.” He paused before adding nonchalantly, “Would you like to come along?”

“Fair dinkum?” A.C. asked excitedly and when his dad and uncle nodded, his whole face lit up.

“Let’s just take off our neckties and be on our way,” Adam said, slapping A.C. on the back while Rhys chuckled. “Sorry, ladies,” Adam added with a grin, “but neckties are too formal for the pub.”

After putting his necktie on the credenza, Adam walked over and kissed Bronwen. Before he straightened up, he whispered, “We’ll only be gone a couple of hours.”

A.C. picked up his new hat before walking over to kiss his mama’s cheek. She watched as he proudly put the slouch hat on at a rakish angle, thinking what a handsome young man he was. As handsome as his father. Her bright smile wilted after the three men left, however.

Matilda walked over and gave Bronwen’s shoulder a comforting squeeze before saying quietly, “Why don’t we help Marry clean up?”

Bronwen knew her friend was hoping to distract her so she managed a smile as she nodded her head. I can’t believe in a little less than two years A.C. will be leaving to attend the Technical College, she thought wistfully. Adam and I raised our children to be independent and self-sufficient adults, but sometimes I miss the little girls and the little boy who needed their mama. Especially the little boy.

As each of my little girls grew older, I prepared her for the ways her body would change. It was my task to explain how a husband and a wife express their love. When they married, I told them the signs to look for that would tell them they were with child. Now, Beth and Gwyneth still come to me for advice about their own children or household matters, and in some ways we’ve grown closer over the years. It’s different with A.C. As he becomes a man, the ties that bind us together must loosen. I thought I was prepared, but it’s happening much too soon.

As the three men walked down the street, Adam said to his son, “Llywelyn and Mark are going to meet us at the pub.”

“Rob and all my mates will be gobsmacked to see me,” A.C. said happily and the two older men smiled at his enthusiasm.

“Now, son, I want you to limit yourself to two beers,” Adam stated firmly. “A couple of pints is enough to let me relax without making me drunk, and that’s all I wanted you to have.”

“Right, Dad,” A.C. replied, thinking, This day is getting better and better. First, I get a ripper horse and bonzer gifts, and now Dad is letting me come with him to the pub.

Bert Greene smiled broadly when they walked up to the bar and ordered their drinks.

“Wondered when I’d be seeing you here, A.C.,” he said with a broad wink and A.C. grinned back at him.

A.C. noted the pub didn’t have as many oil lamps as they used at home and many of the patrons smoked so his eyes had to adjust to the dimness. It was still early so the pub was fairly empty. A.C. didn’t see any of his mates but thought they’d be along soon. In the meantime, he followed his dad and uncle to a table.

“Just sip your beer until you get used to the taste,” Adam cautioned, the merest hint of a grin playing about his lips.

A.C. took a big swallow and said, “What a ripper!” but his expression told a very different story.

“No one likes beer at first,” Rhys said with a smirk. “You should have listened to your dad.”

“Well, experience is the best teacher,” Adam said with a shrug.

A.C. cautiously sipped his beer and then said with a grin, “I’m sure looking forward to tomorrow night. Wish I knew how to dance that tango that Miranda says she and William like to dance.”

“From the way your sister describes it, I think it’s too risqué for Cloncurry,” Adam said dryly. “Although I admit I wouldn’t mind dancing it with your mama.”

“Unfortunately, your aunt would be shocked if I suggested it,” Rhys commented. A.C. decided he didn’t like the thought of his parents dancing anything as provocative as the tango.

After they finished their beer, Adam asked A.C. if he’d like to play a game of billiards.

“Right,” A.C. said happily and Rhys said that he’d play the winner.

“All right, Jackeroo, we’re going to play Three Cushion Billiards. The object of the game is to make the cue ball—white for me and yellow for you—contact the other two balls on the table, which are known as the object balls, and three or more cushions.”

“That seems easy,” A.C. said confidently.

“Well, the cue ball must touch at least three cushions before it touches the second object ball,” Adam replied, grinning slightly as his son frowned.

After a minute, A.C. said, “Maybe I should watch you and Uncle Rhys play first.”

“Not a bad idea,” Adam replied. “My friend Thomas taught my roommate Aaron and me to play billiards while we were all at Harvard. Aaron and I quickly discovered it’s harder than it looks.” He chuckled as he added, “We got to be good enough that sometimes we could earn a little extra money by playing a dollar a point.”

“Did Grandpa know?” A.C. asked, a little shocked that his sensible dad had ever been reckless enough to gamble.

“I may have forgotten to mention it,” Adam admitted. “Back when I lived on the Ponderosa, your uncles played poker occasionally.” He smiled slightly as he added, “Your Uncle Joe was the worst poker player on the Comstock.” He put his hand on his son’s shoulder and gave it an affectionate squeeze. “Your grandpa just told me never to gamble more than I could afford to lose and I took his advice to heart.”

A.C. watched his dad and uncle play and thought it looked pretty easy. However, when he played his dad, he lost very quickly. Mark and Llywelyn had joined them and Llywelyn said, “Don’t feel bad, A.C. Uncle Adam is the best billiard player in Cloncurry, and Three Cushion is a very difficult game. Why don’t you and I play a game of Straight Rail?”

“Right,” A.C. said.

A.C. discovered Straight Rail wasn’t quite as difficult and Llywelyn didn’t defeat him as quickly as his dad had, but the outcome was the same.

“It just takes practice, son,” Adam said encouragingly.

A couple of A.C.’s mates walked over then. After greeting everyone, Robbie said to A.C., “Come join us.”

A.C. looked quickly at his dad, and seeing Adam’s slight nod, A.C. went off with his mates.

“So the oldies finally let you come to the pub,” Robbie said with a superior grin.

“Right,” A.C. said evenly, refusing to be baited.

“Well, it looks like you need a refill,” Robbie said, “and so do I.”

“I’d like another pint, Mr. Greene,” A.C. said as he walked up to the bar. Then he realized he hadn’t brought any money with him. “No, I’m s-sorry,” he stuttered.

‘Oh, your dad’ll pay for it tonight,” Greene said with a wink.

A.C. found his second beer more enjoyable than his first. He and Robbie and a couple of their mates played a game of darts, which A.C. won handily since he had excellent hand-eye coordination and was the best bowler on Cloncurry’s cricket team. Darts was much more fun than billiards he decided. Billiards was a game for older men like his dad.

After the game, Ned Browne suggested another round.

“Uh, I’ve had enough,” A.C. said.

‘Don’t be a wowser,” Ned said, slapping A.C. on the back.

“Right,” Tom Jenkins said, adding with a sneer, “unless you’re not man enough to hold your liquor.”

I am a man now and I can choose how much to drink. I don’t need Dad telling me. And I don’t want my mates thinking I need Dad’s permission for everything, A.C. thought.

“Right, I’ll have another pint,” he said to his mates, and they all walked to the bar. A.C. did glance a little nervously over his shoulder, but his dad was engrossed in his game of billiards.

Adam played a few more games of billiards with Rhys, Llywelyn and Mark, and then checked his watch.

“I promised Bronwen we’d only be gone a couple of hours so A.C. and I need to be heading home,” he said to Rhys.

“Matilda will be expecting me as well,” Rhys said, “but I’d like to play another game with Llywelyn. Do you mind telling Matilda?” Adam nodded and walked toward the table where A.C. and his friends were sitting.

When he approached the table, he could tell several of the young men were well on their way to being three sheets to the wind. He was relieved to see A.C. didn’t seem to be in that condition.

One of A.C.’s friends was saying loudly, “Maisie may not be pretty, but she’ll let you do more than steal a kiss.”

“Too right,” another agreed. “Just tell her that you think she’s beautiful and that you’re falling in love with her.”

Adam cleared his throat loudly. “A.C., it’s time to head home.”

“I’ll be home later,” A.C. replied, full of Dutch courage.

Adam stared first at his son and then at his friends, and the boys all grew silent under his steady gaze. He said quietly to A.C., “I promised your mother we’d be home in a couple of hours.”

“Oh. Right,” A.C. said. He stood up and bid his mates goodnight.

“We’ll see you tomorrow night,” they called after him.

He was expecting a lecture, but his dad only said, “So, did you enjoy your visit to the pub?”

“Too right,” A.C. replied enthusiastically.

“I’m glad,” Adam said. “From now on, you can come with your uncle and me on Friday nights.”

“Uh, what about other nights?” A.C. asked. “Most of my mates go every night.”

“I think one night a week is enough,” Adam replied quietly.

A.C. started to object but then remembered Robbie only went to the pub on Fridays. In fact, Ned and Tom were the only ones to visit the pub every night. “Right, Friday nights it is,” he said with a nod. Then he added happily, “I won every game of darts I played tonight. I think Tom is a bit jealous. Robbie said he used to win most of the games. Of course, darts isn’t as much fun as cricket.”

“Everyone is looking forward to tomorrow night. Robbie said he wants to ask Tegan to dance the first dance with him. I was going to ask her, but I think he’s sweet on her so I guess I’ll wait and ask for a later dance,” A.C. continued. He didn’t notice that his dad said very little as they walked along.

When they got to the Cartwright house, they could see Bronwen and Matilda sitting on the verandah’s swing. Adam delivered Rhys’ message and so Matilda excused herself and walked next door to her house. Bronwen smiled brightly at her menfolk.

“Did you have a good time?” she asked her son.

“Too right,” he replied cheerfully. Then he added, “I’d like to go check on Blackbird if that’s all right.”

“Blackbird?” she repeated. “Oh, is that what you named your new horse?” and he nodded. “All right, but don’t stay up too late.”

“I won’t, Mama,” he promised. He stooped and kissed her cheek before heading toward the barn.

Bronwen watched him for a moment before turning to her husband. “You don’t seem as enthusiastic as A.C. about tonight,” she said quietly.

He didn’t answer immediately. He sat down beside her, put his arm around her shoulders, and she waited. He sighed gently and held her closer before saying, “A.C.’s at the age now where his friends’ good opinion is more important than ours. I asked him to limit his drinking to two beers but I’m certain that he had more.” Seeing the alarm in her eyes he added quickly, “He’s not drunk. He shouldn’t have a full-fledged hangover, but he may have a headache in the morning.” He saw she still looked anxious so he hugged her and said, “Sometimes experience really is the best teacher, Sweetheart.”

She sighed and rested her head on his shoulder. “I thought it might be easier with A.C. than it was with the girls, but it’s not.”

Adam hugged her comfortingly before adding, “Just different things to worry about.”

I thought it would be the way it was when you bought me my first drink, Pa, he thought sadly as he and Bronwen sat and gently rocked the swing back and forth. I thought that drinking a couple of pints together and playing billiards would strengthen the bond between me and A.C. Instead, he wanted to spend time with his friends.

I should have known his friends would encourage him to drink more than two beers. They obviously don’t know when to stop and I’m proud of A.C. for not following their example and getting drunk. He sighed softly. It’s been more than half a century since I was sixteen. I’ve almost forgotten what it’s like to be that young—how important the opinions of your friends are. But I don’t want A.C. falling under the influence of Ned Browne and Tom Jenkins. They drink too much and from what I overheard tonight, they have the morals of an alley cat.

“You’re very quiet tonight,” Bronwen said then and he smiled at her.

“After seeing A.C. and his friends, I’m feeling my years.”

She smiled at him and then said, “Don’t be feeling sorry for yourself, Adam Cartwright. You’re like a fine wine; you improve with age.”

“So do you, Sweetheart. So do you,” he said softly before leaning down and capturing her mouth in a kiss.

The next morning A.C. was awakened by someone shaking his shoulder. He tried to move away, but the shaking only increased and he heard his dad’s voice saying, “Time to get up, son.”

A.C. opened his bleary, bloodshot eyes and croaked, “Oh, my head aches.”

“I’m sorry to hear that, son,” Adam replied, but A.C. saw his expression was sardonic. “However, you have two horses that need to be fed and watered and their stalls need to be mucked out.” He walked over to the windows and began to tie back the curtains. With a groan, A.C. forced himself to sit up. Adam couldn’t stop his lips from twitching in a tiny grin as he tossed his son his robe. “I’ll see you at the barn.” He started out the door, then stopped and turned around. “Happy birthday, son,” he said with a big dimpled smile. A.C. managed a weak smile in reply.

When A.C. made it out to the barn, he saw his dad had already fed and watered his own mount, the horses that drew their surrey and their milk cow, and turned them out to graze. His dad was in the process of mucking out their stalls when he walked into the barn. Bucephalas and Blackbird both neighed to let A.C. know they were hungry and thirsty.

“Headache any better?” Adam asked, the corner of his mouth turning up just the tiniest bit.

“No,” A.C. replied, annoyed by his dad’s lack of sympathy.

“Well, your grandpa always used to tell me, ‘Those who dance must pay the piper,’” Adam said with a wink.

A.C. hoped that his dad would help him with his chores since it was his birthday, but when his dad finished, he just walked off with a grin, saying they’d wait breakfast for him.

When A.C. entered the dining room, he found his parents drinking tea and talking together. His dad looked up when he entered, followed by Mary who was carrying a platter heaped high with flapjacks and another containing crispy bacon.

“Happy birthday, A.C. bach!” his mama said with a bright smile. “Your dad says you have a headache so I’ve made you some peppermint tea.”

“Thanks, Mama,” he said as he took his place between his parents.

Adam said grace and then they passed around the flapjacks and bacon while Mary came back with a dish of scrambled eggs. A.C. discovered his stomach was a bit queasy so he only ate one flapjack with just a little butter and no honey or orange marmalade and two cups of peppermint tea. His parents exchanged glances at his lack of appetite but made no comment.

“You’re in luck A.C.,” Adam said as he finished his tea, “because there’s not a cloud in the sky so I don’t think your party will be rained out.” (Since A.C.’s February birthday was in Cloncurry’s rainy season, there had been a good chance the party might have postponed because of rain.) Adam pushed back his chair and said, “If you’ll excuse me, Sweetheart, I want to mow the lawn before it gets too hot. The grass is a little high for dancing after all the rain we’ve had.” (Not long after moving to Cloncurry, Adam had planted narrow leaf carpet grass in the front yard and worked hard maintaining it. The backyard and the pasture were all native Mitchell grasses that grew in their characteristic tussocks.)

Bronwen nodded, adding, “Mary and I need to get started on our baking now, too.” She smiled and said to A.C., “We’ll have plenty of lamingtons for your guests,” because he was especially fond of the squares of sponge cake covered in chocolate and cocoanut.

“What are your plans for this morning?” Adam asked his son.

“Oh, uh, I think maybe I’ll start the book Miranda and William gave me,” he said. He noted that while Mama looked concerned, Dad just looked amused. There was no doubt in A.C.’s mind that Dad knew he’d had more than two beers the night before.

He retrieved the book from his room, and then went to sit on the verandah where it was cooler. As soon as he opened the book, he spied an envelope addressed to him in his sister’s handwriting.

January 2, 1904

Dear A.C.,

Happy Birthday from William, Jon, Laura and me!

We just celebrated Jon’s fourth birthday yesterday and I wanted to get your gift in the mail today so it would be sure and arrive in Cloncurry before February 13. I suppose because we haven’t seen each other since you were ten, it’s hard for me to believe you will be sixteen. One of the few things I regret about my decision to go to school in America is that I missed seeing you grow up. Now I can’t help regretting that Jon and Laura will never get to know the Cartwright side of their family, except for Sarah and Benj.

Just as the knowledge that my children will never really know my family is painful; it is equally painful to think of the Ponderosa with no Cartwrights. Bronc Evans has invited us to bring Jon and Laura for a visit, but the thought of visiting the Ponderosa and not seeing Grandpa or Uncle Joe is just too sad. The summers I spent at the Ponderosa are full of such happy memories. Grandpa would tell me stories about Daddy, Uncle Hoss and Uncle Joe when they were young Uncle Joe liked to reminisce, too. I think he really missed his older brothers. Maybe in a few years when the children are older, a visit to the Ponderosa won’t be painful, and William and I will take them. It is part of their heritage, just as it is yours and mine.

Winters are so cold here in Hanover that I long for Cloncurry in January. William and Jon, however, love the cold and the snow. Right now I can look out the window and see William trying to teach Jon how to build a snowman. Jon looks so funny in his heavy wool coat, wool cap with earflaps that fasten under his chin, wool mittens and black rubber boots. Underneath he’s wearing a pullover wool sweater. All that thick clothing makes him look very round.

Laura turned over onto her stomach for the first time this morning. She lost her baby hair and it looks like her new hair is going to be light brown like William’s. Jon is disappointed that his sister seems to sleep all the time when she isn’t eating. (I think he thought he could play with the baby like a puppy or a kitten.)

I hop you enjoy The Call of the Wild. I know you like animals, especially dogs and horses, so I thought it would interest you.

We all hope you have a very happy birthday.

Love,
Miranda

A.C. was tucking the envelope containing the letter back inside The Call of the Wild when his mama walked out and sat beside him.

“I needed a breath of fresh air,” she said, dabbing at the beads of perspiration on her forehead and upper lip with a handkerchief. She smiled at him and asked, “Is your headache any better?”

He returned her smile and said, “Yes. Your peppermint tea really helped.”

“Well, in that case, would you go offer to finish mowing the yard?” she asked. “I worry about your dad overexerting himself in this heat.”

“Right, Mama,” he said, jumping to his feet. “If I hadn’t had the headache, I would have done the mowing.”

“I know you would,” she said, reaching up and patting his arm.

“Dad!’ A.C. called as he approached Adam, who stopped and wiped the sweat dripping from his face. “I’ll finish mowing,” A.C. said. “Why don’t you rest?”

“I started; might as well finish,” Adam replied.

“But I feel guilty sitting on the verandah and watching you work,” A.C. answered with a dimpled grin. “Besides, you could read the letter Miranda sent. I found it inside the book she gave me.”

“I was surprised that she hadn’t sent you a letter,” Adam said. “All right, you can finish, but go put your hat on. You don’t want to get sunstroke.”

“Right,” A.C. replied and sprinted toward the house. Adam lifted his own hat to mop the sweat from his head. He watched as Mary appeared in the doorway, carrying a tray with a pitcher and glasses. She sat in one of the wicker chairs while Bronwen poured them each a glass of water and a third for Adam. He walked away from the mower and toward the verandah as he saw A.C. disappear into the house.

“Guess I didn’t get as early a start as I should’ve,” Adam said as he sat down beside Bronwen on the swing.

“You just won’t admit you’re getting too old to mow the lawn in this heat,” Bronwen scolded as Adam took a long drink from his glass of water. He frowned at her.

“It is very hot today,” Mary said quickly. “It’s a good thing the party will be outside because the house is too hot.”

“Yes, once we’re done with the baking, we’ll need to make plenty of lemon squash,” Bronwen stated. Then she turned to Adam. “I thought we could have sandwiches and a salad for lunch, if that’s all right with you?”

“It sounds just fine,” he replied. “A.C. said there was a letter from Miranda in his book.”

“Beauty,” Bronwen said. “Would you read it to us, Cariad?”

He nodded, but realized he’d left his reading glasses in the library, so Bronwen read it instead. When she finished, Mary went back to the kitchen to continue baking lamingtons but Bronwen lingered with Adam.

“I hope Miranda and William do take Jon and Laura to visit the Ponderosa when they’re older,” Adam said slowly as he placed the letter back in the envelope. “It is painful to think of no Cartwrights living there. When we settled here, I thought Hoss and Joe would be raising their families on the Ponderosa. If I could have known the ways things would turn out, maybe I would have taken you back to the Ponderosa and raised our children there.” He fell silent and she reached for his hand. After a few minutes, he smiled at her and said, “I don’t regret my choice. We’ve had a good life here. I just wish things had worked out differently for Hoss and Joe.”

“So do I,” she replied softly.

“After Joe died, I revised my will,” he added quietly. “I left my share in the Ponderosa to Will’s sons. I thought about leaving it to A.C. but he’s living here while John and Michael live in California. Of course, now that John’s a detective in the San Francisco police and Michael’s a reporter for The Chronicle, they may not have any interest in the ranch.”

“What about Jon?” she asked

“If I’m still alive when he’s A.C.’s age, then I may change my will,” he replied with a slight smile. Then he stood up saying, “Well, it’s time for Jory and Ifor’s riding lesson.”

By six o’clock, Adam and A.C. (with help from Rhys, Llywelyn, and Mark) had hung Chinese lanterns in the front yard, while Bronwen and Mary had finished making the lamingtons and the lemon squash. The dining room table had been carried out to the verandah where the food and drink were placed on it and then covered with cheesecloth to keep the flies off. It wasn’t long before the first guests began to arrive. The young women all wore white—some dresses were made of crêpe de chine but most of muslin—trimmed with lace or ruffles or ribbons. The young men wore white shirts with starched collars and neckties.

All day, A.C. had been trying to decide which girl he would ask to dance first. Since he couldn’t dance with his first choice of Tegan Hughnans, he decided he would ask Mary Gibson. She was pretty with curly light brown hair and a cute turned-up nose, but she was also shy. Maybe he could draw her out. And he could still have a dance or two with Tegan since she wasn’t actually Robbie’s girl.

Once all the invited guests (with the exception of Ned Browne and Tom Jenkins) had arrived, A.C. sought out Mary. She was standing with a group of other girls. A.C. thought she looked especially pretty in her high-necked muslin dress trimmed with ruffles at her wrists and along the hem. Tegan looked lovely as well in a dress decorated with blue ribbons that matched her eyes and complimented her chestnut hair.

He greeted the girls and then turned to Mary. “May I have the first dance, Mary?” he asked with a warm smile. Her cheeks grew very pink as she replied softly, “Yes, you may.”

He offered her his arm then, saying, “Let’s go tell Alf and the others they can start playing.”

The musicians began with a two-step waltz and as A.C. and Mary danced, he said with a smile, “You look very pretty tonight.”

“Thank you,” she replied, blushing just a little. She hesitated and then said in a rush, “It’s a lovely party.”

“I hope it will be,” he answered. Then he looked around and said with satisfaction, “Looks like everyone is dancing.”

“Your parents look like they’re enjoying themselves, too,” she commented, glancing over at Adam and Bronwen.

“Dad said he was looking forward to dancing with Mama,” A.C. said. It seemed odd to watch his parents dancing, Dad holding Mama close—closer than A.C. would be allowed to hold any of his partners.

“I think it’s so romantic,” Mary said wistfully. “I mean, they’re grandparents but you can tell watching them that they’re still in love. You’re lucky,” she added with a quiet intensity, thinking of her own parents’ frequent quarrels.

“Too right. Here I am dancing with a very pretty girl. Couldn’t be any luckier,” he responded with a smile, wanting to lighten the mood.

When the dance ended, one of his friends approached and A.C. hurried over to Tegan, who was talking with Robbie. He was disappointed to discover she already had a partner for the next dance, but he was able to claim the third.

“I already asked her for the last dance,” Robbie said. “She wouldn’t dance more than two dances with me.”

“You got two. I only got one,” A.C. replied. “C’mon. We need to find partners for the next dance.”

A.C. started to look for Barbara Wheeler but then he noticed Margaret Edmonds standing off by herself. She was the homeliest girl in the school—overweight with badly protruding teeth and acne. A.C. hadn’t really expected her to accept his invitation, and she looked utterly miserable. He knew what he should do; he was the host and he should make certain all his guests were having fun. More than that, he had a kind heart and Margaret’s misery was something he couldn’t ignore.

She didn’t see him approach and was obviously startled when he said her name.

“I’m sorry if I startled you,” he said with a warm smile. “I just wanted to ask if you’d be my partner for the next dance.”

“I- I don’t know how to dance,” she stammered, her face and neck turning a dark crimson.

“Would you like some lemon squash?” he asked then. “My mama makes bonzer lemon squash.”

“That would be nice. Th- thank you,” Margaret replied.

“Why don’t we sit on the verandah while we drink?” he suggested. “There’s usually a breeze there.” She appeared undecided so he smiled engagingly and said, “C’mon.”

He suggested they sit on the swing while they drank, but she walked around the side of the house until the dancers were no longer visible and sat on the railing.

“You don’t have to stay,” she said quietly.

“I know, but I want to,” he replied, sitting beside her.

“I know you’d rather be dancing with one of the pretty girls,’ she said quietly, refusing to meet his eyes.

“You may not be the prettiest girl here, but you’re the smartest. Except for my cousin Emma,” he added with a wink.

“I don’t do very well in mathematics,” she said, still refusing to meet his eyes.

“Maybe not, but you know more than everyone else in school when we study history or literature,” he replied.

“I love to read,” she said quietly. “I can escape to other places and other times. Reading about Henry V fighting the battle of Agincourt or Queen Elizabeth defeating the Spanish Armada is more exciting than life here.”

“Not everything in the past was exciting. What about the Black Death?” he asked.

She shrugged and smiled slightly. “I don’t read much about those times. They’re too sad.”

As Adam and Bronwen danced, she said, “I don’t see A.C.”

“He’s not dancing,” Adam said. “I saw him taking Margaret Edmonds to get some lemon squash.”

“I’m glad,” she said. “I hate to think of her being ignored and miserable.”

“I’m proud of him,” Adam stated quietly. “I wish I thought some of his friends would follow his example.”

When the dance ended, A.C. and Margaret approached his parents. “I was wondering if you could show Margaret our library. She really loves to read and I told her that you have hundreds of books.”

“I’d be happy to show you our library, Margaret,” Bronwen said with a friendly smile and led the girl toward the house.

“She’s not having a good time and I thought she’d like looking at the books,” A.C. said to Adam, who put a hand on his son’s shoulder and gave it a squeeze. A.C. smiled before hurrying to claim his dance with Tegan.

This dance was a lively polka so A.C. and Tegan didn’t have much breath for talking. When it finished, A.C. said with a grin, “I don’t suppose I could have another dance?”

“I’d love that,” Tegan replied with a grin of her own.

This time the dance was a waltz and as A.C. guided Tegan through the graceful steps, she smiled up at him and said, “This is a ripper party, A.C.”

“Thanks,” he replied.

