Down in the Valley: Chapter 1
"Our doubts are traitors, and make us lose the good we oft might lose by fearing to attempt"
~ William Shakespeare
Today was to be her wedding day, the happiest day of her life. He should be happy for her. Neil MacNeil could not find it within himself to be happy.
He didn't know the man's name, but he knew his type; wealthy, a banker or perhaps a lawyer like her father, young, and from a prominent family. Everything he was not. There had once been a time when he'd imagined himself as the one vowing his eternal love for her, and slipping a golden band onto her finger. That time was past.
With an agonized yell, Neil MacNeil hurled the empty moonshine jug across the cabin; the earthenware shattering against the fireplace. Chuckling hollowly, he couldn't help but muse on how the shards of pottery resembled what was now left of his heart.
Christy Huddleston spent her last few moments as an unmarried woman sitting alone in her room, studying her reflection in the vanity. Everything seemed perfect. Things could not have been farther from it. The dress she wore was made of the finest lace, modest, yet highlighting her petite frame. Chestnut curls had been sculpted into an elaborate twist, a few tendrils escaping to prettily frame her round face. A bouquet of red roses, with stems swathed in white satin rested on the table beside her. It was not the table setting, or flower arrangements, or even the influx of elated relatives that troubled her; it was her own doubts.
When she closed her eyes and pictured her wedding, the eyes that gazed into her own were noth the obsidian ones of her fiance, Ethan Hawthorne, they were the clear blue of a Cutter Gap Morning.
The hands that held her own were not the smooth pair of a young banker who'd never known any hardship, they were the rough and lighly dusted with fine red hair.
The voice that echoed her "I do" was not southern and lilting, it was a deep Scottish brogue, tinged with the dialect of the Tennessee mountains.
Disbelief coursed through her. Why was she doing this?
A rapt knock came at her door, and she found herself hastily brushing away tears she hadn't realized she'd shed.
"Come in."
The door opened slowly, and in stepped her father, a proud smile on his face.
"Ready, girlie?"
"I don't know if I can do this, Daddy."
"It's just a case of the nerves. If I remember correctly, your mother almost fainted right before she walked down the aisle." He laughed, as if reliving the humorous occasion in his mind.
"No, Daddy. I mean it. I'm not sure if I can go through with this."
"What do you mean? You love him, don't you?" There was no anger in her father's voice, only a concern and confusion.
"I do, or at least I think I do. Maybe...I don't know if I ever really did. How could I, when my heart already belongs to another?"
"Christy, you're not making any sense!" Shaking her head, Christy thought once more of the mountain doctor she'd left behind.
"I know I'm not! I just...Daddy, all I know is that I can't marry Ethan." Her shoulders shaking in a feeble attempt to stifle her sobs, Christy let her head drop forward onto the vanity.
"Alright, girlie." William Huddleston stepped forward and stroked his daughter's back. "It'll be alright, just take a deep breath. I'll tell your mother." He turned to go, but paused at the door.
"Should I get Ethan?" Christy shook her head.
"Not now, I need time."
"Christy, he deserves to hear this from you."
"Daddy, I will talk to him. I just can't do it right now." Her father nodded, and exited the room, the door softly clicking shut behind hiin.
Christy rose and locked the door, then turned to survey her childhood bedroom. There would only be a few minutes before her mother would barge in, distraught and appalled at her behavior. In all honesty, Christy feared her mother's reaction more than she did Ethan's. Quickly, she shimmed out of her gown, and donned a simple woolen skirt and cotton shirt waist. Then, nearly frantic, she dug through her wardrobe, relieved to find her old carpet bag and simple dresses at the back. Within seconds, she'd packed enough chemises, skirts, shirts, stockings, and night gowns to last her nearly a week.
Finally satisfied that she had everything she'd need for the coming days, she set about penning two notes. The first, to Ethan, was short and apologetic. The second, addressed to her parents, was longer, but still brief enough to be written hastily. The last thing she did before slipping out the door was remove her diamond engagement ring, and place it on the table next to the letters.
Less than thirty minutes later, she was train bound for El Pano, Tennessee.
