Characters are the property of Meredith Willson and his estate. I always wondered what happened after that summer. Here is my version.
Chapter One: My White Knight
"Mom, can I go down to the station to see Uncle Winthrop?"
"May I…"
"May I go to the station to see Uncle Winthrop?"
"Yes, you may. Here, take this bread with you to give him." Marian kissed her 8-year old son on the cheek, which he tried to duck, and handed him a loaf of freshly baked bread.
As the screen door slammed on the old house, it reminded her of all the times Winthrop had gone through the door in exactly the same way. How time had flown! Winthrop was a grown-up young man of nineteen, with a job as the telegraph operator for the railroad. It didn't require him to talk much, which was okay with him.
The screen door opened a few minutes later. It wasn't Sean, back again. It was his father. Marian's heart gave the usual skip as he came into the house. Even now, eleven years later, her heart still gave a jump when she first saw him after he'd been away.
"Madame Librarian!"
Marian always laughed when he called her that. It seemed so incongruous with what she was doing now.
"Gregory! I'm so glad you're back!" Marian hurried over to where he stood just inside the door. Gregory dropped his suitcase, and pulled her into a big hug. He bent his head and kissed her very thoroughly. After a satisfactory interlude, he released her enough to breathe.
"Where is the kid?"
"He went down to bother Winthrop. I made bread today, so I sent a loaf with him. I don't know how much Winthrop is actually going to get."
"Sean loves homemade bread as much as I do. I reckon Winthrop might get half."
As they talked, they walked down the hall to their bedroom. Gregory placed his suitcase, which he had picked up from the living room, on the bed. He opened it, then told Marian, "Close your eyes."
Marian obediently closed her eyes. She knew Gregory enjoyed bringing her little things from his travels. She held out her hands, and Gregory placed something in them, which felt like a sack. It was also a little heavy. She opened her eyes, and saw a canvas bag. Opening it, she found two oranges.
"Oranges! How did you get them? That's right, you went to California on this trip didn't you?"
Gregory sat down on the side of the bed, and pulled Marian down on his knee. She continued to play with the oranges as they talked.
"Yeah. They're automobile crazy out there. It's one of the best money trips I have."
"How many did you sell?"
"I took orders for a dozen."
"A dozen! That's a lot of money!"
"Sure is. I think you and I and the kid can afford a little vacation."
"Where would we go?"
"I think I would like to show you two Chicago."
"Chicago! Isn't that a little unsafe right now?"
"If you're careful, it isn't bad. I go up there every couple of months you know."
"I know, and I always worry about you when you're there. You see such worrisome things in the newspaper."
"I wouldn't believe everything in the newspapers. Sometimes they exaggerate in order to sell more papers."
"I suppose."
"Marian, I am an expert on the tactics people use to sell things. Exaggeration is one of them."
"Mmmm." Marian hated it when Gregory referred to his past as a flim-flam man. His life as Harold Hill was behind him. She wanted it to stay there. Now, he was Gregory Scott, a traveling salesman for one of the big automobile companies. He went mainly up and down the Midwest, but occasionally he would go to one coast or the other. This had been one of those trips.
Changing the subject, she asked, "Are you hungry? I think there's something left from lunch."
"Now that you mention it, I am. I have been longing for home-cooked food for the last week. Lead me to it!"
Marian and Gregory went back down the hall, and into the kitchen. There, the rocker sat that Mrs. Peroo always rocked in as she knitted or shelled peas. As always, Marian's heart sank a little. She still missed her mother, although she knew her mother was enjoying her time with her family in Ireland. The trip was the result of another one of Gregory's better sales months.
"How has business been at the library? Is your new assistant doing okay?"
"Amaryllis is doing fine. She's learning the new system very quickly. It won't be long before I can turn the library over to her. Her parents are glad of the extra money, since her dad got hurt on farm. It's hard, because they have to hire help now." Marian placed the oranges on the counter, and got out the leftovers from lunch. She made Gregory a huge sandwich as they talked.
"How is James doing?"
"He's okay, but it's going to be long time before he's back to normal. He almost lost his leg."
"How are Winthrop and Amaryllis doing?"
"Well, the injury has put the wedding on hold. Amaryllis feels she is needed at home right now, and Winthrop is willing to wait." Marian placed the sandwich in front of her husband, and there was quiet for a little while as he ate. After a little while he spoke up again. He'd been gone two months, and wanted to catch up on the news.
