"Amen."
The small group of people around the freshly dug pit echoed the minister. The wind pulled at their clothing and rustled the flowers that adorned the pine box. For several minutes they waited, then one by one they drifted away until only the minister and his wife remained with the family.
"Come on, darling. Let's let the men go about their business." Elliott Marston pulled his wife away as the gravediggers appeared from behind the trees by the path, their shovels over their shoulders. The men proceeded to their work and the rhythmic sound of earth being piled on wood was soon heard.
Sam Marston clung to her husband's hand as they walked to their carriage. "You know, something just occurred to me."
"What's that, dear?" They were several steps behind the children and the nurse but he lowered his voice to ensure privacy.
"Three days ago there were two Sam Flanagans." She looked up with swimming eyes. "Now there aren't any at all." A smile quivered bravely on her lips but disappeared as her tears began to fall.
Marston turned and pulled her into his arms. He held her tightly as the sobs wracked her body for several minutes. Giving comfort was not something he had a great deal of experience with. He had been far more assured at making the funeral arrangements and arranging for the nurse to stay on to deal with the younger boys until Sam was feeling better.
The great sobs had changed to less emotional weeping but still Sam clung to his coat. He looked over her head at the rest of the family gathered by the carriage. Liam started to walk towards them but stopped when Marston shook his head. He gestured to his brother-in-law to return to the others, then tenderly pulled Sam upright and kissed her brow.
"Stay here while I send the others on their way." He whispered into her hair.
"All right." She sniffed indelicately but seemed to have regained her composure. Marston left her leaning against a small flowering tree that shielded her from the looks of passers-by.
The nurse was holding hands with Niall and Conn inside the carriage. Liam hovered around the steps, shifting from foot to foot in his uncertainty. Marston put his hand on his shoulder and squeezed it. Liam smiled up at him.
"Mrs. Marston and I will take a cab back to the hotel. We'll see you there." Marston slapped Liam on the shoulder. "Come on now, up you get." The boy scrambled inside. Marston nodded at the driver and the carriage lurched forward.
He turned back. Sam was directly behind him, pale but composed again. He slipped his arm around her shoulder. "Let's go find a cab."
They walked along the path to the main gate. The cemetery was not attached to any church as it was often used by the town to bury people whose religious bonds were unknown. Sam had selected the location because it contained a picturesque creek overhung with willows. It was a peaceful site and she paused at the gate to look back at it. The gravediggers were still at their work.
"Feeling better?" Marston winced. It was such a ridiculous question.
But she nodded. "Yes, actually I do." She slid her arm around his waist, uncaring of the stares of the censorious. "It was terrible to see him wasting away like that. It's a blessing that it's over."
Silence fell between them for some moments. Marston waved a cab driver over to the curb. They climbed in and settled themselves into comfortable positions.
"You know, you're lucky that you had him for all those years." Marston stared out the window, his arm still around her shoulders and his fingers playing with a strand of her hair. "My parents were killed when I was four years old. Aborigines raided our wagon train. I don't remember them very clearly."
"How awful." Sam hugged him tightly. "You know, I really don't know much about you." She looked up, pensive, then kissed him.
"We've got a lifetime to answer each other's questions. And even then it probably won't be long enough." He kissed her back, then pulled her head down on his shoulder.
Sam listened to her husband's steady heartbeat through his vest as she watched the town pass by outside the window. Who was this man? What did she actually know about him? It was startling to think she'd married someone she really knew so little about.
She hugged him tighter. It had been a hectic courtship (putting it mildly!) and a traumatic beginning to their married life, but things would be different now. They could return to the ranch with the boys and start a new life together. Everything would be fine from now on.
The cab pulled up in front of the hotel and they disembarked. The doorman bowed them through the entrance with his usual dignity. Almost immediately inside the lobby they met the manager, his face drawn with concern.
"Mr. Marston, I'm afraid I have some very unfortunate news." He took a deep breath and let it out in a rush.
Sam clenched her fists at her sides. "Is it Conn? Or Niall? What happened?"
Before the manager could speak there was an explosion of noise behind them. It was Niall, bursting with news and energy. "Sam! The rooms upstairs! Someone's gone through them! Clothes and books and papers and everything's all over the place. You'd better come quick and see."
