Part Three – To Boston and Beyond

One – Western Farewells

Laura and Peggy left as planned the next day following the mother and daughter's heartfelt apologies to the other Mrs. Cartwright. Laura told Melinda and Adam privately that she had spoken to Peggy, and had made her promise to ask about anything she wasn't sure of.

Melinda's recovery was as rapid and complete as Sam Greene had promised. Within a day her movements became more fluid, and her ability to speak in full sentences followed shortly. She and Adam spent another several days on the Ponderosa while her strength returned enough to tackle the next part of their journey, and then they headed for San Francisco, accompanied by the entire Cartwright family.

Once there, Adam contacted Josie, the friend he'd thought would be interested in offering scholarships for young women to attend good schools. She was delighted with the idea and immediately met with Laura and Peggy to get things rolling. They toured the school together, and later Melinda received a note from the principal saying that Peggy had been enrolled for a mid-summer start to get her caught up before classes began in the fall.

Ben spoke to his nephew and offered Will the chance to represent the Ponderosa in California once he was released, telling him that the position brought the promise of hard work with no access to money other than his salary.

Adam, and his college roommate, Frankie Wadsworth—who usually referred to himself Adam's "third" brother, were able to finish their project quickly, and it was soon time to return to Boston. The couple found the private rail car waiting for them, this time attached this time to a cross-country train. It was Adam's gift to his wife to make the trip home as comfortable and restful as possible.

After farewells that included good wishes for both Melinda and Adam, the Western Cartwrights pulled their east-bound member aside for personal sendoffs.

Ben wished his son success and happiness along with a promise to bring everyone to Boston when Adam and Melinda returned from England. The two men lingered in an embrace before a quick, final goodbye handshake.

Joe grasped his brother's hand as he said quietly, "I'm sure glad I got to say goodbye this time. I'll miss your granite head, but not so much as before." A jab to his brother's shoulder preceded his last comment, "Take care of my fishing buddy, ya hear!"

Hoss's farewell was a bear hug followed by, "Take care, brother. I'm sad to see you go again, but you'll always be in here," he pointed to his heart. The big man grinned. "And after seeing you with Melinda, I want to get me a wife real soon."

Adam grinned at his middle brother while stepping up onto railcar's platform, and asked, "You got someone in mind, Hoss, or you just gonna grab some pretty girl off the street?"

Two – A New Adventure in England…Or…An End to the Couple from Boston

Adam held the chair as Melinda took her seat in the formal dining room. He'd arrived home from work with only enough time to greet the newest occupant of the Wadsworth estate in London, before rushing off to change for dinner.

Sam Greene looked at Adam and Melinda across the linen covered table arrayed with its china and crystal, and began to chuckle. "This is some place, isn't it?" he offered as he looked up at the ornate chandelier while a steaming bowl of soup was placed in front of him.

"It sure is." Melinda thanked their server, and continued. "I was overwhelmed with it at first but you get used to it fast. We might as well enjoy it now; It's a lifestyle we'll never be able to afford on our own."

Adam smiled as he raised his spoon and sampled the hot broth. "That's the truth. My family had Hop Sing and he did a lot for us, but to have several people catering to our needs has been interesting. Frank did warn us that to refuse their help will offend the staff and make them think they aren't doing a good job."

"You'll need to tell me a little more about what to expect with them so I don't cause trouble." Sam finished the last of his consommé before asking. "How long have you two been here now?"

"We got here in late September, so about 10 weeks." Adam put his spoon aside. "It's hard to believe we were in Nevada in the spring, and soon we'll celebrate Christmas in London.

Sam nodded. "Time does fly, but I'm sure it's nice to be staying somewhere with a connection to home. It was gracious of the Wadsworths to let us all stay in their house here." He squinted to examine the portrait hanging over the buffet. "That painting almost looks like Frank. I thought he once said that his parents came to Boston in the late 1700s, so I'm not sure how Frank ended up with this house."

Adam turned to the artwork Sam was referencing. "I think this estate came to him through his uncle, Frederick Wadsworth. That's him in the portrait, and I agree that there's a strong family resemblance. Frederick remained a bachelor, and Frank was his only male heir. I think he and Marian had talked about selling the place but realized that keeping it made the most sense for them."