"How are Tommy and Zaneeta doing?"
"Zaneeta's pregnant!"
"What!"
"You heard me. Mayor Shinn is in a dither. He wants to be able to continue to criticize Tommy, but if he's going to be a grandfather, he wants to be able to see the grandchild, and Zaneeta told him if he doesn't stop criticizing Tommy, she won't let him see the baby when it's born."
"I didn't realize Zaneeta had that much backbone."
"I did. Do you remember how she started standing up to him That Summer?" Marian always referred to the summer Gregory first came to River City as That Summer.
"'It's Capulets like you that make blood in the marketplace.'"
"Exactly. She had to have a lot of nerve to talk her dad into letting her marry Tommy."
"I guess so." There was another quiet interlude as Gregory dug into the potato salad she put on the plate with the sandwich.
"When is your mother going to be back?"
"The end of the month."
"Good. That means we can take our vacation before Sean goes back to school."
"Are you going to help me with the band this year?" Marian had taken over as the school music teacher when Mr. Jenkins had retired.
"Marian, that really makes me uncomfortable. It stirs up some memories I would rather keep buried."
"I know, but you do so well with it. The kids there now don't remember what happened, and the older ones aren't in the band. They're busy helping their parents, or they are parents like Tommy."
"I remember. And so do most of the parents. I prefer to lay low when I'm in town."
"I know that, but I think it's time we finally put That Summer behind us. It's been over ten years. You are now an upstanding member of this city, and a good breadwinner. I was able to stop taking so many private students before I ever got the job at the school. Soon, I'll be able to quit the library, and just focus on teaching music. You are reformed, my love, and I want you to stop cowering. You don't owe anyone any more excuses."
Gregory came over to where she was sitting, peeling one of the oranges he had brought her. Leaning over, he kissed her cheek. "You are my champion. You always have been. Where would I be without you?"
The screen door slammed, ending the conversation. Sean came in the kitchen, saw his dad, and flew across the room. Gregory bent over and scooped him up and gave him a big hug.
"Dad! I missed you! What did you bring me?"
"Typically greedy. What makes you think I brought you anything?"
"Cause you always do." Sean's logic was unassailable.
"Well, I brought your mother some oranges. What do you think I should have brought you?"
"California! Did you bring me something from there?"
"How about some sand, direct from the beach in Santa Monica?"
"Wow! Real sand?"
"Would I bring you fake sand?" Gregory feigned hurt.
"Well, it just seems so far away."
"It is, but I would go even further to bring you back some sand."
"Can I see it?"
"Come with me down the hall, and I will personally put it in your hands."
As the two went toward the parent's room, Marian put down the sections of the orange. Staring at her hands, she acknowledged to herself that there were still some people in town who held That Summer against Gregory. Even though he came through with everything, in a way, it wasn't what they had expected. Even Marcellus had tried to keep away from Gregory at first. He had seemed a little ashamed that Gregory had drawn him into a scheme to defraud the people of the town Marcellus lived in. They had been his friends. Ethel was just as friendly as ever, but when Marian invited the couple for dinner, they seemed reluctant to come over unless Gregory was out of town. The last couple of years, it looked as if Marcellus and Gregory were becoming close again. After all, they had shared a past they were reluctant to share with anybody else, even Ethel or Marian. However, there was a slight cloud still, even though Marian tried to deny it.
Maybe they should have moved when they first got married, the way Gregory had wanted. But, money had still been tight. Gregory had been trying to figure out what he could do for a legitimate living. Marian couldn't support them and her mother and Winthrop too. Two households would have been too much. Her mother's house had been big enough.
Now, Gregory was doing very well at his job. Her mother had Winthrop to support her now. When he and Amaryllis got married, Marian and Gregory were going to get their own home, and Winthrop and Amaryllis would move in with Mrs. Peroo. The house would be his eventually. Marian was looking at houses on the same side of town, but now she wondered if they shouldn't move a couple of towns over, where it would be easier for Gregory.
When Gregory and Sean came back down the hall, Marian was finishing her orange. Sean proudly showed her a little bottle full of sand.