“Elen told Kerra that your parents got you a new horse for your birthday,” Tegan said then.

“A Waler,” A.C. said enthusiastically. “He’s a ripper. My dad is going to help me train him to cut cattle.” He saw the puzzled look on her face and added, “I’m spending our next summer vacation working on our cattle station. My dad and his brothers were jackaroos back in the States and I wanted to see what it’s like.”

As they danced near the front gate, they saw Ned and Tom making a late appearance.

“I wondered what had become of them,” A.C. said happily, and didn’t notice that his partner did not share his enthusiasm.

Adam had also noted Ned and Tom’s arrival and walked over to greet them. He suspected they had stopped by Bert Greene’s on their way to the party but they weren’t drunk so he decided just to keep an eye on them.

“This party is gonna be a ripper once we add this to the lemon squash,” Tom said to Ned in an undertone as they walked casually toward the verandah. He reached into his pocket and put his hand around the flask he’d ‘borrowed’ from his dad and had Bert Greene fill with gin.

When they approached the silver punch bowl, Tom pulled the flask from his pocket and started to unscrew the lid. Just then, they each felt a hand grip their shoulders hard, and heard A.C.’s dad’s deep voice saying, “I suggest the two of you leave quietly right now.”

“We- we were just getting something to drink, Mr. Cartwright,” Ned protested, wincing at the strength of Adam’s grip. A.C.’s dad may be an old man but he’s sure strong.

“No, you were planning on adding something to the lemon squash,” Adam replied in an implacable tone. He turned to Llywelyn and Mark, whom he’d asked to help him keep an eye on Tom and Ned. “Llywelyn, check the flask that Tom just put back in his pocket.”

Tom tried to squirm away, but Adam tightened his hold and Mark moved to grasp one of Tom’s arms in an iron grip. Llywelyn opened the flask and took a sip. “Gin,” he said.

“Is it your dad’s flask?” Adam asked Tom

“Yeah,” the boy snarled.

“I’ll give it back to him tomorrow and tell him how it came to be in my possession,” Adam said coldly. “Now, if you want to save yourselves some embarrassment, I suggest you leave quietly.”

The boys nodded sullenly and so Adam and Mark released them. As they walked toward the front gate, A.C. saw them. Excusing himself to his partner, he hurried over to his mates.

“You aren’t leaving?” he asked in surprise.

“Your dad told us to rack off,” Tom said, turning his back on A.C. and jerking the gate open.

“Why?” A.C. asked, watching Tom stalk off.

‘We just wanted to have a little fun but your dad’s a wowser,” Ned retorted. Then he slammed the gate shut behind him.

A.C. saw his dad standing on the verandah talking with Llywelyn and Mark so he hurried over.

“Tom said you told him to rack off,” he said in an angry tone.

“I asked them to leave,” Adam responded calmly.

“They were my guests,” A.C. said in the same angry tone. “They said they were just trying to have a little fun.”

“A.C., we caught them getting ready to pour gin in the lemon squash,” Llywelyn inserted. “Their idea of fun was to get everyone drunk.”

“I didn’t want to ruin your party so I asked them to leave quietly,” Adam said. “I have the flask Tom took from his father and I’ll return it tomorrow afternoon. I’ll have a talk with Ned’s father as well. What they decide to do about their sons’ actions is their business.”

“They didn’t tell me what they were going to do,” A.C. said, sounding shocked.

“No, I’m sure they didn’t,” Adam replied, resting his hand affectionately on his son’s shoulders.

A.C. smiled a little at the three older men before saying, “Thanks for stopping them. They would have ruined the party.”

“They’re gone now, and the evening is still young. I want to dance with my wife,” Adam said with a wink.

“And so do I,” Llywelyn said with a grin. “We’d better hurry and find them before someone else asks them to dance.” Smiling, they all walked down the verandah’s steps to join the dancers.

A.C’s next partner was a red-haired, freckle-faced girl named Janet Campbell. They’d been friends ever since they’d started school as six-year-olds. Instead of playing jacks or hopscotch with the other little girls, Janet played with the little boys. Even though she now wore long skirts, A.C. still tended to think of her as one of his mates.

“Ned and Tom bail out?” she asked curiously as they danced and he nodded reluctantly.

“Well, I think this is a ripper party, and so does everyone else” she said with a big smile.

A.C. smiled down at her, thinking, She’s right. It is a ripper party. Everyone is having a good time. Even poor Margaret is having a good time now that Mama let her stay in the library and read. This is my best birthday ever.

Chapter 2
Monday morning, Adam shook his head slightly as he watched A.C. wolf down his fried eggs, bacon and toast. “What’s your hurry, son?” he inquired mildly.

“I asked Mary if I could walk her to school and Robbie asked Tegan. Tegan suggested we all walk together so Robbie and I have to leave early,” A.C. explained and his parents smiled.

A.C. was just finishing when they heard a knock at the front door and Adam called, “Come in!”

Robbie, a tall gangly boy, walked into the dining room. “G’day, Mr. and Mrs. Cartwright. Are you ready, A.C.? I don’t want to be late.”

A.C. hurriedly finished his cup of tea and jumped to his feet. “Ready. Hooroo, Mama and Dad.”

As A.C. and Robbie walked along, Robbie said, “Ned and Tom sure didn’t stay long at your party.”

A.C. was silent for a moment, debating whether or not to mention why they’d been asked to leave. All he said to Robbie was, “They didn’t like the party.”

“Well, I thought it was a ripper party,” Robbie said loyally. Then he added thoughtfully, “Ned and Tom have changed, and not for the better. I like going to the pub for a couple of beers but every night they get rotten.”

When they got to the end of their street, they found Ned and Tom waiting.

“Cartwright,” Tom snarled, moving so he blocked their way, “thanks to your dad, mine gave me a gobful. I can’t go to the pub for a month!”

“Your dad is a dobber,” Ned sneered.

Robbie looked from Tom and Ned back to A.C., wondering what had really happened at the party.

A.C. said scornfully, “It’s not my dad’s fault if you’re drongos.”

With a curse, Ned punched A.C. on the jaw. Caught by surprise, A.C. wasn’t able to block the blow, but then he hit Ned on the nose, drawing blood. Tom punched A.C. in the gut and Ned started to deliver a roundhouse punch, but Robbie stepped in. The four of them traded blows until A.C. knocked Tom to the ground and he just lay there, making no attempt to get up.

“Had enough?” Robbie asked Ned, who nodded, but his eyes still smoldered with fury. He helped Tom and they headed back toward their own neighborhood while A.C. and Robbie watched them.

“We can’t go to school looking like this,” Robbie said, reaching for his handkerchief to staunch the blood dripping from his nose.

“Too right,” A.C. replied, wincing as he prodded where Tom had punched him in the kidney. “I just hope I can sneak in the backdoor without Mama seeing me.”

“Too right,” Robbie declared emphatically. “Now, are you gonna tell me why they called your dad a dobber?”

“Yeah, I guess you have a right to know,” A.C. replied with a crooked grin just like his dad’s. “Saturday night, my dad caught them trying to add gin to the lemon squash. Yesterday, Dad took Mr. Jenkins’ flask back to him and he told him and Mr. Browne what Tom and Ned tried to do.”

Robbie whistled. “Since Mr. Browne and Mr. Jenkins both work for your dad, I bet they were really angry. Maybe even worried about getting sacked.”

“Dad and Uncle Rhys wouldn’t sack a man because of something his son did,” A.C. said firmly.

‘I know that, but Mr. Browne and Mr. Jenkins might not,” Robbie said. “C’mon. Let’s see if we can get cleaned up without our mums catching us.”

A.C. started to head for the backyard when he remembered Monday was wash day and so Mama and Mary would be sure to see him if he went that way. Duchess spotted him and began to bark but quieted on his command. She padded after him silently as he snuck up the stairs to his bedroom. Looking in his shaving mirror, he could see bruises already forming along his jaw and his right cheekbone. The worst one was where he’d been punched in the kidney. I might have known Tom would fight dirty he thought.

He was soaking the scraped and swollen knuckles of his left hand when Bronwen, who’d come upstairs to strip the beds, appeared in his doorway.

“A.C.!” she said in surprise, then taking in his battered face exclaimed, “What happened to you?” Before he could open his mouth, she said, “Never mind. It’s clear what happened. You can explain everything when your dad gets home tonight. Now, sit down on the bed and let me take a look at you.”

“It’s just a few bruises and scrapes, Mama. That’s all,” he protested, but she only repeated, “Sit down.”

She gently held his chin and turned his face so she could examine the bruises beginning to form. “They don’t look too bad,” she said. “Let me see your hand now.” There was more damage here and she asked him, “Did you use boric acid on these cuts and scrapes?” When he shook his head, she said firmly, “Stay here and I’ll get some. Then I want to wrap some gauze and a bandage around your hand before you go to school.”

When A.C. stepped onto the verandah, he found Robbie waiting for him. His right eye was beginning to swell shut but his nose had stopped bleeding. His right hand was bandaged similarly to A.C.’s left.

“Looks like your mum caught you, too,” Robbie said with a sigh. “Mine gave me a gobful.”

“Mine just said we’d talk about it tonight when my dad got home,” A.C. said despondently as they walked toward the gate.

“Tegan is going to be angry with me,” Robbie said mournfully.

Melanie Andrews’ eyebrows first shot up in surprise and then drew together in a frown when two of her missing students appeared in the doorway.

“Well, Adam and Robert, I see I don’t need to ask why the two of you are tardy,” she said sharply. “I hope you have apologized to each other.”

“Uh, we weren’t fighting each other, Miss Andrews,” A.C. replied.

“Well, take your seats,” Melanie said, deducing that they had probably been fighting with her other missing students.

As soon as it was time for lunch, A.C. and Robbie hurried to apologize to Mary and Tegan, but the girls gave them the cold shoulder. Dejectedly, the two boys walked home for lunch.

“I think they should have given us a chance to explain,” A.C. complained.

“I really thought Tegan liked dancing with me at the party,” Robbie said sadly. Just then they heard Janet’s voice calling for them to wait.

As soon as she caught up with the boys, Janet immediately asked, “Did you have a barney with Ned and Tom?”

“Yeah,” A.C. said while Robbie added, “They started it.”

“That doesn’t surprise me,” Janet said. “Do your oldies know about it.”

“Our mums do,” Robbie replied, “and they’ll tell our dads. I’m sure not looking forward to that.”

When school was out, Melanie asked A.C. and Robbie to wait.

“I just want to tell you how disappointed I am in both of you,” she said looking up at the two young men who were now several inches taller than she. “Violence is not the solution to a problem”

“I know it’s not, Miss Andrews, but I’m not going to let anyone insult my family and friends,” A.C. said firmly.

She sighed a little. She had been certain Adam and Robert hadn’t started the fight. “Well, you didn’t have the fight at school so I suppose it’s not really my concern. I just felt I must express my disappointment in your behavior. I trust you’ll both be on time tomorrow.”

“We will, Miss Andrews,” they both assured her.

As soon as they left the schoolhouse, they ran after Tegan and Mary, shouting for them to please wait. This time the two girls halted while their friends continued walking.

“Tegan, I’m truly sorry that I couldn’t walk to school with you,” Robbie said earnestly.

“Yes, and so am I, Mary,” A.C. added.

“Fair dinkum?” Tegan said, disdainfully tossing her head. “It’s clear you had something more important to do,” she added scornfully. Mary was silent, gazing reproachfully at A.C.

“We didn’t start the fight,” A.C. said, “but we aren’t jelly kneed.”

“Right,” Robbie added, “and Ned and Tom insulted A.C.’s dad.”

“I suppose you had to fight them then,” Tegan said. “Did you win?”

“Too right,” Robbie said. “They look worse than we do. Probably why they weren’t at school. Could- could we walk to school together tomorrow?”

The girls looked at each other and after a moment they agreed.

As soon as A.C. got home, he hurriedly did his chores and then went to the library to work on his assignments. He was just finishing a geometry problem when he heard his dad greet his mama. It wasn’t long before his parents appeared in the doorway. His dad looked him over, assessing the damage, before he and his mama sat down. His dad indicated A.C. was to join them, so he got up from behind the desk and sat down beside his mama.

“I would like to know whom you fought and why,” his dad said evenly.

A.C.’s apprehension increased because he knew the quieter his dad was, the angrier he was. Taking a deep, calming breath, he said, “Robbie and I had a barney with Ned and Tom. Ned hit me first so I had to hit him back. Robbie got involved to prevent them both hitting me.”

Adam sighed. “I figured the fight was with Ned and Tom, and you don’t need to explain what it was about.” He pinched the bridge of his nose. “If someone hits you, I expect you to defend yourself.”

A.C. began to relax until his dad added, “But I have to ask you this: Did you do or say anything that might have provoked Ned into hitting you?”

A.C. dropped his eyes and said very reluctantly, “After he called you a dobber, I said it wasn’t your fault he was a drongo.” He glanced up quickly and seeing his parents’ expressions, he said defensively, “I couldn’t let him insult you, Dad!”

Adam replied quietly, “I appreciate your defending my honor, son. I’m sure Ned was angry because his dad punished him and he wanted to take his anger out on someone. He was just looking for an excuse to start a fight. I’m not going to punish you for standing up for yourself, and for me, but it would be best if you keep away from Ned and Tom and avoid any more trouble.” He glanced quickly at Bronwen out of the corner of one eye before asking, “Uh, who won the fight?”

“Robbie and I did,” A.C. replied, relishing his dad’s proud smile. He didn’t notice his mama’s frown.

As Adam and Bronwen got ready for bed that night, she said to him, “I wish you hadn’t looked so proud when A.C. told you that he and Robbie won the fight.”

He cocked an eyebrow, saying firmly, “I was proud.”

“Oh, men!” she exclaimed, hands on hips.

“Are you telling me that you would have preferred he and Robbie lost?” he asked incredulously, both eyebrows shooting up.

“No, of course not,” she admitted.

“Oh, women!” he said with a chuckle before bending down to kiss her.

The next morning as A.C. and Robbie left the Cartwright house, Robbie said, “My dad didn’t punish me. Said he would expect me to defend my mate.”

“Yeah, my dad thanked me for standing up for him,” A.C. said proudly. His expression quickly sobered as he added, “He told me to keep away from Tom and Ned.”

“My dad told me the same thing,” Robbie said. “I think if Tom and Ned are smart, they’ll keep away from us.” The two boys shared a grin.

One morning a few weeks later, as A.C. and Adam were caring for the livestock, A.C. said worriedly, “Dad, Blackbird is favoring his right foreleg.”

“Let’s see,” Adam said. He watched carefully as his son walked the gelding back and forth in front of him. “Yes, he’s definitely favoring it,” Adam agreed. He bent over and put his hand on the right foot and then on the left. “Yes, the right is much hotter. I think you’d better go ask Mr. MacDonald to come and have a look at Blackbird.”

“I’d- I’d like to be here when he examines him,” A.C. said, and to his relief, his dad nodded.

“Tell Robbie and then he can tell Miss Andrews why you’ll be late today,” Adam suggested.

Cloncurry’s veterinarian was a wiry man with bright blue eyes and a cheerful countenance. He was just finishing his breakfast when his two terriers began yapping and he heard a voice calling his name.

“Finish your breakfast; I’ll get the door,” his wife said, lifting the baby from her highchair and carrying her with her. She returned in a minute with A.C., who quickly explained about Blackbird.

MacDonald finished his cup of tea and rose to his feet. “I’ll get my bag and then we’ll take a look at your horse,” he said with a friendly smile. He kissed his little boy’s cheek, and then the baby’s, and lastly his wife’s before heading to his surgery where he kept his bag of instruments.

A.C. watched with interest as MacDonald took a hammer from his bag and tapped the wall of the affected hoof. Blackbird flinched, then raised the hoof and held it in the air. A.C. saw it was trembling and patted the gelding’s neck comfortingly, watching as the animal carefully put the hoof back on the ground.

“I think there’s some pus in that foot,” MacDonald stated. “I’ll need to make an opening and drain it. Please hold his head.”

“Right,” A.C. said, and then stroked Blackbird’s neck and spoke in a soothing voice.

MacDonald extracted a hoof knife from his bag and stood so he could tuck the horse’s foot between his knees. A.C. craned his head around so he could watch while he continued to stroke his gelding’s neck. It was a painstaking business scraping through the hard hoof but at last pus spurted out before slowing to a trickle. A.C. watched MacDonald enlarge the hole before putting Blackbird’s hoof back on the ground.

“He’ll be right now?” A.C. asked.

“Should be. I want to give him an injection of tetanus antitoxin and then disinfect the hole I just made in the hoof,” MacDonald replied. “I wouldn’t ride him for at least a week though.” He cocked his head slightly and said, “You like animals don’t you?”

“Yes, I do,” A.C. answered frankly.

“My practice is mostly large animal,” MacDonald said conversationally, “but the small animal side is growing. That presents a bit of a problem.” He smiled slightly at A.C.’s raised eyebrow. “Sometimes, I need to perform surgery and occasionally that means I really need to keep the animal overnight. But by the time I’ve ridden out to a station to treat sick cattle or horses and back to Cloncurry, I’m exhausted. With two ankle biters and a third on the way, my wife doesn’t have time to feed a sick animal as well as our own two dogs. What I need is to hire someone who’d be willing to care for the animal in the evening. It’s not steady work; could be weeks go by before I’d need someone. And it needs to be someone who likes animals.” He paused.

“I’d be interested Mr. MacDonald. I like the idea of helping a sick animal,” A.C. said slowly.

“We’ll give it a try,” the older man said with a warm smile. “I’ll send you word when I need you.”

It was a Friday afternoon about three weeks later when Huw’s friend Ritchie, who lived across the street from the veterinarian, knocked on the Cartwright’s front door.

“I have a note here for A.C.,” Ritchie said to Mary.

“He’s at the barn,” she replied, and the little boy ran down the verandah steps and headed for the barn.

A.C. was grooming Blackbird while Elen groomed Bucephalas and it was she who spotted Ritchie first.

“I wonder what Ritchie’s doing here,” she said to her uncle.

“We’ll find out pretty soon,” he replied with a grin. “G’day mate!” he called to the little boy.

Ritchie was out of breath but managed to gasp out, “Note for you,” as he handed A.C. the paper in his hand.

Performing surgery tomorrow on Mrs. Greene’s dog, A.C. read. Could you come tomorrow evening to look after her? The note was signed. MacDonald.

“I’m supposed to tell Mr. MacDonald your answer,” Ritchie said.

“I want to answer in person,” A.C. replied. “How’d you like to ride back to your house with me?”

“Too right!” the little boy exclaimed excitedly.

“Elen, do you mind telling your grandma that I’m going to talk with Mr. MacDonald?. I shouldn’t be gone too long.”

“I’ll tell her,” Elen agreed, so A.C. saddled Blackbird, and with Ritchie sitting in front of him, they set off for the MacDonald house.

Little Sandy MacDonald was playing catch with the MacDonalds’ terriers in the front yard while his mama kept an eye on him and his baby sister, who was trying to crawl after the dogs. A.C. swung Ritchie down first, before dismounting and groundtying Blackbird. Blackbird was used to Duchess and so ignored the two terriers, who began to bark excitedly.

“G’day, Mrs. MacDonald,” A.C. said, tipping his hat. “I was hoping I could speak with Mr. MacDonald.”

“He’s in his surgery,” she said, smiling up at the handsome young man.

A.C. found MacDonald tidying up after seeing his last patient. “Come to answer my note in person, I see,” the veterinarian commented with a grin.

“Yes, because I wanted to ask you something,” A.C. replied. “Could- could I watch you do the surgery?”

“I don’t know,” the veterinarian said slowly. “Are you squeamish about the sight of blood? If I’m in the middle of surgery, I can’t be worrying about you if you faint.”

“I don’t believe I’ll faint,” A.C. replied. “What kind of surgery is it?”

“Mrs. Greene’s Sally has an aural hematoma,” MacDonald stated. “That means the blood vessels between the skin and cartilage of the ear have ruptured, causing a painful swelling. The only way to treat it is to make an incision to drain the blood and then stitch the layers of the ear together. If you can’t stand the sight of blood, you won’t be able to observe this surgery.”

“I’m sure I can stand it,” A.C. said, “and I’d really like to observe you work. If you don’t mind.”

MacDonald agreed and so A.C. arranged to be there promptly at eight o’clock the next morning.

His parents were surprised when he explained what he was going to do but as long as he had the veterinarian’s permission, they raised no objection. Adam realized that it was the sort of thing Hoss might have done if he’d had the opportunity, but he kept that thought to himself.

A.C. observed quietly as MacDonald administered the anesthetic and then made the incision in the dog’s grotesquely swollen ear. He was startled when the blood gushed out into the dish the veterinarian moved quickly in position to catch it. Once the hematoma had been drained, A.C. watched as MacDonald disinfected the incision, closed it with neat stitches Aunt Matilda would have been proud of, and then bandaged the ear to the dog’s head.

“She should be coming around from the anesthetic around lunchtime,” MacDonald said. “Mrs. Greene will take her home after church tomorrow. If you could come by tonight, I’ll take care of her in the morning.”

“Right,” A.C. said. “Thanks for letting me observe the surgery, Mr. MacDonald. It was fascinating. It must be a wonderful feeling, being able to relieve an animal’s suffering like that.”

“It is,” MacDonald said with a warm smile. “It surely is.”

At high tea that evening, Adam asked A.C. about his experience.

“It was really interesting,” A.C. said. “I will admit I felt a little squeamish when he first made the incision, but that passed. Before he anesthetized Sally, it was obvious that ear was causing her a lot of pain, but when I saw her tonight, I could see how much better she felt already. It was truly remarkable.” He stopped and grinned, adding, “Sally didn’t much like that bandage though.”

Adam was reminded strongly of Hoss, who had always loved all living creatures. Bronwen saw the enthusiasm on their son’s face and heard it in his voice and found herself wondering, not for the first time, if A.C. would really be happy following in his dad’s footsteps as an engineer, working with calculations and equations.

Chapter 3
It was a chilly and rainy spring afternoon in April so Sarah Cartwright and her friends walked briskly home from Miss Winsor’s School on Beacon Street. Sarah’s closest friend, Helen, lived in the adjoining row house on Mt. Vernon Street while Florence and Ella both lived in row houses on Chestnut Street. With the exception of Sarah, all four girls had lived their in entire lives in Boston’s exclusive Beacon Hill neighborhood and their summer homes on Martha’s Vineyard. Every fall when Sarah returned from her summer vacation at the Ponderosa, the other three listened eagerly to her tales of life on a real ranch in the Wild West.

Until last summer. Last summer Sarah had been on Martha’s Vineyard with the other girls. She’d missed her daddy so much. She hadn’t wanted to play tennis or croquet with her friends. She’d go for long walks along the beach, thinking about her daddy and crying because she would never see him again. She couldn’t talk with her mama about her daddy since mama had left daddy when Sarah was only seven. She’d tried to talk with her brother, Benj, but he’d made it clear he didn’t want to talk about their daddy. Ever. At the end of July, Cousin Miranda invited her to visit her family in Hanover, New Hampshire. Her Uncle Robert had told her mama she shouldn’t allow it, but Sarah had pleaded with her mama and she had given Sarah permission to accept the invitation.

Uncle Robert said it wasn’t proper for a girl of sixteen to travel alone, so her mama’s maid, Bertha, had traveled with her, and Bertha returned to Hanover at the end of August to accompany Sarah back to Boston. Miranda and her husband, William, had talked with Sarah about her daddy and all the fun they used to have during the summer when they’d visit Daddy and Grandpa on the Ponderosa. Miranda had shared stories about Sarah’s daddy that Uncle Adam had told her when she was growing up in Cloncurry. When Sarah went back to Boston, she and Miranda promised they would write each other regularly.

Sarah still missed her daddy, but being able to talk with Miranda and William about him had really helped. When Miranda and William’s baby daughter was christened in the middle of October, Sarah traveled to Hanover because she was Laura’s godmother. This time, Bertha wasn’t her traveling companion—Benj, was. Benj had been reluctant but their mama had insisted he attend the christening.

“Miranda is your cousin, Benj,” Mama had said. “It wouldn’t be proper for you not to attend her daughter’s christening.”

“But you’re not attending,” Benj had complained.

“Even though Miranda and William invited me, I think my presence would be awkward since Miranda was close to your father. You and your sister should definitely attend the christening though.”

Benj had still been reluctant until Uncle Robert reminded him that William’s father was the head of one of Delaware’s most prestigious law firms. “If you are serious about practicing law, a connection with the Gordons of Wilmington could prove very advantageous to your career,” Uncle Robert had told Benj.

Sarah and Benj had both enjoyed their visit, for entirely different reasons. Sarah, who’d had few opportunities to be around babies, was enthralled with her goddaughter, although disappointed that she slept much of the time. Laura’s older brother, Jon, was delighted to play catch with Sarah and to look at his picture books with her. Benj, on the other hand, had no interest in small children and infants; he managed to spend the majority of his time with William’s family.

That year at Christmas, the Boston Cartwrights and the Cloncurry Cartwrights exchanged Christmas cards just as they had ever since Annabelle had taken the children and moved to Boston. There was one difference. A huge difference. This year there was no Christmas card from Nevada. Sarah’s Christmas wasn’t merry—it was melancholy. Although she was too miserable to notice, her mother and brother’s gaiety was forced, for they, too, were thinking of the husband and father they would never see again.

Gradually, Sarah’s naturally cheerful disposition began to reassert itself. As the months passed, she could walk through the Common with her friends and see the first signs of spring: cheerful yellow daffodils and cheeky robins.

That chilly April afternoon when Sarah walked in the front door of her home, the maid was there to take her umbrella.

“Oh, Miss Sarah, you had a telephone call,” the maid said. “Mrs. Gordon. She wanted to let you know she and Dr. Gordon and the children are in Boston for the weekend. They’re staying at the Parker House and she would like you to call her there.”

“Thank you, Kathleen,” Sarah said with a smile and then hurried to the library where the telephone was located. She had to wait a few minutes before she heard Miranda’s voice on the line.