Melinda was listening to the two men talk when she felt an odd sensation in her abdomen and grimaced as a wave of worry warmed her cheeks. She took a deep breath while checking to see whether either of the men had seen her momentary display, and sighed thankfully when noting they had finished their conversation and were concentrating on their entrée. She pushed her concern aside to ask, "What actually brought you to London, Sam? Frank wrote that you were coming and would be staying here while working at the London Hospital, but he didn't really explain why."

"It's because of you," he teased. When he saw her frown he explained. "You'll recall that when you were ill while in Nevada, Paul Martin and I consulted by using telegraphed updates, and then you were nice enough to let us co-author a paper about your experience."

"You sent us a copy of the journal it was in. I thought it was well done." Melinda eyes widened when she noticed the flutter in her stomach again, and she fought to look calm even while her mind raced.

"Apparently others thought it was good too, and that led to Paul and me being invited to present the paper at this year's gathering of physicians in London. Unfortunately Paul's travel time would have been prohibitive and he decided against attending."

"I can understand Paul's dilemma," Adam agreed. "I doubt his patients in Virginia City would have been too happy if he'd taken off for a few months."

Are physicians here so interested in Cat Fever?" Melinda asked.

"I'm sure that's part of it, but I think what impressed them more was how a doctor in the West, and one in the East were able to share information about an illness and treatment by using modern means. The theme of this year's meeting is a challenge to physicians to step beyond old boundaries. The idea so appealed to the heads of Massachusetts General that they arranged a physician exchange with the Royal London Hospital and asked me to stay on here as the first in the new program. Frank said that you two will be here at least a year, and that's about what I foresee as well."

"Since we'll be at opposite ends of the house, we won't see much of each other," Melinda teased. "But I look forward to many dinner conversations to come."

Both men agreed with her before Sam changed the subject. "What's been keeping you two busy?

Melinda beamed, "My publishing company made arrangements for me to work with a progressive teacher here. She read my books on action-based teaching, and is interested in doing something similar."

Sam winked at her. "It sounds like there might there be a co-authored work in your future too." He focused on Adam. "I saw you when you came home from work tonight and you weren't dressed like a man who spends his days in an engineering office."

"I'm an engineering consultant to the John Aird Company, the general contractor on the Millwall enclosed dock."

Sam's eyebrows dipped. "Is an 'enclosed' dock different from a regular one?"

Adam nodded. "The London Pool is the main harbor, but it's so crowded that ships can wait days to get into a berth for unloading. While they're moored, river pirates raid them and take whatever they can get their hands on. These enclosed harbors are built at the end of channels leading from the Thames. They're secure, and the extra cost for using them is offset by getting loads off and on without waiting." He paused to give Sam a moment to imagine how the dock would look. "And you're right about me not working in an office. I'm at the site most days learning as I work on the actual construction. The math involved in this project is a nightmare."

"And he loves every minute of it!" Melinda interjected.

"I do like what I'm doing, and Frank expects that I learn as much as I can so we'll be ready to suggest similar construction in New York and Boston."

Sam wrinkled his nose as he looked out the window at the gloomy evening. "It sure is damp here. It chills to the bone. And what's with that fog? I noticed it as the train pulled into the station and it hung over the streets like a greenish blanket until my cab got close to Frank's house."

"That's the bad part about London," Adam chuckled. "It tends to be foggy here anyway, but what you saw in town is a haze from coal being burned in the factories and homes." Adam saw his friend frown. "You'll tend to forget the bad things as you realize how historic this area is, and we're within a stone's throw of the opera house and concert hall." Adam paused as he tried to remember what he wanted to ask. "Oh, how'd your voyage go? I think you were on the same ship that we took over—the Scotia?"

"One and the same. It's quite a vessel."

Melinda gave a hearty laugh. "Adam pestered the crew so much that they finally took him below and showed him the boilers and pistons, and explained how the whole thing worked."

"You can tease me all you like, darlin', but I learned a lot." He sighed. "I kept wondering what my father and grandfather would think of her. Abel once showed me around a clipper ship when I visited him during a school holiday. So much has changed in just a few years."