"Direct from California! Look at that, Mom! Can you imagine a whole big block covered with it! I would love to see that. Wow. I need to go show Uncle Winthrop." Sean was out the door again.
Gregory sat down at the table again. "I wish I could bottle that energy. I would really be rich."
"I know. Sometimes I get worn out just watching him. Gregory, could we talk about something?"
"Certainly, Miss Marian."
"You know I'm not a miss anymore. You should at least call me Mrs. Marian."
"It doesn't sound right that way. Anyway, you wanted to talk."
"Mama and I had been discussing what to do when Winthrop and Amaryllis get married. You and I have talked about getting a house of our own. What better time than when my brother marries? He and his new wife could move in here to take care of Mama, and you and I could get our own home, where we would have plenty of room for us and Sean."
"That sounds reasonable. I had been thinking along similar lines. There is something else, I think, on your mind."
"Because of our earlier talk, I was wondering if you would feel more comfortable if we moved to another town nearby, instead of staying in River City."
"There is something else. I had a meeting with my bosses in Detroit a few months ago, before I went on this last sales trip. They are going to start a new way of selling. They are going to put the cars in one place, and the people will come to look at them and buy them. It would keep the salesmen in one place. The first one is going to be in Detroit, and they want me to be in charge. We would have to move to Detroit."
"I don't know if I want to move that far! I was thinking just a couple of towns, where we could still come visit easily."
"Marian, this is a big step up for me. I would still be selling, but I would also get a share of what the salesmen under me sell. It would be some responsibility. It would be a way to really prove myself, prove that I am the good person you have believed I am for the last eleven years. I want to be able to provide better for you and Sean. I would like to maybe have another child if we can. I have a lot to make up for, and I know it, even if you don't. This is one way of doing that."
"Gregory, I've never asked about what went on before we met. Charlie Cowell tried to tell me some things, but I never really believed him. I don't know where you were born or grew up, or if your parents are still alive. That hasn't been important to me. But I do know what you are now. You don't need to make up for anything as far as I'm concerned."
"I know. I've always been grateful that you didn't ask questions. I'm not quite ready to tell you about my childhood. It wasn't pretty. But, soon, I think I will be able to. Now, isn't it about time Winthrop got home?"
Marian gasped. "Yes, and I haven't even started supper yet!"
"Tell you what. Why don't you put some sandwiches together, and we'll go have a picnic over at Madison Park?"
Marian was easily persuaded. When Winthrop and Sean came in the door together, Marian had a picnic basket almost packed. Both young men were enthusiastic about the idea.
Later that night, when they were in bed together, Marian welcomed Gregory home more thoroughly.
Afterwards, they were lying cuddled together. Gregory took a deep breath.
"Marian, are you awake?"
"Yes. I'm just laying here, enjoying having you next to me."
"I'm an orphan. My parents died when I was little, younger than Sean. There was no one else to take care of me. I ended up in an orphanage."
Marian was wide-awake now. She cuddled a little closer.
"That must have been hard for you."
"It was. I cried myself to sleep each night for a long time. They weren't bad at the orphanage, but there were too many kids and not enough help. Everyone had to help keep the place going. The children were sent out to work as soon as they were old enough."
"What did you do?"
"Oddly enough, I was sent to work in a factory. I helped the people maintain the equipment. I guess that's where I got my love for machinery." Gregory could fix things people thought were hopeless. He also loved cars.
"How long were you there?"
" I left when I was 16. People started telling me how handsome I was, and that I should be on the stage. It went to my head, I guess. I went to New York, but I couldn't get in anywhere. I fell in with some petty thieves, and they started teaching me their trade. I had a way with words, and with my looks, well, people believed me. I went from there. Eventually, I ended up here."
"Gregory, where was the orphanage?"
There was a long silence. "I grew up in Chicago."
"Is that why you want to take us there?"
"Maybe. I think I want to show you where I grew up."
"Gregory, I am very honored that you are sharing your past with me. I love you very much. Your past is just that, past. Sean and I are your present and future. What you show me or don't won't change that."
"I know. Maybe that's why I feel I can finally tell you. I know you won't leave me. I can sleep now."
Marian took a long time to fall asleep. Sketchy as it was, what Gregory had shared with her explained a lot of things she had wondered about, secretly. She wasn't sure she was ready to explore more of his past than he had just told her. They would talk again before they went to Chicago.