One of my favourite LMM novels and I really wanted to continue the story. Not only that, I also wanted to join a little of my favourite LMM characters to this story. Hold in there with me and it will all get together in the end. Anyway - here is the beinning story. R&R and I hope you enjoy. I cant' think of a title yet, so if anyone has any ideas, please let me know!
"Welcome home Moonlight" Barney said as he and Valancy crossed over the threshold of their Mistawis island home.
"Oh Barney! It's so lovely to be home!" Valancy exclaimed while unlocking the latches to Banjo and Good Luck's boxes. Banjo immediately re-positioned himself on his chair and looked around with disdain. No doubt showing his disgust for having been taken away in the first place. Lucky on the other hand wrapped himself around Valancy's and Barneys ankles, evidently happy to have his masters back at home.
"Even after travelling the world Barney, there is no place like our Blue Castle. Not even the finest places in all of Europe." Valancy exclaimed, her eyes shining as she looked about her surroundings. "Barney, lets not go away again for a spell. Mistawis is calling to me. I want to spend my time here again re-uniting myself with the woods and feeling at home again with this place!"
"Whatever you wish dearest" Barney chuckled. Although he had to admit to himself it was lovely to return somewhere that felt like home. All the more homely now with his handsome wife sharing his love for his favourite spot on earth. "After all – John Foster really does need to knuckle down and start writing again" Barney teased.
"I can see your Stirling clan has been in to give the house a spruce up" Barney commented.
"Oh yes. The Stirling pride couldn't let us come home to a messy house that's for sure" Valancy laughed. How Barney loved to hear her laughter. Made him want to bottle it up and listen to it till the end of days. "Even though Mother is still outraged that we insist on living in this 'dreary old hut' as she calls it. I think she was half expecting us to come home and buy a mansion at the Port. Couldn't understand why a millionaire's son would want to live somewhere that she couldn't brag about. Olive on the other hand is more than thrilled as it means she and Cecil are the ones with the nicest house out of the clan. Doesn't she put on airs about it!" Valancy laughed again.
Valancy was amazed at how much her life had turned around. It seemed like another lifetime before she began living at the Blue Castle with Barney. Was she really afraid of old Uncle Benjamin and his silly jokes? Did Mother and Cousin Stickles really have that much reign over her? Where Mother's silent freezes left her fearful and despondent. "I never knew how companionable silence between two people could be" Valancy had once said to Barney. It seemed too hard to believe that she once lived at that old Elm Street house where laughter was unheard of. Oh how much she and Barney laughed over things now. With their little family jokes, Barney's half-cynical jabs, or just the world in general. "To think I was happy to receive my death sentence and leave all this behind" Valancy thought to herself. Looking back now, Valancy felt so foolish to have believed Dr Trent's letter. She couldn't help but be at least a little bit grateful. For without that letter, she was sure she would still be dreary old maid Valancy Stirling of Elm St.
Barney however, after Dr Trent's colossal mistake, didn't want to take his word for it that Valancy was now "fighting fit" and insisted on taking her to some of the best heart specialists 'just to make sure'. Eventually Valancy put her foot down. "I'm not going to any more doctors Barney. You know as well as I do that everything is fine. So stop hovering and lets just enjoy the life that is in front of us!" And so, Barney let it be, although not without a few more months of rushing to Valancy's side every time she so much as stumbled. Valancy laughed it off and teased Barney for worrying so, although if she honestly asked herself she would have said she liked the attention. "To think that I thought you didn't care for me!" Valancy often joked. "Why I think I always knew deep down that you did care, although I didn't want to believe it. Then I couldn't believe it because after all, I had married you under false pretences and you were such a bachelor I felt certain you wouldn't want a woman around for the rest of your life."
"Dearest, I hadn't lived until you came into my life" Barney assured Valancy. "Why I was merely existing before you came along. You showed me that love really does exist. Poor little old me who really had the same empty upbringing that you did, although in a different way."
"Barney, let us promise that our children will have the most fulfilling life they can. A life full of travel, literature and wilderness. For they couldn't grow up in any other place than Mistawis."
"Just wait till old Dad has a say in that" Barney chuckled. "He'll want any grandchild of his attending the finest schools and receiving the best education. Forsooth! I say. Didn't do me any good. And I won't have any Redfern of mine having Purple Pills or Hair Tonic brought upon them!" Barney said vehemently.
"Well then we'll just have to bring him over to Mistawis and let this darling place work it's charm on him" Valancy compromised. For she did love Old Doc Redfern. After spending some time with him when they visited in Montreal. She figured that you couldn't help but love him. But even that couldn't draw her away from Mistawis now. Not for anything in the world.
