Disclaimer: I own none of L. M. Montgomery's characters.
A/N: I've decided to post two chappies at once. Just felt like it. Please, please, please review. I shall plunge into the 'depths of despair' if you don't. (
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Pat felt rather sad as they left the Bay Shore farm the next day. Though the short time with her family had been wonderful, it was the first time Pat had really realized she didn't belong there anymore. She was supremely happy with Hilary, of course, but leaving one's family behind is never a pleasant experience.
She fell into a rather fitful sleep on the train. Pat had hoped to keep their as yet unnamed kitten with her and Hilary. But they had insisted on putting the poor thing in the boxcar with other baggage and pets. She was worried about her Silver Bush kitten and, during her short nap, dreamed that the kitten's carrier had fallen off the train.
Hilary woke her as they neared their stop. He knew Pat would want to make herself a little more presentable. Laura, Hilary's secretary, was supposed to meet them at the station with Hilary's car, and Pat wanted to make a good impression. Just as she was finishing her little touch-ups, the train began to slow down. Pat found to her amazement that she was terribly nervous. She suddenly realized how much she wanted Hilary's friends to like her. Hilary took her hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze as they stepped onto the platform. Among the sea of people, Pat wondered which one was Laura Patterson. She didn't have to wait long to find out.
"Hilary, you're home!"
Hilary barely had time to brace himself before he was enveloped in a hug. As Pat was soon to learn, Laura didn't have much regard for what she called 'unnecessary propriety'. To Laura, Hilary was like a son, though he was only a year younger than she, and she treated him like she treated her own two sons. Turning to Pat, however, Laura did blush a little.
"I'm sorry. You must think I'm terribly rude. I'm Laura Patterson. And you must be Pat. Or would you like me to call you Mrs. Gordon? Of course, that's the proper thing to do. Hilary and I, we don't waste time with 'proper' titles and such. But if you prefer Mrs. Gordon, that's fine with me. But you must call me Laura. Hilary has told me so much about you but his description didn't half do you justice. You're very pretty, Mrs. Gordon. You mustn't mind my little hug. I think of Hilary as one of my children. I have three, you know. Oh, but listen to me babbling on. I'm sure you're tired after such a long trip. The car's just down there, Hilary. Why don't you two go on? I'll settle everything with the luggage."
As quickly as she had come, she was gone and Pat was left feeling a bit dazed. She looked up at Hilary, who laughed at the expression on her face.
"She's a whirlwind, isn't she? But she's one of the most organized people I've ever met. Several of the men at the firm envy me for my secretary. But not one of them had the sense to hire her when she first applied for a position there."
Pat had begun to recover her senses as Hilary steered her towards the car. Her mind replayed the scene. Laura did seem like a wonderful person. Any thought of jealousy Pat might have had about the hug had evaporated during Laura's speech. Obviously, she was simply a vivacious woman with a very big heart. Pat concentrated on Laura physically, trying to imprint her in her mind. She wasn't pretty in the universal sense of the word, but she was very striking. Laura was tall, taller than Pat by about an inch or two, with dark red hair and violet eyes. Her complexion was dark for a redhead and her mouth curled up at the ends, as if she were always giving you a hint of a smile. But Pat, as she ruminated on this, concluded that all these things gave Laura Patterson more of a distinction.
They reached the car and Pat realized she didn't really want to sit yet. It seemed to her that she had been sitting long enough. Hilary agreed and so they stood there, waiting for Laura. Pat took the chance to ask about Hilary's secretary again. She had asked him about Laura a week after they were married, but he had refused to discuss anything related to his job, even Laura. Now, though, he related more about her.
"I hired her about a year ago. She seemed unconventional and I always have liked unconventional people. We got along famously from the start. She mothered me to death, Pat, and I enjoyed every minute of it. We became friends and I started going with her and her children to the movies, over to their house for dinner and things like that. I tell you this, Pat, because it's entirely likely that you'll be hearing some rather vicious gossip these next few months."
