CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

OUT OF RESPECT for Dr. MacNeill, who was still away in Knoxville, no public announcement of our courtship was made, but I received many private congratulations from our friends and neighbors – some were more subtle than others.

"Hear you an' Doc is sparkin' now," Uncle Bogg remarked to me after church that first Sunday. "Reckon it's a good thing – ain't right fer a young gal like yerself to be without a man and young'uns. When's the weddin'?"

Opal was a little more tactful. "I've been prayin' fer ye, and I know ye'll be the happiest couple on this side o' the mountains. Neil's been a widder-man fer too long; yer jest what he needs. Oh, ain't this the blessed best news?"

Miss Alice was also pleased; she kissed my forehead and wished me well. It was a modest gesture, but it brought tears to my eyes. She never failed to find some new way to surprise me, whether it was with her strength or her unconditional acceptance.

Acceptance was something my parents were not going to have an easy time with. Everyone knew courtship led to marriage – it was simply the expectation. They would not take the news that I was being pursued in earnest lightly; it was as binding a commitment as an engagement here in the Cove.

I suspected that Daddy would take the news the best; he would be shocked initially, of course, and his curiosity about Neil would be intense. He would withhold his approval or disapproval until he knew the man courting his daughter. Mother, on the other hand...I didn't want to contemplate it.

I had begged the Doctor to wait until he returned before spreading the news any farther than the denizens of Cutter Gap. He had been adamant about speaking to my father properly for permission, but I managed to sway him in the end, just as I knew I would. I was relieved, for I didn't relish the thought of a confrontation with my mother so soon; I wanted time to adjust to the arrangement before I had to defend it.

I tried not to feel guilty for keeping my parents deliberately in the dark, but those feelings were easily pushed away in my preoccupation with school and missing Dr. MacNeill. It was astonishing to me that I could want him so desperately; he had been away on longer journeys before, and I had never felt this overwhelming longing for him to return. Perhaps the knowledge that my feelings were reciprocated was the trigger for this embarrassing dependency.

The children were in a bustle of excitement -- Ruby Mae must have dropped in at the mission house a dozen times during the week to tease me about the Doctor and ask about my nonexistent wedding plans. I tried repeatedly to turn the subject to her pregnancy, which was progressing remarkably well, but her delight in a new romance to gossip about was so overpowering that she thwarted my every effort.

I was a little worn down by all the attention, but privately I was pleased by it too. I would have to ask God for some help with the feeling of possessive pride that was swelling so rapidly in my breast. I didn't want to seem smug, but it was a surprising effort not to be when such good fortune had come into my hands.

And so, in a tide of well-wishes and curious questions, I waited impatiently for Neil to return. He called once he was in Knoxville to let me know that he was safely arrived; it would be another full week before he would come back, however.

When he did come, I was ready for him – Charlie's distinctive gait and clopping hooves gave me fair warning, and I went out onto the porch to meet Neil, who promptly appeared around the bend, looking trail-weary but content.

I let out a cry and threw myself at him, hugging him tight, oblivious to the fact that the snow on his leather jacket was melting onto my blouse. Oh, but it felt so right to have him home! His scent surrounded me, warm and musky and male; I looked up at him, admiring the quiet smile flitting around his lips, the shining cornsilk hair that curled boldly over the tips of his ears. Why had I never noticed these little details? It was almost as if I had never really seen him before.

"Good afternoon, Miss Huddleston," he murmured as he led me inside the house.

His tone was playful, but there was a hint of surprise in it as well, and I pulled back, suddenly aware of how forward I was being. I felt myself blush, and the happiness of the reunion was marred by an unwelcome influx of embarrassment. Had I been too abrupt?

Before I could withdraw to the table, he snagged my hand and kissed it with such tender gallantry that my unease melted away. "I've missed you, Christy."

"I missed you too, Doctor."

He followed me back to the table and helped me into my seat. "Don't you think 'Doctor MacNeill' is a little too formal now?"

I paused and then laughed. It had become such a habit to call him 'Doctor' that I hadn't realized how stilted it sounded in light of our new connection. "I've missed you too, Neil," I said, rolling the sound of it around on my tongue. I liked it. It suited him – a strong, honest name.

He sat with me at the table, letting the fire drain the dampness from his coat. I wanted to know all about his week in Knoxville, and he made me laugh with tales of his misadventures in the 'big city.' I listened to his low velvet voice with pleasure and would have happily sat there in the kitchen for hours had Miss Alice not come in to help with supper.

