A/N
Sorry it took so long to write, Felicity is not such an easy character,
thanks for the reviews, I have a good idea I'm developing for Jack and
Keith so wait for that.
Please excuse my grammar (I'm Israeli what do you expect?). Guffa I tried
to respond to your review on my other story-for some reason it wasn't
posted with the rest of my story-honestly I'll never figure comports out.
Well anyway I'll try to post it again.
I know this is long, please be patient.
Please Read and review.
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Carlisle was a small village in Prince Edward Island Canada. Like small villages around the world, it too had a village fool, a village gossip (it actually had quite a few of those) and a village belle. Felicity King was the beauty of Carlisle, renowned throughout the Island. At eighteen, she was in her prime. Six months earlier she had lost her younger sister to consumption. The poor girl was never really well and was not expected to live as long as she did. Losing her sister Cecily, had made felicity even more beautiful. A little bit of sorrow always makes people look pensive, adding a perception of depth, not always truly there.
Felicity had other good traits to her credit besides her God given looks. She was a natural born housekeeper and was very continuos of good manners. Above all that, the King family had a long history on the Island and a prosperous farm, rightfully so, they held their heads high. As very well imagined, she was considered 'a great catch' (one may think such a consideration a bit crude). Felicity was very much aware of her status among Island young men (and their mothers). Humility never was one of her virtues. Many young men paid their attentions to her, she had a companion for every night of the week if so she wished. Felicity King defied the common assumption she would be married by her nineteenth birthday. Indeed, her twentieth birthday came and went and she was still Felicity King of Carlisle, still the village belle.
Many theories explained this phenomenon, some said she was too arrogant, no one was enough for a Carlisle King. Others said she had not yet recovered from her sister Cecily's death. Another theory was that she was cold hearted and never intends to marry, she wishes to be an old maid her whole life and have the run of the King house. An opposing theory claimed she was secretly in love with a man who never asked her, admittedly, not many held this opinion. Truth be told, it was probably a combination of all the above reasons and more.
The Great War broke out as Felicity began her twenty first year on this earth. One by one Carlisle had become empty of young men. One of the first Carlisle young men to join the ranks was Dan King Felicity's brother. Dan King clearly was formed from another mold than his sister, no two siblings could be more different. As beautiful as Felicity was Dan was not much to look at putting it politely, his crowning feature being his rather long mouth. While Felicity was the picture of decorum and self-control, Dan did as he pleased without worrying too much what others thought or said. Dan was adventurous on the verge of reckless at times Felicity, on the other hand, was the essence of self-reserve and caution. As many siblings world wide Felicity and Dan tended to goad and tease each other senselessly. While Cecily was alive she was a peacemaker and during the many years of her illness she remained a reason for them to be civil to one another.
Brother and sister had grown apart in the years following Cecily's death. Felicity did not realize how much she actually did love her brother until he was gone. Dan was deep in the trenches before Felicity came to a realization she might lose the last sibling she had. Felicity was not a distinguished writer, nor was Dan, but they did correspond semi regularly during the war years. Felicity turned all her mothering instincts to worrying over her brother. Many a young Island man had asked Felicity to write to them as they left for war, she invariably answered, "there is only one soldier I write to, my brother."
As 1914 turned to 1915 and 1915 faded into 1916, Carlisle as the Island and the whole of Canada was empty of young men. The King farm that had once been a gathering for young people was empty. Felicity who once reigned as queen of Carlisle's young men had become queen of the young women. Felicity King had a mother's soul, even as a child. Now she had an outlet for her God given talents. Felicity had organized a Red Cross sowing circle that drew young and old women into the war effort. A bake sale was organized with the proceeds to benefit war orphans and widows. The one bake sale was a success and was followed by monthly such sales. Felicity threw herself into the good work, she was at her element but somewhere inside she felt a nagging emptiness.
There was one gentleman who called regularly at the King farm, a divinity student by the name of Peter Craig. Peter Craig had come a long way from being Uncle Robert and Aunt Olivia King's hired boy who laughed out loud his first time going to church. He had not even known if he were Presbyterian or Methodist. This heathen of a boy devoid of manners or a proper upbringing had another vital fault. Peter Craig's father had been a godless man and to make matters worse he ran off leaving Peter and his mother all alone and penniless, his mother was forced to take in washing and send her son to work in order to keep food on the table. The shame of those years had subsided, Peter had become a god fearing Presbyterian, he had learned manners from his friends and Aunt Olivia. Peter's father had returned and much to Carlisle people's he was a reformed man. Peter had eradicated the stain of his upbringing and early years by taking up his calling as a man of God. Carlisle had forgiven Peter but Felicity could not.