Sighing happily, Valancy felt Barney's strong arms embrace her waist and kissing the nape of her neck. He often reminded her of that curve on her neck that maddened him if she looked just the right way. "Just the way Tierney painted you" Barney would comment. "I'm off to Bluebeards Chamber" Barney whispered into her ear before setting off to spend some solace time on his own and unwind from their travel.
Valancy, noticing that there really was nothing to do for her darling house, settled down on the chair outside to drink in the beautiful scenery that made this her home. If anything, Mother really had done quite the job at sprucing up the old Blue Castle. Even if she still didn't quite understand her daughter!
Valancy arose early the next morning and crept out of the house to re-unite herself with the woods once more. Usually she loved the little adventures that she took with Barney, but today she wanted to explore the woods on her own.
It felt like a lifetime since she had been here. She and Barney had gone on their 'proper honeymoon' as Barney called it, traveling all around Europe and Barney showing her all of his favourite haunts. He seemed to know exactly what she would want to see and Valancy once more felt as though she was really living. Oh how much her life had changed now!
From the culture and busy streets of Europe, Valancy and Barney then trotted to Montreal to spend some time with Old Doc Redfern, much to his pleasure. Valancy at once understood what Barney had meant by feeling lonely in such a big house, surrounded by so much grandeur! "Oh Barney, I never imagined that growing up with such splendour could be so…. Lonesome! Barney let us never live in big, grand houses where we could loose each other simply in the vastness of the place. Let us always live in a house that calls to us and wants us to live there. Not a house that has everything showing on the outside but not real soul. For these places are nice for a holiday, but not to live in. It will never feel like home otherwise." Barney had chuckled and said that he would never again live in such a castle. "I like a house that you can have a kinship with. So yes Moonlight, we will live as the poorest millionaire's around. Won't that be the talk of the town!"
Valancy loved Old Doc Redfern. With his abrupt manner of speaking and even with all the grandeur that surrounded him, he really was a sweet old man. A man who was brimming with pride to have his son and 'darling little wife' come visit him and keep house with him. It was nice for Barney to re-acquaint himself with his father. They left promising to keep in touch and continue to visit him when time allowed. For all the grand parties and functions didn't suit either Barney or Valancy as a full time occupation.
"Oh it's nice to get dressed up once in a while, but I always feel so aware of myself at these functions. Around here, I don't feel like a distinguished Stirling, but rather just a tiny little pea in a big pot!"
"A little pea that carries one of the most influential names in Montreal" Barney teased.
One thing Barney was adamant on was trying to keep his John Foster identity secret. "Leave me with one secret now woman! Not from you, I will share my secrets with you, but I can't deal with the world knowing about this too." And so the Stirling clan were swore to secrecy about the John Foster books. This didn't seem to bother them much, for the name "Foster" didn't have the same pull as claiming your daughter or niece had married "Doc Redferns' son." And so, Barney was going to spend this summer re-opening Bluebeards chamber and writing once more 'those silly nature stories' as Valancy's mother put it. Valancy was looking forward to seeing what new writing 'John Foster' could derive, for trapsing around Europe wasn't the best environment to write nature books.
All in all they had a lovely time though both were happy to be home where they could be away once more with public appearances and the world watching over them. It was nice to be at home with their woods, dryad's and favourite haunts once more. Valancy grinned to herself once more as she waltzed through the woods like a nymph. Why this spot of land belonged to herself and Barney. She couldn't see anyone as well aquianted with it as they. Slowly, Valancy thought she must head back, for Barney would worry otherwise. He was hovering so, at the moment, making sure she wouldn't over-exert herself due to 'her condition'. While Valancy herself knew her limits, Barney wouldn't hear of it. He was adamant that his wife was going to stay healthy until the winter came, even if it meant locking her up inside away from the woods that she loved so much. "Can't have you trapsing half way across the island and harming yourself! What kind of a man would let his wife do that, especially in your condition!" Barney exclaimed.
Valancy felt a thrill of excitement as she thought of what was to come over the winter. How right with the world she felt on this very day. Sighing, she turned around and headed back home, feeling a warm glow simply at the thought. She was home!
Valancy came home to find Roaring Abel had dropped by for a visit. He and Barney were resting on the porch out back. Smiling, she went to join the both of them.
"So I suppose we better go and visit your family now that we are home Moonlight?" Barney commented to Valancy the next morning.
"Oh I am sure they are arranging some big hoopla for us now that we are back." Valancy laughed. "Although yes, we really should go and visit Mother and Cousin Stickles at the very least."
"Shall we call on them today? What say you to pulling out old Lady Jane and going roaring down Elm Street" Barney chuckled.
