Title: They Will Know Us By Our Kin
Author: Heather-Lass
Summary: The stranger's here, bearing many surprises…the next chapter will help it all make sense, I promise. Don't want to give too much away too early, after all.
Disclaimer: Yup, all the Christy characters are property of the Marshell/LeSourd (did I get that right?) estate, etc, etc, etc. The naturalist character is of my own creation but with some real life folk singer. Can't say who, since that would ruin some surprises. But likely, a not-well known folk singer. So yeah.
Author's Note: Finally, it's starts picking up. And a nice decently long chappie it is too. Plse Read and Review!
Chapter 1: The Stranger To The Cove
The days of the spring planting holiday could not pass quickly enough, and Christy had never seen the children so eager for school to start again. This spring day had started like most Cove spring mornings, with fog covering the valley like a blanket. But the sun had risen well in the azure sky and now the beads of mist and dew clinging stubbornly to leaves were the only indication of a blind white morning. Crocuses had long been blooming and the irises were beginning to show their royal blue regalia. Songbirds filled the air with their trilling and baby animals were every where. And the mission's special guest, the naturalist Mr. O'Toole, was due to arrive any day now.
Christy and her best friend Fairlight Spencer had spent the mornings at God's Fist collecting herbs for Fairlight's "box a' greens", as her children had dubbed her box of stored medicinal herbs. Zady, Clara and the other young Spencers practiced catching frogs on the mosy rocks while John, the oldest son, caught fish for dinner. Normally Fairlight's husband Jeb would be there too, but he and Dr. Neil McNeill; cove doctor, as well as the Reverend David Grantland were helping the doctor's apprentice Daniel Scott finish his cabin.
"Christy, what do ya think the lowlander will be like?" Fairlight wondered. Lowlander was cove-speak for anyone not born there or hadn't lived there long enough to be accepted as a cove highlander. Christy, Mss Alice and David were considered highlanders and family in the cove. Daniel Scott was not. Being that he was dark-skinned, that would take much more time, if ever.
"Well Fairlight, I imagine he'll be very nice."
"And why's that, you reckon?"
"If he loves nature so much as Dr. Ferrand says, he's probably nice to people just as much as he is to animals. I don't know anyone that is nice to animal but not to people."
"Ain't that the truth. He's probably strong too. He can help around outside the mission iffen he's got time."
"Ooh! That would be nice! I think David's been fretting about doing the roof repairs on the stable. But of course he's too proud to ask Jeb for help."
"Dan or Neil would help."
"But they're so busy. Dan with his cabin and Neil with the testing of his new trachoma treatment. I almost wish David would let me help."
"Oh Christy!" Fairlight laughed as Christy did her famous stubborn look that the people of the Cove had learned to know so well. "Yee asked him?"
"Well, no. He would say it isn't proper for me and that Mother would have a fit. And he would be right."
"Christy, why in landsakes would ye even wanna climb the roof in the first place?" She was amused at all the new things her friend insisted she wanted to try.
"Well, no. But if it's that or have David roof by himself and maybe get hurt, I will help him. If he lets me." She frowned. "Fairlight, it's not like I can't handle a hammer. I helped him repair the porch quite well after that storm last month. But somehow, he still thinks of me as a city girl. No matter what I do, he never seems to notice how "countrified" I'd become."
"That's because he's a man and he doesn't want to admit you can do some of the hard work he can!"
"Mama!" A voice interrupted their conversation and they looked up to see little Lulu Spencer running up to them. "Look Mama! Erl'y Stwah bewwies!"
"Oh Lulu! Where did you ever find such tasty berries?" Fairlight and Christy stood up.
"Behind the big wock! Look!" She dragged them over and they saw indeed a large patcg of strawberries, small, but bright red and juicy sweet.
"Mama," said Zady, "can we pick 'em and make pies and invite Miz. Christy and Miz. Alice. And Mr. Dan and Doc and the Preacher and Ruby Mae?"
"Why that's a plum wonderful idea, Zady!" Her mother exclaimed.
"I know Fairlight, let's go cook them at the mission, your family can join us for dinner. Everyone will eventually show up there tonight anyways."