Felicity would admit to herself that having Peter around filled some of the void in her soul, she would not admit anything more. Peter, was in love with Felicity, as was evident to all who saw him around her. Felicity herself was very well aware of that fact, his three failed proposals gave her some clue. Felicity did not believe in a love that was so overpowering that would cause someone to lose control. To Felicity Peter had made a fool of himself, she would never stoop to that level. Peter must know they had no future together, he was a Craig she was a King no more need be said.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
In spring of 1916, the Great War had been raging through Europe for two and a half years. Peter Craig had graduated from divinity school and was now a full-fledged Presbyterian minister. Peter had come to see Felicity the day of his graduation. Felicity was very proud of his achievement, "fancy Aunt Olivia and Uncle Robert's handyman becoming a minister. Who would have thought? Why it makes him almost respectable." Felicity said to herself. Deep inside her soul, in a place that did not speak, it did not think or have contact with Felicity's mind her heart felt something else. Felicity was only remotely aware of an over powering emotion, she could not define when she opened the door to him. Felicity's heart made a summersault while her mind thought "I hope he won't make another foolish proposal this time, being a minister doesn't mean he's not a Craig anymore. He must think that now he's a minister I'll change my mind."
Peter Craig had not come to propose to Felicity, he had been burned three times too many. He had come to tell her he was going to war, he had enlisted earlier that day and would be leaving for basic training in the morning.
When the Pied Piper came to Hamlin he bewitched the town's children to follow him into a cave in a mountain, the entrance had closed on them and they were never seen again. Not all Hamlin's children had been able to keep up with the Piper, one child was lame and was not able to follow the others into the cave. This child was saved, but forever he must have dwelled on all he had missed. Peter had watched all his boyhood playmates as they went to war, his neighbors and relations too. By 1916 not many able bodied young men were left on the Island. Peter had no strong desire to go to war but he felt it was just something he had to do. Every one else had gone and so must he. The Piper had not called Peter, his followers had.
"Peter, what a surprise." Said Felicity as she opened the door to him. "Please come in. Congratulations, I can't believe you are really a minister. Do you have a parish in mind yet?" Felicity may have been leading him along a certain path.
"I'm not taking on a parish, well at least not right now." Was Peter's reply.
Peter's answer took Felicity by surprise. "So what are you going to do? Why have you spent all those years at divinity school if you weren't going to become a minister?"
"Felicity, I've enlisted. I came to tell you I'm leaving for basic training in the morning, then I will join the Canadian boys fighting in Europe."
If Peter had come to tell her he had decided to run off and join the circus she would not have been more surprised. For some reason, she had come to believe Peter would always be around. Felicity could not fathom Carlisle without Peter.
"I've come to say good bye, Felicity. And I'd like to ask you something." Peter was very solemn, he seemed to Felicity the perfect specimen of ministerhood.
Felicity's heart did something she never imagined it could do, it jumped up into her throat and then completely stopped beating. Her heart had regained it's rhythm in time for her to feel ashamed of it's behavior. She had control over her mind but not always over her heart. Every iota of her being was screaming "YES" and this was before she had heard the question.
Perhaps if Peter could see the battles Felicity was fighting, he would have asked another question, but Felicity was not one to wear her heart on her sleeve
"May I write to you?" He asked.
Felicity did not feel a thing and quickly answered, "You know you couldn't, Peter. Really, you shouldn't have asked. Don't you know the only soldier I write to is Dan? I'm sorry, it would be almost as if we had an understanding. Which of course you know would be quite impossible."
Peter did know it was quite impossible. "Yes, you've made that quite clear. Good Bye, I guess," he said, the latter with a degree of hesitance. He was reluctant to leave but he could not find a reason to stay.
"Do you have to leave so soon?" asked Felicity. She was searching for something, but couldn't find it.
"I'm afraid I have no choice." If he were a better orator one would have been able to discern the double meaning in his words. Perhaps if Felicity had a gift of perception she'd understand it anyway.
Peter turned around and started walking away from the King Farm. At that moment Felicity did something that was completely out of character for her. She never did regret her one slip where she let her heart have the upper hand, though she had been ashamed at times.
