Disclaimer: I don't own these characters, and I make no money from this work of fiction!
Back to Nature AGAIN
"What is this?" the Professor looked up from his desk to see his three bright-faced children staring at him hopefully. In the next minute, they were joined by Nanny, who had the same hopeful expression in her blue eyes. Sighing, the Professor put down his pen. "I'm listening."
"We want to go back to the Black Hawk Wilderness for another night, Dad," Hal explained. "I need to check on the stars for my school project, and you know it's a lot easier to see out there."
"But do we all have to go camping? Can't I just drive you out into the country for an hour?" The expressions on all four faces changed to exasperation mingled with intense disappointment. "No. Well, I really am busy ..."
"You always are, Dad," Butch said.
"Can't you just leave it and make time for US this weekend?" Prudence asked dolefully.
"I have a student coming Saturday after ..." the Professor began.
"Tommy was called in to work at the drug store ... oh, that will be him now," Nanny said, gesturing to the phone, which rang as if on cue.
The Professor picked it up. "Hello? Oh, yes, hello Tommy, I was expecting your call," he said, resignedly. "You have to work Saturday afternoon? Well, then, do you want to come Saturday evening?" he asked, and carefully watched the expressions in front of him fall again. "All right, Tommy, Monday it is." and he hung up. For a moment there was silence as they all stared at each other. Then the Professor sighed. "All right. Camping, here we come. Nanny?"
She had already turned away, but now her head swivelled back inquiringly. "Yes, Professor?"
"Have you consulted with the tree frogs? It would be nice if it wouldn't rain Saturday night! Then we could even go without the tent."
"That would be keen, Dad!" Hal and Butch enthused.
Nanny smiled. "No rain, Professor."
"Is that a promise? I don't want to get wet again like last time!"
"I promise it won't rain," she said carefully wording her sentence, which made him frown in puzzlement even as she escaped from the room followed by three excited children.
With only the Friday evening to prepare, Nanny was busy in the kitchen gathering food and packing it in coolers and baskets to take the next day. When the children told her to make sure she took the fixings for 'smores, she stared at them in disbelief. "There isn't REALLY such a thing, is there?"
They all, the Professor included, told her that 'smores were absolutely delicious, and were a must around the campfire. "We just need graham wafers, chocolate bars and marshmallows. You'll see, Nanny!"
She made a bit of a face, then said, "I suppose I will see, won't I? Very well, 'smores it is! But I DO think I would prefer just the traditional marshmallow roasted over the fire!"
"You? A Figalilly? Settling for tradition?" the Professor teased her as he walked out of the room.
A lovely smile spread over her face, and Nanny shook her head bemusedly as she bent over the cooler once again.
As they hiked in to the waterfall at the Black Hawk Wilderness Area that Saturday afternoon, the children were all beaming, and Nanny was glowing with happiness. The Professor, striding ahead, was finding that most of his objections were leaving. This WAS a beautiful place, and it WAS a good idea to come once in a while. If only he could bring a feather bed with him! Somehow he just KNEW he'd be stiff and sore tomorrow after using a rock for a pillow and mattress!
They set up camp in a clearing not too far from the waterfall, and, when venturing closer to lake, found a cliff face which wasn't very high, but which faced directly west.
"Look, children," Nanny exclaimed delightedly. "There are ledges for each of us to sit on tonight to watch the sunset. We'll have front row seats! See? There are two right by the water's edge for Butch and Hal, one a little further up for Prudence, and a little higher again, and just over a bit, another for your father!"
"What about you? Don't you want to see the sunset from the ledges too?" Prudence asked. "You can share MY ledge."
"Oh, thank you, darling, but it really doesn't look as if it would be big enough," Nanny explained.
The Professor squinted at the small cliff area. "Well, the one you have assigned for me is definitely a two-seater, Nanny ... I'll share. We can't have you missing the sunset, can we now?"
They explored further, finding a small pond off to one side. "At twilight, this pond will be teeming with life flying, chirping, jumping, croaking ... all manner of creatures call this home." Nanny said.