Sam turned to Melinda, "And what did you do while your husband prowled the belly of the beast?"

"I was fine the first day out, but then got seasick and I spent my days in the Lady's Lounge."

Adam began, "The strange thing is that the seasickness has continued…" but stopped short as he noted his wife's warning glare out of the corner of his eye.

Sam's tone was concerned, "Have you been ill, Melinda?"

She deflected his question. "It's your first night here, Sam. Let's just enjoy ourselves and catch up with the news from home."

They finished their dessert as Sam told them about how things were going back in Boston. He was in the middle of a story about his going-away party when Melinda stood. She turned ashen as she held her napkin over her mouth, breathing deeply until she could speak, and then mumbled that she wasn't feeling well—before bolting from the room.

Adam rose to follow her, but resumed his seat when saw her maid following her up the stairs. "I know you just got here, Sam, but could I talk to you about Melinda? I know she didn't want me to bring this up yet, but I'm truly worried about her."

"She did look a little pale and shaky when she left. What's troubling her…and you?"

The two men walked into the sitting room where Adam slumped into an overstuffed chair. "You told us that as far as you knew, the effects of that fever shouldn't return. Yet I wonder if that isn't happening. Since we've been here, she's had headaches and is always exhausted. She's always had amazing stamina, so this seems out of character."

"It could just be that she needs a little more time to get her strength back. You two have had a hectic schedule that started almost immediately after she got over the worst of that illness. You traveled from one coast to the other, and then across the ocean, and did a lot in Boston before you left. I'm sure that acclimating here has taken some effort too."

"But you saw her just now. She told you that she had trouble at sea, but the nausea keeps returning."

Sam shrugged and pursed his lips. "I have to say that despite your worries and the episode tonight, I think she looks wonderful. She's even put on a little of the weight she lost during the fever and the appetite problems afterwards. I thought she was much too thin when you two were home."

Adam gave a half-smile and then lapsed back into a worried frown. "I'll admit that she does look good except for those 'spells.' She doesn't want to talk about them and gets testy when I question her, so I don't say much anymore. Lately she's tried to cover up the fact that she's not feeling well, but I can tell, and the fact that she hides it concerns me even more. I also notice that she panics whenever she forgets something or can't come up with a word fast enough to suit her. I think she's afraid the dysphasia is returning." He breathed deeply as his face set in worry. "The truth is that…" He sighed as his words trailed to silence.

"Go on," Sam encouraged his friend. "Seeing how upset you look, I'm as worried about you as you seem to be about Melinda."

He closed his eyes and thought about the root of his anxiety and finally blew out his breath. "Sometimes I think we won't ever get ahead of it."

Sam's head dipped as his forehead creased. "I'm not sure what you mean?"

"Whenever I think we've left our past trials behind, they catch up and the tests start again. We left Boston and went to the Ponderosa hoping that life would be less dramatic for a while, and then she almost died there! It seems I can't protect Melinda anywhere."

"But she didn't die," Sam said softly. He considered what Adam had said, and offered, "I imagine you came to London expecting that could set your course to the future instead of looking back. Yet you worry now that this illness might have caught up for another shot at Melinda?"

Adam nodded. "That…or something even worse."

Sam looked squarely at his friend, and rose. "Why don't I go up and see Melinda. I'm sure she knows how worried you are, so maybe it'll be easier for her to tell me about her concerns. I can either put both your fears to rest or find a specialist for a thorough exam once I check in at the hospital tomorrow."

Adam stood too and shook his hand. "Thanks, Sam. I was hoping you might do just that. I asked her to see a doctor here but she wanted to wait for you." He stalked the rooms downstairs for a bit before going up to continue his pacing outside the room. The walls of the house were thick and the doors heavy so there was no eavesdropping possible, and he was forced to walk off his tension and wait until allowed inside.

"You're sure?" Melinda asked.

"Absolutely," the doctor replied while standing next to the bed, holding her hands.

"Why didn't I see what was happening?"

"Both you and Adam were sure the side effects of the fever had returned and the long gaps between your cycles weren't unusual, so you only saw those things that supported your fears." His smile was kindly as he teased, "Besides, neither of you are doctors. If you could diagnose yourself, you'd have no need of me."