Felicity ran after Peter Craig as she had never run as a young girl. She caught up to him gave him a large hug and kissed his cheek. "Take care of yourself, I can't lose you." Then she was gone as fast as she came.
* * * * * * * * * * * * Sara Ray was a girlhood friend of Felicity King, alas, she was not blessed with, beauty, charm wit or grace. She was a poor soul who shared fond memories of an innocent childhood long gone by.
Sara Ray had come over to Felicity King's house so they could discuss the preparations for the big bake sale the next week in honor of war widows and orphans.
"The last of our gang has gone off to war." Said Sara Ray, she had a tendency towards melodrama. "Peter came over yesterday evening and we spent HOURS talking about our childhood exploits. It seems as if it were only yesterday Peter was so ill we thought he would die. I guess God saved him then, knowing he was doomed to die in the fields of war." Sara Ray proceeded to cry into her practical white linen handkerchief. "I have SUCH a bad feeling about Peter I just know something bad will happen to him."
Felicity was used to Sara Ray going into hysterics for no solid reason at all. Today she felt as though she was on the brink of tears. But she did not cry, not then. Felicity King does not cry in the open for anyone to see her, even at the death of her sister she had mourned alone in her now solitary room.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
January of 1917 found Felicity King as beautiful as ever but lonely. Even she would admit to herself that she was lonely. Most of her girlhood friends were either married or engaged to a young man overseas, or the luckier ones to a man who did not go over seas for various reasons. The girls who were neither all seemed to have a sweetheart in arms. Felicity had found it increasingly difficult around these girls, soldiering and lovemaking was all they would talk about. Felicity was interested in neither, or so she said to her self.
That January Mrs. Janet and Miss Felicity King were hosting the Red Cross sowing circle at their house. The young women were at the height of their chattering and Felicity had never felt lonelier in her life. Felicity happened to catch a few words from the story Sara Ray was telling her. ".Peter claims the French winter is not nearly as cold as the Canadian winter." Was Peter writing to Sara Ray? Felicity had to know, without divulging any of her private affairs (or lack their of) with Peter Craig.
"Oh he writes of the WEATHER to you," she said condescendingly "he never mentions the WEATHER in his letters to ME." Felicity was not a liar, he indeed had written NOTHING in his letters to her, certainly he had not mentioned a word about the weather.
"I'm sure he has more IMPORTANT things to say to you." Was Sara Ray's sly reply.
Felicity blushed till the roots of her beautiful hair, even blushing she was a beauty. If only Sara Ray knew the truth. Felicity had not received one letter from Peter since the day he left her doorstep the previous spring. Felicity could not understand her own disappointment, she explicitly had asked him not to write and he didn't. Still she would wait patiently for the mail everyday and was disappointed when inevitably there was no letter from Peter.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
In March Felicity went into Carlisle's new General Store run by Rudy McLoud. "You must be v'ry proud, Felicity. I hear the news jus' like inny one else on the Island. Don't be coy with ol' Rudy. Take what ever you want free of charge, it ain't every day someone like you buys here " Rudy said. Felicity had not the most remote idea what Rudy McLoud was on about. She tried to deny the gesture but could not stand up to Rudy McLoud.
On the way home she was sure Mrs. Ezekiel Andrews and Mrs. Jonah Burns had stopped their lively gossip as she happened upon them on the street. Mrs. Jonah Burns nudged Mrs. Ezekiel Andrews who finally said, "Felicity I'm sure you're very proud. We always knew he had it in him." The ladies continued with their walk. Felicity could not for the life of her imagine what people were on about.
That evening she received a card inviting her to a reception honoring the Heroes of the British Empire held by Mrs. Agatha Grant a minor Island celebrity, known for her parties Island wide. An invitation to her receptions was a most coveted honor by Island young folk. Felicity was beside herself with the distinguished honor, but she still could not fathom due to what or whom it was bestowed upon her.
Latter that evening Sara Ray came over to have a chat with the heroin by proxy. Even to Sara Ray her lifelong friend she could not admit she had no idea of the reason she seemed to have been held in such high regard by an increasing amount of people. Even her own mother had given her a second helping of pie for dessert and had insisted on clearing up herself with no help from Felicity. When left to their selves Sara Ray said, "I always knew Peter was the one who would do something really great. Everyone thought it would be the Story Girl or even Bev but I always knew it would be Peter. To think you are practically engaged to a hero. How lucky for you, the closest I ever got to an engagement was when I was fifteen and Joey Randel said he'd even settle for me if Bertha May wouldn't have him. But she did, so will never know what would have happened."