"Can we come back later, to see?" Butch asked.
"It's almost on the way to the ledges, so yes, we can come." the Professor assured him.
"Can we go swimming now in the lake?" Butch asked eagerly.
"I wanna set up my telescope," Hal began.
"Swimming once we've got the campfire place ready, then the telescope while Nanny gets our supper ready. Unless, of course, I have to catch it first ..." the Professor raised his eyebrows in Nanny's direction.
She grinned back at him. "I brought supper, Professor, never fear. We can have fish tomorrow for lunch before we leave."
"As long as you're sure. A nice juicy steak ..." he smacked his lips.
"Yeah," Hal laughed. "Tube steak!"
The Professor's face dropped, even as Prudence piped up, "And hot dogs, Daddy! Roasted over the campfire."
"Silly, tube steak and hot dogs are the same thing," Butch scolded her.
Tossing her head unconcernedly, Prudence stuck her nose in the air and said, "If Daddy wants steak, he can have it, a nice juicy TUBE steak. I'M having a hot dog, and I'm going to pick a stick for it right now!"
"Make sure it's a long one, Prudence, and not dry. You'll have to peel the bark back from the end. Hal, perhaps you could go with her and cut us all some branches," Nanny suggested, handing Hal a small hatchet. The three children went off eagerly towards the trees.
"TUBE STEAK, Nanny?" the Professor asked. "What happened to the real thing?"
"Well, Professor, this just seemed more ... authentic. More in line with 'smores. More adventurous, you might say!" Her eyes twinkled as she looked up at him briefly before beginning to scrape away the grass and twigs from a hollow where they could have their campfire. "Professor? Could you perhaps fetch some stones to contain the fire?"
"Well, there's enough of THOSE around. I'll see if I can gather all the ones from where I'm going to put my sleeping bag. Maybe tonight I'll manage to sleep without a rock in my back!"
He noticed Nanny's lips twitching, but she kept her face downturned. Sighing, he began to line up rocks, already resigning himself to an uncomfortable night.
Once the campsite was ready, the children disappeared behind the bushes to put on their bathing suits. "Aren't YOU swimming, Nanny?" Prudence asked when she emerged.
"Not this time, sweetheart. I'll just watch."
"But you CAN swim, right, Nanny?" Butch questioned her.
"Nanny can do anything," Prudence said, loyally.
"That's a rather tall order, I think, but I do thank you for your vote of confidence," Nanny smiled. "How about you, Professor? Are you swimming?"
"Personally, I think we should ALL swim," he said. "What do you think, children? Should we make a rule that if you don't swim, you don't eat?"
"Yeah!" cried Butch.
"And if you didn't bring your bathing suit, I'll gladly lend you one of mine," The Professor grinned at Nanny. "I brought two."
A hint of colour rose in her face, but she replied composedly, "That's all right, Professor, I happen to have mine on under my clothes. I rather thought something like this might happen."
The Professor rolled his eyes as she unbuttoned her blouse and stepped out of her split skirt. "Okay, kids, I'll join you at the lake pronto!" he said, rummaging in his bag for his bathing suit.
When they had all frolicked in the water until they were tired, then flopped on the beach to dry, Nanny said, as she looked around appreciating the beauty of their surroundings, that she found the landscape very similar to one she had been in before, without the mountains in the background, of course. "I spent one summer in the town where Santa's Village is located, at the halfway spot between the Equator and the North Pole. It looks very much like this, with the rocks, trees and lakes."
"Where was that?" Butch asked.
"Bracebridge, Ontario, Canada."
"Wow! CANADA! Did you go dog-sledding or anything?" Hal asked excitedly.
"Not THAT trip, Hal. It WAS summer, you know. It was in the high 80's all the time I was there." she smiled.
"Can you speak French?" was Hal's next question.
"Some," Nanny admitted. "Why do you ask?"
"How did you talk to anyone except in French? You were in Canada!"
