Christy looked at David and than down at his hand where he held the engagement ring out to her to take. She turned her head and looked at Neil on top of his horse staring with such raw feelings at her. *Could it be love. No he is still in love with Margaret; they are still married.* Christy shook her head and turned and ran toward the mission house; toward Miss. Alice.
"Christy!" Neil called as the love of his life high tailed it to the mission to shut him out. "You don't understand. Please let me explain."
"Leave her alone McNeill. She is mine!" David said forcefully as he walked purposefully toward Neil who was still on his stead.
Neil shook his head in anger. "She is not yours Grantland. Never has. Has she." When suddenly the door to mission house slammed shut. He looked at the door and felt his heart drop down to his feet at the final sound that the door seemed to make.
*********
Once inside the mission house away from the two men who where trying to win her heart Christy knelt to her knees and burst into tears. Raw sobs croaked out of her as she felt her heart breaking into two. "Oh God help me. I need your help now than I ever did before." She cried up to heaven.
***********
Margaret walked slowly up to the mission house and smiled deviously at the site of her husband and the new Reverend fighting over Christy Huddleson's heart. *The fools fighting over that hussy's heart. Yes that's right Christy you are an hussy just like me. You may act and believe that you are all so innocent and doing God's work here in Cutter's cap; but we both very well know that you love having two men play off to win you.* She looked at the mission house and frowned suddenly. *No that's not true. Christy is not an hussy. She is just an innocent little child still who has to figure out who God wants her to marry.* She looked back at her husband and the Reverend and shook her head and frowned.
"You two little boys stop this fighting this moment." Margaret shouted from behind.
Neil whipped his head and yelled "Margaret see what you have done now!"
David smirked. "You are still married McNeill. You can't have Christy!"
"He is not married any longer. I had the marriage allude." Margaret said as she walked to the two men.
"What!" both Neil and David said shocked.
Margaret took out an legal document from her purse and handed it first to Neil to read. "It's all there Neil I came by the cabin today to tell you that you are free once more."
"Than why in the blazes did you go on and on about us getting back together again?" Neil growled down at his former wife.
"I real I knew Christy was on her way to see you and I wanted to see if she would have any backbone in her and fight for you." Margaret told the truth for the first time in her life.
Neil got off his horse and frowned at his former wife. "How dare you!"
"How dare thee indeed." Alice said from behind David. She looked sternly at her daughter. "What have thee done now!"
"Hello mother." Margaret smiled mother.
"Don't smile at me Margaret. Tell me what you did to Christy." Alice frowned.
*She loves Christy more than me. Her own daughter.* Margaret soul didn't feel anything expect loss. She knew than that she had lost her place as her mother's daughter in her mother's heart to Christy. *My own fault this is. I don't blame Christy for this anymore.* "I'm sorry mother. I know what I did was wrong. I know now why I did it. I was jealous of Christy for taking MY place in your heart."
Alice didn't say anything she just stared at her daughter.
David frowned at Margaret. *Why is she telling the truth now. I can have Christy if Margaret just stops talking.* He ignored God's little whisper that he; David; was not the man that God has for Christy .
"Go on..." Neil growled deep in his throat.
"I heard Christy mention that she was going to visit Neil this afternoon so I thought what an great time to play her. So I went to Neil's cabin an few minutes before she arrived and got Neil to walk by the river with me and had him cuddle me and had him about to kiss me when Christy showed up. The look on her face was such raw pain. I looked at Neil and saw the equal raw pain in his face as I did hers and I knew at that moment that I what I did was wrong. Very wrong." Margaret confessed.
***********
Christy got up from the floor and walked upstairs to her bedroom and opened her trunk. "I can't stay here any longer. I - I have to leave. It's the only way." She began to pack her trunk with her close.
**********
Neil suddenly looked up at Christy window and saw her moving back and forth. *She's leaving. I can't allow that to happen.* He turned and ran to the mission house and bursted open the door. "Christy!" He cried as he ran up the stairs.
Christy kept packing as Neil rushed into her room. He grabbed her from behind and held her so that she couldn't move. Christy tired desperately to break away from him.
"No Christy. This is not right. You can't run away." Neil whispered over and over again.
Christy broke down than and just allowed the raw sobs to come out of her sore throat.
Neil just held her as he felt her body shake from the sobs that were ripping through her.
"Let her go McNeill." David growled from behind Neil. He put his hand out to jerk Neil away from Christy when suddenly he heard ......
"Let thee be David." Alice said softly but seriously as she saw the scene before her. She knew that Christy was on the brick of losing control of herself and that removing her right than from Neil was not an good idea.
David swung around to stare at Alice and was about to tell her to mind her own business when suddenly .........
Christy screamed and fainted falling backward into Neil.
"Christy!" Neil gasped as he used his full strength to catch Christy's body into him without falling backwards.
"Get her to bed." Alice said suddenly.
Neil picked Christy up and carried her to her bed and gently placed her down on it.