After they exchanged greetings, Miranda said, “William is here to attend a symposium at Harvard and I decided to come with him so I could do some shopping at Bloomingdale’s. Jon is outgrowing his clothes and I need some new things. Would you like to come with us tomorrow? I could really use some help with Laura and Jon.”

“I’d love to come if it’s all right with Mama,” Sarah said. “She’s out now but I could call you back at six o’clock and let you know for sure if I can come.”

“That would be fine,” Miranda said. Before she hung up, Sarah could hear Jon’s voice saying, “Read me a story, Mama.”

Sarah was in her room working on her schoolwork when she heard the sound of her mama’s door being closed. She knocked on her mama’s bedroom door and heard her say, “Come in.”

Annabelle had removed her hat, which was festooned with feathers and ribbons and silk flowers, and set it on her bed to be put up later. Her waist had thickened and her hair was now an artificial gold. There were also lines carved deeply from her nose to her mouth. Even so, she was still an unusually lovely woman.

“Did you have a good day at school?” she asked her daughter.

“It was all right. It didn’t start raining until after we played hockey,” Sarah replied.

Sarah was proud of the fact she was captain of both the field hockey and basketball teams at Miss Winsor’s School. She wasn’t very interested in academic subjects so her results in that area were only average. Annabelle was satisfied with her daughter’s performance, however. She hadn’t wanted Sarah to grow up with her cousin’s unfeminine interest in education and had been a little worried about Miranda’s influence on Sarah. She realized now that her concern was unnecessary. No, Sarah was looking forward to making her debut next year with Helen, Ella, and Florence. Annabelle knew her daughter would be a success. She was a lovely girl with her father’s dark curls and greenish hazel eyes as well as his charm and high spirits. She’d also inherited Joe’s impetuosity, and Annabelle intended to make sure Sarah didn’t make any impulsive decisions when it came to choosing a husband. Annabelle knew very well the pain and grief that resulted from that sort of impetuous choice.

“I’m glad you were still able to get your exercise,” she said to Sarah with a smile.

“When I got home, Kathleen told me that Miranda had telephoned.” Annabelle’s eyebrows rose at that comment and Sarah hurried on. “William is attending a symposium at Harvard and Miranda decided they should all come to Boston so she could do some shopping at Bloomingdale’s. Jon is outgrowing all his clothes. She- she asked if I could come with her tomorrow to help with Jon and Laura. May I go, Mama? I told Miranda I would telephone at six and let her know.”

Annabelle realized this could be a chance to mend her relationship with her niece. She had grown fond of Miranda during the years the girl had spent her summers at the Ponderosa with her father’s family. Although she’d understood Miranda’s loyalty to her uncle when she and Joe had separated, she’d always regretted their estrangement. Joe had been gone fourteen months now; perhaps she and Miranda could rebuild their relationship. As a more experienced mother, she knew that shopping at Bloomingdale’s with a four-year-old and a six-month-old would be a fiasco.

“Yes, you may go, but suggest to Miranda that she leave Laura here with me. It will be difficult enough taking Jon shopping.” She smiled slightly as she remembered shopping expeditions with Benj and Sarah when they were Jon’s age. “And invite them all to dine with us tomorrow,” she added.

“I will, Mama,” Sarah said with a radiant smile.

At the agreed on time, the Gordons arrived at Mt. Vernon Street. The sun was shining and it was much warmer than the previous day. Annabelle was pleased to see her niece was fashionably attired in a dress of pale grey and white ninon over pink silk, and a pink silk hat decorated with ostrich feathers. Annabelle also noticed with a little satisfaction that Miranda was no longer as petite as she had been before the birth of her children. (Annabelle had always been envious of the way Miranda’s mother had regained her figure after the birth of each of her five children.)

“It’s good to see you,” Annabelle said to Miranda as she sat across from her in the elegant drawing room. “I hope that your parents are in good health?”

“Yes, they are,” Miranda replied with a smile. “So are A.C., Beth and Gwyneth and their families. Beth is expecting her fourth child in a month. Daddy writes that he is hoping for another granddaughter.” Then Miranda politely inquired after the health of Annabelle’s family and learned that Annabelle’s niece, Charlotte, was also in the family way, although her baby wasn’t due until October.

“It’s very kind of you to offer to watch Laura for me,” Miranda said to Annabelle as she removed Laura’s bonnet and little cotton cloak. She hadn’t seen much of her aunt ever since she’d made the decision to separate from Uncle Joe. Miranda tried to be dispassionate and logical in her judgments, but she found it very difficult not to feel anger toward Aunt Annabelle for the pain she’d caused Uncle Joe.

“It’s been so long since I’ve had the opportunity to spend time with a baby,” Annabelle replied with a smile, “and I’m looking forward to it. I also know from experience how difficult shopping with young children is.”

Miranda smiled ruefully at that before turning to her son. “Jon, would you please give Aunt Annabelle the satchel.” (Jon had been proudly carrying a small satchel when they’d arrived.) As the four-year-old slid off the brocade settee, Miranda explained, “I packed some nappies, uh, diapers, and a clean dress. I use rubber diaper covers, but they don’t always work perfectly. I also packed Laura’s dolly and her rattle. She loves finger games like Peek-a-boo and This Little Piggy.” Miranda smoothed her little girl’s baby-fine hair before adding, “She should be ready to take a nap in about an hour.”

Jon handed Annabelle the satchel and she smiled at him. “I see he has your mother’s beautiful violet eyes,” she commented to Miranda.

“Yes. I’m hoping that Laura will have them too. Since Beth and Gwyneth married men with dark eyes, none of their children can inherit Mama’s eye color,” Miranda said, smiling at her son. Then she stood up carried the baby to Annabelle.

“Let’s go sit with Aunt Annabelle,” she said to Laura. “She’d love to have you sit with her.”

Little Laura gurgled and cooed as her mama sat her on her grandaunt’s lap.

“Aren’t you a pretty little girl?” Annabelle said, and while Laura’s attention was focused on Annabelle, Miranda took Jon’s hand and grabbed her leather handbag. Sarah stood up and they silently exited the drawing room. “We’re going to have lots of fun this morning, aren’t we Laura?” Annabelle continued. “Let’s play Peek-a-boo, shall we?”

After playing Peek-a-boo, This Little Piggy and Warm Kitty, Laura began to wriggle, letting Annabelle know she wanted down. As soon as she was on the floor, she crawled to the bay window and began pulling on the blue velvet drapes.

“No, no, Laura,” Annabelle said firmly, but Laura only grinned at her, showing her pink gums. “Let’s see if you’ll play with your toys,” Annabelle said then, opening the satchel and pulling out a little rag doll and a silver rattle. She shook the rattle and Laura crawled over and made a grab for the toy. She shook it happily for a few minutes before crawling toward the doorway.

“So you’d like to see the rest of the house?” Annabelle said with a smile. “All right.” She picked the baby up and walked down the hall. “This is the music room,” she said, pausing in the doorway of a room containing a Broadwood grand piano and some Queen Anne wing chairs. “Your cousin Sarah and I play a little, but this room isn’t used often. I remember your grandfather plays the guitar. He and your grandma and your mama and aunts all have lovely voices. I imagine your mama will see to it you have voice lessons, and maybe learn to play an instrument.”

Laura began to wriggle so Annabelle turned and went up the stairs. “Now, here are the bedrooms,” she said to Laura, who grinned toothlessly. Annabelle walked to the largest room, which faced the tiny flower garden at the back of the row house. “This is my room,” she said. She sat Laura down on the Axminster rug and watched her crawl around her high post bed. She smiled at how quickly the baby could crawl. Tiring of the bed, Laura crawled over to the highboy and managed to pull open the bottom drawer. Before Annabelle realized what she was doing, she yanked out Annabelle’s carefully folded lace-trimmed combinations and chemises.

“No. No, Laura,” Annabelle scolded, hurrying over to pick up the baby before she made more of a mess for Bertha to clean up. Laura began to fuss at being thwarted, but Annabelle patted her back soothingly and hurried to Sarah’s room, which was next to hers.

Sarah had a canopy bed. When she’d returned from Beth’s wedding in Cloncurry, she’d begged her parents to get her a canopy bed like her cousins had. When Annabelle separated from Joe, she made sure Sarah had a canopy bed in her new bedroom. While Sarah’s room was as clean as her mother’s, it wasn’t as neat and tidy. Sarah’s hockey stick was propped up in one corner and the lid was down on her secretary desk, showing a surface covered haphazardly with papers and schoolbooks.

“I’ve talked to Sarah so many times about the importance of neatness, but it just doesn’t make any impression,” Annabelle said with a sigh. “She’s takes after her father.” Annabelle fell silent. She and Joe had been separated for so long that she hadn’t been prepared for the sorrow she’d felt when she and the children received word of his unexpected death.

Her melancholy thoughts were interrupted by Laura’s wriggles. Smiling at the baby, she said, “I’m afraid if it were up to your Cousin Sarah, this room would be a mess. Shoes lying wherever she kicked them off and clothing draped over chairs and the bed instead of being put neatly away. Now, I remember that your grandma had your aunts and your mama keep their own rooms clean and make their own beds every morning. Maybe I should have done the same with Sarah.” Laura grinned at her grandaunt, and they walked across the hall to Benj’s room, which faced the street.

Benj’s room wasn’t neat like his mother’s: it was immaculate. There were no personal touches anywhere—just the bed, nightstand, wardrobe, washstand, and desk, all in the Arts and Crafts style with its simple and uncluttered lines.

“I worry about Benj,” Annabelle said. “When I separated from your Uncle Joe, I didn’t want it to affect his relationship with our children. Well, I admit that at first I listened to my brother and I did try to limit his contact with the children, but I realized that was unfair to the children and to your uncle and your great-grandpa. I encouraged Benj and Sarah to write to their father and to visit the Ponderosa every summer. Sarah remained close to her father, but not Benj. He turned to my brother, and I know Robert would make barbed insinuations about your Uncle Joe and belittle him any way he could. I know it’s at least partly my fault that Benj and Joe were estranged when Joe died. I wish I knew how to make it right, but I don’t.”

Laura began to whimper and Annabelle said to her, “Now, I wonder if your diaper needs to be changed?” She checked and the diaper was definitely wet, so she went downstairs to get the satchel with the clean diapers. Carrying the baby and the satchel back up to her room, she sat Laura down on the floor so she could get out the clean diaper and another to put under Laura to protect the bedspread.

The baby’s crying increased in volume and Annabelle hastily rummaged through the satchel for the diapers. “All right, Laura, we’re ready,” she said, trying to keep her voice soothing. “But Aunt Annabelle hasn’t changed any diapers in a long time so I won’t be as fast as your mama.”

Laura cried and wriggled, and by the time Annabelle got the diaper changed, her nerves were so taut they felt ready to snap. The baby continued to wail and Annabelle knew she was missing her mama and probably needed a nap. She paced the hallway, gently patting Laura’s back until finally the baby fell asleep. Annabelle carefully carried her to the morning room and laid her on her stomach on the settee. Then Annabelle sat down beside her to watch so the baby wouldn’t roll off.

I remember when Sarah was a baby. When she was born, I was a little anxious. Joe had been so happy and proud when Benj was born—Pa’s first grandson—and I was afraid he would be disappointed that this time we had a girl. I remembered how my father had basically ignored my existence and I was afraid Joe might do the same to Sarah. I couldn’t have been more wrong. She was so precious to him. And we were so happy then. She sighed. I was happy because I was too busy caring for Benj and Sarah to miss my friends and my life here: the theater, concerts, balls and dinner parties. When Benj and Sarah grew older, I wanted to show them all that Boston society had to offer. If Joe would have agreed to regular visits to Boston, perhaps I wouldn’t have left him. Perhaps.

Her musings were interrupted when she heard Sarah’s voice calling, “I found them. They’re in the morning room.”

Laura woke up when the others entered the room and Miranda scooped her up in her arms while the baby gurgled and cooed her happiness at being reunited. Jon said excitedly, “Look at my chickens, Aunt Annabelle! Look!”

“I’ll set it up for you,” Sarah said, kneeling. She opened the box she was carrying and pulled out a chicken pulling a cart with a chick sitting on top, all made of tin and brightly painted.

“Make it go, Sarah!” Jon commanded. “Make it go!”

With a smile, Sarah wound the toy and sat it on the bare hardwood floor by the doorway. Jon clapped his hands in delight as the hen pulled the cart while Laura opened her eyes wide and then wriggled to get down.

“No, Laura, that’s big brother’s toy,” Miranda said, jiggling the baby on her knee to distract her “Sarah, would you please put the toy back in the box.”

“No!” Jon said, his lower lip coming out in a pout.

“We could take it to the music room where Laura can’t see it,” Sarah suggested and Jon’s pout disappeared as he begged, “Please, Mama. Please.”

After a slight hesitation, Miranda nodded and Jon snatched up his toy and bolted from the room followed by Sarah. Laura began to wail so Miranda jiggled her faster and Annabelle shook the baby’s rattle in front of her face. Laura was eventually distracted from the chickens, and while she played with the rattle, Annabelle asked Miranda if she’d finished her shopping.

“Yes,” Miranda replied decisively. “I can’t thank you enough for watching Laura. I don’t think Sarah and I could have managed on our own. At home, I leave the baby with our maid and so I only have to worry about Jon, but we don’t have any department stores like Bloomingdale’s. It’s just too easy to lose a small child in a store that big.” Then she added, “I bought Jon two new Buster Brown suits and two sailor suits and some underwear. Sarah took him to the toy department so I could do a little shopping for myself. I had to hurry but I found one dress I really liked: cream muslin with a lace collar so deep it looks like a bolero.”

“It sounds lovely,” Annabelle agreed. “I’m happy you and William will be able to dine with us this evening.”

“Yes, we’re looking forward to it, but, uh, I don’t suppose you have a highchair Laura can sit in while we eat? We put her in one at home just so she can be with the rest of us. She doesn’t like being by herself.” Then she added softly, “Just like Penny.”

“Oh, I hadn’t thought about a highchair,” Annabelle said with a frown. “I’ll call Paula and see if she has Charlotte’s old one in her attic.” Just then Sarah and Jon returned.

“I told Jon we would wear the chicken out if we played with it anymore,” Sarah said, winking at her cousin. “So how did you and Laura get along, Mama?”

“Very well,” Annabelle replied, smiling at the baby, who was now chewing one of her rag doll’s hands. “We played Peek-a-boo and Warm Kitty. Didn’t we, Laura?” and Laura smiled at her.

“Me ‘n’ Laura like the beehive song,” Jon said.

“The beehive song?” Annabelle repeated in a puzzled tone.

“Why don’t you and Laura do the beehive song for Aunt Annabelle,” Miranda suggested and Jon nodded with a big grin.

He made his right hand into a fist and sang:

Here is the beehive, where are the bees?
Hidden away where nobody sees.
Watch and you’ll see them come out of the hive.

(Jon slowly brought out his fingers, one by one.)

One, two three, four, five.
Buzz, buzz, buzz.

As he made the buzzing sound, Jon wiggled his fingers at Laura, who began to giggle excitedly.

“That’s a wonderful song!” Sarah exclaimed and Annabelle said with a smile, “I can see why you and Laura like it, Jon.”

“I think we need to be going now,” Miranda said then, knowing her children would be getting cranky if they didn’t eat soon. “We’ll see you this evening.” They left with Jon carrying the satchel in one hand and clutching his new toy tightly in the other.

Benj usually spent Saturday with friends so Annabelle was surprised when he came home shortly before the Gordons were due to arrive and announced he would be dining at home.

“I’m glad to hear that,” she said, “since your cousin Miranda and her family are dining with us tonight.” She chose to ignore her son’s frown. “William is attending a symposium at Harvard,” she explained. “We’ve seen so little of Miranda since her marriage, and I thought it would be nice for us to spend some time together.”

“She hasn’t made much effort to see us,” Benj said sullenly.

Annabelle decided to overlook that remark, saying only, “The Gordons will be here soon so you need to change.”

Sarah passed her brother on the stairs. “Is Benj dining with us?” she asked and smiled happily when her mama nodded.

A few minutes later, Kathleen showed the Gordons into the drawing room.

“Did you show your daddy your chickens?” Sarah asked Jon after her mama had welcomed the Gordons and everyone was seated.

Jon grinned and William said with a laugh, “The moment I walked into our suite, Jon insisted I see his chickens.”

Miranda added with a chuckle, “We had trouble convincing him the chickens weren’t invited to dinner and had to stay at the hotel.”

“Yes, Jon, I’m afraid the only chickens we invite to dinner are the ones we eat,” Sarah said, winking at Jon, who giggled.

William reached over and ruffled Jon’s hair and smiled at him. His expression became grave as he commented. “I had a chance to glance at the newspaper today. They reported there was a terrible fire in Toronto, Ontario.”

“I read about that, too,” Benj said. “They said much of the city was destroyed.”

“How terrible,” Annabelle said. “Those poor unfortunate people.”

Jon could sense the change in the grownups’ attitude and looked apprehensively at his mama and daddy. Miranda put an arm around his thin little shoulders and hugged him comfortingly. She decided to change the subject to something more positive. Speaking in a more cheerful tone, she said, “On a happier note, I wonder if you are planning on attending the World’s Fair in St. Louis?”

“I wish I could,” Sarah said. “I know it would be great fun.”

“If Laura and Jon were older, we would go,” William said. “My senior year at Harvard I went to the Chicago World’s Fair with two of my friends—Robert Lodge and Albert Davidson. It was amazing. I think what impressed me the most was the electrical lighting for the International Exposition. Few of us back in 1893 had ever seen an entire building illuminated by electric power.” He smiled at the others. “Of course, my friends and I also spent a lot of time on the Midway. We rode the very first Ferris Wheel and saw Buffalo Bill Cody’s Wild West Show. I know I’ll shock the ladies, but I confess the three of us even saw Little Egypt dance the hootchy-kootchy.”

Annabelle frowned slightly at that while Sarah’s eyes grew round and Miranda raised one eyebrow. Jon began to giggle repeating, “Hootchy-kootchy. Hootchy-kootchy.”

“Uh, Jon, don’t say that anymore,” William said, trying to sound firm.

“Hootchy-kootchy. Hootchy-kootchy,” Jon got out between giggles.

“Just ignore him and he’ll stop saying it,” Miranda said quietly. “Did you do anything educational at the fair?”

“Uh, yes,” William replied, doing his best to ignore his first-born. “I attended lectures Frederick Jackson Turner gave on the ending of the western frontier. And I saw the replica of a Viking longboat built in Norway and sailed across the Atlantic.” He snapped his fingers, adding with a grin, “And I chewed my first stick of Juicy Fruit gum and ate a box of Cracker Jack. They were both introduced at the fair.”

Miranda’s tactic of ignoring Jon was working but Laura was beginning to fuss. Miranda said, “Jon, let’s do the beehive song.”

“I want to see if I can do it with you,” Sarah said.

All the adults but Benj, who looked bored, watched fondly as Jon and Sarah sang the beehive song for Laura. Just as they finished, Kathleen came to announce that dinner was ready. Benj offered his mama his arm while William held his little girl in one and offered the other to his wife.

As they were dining, Miranda commented, “I wrote Daddy that William and I were thinking we would take Jon and Laura to visit the Ponderosa in a couple of years.”

“Oh, I would love to come with you,” Sarah said with shining eyes. “Wouldn’t you, Benj?”

“Absolutely not,” Benj said coldly.

“You’re welcome to come with us, Sarah,” Miranda said, ignoring Benj.

“What are your plans for tomorrow?” Annabelle asked quickly to cover the tension in the room.

William answered smoothly, “We’ll be going to the Methodist church in Cambridge that Miranda and I attended when we were both students. After church, we’re taking the children to lay flowers on their great-grandmother’s grave, and then we’ll be returning to Hanover.”

“It’s too bad that you can’t stay longer,” Annabelle said.

“I expect we’ll be back sometime this summer,” William replied. “I’m a fan of the Boston Americans. I attended one of the games in the World Series last year when the Americans beat the Pittsburgh Pirates.”

“Oh, Benj and I are fans of the Americans,” Sarah said. “We go to all the games they play at Huntington Avenue Grounds.”

“I follow the Americans in the newspaper,” William said. “I just treat myself to one or two visits to Boston to see them play. It looks like they have a serious rival this season in the New York Highlanders.”

William, Sarah, and Benj began an enthusiastic discussion of Jimmy Collins, Cy Young, Chick Stahl and Patsy Dougherty. Miranda and Annabelle exchanged longsuffering smiles while Jon concentrated on his dinner and Laura chewed on her dolly.

The Gordons didn’t stay long after the meal since Jon and Laura were both getting sleepy. It was a beautiful clear night so William and Miranda decided to walk back to the Parker House. William carried the sleepy Jon and Miranda carried Laura.

“That was a pleasant evening,” William remarked.

“Yes, because you and Sarah and Benj are all baseball fans,” Miranda replied. “Until you brought up the Americans, it was clear Benj was wishing he were elsewhere. And you saw the way he snapped at Sarah when she suggested they both visit the Ponderosa with us.”

“Yes,” William said quietly. “It’s sad. When I decided that I didn’t want to become a lawyer and join the family law firm, my father and I were estranged. But now that I’ve married and given him grandchildren, things are better between us. I think that as Benj experiences more of life, he won’t see everything in terms of black and white. He’ll realize the reasons that his parents’ marriage failed are more complicated than he believes now. The tragedy is that it is too late for a reconciliation between him and Uncle Joe.”

William moved the sleeping Jon so his head was resting securely on his shoulder before adding, “I think when I do come to Boston to see the Americans, I’ll see if I can attend the game with Benj and Sarah. Dad wants us to keep in touch, and baseball seems to be our best chance with Benj.”

“Yes,” Miranda agreed. “And the fact that you’re only related to the Cartwrights by marriage helps.”

William nodded and then kissed his little boy’s cheek. Jon, it’s my prayer that you and I will always be close, just the way your grandpa and great-grandpa were.

Chapter 4
It was a cool Saturday evening and Adam Cartwright was waiting impatiently for his son’s return so they could have high tea. It was already an hour later than they normally ate and his stomach was beginning to growl. He was trying to read the Cloncurry Advocate but was finding it difficult to concentrate. He looked over the top of his reading glasses and saw his wife completely absorbed in a new novel—Sanctuary by Edith Wharton. He was ready to suggest they go ahead and eat without A.C. when he saw A.C. and Blackbird in the distance.

He cleared his throat.

Reluctantly Bronwen looked up from the novel. “Yes, Cariad?”

“I can see A.C. and Blackbird,” he said, pointing.

“Oh, then I’ll go start the rarebit,” she said, putting her book on the swing beside her and standing up. Adam sighed and silently counted to ten because Bronwen had the reprehensible habit of laying a book face down to mark her place.

“And I’ll go help A.C. with Blackbird,” Adam stated, resisting the impulse to reach over and close the book.

He was waiting at the barn when A.C. rode up.

“Sorry I’m late, Dad,” A.C. said as he swung out of the saddle. “Mr. MacDonald had to treat a cow that had put its uterus out. He said it’s one of his least favorite jobs, and I can see why. It looks impossible. The uterus is so big and—”

Adam cut him off. “Yes, I can see where it wouldn’t be any fun. I’m starving so let’s get Blackbird taken care of so we can eat.” The only thing that rivaled A.C.’s interest in observing the veterinarian at work was playing cricket. Without Adam really understanding why, the situation was beginning to annoy him.

A.C. put his dad’s sharp tone down to his hunger. He grinned, saying, “Yeah, I’m starving too.”

It wasn’t long before Blackbird was watered and turned out to graze. Father and son hurried to wash up and were waiting when Bronwen and Mary brought in the rarebit and A.C.’s favorite: Teisen Nionod, which was made of onions, potatoes, and butter. There was also poacher’s pie—consisting of beef, rabbit and chicken—and a tossed salad. Adam blessed the food and they had just begun eating when Elen and her brothers burst into the room accompanied by Duchess, who was barking excitedly.

“Grandma, the baby’s coming!” Elen exclaimed as A.C. silenced Duchess with a piece of rabbit.

“Tada said to stay with Grandpa until he comes to get us,” Huw added, letting the satchel he’d been carrying fall to the floor with a thud.

“A.C., would you please drive me to the parsonage,” Bronwen said.

“Too right!” A.C. replied, then quickly putting another forkful of poacher’s pie in his mouth and grabbing a slice of rarebit as he stood up.

“Did you three walk from the parsonage?” Adam inquired.

“No, Grandpa,” Elen replied. “Dylan and I rode Sport—”

“And I rode Buttermilk,” Huw interjected.

“We turned the ponies into the paddock,” Elen said then.

“That’s fine. We can put them in the barn in a bit,” Adam said with a smile.

“Would you like some rarebit?” Bronwen asked her grandchildren.

“Too right!” Dylan exclaimed, taking the empty chair across from where A.C. had been sitting.

“I’d like some, Grandma,” Huw said with a big smile, sitting next to his brother.

“What about you, Elen?” Adam asked his granddaughter. “Would you like some of Grandma’s rarebit?”

“Yes, please,” Elen replied, sitting beside her grandpa.

Mary had heard Duchess barking and Dylan and Huw always let the door slam behind them, so she went to see if Bronwen needed anything.

“Yes, thank you, Mary,” Bronwen said as she got three more plates from the china cabinet and set them in front of the grandchildren. “Please bring three glasses of milk.”

“Right,” Mary replied with a smile. “And I’ll make some more rarebit.”

Leaving the grandchildren happily eating their melted cheese on toast, Bronwen went upstairs to pack a few things to take with her to the parsonage. She always stayed with her daughters the first week after they gave birth to help out. When she’d finished packing, she looked out the window and could see A.C. was waiting in the surrey. She hurried to the dining room and kissed Adam goodbye before leaving.

The children finished their rarebit before Adam was done eating but Mary had been keeping an eye on them and brought in the spotted dick that Bronwen had made, and served it to the children. Adam smiled his gratitude.

When Adam finished he said, “I think we’d better decide on sleeping arrangements.” Reluctantly he added, “Boys, the only room with two beds is the one Aunt Gwyneth and Aunt Penny shared.”