"Not in Quebec, Hal. Most Canadians speak English, except perhaps a few in Quebec and some other communities across the country. Northern Ontario does have a number of French communities, I believe, but Bracebridge wasn't one of them."
"Did you ever see the Northern Lights, Nanny?" asked the Professor.
"Not there," she shook her head again. "But I saw them many times while working for a family in Lapland."
"Ah!" the Professor said, smiling. "The gentleman who got married out of the blue and sent you packing."
"That's not EXACTLY how it happened, Professor!"
"Oh? I just assumed his new wife took one look at you and wanted you out of her house." he teased her.
"My services were no longer required, as she could fulfill my role admirably." Nanny said, rather stiffly.
"Nanny, sometime will you tell us about some of your trips and the places you visited?" Prudence asked.
"Yes, I would be most interested in that account as well," the Professor nodded.
"Oh, those are old stories," Nanny waved her hand. "We are busy making new ones now."
"Yes ... camping ... tell me again why we came?" the Professor grumbled good-naturedly. He got up. "Well, bring on the tube steak -- I find I'm famished!"
After a leisurely supper, Hal set up his telescope, then the group began to make their way back to the lake and the ledges for watching the sunset. They stopped first at the pond. Not a breath of wind marred the glassy surface. There was a joyous humming of insects, and the Professor grimaced. "Mosquitoes! They say that nothing was created without purpose, but personally I think mosquitoes come close."
"Oh, they're not mosquitoes, Professor. Not tonight, anyway," Nanny assured him.
The frogs were also in full chorus, causing a cacophony that made the Professor wince a little to hear. "Do they all have to shout so loudly?" he asked.
"They're not shouting, Professor!" Nanny reproved him. "Listen, the higher, lighter voices are the young girls singing of their dreams of a handsome frog prince."
"I hear them, Nanny!" Prudence was excited. "And I even hear the Frog Prince answering them!"
"Oh, no, Prudence, that's not the Frog Prince. The Princess, perhaps. We haven't heard him yet. The male courtiers are speaking, but the prince isn't awake yet. He had a narrow escape last night, according to what they're saying, so is still burrowing in the mud. Hear that Grandfather Frog with his deep voice, calling his grandchildren to order, and directing who may sit on which lily pad? He's the boss of THIS pond!"
Hal rolled his eyes, but said nothing.
"Is there really a Frog Prince, Nanny? If you found him, would you kiss him and turn him back into a man?" Prudence asked. "Or would you have to be a princess?"
"Prudence, you are silly!" Butch sounded disgusted. "Why would Nanny kiss a FROG?"
"To turn him back into a man, and I'm NOT silly! I bet if the Frog Princess came up to you, you'd kiss HER to change her back!"
"Not likely!" Butch made a face.
Hal laughed. "THAT I'd like to see! Butch kissing a frog! In fact, I'd like to see NANNY kissing a frog! What do you say, Dad?"
The Professor cleared his throat and leaned closer to Nanny. "Ribbit." he said, in a deep voice.
For a moment, she looked startled, then her smile spread over her face, and her eyes danced. "Very good, Professor! You may be a man yet ... provided you can find a princess to kiss you, that is!"
"I'll kiss you, Daddy!" and Prudence came flying into his arms, giving him a loud smack on the cheek.
"I do believe I am a man, now, thank you, Prudence!" he grinned. "And with the right princess kissing me, I bet I could even be a prince some day!"
"Miracles never cease, Professor!" Nanny chuckled. "Your princess may be closer than you think!"
"I'm beginning to hope so," he said, lowering his voice significantly, and touching her hand lightly. "But will she see me as a prince or just another frog? THAT is the question!"
Nanny's smile faded and her eyes widened, then dropped.
"Nanny, you're turning red," Prudence observed. "Are you getting hot?"