Hilary's eyes flashed dangerously despite his attempt to control his emotions. Even now, he was hurt and angry by the accusations that had circulated around his office about Laura and himself. At the time, he was only angry for Laura's sake. But, now that he had Pat, he had to protect her from these rumors.
"Most of the rumors were innocent enough. Laura and I just laughed them off. It seems we began 'dating' right after I hired her. After a couple of weeks we were engaged. We thought it all very funny. Laura already knew about you. How much I loved you was no secret to her. She was the only one in my office that I had told about our friendship and things like that. Laura's very trustworthy and easy to open up to. In that regard, she reminded me of you a little. And I knew that Laura was still in love with her husband."
"Who's her husband?"
"Kenneth Patterson was his name. He and Laura met in college, married, and settled down in California. Kenneth was in the U.S. Navy. They had their three children there. You'll like those kids, Pat. Alan is eleven. He's the oldest. And the twins, Matthew and Margaret, are seven. But don't call them by those names. He prefers Matt and she is always called Maggie."
"Where is Kenneth now?"
"Well, it seems that he's been missing for the past six years. There was a bad storm one night while he was out at sea. When it was over, they couldn't find him. They searched everywhere, but there was no sign of him. Laura hasn't given up, though. She's convinced he's out there, somewhere. She only moved up here because her brother and his wife live here. They're the only family she's got left. When they decided to move back to the states, she declared she liked it here. She got a job, with me of course, and she and the children live in a little house not too far from us."
"She must be a very strong woman," Pat remarked.
"She is," agreed Hilary. "But nothing ever went on between us, Pat. I need you to believe that."
"Why, Hilary, of course I believe it!" exclaimed Pat, shocked and more than a little worried that Hilary would think her incapable of believing him.
"There are some people I work with, Pat, who just aren't very nice. They refuse to believe that a relationship between a man and a woman can be innocent. These people will be dropping hints and trying to get you upset over the next few months. You must ignore them."
"I will, darling. How could they think such things about you? You're one of the most honorable men I've ever known and Laura certainly doesn't seem to be any different."
As further evidence of her trust, Pat gave Hilary a kiss on his cheek and a fierce hug. Laura found them thus when she returned with a small, gray kitten.
"They'll be sending the luggage to the house later on this afternoon," she explained. "I was sure, though, that you would want this package right away."
Pat thanked Laura over and over for rescuing her kitten from the boxcar. In all the excitement, the kitten had been put on the back burner of Pat's mind. Now, Pat held her and cuddled her all the way to Laura's house until Hilary was quite disgusted. Laura found it all very amusing.
Once they reached Laura's home, she insisted that they go on to their own house.
"You've had a long trip. And the last thing either of you need is to be bombarded with questions from my three musketeers. You're both invited to our house tomorrow, of course. We'll have a picnic. How does that sound?"
Both Pat and Hilary agreed to this plan and were soon on their way again. They didn't have to drive very far. Pat knew the house as soon as she saw it.
"Oh, Hilary! It's wonderful!" she cried, grabbing his arm.
Hilary shook her hand off his arm, trying to concentrate on his driving, but he couldn't stop the grin from spreading across his face. They pulled up to the house and Pat didn't even wait for Hilary to get out and open her door for her. She bounded out of the car and up the front steps, then turned around and waited for her husband. He purposely slowed his pace to irritate her a little. But once he was with her, she rewarded him with a spectacular kiss, ignoring the meek protests of the kitten she still held in her arms. When she pulled back, she was smiling up at him.
"I'm home," she whispered. A light came into his eyes then and he whisked her up in his arms, kitten and all, and crossed the threshold into their home.
A/N: All for now. Maybe one or two more chapters on this one. Then I'll start on the new story. But only if you want me to. Ruby Gillis-Thanks for the reply to my review on your Marigold story. I wish I could write one on Marigold but, alas, my 'Magic for Marigold' book disappeared somewhere between my parent's home and my new home when I got married. If any one knows where I could get another copy, please tell me. My local library only has three of the 'Anne' books (sad, isn't it) so I know they don't have that one. Read and review, please.