"Oh wouldn't I love to see their faces! But we must be 'dignified' now Barney, since they can't use the excuse that you are some jailbird that I married to disgrace the family." Valancy answered slyly.
Meanwhile Cousin Stickles and Mrs Frederick were in the sitting room working on a quilt. One could never let their hands get idle, even now with a well to son-in-law. Stirling pride had certainly ensured that a family gathering in Valancy and Barney's honour was being arranged, although it was still in discussions as to who will host the event, with each Aunt and Uncle wanting to have the pleasure of announcing that "Bernard Redfern, son of old Doc Redfern's magic purple pills had dined in this very parlour." Olive however would not join in, often commenting to Cecil on the drives home "I can't understand why everyone is near falling over Doss now for her affections. Can't they all just see that her and Barney are sharing jokes about our family behind their backs. Have they all forgotten how she disgraced our family name, going to work for that awful Roaring Abel and his daughter Cissy. I can't believe they can just forgive and forget the way she accidentally found herself a husband. I heard Cecil, that she was the one to do the asking! The idea of it! Well I for one won't forget. I won't put our hand up to host this luncheon they are preparing, although we must go. It would be wrong of us not to go."
Shortly after dinner, Barney and Valancy pulled up infront of her old Elm St home. A perfect time for calling in. Even from being out of home and out of their routine for so long, Valancy could still rattle off exactly what Mother and cousin Stickles would be doing. For time felt like it stood still in that dreary old house. Valancy shuddered at the thought that this still could be her life and once more, she silently thanked Dr Trent for that horrible mistake. Slowly she and Barney ascended the stairs to the front door. "Lovely roses!" Barney joked as they past the rose bush long ago that Valancy had attacked with her scissors. For ever since that day it had bloomed in splendour. Mrs Frederick never understood why, although she wasn't game enough to try once more to cut it the way that Valancy had when she 'took a turn' as the family now jovially referred to her change in character. Even Uncle Benjamin now chuckled over the memories often recalling at family meetings "remember when Doss_ Valancy….". Uncle Herbert would often say to himself after a visit from Valancy and Barney "That girl has spunk. Never noticed it before when she was under old Amelia's thumb. But spunk she has!"
Smiling to herself, Valancy noticed how much easier it was now to face the old Stirling clan with Barney beside her. Oh how they laughed over their antics when they returned home. It made the visits that much more bearable. Valancy had regained her job of asking "Why" or "What" to all of Uncle Benjamin's jokes, although this time she found that she half enjoyed the jokes now. For nothing was as dreary or as much of a drag as it used to be. Gently slipping her hand through Barney's, she looked at him as she raised her free hand to knock on the door.
So Doss_ Valancy and Barney were going to have a baby. Mrs Frederick thought to herself as her daughter and son-in-law drove back home to their island retreat. What will society think raising a millionaire's grandchild in that dingy old shack "out back." She had tried to reason with them, implore them to consider buying a 'larger' place down at the Port, but Barney and Valancy were adamant that their "Blue Castle" as they called it was the only place to raise a child. How ludicrous! Oh how the town will talk. A Deerwood Stirling and a millionaire son living like paupers! Why could God have not blessed her with a more obedient child. Although, one really can't reason with a millionaire's daughter in law. After all what leg did she, Amelia Stirling have to stand on now. No, one must grin and bear the cross that she had been given. She must take the good with the bad. After all, she never believed that Valancy really had completely recovered from her 'turn'.
Barney and Valancy were enjoying a quiet evening curled up on the couch, each enjoying the quiet solace of the other's company. "Happy to be home my sweet?" Barney asked her after a spell.
"Happy doesn't even begin to describe how I feel" Valancy replied, sighing happily.
"Although I can't seem to wait until the winter Barney. The wait almost feels unbearable!"
"Time will pass quickly enough" Barney consoled. "Which reminds me, I have a letter from old Dad. He wants us to spend Christmas with him again in Montreal. How shall I break the news to him?"
"Oh invite him down Barney! He's lonely in that ridiculously big house. Nobody should be lonely at Christmas, and since we will be unable to travel to Montreal, he should come and spend some time with us here….tell him he can stay as long as he wishes" Valancy responded jovially.
"Your wish is my command mistress Redfern" Barney chuckled. "And so I must leave once more to old Bluebeard. For I feel a writing spell coming on and I may be up late again tonight." With that, Barney rose from their comfortable spot on the sofa and slowly turned to his chamber to correspond with his father. But not before turning back to marvel of the sight that was his wife. How wholesome this house now felt with her in it. His house really did feel like a home now, and it really was good to be back. For all the world did not suit him as well as their Blue Castle.