"I'm not engaged to Peter Craig." Felicity exclaimed at what seemed to her as a preposterous accusation.
"Of course you're not," said Sara Ray. "You wouldn't go around letting every one in on your secrets, not you."
"But I'm not" Protested Felicity.
"I know, I won't tell anyone, even though every one thinks they know. Now that Peter is a war hero you'll be celebrities, living like royalty. You probably won't have time for simple folk like me." Sara Ray began to cry yet again into her practical boring handkerchief.
"Sara Ray heaven knows you'll always make sure I'll have time for you." Felicity answered. For some reason this made Sara Ray calm down.
* * * * * * * * * * *
Alone in her room that night Felicity tried to piece together the day's events. She knew peter must have committed some act of extreme bravery in order to receive the reaction he had from the Islanders. In fact a few years would pass before Felicity would get a full picture of things.
She surmised some from the front page of the Charlottetown paper that arrived in Carlisle the next day. LOCAL BOY SAVES ENTIRE PLATOON the article went on to explain how Lance Corporal Peter Craig of Carlisle had saved his entire platoon after landing in an ambush by German soldiers. The Germans identified the platoon and opened fire on it, Lance Corporal Peter Craig was several times he had not lost his cool but began shouting in German: "Don't shoot we are friends". It never was clear if he had realized that he'd been shouting in German. Peter had studied German the previous year had started dreaming in German. The Germans thought they had mistakenly opened fire on a friendly platoon so they quickly vacated the area to prevent an eventual court martial.
Felicity stayed awake all night, the first time in her whole life. For some reason all of Carlisle and as it seemed most of the Island considered her all but engaged to Peter Craig. Not one nasty word was said to her, not even a condescending glance or a murmur of disapproval. Further more, it seemed to every one she met as the most natural evolution of their childhood relationship. Apparently no one else thought a Craig was not good enough for a King. Even Felicity herself had stopped thinking that, her only worry was that she, Felicity King an uneducated country girl was not good enough for Peter Craig a War Hero.
Felicity cried that night, not the hysterical sobs Sara Ray was known to shed, but the tears of a women in love with a man in danger, and worse-a man who no longer loved her.
Had she not acted against her nature and given into impulse hugging and kissing Peter before he'd left (albeit on the cheek). If that did not say she loved him and wanted nothing more than to be Mrs. Peter Craig nothing could. (Apparently it did not occur to Felicity that refusing the man three times might have given the wrong message). Peter had not written her and she missed him so much. The newspaper said he'd been injured, Felicity was sick with worry. What if he was maimed and she would not be able to marry him once he cam back to her.
Felicity sat and wrote a letter to Peter, in it she wove all the youthful, lovely hopes and dreams that young lovers hope and dream. She ended the letter with the wish that she might some day soon become a young mister's wife and live on Prince Edward Island or any other place Peter Craig would go. Felicity was not a writer (unlike a first cousin of hers) but even this letter was beautiful for it was full of love.
Many, miles away, oceans apart in fact, Peter Craig sat in a military hospital in France writing a very similar letter as the one Felicity had written to him. Coming very close to death, yet another time in his life had brought Peter to a recognition that he must try again. Running out to him must have been a sign. How could he have missed it? Felicity loved him as he loved her. It was a reality at once, he just knew, as she just knew.
Felicity sent the letter care of the only soldier she ever wrote to, her brother Dan. Dan had received the letter resisted the urge to open it and somehow had it sent to Peter. At the very moment Peter received his letter Felicity had received hers. Responding letters were sent and Peter was finally coming home. His injuries were not grave but they would not allow him to continue and fight, he had lost the ability to hear out of his left ear and suffered abrasions in his chest and forehead.
* * * * * * * * * * * * Felicity King never was the child bride she'd been expected to be, no longer the village Belle (a sixteen year old Edwards had taken the title) she was a sober and practical twenty-four year old bride.