A/N: I've decided to post two chappies at once. Just felt like it. Please, please, please review. I shall plunge into the 'depths of despair' if you don't. (
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Pat felt rather sad as they left the Bay Shore farm the next day. Though the short time with her family had been wonderful, it was the first time Pat had really realized she didn't belong there anymore. She was supremely happy with Hilary, of course, but leaving one's family behind is never a pleasant experience.
She fell into a rather fitful sleep on the train. Pat had hoped to keep their as yet unnamed kitten with her and Hilary. But they had insisted on putting the poor thing in the boxcar with other baggage and pets. She was worried about her Silver Bush kitten and, during her short nap, dreamed that the kitten's carrier had fallen off the train.
Hilary woke her as they neared their stop. He knew Pat would want to make herself a little more presentable. Laura, Hilary's secretary, was supposed to meet them at the station with Hilary's car, and Pat wanted to make a good impression. Just as she was finishing her little touch-ups, the train began to slow down. Pat found to her amazement that she was terribly nervous. She suddenly realized how much she wanted Hilary's friends to like her. Hilary took her hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze as they stepped onto the platform. Among the sea of people, Pat wondered which one was Laura Patterson. She didn't have to wait long to find out.
"Hilary, you're home!"
Hilary barely had time to brace himself before he was enveloped in a hug. As Pat was soon to learn, Laura didn't have much regard for what she called 'unnecessary propriety'. To Laura, Hilary was like a son, though he was only a year younger than she, and she treated him like she treated her own two sons. Turning to Pat, however, Laura did blush a little.
"I'm sorry. You must think I'm terribly rude. I'm Laura Patterson. And you must be Pat. Or would you like me to call you Mrs. Gordon? Of course, that's the proper thing to do. Hilary and I, we don't waste time with 'proper' titles and such. But if you prefer Mrs. Gordon, that's fine with me. But you must call me Laura. Hilary has told me so much about you but his description didn't half do you justice. You're very pretty, Mrs. Gordon. You mustn't mind my little hug. I think of Hilary as one of my children. I have three, you know. Oh, but listen to me babbling on. I'm sure you're tired after such a long trip. The car's just down there, Hilary. Why don't you two go on? I'll settle everything with the luggage."
As quickly as she had come, she was gone and Pat was left feeling a bit dazed. She looked up at Hilary, who laughed at the expression on her face.
"She's a whirlwind, isn't she? But she's one of the most organized people I've ever met. Several of the men at the firm envy me for my secretary. But not one of them had the sense to hire her when she first applied for a position there."
Pat had begun to recover her senses as Hilary steered her towards the car. Her mind replayed the scene. Laura did seem like a wonderful person. Any thought of jealousy Pat might have had about the hug had evaporated during Laura's speech. Obviously, she was simply a vivacious woman with a very big heart. Pat concentrated on Laura physically, trying to imprint her in her mind. She wasn't pretty in the universal sense of the word, but she was very striking. Laura was tall, taller than Pat by about an inch or two, with dark red hair and violet eyes. Her complexion was dark for a redhead and her mouth curled up at the ends, as if she were always giving you a hint of a smile. But Pat, as she ruminated on this, concluded that all these things gave Laura Patterson more of a distinction.
They reached the car and Pat realized she didn't really want to sit yet. It seemed to her that she had been sitting long enough. Hilary agreed and so they stood there, waiting for Laura. Pat took the chance to ask about Hilary's secretary again. She had asked him about Laura a week after they were married, but he had refused to discuss anything related to his job, even Laura. Now, though, he related more about her.
"I hired her about a year ago. She seemed unconventional and I always have liked unconventional people. We got along famously from the start. She mothered me to death, Pat, and I enjoyed every minute of it. We became friends and I started going with her and her children to the movies, over to their house for dinner and things like that. I tell you this, Pat, because it's entirely likely that you'll be hearing some rather vicious gossip these next few months."