"I caught a lot of fish," said John, who had come to see what all the fuss was about. "Maybe we can cook them up for the dinner."
"Yes! How about we get David and Jeb to grill them outside on a fire. I think we have enough store sugar left for sweet bread. David can play his ukulele and John can go and fetch the men and have Jeb bring his fiddle and Neil his bagpipes. We'll have a spring holiday party!" Christy's eyes sparkled.
"Oh yes!" The children clapped their hands in delight and hurried as directed to go fill their buckets with delicious berries. John, Christy and Fairlight went to stringing up the fish for carrying back to the mission.
Not long after, their baskets and buckets, aprons and pockets filled, Christy and the Spencers gals headed back to the mission. John waved to them, and went hurrying to get the men as soon as possible. As Christy and the others left the woods, they were stopped in their tracks by the sight of a covered wagon up to the mission porch. A figure stood with its back to them, feeding two beautiful horses, obviously a fine matched pair. The person was dressed for a day outdoors with a long leather raincoat and tough military boots over an outfit of khaki with may pockets. A weathered fedora hat and a hunting knife at the hip completed the ensemble.
"It muat be that there naturalist." Fairlight whispered to Christy. "And just in time for our rev-a-ree."
"Hello there!" Christy hollered, waving her hat as she and the Spencer girls ran over as best they could. After all, they were laden with fruit and fish.
"Hello! I'm assuming this is the lovely mission of Cutter Gap I have heard so much about?" The figure turned around to reveal, not a man as expected, but a young woman with a musical voice like a waterfall. She was tanned and freckled, but not weathered like so many who made their living in the sun. Her hair, though flaming like the sun and very curly, was neatly tamed into a thick braid.
"Yes…well…that is…" Christy offered her hand for the stranger to shake.
"Oh sorry!" The young woman's hand flew up to meet Christy's. "Heather O'Toole, naturalist-at-large. Dr. Ferrand assured me he told you I was coming."
"Yes, yes he did. But to be frank, Ms. O'Toole, we were under the impression you were a man!"
"Humph, I knew he would pull that stunt. Most people frown on the idea of a woman scientist. But please don't mind that. I'm here and I can do most any man's chore as equally as I can a woman's. And it looks like your stable roof needs help." She winked at Christy. "Let me guess, too big a project for one preacher to handle?"
"Yes, and every one is so busy. He won't ask for help."
"That's solved, I'll help." She held up her hand. "I know what you're thinking. But don't worry, I'll convince him. Trust me, I've done it many times before to other men."
"Well, thank you. That's one worry gone. Well, then Ms. O'Toole…"
"Please, call me Heather."
"Heather, then. Welcome to Cutter Gap! My name is Christy Huddleston. I'm the mission teacher. This is my friend Fairlight Spencer, who helps out with housekeeping here. And these are some of her children; Zady, Clara, Lulu and Little Guy."
"How do you do?" Fairlight asked while shaking Heather's offered hand, characteristically shy to the newcomer.
"Just fine. It's a beautiful day."
"Yes, and we were just on our way inside to bake pies with these early strawberries we'd found." Fairlight smiled, warming up to the presence of the smiling redhead. "It's a sponinaety party at the mission, so your comin' is perfect timin'."
"Absolutely!" Christy chimed in.
"Clara, Zady," Fairlight said. "Why don't you go put those fishes on the porch and ask Miz Heather if she'd like to put her horses out to pasture with Theo and Buttons for the afternoon. And help her unpack iffen she wants, okay? Then you can all come in and help us."
"That sounds mighty fine, Mrs. Spencer" Heather laughed. "Flora and Fauna wanted to run the whole way here, and they tired themselves out!"
"Ain't that the fancy-like names for plants and animals?" Zady asked.
"Right you are, Miss Zady." Zady's eyes grew wide at being called 'miss'. "I love plants and animals and I love my horses. So it's only fittin'. She paused. How would you two young ladies like to take me for a tour of the mission grounds while we get them settled and you can tell me some of the things you know about this here cove."
"Something's not right." Fairlight declared as she kneaded the dough for the pie crusts.
"You don't think she is who she says she is?" Christy glanced out the window and back at Fairlight.