“A girls’ room?” Huw said, sounding horrified.

“The bed in the guestroom is really only meant for one,” Adam said, “but if you don’t mind being a little crowded, you and Dylan can sleep in that room. Elen, you can sleep in your aunts’ old bedroom or your mama’s. Which would you prefer?”

“Mama’s,” Elen said with a happy smile. Adam felt relieved. He and Bronwen didn’t consciously keep Penny’s room as a shrine, but no one had used it since her death. Her clothes and toys had all been given away, but for her parents, the room was full of memories.

Once the children were done with their pudding, they all went out to the paddock to care for Buttercup the cow, the horses and ponies. A.C. returned from the parsonage and took care of the carriage horses and Blackbird. After all the livestock had been cared for, they spent the rest of the evening playing Old Bachelor.

When the boys had brushed their teeth and changed into their pyjamas, Adam came to hear them say their prayers and tuck them in. They looked crowded, but he could understand their not wanting to sleep in the very feminine bedroom with the pale green dimity curtains and ruffled canopies on the beds and the wallpaper with it bouquets of violets.

“Do you think mama had the baby, Grandpa?” Huw asked quietly.

“No,” Adam replied, smoothing back his oldest grandson’s thick black hair. “Your tada would have come to tell us if she had.” He kissed each boy’s cheek and then said, “Now, you go to sleep and I bet that in the morning you’ll have a new baby sister or brother.”

“Night, Grandpa,” they said sleepily as he closed the door.

Elen had packed a book and was curled up in one of the library’s window seats, totally absorbed in her story. A.C. had set up the cribbage board so he and Adam could play once the children were in bed. While he waited, he decided to write to Miranda and Sarah. Adam retrieved his newspaper from the table in the entryway and sat in the library to finish it. He kept checking his pocket watch so he’d know when it was Elen’s bedtime.

When he told her it was time for her to go to bed, she looked at him pleadingly with her big brown eyes. “Please, may I stay up until Tada comes to tell us Mama had the baby?”

Adam smiled at her but shook his head. “The baby might not be born for hours yet.” Seeing her disappointed expression he said gently, “Tell you what. I promise that if your tada arrives in the night, he’ll wake you up and tell you about the baby.”

“Thank you, Grandpa!” she exclaimed, throwing her arms around him in a hug.

“Time to put up the cribbage board,” Adam said after checking his watch and seeing it was a little after midnight.

“Can’t we wait a little longer?” A.C. asked.

Adam shook his head. “Mary will hear if Dafydd comes in the night, and she’ll get us.”

“This baby is sure taking a long time to be born,” A.C. complained as he put up the cribbage board and the cards.

Adam smiled slightly. “Not really. It’s only been about five hours. Some babies, like you and Dylan, are in a big hurry to be born, but others aren’t.” He smiled slightly and put a comforting hand on his son’s shoulder. “Our staying awake won’t make the baby arrive any faster, so we might as well go to bed.”

A.C. nodded and said with a yawn, “Night then, Dad.”

In spite of his words to A.C., Adam knew he wouldn’t sleep until he’d learned Beth had safely given birth. He and A.C. turned down all the lamps but two. A.C. headed up the backstairs to his bedroom with his lamp, but Adam walked to the front door to lock it. He wondered if Bronwen had taken her novel with her and decided to check before locking the door. He found Sanctuary still laying face down on the swing and picked it up, noting where Bronwen had been reading. Then he quietly checked on the boys. They’d kicked the covers half off and since the end of May and the beginning of June marked the transition from autumn to winter, the night was growing chilly. Adam set the lamp and book down, then carefully tucked the bedclothes back around the boys.

I wish you could see your great-grandsons, Pa, he thought as he gently ran his hand over Dylan’s tousled curls. You would be so proud of them. I’ll always be thankful to Dafydd for making it possible for you to spend time with Elen and Huw. His lips quirked up in a wry grin as he thought, You had a chance to spend time with Jon, and I envy you that.

He walked up the backstairs and noticed with a little smile that A.C.’s light was out. He opened Elen’s door carefully and could see she was sleeping soundly, cocooned in her covers. With a smile, he walked to his bedroom. He set the lamp on his nightstand and moved the old rocking chair Bronwen had used to rock each of their children to sleep closer to the light. He marked Bronwen’s place in Sanctuary with one of the pretty commemorative bookmarks he’d given her as a birthday present in the vain hope she wouldn’t damage the spines of any more of their books. Then he opened the book to the first page and began reading.

Adam jerked awake, the stillness of the night broken by the sound of soft but persistent knocking downstairs. He grabbed the lamp and rushed down the stairs. Mary, in her nightgown and robe, was hurrying from her bedroom, carrying her lamp. Adam unlocked the door, the lamplight revealing the beaming face of his son-in-law.

“It’s a girl, Tada!” Dafydd exclaimed in a low but exultant voice. “Bethan is fine and so is the baby. We’re naming her Siân Myfanawy. Myfanawy is for my mother,” he added.

“That’s wonderful, Dafydd,” Adam said, putting his hand on his son-in-law’s shoulder and squeezing it affectionately.

“Oh, Mam told me that she wants Elen and the boys to spend tomorrow night—no, I mean today—here with you and A.C.,” Dafydd said. “Of course, you can all come see Bethan and the baby after church.” He grinned lopsidedly. “This will be my shortest sermon ever.” He yawned and then said, “Well, I’m going home to get a little sleep.”

“Uh, I promised Elen that if she went to bed without arguing, you’d wake her up and tell her when the baby was born,” Adam said with a tiny smile.

Dafydd shrugged and then smiled before following Adam into the house and up the stairs. Adam opened the bedroom door and then waited and followed Dafydd inside.

The sleepy father sat down on the bed beside his little girl and gently shook her shoulder. “Wake up, Elen fach,” he said softly, and slowly Elen’s eyes opened. As soon as she saw her tada, they opened very wide.

“Mama had the baby?” she asked excitedly.

“That’s right,” Dafydd said with a warm smile. “Your little sister, Siân, arrived about a half an hour ago.”

“I want to see her,” Elen said excitedly, starting to sit up.

“Na, Elen fach,” Dafydd said, shaking his head. “Your mama and your sister are sleeping. Your grandpa will bring you to see them after church. Now, you need to go back to sleep. That’s what your grandpa and I are going to do.”

“Okay,” Elen said reluctantly, but her eyelids were beginning to droop. Smiling, Dafyyd leaned down and kissed her forehead before leaving the room.

As Dafydd headed back to the parsonage, Adam went to wake A.C. and give him the news before going to bed for a couple of hours.

The next morning, after making sure Elen and A.C. were up, Adam went to wake the boys and give them the news about their little sister.

“I wanted a brother,” Huw said, looking disappointed.

“I already got a sister,” Dylan said with a scowl.

“But Elen doesn’t,” Adam said quietly. “She has two brothers.”

“Oh, right,” Huw said. “I forgot about that. When can we see Mama and the baby?”

“After church,” Adam replied. “Hurry up and get dressed, boys. We’ve got to take care of the livestock before breakfast and then we all have to get dressed for church.”

When they finished their barn chores, they found Mary had cooked up a big American-style breakfast of sausages, biscuits and gravy, and scrambled eggs. After they’d finished eating, Adam dressed quickly so he could help the children. Elen needed him to tie her hair ribbon and the sash on her dress. That accomplished, he went to check on the boys. They were already in their dark blue sailor suits and were tying their shoes. They had both forgotten to brush their hair and since they were running a little late, Adam decided to brush Dylan’s curls.

“Ouch, Grandpa,” Dylan yelled, trying to wriggle away.

“He always makes a fuss about brushing his hair,” Elen said from the doorway. “Oh, you’ve got a hole in your stocking, Huw,” she said, pointing.

“It’s not very big,” he retorted with a scowl.

“I hope not,” Adam said, glancing at Huw’s black stockings and noting the hole at his knee, just below his knickerbockers. There was no time to ask Mary to darn it now. He put the hairbrush down and called, “A.C., we need to leave now.”

As the five of them walked out onto the verandah, they saw Rhys and Matilda waiting by the front gate.

“Aunt Matilda! Uncle Rhys!” Dylan yelled as he ran down the steps to the gate, “I got a new sister!”

“That’s wonderful news, Dylan bach,” Rhys said with an enormous smile. “What’s her name?”

“Siân,” Elen said quickly before her brothers could open their mouths. Then she smiled smugly.

“She’s named for Mam and for Dafydd’s mother,” Adam added quietly as they began the walk to church. “I’m afraid Dafydd didn’t get much sleep last night.” He grinned as he added, “Said this would be his shortest sermon ever.”

“We’re going to see Mama and Siân after church,” Elen said then.

“Yes, and then you’ll spend the night with me and Uncle A.C. and go home on Monday after school,” Adam said.

“Oh, you must have high tea with us today,” Matilda said. “I’ll fix crumpets, Shepherd’s Pie and lamingtons.”

The children cheered and A.C. looked as if he wanted to. Mary had Sunday evenings off so he and his dad would have been fixing high tea and they couldn’t cook nearly as well as Aunt Matilda.

As they approached the church, they spotted Gwyneth and Mark and Llywelyn and Emma with their families. Elen wasn’t going to let Dylan be the first with the news this time so she shouted as loudly as she could, “I have a sister!”

“Elen,” Matilda scolded, “it’s not ladylike to shout.”

At the same time Huw yelled, “Her name is Siân!”

A.C. couldn’t stop from grinning at the expression on his aunt’s face while his dad just rolled his eyes.

The others hurried over, Jory and Ifor trotting to keep up with adults’ longer stride.

“That’s wonderful news,” Gwyneth said to her niece and nephews with a dimpled smile. Then she asked her daddy, “When was the baby born?”

“Sometime after midnight,” Adam replied. “Siân wasn’t in as big a hurry to be born as Dylan,” and he ruffled Dylan’s thick mop of curls. “A.C. and I are taking the children to see their mama and their new sister after the service.”

“Tell Beth I’ll come see her this evening,” Gwyneth said.

Meanwhile, Matilda and Rhys greeted their grandson and then Matilda reached out her arms for her granddaughter. Five-month-old Cathy clung to her mama and refused to go to her grandma.

“I’m sorry, Mama,” Llywelyn said, seeing his mama’s hurt expression. “She doesn’t want anyone but Emma or me to hold her right now.”

Emma was torn between feeling pleased that Cathy made it plain she would rather be with her mama and feeling sorry for her mother-in-law.

Friends who’d heard Elen and Huw shout the news now began to gather around, congratulating Adam and inquiring about Beth and the baby. Adam answered the questions and then shepherded his charges inside the church to take their customary places in the front pew. When Dafydd approached the pulpit, he smiled at his children and then at his father- and brother-in-law.

When the service was over, Dafydd accepted the congratulations of his congregation. The three children squirmed with impatience as they waited for him to finish so they could all hurry to the parsonage. When they finally arrived, they found Bronwen sitting on the little verandah with Nani and Colwyn, the Jones’s two terriers, curled up at her feet. The minute she saw them, she stood up and came to meet them at the gate, the two little dogs trotting at her heels. When they began to bark, she quickly commanded them to be quiet.

“Your mama and baby sister are sleeping,” she told the children, “so you can’t see them yet.” Seeing the disappointment on their faces, she added, “I’ve made vegetable soup and ham sandwiches. After you eat them, I’ll check and see if your mama is awake.” Seeing Dylan ready to cheer, she said quickly, “You must be quiet, Dylan bach,” and the little boy clapped his hands over his mouth and nodded.

As the seven of them squeezed around the table in the parsonage kitchen, Bronwen quietly asked Adam about high tea.

“Matilda invited us to join them so we’ll be well fed. Never fear,” Adam replied with a wink.

The children said little and ate as fast as they could. When they’d finished, Bronwen asked Elen to clear away the empty bowls and plates while she checked to see if Beth was awake. She returned, saying with a smile, “Your mama is awake. Siân is still sleeping, so you’ll have to be quiet. Understand?” The three children nodded vigorously before jumping to their feet.

As they approached the open door of their parents’ bedroom, the children could see their mama, propped against the plump pillows she’d made using down from the geese she raised. Her long black hair was neatly braided and she wore a pretty ruffled bed jacket that she’d sewn herself. When she saw the children, she smiled and her large hazel eyes lit up. Dylan ran and jumped on the bed beside her and Dafydd, who’d followed the children, put a hand on the older children’s shoulders to prevent them from following Dylan’s example. Beth smiled at her littlest boy and kissed his cheek.

“I missed you, Mama,” Dylan said with a smile.

“I missed you, too, Dylan bach,” Beth replied, stroking his silky curls.

Huw and Elen walked over then and took turns hugging their mama while their tada stood at the foot of the bed and smiled at his family.

“Where’s Siân?” Elen asked, and Beth pointed to the cradle on the other side of the bed where it hadn’t been visible from the doorway. Elen and Huw walked around the bed to get a better view of their baby sister.

“She doesn’t have any hair,” Huw whispered loudly. “Cathy has hair.”

“Siân may not have any now, but she’ll grow some as she gets bigger,” Beth said with a little grin. She glanced at the doorway and saw her daddy smiling at her. “Another granddaughter for you” she said proudly, and he walked over and hugged her gently. Then he joined Elen and Huw by the cradle.

Gazing down at the tiny form in the cradle he’d made for her mother so many years before he said softly, “She’s beautiful, Princess.”

Just then the baby began to whimper so he asked Beth, “May I?” She nodded and watched contentedly as her daddy carefully lifted his newest grandchild and held her in his arms.

“You’re a pretty little girl, aren’t you?” he crooned, but the whimpers changed to screams of hunger, and Dylan put his hands over his ears. “Siân is hungry,” Adam said to the older children, “so we’re going to have to leave now.”

Seeing the disappointed looks, Beth said, “After Siân’s eaten, you may each hold her.”

Elen and Huw looked very pleased but Dylan said with a pout, “I wanna stay wif you, Mama. Let Grandma feed Siân.”

Adam handed the baby to Beth while Dafydd sat beside Dylan and put his hands on his shoulders. “Grandma can’t feed Siân; only your mama can,” Dafydd said in a firm but gentle tone to his little boy.

Adam held out his hand to Dylan. “C’mon, mate. Let’s go see if Nani and Colwyn want to play fetch.”

“No! I wanna stay wif Mama!” Dylan yelled so Dafydd picked him up and gave him one swat on his behind. Adam took Dylan’s hand and led him out of the room, followed by Huw and Elen, who both put their hands over their ears to blot out the loud crying of their younger siblings.

A.C. and Huw went outside with Adam and Dylan, who was still crying for his mama, while Elen stayed in the kitchen and dried the dishes Bronwen washed.

“What’s wrong with Dylan?” she asked her grandma as they worked together.

“Oh, he’s just not used to having a baby in the house,” Bronwen replied. She saw her granddaughter still looked puzzled so she tried to explain better.

“When Huw was born, you had to get used to sharing your mama with a baby. When Dylan came along, Huw had to share her with a baby. Now it’s Dylan’s turn.”

Dafydd entered the kitchen then and said with a big smile, “Would you like to hold your sister now, Elen?”

“Too right!” Elen exclaimed in delight. Then she looked at the dishes that she hadn’t dried yet.

“Don’t worry about the dishes,” Bronwen said. “You go with your tada.”

“Thanks, Grandma!” Elen said with a beaming smile.

As soon as she entered the bedroom, she heard little cooing sounds coming from her baby sister. “Sit in the rocking chair and I’ll bring the baby to you,” her tada said. When he brought the baby over, he explained how she needed to support the baby’s head, and then he very gently placed the baby in her arms.

“G’day, Siân. I’m your big sister Elen,” she said and to her delight, the baby opened her eyes at looked right at her and waved her arms. “She likes me!”

“Too right she does,” her mama said, smiling warmly at her daughters. Dafydd called, “Mam,” and Bronwen stuck her head in the doorway. “Please ask the boys to come in so they can take their turns holding Siân,” Dafydd said, and Bronwen nodded.

When she walked out the backdoor, she saw A.C. and Huw throwing sticks for Nani and Colwyn, who fetched them with great enthusiasm. Adam was watching Beth’s goose, gander and goslings eating grass in their pen. Dylan was sitting by himself under the lemon tree, obviously sulking.

“Boys,” she called, and Huw ran over to her. Dylan remained by the tree. “You may come hold the baby now,” she said to Huw, and with a big grin he ran inside, followed by A.C. Bronwen walked over to Dylan and said gently, “Don’t you want to hold your baby sister, Dylan bach?”

“No! I don’t wanna hold no baby,” he replied. Nani ran over and flopped down next to him, setting her head on his knee. Dylan began to pet her, refusing to look at his grandma. She watched at him with concern and then walked toward Adam, who’d begun playing fetch with Colwyn.

“Dylan’s still sulking, I see,” Adam commented as he threw the stick one last time. When Bronwen nodded, he said thoughtfully, “I would have expected this behavior from Jory, not Dylan.”

“Yes. Dylan is normally such a sweet-tempered child. I’m really surprised,” she said with a frown.

“Why don’t you go inside and let me have a talk with him,” Adam said, and she nodded.

Adam walked over to his grandson. Dylan pretended to be paying so much attention to Nani that he didn’t notice his grandpa. Adam smiled just a little. Miranda’s Jon might have inherited Bronwen’s violet eyes, but Dylan resembled her the most. He was small and fine-boned just like her and he had the same triangular-shaped face. Apparently the resemblance didn’t end there: he could be just as stubborn as his grandma.

Adam held out his hand and said, “Come sit with me on the steps, Dylan.” The five-year-old shot a rebellious look at his tall grandpa, but then he stood up and put his little hand in his grandpa’s large one. They walked over to the steps leading to the back door and sat down side by side.

“You know, Dylan,” Adam began, “when I was a little boy like you, I got a baby brother. Now, at first, I thought that was wonderful. I didn’t have any brothers or sisters and I was pretty lonely. I figured my baby brother could play with me. I’d teach him how to play marbles and catch and kick-the-can. But then I found out that all baby brothers do is sleep and eat and get their nappies dirty.” Dylan couldn’t hold back a giggle at that. He’d been at Ifor’s house when Cathy got her nappy dirty and it stunk. Adam grinned at him and continued.

“Not only couldn’t I play with my baby brother, but I noticed my tada and mama didn’t have much time for me. The only one they seemed to care about was the baby. That made me mad and I didn’t want anything to do with that baby. I felt awful sorry for myself.” Adam paused for a moment and glanced at Dylan out of the corner of his eye to judge his reaction. Smiling a little to himself he said, “One day my mama was fixing our dinner and my tada was feeding our mules when I heard my baby brother crying. My mama and tada didn’t seem to hear and the baby cried louder and louder. He cried so loudly it made my ears hurt so I decided to see if I could make him stop. He was lying in his cradle so I started rocking it. He liked that. He stopped crying and he smiled at me. My tada and mama told me that babies that little don’t smile, but I didn’t care because I knew that he smiled at me.”

Adam saw Dylan gazing at him with wide eyes and ruffled his curls. “For a little while, my mama and tada did spend a lot of time with my baby brother, but it wasn’t because they loved him more than they loved me. It was just because babies can’t do anything for themselves; someone has to take care of them. But you know what, Dylan?” Dylan shook his head. “Babies grow up pretty quick. It wasn’t that long before my baby brother was crawling and then he started walking and pretty soon I could teach him to play games with me. He was the best friend I ever had.”

Adam put his hand on his grandson’s neck and gave it a gentle squeeze. “For a little while, your mama is going to have to spend a lot of time taking care of Siân but she’ll grow up quicker than you think. Look how fast Cathy is growing.” Adam stopped then and saw that Dylan was thinking seriously about what he’d said. He waited patiently until the little boy looked up at him and smiled. “How about we go see Siân now? Why, she hasn’t even had a chance to meet you yet.”

“Think she’ll smile at me, Grandpa?” Dylan asked hopefully.

“She just might, Dylan. She just might,” Adam replied with a warm smile.

That Friday evening as Adam and A..C. cared for the livestock, Adam said, “You know, son, I think it’s time to begin training Blackbird as a cutting horse.”

“Beauty!” A.C. exclaimed and Adam grinned at his son’s enthusiasm.

“I want to get an early start tomorrow, so we should leave the pub at nine o’clock,” Adam added. A.C. started to protest but Adam held up his hand and cut him off. “Which would you rather do? Stay at the pub with your friends until closing time, or train Blackbird tomorrow? It’s your choice.”

A.C. glared at his dad resentfully. When is Dad going to treat me like a man and not a billy lid? He turned away and started currying Blackbird. The rhythmic movements were calming and he began to feel foolish. Dad didn’t say I couldn’t go to the pub at all. Just come home early so we can get an early start tomorrow. He turned back to face his dad, who had started grooming Mercury.

“I’ll come home at nine,” he said quietly, and his dad looked up and smiled at him.

“The two most important things for you to remember about training a cutting horse,” Adam said after he and A.C. were mounted, “are to be consistent in your signals and reward your horse when he’s done what you want him to do.”

“No worries,” A.C. said with a big grin, patting Blackbird’s neck affectionately, and Adam was reminded so strongly of Joe.

~ * ~ * ~

Adam smiled slightly as his youngest brother led his black-and-white pinto into the corral. Little Joe looked so skinny—all arms and legs. Was I ever that young? Adam thought, shaking his head slightly. He’d just turned twenty-seven exactly two weeks after his brother’s fourteenth birthday, but his adolescence seemed eons ago. As Adam watched his brother, he noticed that Little Joe’s brown curls were much longer than his own black ones, and Adam knew Little Joe wasn’t going to be able to put off a haircut much longer. Pa always said he wasn’t allowing any of his sons to look like cheap riverboat gamblers.

“Did ya use a snaffle bit like I said, Joe?” Adam asked. “Remember, it’ll be easier on Cochise’s mouth.”

“Sure, Adam,” and Adam heard the impatience in his youngest brother’s voice.

“Okay, then let’s mount up. First, we’re doing some trotting and cantering to warm the horses up.”

“Why can’t I just start training Cooch?” Little Joe asked. His impatience was more obvious, and Adam frowned in irritation.

“Cuz he’s too fresh, Shortshanks,” Hoss Cartwright interjected from his perch on the corral. The sandy-haired twenty-year-old dwarfed both his brothers and not only in height: He had a stocky build and a barrel chest. “Ya asked Adam to help ya train Cochise, didn’t ya?” Hoss continued.

“Yeah,” Little Joe replied reluctantly.

“Well then, let him help,” Hoss said with a big smile, his clear blue eyes twinkling. After a moment, Little Joe grinned at his brothers.

Adam swung easily onto the back of his long-legged chestnut and Joe gracefully vaulted onto his pinto. They trotted at first and then urged their horses into the faster gait. When Adam judged the horses had had enough of a warm-up, he slowed back to a trot and then a walk.

“All right, Joe, the most important thing for Cochise to learn is how to stop,” Adam explained. “He always needs to stop straight, with his hind feet directly underneath him. Sport and I will show you what I mean.”

Adam and Hoss both watched Joe and Cochise work. When Adam judged it was time to stop, he looked at Hoss with a raised eyebrow and saw Hoss’s slight nod.

“That’s enough for today, Joe,” Adam called.

“Not yet, Adam,” Little Joe called back, his tone dismissive.

“Joe, I said that’s it for today,” Adam snapped. Hoss jumped off the fence and walked over to his younger brother. Little Joe pulled on the reins, stopping Cochise, but his expression was sulky.

“Shortshanks, Cochise has worked hard fer you. You can work him more tomorrow,” he said calmly. “Right now, why don’t the two of ya go fer a nice gallop.”

Little Joe nodded, and then he glanced over at his oldest brother with a mischievous smile. “Hey, Adam, ya wanna race?”

Adam rolled his eyes, but then grinned back. “Sure, Little Buddy, you’re on. Hoss, open the gate for us, okay?”

The big young man jumped down, then swung the gate open, and watched his two brothers ride off hell-for-leather, a big smile lighting up his face.

~ * ~ * ~

Adam remembered Hoss’s words to Joe when A.C. complained about having to stop for the day.

“Yeah, I guess I wasn’t thinking about Blackbird,” the boy said, patting the gelding’s neck. “Enough work, boy. How about some fun? Let’s go for a gallop.” He turned to his dad, flashing his dimpled grin, and asked, “You and Mercury feel up to a race? To that gum tree. We’ll give you a head start.”

“Pride goeth before a fall, son,” Adam said with a dimpled grin of his own and signaled for Mercury to gallop.

The two horses ran neck and neck, but at the last minute, Mercury pulled ahead.

“That was a bonzer race, Dad,” A.C. said with a big smile as they walked the horses to cool them down.

“Well, Mercury hadn’t been working the way Blackbird had,” Adam said with a wink.

“Dad,” A.C. asked slowly as the horses walked side by side, “do you ever miss being a cowboy?”

Adam was silent and his son waited for his response. “No, I can honestly say that I don’t miss branding and castrating calves, hunting for strays, going on cattle drives, or breaking wild broncos.” He smiled slightly, but A.C. saw the sadness in his dad’s eyes. “What I do miss is working with your uncles and spending time with them. And your grandpa.”

“I used to wish I could have a brother,” A.C. said softly. “When you’d tell me stories about you and Uncle Hoss and Uncle Joe, I used to envy you.”

Adam smiled just a little. “Well, we’re even because when I’d watch you and your sisters with your mama, I realized how much I’d missed.” He paused and said, “I really loved your Grandma Inger and your Grandma Marie but I wish I could have known my own mother.”

They rode along in silence. A.C. glanced over at his dad. He was startled to suddenly realize that there was very little grey left in his dad’s mustache and beard; it was almost snowy white. And there were deep lines radiating out from the corners of his dad’s eyes from years of squinting into the sun. Even though A.C. knew his dad was older than all his mates’ dads, he’d always seemed ageless. A.C. doubted any of his mates’ dads could have beaten him in a race.