Hilary's eyes flashed dangerously despite his attempt to control his emotions. Even now, he was hurt and angry by the accusations that had circulated around his office about Laura and himself. At the time, he was only angry for Laura's sake. But, now that he had Pat, he had to protect her from these rumors.
"Most of the rumors were innocent enough. Laura and I just laughed them off. It seems we began 'dating' right after I hired her. After a couple of weeks we were engaged. We thought it all very funny. Laura already knew about you. How much I loved you was no secret to her. She was the only one in my office that I had told about our friendship and things like that. Laura's very trustworthy and easy to open up to. In that regard, she reminded me of you a little. And I knew that Laura was still in love with her husband."
"Who's her husband?"
"Kenneth Patterson was his name. He and Laura met in college, married, and settled down in California. Kenneth was in the U.S. Navy. They had their three children there. You'll like those kids, Pat. Alan is eleven. He's the oldest. And the twins, Matthew and Margaret, are seven. But don't call them by those names. He prefers Matt and she is always called Maggie."
"Where is Kenneth now?"
"Well, it seems that he's been missing for the past six years. There was a bad storm one night while he was out at sea. When it was over, they couldn't find him. They searched everywhere, but there was no sign of him. Laura hasn't given up, though. She's convinced he's out there, somewhere. She only moved up here because her brother and his wife live here. They're the only family she's got left. When they decided to move back to the states, she declared she liked it here. She got a job, with me of course, and she and the children live in a little house not too far from us."
"She must be a very strong woman," Pat remarked.
"She is," agreed Hilary. "But nothing ever went on between us, Pat. I need you to believe that."
"Why, Hilary, of course I believe it!" exclaimed Pat, shocked and more than a little worried that Hilary would think her incapable of believing him.
"There are some people I work with, Pat, who just aren't very nice. They refuse to believe that a relationship between a man and a woman can be innocent. These people will be dropping hints and trying to get you upset over the next few months. You must ignore them."
"I will, darling. How could they think such things about you? You're one of the most honorable men I've ever known and Laura certainly doesn't seem to be any different."
As further evidence of her trust, Pat gave Hilary a kiss on his cheek and a fierce hug. Laura found them thus when she returned with a small, gray kitten.
"They'll be sending the luggage to the house later on this afternoon," she explained. "I was sure, though, that you would want this package right away."
Pat thanked Laura over and over for rescuing her kitten from the boxcar. In all the excitement, the kitten had been put on the back burner of Pat's mind. Now, Pat held her and cuddled her all the way to Laura's house until Hilary was quite disgusted. Laura found it all very amusing.
Once they reached Laura's home, she insisted that they go on to their own house.
"You've had a long trip. And the last thing either of you need is to be bombarded with questions from my three musketeers. You're both invited to our house tomorrow, of course. We'll have a picnic. How does that sound?"
Both Pat and Hilary agreed to this plan and were soon on their way again. They didn't have to drive very far. Pat knew the house as soon as she saw it.
"Oh, Hilary! It's wonderful!" she cried, grabbing his arm.
Hilary shook her hand off his arm, trying to concentrate on his driving, but he couldn't stop the grin from spreading across his face. They pulled up to the house and Pat didn't even wait for Hilary to get out and open her door for her. She bounded out of the car and up the front steps, then turned around and waited for her husband. He purposely slowed his pace to irritate her a little. But once he was with her, she rewarded him with a spectacular kiss, ignoring the meek protests of the kitten she still held in her arms. When she pulled back, she was smiling up at him.
"I'm home," she whispered. A light came into his eyes then and he whisked her up in his arms, kitten and all, and crossed the threshold into their home.
A/N: All for now. Maybe one or two more chapters on this one. Then I'll start on the new story. But only if you want me to. Ruby Gillis-Thanks for the reply to my review on your Marigold story. I wish I could write one on Marigold but, alas, my 'Magic for Marigold' book disappeared somewhere between my parent's home and my new home when I got married. If any one knows where I could get another copy, please tell me. My local library only has three of the 'Anne' books (sad, isn't it) so I know they don't have that one. Read and review, please.