As she disembarked the train in El Pano, Christy found herself shivering against the chill of the fall air. In her haste, she hadn't thought to consider that the mountains would be cooler than Asheville this time of year.
Just as it had been when she'd first arrived in El Pano for the first time nearly three years ago, she was only one of a handful of passengers to disembark the train. The others dispersed rapidly, leaving her standing alone on the platform. Her gaze flitted from one building to the next, both reminiscing and attempting to decide her next course of action.
With a sigh, she headed for Mrs. Tatum's boarding house. Knowing how the woman was, news of her return would reach the Cove by morning. That however, was a price that she'd just have to pay. It wasn't as if she had any other options.
Shifting her carpet bag to one hand, she knocked lightly on the heavy oak door. Within minutes, it swung open to reveal the plump, middle aged woman, surprise plastered on her face.
"Well, Christy Huddleston! I never thought I'd see the likes of you again. Come in! Come in! I suppose you'll be needing a room?" Christy nodded. "Alright, but first let's get you some food. You look plum frozen."
Christy followed the woman into the kitchen, selecting the chair closest to the hearth. In a few moments, she was eating her fill of hearty stew, and fresh crusty bread. Mrs. Tatum spoke as she watched the young woman eat, although Christy was only half listening. However, when the innkeeper brought yup the new school teacher, Christy's eyes widened and she lifted her head to gaze at the woman.
"They hired a new teacher?"
"Yes, of course they did. Pretty little thing too. Her name's Hannah Jessup. The children seem to like her well enough, and there's a rumor going around that a certain doctor likes her even more."
Christy's heart sank. She hadn't even considered that Neil might have moved on. Then again, perhaps she'd imagined everything between them.
Seeing the crest fallen expression on the young woman before her, Ellie Tatum quickly changed the topic. "Well don't think on it too much. Like I said, it's only Cove gossip. What about you? I heard tell that you were getting married?"
"I was, but it didn't work out. " Christy sighed, she was tired and didn't really want to go into details about how she had left her groom at the alter.
"Don't fret on it dear. If it ain't meant to be, it ain't meant to be." Christy nodded, and then rose from the table.
"If you'll excuse me, I've had a long day, and I would ilke to get some sleep."
"Of course dear, goodnight."
"Goodnight, Mrs. Tatum." Christy left the room and ascended the stairs, choosing the first bedroom on the right. She quickly changed into her nightgown, knelt by her bed to say her nightly prayers, and then slipped between the warm flannel sheets. For hours, she tossed and turned, troubled by the revelation that Neil might have feelings for the new school teacher. Finally, a mere two hours before sunrise, she drifted into a restless sleep.
The morning sunlight filtered lazily through the lace curtains that framed the windows. Christy sighed and rolled over. After the news she'd heard last night, she wasn't sure if she wanted to return to Cutter Gap. A loud grumble from her stomach curtailed her thoughts. She'd decide after breakfast. Dressing quickly in a white blouse and blue skirt, Christy readied herself for the coming day.
As she descended the stairs, the mouth watering smells of frying bacon and baking bread wafted up from the kitchen. There was a murmur of voices in the dining room; she must not have been the only boarder last night.
Just as she entered the parlor, there was a loud knock at the front door. With the clanging of pots coming from the kitchen, she doubted if Mrs. Tatum had heard it. Crossing over to the door, she swung it open quickly. Christy blanched as she found herself face-to-face with the man who'd haunted her dreams for the past year.
Neil MacNeil paled as his eyes fell upon the woman who'd left the Cove nearly a year ago. He'd forgotten how beautiful she really was.
"Neil..." Her voice was weak, and his name sounded like a sigh. The doctor remained silent, for the first time at a complete loss for words. An sudden, icy gust startled the two.
"Aren't you going to invite me in?" Asked the doctor, a smile playing at his lips.
"Oh! Of course." She stepped back and allowed him to pass. Any further conversation was cut short by the arrival of Mrs. Tatum. She came bustling out of the dining room, a mug of coffee in her hand.
"Good morning, Christy. Dr. MacNeil, here's a cup of coffee. You must be chilled to the bone." Neil smiled appreciatively.
"Well come on you two! Breakfast isn't going to stay hot forever. " She returned to the dining room, Christy and Neil following closely on her heels.