A year after Felicity and Peter were wed, Felicity gave birth to a lovely chubby baby boy. This boy was definitely a King baby as any baby of Felicity's would be. This baby needed a distinguished name full of rich family history and dignity. She would name him Alexander for her father (Alec King was very proud of his first grandson) and as any mother would for her family name. Many a friend and relative tried to dissuade Felicity, some had come to Peter for assistance, all to no avail. The poor little boy as christened Alexander King Craig. The boy's parents called him Alexander, his teachers Alex but alas any other person who came in contact with him for the rest of his days he would be called anything but. He was called King, His Royal Highness, His Majesty, Royal, Majesty, HRH and so on and so forth. This is the story how Alexander Craig became King.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Carlisle was a small village in Prince Edward Island Canada. Like small villages around the world, it too had a village fool, a village gossip (it actually had quite a few of those) and a village belle. Felicity King was the beauty of Carlisle, renowned throughout the Island. At eighteen, she was in her prime. Six months earlier she had lost her younger sister to consumption. The poor girl was never really well and was not expected to live as long as she did. Losing her sister Cecily, had made felicity even more beautiful. A little bit of sorrow always makes people look pensive, adding a perception of depth, not always truly there.
Felicity had other good traits to her credit besides her God given looks. She was a natural born housekeeper and was very continuos of good manners. Above all that, the King family had a long history on the Island and a prosperous farm, rightfully so, they held their heads high. As very well imagined, she was considered 'a great catch' (one may think such a consideration a bit crude). Felicity was very much aware of her status among Island young men (and their mothers). Humility never was one of her virtues. Many young men paid their attentions to her, she had a companion for every night of the week if so she wished. Felicity King defied the common assumption she would be married by her nineteenth birthday. Indeed, her twentieth birthday came and went and she was still Felicity King of Carlisle, still the village belle.
Many theories explained this phenomenon, some said she was too arrogant, no one was enough for a Carlisle King. Others said she had not yet recovered from her sister Cecily's death. Another theory was that she was cold hearted and never intends to marry, she wishes to be an old maid her whole life and have the run of the King house. An opposing theory claimed she was secretly in love with a man who never asked her, admittedly, not many held this opinion. Truth be told, it was probably a combination of all the above reasons and more.
The Great War broke out as Felicity began her twenty first year on this earth. One by one Carlisle had become empty of young men. One of the first Carlisle young men to join the ranks was Dan King Felicity's brother. Dan King clearly was formed from another mold than his sister, no two siblings could be more different. As beautiful as Felicity was Dan was not much to look at putting it politely, his crowning feature being his rather long mouth. While Felicity was the picture of decorum and self-control, Dan did as he pleased without worrying too much what others thought or said. Dan was adventurous on the verge of reckless at times Felicity, on the other hand, was the essence of self-reserve and caution. As many siblings world wide Felicity and Dan tended to goad and tease each other senselessly. While Cecily was alive she was a peacemaker and during the many years of her illness she remained a reason for them to be civil to one another.
Brother and sister had grown apart in the years following Cecily's death. Felicity did not realize how much she actually did love her brother until he was gone. Dan was deep in the trenches before Felicity came to a realization she might lose the last sibling she had. Felicity was not a distinguished writer, nor was Dan, but they did correspond semi regularly during the war years. Felicity turned all her mothering instincts to worrying over her brother. Many a young Island man had asked Felicity to write to them as they left for war, she invariably answered, "there is only one soldier I write to, my brother."
As 1914 turned to 1915 and 1915 faded into 1916, Carlisle as the Island and the whole of Canada was empty of young men. The King farm that had once been a gathering for young people was empty. Felicity who once reigned as queen of Carlisle's young men had become queen of the young women. Felicity King had a mother's soul, even as a child. Now she had an outlet for her God given talents. Felicity had organized a Red Cross sowing circle that drew young and old women into the war effort. A bake sale was organized with the proceeds to benefit war orphans and widows. The one bake sale was a success and was followed by monthly such sales. Felicity threw herself into the good work, she was at her element but somewhere inside she felt a nagging emptiness.
There was one gentleman who called regularly at the King farm, a divinity student by the name of Peter Craig. Peter Craig had come a long way from being Uncle Robert and Aunt Olivia King's hired boy who laughed out loud his first time going to church. He had not even known if he were Presbyterian or Methodist. This heathen of a boy devoid of manners or a proper upbringing had another vital fault. Peter Craig's father had been a godless man and to make matters worse he ran off leaving Peter and his mother all alone and penniless, his mother was forced to take in washing and send her son to work in order to keep food on the table. The shame of those years had subsided, Peter had become a god fearing Presbyterian, he had learned manners from his friends and Aunt Olivia. Peter's father had returned and much to Carlisle people's he was a reformed man. Peter had eradicated the stain of his upbringing and early years by taking up his calling as a man of God. Carlisle had forgiven Peter but Felicity could not.