He decided this might be a good time to ask about something that had been on his mind lately, since the time was drawing nearer when he’d be working at Cartwright & Davies copper mine. “Dad,” he began.

His dad turned his head and looked at him. “Yes?”

“May I ask you a question?” His dad nodded so he said, “What’s it like going into our mine?”

“Dark and hot. Not my favorite thing to do,” Adam replied with his crooked grin. His expression grew grave as he added, “Especially after nearly being killed in a cave-in.”

A.C.’s eyebrows shot straight up. “Fair dinkum? I- I don’t remember ever hearing about that.”

Adam sighed just a little. “I never mentioned it to your mama or your sisters. It was in Virginia City back in 1860. All the silver mines on the Comstock were plagued with cave-ins then. One of the directors of the Ophir mine hired a mining engineer named Philipp Deidesheimer to come up with a solution to the problem. The Ponderosa supplied the Ophir’s timber and the Ophir’s superintendent, Gil Fenton, was a good friend of mine and so I wanted to meet Philipp and discuss the problem.” He smiled. “Philipp was already making a name for himself and I was a little nervous about offering to act as his sounding board, but he said he’d welcome the chance to talk with someone who understood the engineering problem.”

A..C.’s face showed that he found it difficult to believe his dad was ever unsure of himself, which made Adam’s lips quirk up slightly. As his thoughts drifted back to those early days of the Comstock Lode, his expression was wistful and his voice was low and sad. “Gil and I met with Philipp that first time down in the Ophir. We were heading for the cage to return to the surface when the ceiling and walls caved in around us. Gil had been walking a little ways behind Philipp and me. Philipp and I could see each other, but not Gil. When we heard the sound of tapping, Philipp handed me his pick so I could answer, but the air was bad and we grew so weak that I no longer had the strength to lift the pick and hit the wall. We would have been left for dead if it weren’t for your Uncle Hoss. He kept the miners digging until he was able to get to us.” Adam stopped and sighed. “Gil wasn’t as lucky,” he added softly.

A.C. whistled. “I don’t think I could have gone back in a mine after that.”

“It wasn’t easy,” Adam admitted, “but I wasn’t going to let my fear control my life.” He paused, and then winked at his son. “Rhys and I let Llywelyn and Mark do all the underground inspections now.”

After a minute or two, A.C. asked, “When you bought our cattle station, didn’t you ever think of running it and letting Uncle Rhys run the mine?”

“No,” Adam replied without hesitation. “Life on a cattle station is very isolated. I remember how hard it was on your Grandma Marie moving from a city like New Orleans to the Ponderosa. I didn’t want to ask your mama to make that kind of sacrifice. Here in Cloncurry, she had your Aunt Matilda living right next door and they had become good friends.” He grinned broadly adding, “Besides, I’m not that enamored of cattle. I’d already spent around twenty years of my life raising them, and that was enough.’

A.C. smiled but thought, I’d rather work with cattle any day than down in a mine.

Chapter 5
“You’ve got your tucker-bag?” Beth, who was balancing the nearly seven-month-old Siân on one hip, asked Huw. He nodded. “And your swag?” Another nod. “And you remembered to pack your toothbrush?”

‘Yes, Mama. Can I go now? Uncle A.C. ‘n’ Grandpa’ll be waitin’ for me,” Huw said, sounding a little anxious.

“Wish I could go,” Dylan said with a pout.

“You’re too young,” Beth said firmly.

“But I’m two years older than Huw!” Elen whined. “Why can’t I go?”

“’Cause you’re a girl, and girls don’t go bush,” Huw retorted smugly. Elen stuck her tongue out at him.

“That’s enough, Elen,” Dafydd said in a no-nonsense tone. “If you can’t behave properly, then you can’t go visit your grandma.” Elen nodded, her expression petulant, which caused her parents to sigh in exasperation.

“You mind your grandpa, Huw,” Beth said as Huw mounted his cream Welsh pony, Buttermilk. Huw nodded impatiently because he’d heard it before at least a hundred times.

Elen mounted her pony, held out her arm to help Dylan mount up behind her, and the three of them set off for their grandparents’ house.

It was December 27 and there were three weeks left of the summer holiday. A.C. would be spending them at the cattle station his dad and uncle owned. Since it was time for Adam to check the station’s books, he was traveling with A.C., and he asked Beth and Dafydd if Huw could come with them. Huw would be eight in March, and Adam thought he was old enough to enjoy camping out with his uncle and his grandpa.

Beth was reluctant but her daddy and her husband were able to persuade her. As soon as Elen and Dylan learned of their brother’s upcoming adventure, they begged to come along, and sulked when they were told no. Bronwen felt bad for them and came up with the idea of Elen and Dylan staying with her while Huw was gone. Dylan told Jory and Ifor. They both begged their grandmas to let them stay, and Bronwen and Matilda readily agreed. They were both looking forward to spending time with their grandchildren while Beth, Gwyneth, and Emma were looking forward to having only one child to care for and a little time to themselves.

Christmas and Boxing Day it had rained very hard so the road was muddy, but the Mitchell grass was green and growing tall. As the Jones children approached their grandparents’ house, they saw Jory and Ifor riding on their ponies and waved a greeting. Adam and A.C. had been waiting just in front of the Cartwrights front yard for Huw’s arrival, letting their mounts graze. Huw’s eyes grew very round as he saw they were both wearing pistols at their hips. He waved goodbye to his siblings and cousins as he rode off between his grandpa and his uncle. Bronwen was waving goodbye from the verandah and had to smile, for Huw and his Welsh mountain pony were dwarfed by his tall uncle and grandpa on their Walers.

The slippery, muddy ground meant Adam, A.C., and Huw kept their mounts at a walk, but even so Adam figured they would arrive at the station by mid-morning the next day. In the meantime, he enjoyed the beauty all around him—the green tussocks of Mitchell grass and the splashes of color provided by the yellow flowers of the wattle tree and the red flowers of the bottlebrush. He spotted some bright green wild budgerigars, which Miranda and Sarah had written were called parakeets in the States. He smiled as he remembered that Sarah had once had a parakeet she’d named Billy Boy for William. As the three drew closer to the river, the gidgee and gum trees grew thicker. In addition to budgerigars, the travelers saw Galahs with their distinctive grey and rosy-pink plumage, Cloncurry parrots with their pale green back and yellow belly, and the less colorful—although considerably more raucous—Kookaburras. A.C. showed Huw koalas sleeping in a gum tree, and Huw spotted a pair of dingos on his own.

About half the year the Cloncurry River was dry but now, at the height of the rainy season, they would need to use the bridge to cross the river. As they rode across, Adam commented, “I know it’s hard to believe, but back in 1883, before either of you were born, the river rose higher than the bridge. Your Uncle Rhys and I were worried that our homes would be flooded since we’re so close to the river.” He smiled at Huw, who was looking up at him with round, wondering eyes. “Your mama was a little older than you are now, Huw, and your Aunt Miranda a little younger. Aunt Gwyneth was about the age of Jory and Ifor, and your Aunt Penny was about Benny’s age. I remember Aunt Gwyneth wanted to know if Uncle Rhys and I were going to build an ark.”

“Did she really?” A.C. asked with a chuckle.

“Too right,” Adam replied with a smile. “And she wanted to go catch two dingos and two koalas. Two of everything, except snakes,” and both boys laughed.

About an hour after they crossed the river, it began to rain. They stopped and put on their mackintoshes and then continued to ride. At midday it was still raining and Adam knew Huw couldn’t be having any fun, but he wasn’t complaining. Adam was thankful there been little thunder and lightening, but even so they needed to avoid the trees. At least since the temperature had been 90 degrees when they’d left, he didn’t have to worry about Huw catching cold. He wasn’t used to spending this many hours in the saddle though.

“Let’s get down and stretch our legs a bit,” Adam suggested. “I’ve got some beef jerky in my tuckerbag. We can eat it while we walk.”

As they walked along, leading their horses, Adam put his free hand on Huw’s shoulder and said, “You know, Huw, I’m really proud of you for not complaining about the rain.”

“You’re a fair dinkum jackeroo, mate,” A.C. said with a big grin and a wink.

Huw was practically glowing with happiness at this praise. It made it a lot easier to bear his sore legs and his soaking wet shoes and socks.

“Did you have to ride in rain like this when you were a jackeroo, Grandpa?” he asked as he chewed on the jerky.

“Too right I did,” Adam said, grinning crookedly. “And so will your Uncle A.C. while he’s working at the station.”

As they walked, the rain began to taper off. Soon the sun came out and the temperature soared.

“I know you’re sore, Huw, but we need to mount up and ride for a bit. Then we’ll make camp for the night,” Adam said, patting the little boy’s shoulder. He saw Huw’s little grimace as he settled in the saddle. Maybe I should have waited a couple of years before taking him camping, Adam thought. He’s still so young. But he’s plucky and I’m proud of him.

When they made camp, Adam had the boys gather firewood. “But you both be careful,” he warned. “I remember that on the first cattle drive I went on, I was nearly bit by a rattlesnake gathering firewood.”

“We’ll be careful,” A.C. said, and he patted the pistol at his hip. “C’mon, mate. Let’s see if we can find some dry wood, or least only a little damp.”

While the boys looked for wood, Adam unsaddled the horses and let them graze while he tied a picket line between two gum trees. The boys returned with wood that was slightly damp, and Adam and A.C. quickly whittled some chips. Adam got his old flint and steel and managed to start a fire while A.C. set up the tent of waxed canvas they’d brought, knowing it might rain. Huw had seen both his parents use matches to light the fire in their stove, but he found his grandpa’s method almost magical.

“Could you teach me to start a fire like that?” he asked eagerly.

“Let’s see what your parents say,” Adam temporized. “They may want me to wait until you’re a few years older.”

“Who taught you?” Huw asked then.

“We’ll get supper started and then I’ll tell you,” Adam replied, ruffling his grandson’s hair. He tossed A.C. the billy, saying, “You fix the Billy Tea, and Huw and I will start the beans and the damper.”

Their tuckerbags were made of waxed canvas, which kept their supplies reasonably dry. Adam started the beans cooking first and then as he mixed the flour, water and salt for the damper, he said to Huw, “My tada—your great-grandpa—taught me how to use a flint and steel to start a fire. Matches weren’t that easy to come by in those days and they were expensive, so we used a flint and steel.”

“I met my great-grandpa when I was little, didn’t I?” Huw asked then.

“That’s right. You and Elen both met him when we all sailed to the States for your Aunt Miranda and Uncle William’s wedding. You met your grandma’s parents then, too.” He smiled at his grandson and said, “The damper is ready, so we put it in the fire and cover it with ash.”

As the three of them sat around the campfire waiting for their supper to be ready, Adam said to Huw, “You know, you and your uncle are lucky that you got to gather wood for our fire.” A.C. grinned because he’d heard this story before. “When I was about Dylan’s age, I was traveling west with my tada and my mama. We had to cross the great prairie to reach California. The prairie was like an ocean, except it was an ocean of grass instead of water. That tall grass rippled in the wind just like waves on the sea. But there weren’t any trees on the prairie, so there wasn’t any wood to gather for a fire.”

“Did you burn grass?” Huw asked, scrunching his forehead in thought.

“No, grass burns too fast,” Adam replied. “We burned buffalo chips.”

“What’re buffalo chips?” Huw asked.

“You know what a buffalo is?” Adam queried and Huw nodded.

“Buffalo chips are dried buffalo dung,” A.C. interjected.

“Euww! Yuk!” Huw exclaimed, making a face.

“It may sound disgusting, but it was a good fuel,” Adam said with a slow smile. “And it was the children’s job to collect their family’s buffalo chips.” He smiled more broadly as he said, “The girls hated it more than we did, but if they didn’t have any brothers, then it was their job.” Huw grinned at the thought of Elen having to pick up buffalo dung.

“I like this damper,” Huw said as he broke off his third piece of the hot bread. “Did you eat damper when you were a boy, Grandpa?”

“No, I never had damper until I came to Queensland,” Adam replied. “When I was a little boy traveling west, we ate johnnycakes. They’re also pretty easy to make on the trail. Instead of flour, you use cornmeal. That’s maize that’s been ground fine like flour. You boil some water and mix it in with the cornmeal and a little salt. Then you spoon the batter on a griddle and fry it just like flapjacks.”

“I’d like to try some,” Huw said and was disappointed when his grandpa shook his head.

“You can’t get cornmeal here. Sorry, mate,” Adam said with a little smile. “Now, did you check your tuckerbag?”

“I forgot!” Huw exclaimed. He jumped up and ran over to where his swag and tuckerbag were sitting by his saddle and looked inside. “Ginger cookies!” he exclaimed. “Want one, Grandpa? Uncle A.C.?”

“These are as good as Mama’s,” A.C. said with a smile after he bit into one.

“Well, your mama passed Hop Sing’s recipe along to Beth and Gwyneth,” Adam said between bites.

When they finished eating, A.C. suggested, “Let’s sing. Start us off, Dad.”

“All right,” Adam said. “How about Sweet Betsy from Pike?”

“Beauty!” Huw exclaimed.

Adam began and the others joined in:

Did you ever hear tell of Sweet Betsy from Pike,
Who crossed the wide mountains with her lover Ike,
Two yoke of cattle, a large yeller dog,
A tall Shanghai rooster, and a one-spotted hog.

The Injuns came down in a thundering horde,
And Betsy was scared they would scalp her adored.
So under the wagon-bed Betsy did crawl
And she fought off the Injuns with musket and ball.
Singing too-ra-li-oo-ra-li-oo-ra-li-ay.

They sang Brisbane Ladies, Waltzing Matilda, Sosban Fach, Men of Harlech and Wait for the Wagon. By then they were growing hoarse (and Huw could hardly keep his eyes open) so Adam suggested it was time to sleep.

Huw lay between his grandpa and his uncle, watching the stars in the velvety black sky through the opening in the tent, and thought of the day’s events. He was stiff and sore, but he felt warm all over as he thought of his grandpa saying he was proud of him and Uncle A.C. calling him a fair dinkum jackeroo. Then he thought of Elen and Dylan. I wonder what they did today.

~ ~ ~

“What would you children like to do this morning?” Bronwen asked after helping the little boys unsaddle their ponies and turn them into the fenced in pasture with Elen’s Sport.

“Could we go swimming?” Elen asked eagerly.

“Oh, I thought we’d go swimming this afternoon. Aunt Matilda has volunteered to watch Siân, Cathy and Benny while they take their nap so your mamas can come swimming with us.” (Llywelyn and Mark had just started teaching Ifor and Jory to swim a few weeks earlier and although Dylan was a year older, he was still not an experienced swimmer so they needed lots of supervision.)

Elen looked disappointed but then she said, “Could we play croquet?”

“I wanna play croquet!” Dylan agreed enthusiastically.

Ifor frowned a little and said, “I don’t know how,” and Jory said sullenly, “Me, neither.”

“We’ll teach you,” Matilda said to coax them.

“It’s fun,” Dylan added, and the two younger boys finally agreed.

The croquet mallets were hard for a couple of not-quite five-year-olds to manage and they soon decided it would be more fun to play fetch with Duchess.

“You can’t just quit!” Elen yelled at them, but they ignored her.

“Aunt Matilda and I will play in their place,” Bronwen said soothingly. “I think they’re just a little too young for croquet.”

They’d only played a few strokes when the sky grew dark and the rain began to fall in sheets. Bronwen and Matilda hurried to the verandah while the children ran about, throwing their heads back and drinking the raindrops, their clothes quickly becoming sodden. Duchess chased after them, barking excitedly.

“They won’t need to go swimming now,” Matilda said, shaking her head a little in disapproval.

“Oh, if the rain stops, we’ll still go,’ Bronwen said with a smile. ‘They have lots of energy and they need to use it.”

The rain did stop so Beth, Gwyneth and Emma brought their little ones to stay with Matilda while they went swimming with the older children. At nearly three, Benny felt he’d outgrown naps and was sulking because he wasn’t allowed to go swimming with the others.

“I’m afraid he’s feeling very cross,” Gwyneth apologized to her aunt. “He had a full-blown temper tantrum when I told him he couldn’t go swimming with us.”

“Don’t worry,” Matilda said reassuringly. “I know how to deal with fractious little boys.”

Emma spied the lamingtons her mother-in-law had made setting on the dining room table and said, “Please don’t feed Cathy any lamingtons. They’re too rich for her.”

“Grandma will take good care of her little girl. Don’t you worry. You all just go have fun at the river,” Matilda said, balancing the sleepy Siân on one hip and holding one of Cathy’s hands in her free one. Benny’s lip stuck out in a pout and he kicked the doorjamb in frustration as he watched the others leave. When Cathy realized her mama was leaving her, she began to cry, “Ma-ma! Ma-ma!” and try to run after her. When she began crying, that was the signal for Siân to begin as well and Benny couldn’t hold back his angry tears.

Desperate for a way to calm the children, Matilda asked Benny if he’d like a lamington. He nodded and she let go of Cathy’s hand so she could hand one of the cakes to Benny, who couldn’t reach them. Cathy immediately headed for the front door, calling for her mama. Matilda quickly handed the sweet to Benny and then hurried after Cathy. Luckily for Matilda, Cathy had just learned to walk so she hadn’t gotten very far. From an open window in the dining room, Matilda spied the verandah’s big swing and had an inspiration. She would see if she could rock the children to sleep.

“Let’s all go sit on the swing,” she suggested cheerfully. “Won’t that be fun?” The only response from the two girls was more crying but Benny, whose face and hands were now smeared with chocolate, nodded and walked out onto the verandah, leaving sticky handprints on the door. He wasn’t quite tall enough to get on the swing, which kept moving away from him.

“I’ll help you, Benny. Wait just a moment,” Matilda said. She set Siân down first which necessitated letting go of Cathy’s hand. She immediately toddled toward the steps so Matilda hurried after and set her on the swing before giving Benny a boost up. Before the girls could try to wriggle off and hurt themselves, she sat between them and began to rock the swing.

“Higher, Aunt Tilda,” Benny commanded while both girls continued to wail loudly.

“This swing doesn’t go very high,” Matilda said, picking Cathy up and holding her on her lap. “I know, let’s sing.”

“Sing Jesus Loves Me,” Benny said immediately and Matilda smiled at him. The girls gradually began to quiet as Matilda and Benny sang.

“Let’s try All Things Bright and Beautiful,” Matilda suggested next. She was teaching Benny and the other small children in Sunday School that children’s hymn.

All things bright and beautiful,
All creatures great and small,
All things wise and wonderful:
The Lord God made them all.

Each little flower that opens,
Each little bird that sings,
He made their glowing colors,
He made their tiny wings.

All things bright and beautiful,
All creatures great and small,
All things wise and wonderful:
The Lord God made them all.

He gave us eyes to see them,
And lips that we might tell
How great is God Almighty,
Who has made all things well.

All things bright and beautiful,
All creatures great and small,
All things wise and wonderful:
The Lord God made them all

By the time she and Benny finished, the girls had stopped crying and looked like they were almost asleep. Benny wanted to sing Jesus Loves Me again and when they finished, the two girls had fallen asleep. Benny, however, was wide awake.

“Would you like Aunt Matilda to tell you a story?” she asked.

“Tell about the pigs,” he replied enthusiastically.

“Right. You take that pillow,” and she indicated the one in the corner by the armrest, “and lie down on the swing and I’ll tell you about the three little pigs.” He looked rebellious but when she added, “If you don’t lie down, you won’t get a story,” he obeyed. When she finished, he sleepily requested the bears and he nodded off before Goldilocks finished trying out the beds.

That evening, Llywelyn opened his front door and called, “I’m home!” Cathy had just finished getting her nappy changed and toddled into the entryway as fast as her short little legs would take her, squealing, “Dad-dy! Dad-dy!” Emma walked quietly behind Cathy. Llywelyn’s attention was focused on Cathy and he didn’t notice how quiet his wife was.

“How’s Daddy’s little girl?” Llywelyn said, lifting Cathy into his arms and enjoying her smacking kisses. Still holding Cathy in one arm, he turned to kiss Emma. He felt how tense she was and in a low voice he asked her what was wrong. She merely shrugged.

Cathy was fretful during high tea and Emma had to leave the table and change her nappy. Llywelyn noticed Cathy’s nappy needed to be changed several times that evening. Once Cathy had been put to bed, Llywelyn and Emma went to the parlor as they usually did. Llywelyn would read the newspaper aloud as Emma worked on her mending or darning. Tonight, Llywelyn set the newspaper to one side and quietly asked, “Will you tell me what’s wrong, Love? Don’t say nothing because I know something is.”

Emma kept her eyes focused on her mending as she replied. “I’d rather not discuss it.”

“You’d rather brood on it?” he queried in the same even tone and she sighed.

“No, but I don’t want to argue with you,” she answered, still refusing to look up from her mending.

It was Llywelyn’s turn to sigh. “So it’s about my mother and Cathy,” he said bleakly, and she nodded.

“When I took Cathy to your mother’s so she could watch her while I went swimming with Ifor, I noticed that she’d made lamingtons. I asked her not to give any to Cathy.” Emma was watching her husband and added, “You know they are too rich for her and she has diarrhea if she eats them.” She saw him nod and continued. “When we finished swimming and I went to get Cathy, your mother was feeding her little bits of lamington. I reminded her that I’d asked her not to do that, and she just said the little bit she was giving her wouldn’t hurt.” Emma stopped and then said quietly, “Cathy has been having diarrhea.”

Llywelyn sighed. Ever since Cathy’s birth, there had been tension between his wife and his mother. He guessed his mama did tend to monopolize Cathy, but she adored her granddaughter and Llywelyn hadn’t seen any harm in it His mama had been denied the little girl she’d always wanted so it was only natural she’d make a fuss over her granddaughter.

“Mama didn’t mean any harm,” he began, but Emma cut him off.

“You always take her side,” she said bitterly, and he was shocked to see tears in his wife’s eyes.

“She’s my mother, Emma,” he said softly.

“And I’m your wife, Llywelyn. Cathy is our daughter. Your mother shouldn’t disregard our wishes. It’s wrong.” Emma despised the way her voice shook and the angry tears that filled her eyes.

Llywelyn’s shoulders slumped as he nodded. “You’re right. It’s still early so I’ll go talk with Mama.”

As Llywelyn walked up the steps of his parents’ verandah, he could hear his son’s excited voice shouting, “You got the Old Bachelor, Grandpa!” He frowned a little because it was nearly an hour past Ifor’s bedtime. He knocked on the front door and Daisy, his parents’ Aboriginal maid, let him in.

As soon as Ifor spotted Llywelyn, he threw down his cards and jumped off his chair so he could run to his daddy. Llywelyn hunkered down and hugged his son then said blandly, “You’re up late tonight, aren’t you, mate?”

Rhys said, “We thought we’d let him stay up as a treat.”

Llywelyn smiled sardonically and said quietly, “It won’t be much of a treat for you when he’s a little crosspatch tomorrow.”

“Ifor’s a good boy,” Matilda said. “You won’t be a crosspatch, will you?” The little boy shook his head but his daddy only smiled knowingly.

“Since Daddy’s here, I’ll hear your prayer and tuck you in. Then I want to talk with Grandma.” Llywelyn held out a hand and a little reluctantly Ifor put one of his in it and allowed himself to be led to his daddy’s old bedroom.

When Llywelyn returned, he found his father sitting in his favorite chair reading the Cloncurry Advocate while his mother was sewing a little dress for Cathy. She looked up when he entered the drawing room and smiled at him.

“Sit here,” she said, patting the settee beside her.

He had rehearsed what he would say on the walk over, but it was hard—harder than he’d realized.

After sitting beside her, he cleared his throat and said, “There’s something I have to talk with you about, Mama.” She looked at him expectantly so he continued. “When I got home this evening, Emma was upset. At first, she wouldn’t talk to me about it but I finally persuaded her.”

“Oh, she’s not still upset that I fed Cathy a little lamington, is she?” Matilda said in an exasperated tone. “I told her that little bit wouldn’t hurt Cathy.”

“Well, you were wrong, Mama,” he replied, his tone sharper than he’d intended. “Cathy’s had diarrhea just as Emma knew she would. But what really upsets Emma is the fact that you totally disregard her wishes when it comes to Cathy.” Seeing his mama’s stricken expression, he said hurriedly, “I don’t want to hurt you, Mama, and neither does Emma. We both love you,” and he patted her on the shoulder comfortingly. “We want you to be close to Cathy, but we just ask that you respect our wishes.”

Matilda didn’t trust her voice, and nodded, struggling to hold back her tears. Llywelyn patted her shoulder again, feeling awkward, and then stood up.

“I’ll see you both at Cathy’s birthday party,” he said to his parents. “Hooroo.”

After their son left, Rhys went over and sat down by Matilda and took her in his arms and held her comfortingly.

The next morning while Matilda and Daisy prepared breakfast, Rhys went to wake Ifor so he could help take care of his pony just as he did at home.

“Time to wake up, Ifor,” Rhys said cheerfully as he gently shook the child’s shoulder. Ifor only mumbled and tried to roll into a ball. “Ifor, you have to get up. Brownie’s hungry and you need to come feed him,” Rhys said firmly and shook his grandson a little harder. Ifor’s response was to wriggle away so Rhys threw back the sheet and sat him up.

Ifor rubbed his eyes and said crossly, “Wanna sleep.”

“I’m afraid you have to get up and get dressed,” Rhys said. “You need to help take care of Brownie.”

“No,” the little boy said, his lip coming out in a big pout.

“Well, that means your daddy and mama will give Brownie to a little boy or girl who wants to take care of him,” Rhys answered.

“No!” Ifor yelled. “Brownie’s mine!”

“If he’s yours, then you need to get dressed and come take care of him,” Rhys said calmly. He stood in the doorway and waited as his sulky grandson got dressed. You were sure right about his being a crosspatch, son, Rhys thought. He’ll be going to bed at his regular time tonight.

As the three Davies gathered in the dining room for breakfast, Matilda fixed a plate for Ifor. When she sat the plate with a fried egg, bacon and toast in front of Ifor, he scowled. “I want porridge,” he announced.