"I suppose you're right about that. I also suppose you'd better let him in here now. I'm sure he's out there pacing like a tiger."

Sam walked toward the door and looked back before turning the knob. "I imagine you'd like to tell him?"

She nodded. "Thank you, Sam." Tears began to spill down her cheeks. "How long do I have yet?"

"I'd say four to five months. I'll be able to give a more accurate estimate after a better exam. I'll do that once I get settled at the hospital." He turned the knob, "I'll keep Adam outside for a bit while you compose yourself."

"So? What's wrong?" Adam demanded while trying to push past Sam into the room.

Sam took his friend's arm, steering him back into the hallway. "Let her be for a minute or two. She's a little emotional right now." He closed the door, leaving it enough ajar that Melinda could hear what he was saying.

"The news must be bad. I saw her crying."

"I'm not at liberty to say what it is, but I'll assure you that it's not Cat Fever."

"Then what is it?"

"The one thing I will tell you is that your life as a couple will end in less than five months."

Adam's head spun as he considered the possibilities. He drew a deep breath and steeled himself for the worst. "What does that mean?"

Sam peeked around the door to see how his patient was doing, and stepped aside, motioning Adam to enter. "Your wife will explain what's going on. Now put a smile on your face and go to her. I'm turning in. I'll see you both in the morning."

Adam walked to the side of the bed, unable to speak the fear that was assaulting his mind and heart. Yet Melinda's demeanor didn't fit his dire conclusion regarding Sam's only clue. Her cheeks were a rosy pink from the tears, but she looked comfortable and serene. He finally smiled down at her. "Our physician wouldn't tell me what's wrong. He just said we only had a few months left together."

The corners of her mouth turned up as she gently reminded him, "That's not what he said, Adam; that's what you heard. He said that we have four months left as a couple."

His jaw tightened as his hands clenched at his side. "Why would the word, couple, change the significance?" The conversation he'd had with his father the night Melinda's fever had broken, filtered into his memory and jabbed at his heart. He took her hands as he sat next to her. "I'm sorry, Melinda. I suspected that the stress and anxiety of being married to me might become too much for you." He breathed deeply. "All I ever wanted was to keep you safe while we found a future together, but that doesn't seem possible. Trouble has always followed me, and it has continued pursuing both of us since we've been together. I can understand if you need to find a more normal life."

She smiled as she caressed his cheek. "I love you, even if you are a fool! Hoss said the Cartwrights 'ain't never been normal,' and since I'm a Cartwright, I think his assessment applies to me as well." Melinda cupped his cheeks and looked into his eyes. "The first time I held your face like this, you were unconscious because you'd fallen from a ladder while trying to get a better look at me down below. That gave me a good indication of what you were like. It didn't make me run away then, and I'm not going anywhere now. I wouldn't trade any of our troubles together for an easier or safer life without you. The place I feel safest is in your arms, Adam, and the only future I can imagine is by your side."

His tension eased as a sheepish grin replaced his frown. "I am a truly fortunate man." He sat back and exhaled as he tried again to make sense of what was going on. "But if you're not planning to leave me, then why won't be a couple, and what is making you ill?"

"I'm not sick, Adam. What I'm experiencing is normal for someone with my condition."

Adam's forehead wrinkled. "What condition is that?"

"The nausea and exhaustion, along with the newest symptom—a fluttering in my abdomen—all point to something wonderful: something we've both wanted since the day we were married." She draped her hands over his shoulders and winked. "Neither of us dared to consider a happy possibility because we were too busy waiting for the past to catch up or expecting new ordeals." He nodded as she continued, "Sam confirmed what I'd already concluded tonight after I'd allowed myself to put the clues together without fear… We won't be a couple in four months because we'll be a family.

Adam's smile grew as laughter broke free from his worried heart. He gathered Melinda into his arms and held her tightly. "Let me make sure I understand before I start shouting out the window and sending telegrams. Everything that's been happening is normal…because you…because you're carrying…"

She brought her lips to his ear and whispered, "Our future."

The End…

*From my story, When Words are Hard to Find.

**From my story, Sunny With a Chance of Rain.

1John 15:13