Felicity would admit to herself that having Peter around filled some of the void in her soul, she would not admit anything more. Peter, was in love with Felicity, as was evident to all who saw him around her. Felicity herself was very well aware of that fact, his three failed proposals gave her some clue. Felicity did not believe in a love that was so overpowering that would cause someone to lose control. To Felicity Peter had made a fool of himself, she would never stoop to that level. Peter must know they had no future together, he was a Craig she was a King no more need be said.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
In spring of 1916, the Great War had been raging through Europe for two and a half years. Peter Craig had graduated from divinity school and was now a full-fledged Presbyterian minister. Peter had come to see Felicity the day of his graduation. Felicity was very proud of his achievement, "fancy Aunt Olivia and Uncle Robert's handyman becoming a minister. Who would have thought? Why it makes him almost respectable." Felicity said to herself. Deep inside her soul, in a place that did not speak, it did not think or have contact with Felicity's mind her heart felt something else. Felicity was only remotely aware of an over powering emotion, she could not define when she opened the door to him. Felicity's heart made a summersault while her mind thought "I hope he won't make another foolish proposal this time, being a minister doesn't mean he's not a Craig anymore. He must think that now he's a minister I'll change my mind."
Peter Craig had not come to propose to Felicity, he had been burned three times too many. He had come to tell her he was going to war, he had enlisted earlier that day and would be leaving for basic training in the morning.
When the Pied Piper came to Hamlin he bewitched the town's children to follow him into a cave in a mountain, the entrance had closed on them and they were never seen again. Not all Hamlin's children had been able to keep up with the Piper, one child was lame and was not able to follow the others into the cave. This child was saved, but forever he must have dwelled on all he had missed. Peter had watched all his boyhood playmates as they went to war, his neighbors and relations too. By 1916 not many able bodied young men were left on the Island. Peter had no strong desire to go to war but he felt it was just something he had to do. Every one else had gone and so must he. The Piper had not called Peter, his followers had.
"Peter, what a surprise." Said Felicity as she opened the door to him. "Please come in. Congratulations, I can't believe you are really a minister. Do you have a parish in mind yet?" Felicity may have been leading him along a certain path.
"I'm not taking on a parish, well at least not right now." Was Peter's reply.
Peter's answer took Felicity by surprise. "So what are you going to do? Why have you spent all those years at divinity school if you weren't going to become a minister?"
"Felicity, I've enlisted. I came to tell you I'm leaving for basic training in the morning, then I will join the Canadian boys fighting in Europe."
If Peter had come to tell her he had decided to run off and join the circus she would not have been more surprised. For some reason, she had come to believe Peter would always be around. Felicity could not fathom Carlisle without Peter.
"I've come to say good bye, Felicity. And I'd like to ask you something." Peter was very solemn, he seemed to Felicity the perfect specimen of ministerhood.
Felicity's heart did something she never imagined it could do, it jumped up into her throat and then completely stopped beating. Her heart had regained it's rhythm in time for her to feel ashamed of it's behavior. She had control over her mind but not always over her heart. Every iota of her being was screaming "YES" and this was before she had heard the question.
Perhaps if Peter could see the battles Felicity was fighting, he would have asked another question, but Felicity was not one to wear her heart on her sleeve
"May I write to you?" He asked.
Felicity did not feel a thing and quickly answered, "You know you couldn't, Peter. Really, you shouldn't have asked. Don't you know the only soldier I write to is Dan? I'm sorry, it would be almost as if we had an understanding. Which of course you know would be quite impossible."
Peter did know it was quite impossible. "Yes, you've made that quite clear. Good Bye, I guess," he said, the latter with a degree of hesitance. He was reluctant to leave but he could not find a reason to stay.
"Do you have to leave so soon?" asked Felicity. She was searching for something, but couldn't find it.
"I'm afraid I have no choice." If he were a better orator one would have been able to discern the double meaning in his words. Perhaps if Felicity had a gift of perception she'd understand it anyway.
Peter turned around and started walking away from the King Farm. At that moment Felicity did something that was completely out of character for her. She never did regret her one slip where she let her heart have the upper hand, though she had been ashamed at times.
Felicity ran after Peter Craig as she had never run as a young girl. She caught up to him gave him a large hug and kissed his cheek. "Take care of yourself, I can't lose you." Then she was gone as fast as she came.