“You can have porridge tomorrow morning,” Matilda said soothingly. “Just eat your eggs and bacon now”

“No!” Ifor shouted, shoving his plate so hard that he upset his glass of milk.

Matilda quickly mopped up the milk and Ifor looked apprehensively at his grandparents, alarmed by his own naughtiness. Rhys stood up and pushed his chair away from the table, saying sternly, “Stand up, Ifor.” Ifor stood, his chin and lower lip wobbling. Rhys walked over to the little boy, told him to bend over, and spanked him. Then he picked up his sobbing grandson and said quietly, “Grandpa doesn’t like to spank you, Ifor, but he has to when you misbehave. Now, if you want to play with your cousins today, you need to eat your breakfast. Understand?” The child was crying too hard to talk but he managed to nod. Rhys kissed his cheek and gently set him back in his chair. It took a few minutes for Ifor to collect himself but then he picked up his fork and reluctantly began to eat his egg, tears still rolling down his cheeks.

Breakfast was a silent meal. When Rhys finished, he kissed his wife and grandson goodbye and left for the mine. Ifor ate his food slowly and when he finally finished, Matilda smiled brightly and said they would go visit his cousins. Dylan and Jory were in the library, coloring with the box of Crayola crayons the Gordons had sent Dylan for his sixth birthday that November. Jory was drawing a picture of his pony, Blackie, so he’d appropriated the black crayon. Ifor claimed the brown so he could draw Brownie. Dylan was using the green crayon to draw grass, the blue for the sky and the yellow for the sun.

“Where’s Elen?” Matilda asked Bronwen as they sat in the leather armchairs.

“She asked to see if Kerra and Molly wanted to play croquet,” Bronwen replied. “I told her if they did, I’d be the fourth player. I hope you don’t mind watching the boys on your own?”

“No,” Matilda replied. Bronwen noticed her friend seemed listless. She’d been looking forward to Ifor’s visit so much; Bronwen knew something must be wrong and decided to see if she could discover the problem.

“I had forgotten what it was like putting three children to bed,” she commented. “They all tried to convince me to let them stay up late. I almost weakened but luckily I remembered how grumpy children are if they don’t get enough sleep.”

“Rhys and I forgot,” Matilda said quietly. “Ifor was a little crosspatch this morning just as Llywelyn said he would be.”

“Llywelyn?” Bronwen repeated.

“He stopped by last night and saw we were letting Ifor stay up.” Matilda stopped and then said in an aggrieved tone, “Emma has been complaining to him about me, saying I interfere in the way she’s raising Cathy.”

“Ah,” Bronwen said slowly. She wasn’t surprised at Matilda’s news. Matilda doted on her little granddaughter and she did disregard her daughter-in-law’s wishes if they conflicted with her own. If Adam were here, Bronwen thought, he’d tell me not to be a stickybeak. But I care about Matilda and Emma. I also care about Llywelyn, and he is in the middle of this.

“You know, sometimes I think we were lucky,” Bronwen said slowly. “Your mother-in-law lived hundreds of miles away while I didn’t have one. When we first moved here, I wished Mam was closer so I could ask her advice when I had questions about the children. But maybe she would have given me more advice than I really wanted. Maybe she wouldn’t have agreed with all the decisions Adam and I made about how we wanted to bring up our children.” Bronwen smiled just a little as she added, “If Miranda and William lived closer, I know that Adam would take Jon to Mr. Corelli’s to have his hair cut.”

Matilda smiled faintly then said, “I don’t mean to interfere.”

“I know you don’t. It’s hard, but we have to remember that we aren’t the parents so we don’t make the rules,” Bronwen said, patting her friend’s hand. Just then, Jory and Ifor began to squabble over the purple crayon so that ended the discussion.

Bronwen was setting up the croquet hoops in the front yard when she saw Elen and her two friends, plus a flaxen-haired little girl she didn’t recognize.

“G’day, Mrs. Cartwright!” Kerra and Molly called to her and she waved to them.

“Stay, Duchess,” Elen commanded as she opened the gate in the picket fence and held it for the others. Bronwen walked over to greet the girls and Elen said quickly, “This is Edwina, Grandma. She’s going to play croquet with us. Uh, this is my grandma, Mrs. Cartwright,” she added as an afterthought.

“I’m happy to meet you, Edwina,” Bronwen said with a smile and the flaxen-haired little girl curtseyed. “You’re new here, aren’t you?”

“Yes, ma’am,” Edwina said politely. “My family just moved here from Tewkesbury. In Gloucestershire,” she added. “My mama and my sister and my brothers and I are living with Rev. Barnes. He’s my uncle.”

Just then the little boys, who’d been playing tag in the backyard, came running up to see why Duchess had been barking. Bronwen smiled and said, “Edwina, I would like you to meet Dylan Jones, Jory Pentreath and Ifor Davies. Boys, this is Edwina . . . I’m sorry but I don’t know your last name.”

“Godwin,” Edwina replied.

“You talk funny,” Jory said.

“Jory, you apologize to Edwina,” Bronwen said firmly.

“Sorry,” the little boy said sullenly.

“Edwina sounds different because she’s English,” Bronwen explained. “Now, the girls want to play croquet so you boys go play in the backyard.”

“Are they related to you?” Edwina asked Elen as the three boys ran off with Duchess at their heels.

“Dylan is my brother. Jory and Ifor are my cousins,” Elen said. “I have another brother, Huw, but he’s gone bush with my grandpa and Uncle A.C.”

“Gone bush?” Edwina repeated.

After a moment where the three Australian girls stared blankly at Edwina, Kerra said, “Let’s play doubles. Molly and I will be red and yellow; Elen and Edwina, you can be blue and black.” Edwina frowned a little as she looked at Elen, who was clearly the youngest, but she said nothing.

As the girls chose their mallets and balls, Kerra asked Edwina, “How long have you been living with Reverend and Mrs. Barnes?”

“We arrived yesterday. We were on a ship for weeks,” Edwina replied, adding, “I didn’t like it much. I got sick on the ship. Now I have to share a room with my sister. It’s much smaller than the room I used to have.”

“I have to share a room with my sister,” Elen said. “She’s just a baby.”

“My sister, Edith, is sixteen,” Edwina said.

“Oh, so is my sister Tegan,” Kerra said. “We used to share a room, but after our sister Elowen got married, Tegan got her room.”

“I wish Edith would get married. Then I wouldn’t have to share,” Edwina said. After a pause she said, “It is very odd that you have your summer holiday after Christmas.”

“It’s not odd to us,” Molly said, her tone a little belligerent.

“I just meant that back home it’s winter and there’s snow on the ground,” Edwina said quickly.

“It never snows here,” Elen said, “but it snows a lot in New Hampshire where my Aunt Miranda and Uncle William live. They sent us a photograph of a snowman they built.”

‘I’ve heard of Hampshire, but what’s New Hampshire?” Edwina asked.

“It’s in the United States,” Elen replied.

“Let’s play,” Molly said then, and so the girls concentrated on the game. After an hour, Bronwen and Matilda brought out a pitcher of lemon squash. The girls called a temporary halt to their game and the boys ran around from the back so they could have some lemon squash.

“I’m going to start school this year,” Dylan told Edwina as the children all sat on the verandah’s wicker chairs while Bronwen and Matilda sat on the swing.

“That’s nice,” Edwina said politely.

“Do you have any brothers?” Dylan asked then.

“Yes, but they’re older than you are,” Edwina replied. “Harold is thirteen and Edgar is eight.”

“My brother Jowan is fourteen,” Kerra said.

“And my brother Huw is nearly eight,” Elen added.

“Your brothers shouldn’t have any problems making friends,” Matilda said with a smile.

“Her sister is the same age as Uncle A.C. and Tegan,” Elen said then.

The girls finished their drinks and hurried back to their game while the boys decided to play pirates and search for buried treasure.

“Things must be very crowded at the vicarage with four children and their mother staying there,” Bronwen commented to Matilda as they sipped their lemon squash.

“Yes, and Reverend and Mrs. Barnes aren’t used to children,” Matilda said. “I suppose the mother must be a widow.”

“I imagine so. It must have been difficult to leave her home and travel so far,” Bronwen added. Then she stood up saying, “I want to check on our pirates.”

The girls were so absorbed in their game, they lost track of time. Kerra and Molly had just won when Bronwen came out onto the verandah and invited them to stay for lunch. Kerra and Molly accepted readily but Edwina hesitated.

“No thank you, Mrs. Cartwright,” she said. “I think my mama expects me at the vicarage.”

“I understand,” Bronwen said and then noticed a strange woman approaching. As she drew nearer, Bronwen saw it was a girl, and even from this distance, Bronwen could see she was exquisite.

“It’s Edith,” Edwina said. “I’d better go,” she added, sprinting toward the front gate.

“That’s a very attractive young woman,” Matilda remarked quietly to Bronwen. “I imagine all the young men in Cloncurry will be hanging around the vicarage, just the way they used to hang around here when Beth was a girl.”

Bronwen nodded, feeling a frisson of anxiety since her son would be one of those young men. Now Bronwen, she scolded herself, you’re being ridiculous just because you don’t know this young woman the way you’ve known all the other girls A.C. has been interested in. Aloud she said, “Girls, go inside and wash your hands and I’ll go get the boys.”

December 30 was Cathy’s first birthday and Adam and Huw were expected back that afternoon. Everyone was eating lunch on the verandah to escape the stifling heat inside when Duchess began to bark and ran to the front gate.

“I see Grandpa and Huw!” Elen said excitedly, jumping up and preparing to run after Duchess.

“Wait, Elen,” Bronwen said quickly. “Boys, sit down,” she added. “Grandpa and Huw will have to take care of their horses first so let’s finish our lunch.”

The children began to gobble down their food so that when Adam and Huw rode by on their way to the barn, they jumped up and ran after them. Bronwen rolled her eyes but didn’t say anything. Matilda started to call after them but decided it was a waste of time.

The children began peppering Adam and Huw with questions until Adam put up his hand and said, “Whoa!” in a loud voice, and they all fell silent. “Help us take care of Buttermilk and Mercury, and then after we’ve had some lunch, we’ll tell you all about our trip,” he said with a smile. The four children looked disappointed but they knew better than to argue with a grownup.

Mary had already made ham sandwiches for Adam and Huw so after Adam greeted Matilda and kissed Bronwen, he and Huw sat down at the wicker table and began to eat. Adam had a hard time not laughing at the expressions on the other children’s faces as they waited impatiently for them to finish. Huw was almost as eager to tell of his adventures so he gulped down his food and his grandpa nodded for him to go ahead.

“The first day it rained on us but it stopped raining when we made camp. Grandpa lighted a fire with— What do you call them, Grandpa?”

“A flint and steel,” Adam replied, his eyes twinkling.

“Right. A flint and steel,” Huw said. “Grandpa said if it’s okay with Tada and Mama, he’ll teach me how to start a fire with ‘em.” He didn’t notice that his grandma frowned a little at his grandpa as he continued his narrative. “Grandpa showed me how to make damper and last night I made it.” He looked a little sheepish as he added, “Mine wasn’t as good as Grandpa’s.” Then he said, “The first night, we heard some dingos howling. But Grandpa and Uncle A.C. said they didn’t think they’d bother us, and they had their revolvers if the dingos got too close. They didn’t shoot the dingos though. We saw kangaroos and emus and koalas. Then at the station I saw Queensland heeler puppies.” He paused and then said wistfully, “I wanted to have one of the puppies but Mr. Kelly said Heelers aren’t happy unless they could herd cattle. And they’d fight with Nani and Colwyn.”

“It sounds like you enjoyed yourself,” Bronwen said with a smile.

“Too right I did!” Huw replied with an enormous grin. “Grandpa said I can come with him next year, too.”

“I wanna come!” Dylan said, and Jory and Ifor chorused, “Me, too!”

”I’m afraid Jory and Ifor will have to wait a few years,” Adam replied gently.

“What about me?” Dylan asked eagerly, and Adam grinned just a little.

“It’s too early to say. I’ll talk to your parents about this time next year and see what they say.” He smiled at his granddaughter, who was looking sulky since she knew she wouldn’t be allowed to go bush. “Why don’t you tell us what you’ve been doing while we’ve been gone?”

“We hunted for buried treasure,” Dylan said with a big dimpled smile.

“Ah. I thought I saw some holes in the back,” Adam said, rolling his eyes just a little while Bronwen looked guilty.

“I met a new girl,” Elen said then. “Her name is Edwina Godwin. She’s from England and she and her brothers and sister and mama live with Reverend and Mrs. Barnes.”

“She talks funny,” Jory said.

“Jory, I told you that she only sounds different because she’s from England. It’s rude to say she talks funny,” Bronwen scolded.

“That’s right, Jory. If you went to England, you’d be the one who sounded funny,” Elen said in her best I’m older than you are and smarter too tone, and her cousin scowled at her.

“I probably sounded strange to your grandma and Uncle Rhys when they first met me,” Adam said mildly.

“Yes, but I liked your accent,” Bronwen said, and they shared a smile.

Then Adam said, “I’m very glad Huw and I made it back in time for Cathy’s birthday party.”

“Mama made her a dress, and it’s really pretty,” Elen said.

“I knew your mama was making Cathy a dress, so I made her an allover apron,” Bronwen said.

“That’s an excellent idea,” Matilda stated.

“What did you and Uncle Rhys get her?” Elen asked then.

“Oh, I want to keep it a surprise until the party,” Matilda replied with a little smile.

It wasn’t much longer before the children packed their clothes, hugged their grandmas (and grandpa in the case of the Jones children and Jory), and headed home. Adam declared he intended to take a hot bath and then read the latest issue of Camera Works, which had arrived while he was away. (Miranda and William had given him a subscription as a birthday present the year before, and he enjoyed the magazine very much, for both the technical articles and the original photographs.)

Shortly after high tea, Adam and Bronwen walked to Margaret Street, the quiet cul-de-sac where both the younger Davies and the Pentreaths lived. Adam always felt proud of the asymmetrical pyramid house he’d built for Llywelyn and Emma. He wished he could have designed a house for Gwyneth and Mark, but it had been hard enough persuading Mark to accept a loan so he could make a down payment on a house. (Adam wouldn’t have been happy if they chosen a tiny hip house so he was relieved he’d been able to persuade Gwyneth to buy a slightly larger pyramid house.)

Llywelyn and Emma could seat eight at their dining table so only the two sets of grandparents had been invited to the birthday dinner. Since they lived so close, the Pentreaths were the first to arrive for the party. Adam and Bronwen approached the house at almost the same moment as the Joneses so they all walked in together.

The grandparents were sitting on the living room’s sofa while Emma and the birthday girl were ensconced in one of the room’s two armchairs. Llywelyn assured his aunt that the second armchair was reserved for her. While he brought in chairs from the dining room for the other adults, they all had a chance to greet each other. The children all sat on the floor, except for Siân, who sat on her daddy’s lap.

“Ifor, why don’t you help your sister open her gifts,” Llywelyn said. With a big grin the little boy jumped up and got one of the gifts from the tea table and ran over to his mama and sister.

“Whoa, Ifor,” Llywelyn said with a laugh as Ifor prepared to rip off the wrapping paper. “Let’s see who the gift is from, first.” He read the tag and said, “This is from your cousins Miranda, William, Jon and Laura.” He smiled and said, “Now you may open it for Cathy.”

“Look, Cathy,” Emma said, “it’s a Mama Duck and a baby duck. Ifor, show your sister how to make the ducks move.”

“Look, Cathy,” Ifor said, placing the wooden ducks, which were both on wheels, on the hardwood floor and pushing them. Cathy immediately started wriggling to get down. They all watched her push the Mama duck. Siân became very excited and Emma told Dafydd he could let her down to push the baby duck. After a few moments, Ifor asked, “Aren’t we gonna open the rest of the presents?”

“As soon as Cathy is tired of playing with the ducks,” Emma said.

“They remind me of the wooden horse my brother Hoss and I made for our younger brother,” Adam said, smiling wistfully as he thought of the family gathered in the little cabin to celebrate Joe’s first birthday—all gone now except for him. He’d placed his chair beside Bronwen’s and she reached for his nearest hand and gave it a squeeze, knowing he was thinking of those he had lost.

Cathy was beginning to lose interest in the duck so Emma picked her up and they sat down together. Ifor ran to grab another present. He started to pick up the gift from his family but his mama asked him to leave that one until the last. He picked up another gift, which was the floppy white linen hat trimmed with two pink ribbon bows from the Pentreaths. Cathy didn’t have much interest in it but her mama was delighted and thanked Gwyneth. The next gift Ifor opened for Cathy was the long-sleeved red gingham allover apron Bronwen had made Cathy.

“Thank you, Aunt Bronwen,” Emma said with a happy smile. “This is a very welcome gift.”

The next gift Ifor chose was from his Lawrence grandparents. “Look, Cathy,” Emma said, her delight obvious as she showed her little girl the two cloth books—one an ABC book and the other nursery rhymes. “Your very first books.” She turned to her parents and said, “Thank you, Papa and Mama.”

Emma was delighted with lovely dress Beth had made of handkerchief linen and decorated with handmade lace.

“It’s so beautiful,” Emma breathed and her mother added, “You are such a talented seamstress, Beth. I don’t know where you find the time to sew such a beautiful dress with four children to look after.”

“Elen is a good helper,” Beth replied, smiling warmly at her firstborn.

Ifor ran to get the gift from Matilda and Rhys, and Cathy began to tear the paper with him. Her face lit up as she made a grab for the gift. As Cathy grabbed the little rag doll with black yarn hair, Llywelyn glanced quickly at his wife and saw her face had gone white.

“That’s a pretty doll, Mama,” he said in a voice that was a shade too cheerful. “They do say that great minds think alike.” He walked over and picked up the last gift and then knelt down by his wife and daughter. “Look Angel, Mama made you another doll.” He quickly unwrapped the gift and held up a rag doll with brown yarn hair almost exactly the same color as Cathy’s.

“Dolly! Dolly!” “Cathy exclaimed, clutching a doll in each arm.

Matilda’s face turned a deep crimson. “Emma, I- I didn’t know—” she began.

“It’s all right,” Emma said, her voice a little shaky, “Cathy loves them both.” And she smiled at her mother-in-law.

“Is it time for the birthday cake now?” Dylan asked hopefully. All the adults laughed and the tension in the room was broken.

Ifor ‘helped’ his sister blow out her candle and then Mrs. Lawrence cut the cake and Llywelyn passed out the pieces. Cathy refused to let go of her dollies, and ignored the cake but her brother and boy cousins made up for her lack of interest. Huw had a chance to tell all about his adventures going bush and was very gratified by the attention Mark, Llywelyn and Mr. Lawrence paid him. When Siân and Cathy started rubbing their eyes in an effort to stay awake, all the guests reluctantly said their goodbyes.

Chapter 6
Bronwen plumped the pillows one last time before turning to look around the room in satisfaction. She’d washed and ironed the green, brown and blue striped chintz curtains and Mary had beaten the matching hooked rug. The room had been thoroughly dusted, the bedding changed and the windows opened wide to let in the fresh air. Everything was ready for A.C.’s return this afternoon. Now it was time to go downstairs and make the lamingtons he enjoyed so much. Then she’d go visit Beth and the children. That should keep her occupied until A.C.’s return or it was time to begin preparing high tea, whichever came first.

She was in the kitchen making one of A.C.’s favorite dishes, Teisen Nionod, when she heard his voice calling, “Mama! Mama, I’m home!”

She ran out to the hallway and when he saw her, he smiled and covered the ground in long strides. “It’s good to be home,” he said after bending down to hug her and kiss her cheek.

“You’re too thin,” she said, running her eyes over him.

“The tucker at the station doesn’t begin to compare with yours,” he replied, winking at her.

“Come into the kitchen and we can talk while Mary and I are working,” she said then, smiling up at him.

“Teisen Nionod!” he exclaimed as she went back to her preparations. “I’ve really missed that.” Then he spied the lamingtons. “Could I have just one now? No one makes lamingtons as delicious as yours, Mama.”

“Just one,” she agreed. “Your dad shot some rabbits yesterday so I’m going to make poacher’s pie.”

“Beauty!” he said with a big dimpled grin.

Bronwen and Mary listened while they worked as he told them about his days on the station. When they finished cleaning up, he stood and stretched, saying, “I need to take a bath and put on clean clothes before high tea.”

“There’s not time to visit Mr. Corelli so let me trim your hair before your dad gets home,” she said firmly, and he grinned.

When Adam got home that evening, Bronwen was setting the table as Mary was placing the food on the buffet.

“A.C. back?” he asked after kissing Bronwen.

“Yes, he’s getting dressed,” she replied with a happy smile. “The food is ready so you need to wash up.” He grinned and then went whistling down the hall to the bathhouse.

A.C. briefly recounted the highlights of his time at the station for his dad as he and his parents gathered around the dining table for high tea. Then he asked, “So, what’s been happening while I was away?”

“Dylan lost his first tooth,” Bronwen said with a little smile, “and Siân cut her first.”

As A.C. grinned, Adam said, “Athena had another litter and Ifor is very excited since Llywelyn and Emma agreed he may have one of the kittens.” His lips turned up slightly as he added, “Gwyneth says Benny is fascinated by the kittens and she has to watch him constantly so he’ll leave them alone.” He winked broadly as he commented, “Poetic justice.” Then he and Bronwen shared a smile as they remembered a young Gwyneth and Lady’s litters of puppies.

“Rev. Barnes’ widowed sister and her children have come from England to live at the vicarage,” Bronwen said then. “I’ve been to call on Mrs. Barnes and Mrs. Godwin and I met the older daughter, Edith. She is sixteen. I also met the younger daughter, Edwina, who is a little older than Elen. The younger boy is Huw’s age.” She paused for a moment and then added, “Edith is a very lovely girl.” Her son smiled but made no comment.

“We received a letter from Miranda the other day,” Adam said. “She mentioned that she and William had gone to see one of these moving pictures. They saw one called The Great Train Robbery. She wrote they found viewing it a fascinating experience.”

“She also says that Laura loves to scribble with Jon’s crayons,” Bronwen interjected. “They found out when she scribbled all over the wall of Jon’s bedroom.” A.C. chuckled at that. “Miranda is teaching Jon to print the alphabet and he can tie the laces on his shoes now. He is very proud of that.”

The Cartwrights hadn’t quite finished eating when there was a knock on the door. Mary stuck her head in the dining room a moment later and said, “Robbie is here to see A.C.”

A.C. grabbed another of the lamingtons his mama had made especially for him and said, “May I be excused?”

Bronwen said with a smile, “Why don’t you take the plate and share them with Robbie?”

“Thanks, Mama,” A.C. said, grabbing the plate heaped with the cakes.

“Let me have a couple first,” Adam said as his son rushed by.

“Sorry, Dad,” A.C. said sheepishly.

“Thanks,” Robbie said as A.C. offered him one of the little cakes covered in sweet chocolate icing and dried coconut. “Your mum sure makes bonzer lamingtons.” He grinned as they sat in the wicker chairs and A.C. placed the plate on the table between them. “I see you survived working at the station.”

“Yeah, it was harder than I thought it’d be. Sure glad Dad helped me train Blackbird. They gave me the most experienced heeler to work with and that helped. The other jackeroos were a bit suspicious of me at first since they knew Dad was one of the owners but I expected that. Took a while but by the time I left, I think they were beginning to accept me.” He paused and then said nonchalantly, “My mama says that there’s a new girl who’s very pretty.”

“Too right!” Robbie agreed. “She’s almost as beautiful as your sister, Beth.” Seeing his friend’s raised eyebrow, Robbie colored slightly and said defensively, “I know Beth is married and a mother but she’s still the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.” He grinned before saying, “But Tegan’s my girl and I don’t care about any other no matter how beautiful she is.” He swallowed nervously before saying, “By the way, I, uh, won’t be able to walk to school with you any more because I’ll be walking with Tegan.”

It felt strange to A.C. to be walking to school on his own. He and Robbie had walked together ever since he could remember. For just a moment he felt a twinge of jealousy, but quickly scolded himself. C’mon, A.C., you just need to get your own girl. Maybe this new one that Robbie and Mama both think is so pretty.

As A.C. approached the schoolyard, he noticed that instead of the girls and boys standing on their separate sides (except for couples like Robbie and Tegan) all the older boys were on the girls’ side. In the midst of his friends, he spotted an unfamiliar girl. She was probably the loveliest one he’d ever seen. She had hair the color of honey and her skin was milky white except for the faint blush of rose in her cheeks. She was a little taller than the other girls and her figure was slender, but with curves in all the right places. Unconsciously, he stood a little taller and straightened his shoulders as he walked over to the group.

“G’day,” he said, smiling warmly at the girl. She smiled back, but then dropped her eyes. He noticed her eyelashes were long and golden brown. He’d had an all too brief glimpse of clear blue eyes. Her lips were full and pouting and he found himself wishing he could see if they tasted as luscious as they looked.

“G’day, A.C.,” Janet Campbell said. Her freckled face wore a look of wry amusement. “Edith Godwin, this is Adam Cartwright, Jr., better known as A.C.”

Edith opened her blue eyes very wide. “A.C.?” she repeated in a puzzled tone.

“My dad didn’t want me called Junior so one of my older sisters got the idea of calling me A.C., and it stuck,” he said with a dimpled smile.

‘Miss Andrews won’t allow nicknames so she calls him Adam,” Janet inserted.

Edith smiled at A.C. “I believe I met your mother. I know a Mrs. Cartwright called on us at the vicarage. I’m surprised I haven’t seen you before this.”

“I was working at my family’s cattle station,” he replied with another smile, “and I just returned yesterday. And, yes, you did meet my mother.”

Miss Andrews rang the bell to let everyone know it was time to come inside and Jim Hastings quickly said, “I’d be happy to carry your books for you, Edith.”

“Thank you, James,” she said, bestowing a smile on him as she gave him her books.

The boys and girls sat on opposite sides of the schoolroom. A.C. and Robbie were the two oldest boys so they sat in the back. Most of the other boys their age were already working at one of Cloncurry’s copper mines. Only four girls A.C.’s age were still in school: Edith, Tegan, Janet and Margaret Edmonds. The rest were either married or helping their mothers at home.

