Chapter 1:
Roy
Author's Note: As promised, I will be writing glimpses of what I think could have taken place between episodes in Season 3 of When Calls the Heart. One of my favorite storylines is Roy and Edith. I hope you enjoy my musings.
Roy Sampson had just arrived at the Silverton Mine. He was ready to start his life over. He needed a fresh beginning. Roy was not ready to be a husband. The two of them were so full of hope for the future. Now, he wasn't sure of anything.
His mother, Amelia was so happy for both of them when they got married.
"Roy, I am so proud of you for taking this important step in your relationship with Edith. She is a lovely girl and I know you both love each other very much." Amelia kissed his cheek and hugged him tightly.
"Thank you, Ma! I hope I can be as good a man to Edith, as Pa was to you." Roy replied, wiping an errant tear from his cheek.
"Son, you will make him proud. He is watching over us, Roy. I know he is crying tears of joy right now." Amelia responded.
Edith came walking up to her new husband. She linked her fingers in his.
"Roy, my father and mother would like a word with you." Edith stated.
Roy nodded and squeezing his new bride's hand he followed her to her parents who seemed less than pleased to have to be at the small church for this very small occasion.
Edith's parents, Mr. Anthony and Mrs. Emma Clark were not happy with their youngest daughter's choice to wed a miner.
"Well, my boy, since you have decided to marry my daughter, I have no choice to give you her dowry as promised." Mr. Clark spoke tersely.
Roy accepted the small envelope that Mr. Clark offered. Roy nodded and turned to face Mrs. Clark.
"I hope you two will use this dowry wisely." Mrs. Clark looked from Roy to Edith.
"Mother, I promise that we will. I love you so much." Edith hugged her mother and then her father.
"My girl, you are going to be missed. Please write once you get settled in Buxton." Mr. Clark embraced his daughter and then shook Roy's hand.
The next morning, Roy and Edith Sampson headed west to Buxton. He married the best girl in the world and he was ready to be a husband and provide for her…or so he thought.
Roy snapped out of his reverie at the sound of the whistle. He had just arrived and was waiting to see the foreman for his new job.
Mr. Strong told him to go to shaft 3 and meet with Mr. Smith for his first assignment. Roy worked through the first several hours and was already getting used to being a miner. It had been several weeks since he had been in a mine, but it didn't change how natural it was for him to go about his work. He took the wheel barrow and unloaded its contents outside the mine. As his first day progressed, he thought back to the first week of his marriage to Edith.
Roy woke up to see Edith looking at him. He smiled at her and leaned in for a morning kiss. Edith kissed him back and then rested her head on his chest. She sighed contentedly and Roy ran his fingers along her arm.
"What shall we do today, Roy dear?" Edith asked while making circles on his chest.
"Well, we can go into town to have breakfast." Roy began.
"Oh, Roy dear, that would be lovely." She sat up on their bed in their tent.
Their campsite was a few miles from Buxton. As promised they had used the dowry very wisely, unfortunately, it did not carry them as far as they had hoped. Edith had apologized for it not being more, but Roy shrugged it off. He knew that her parents gave them what they thought would be plenty, given the type of man they believed she was marrying.
"It's alright, Edith. I know I'm not your parents' first choice for you." Roy sat up behind her and kissed her shoulder. "I love you, Edi! We are all we need."
Edith turned to face her husband. She kissed him soundly.
"You are my first choice, Roy!" Edith smiled brightly. "Never forget that."
After a few hours in town, Roy and Edith headed back to their campsite. Roy knew that he would do whatever it took to provide for his Edi.
Roy came back to the present as he saw that the men went back into the mine from having their hour lunch. Roy had to get Edith out of his head. He wasn't going to get over her if he kept remembering what they had gone through. He didn't want to have her on his mind or in his heart. He had chosen to leave. He would not go back to her. She would be better off without him. Her parent's were right. They shouldn't have gotten married so young. He would do the best thing for her…he would stay out of her life.