* * * * * * * * * * * * Sara Ray was a girlhood friend of Felicity King, alas, she was not blessed with, beauty, charm wit or grace. She was a poor soul who shared fond memories of an innocent childhood long gone by.
Sara Ray had come over to Felicity King's house so they could discuss the preparations for the big bake sale the next week in honor of war widows and orphans.
"The last of our gang has gone off to war." Said Sara Ray, she had a tendency towards melodrama. "Peter came over yesterday evening and we spent HOURS talking about our childhood exploits. It seems as if it were only yesterday Peter was so ill we thought he would die. I guess God saved him then, knowing he was doomed to die in the fields of war." Sara Ray proceeded to cry into her practical white linen handkerchief. "I have SUCH a bad feeling about Peter I just know something bad will happen to him."
Felicity was used to Sara Ray going into hysterics for no solid reason at all. Today she felt as though she was on the brink of tears. But she did not cry, not then. Felicity King does not cry in the open for anyone to see her, even at the death of her sister she had mourned alone in her now solitary room.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
January of 1917 found Felicity King as beautiful as ever but lonely. Even she would admit to herself that she was lonely. Most of her girlhood friends were either married or engaged to a young man overseas, or the luckier ones to a man who did not go over seas for various reasons. The girls who were neither all seemed to have a sweetheart in arms. Felicity had found it increasingly difficult around these girls, soldiering and lovemaking was all they would talk about. Felicity was interested in neither, or so she said to her self.
That January Mrs. Janet and Miss Felicity King were hosting the Red Cross sowing circle at their house. The young women were at the height of their chattering and Felicity had never felt lonelier in her life. Felicity happened to catch a few words from the story Sara Ray was telling her. ".Peter claims the French winter is not nearly as cold as the Canadian winter." Was Peter writing to Sara Ray? Felicity had to know, without divulging any of her private affairs (or lack their of) with Peter Craig.
"Oh he writes of the WEATHER to you," she said condescendingly "he never mentions the WEATHER in his letters to ME." Felicity was not a liar, he indeed had written NOTHING in his letters to her, certainly he had not mentioned a word about the weather.
"I'm sure he has more IMPORTANT things to say to you." Was Sara Ray's sly reply.
Felicity blushed till the roots of her beautiful hair, even blushing she was a beauty. If only Sara Ray knew the truth. Felicity had not received one letter from Peter since the day he left her doorstep the previous spring. Felicity could not understand her own disappointment, she explicitly had asked him not to write and he didn't. Still she would wait patiently for the mail everyday and was disappointed when inevitably there was no letter from Peter.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
In March Felicity went into Carlisle's new General Store run by Rudy McLoud. "You must be v'ry proud, Felicity. I hear the news jus' like inny one else on the Island. Don't be coy with ol' Rudy. Take what ever you want free of charge, it ain't every day someone like you buys here " Rudy said. Felicity had not the most remote idea what Rudy McLoud was on about. She tried to deny the gesture but could not stand up to Rudy McLoud.
On the way home she was sure Mrs. Ezekiel Andrews and Mrs. Jonah Burns had stopped their lively gossip as she happened upon them on the street. Mrs. Jonah Burns nudged Mrs. Ezekiel Andrews who finally said, "Felicity I'm sure you're very proud. We always knew he had it in him." The ladies continued with their walk. Felicity could not for the life of her imagine what people were on about.
That evening she received a card inviting her to a reception honoring the Heroes of the British Empire held by Mrs. Agatha Grant a minor Island celebrity, known for her parties Island wide. An invitation to her receptions was a most coveted honor by Island young folk. Felicity was beside herself with the distinguished honor, but she still could not fathom due to what or whom it was bestowed upon her.
Latter that evening Sara Ray came over to have a chat with the heroin by proxy. Even to Sara Ray her lifelong friend she could not admit she had no idea of the reason she seemed to have been held in such high regard by an increasing amount of people. Even her own mother had given her a second helping of pie for dessert and had insisted on clearing up herself with no help from Felicity. When left to their selves Sara Ray said, "I always knew Peter was the one who would do something really great. Everyone thought it would be the Story Girl or even Bev but I always knew it would be Peter. To think you are practically engaged to a hero. How lucky for you, the closest I ever got to an engagement was when I was fifteen and Joey Randel said he'd even settle for me if Bertha May wouldn't have him. But she did, so will never know what would have happened."
"I'm not engaged to Peter Craig." Felicity exclaimed at what seemed to her as a preposterous accusation.