"Naw. She is who she says she is, Dr. Ferrand's naturalist. I just got a feeling about me. There's more there than she's telling us. I don't think she's just here for only studyin' and scientific-like note collectin'. But it's not a bad feeling." She added, seeing the worry on Christy's face. "Just something strikes me, that's all."
"I think you're right, Fairlight. She seems familiar, like I've met her before. But I would remember her for sure."
"And she talks funny-like. Citified in one sentence and then something else the next."
Oh Fairlight, she's obviously got education from the city. She's probably just from another rural town somewhere, that's all. And it mixes. Like Neil's switching between Scottish brogue and Cove talk."
"Maybe, it's just peculiar. But I cain't place it. Just a thought a nigglin' in my head, that's all."
"Probably you'll figure it out later. Maybe we can pry out of her later more about her…oh quick, here they come." And with that, the mission door flew open to admit a red-faced excited Zady and Clara pulling an unfazed Heather.
"Mama! Mama!" Zady exclaimed. "You should see her co'lected curiosities! She has a pinecone bigger'n Lulu's head!"
"and the brightest shiny blue butterfly you ever saw from a place called the Amazon. I think I remember from geography, it's in South America," chimed in Clara, while looking at Christy who nodded that the location was correct.
"You should see 'em too Miz Christy!" Zady chattered. "There's bugs from everywhere, and a big shiny microscope and the strangest pet you did ever see!"
"Is that so?" Fairlight and Christy laughed.
"Well, I have lots of strange stuff from all sorts of places." Heather shrugged. "I hope you'll want your class to see it. I like to sort of share my knowledge of the world with the people I meet and the communities I visit, in return for the knowledge and specimens I gather there. I learn from you and you learn from me?"
"That's a splendid idea, Heather. We would all love that. Do you really have the strangest pet ever?" Christy looked surprised.
"Well, I guess so. His name is Joey and he's from a very large island in the tropics very far from here. I was visiting him there when I found him not long after his mother had been hit by a train. He was just a baby so I fed him and raised him as best I could. I'd like to see him live in nature again, but a wild dog got to him before I did and tried to kill him. He's fine now, but just not fast enough to join his wild friends."
"Can we see him?"
"I think later, he's sleeping in my wagon now. Got too excited on the way here. He'll be fine out there for now. He'll probably wake in an hour or two and I'll introduce you all." She could tell everyone was burning with curiosity but she could also tell they would enjoy having something of a surprise to look forward to when they were done cooking. "So how can I help?" She gestured at the food being prepared.
"I don't suppose you can fillet and grill up the fish?" Christy grinned, knowing full well that Heather likely could.
"Why, yes I can. Your tastebuds will be amazed when I am done."
"Oh good, then we don't have to wait for the menfolk." Fairlight smiled.
"Do you have any herbs?" Heather's mind was already racing to the task of the fish preparation and which recipe she might use.
"Yup, basil, oregano, chive, all kinds. They're out back."
"Hmmm…let's see…Miss Lulu?" Heather softly called and the little girl came running up, excited to be chosen by the newcomer as a helper.
"Yes'm, Miz Heathah?"
"Would you be able to help me by picking some certain herbs for me while I start the fire outside?"
"Oh yes!" And with that, the two went outside to could the fish.
"Definitely more than she looks, my Lulu don't take to just no one." Fairlight and Christy watched the pair outside; Heather filleting fish and stoking a growing fire, Lulu running around gathering ingredients from the garden and a bag at Heather's feet. "Definitely more."
End of Chapter One
Next up: Chapter Two! – Sisters In Blood
Author's Note: Is Heather more than she says she is? Is there more she's not telling? Can you guess? The title of chapter two is a clue. Also remember, Heather's my own character and I insert her wildness wherever I please!
Arwen2002-Ohmigosh! My first review! Thank you so much! I'll try to post regularly every week or so. University life does not leave much spare time for fun writing. Sorry if the prologue was dull, but it will get better, I promise. I have some very amusing/exciting chapter ideas. And I love your screenname! I adore LOTR and all my friends call me Arwen on account of my long dark hair. Heeeheee…too bad that makes me related to Legolas…