There was only one other man in the dining room, and he seemed engrossed in his newspaper. Christy chose a seat at the end of the table, hoping that Neil would chose to sit far, far away. While she needed to speak with him, it wasn't a conversation she cared to have at that particular moment. Much to her chagrin, Neil sat to her left, and Mrs. Tatum to her right.
"Miss Huddleston, how did you sleep last night?" Christy smiled gratefully at the older woman. She wasn't sure if Mrs. Tatum was oblivious to the tension between she and Neil, or if she was choosing to be courteous and ignore it.
"Fine. Mrs. Tatum this bread is excellent."
"Thank you, dear. Doctor, how are things in the Cove?" Ellie Tatum had to repeat the question twice more before the doctor seemed to hear her. For the first time in minutes, his gaze left the face of the woman to his right.
"What? Oh, everything is as well as can be expected. Jessie Sawyer delivered a healthy baby girl last night."
"She did? That's wonderful! She and Jack deserve some happiness after losing their son last winter. "
The doctor nodded, and pushed his plate away.
"Christy, if you don't mind me asking, what were you planning on doing today?"
"I thought I'd ride out to the mission. They're not expecting me, but..."
"I'd figured as much. Why don't you have Dr. MacNeil ride you out. He goes by on his way home. Don't you Neil?"
"Aye. I can take you back Miss Huddleston."
"Thank you, Doctor. It'll only take me a moment to get my bag."
The tension between the doctor and the young woman was evident as they rode silently through the wooded mountainside. Christy's back was ramrod straight, her mouth set in a tight line. Neil's hands fidgeted nervously with the reins, and his eyes darted from tree to tree, seeking out something to distract him from the woman seated behind him.
Finally, after nearly an hour of this, Christy lost her will to maintain some distance between the two of them. Slumping against him, she clasped her hands about his waist, and allowed her head to rest against the soft leather of his jacket. The scents of pine, pipe tobacco, lye soap, and the mountains flooded her nostrils. She'd missed the smell.
"Neil, I...how have you been?" She'd wanted to bring up her return, but found she couldn't quite yet.
"Fine. Things have been a bit busy with the cold snap we've had the past couple of weeks. I haven't been home much. What about you?"
"Oh, I've been alright I suppose."
"That's good." He felt her shift uncomfortably in the saddle behind him. "There's a small stream just ahead. We can stop and rest there for a moment." Christy nodded in agreement. Though riding with Neil was like coming home, it wasn't the most comfortable thing in the world.
Soon, they came upon the stream, and Neil halted the horse. He slipped down from the saddle, his riding boots making a soft thud as the heels struck the ground. The doctor raised his arms to pull the young woman down. She came forward willingly,his hands slipping naturally around her waist, and her arms coming to rest on his shoulders. He gave a gentle tug and her feet landed silently on the ground.
Neil held her there for a moment, committing the way she felt in his arms to memory.
She stepped away from him abruptly, breaking the magnetic hold his eyes seemed to have on her. Christy walked a few paces away, pausing to stroke the muzzle of the horse.
"I never expected to see you again." Christy froze at his soft words. "Why did you come back Christy?"
The word "you" was on the tip of her tongue, but she fought it back. "Things didn't work out. I wasn't happy. I missed the mountains, the children, the people." Tentatively she raised her gaze to meet his. He swallowed, hard. He'd forgotten how beautiful her eyes were; how he could get lost in them and forget the rest of the world.
"You're engaged, aren't you?"
"Was. I was engaged." Neil MacNeil felt something rise within him that he hadn't felt in over a year, hope.
"What happened?"
"I left him at the alter." Her words were blunt, and came as a surprise to him.
"Why?"
"I've already told you. I was unhappy, and I didn't love him." He opened his mouth as if he was going to speak but was cut off by a suggestion from her.
"Shouldn't we get to the mission? It's getting dark." He nodded.
"We should." Whistling loudly, Neil beckoned his horse over to where they stood. The horse came eagerly, pausing just a few feet from where they stood. Neil mounted, and then once again reached down for Christy. She smiled and accept his hand readily. He swung her up behind him; making sure she was comfortable before they set off.