Chapter Thirty Five

Mary was sitting in the living room playing with her doll when Elizabeth and Nick walked into the room. Mary was confused as her mother looked as if she'd been crying; only she also looked very happy as she held onto Nick's arm. "You all right, momma?" Mary asked as her mother and Nick sat down on the sofa.

"I'm fine." Elizabeth answered and pointed to the chair that sat closest to her. "Nick and I need to talk to you."

"Is it Grandpa George? Did he change his mind? Is he staying in Stockton? Did Agatha get out of jail?" Mary asked nervously, while she stood up and walked over to the chair. Soon she was seated on the chair, afraid that the man who had surprised her by apologizing to her at the train station and told her that she and her mother were good people, along with the fact that he was happy that Nick was marrying her mother, had turned bad again. She was also afraid of Agatha arranging something else.

"If he can, he'll come to the wedding. We've invited him." Her mother answered her, though Elizabeth had to admit handing out that invitation had been one of the hardest things she'd ever done. She might not have succeeded only Nick was right. To do all that George had done, divorcing Agatha being the key one, the man had to have sincerely changed. Though, it would take her some time to truly forgive him for all the emotional abuse he'd put her and Mary through. "And, no, Agatha is not of jail." Elizabeth knew it wasn't right only after Fred had told them how childish Agatha had acted when he arrested her, which behavior including throwing out threats, she hope something would happen to the woman while she was behind bars. "That is not what this is about. After Nick found you and brought you home I told you that before Nick and I got married there was something you should know. Remember?"

Mary looked rather out of sorts as she snapped ever so slightly, "Of course, I do. I already done told Mr. Nick that."

"You already told me; there's no 'done' about it. Now, do not get that tone of voice with your mother." Nick spoke up. Without even trying his voice was naturally loud anyway, and he'd raised it ever so slightly, which meant Mary pulled back and very quickly apologized.

"So, what's wrong?" Mary asked after her mother accepted her apology.

Elizabeth looked at Nick; her eyes telling him, "I'll be with you Nick only, please, be the one who starts the explanation." Truth was her head knew he was right. Paul wouldn't mind the promise she'd made being broken and life had made it necessary to tell Mary; however, her heart still wondered.

Nick had never been very good at diplomacy; still, for Elizabeth and Mary's sake he had to try. "As you've been told many times before, your dad, Paul McArthur was a very good man." He went onto explain that Elizabeth had already been expecting her, Mary, when Paul and she married. He explained that's one of the reason Agatha resented Elizabeth. "However, while Paul was your legal father and loved you very much, doing his very best to do right by you and your mother; he was not your father by blood. I mean," he quickly added when a look of confusion came on the child's face, "he wasn't your real father. That's what your mother was going to tell you when you got older only, with all that's happened; I wanted you to know now."

Mary looked from her mother to Nick. Slowly, as all the things she'd ever said to Nick, the way he'd answered her, along with the way her mother was now looking at her and Nick, the child's eyes widened. "Are you saying you're my real father? Is that why momma and I moved here?"

"Yes, I am." Nick laid his hand upon her shoulder. "But, no, that's not why you moved here at first. It was simply better for the two of you to move here and live in better circumstances. Then, as time went by, well…. there was a chance for me to win your mother's love once more."

"So, will my name be Barkley after the two of you get married?" Mary asked, struggling to truly comprehend what she was being told. The moment she asked the question Mary wondered what she'd asked that was so wrong, as she saw a fleeting look of pain that flashed through Nick's eyes. She moved back a bit in her chair and wondered too, if she was going to get a lecture of something.

"No," Elizabeth answered as she saw the struggle on Nick's face. "Paul might not have been your real father, but he was your father in every sense of the word in other ways. That should never be taken lightly. For now, his last name stays with you."

Mary's scrunched her nose up and, after a few minutes, asked, "If Mr. Nick is my real father, why did I have another dad in the first place?" Elizabeth would have answered her only Nick spoke up.

"That is a story for another time; only know this…it wasn't your mother's fault. I didn't get a chance to be a father to you before now. The blame for that belongs squarely upon my own shoulders."

Mary sat straight up and in a rather hurt tone of voice, "Did everyone but me know this?"

Both Nick and Elizabeth felt their hearts go out to the child. Of course, she'd wonder that. "No," Elizabeth held out her hand and, taking a hold of Mary's pulled her gently off the chair and to her. "No one but the family was told. That will change." She just hoped Mary would not suffer too much by it. After all, the gossipers were sure to have a hay day when the truth came out. "And," she added in a firmer tone as she saw what could possibly be another misunderstanding coming if she didn't, "It's not because Nick didn't want to admit you were his."

"Then why?" Mary looked at her mother and Nick.

Elizabeth sighed. How was she supposed to explain, without starting a whole new discussion, how society was? How they'd been trying to protect her, respect Paul's wish and still grow as a couple themselves? "What you have been told is a lot for someone your age to handle for now." Elizabeth finally laid her hand upon Mary's and told her, "As you get older, and better able to understand everything, Nick and I will explain everything else too." She could tell by the way Mary let out an exasperated sigh, the one she always let out when she didn't hear what she wanted to hear, the child was not happy.

Elizabeth didn't worry about it as Nick smiled as he tapped his daughter's nose and said, "Enough for now. I believe you have other things to do. Your Grandma Barkley needs your help with some cookies in the kitchen."

Mary started beaming as she pushed her annoyance at being told she'd have to wait until she was older for more explanations aside. Cookies and hearing Victoria being referred to as her grandmother more than made up for having to wait for anything else. "Yes, sir!" she jumped up and started to run out of the room only to hear both Nick and Elizabeth scolding her for it. Mary quit running, turned around and surprised them both when she said, "You know, it's kind of funny. I was so confused as to why Mrs. McArthur hated us so and prayed to know why. Then we move here I start praying the two of you would get married. I didn't know I was praying that my father would marry my momma." With that she left the room.

Nick turned his attention to Elizabeth. "You know, I wasn't thrilled when that storm hit and drove me into Ottersville's stable." Nick smiled as he laid his hands upon the sides of Elizabeth's face. "Only I'll be forever grateful for that day." He then lowered his head, an action that was more than welcome by Elizabeth as she wrapped her arms around his waist and slid them up his back. He was glad their wedding was in a mere two days. He was sure if it wasn't, Mary would have a sibling on the way before the two of them were married.