Clapping her hands over her burning cheeks, Nanny mumbled something about the sunset coming, and hurried off to the ledges. The others followed, and, with some careful climbing, they all settled into their places. There was not quite enough room for Nanny and the Professor to sit comfortably without touching each other, and the Professor put his arm around her to wedge himself in easier.
"A cushion for your back, milady," he said, gallantly.
"Well, I won't lean back too hard, Professor, so hopefully it won't be too stiff in the morning," she smiled in thanks.
"Look at the lovely colours!" Prudence called out as the sun dropped over the horizon and the glorious streaks of orange, pink and fiery red spread upwards.
"I don't think I've ever seen a nicer one!" Nanny said.
"It IS nice," Hal said, and Butch nodded. The younger boy was more interested in looking down and dropping leaves and sticks into the water just a foot below his dangling feet.
"I wish we could keep sunsets longer. They go so fast," complained Prudence.
"My great-aunt Aurelia used to say about the Northern Lights, and sunsets, that we were not to cry because the display is over, but instead to smile because it happened." Nanny spoke softly, her eyes on the brilliant hues.
The Professor leaned closer, saying quietly in her ear, "Great-aunt AURELIA spoke of the Aurora Borealis? No relation between the names, I suppose?"
Nanny turned to look at him, about to speak, only to find their lips very close. She paused for a startled moment, then looked away without saying a word.
"I miss Amy. She would love to see this." Prudence said. "I feel sorry for anyone who misses this, don't you, Nanny?
"Yes," Nanny's voice sounded a little strained, but only the Professor noticed.
Knowing it wasn't exactly fair play, considering she was trapped on the ledge beside him and couldn't get away until he moved, the Professor nevertheless teased her by whispering, "My great-uncle Fred used to say that the worst way to miss someone was to be sitting right beside them knowing you couldn't have them."
Nanny took a sudden, deep breath, and choked. The children twisted to look up at them as she coughed a bit. The Professor tightened his grasp on her, then said, "Well, kids, I think it's time to add another log to the fire and have our 'smores, don't you? And the stars are starting to appear, Hal, so you can get yourself organized."
Moving carefully, they all climbed back along the cliff wall, then made their way back to the campsite. The moon was full, shedding enough light that the flashlight the Professor had brought wasn't even needed. Contentedly munching their treats, they all lounged around the fire. The Professor had pulled up a log which he and Nanny were leaning against. Prudence was cuddled by Nanny's other side, and Butch was poking at the fire. Hal was busy making notations about the stars from his telescope.
"I could almost get used to this life," the Professor said. "I guess we have you to thank, Nanny, for once again bringing us out to nature."
"Yeah, thanks, Nanny!" Butch looked up from the dying embers.
"It's been terrific, Nanny, thanks!" Hal added.
"I love it, Nanny, especially when you're close." Prudence snuggled in, her hand clasping Nanny's. "I think you're my best friend now, even better than Amy!"
"Oh, thank you, darling," Nanny smiled and pulled the little girl closer. "You know, my aunt Eugenia always said that a true friend is someone who reaches for your hand and touches your heart. Thank you for being such true friends. I do believe you all have touched my heart in so many ways."
"Just as you've touched ours, Miss Figalilly," the Professor said softly, nudging her hand which lay next to his.
She smiled at him, her eyes pools of mystery in the moonlight. Then she said, almost briskly, "Well, then, shall we get to bed? The sun comes up quite early, you know, and the birds will be awake and hunting for breakfast before you know it!"
The Professor watched the two women in his life together, seeing the boys crowd closer as well, and he knew there was really no other choice to make. He wanted Phoebe with him for the rest of his life. He wanted to go to sleep with her at his side, and wake up with her in the mornings. He wanted to see her smiling face and lovely, graceful figure at his table, with his children, in his arms. He wanted her as his wife, to have and to hold, forever. Surely she would marry him instead of honouring that archaic contract with Chumley, wouldn't she? There must be something he could do or say to convince her to remain with them forever! Nanny looked up suddenly and her eyes met his. Wordless promises passed between them ... promises that he vowed to voice at the first possible moment.