Each school desk was built for two students to use. Tegan and Janet instinctively moved to share a desk. When they saw the look of revulsion on Edith’s face as she gazed at Margaret and the hurt look Margaret tried to hide, Tegan said quietly, “I’m going to sit with Margaret.” Janet nodded.

“I’ll be your seatmate, Margaret,” Tegan said with a smile. “Janet and Edith may share a desk.”

Margaret nodded silently and kept her eyes down.

A.C. was angry for a moment at Edith’s behavior, but then told himself that she hadn’t meant to hurt Margaret; she had just reacted instinctively to Margaret’s unprepossessing appearance.

“Will you look at all the boys,” Margaret said quietly to Tegan. “Everyone of them except Robbie is gawking at Edith.”

“Well, she is very beautiful,” Tegan answered just as quietly because Miss Andrews was very strict about talking while another class was reciting. Margaret could only nod in agreement.

When they had their morning break, all the older boys gathered around Edith.

“Is it very different here from where you lived in England?” Fred Johnson asked.

“Your climate is certainly different,” Edith replied with a little moue of distaste. “It was never this hot in Tewkesbury. But my uncle, Rev. Barnes, says it is never as cold here as it is in England, so I suppose it evens out.” She smiled at all the boys clustered around her and added, “Everyone is very friendly here.”

Tegan was talking with Robbie but Janet, Margaret and the few other girls between fifteen and sixteen stood together, watching Edith and the boys. Alice Parker and Susan Brown were angry because Jim Hastings and Fred Johnson had been spending time with them, but now they only had eyes for Edith.

“I wish she would go back to England,” Alice said.

“I doubt her mother would have traveled all this way to live at the vicarage if she’d had a choice,” Margaret commented with just a trace of malice.

“True enough,” Janet said. “That’s a lot of people crowded into the vicarage.” She watched the boys and rolled her eyes.

By the end of the day, Melanie Andrews was feeling exasperated as well since so many of the boys were concentrating on Edith Godwin instead of their lessons. Even Adam Cartwright. Well, in a few weeks things should be back to normal, she told herself.

When school was over, A.C. wanted to hurry so he could ask Edith if he could walk her home but Miss Andrews wanted to talk with him about his mathematics lesson. As soon as he could, he hurried outside. He saw Jim Hastings talking with Edith and feared he was too late. He called Edith’s name and she turned toward him.

“I was wondering if I could walk you home,” A.C. asked. A.C. didn’t notice first the smug look on Jim’s face, followed by angry resentment when Edith put her hand on A.C.’s arm, saying, “I’d like that very much.”

“Turned you down in favor of A.C., did she?” Fred asked as he walked over to join his friend.

“She told me I could walk her home and then as soon as A.C. asked, she walked off with him,” Jim said angrily.

“Well, your dad isn’t as rich as A.C.’s,” Fred said. “I wonder if I can catch up with Susan?”

“And maybe I can catch up with Alice,” Jim said. “A.C. is welcome to Edith Godwin.”

As A.C. and Edith walked together, she said, “So your father owns a station and a copper mine?’

“Right. He and my Uncle Rhys together,” A.C. agreed. “And my dad owns a third interest in his family’s cattle station in the United States.”

“And you are the only son?” Edith asked, looking up at him beneath her eyelashes.

A.C. nodded. “I have three older sisters. The oldest, Beth, is married to Rev. Jones.”

“I met her,” Edith said. “I didn’t realize she was your sister.” His sister was lovely, but she was a married woman with four children—not a serious rival to Edith’s own youth and beauty.

He smiled at her and continued. “Then there’s Miranda. She’s married to a history professor and they live in the States. Gwyneth and her husband live here in Cloncurry; Mark works for Cartwright & Davies Mining Co.” He stopped and said. “Listen to me doing all the talking. Why don’t you tell me something about yourself. All I know is you used to live in England and you have two younger brothers and a younger sister.”

Her expression became closed as she said, “Well, there’s not much more to tell. After my father died, we came to live here with Rev. Barnes because he’s my mother’s brother.” She didn’t mention how much she hated living on her uncle’s charity, listening to her aunt’s complaints about how tight her budget was stretched, and sharing a room with her sister. Worst of all, she wasn’t able to have a new dress or hat or shoes whenever she wanted the way she had when her papa was alive. But Papa had left so many debts that by the time they had all been paid, her family was virtually penniless. The only way to escape her current situation was to marry, and to marry a man rich enough to have servants so she would no longer have to help with the cooking and the cleaning and the mending as she did now. She already knew that A.C.’s family was one of the wealthiest in Cloncurry, and he would inherit his father’s wealth. He was also the handsomest boy in the school, which made her even more determined to become Mrs. Adam Cartwright, Jr.

“It’s a long voyage from England to Australia,” A.C. said. “I can remember when we sailed to the States for Miranda’s wedding. I enjoyed it but my mama didn’t.”

“I didn’t enjoy it either,” she said curtly. If she could have traveled first class she thought she might have, but she had been forced to share a tiny cabin with her mama and sister. “So you’ve traveled to the United States,” she said, adroitly changing the subject and had him telling her what he could remember of his visits to Boston and San Francisco.

A.C. was nearly home when he saw Robbie returning from walking Tegan to her house.

“Well, judging by your smug expression,” Robbie remarked, “you must have walked Edith to the vicarage.”

“Too right!” A.C. said with a big smile. “It’s too early to ask Rev. Barnes if I could take her for a ride in our surrey, but my birthday is only a couple of weeks away and I’m gonna dance every dance with Edith.”

Robbie couldn’t help grinning because he’d never seen his friend act this way over a girl before.

When A.C. announced his decision at high tea, his parents’ reaction was very different from his friend’s.

“That won’t do, A.C. bach,” Bronwen said, her tone reproving.

“What your mama means, son, is that you will be the host so you have a responsibility to all your guests,” Adam said.

“Not only that,” Bronwen added. “Only engaged or married couples dance more than two or three dances together. It would be very improper for you to monopolize Edith Godwin.”

“Not mention the fact that I don’t think the other young men would let you,” Adam said, his lips quirking up in a tiny grin. “I remember the first time I took your mama to the Ponderosa. Your grandpa and uncles threw a big party and I was lucky to have your mama’s first and last dances.”

A.C. sighed loudly and said, “Okay. I won’t monopolize Edith.”

A.C.’s upcoming birthday party was also on the minds of his sisters. The day after his return Beth, Gwyneth, and Emma gathered at the Davies’ house for lunch. With Jory and Ifor playing in the backyard and the little ones down for their naps, the young mothers discussed what they would wear to the party.

“I’ve saved money from my allowance and bought some pretty pale green crêpe de chine,” Gwyneth said. “I’m making a skirt trimmed with ruffles and then two different bodices: one with a high neck and long sleeves that I can wear to church and one sleeveless with a low sweetheart neckline for the party.” She added, “Mama has been helping me since I can only sew after the boys have gone to bed.” Then she turned to Emma and asked, “What are you going to wear?”

“The dress I wore to A.C.’s party last year was new and I only wore it that one time, so I’m going to wear it again. Since I’ve followed your mother’s advice about going on long walks, I’ve had to take the seams in and it’s more flattering than it was last year.” Emma smiled, anticipating Llywelyn’s reaction when he saw her in the dress.

Emma and Gwyneth both turned to Beth. Last year she had been pregnant with Siân so she couldn’t attend A.C.’s party. Gwyneth and Emma knew that with four children, Beth had a much tighter household budget than theirs, but they also knew she would not accept a gift from either of them.

Beth smiled proudly before answering. “I decided to see if I could make the gown I wore at my seventeenth birthday party more fashionable.” She winked as she said, “I did have to let out the seams of the bodice a bit, but I can still wear it. I added a lace ruffle along the bottom of the skirt, and I made the bodice a little lower since I’m a married woman now and not a seventeen year old girl.”

“You’ll look beautiful,” Gwyneth said, reaching for her sister’s hand and giving it a squeeze.

“Oh, Beth could come in rags and she’d be beautiful,” Emma said then, smiling at Beth, whose cheeks grew very pink.

“It’s true, Beth. You would,” Gwyneth said.

Still blushing, Beth said, “Well, I’m very glad I won’t be coming in rags. Besides, with Edith Godwin there, she’ll be the focus of attention.”

“I haven’t met her,” Emma said then. “Is she really that beautiful?”

“Oh yes,” Beth said. “When I visited her mother and Mrs. Barnes, she didn’t say very much so I can’t comment on her character, but she is very beautiful. Her youngest siblings have been here playing with Elen and Huw and they seem polite and friendly.” She paused and then added quietly, “I gather from what Edgar told Huw, they suffered quite a reversal of fortune when their father died.”

“Three adults—well, really four—and three children is a lot of people living in the vicarage. I mean, it’s about the same size as the parsonage,” Emma commented.

“I know when Siân is old enough to leave her crib, it’s going to be a tight squeeze fitting Miranda’s old bed into the girls’ room along with mine, especially since we have to leave room for the dollhouse. Daddy’s idea of putting bunks in the boys’ room makes it less crowded,” Beth said.

“Putting bunks in the boys’ room has worked very well for us since Daddy made a ladder for Jory to use to reach the top bunk and put the little half railing up so he can’t roll out of bed,” Gwyneth added.

Just then they heard sounds coming from the room where they’d put the children to bed and in a moment, Benny walked in.

“I gotta go, Mama,” he announced so Gwyneth grabbed his hand and hurried to the outhouse.

Cathy and Siân began calling for their mothers so that afternoon’s visit was over.

The second week of February all the young men and women in Cloncurry were talking about A.C.’s upcoming birthday party. Edith was disappointed to learn that no one was attending as a couple, not even Robbie and Tegan. She had been sure A.C. would escort her. He had been most attentive the past few weeks. He walked her to and from school every day and offered to help her with her mathematics lessons. Since it was crowded at the vicarage, he’d invited her to study with him. She had admired the spacious rooms in his house and the fine furnishings. He told her that his father had designed the house and had designed one for his cousin as a wedding present. Edith was sure his father would be happy to design one for her and A.C. when they became engaged.

A.C’s luck held and the day of his party was bright and sunny. (This year his birthday was on a Monday so his party was held two days early.) Matilda and Rhys had volunteered to watch Huw and Dylan along with the younger children. Elen, who was now ten, had been given permission to watch the dancing for an hour before joining her siblings and cousins next-door. She was proudly wearing for the first time the new dress Aunt Miranda and Uncle William had sent her for Christmas. It was made of pale blue poplin with a large lace-trimmed collar and lace-trimmed cuffs and a wide sash of dark blue silk that Mama had tied in a big bow at the back. She was also wearing the black patent leather shoes with their pretty bows that had been Grandma and Grandpa’s gift.

Elen was admiring her shiny shoes while her brothers discussed what games Uncle Rhys would play with them that evening and their tada played This Little Piggy with Siân. All the Jones children watched their mama with big round eyes when she emerged from her bedroom, dressed in rose-colored silk and wearing the pearl necklace that had once belonged to Elizabeth Stoddard Cartwright.

“Mama, you look like a princess in a fairy tale,” Elen breathed. “Like Cinderella.”

“No, not Cinderella. Snow White,” Dafydd said, and he and Beth shared a special smile.

“Right!” Elen exclaimed. “‘As white as snow, and as red as blood, and her hair was as black as ebony’,” she quoted. Her brothers and baby sister still stared at their mama, spellbound.

“I’ll carry Siân,” Dafydd said. “We don’t want anything to muss that beautiful dress.” Then he said very softly, “Bethan, you may be the only woman in the world who can wear a dress she first wore when she was still a girl. You were lovely then, but you’re ten times more beautiful now.”

Dafydd walked the younger children to the Davies’ house while Beth and Elen joined the Cartwrights on the verandah. Adam smiled proudly when he saw his daughter and granddaughter.

“Rev. Jones is a lucky man to have such a beautiful wife and daughter,” he said with a warm smile.

“Too right!” A.C. agreed, winking at Elen. “Now, since this is my party, I claim your second dance, Mrs. Jones.”

“I’d be delighted to be your partner, Mr. Cartwright,” Beth replied with a dimpled smile.

Elen thought her Aunt Gwyneth looked almost as lovely as Mama, and Cousin Emma looked very pretty. In their beautiful dresses and jewelry, they seemed so glamorous that Elen was almost shy of them. Even Grandma looked different, dressed in lilac taffeta and wearing her amethyst earrings and pendant. Elen stood apart from the grownups and waited for Uncle A.C.’s friends to arrive. She didn’t pay attention to the boys but focused on the girls as they arrived in twos and threes. They all wore pretty white dresses decorated with ruffles and ribbons and lace. Not one of them is as beautiful as Mama, Elen thought proudly.

After everyone else had arrived, Rev. Barnes’ buggy stopped in front of the Cartwrights’ house. Elen saw Uncle A.C. run over to it. She watched as her uncle helped Edith down. If Mama is Snow White, then Edith is Cinderella, Elen decided. Edith wasn’t dressed in white like all the other girls; she was dressed in robin’s egg blue that matched her eyes.

A.C. held out his hand to Edith to help her down, feeling his breathing quicken at the sight of her loveliness. Her dress was cut to show off her soft white shoulders and her waist was cinched so tight he knew he could span it with his hands.

“I’m so pleased you could come to my party, Edith,” he said, gazing intently into her blue eyes.

“I’ll return for you at eleven o’clock,” Rev. Barnes said loudly, and then drove off.

“I know you’ve met my mother and my sister, Beth, but let me introduce you to the rest of my family,” A.C. said as Edith placed her hand on his arm. As they walked together, he said with a smile, “I hope I may have the first dance.”

“Of course,” she said, smiling up at him.

When they walked onto the verandah, Edith immediately spotted a tall, bearded man standing by A.C.’s diminutive mother and knew he must be A.C.’s father. He was older than she’d expected, but handsome and distinguished. Standing close by was a tall, dark-haired woman who bore such a strong resemblance to him that Edith knew this must be A.C.’s other sister. She was lovely, but Edith saw with satisfaction she was no rival to her own beauty, especially since like her mother she wore spectacles. There was another woman in the group, but a cursory glance showed Edith she was merely pretty so she paid her no more attention. Then she heard a woman’s laugh and turned her head in the direction. She noticed most of her classmates were gathered around a stunning brunette, whom she recognized after a moment as A.C.’s oldest sister. Edith saw with a stab of jealousy that Mrs. Jones no longer looked like a lovely wife and mother—she was a beautiful and alluring woman.

“Your sister certainly seems to be enjoying herself tonight,” she remarked to A.C., who didn’t notice the acidity in her tone.

“Yes, she is,” he said with a smile. “Last year, she couldn’t come to my party because of Siân and she was really looking forward to this year. I’m glad to see she’s enjoying herself.”

The first dance was a waltz. A.C. held Edith a little closer than propriety allowed, enjoying the chance to have her in his arms. When the dance ended and they had to break apart, he said softly, “Will you save the last dance for me?”

“I was hoping you’d ask,” she replied, smiling at him flirtatiously.

Their eyes locked and he wanted so much to kiss her, but he couldn’t in front of everyone. “I wish I could dance every dance with you, but I know I can’t,” he said in the same intimate tone. “I can at least have three dances, so save the fifth for me, okay?”

She nodded, smiling in satisfaction at the knowledge he was falling in love with her.

A.C. danced with Beth and then approached Margaret.

“You really aren’t obliged to spend time with me,” she said, her tone surly. A.C. wasn’t offended since he knew her unfriendliness was a defense against being hurt. Besides, he liked Margaret. When she was relaxed, she had a wry, sometimes acerbic, sense of humor. Of course, he hadn’t seen much of her this year since at school he spent his free time with Edith.

“You never believe that I enjoy spending time with you,” he said in a teasing tone.

“I know you’d rather be dancing with Edith,” she retorted.

“I can’t spend all my time dancing with her, and so I want to spend some with you.” He smiled at her and then asked, “Would you like some lemon squash? Or a lamington?”

“Some lemon squash would be nice,” she agreed quietly and let him lead her to the refreshments.

They found his parents and Elen sitting on the swing, gently rocking.

“Hello, Margaret,” Adam said with a warm smile.

“G’day, Margaret,” Elen said after swallowing a mouthful of lamington. “You should have a lamington. My grandma makes bonzer lamingtons.”

“I’ll have one later,” Margaret said with a tiny grin.

A.C. handed her a cup of lemon squash and then turned to his parents. “I’m surprised you’re not dancing,” he teased.

“We decided to restrict our dancing to the waltzes,” Bronwen replied.

“Polkas are for youngsters,” Adam added with a wink. He turned to his granddaughter and said, “It’s time for you to go to visit Aunt Matilda and Uncle Rhys.”

“Can’t I stay a little longer?” Elen begged.

Seeing Adam weakening, Bronwen said firmly, “No, I’m afraid not. Grandpa and I will walk with you.”

Elen scowled, but she stood up. After they left, A.C. invited Margaret to sit on the swing with him.

“So, Margaret, what are your plans after we graduate in December?” he asked. “You like learning the same way my sister Miranda does. Be nice if you could go to college the way she did.”

“As a matter of fact, I’m going to apply to the University of Melbourne. They’ve admitted women since 1881 so Miranda could have gone there instead of traveling all the way to the States.”

“I wonder if my parents knew that,” A.C. said thoughtfully. “Still, I think my dad liked her going to a women’s college affiliated with his alma mater, and he was glad one of us got to spend time on the Ponderosa with Grandpa and Uncle Joe.” He smiled at Margaret as he asked, “What do you plan on studying?”

“I want to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree,” she replied, her expression intense. “Then I think would like to work on a Master’s and eventually, I would like to teach history at a university.” Her expression lightened as she added, “Like your brother-in-law, Dr. Gordon. I read his book on the American frontier and found it very interesting.” She smiled a little as she added, “I know you’ll be studying for a degree in engineering at the Technical College.”

“Yeah,” he replied, and she raised her eyebrows at his lack of enthusiasm. He noticed and said quietly, “Sometimes I think I’d rather study to be a veterinarian. I really enjoyed watching Mr. MacDonald work. I haven’t gone with him any this year because I’ve been too busy.” His voice trailed off and she smiled sardonically, knowing he’d been spending all his free time with Edith.

The music drew to a close. A.C. felt guilty about leaving Margaret alone, but then he saw his parents returning. He turned back to Margaret, saying with a smile, “I enjoyed talking with you, Margaret. I know you’ll be a success at the university.” His parents walked over then and he said, “Margaret’s been telling me that she’s applying to the University of Melbourne.”

“I think that’s marvelous,” Bronwen said. “A.C. has told us you are the best student in the school.”

With a smile, A.C. left Margaret talking with his parents and rejoined the dancing.

A.C. knew the fifth dance was going to be another waltz and he eagerly sought out Edith. He was a little surprised to see she wasn’t the center of male attention. Not that Edith was lacking for partners, but she wasn’t besieged the way he would have thought considering how lovely she looked tonight. Now that he thought about it, many of his friends were dancing with Beth.

“Here I am to claim my dance, mademoiselle,” he said with his most charming smile as he approached Edith.

She smiled at him. Fanning herself she said, “My, it’s warm. Would you mind terribly if we sat this dance out.”

“No,” he replied automatically, but he was disappointed. “Would you like some lemon squash?”

“That would be lovely,” she replied. “But what I’d really like is to escape from all these people. Maybe we could walk toward the back,” and she smiled up at him coquettishly.

“Right,” he said with a lazy grin. So, she wants a chance to be alone just as much as I do.

When they walked around the side of the house, they stopped and she looked up at him, her tongue peeping out as she moistened her lips. He bent down put his arms around her as he placed his mouth on hers. He was lost in the sweet sensations created by their kiss. Lost until he heard the sound of a throat being cleared.

“I think you should rejoin the others, don’t you?” his dad’s voice said, quite close by.

“Right,” A.C. said, completely unfazed by his dad’s stern look. “Let’s get some lemon squash,” he said to Edith, and she nodded, a little smile playing about her lips. Adam saw the smile and frowned.

As A.C. and Edith approached the steps to the verandah, she said to him, “I can’t believe Margaret is here. She couldn’t think that anyone would dance with her.”

A.C. frowned at Edith, who didn’t notice. “Margaret may not be pretty, but she is very intelligent”

“I daresay, but what good is intelligence to a girl? Young men don’t care how intelligent a girl is. You know they don’t,” Edith replied with a laugh.

She looked so lovely that he couldn’t stay angry with her.

“How well do you know this Edith Godwin?” Adam asked Bronwen as they sat together on the swing and watched the young couples dancing the polka.

“I don’t know her well at all,” Bronwen replied. “I only met her once.” She looked up at him, knowing something was on his mind.

“Since A.C. is so taken with her, I think you should get to know her better.”

“Well, I could invite her to afternoon tea, along with her mother and aunt,” Bronwen said slowly. After hesitating a moment, she looked up at him and asked, “Don’t you like her?”

“Like you, I don’t know her well enough to like or dislike her,” he replied evenly. “I just think we should get to know her. A.C. has never shown this much interest in a particular girl before and if she’s a potential daughter-in-law, I definitely want to know her better.”

“He’s just turned seventeen!” she protested.

“I’m not saying he does want to marry her; I just think we should get to know her better in case he becomes really serious about her,” Adam replied quietly, putting his arm around Bronwen’s shoulders.

Knowing his dad would be watching him, A.C. held Edith no closer than propriety allowed as they danced the final waltz. Her uncle arrived as the music was drawing to a close so A.C. reluctantly helped her into the buggy, and then said goodbye to his other guests.

The Pentreaths, Joneses and younger Davies had gone to collect their offspring so A.C. helped his dad carry the dining room table back inside. He wondered if his dad would say anything to him about catching him kissing Edith, but he didn’t.

That night A.C. lay in bed, his head pillowed on his hands, and thought about Edith. She was so beautiful and he’d enjoyed their kiss so much. Suddenly, her spiteful remark about Margaret came to his mind, and he remembered other malicious comments she’d made about other schoolmates. But he didn’t want to think about that and resolutely squashed those thoughts.

The next Saturday afternoon, Bronwen, Beth and Mary made sure everything was ready for Bronwen’s tea party. (When Bronwen mentioned to Beth that Adam had asked her to get to know Edith better, Beth had offered to attend the tea as well.)

“Let’s see,” Bronwen said, looking over the new teacart Adam had made her for her last birthday. “We have cucumber and bread and butter sandwiches, scones and lamingtons.”

“And there is butter, lemon curd and strawberry jam for the scones,” Beth added. She smiled as she looked at the silver tea service she and her siblings had given their parents for their twenty-fifth anniversary. Miranda had selected it, and Beth had been pleased with the floral and scroll engraving on her sister’s choice. “Everything is lovely, Mama,” she stated

“They’ll be here any minute so we should go to the drawing room,” Bronwen said, knowing she could trust Mary to prepare the Earl Grey tea.

After Mary ushered the guests into the drawing room, she hurried back to the kitchen to finish preparing the tea. Bronwen and Beth were sitting in the green-and-white striped armchairs. The guests seated themselves on the settee and removed their gloves. (Etiquette demanded that they not remove their hats but Mrs. Godwin, who was dressed in the grey and white of half-mourning, rolled up the veil on hers.)

“I’m so glad you were able to accept my invitation to tea,” Bronwen said with a smile.

“You have such a lovely home,” Mrs. Godwin said after the guests all thanked Bronwen for her invitation. “My daughter and sister-in-law told me you have the most beautiful house in Cloncurry.”

“They are too kind,” Bronwen said, smiling at Mrs. Barnes and Edith. “It is a comfortable house.”

“And Edith tells me that your husband designed it,” Mrs. Godwin continued.

“Yes,” Bronwen replied. “He studied both architecture and engineering in college.”

Edith spoke up then. “I’m surprised, Mrs. Jones, that you could bear to leave this house to live in a parsonage.”

A look passed between Bronwen and Beth, but so rapidly that the guests didn’t notice.

“The parsonage may not be as large or as beautiful as this house, but they do have one thing in common: They are both filled with love,” Beth replied quietly. For a moment, Edith’s expression betrayed her contempt for such sentiment, but then she changed it to polite indifference. Not quickly enough though, and Bronwen and Beth exchanged another glance.

Mary wheeled in the teacart then and Bronwen began pouring cups of tea, asking her guests how many lumps of sugar and if they would prefer milk or a slice of lemon. She poured each cup, adding sugar, milk, or lemon as desired. Edith noted the Wedgwood china, the silver teaspoons and the silver tea service and thought to herself, When I marry A.C., I will have fine things like this, like the fine things we had when Papa was alive.

“You have a beautiful tea service,” Mrs. Godwin remarked.

“Thank you,” Bronwen said. “Our children gave it to celebrate our twenty-fifth wedding anniversary.”

“My sister, Miranda, selected it,” Beth said. “She purchased it at Tiffany & Co. in New York City.”

“Miranda and her family live in the States,” Bronwen explained to Mrs. Godwin.

“A.C. told me that he will be attending the Technical College in Sydney when he graduates,” Edith said then. She much preferred living in a large city like Sydney to living in a small town in the back of beyond like Cloncurry.

“Right,” Bronwen said with a just a hint of wistfulness. “Originally, he was going to stay with my parents, but now the doctor who had been in practice with my father has offered to let A.C. stay with him and his wife.”

Edith frowned at this news because she’d thought A.C. would have a flat of his own. When we marry, his parents will have to make new arrangements she thought to herself, a secretive smile on her face.

Beth turned to Mrs. Godwin then and said, “Your younger children seem to be adjusting to their new life here nicely.”

“Yes,” Mrs. Godwin said. “I suppose the younger one is, the easier it is to pull up one’s roots.” She smiled faintly at Beth adding, “Your son has certainly been very friendly to Edgar.”

Edith wasn’t interested in hearing about her younger siblings. Bronwen and Beth noted her expression of complete boredom as she sipped her tea and nibbled on her bread and butter sandwich and then a scone spread with lemon curd. Finally, she interrupted her aunt to compliment Beth on her dress. (She was amazed that a minister’s wife could afford such a fashionable afternoon dress.)