The small group of people around the freshly dug pit echoed the minister. The wind pulled at their clothing and rustled the flowers that adorned the pine box. For several minutes they waited, then one by one they drifted away until only the minister and his wife remained with the family.
"Come on, darling. Let's let the men go about their business." Elliott Marston pulled his wife away as the gravediggers appeared from behind the trees by the path, their shovels over their shoulders. The men proceeded to their work and the rhythmic sound of earth being piled on wood was soon heard.
Sam Marston clung to her husband's hand as they walked to their carriage. "You know, something just occurred to me."
"What's that, dear?" They were several steps behind the children and the nurse but he lowered his voice to ensure privacy.
"Three days ago there were two Sam Flanagans." She looked up with swimming eyes. "Now there aren't any at all." A smile quivered bravely on her lips but disappeared as her tears began to fall.
Marston turned and pulled her into his arms. He held her tightly as the sobs wracked her body for several minutes. Giving comfort was not something he had a great deal of experience with. He had been far more assured at making the funeral arrangements and arranging for the nurse to stay on to deal with the younger boys until Sam was feeling better.
The great sobs had changed to less emotional weeping but still Sam clung to his coat. He looked over her head at the rest of the family gathered by the carriage. Liam started to walk towards them but stopped when Marston shook his head. He gestured to his brother-in-law to return to the others, then tenderly pulled Sam upright and kissed her brow.
"Stay here while I send the others on their way." He whispered into her hair.
"All right." She sniffed indelicately but seemed to have regained her composure. Marston left her leaning against a small flowering tree that shielded her from the looks of passers-by.
The nurse was holding hands with Niall and Conn inside the carriage. Liam hovered around the steps, shifting from foot to foot in his uncertainty. Marston put his hand on his shoulder and squeezed it. Liam smiled up at him.
"Mrs. Marston and I will take a cab back to the hotel. We'll see you there." Marston slapped Liam on the shoulder. "Come on now, up you get." The boy scrambled inside. Marston nodded at the driver and the carriage lurched forward.
He turned back. Sam was directly behind him, pale but composed again. He slipped his arm around her shoulder. "Let's go find a cab."
They walked along the path to the main gate. The cemetery was not attached to any church as it was often used by the town to bury people whose religious bonds were unknown. Sam had selected the location because it contained a picturesque creek overhung with willows. It was a peaceful site and she paused at the gate to look back at it. The gravediggers were still at their work.
"Feeling better?" Marston winced. It was such a ridiculous question.
But she nodded. "Yes, actually I do." She slid her arm around his waist, uncaring of the stares of the censorious. "It was terrible to see him wasting away like that. It's a blessing that it's over."
Silence fell between them for some moments. Marston waved a cab driver over to the curb. They climbed in and settled themselves into comfortable positions.
"You know, you're lucky that you had him for all those years." Marston stared out the window, his arm still around her shoulders and his fingers playing with a strand of her hair. "My parents were killed when I was four years old. Aborigines raided our wagon train. I don't remember them very clearly."
"How awful." Sam hugged him tightly. "You know, I really don't know much about you." She looked up, pensive, then kissed him.
"We've got a lifetime to answer each other's questions. And even then it probably won't be long enough." He kissed her back, then pulled her head down on his shoulder.
Sam listened to her husband's steady heartbeat through his vest as she watched the town pass by outside the window. Who was this man? What did she actually know about him? It was startling to think she'd married someone she really knew so little about.
She hugged him tighter. It had been a hectic courtship (putting it mildly!) and a traumatic beginning to their married life, but things would be different now. They could return to the ranch with the boys and start a new life together. Everything would be fine from now on.
The cab pulled up in front of the hotel and they disembarked. The doorman bowed them through the entrance with his usual dignity. Almost immediately inside the lobby they met the manager, his face drawn with concern.
"Mr. Marston, I'm afraid I have some very unfortunate news." He took a deep breath and let it out in a rush.
Sam clenched her fists at her sides. "Is it Conn? Or Niall? What happened?"
Before the manager could speak there was an explosion of noise behind them. It was Niall, bursting with news and energy. "Sam! The rooms upstairs! Someone's gone through them! Clothes and books and papers and everything's all over the place. You'd better come quick and see."