"Of course you're not," said Sara Ray. "You wouldn't go around letting every one in on your secrets, not you."
"But I'm not" Protested Felicity.
"I know, I won't tell anyone, even though every one thinks they know. Now that Peter is a war hero you'll be celebrities, living like royalty. You probably won't have time for simple folk like me." Sara Ray began to cry yet again into her practical boring handkerchief.
"Sara Ray heaven knows you'll always make sure I'll have time for you." Felicity answered. For some reason this made Sara Ray calm down.
* * * * * * * * * * *
Alone in her room that night Felicity tried to piece together the day's events. She knew peter must have committed some act of extreme bravery in order to receive the reaction he had from the Islanders. In fact a few years would pass before Felicity would get a full picture of things.
She surmised some from the front page of the Charlottetown paper that arrived in Carlisle the next day. LOCAL BOY SAVES ENTIRE PLATOON the article went on to explain how Lance Corporal Peter Craig of Carlisle had saved his entire platoon after landing in an ambush by German soldiers. The Germans identified the platoon and opened fire on it, Lance Corporal Peter Craig was several times he had not lost his cool but began shouting in German: "Don't shoot we are friends". It never was clear if he had realized that he'd been shouting in German. Peter had studied German the previous year had started dreaming in German. The Germans thought they had mistakenly opened fire on a friendly platoon so they quickly vacated the area to prevent an eventual court martial.
Felicity stayed awake all night, the first time in her whole life. For some reason all of Carlisle and as it seemed most of the Island considered her all but engaged to Peter Craig. Not one nasty word was said to her, not even a condescending glance or a murmur of disapproval. Further more, it seemed to every one she met as the most natural evolution of their childhood relationship. Apparently no one else thought a Craig was not good enough for a King. Even Felicity herself had stopped thinking that, her only worry was that she, Felicity King an uneducated country girl was not good enough for Peter Craig a War Hero.
Felicity cried that night, not the hysterical sobs Sara Ray was known to shed, but the tears of a women in love with a man in danger, and worse-a man who no longer loved her.
Had she not acted against her nature and given into impulse hugging and kissing Peter before he'd left (albeit on the cheek). If that did not say she loved him and wanted nothing more than to be Mrs. Peter Craig nothing could. (Apparently it did not occur to Felicity that refusing the man three times might have given the wrong message). Peter had not written her and she missed him so much. The newspaper said he'd been injured, Felicity was sick with worry. What if he was maimed and she would not be able to marry him once he cam back to her.
Felicity sat and wrote a letter to Peter, in it she wove all the youthful, lovely hopes and dreams that young lovers hope and dream. She ended the letter with the wish that she might some day soon become a young mister's wife and live on Prince Edward Island or any other place Peter Craig would go. Felicity was not a writer (unlike a first cousin of hers) but even this letter was beautiful for it was full of love.
Many, miles away, oceans apart in fact, Peter Craig sat in a military hospital in France writing a very similar letter as the one Felicity had written to him. Coming very close to death, yet another time in his life had brought Peter to a recognition that he must try again. Running out to him must have been a sign. How could he have missed it? Felicity loved him as he loved her. It was a reality at once, he just knew, as she just knew.
Felicity sent the letter care of the only soldier she ever wrote to, her brother Dan. Dan had received the letter resisted the urge to open it and somehow had it sent to Peter. At the very moment Peter received his letter Felicity had received hers. Responding letters were sent and Peter was finally coming home. His injuries were not grave but they would not allow him to continue and fight, he had lost the ability to hear out of his left ear and suffered abrasions in his chest and forehead.
* * * * * * * * * * * * Felicity King never was the child bride she'd been expected to be, no longer the village Belle (a sixteen year old Edwards had taken the title) she was a sober and practical twenty-four year old bride.
A year after Felicity and Peter were wed, Felicity gave birth to a lovely chubby baby boy. This boy was definitely a King baby as any baby of Felicity's would be. This baby needed a distinguished name full of rich family history and dignity. She would name him Alexander for her father (Alec King was very proud of his first grandson) and as any mother would for her family name. Many a friend and relative tried to dissuade Felicity, some had come to Peter for assistance, all to no avail. The poor little boy as christened Alexander King Craig. The boy's parents called him Alexander, his teachers Alex but alas any other person who came in contact with him for the rest of his days he would be called anything but. He was called King, His Royal Highness, His Majesty, Royal, Majesty, HRH and so on and so forth. This is the story how Alexander Craig became King.