“Thank you,” Beth said.

“Wherever did you find such a fashionable dress here in Cloncurry?” Edith continued.

“I sewed the dress myself,” Beth replied, and was amused by the girl’s horrified reaction. “It’s not a new dress but Miranda described one that she bought at Bloomingdale’s in Boston that had a deep lace collar. I made the lace myself and after a few alterations, I had a new dress.”

“I wish I had your talent,” Mrs. Barnes said while Edith looked contemptuous of the idea of sewing her own clothing.

“Beth was always the best seamstress of my girls,” Bronwen said, “although she certainly didn’t inherit that skill from me.” She and Beth shared a smile.

“Elen is already learning how to hem,” Beth said proudly. The subject returned to childrearing and Edith resumed her bored expression.

Adam returned from watching A.C. play cricket while the women were still at the house. (A.C. and his mates were going to the pub to celebrate their victory and so he wouldn’t be home until later.) Adam went to the library to read until the guests had gone and he could talk to Bronwen. He hadn’t read more than a few pages when she joined him.

“So what do you think of Edith?” he asked quietly as she perched on the arm of his chair.

“I don’t think she’s right for A.C.,” Bronwen said baldly. “Beth told me that the youngest Godwin confided to Huw that they had been well-to-do before Mr. Godwin’s death, and I’m afraid Edith views A.C. as a way of escaping from her current poverty.”

Adam frowned a little before saying, “But A.C. is a very handsome young man, so that’s not necessarily her only motive.”

“Yes, but to be honest, she strikes me as a very self-centered young woman who would always put her own happiness, her own wants and wishes first,” Bronwen replied quietly. “We can talk with Beth later, but I think she’ll agree with me.” She sighed. He pulled her down to his lap, and she rested her head on his broad shoulder. “I never doubted Dafydd’s love for Beth or Mark’s for Gwyneth. I never doubted Douglas loved Gwyneth either. Pa and Joe set my mind at rest about William. But I’m so afraid Edith will hurt A.C.,” Bronwen said sadly.

Adam put his arm around her comfortingly and they sat in silence until he said, “Maybe we aren’t giving A.C. enough credit. I know he’s dazzled by the girl’s beauty now, but I think as he spends more time with her, he’ll form a more objective opinion of her character.” He took a deep breath before adding, “And if he truly loves the girl, we’ll have to learn to like her.”

Adam and Bronwen had just finished high tea when there was a knock at the front door, and then they heard Mark’s voice saying sternly, “Boys, wait!” while at the same time they heard Benny shouting, “Me-ma! Pa-pa!” In a moment, their youngest grandson appeared in the dining room, his chocolate brown eyes sparkling and a happy grin on his face. “Me-ma!” he squealed, making a beeline for Bronwen. Jory appeared a moment later. “G’day, Grandma! G’day, Grandpa! Guess what? I’m—” Mark appeared suddenly and clamped a hand on his first-born’s mouth.

“Mama is going to tell your grandparents the news, young man. And we don’t walk into people’s houses. We wait until we’re invited,” Mark said sternly, keeping his hand over Jory’s mouth.

Gwyneth entered then and after greeting her parents, she said with a dimpled smile, “What Jory was going to tell you is that in August he’ll have a baby sister or brother.”

“Oh Punkin, that’s wonderful news,” Adam said with a dimpled smile that matched hers. He got up and hugged her and shook his son-in-law’s hand. Then while Bronwen congratulated the happy parents, he scooped Benny up and said, “Pretty soon you’ll be a big brother just like Jory.”

Mark overheard and said in an undertone, “We hope not exactly like Jory.”

Adam couldn’t help chuckling at the reference to Jory’s initial jealousy of his baby brother.

Since he no longer had his daddy’s hand clamped over his mouth, Jory said loudly, “Me ‘n’ Benny are gonna get a baby brother. Not a sister like Ifor ‘n’ Dylan.”

“Now, Jory,” Gwyneth said quickly, “Mama and Daddy told you that you might get a baby sister.”

“I don’t want no sister,” Jory said with a scowl. “They’re no fun.”

“I don’t think your Uncle A.C would agree,” Adam said quietly. “He loves his sisters.”

“Uncle A.C. has sisters?” Jory asked, his tone so skeptical the adults could hardly keep a straight face.

“I’m one of Uncle A.C.’s sisters,” Gwyneth said to her first-born, “and Aunt Beth is another.”

“Your Aunt Demelza and Aunt Tamsyn are my sisters,” Mark added, “and I love them.”

“If you get a baby sister, you’ll love her,” Bronwen said gently but Jory still looked unconvinced.

“Play horsy, Pa-pa?” Benny asked then so Adam lifted Benny onto his shoulders and trotted around the room.

Gwyneth turned to her mama and said, “A.C. isn’t here?”

“His team won the cricket match so they’re all celebrating at the pub tonight,” Bronwen replied.

“We still have to visit Beth, Demelza and Tamsyn and share our news, so we can’t stay. You can tell A.C.,” Gwyneth said, smiling down at her mama. Then she said to Benny, “Tell your horse, ’Whoa’. We have to go now.”

After the Pentreaths left, Adam and Bronwen walked to the library, one of his arms around her shoulders and one of hers around his waist.

“Our family certainly is growing,” he said with a smile. “Nine grandchildren.”

“And I know you’re hoping for another granddaughter,” she said, grinning up at him.

“Well, we only have three granddaughters,” he said with a wink. “But a healthy grandson is just fine by me.”

A.C. continued to walk Edith to and from school, and they often studied together at the Cartwrights’ home in the afternoon. Edith would let A.C. steal a kiss or two when they were alone in the library. He enjoyed the kisses, but that was all he enjoyed about their time together. He was finding it more and more difficult to ignore her malice. She would make barbed comments about Janet’s freckles, Margaret’s bad complexion and Alice’s hand-me-down clothes. She even made insulting remarks about her aunt’s frugality and her uncle’s quiet and unassuming manner.

A.C. was confused about his feelings. He’d never wanted a girl the way he wanted Edith. He was finding it difficult to follow his dad’s strictures about how to behave with women. If he wanted Edith so much, surely that meant that he must be in love with her. But if he was in love with her, why didn’t he enjoy being with her?

He didn’t want to talk with Robbie about his confusion. Robbie loved Tegan and he didn’t have any doubts. A.C. knew his mama was a wise woman, but he just couldn’t talk with her about the physical attraction he felt toward Edith. He would talk to his dad. Dad was as wise as Mama, and he could be frank with him.

A.C. decided that evening while they cared for the stock was the perfect opportunity.

“Dad, I need to ask you something,” he said as they groomed their mounts.

“I’m listening,” Adam said with a relaxed smile, pausing to give his son his undivided attention.

A.C. cleared his throat nervously and tugged on one earlobe. “Can- can you love a girl, but not really like her? I mean, can you enjoy kissing a girl but not want to be around her when you aren’t kissing her?”

Adam’s tone was serious as he said, “Son, you can feel lust for a girl and not like her, but you can’t love someone you don’t even like. In fact, I think you like the girl first and the liking grows into love.” He paused before saying carefully, “To answer your second question, it is possible to be strongly attracted to a woman with whom you share no common interests. However, physical attraction alone is not a good basis for a relationship between a man and a woman.”

A.C. sighed and then said, “I guess I knew that already. I mean, I can see that you and Mama like each other. Beth and Dafydd like each other and so do Gwyneth and Mark, Llywelyn and Emma and Uncle Rhys and Aunt Matilda.” He hesitated and then asked earnestly, “How did you know that you loved Mama and that she was the woman you wanted to marry?”

Adam chuckled as he answered, “Actually I was pretty stupid about that.” A.C. looked at him in surprise but Adam just grinned and continued. “I liked your mama from the moment I met her and I enjoyed spending time with her. In fact, the more time we spent together, the more I liked her. But I kept telling myself that we were just friends. After all, I was returning to the Ponderosa in a few weeks so there wasn’t any future for us. But there was a part of me that knew what I felt was stronger than just friendship.”

He paused and then said slowly, “I was going to visit Melbourne first and then sail home. I missed your mama so much while I was visiting Melbourne that I realized my life was going to be empty without her. I went back to Darlinghurst and proposed.” He smiled at his son as he added, “Your mama is my closest friend and I know she feels the same way about me. I enjoy her company now as much as I did when I met her thirty-one years ago. No, I enjoy it more, for our love has grown over the years.”

Adam’s smile faded and his expression grew grave as he said, “Son, if you don’t like Edith, then you need to stop seeing her. It’s not fair to monopolize her time and lead her to have expectations.”

“Expectations?” A.C. repeated in a puzzled tone.

“Expectations of marriage,” Adam explained.

“Marriage!” A.C. repeated in horror.

“That’s right, son,” Adam said, his tone very serious. “When a man spends his time exclusively with one woman, the woman believes he must be thinking of marriage. And not only the woman. Her family also begins to expect them to marry. After all, most girls aren’t like Miranda. When most girls finish school, they aren’t planning to attend college. They are planning to become wives and mothers.”

Seeing his son still looked dumbfounded, Adam decided he needed to be more direct. “Son, people marry for many reasons, and sometimes love doesn’t enter into it at all. A woman or a man might marry to get away from an unhappy home. Or they might marry to acquire wealth or prestige I don’t want to be unfair to Edith, but your mama and I are both afraid that she may view you as a way of escaping from her life at the vicarage. Since you met Edith, you haven’t paid attention to any other girl so you may unthinkingly have led her to believe that you are serious about her,” Adam said, his tone grave. A.C. nodded slowly.

That evening at the pub, Robbie and A.C.’s other mates noticed that he was preoccupied. A.C. knew he needed to think, and the pub just wasn’t the right place. He told his dad he was going home and then left the crowded pub.

It was a clear autumn night in late March and the moon was enormous in the black velvet sky. Once A.C. left the pub behind, it was quiet except for the occasional barking dog or the far-off howl of a dingo. Evenings were growing cooler so townspeople weren’t sitting on their verandahs and calling greetings to him as he passed. He took a detour so he could walk by the vicarage. He slowed his pace as he went past, thinking of Edith—of her silky honey-colored hair, her soft skin, and sweet lips. Not spending time kissing her was going to be hard. But if Dad was right and she was looking for a husband, then he needed to end their relationship. The problem was he knew instinctively that she would be angry, and he was dreading a scene.

All day Saturday as A.C. did his chores and played cricket, in the back of his mind he was trying to decide what he would say to Edith. By the end of the day, he decided he would talk with her Sunday afternoon.

Bronwen had invited the Pentreaths to have Sunday dinner with them. A.C. forced himself to put his upcoming meeting with Edith at the back of his mind so he wouldn’t spoil the happy atmosphere. After dinner, he and Mark played catch with Jory while Adam took Benny in the backyard to play on the swing. When Jory tired of playing catch, A.C. walked onto the verandah and told Bronwen he had an errand but would definitely be back in time for high tea.

Bronwen noticed his unusually serious demeanor and after he left said quietly to Gwyneth, “I wonder if he’s gone to break off with Edith. I hope so.”

“Beth doesn’t like her much either,” Gwyneth said thoughtfully.

“I’ve been afraid she would hurt A.C. the same way your Aunt Annabelle hurt Uncle Joe,” Bronwen said quietly. “But from what your daddy told me, A.C. doesn’t love her.”

Gwyneth looked at her first-born, playing fetch with Duchess, thankful it was many years before Jory would be interested in girls and even longer for Benny. Then she placed her hands over her stomach, thinking of the new life growing within her.

A.C. knocked on the vicarage door and it was opened by the elder of Edith’s younger brothers.

“I expect you’re here to see Edith,” Harold said.

“Right,” A.C. said with a faint smile. “May I come in?”

Harold nodded and walked ahead of A.C., calling, “Adam is here to see Edith.”

A.C. entered the small parlor behind Harold. He saw Mrs. Barnes and Mrs. Godwin sitting on the settee doing some mending. Harold resumed the game of draughts he’d been playing with his uncle. Edith was sitting in an armchair with a book, but she didn’t appear to be reading. She smiled when she saw A.C.

After exchanging greetings with Reverend and Mrs. Barnes and Mrs. Godwin, A.C. asked for permission to take Edith for a walk, and it was given readily.

“I’m so glad you came to call. It’s unbelievably dreary here on Sunday afternoons,” Edith said, reaching for A.C.’s hand. She frowned when he moved it out of reach.

“Well, uh,” he began, tugging on an earlobe, “the reason I came to call is that I wanted to talk with you privately.”

“Yes?” she said.

“Well, I think that I’ve been monopolizing your time. Haven’t given the other blokes a chance,” he said, not quite able to meet her eyes.

“I haven’t minded,” she said, reaching for his hand again, and entwining their fingers.

“No, it’s not fair,” he said firmly. “After all, in December I’ll be leaving for the Technical College in Sydney, and then I’ll be gone for several years.”

“You wouldn’t have to go alone,” she said softly, moving closer.

He instinctively moved to put distance between them, tugging harder on his abused earlobe. This would be so much easier if she wasn’t so beautiful. When I look at her, I remember what it feels like to hold her in my arms, to taste her kisses.

“I don’t understand,” he said, although after his conversation with his dad, he thought he understood all too well.

“If we were married, then we wouldn’t have to be separated,” she said softly.

“I’ve never said anything about marriage,” he said, removing his hand from hers. “I’m only seventeen. I don’t want to be married.”

She smiled up him, fluttering her eyelashes slightly. “Would marriage be so terrible? If we were married, we could do more than kiss.” And she reached out and let her fingers caress his jaw and then his lips.

He stood frozen for a moment, enjoying the sweet sensation, and then he caught her hand and pushed it away from him before increasing the distance between them.

Her expression hardened and there was anger in her tone as she demanded, “If you don’t want to marry me, why do you spend so much time with me? Why do you arrange for us to be alone at your parents’ house? Do you think I would let you kiss me there if I hadn’t thought you wanted to marry me?”

“I’ve kissed other girls and they never expected to get married,” he said defensively. “A few kisses don’t mean you want to marry someone.”

“No?” she said with narrowed eyes, her tone menacing. “What if I tell my uncle and your parents that you convinced me to let you do more than kiss me. Then you’ll have to marry me whether you want to or not.”

He backed further away and stared at her with a look of revulsion. “It won’t work,” he said, struggling to keep his voice steady even though he was furious. “My parents will believe me, not you. Even if your uncle believes you, he can’t force me to marry you. It’s your reputation that will be ruined, and then no man will want to marry you.” She looked at him with hatred blazing in her eyes. He glared back at her until she looked away.

Her face was now red and blotchy with rage and she no longer looked beautiful or desirable. Any guilt he’d felt was gone, replaced by anger and disgust. “Look,” he said coldly, “If we stop spending time together, someone else will want to see you. Maybe someone who wants to get married.”

There was still fury blazing in her eyes as she spat out, “Don’t worry. There are men who’d be happy to marry me. I don’t know why I ever wasted my time with a mere boy!” Then she walked off without a backward glance

He stood for a moment, feeling as though he’d been trampled by a heard of stampeding cattle. What a witch! he thought with a shudder. After taking a deep breath, he headed back home, his hands in his pockets and his shoulders slumped.

As he approached the house, he saw his mama, Gwyneth, Mark and Jory playing Old Bachelor on the verandah.

“Wanna play, Uncle A.C.?” Jory asked enthusiastically.

“Right,” A.C. said with a forced smile. “I’ll play in the next game. Dad and Benny still in the backyard?”

“They’re taking a nap in the hammock,” Bronwen said with a little smile.

“Just the way Daddy used to do with you when you were Benny’s age,” Gwyneth added with a wink.

A.C. wanted to talk with his dad while they did their barn chores that evening, but he had to wait until after Elen had finished caring for Bucephalas and headed back to the parsonage. He didn’t realize his dad was just as anxious to hear what happened as he was to talk about it.

“I talked with Edith this afternoon,” A.C. said as they put up the curry combs and brushes. “You were right, Dad. She did expect me to marry her.” He gave an involuntary shudder before adding, “Dad, I was so blind. I remember Robbie saying Edith was almost as beautiful as Beth. Well, he was wrong. Beth is as beautiful on the inside as she is on the outside. Edith doesn’t even begin to compare with Beth.” He sighed gustily. “I’m so glad it’s all over between us. It’s going to be awkward at school for a few days, but I can get through that.”

Adam didn’t say anything; he reached over and gave A.C.’s arm an affectionate squeeze, and as they walked back to the house, he put his arm across A.C.’s shoulders.

Bronwen managed to contain her curiosity until she and Adam were alone that night. As he brushed her silvery white tresses, she asked, “Well, did A.C. break off with Edith?”

“Yes. He didn’t say much but I could tell it had been difficult for him. He’s learned the painful lesson that sometimes beauty really is only skin deep.”

Bronwen saw Adam’s sadness in her vanity’s mirror and said softly, “It’s hard having to stand by and watch your child be hurt.” He nodded, set the hairbrush down, and gave her shoulders an affectionate squeeze.

It was a chilly August night and the Cartwrights were gathered in the library. A.C. was working on his lessons at his dad’s desk while his parents were playing cribbage. They heard a knocking at the front door and Mary’s footsteps in the hallway as she went to answer it.

Bronwen said excitedly, “Maybe it’s Mark about Gwyneth!”

“Let’s go see,” Adam said. They both hurried out of the room, followed by A.C. Adam and A.C.’s long strides soon caught up with Mary and she slowed to walk with Bronwen. By the light of the entryway’s lamp, Adam and A.C. saw Mark holding a sleeping Benny, who was wrapped in a blanket, while Jory was knuckling his eyes to keep awake.

“Gwyneth’s in labor?” Adam asked and his son-in-law nodded.

“I brought the boys to stay. Llywelyn’s gone for Dr. Brooke,” Mark said, carefully handing Benny to his grandpa. “Jory has his pyjamas on under his clothes and he’s already brushed his teeth. Gwyneth put clean clothes and their toothbrushes in this,” and he handed A.C. a satchel.

“I’ll be down in just a moment, Mark,” Bronwen said as she hurried up the stairs to pack her own satchel.

“Meanwhile, I think the boys and I will get ready for bed,” Adam said. He turned to A.C. and said, “I know you haven’t finished your schoolwork, so you can close up the house when you go to bed,” and A.C. nodded.

“Goodbye, Jory,” Mark said, hunkering down so he was at eyelevel with his first-born. “You be a good boy for Grandpa and I’ll be back when your baby sister or brother is here.” He ruffled his little boy’s thick black hair and then stood up. “I expect I’ll see you in the morning,” he said to Adam, who put his arm on his son-in-law’s shoulder and gave it a squeeze.

“I’ve been through it five times, Mark, and it never gets easier,” he said softly before taking Jory’s hand with his free one and heading up the stairs.

“Where we goin’, Grandpa?” Jory asked sleepily.

“I thought you and Benny could sleep with me tonight,” Adam said. “I’m gonna be lonesome tonight since Grandma is going to be at your house.”

“Okay,” Jory said, and then yawned.

When they entered the bedroom, Adam said to Jory, “You go ahead and take your clothes off and get into bed with Benny while I put on my pyjamas.” He managed to turn down the covers with one hand and then carefully put Benny down.

“You sleep just as soundly as your Uncle Hoss, mate,” Adam said softly before dropping a kiss on Benny’s chubby cheek. Jory climbed up beside his brother and Adam saw he’d left his clothes in heap on the floor. He started to say something when he realized Jory was already asleep so he picked them up himself. Since the boys were already asleep, he decided he would read for a while before turning in.

Both boys were disoriented when they woke up in their grandpa’s bed the next morning.

“Mama,” Benny said, his chin wobbling and bottom lip trembling.

Adam said soothingly, “You can see your mama as soon as your daddy comes to tell us that your new baby sister or brother is here.” Benny still looked on the verge of tears so Adam said quickly, “Would you like to help Grandpa feed the chickens?”

Benny hesitated and then smiled at his grandpa..

“Can I help too?” Jory asked.

“Yes, you may,” Adam replied, playfully tweaking his little nose. “But first we have to get dressed. Your uncle brought up your satchel last night.”

“I see it!” Jory exclaimed, and jumped out of bed. He hauled the satchel over to the bed but couldn’t quite manage to hoist it up so, with a grin, his grandpa helped him.

The boys had fun throwing the handfuls of feed to the chickens and they watched fascinated as their uncle milked the cow. After Mary gathered the eggs, she took the boys back to watch her fix breakfast so Adam and A.C. could complete their barn chores.

“I thought we’d have heard from Mark by now,” A.C. said a little anxiously to his dad.

“Gwyneth’s confinements have always taken longer than Beth’s,” Adam said reassuringly.

They were in the middle of breakfast when a beaming and disheveled Mark burst into the dining room.

“It’s a boy!”

“I wanna see Mama!” Benny shouted, starting to jump off the wooden seat Adam had made for his girls to use when they were too big for the highchair but not quite big enough to sit at the table with the family.

“Whoa, Benny,” Adam said, reaching out a restraining arm. “We’ll all go as soon as we finish breakfast.” Mary had come in after Mark and quickly set a place for him. Benny pouted, but only for a minute since he had a naturally sunny disposition, and he returned to eating his scrambled eggs.

The two little boys were wriggling with impatience as they waited for the men to finish, but at last it was time to go.

The men let the boys run ahead, and Bronwen, who’d been on the verandah, came to the front gate to greet them.

‘I wanna see Mama!” Benny yelled.

Bronwen put up a hand to stop them until the men caught up. “Now boys, you have to be very quiet when you go in to see your mama because she’s tired. Can you do that?”

Both boys nodded vigorously so she opened the gate and took their hands, and the men followed.

Gwyneth was sitting up in bed, her hair in a long braid while her curls, as always, refused to be tamed. She was holding the baby in her arms, and smiled when she saw her older boys.

“Mama,” Benny said, and hurried toward her. “Is that the baby?” he asked while Jory crowded behind him.

“Yes, this is your baby brother,” Gwyneth said, dimpling. She held the baby so the boys and Adam and A.C., who were standing behind them, could see him.

“Stone the crows, Sis!” A.C. exclaimed. “He looks just like you and Dad!”

“May I hold him?” Adam asked and Gwyneth proudly gave him the baby. Adam saw his newest grandson had the same dimple in his chin and in his cheeks that he and Gwyneth did and already his eyebrows were very dark and clearly defined. He smiled at the baby, who made a mewing sound and waved his arms.

Gwyneth looked at her daddy with shining eyes and said, “We’re going to name him Adam Joseph.”

Adam felt his eyes begin to blur with tears. Blinking them back, he looked down at his grandson and held out his finger. The flailing little fist latched onto it by accident. It had always amazed Adam that infants, who looked so delicate and fragile, could grip with such tenacity.

Bronwen moved behind Adam and asked, “May I hold him?”

With a smile, Adam carefully placed the infant in her arms after gently detaching his finger from the tiny fist. Bronwen smiled down at the baby, saying, “Aren’t you precious, Little Adam?”

Adam began to chuckle, and he seemed to hear his youngest brother’s infectious giggle join in.

References:
I knew billiards is different from pool but that was about it so I used the following web site:
http://www.3cushion.com/thegame.htm

For the type of lawn mower Adam and A.C. would have used, I used these two web sites:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lawnmower
http://www.successfulmowing.com/lawnmowers-the-history-of-lawnmowers/

The description of how MacDonald treated Blackbird comes from All Creatures Great and Small by James Herriot. And the details of the operation A.C. observed are from James Herriot’s All Things Wise and Wonderful.

I found information on the girls school Sarah attended, Miss Winsor’s School, at the following websites:
http://www.wheregirlscomefirst.com/documents.php?d=5
http://www.privateschoolreview.com/school_ov/school_id/13500#Editor
http://www.winsor.edu/

Foods served at high tea I found at:
http://www.seedsofknowledge.com/lowtea.html

I found information on the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair aka The World’s Columbian Exposition at
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World's_Columbian_Exposition

I found information on the Boston Americans, now known as the Boston Red Sox at
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boston_Red_Sox

My information about training a cutting horse comes from the following:
http://www.jpbell.com/articles/training_tips.htm

I used information on various animals and birds found around Cloncurry from these sites:
Dingos — http://home.iprimus.com.au/readman/dingo.htm

Cloncurry parrot — http://www.birdkeepinginaustralia.com/articles/article22.html
http://www.emeraldisleaviary.com/cloncurry.htm
http://www.featherdale.com.au/featherdale/featherdale.ns4/Animals/Cloncurry+Parrot

Wild budgerigars — http://vzone.virgin.net/cobber.budgies/wildphoto.html
http://www.burkesbackyard.com.au/1999/archives/25/roadtests/birds/wild_budgies

Galahs and Kookaburras — http://australian-animals.net/

Kangaroos — http://www.giftlog.com/pictures/kangaroo_facts.htm

I got the lyrics for All Things Bright and Beautiful at http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/a/l/allthing.htm
and for Sweet Betsy from Pike at http://www.ndsu.edu/instruct/isern/103/betsy.htm

I used information on Crayola crayons found at http://inventors.about.com/library/inventors/blcrayon.htm

I used the following for information on croquet as Elen and he friends might have played it:
http://www.oxfordcroquet.com/misc/garden/The_WCF_Rules_of_Garden_Croquet.pdf
(I grew playing an old American version that used nine hoops and two pegs.)

I learned about the Camera Works magazine while watching Antiques Roadshow and I knew Adam would have had a subscription.

Glossary of Welsh and Australian Words and Phrases:
Welsh
Bach and fach – adding bach after a man’s name or fach after a woman’s is a form of endearment.
Cariad – dear, dearest or darling
Mam – mother
Mam-gu – grandmother
Tad - father
Tada - daddy
Tad-cu – grandfather

Australian
barney - a fight
dobber - a tell-tale or tattle-tale
drongo - a stupid person
give a gobful - to abuse
hooroo - goodbye
jelly kneed - a coward
oldies - parents
rotten - drunk
wowser - a spoilsport or prude

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