She and Dr. MacNeill – no, Neil – talked comfortably while I started supper. We ate together and spent the evening lazing by the fire. It was the perfect ending to the day, and while the company was pleasant, I longed to have a minute alone with Neil. I was impatient to talk with him; there was so very much I wanted to say, so many questions I had to ask. How does one go about learning everything about the person they love?

He bid me goodnight, promising to come back tomorrow after school was done, and I was forced to remind myself that courtship was made for the purpose of building up a solid friendship between lovers. We would have all the time in the world to learn about each other, to know each other intimately. I could wait.

I went up to bed deliciously happy and sent up a special prayer of thanks to the one who had made all this joy possible.

I WAS AWAKE and out of bed early the next morning, eager for the day to begin. I dressed in a flash, gulped down a quick breakfast, and hurried over to the schoolhouse. The day was bright and beautiful, and I was brimming with excitement. My buoyant mood spilled over to the children, and we ended up accomplishing very little of academic worth.

I dismissed the children at three and sat down at my desk to wait for Neil, attempting to work on my grade ledger to pass the time, but my mind was drifting far away from numbers and percentages. He came within a half-hour, spiriting me out of the classroom and into the field, the snow drifting around our boots as we walked.

We chatted lightly, mostly for the purpose of hearing each other's voices; but something was weighing on his mind, and it didn't take long for him to come to the point.

"Christy," he said, as we circled the pond for the second time, "I would like to call your father tonight."

I froze.

"What is it?"

Looking down at my feet, I was silent, unable to express my fears. He was still waiting for a response; I worried my lip and mumbled, "Nothing. Daddy should be at home by six."

Neil didn't answer, and I started forward again, determined not to let my anxiety ruin the afternoon. I paused, however, as his hand gently curled around my shoulder, slowing my steps. "Christy."

I glanced back at him and was startled to see the anguish on his face. "If you've changed your mind...if you are having second thoughts..."

"What? No! Of course not!" I was horrified by the way he had interpreted my hesitance. "Neil, that's not it. I want you to court me."

His face relaxed only infinitesimally. "But you don't want your father to know."

I sighed – I should have known that nothing but a full explanation would satisfy him. "Not my father; I'm more concerned about Mother's reaction."

"You think she won't take it well?"

"I know she won't." Frustration seeped into my voice. "It's not you, Neil. She just...she has such a desire to have everything in its proper place. She has always wanted me to marry into a good family, into wealth; she doesn't like the thought of me living in the mountains, and she can't imagine why I love it here. She won't understand."

He blew out a short breath, smiling. "Christy, I'm sure she'll understand eventually. Give her time to adjust to the idea – it's not as though we'll be eloping next week. She'll come around."

I shook my head. "It's not like that, Neil. You don't know Mother. She's ashamed to even speak about where I'm teaching – to even think of her daughter marrying a mountain man..." I trailed off, aware that he had become very quiet. "Neil?"

He was rigid, looking at me closely. "And you?"

"What about me?"

"Are you ashamed?"

My mouth dropped open. "I beg your pardon?"

"Some part of you is worried too," he said softly, with no trace of accusation, "worried about what your friends and relatives will think. Don't lie to me, Christy. I can see it in your face."

I wanted to say that it wasn't true; I wanted to scold him for daring to presume that I would even think, for an instant, that he was less worthy than any Asheville beau because of his roots....but I couldn't. He spoke the truth. Some small part of me, some small, secret part of my heart, was anxious about the gossip, frightened of what people back home would think of me for marrying so low.

"I'm not ashamed of you, of who you are," I said, hanging my head, "but you're right." I covered my face with my hands. "I'm a horrible person."

I felt his arm drape tentatively around my shoulders. "Don't be absurd. I'm not angry with you, Christy. I understand, really, I do – but I think we need to talk about this. Presumably courtship will lead to something more, sometime in the future, and these issues must be discussed before they become real stumbling blocks." A strange, sorrowful expression flickered briefly across his face. "If I learned anything from my first marriage, it was that little problems quickly become very serious ones if they aren't dealt with honestly."

Did I deserve such a wonderful man? No, I didn't think so, but I was glad to have him all the same. I grasped his hand and smiled, leaning my head against his shoulder. "I have the rest of the afternoon free," I said, squeezing his fingers. "Let's talk, then – and we can call my parents tonight. Together."

A/N: Ah, the awkwardness of young love. ; )

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