Two days later, Alice returned and found Christy at the school. "Welcome to married life?"

Christy smiled. "How is everyone at Low Gap?"

"On the mend. Neil's at Raven Gap?"

Christy nodded. "I thought if I worked while he was away the time would go faster and I wouldn't need to work when he's back."

"That's a good thought."

"Time's not going much faster though."

"No. Well, you must eat meals with us, visit whenever you like. You don't have to be working. You know you'll always be welcome."

"I know. I'll come down in a couple of hours."

Alice nodded and left her.

"I hope you're almost finished." Neil's voice called her from her reverie.

She almost tripped over her chair in her haste to get to him. Running up the aisle, he caught her in his arms. They held one another tight.

"How was it?" she asked eventually, loosening her grip on him, just enough to see his face.

He shook his head, "It's not good. It'll be a miracle if it's not spread further, but I'd done all I could and needed supplies... and you." He kissed her.

She responded uninhibited.

He picked her up and started carrying her out to Charlie.

"Oh, wait. I told Miss Alice I'd join them for lunch."

He shook his head. "She'll understand."

"Yes, but we need to tell her."

He sighed and put her down. "Fine. We'll tell them you're not satying for lunch, then we'll go."

"Or we could both stay for lunch." She started walking.

He untied Charlie and jogged to catch up. "Not likely."

"If we eat here we don't need to make a meal at home, or eat. More time for..."

He grabbed her and kissed her.

She laughed and pulled away, surprised at her own brazen behaviour. "Neil!"

He cleared his throat, shook his head. "I couldn't help it." With a shrug he kept walking, stabled Charlie and followed her inside.

There was an unfamiliar face at the table. Christy barely paused, "Hi, I teach at the school," she held out her hand to the elegant woman, "I'm Christy Huddleston – No, sorry. Christy MacNeil. We just got married," She turned to Neil, who'd stepped in behind her. "It's all pretty new. I wonder how long it will take till I don't have to think twice when I say my name." She laughed, not noticing Alice's blanched expression or Neil's silence.

The woman looked right past Christy, but took her hand. "It doesn't take long. Margaret MacNeil. See? Rolls right off the tongue."

Christy smiled, brow wrinkled in confusion. "Sorry?"

Margaret raised her eyebrows.

Christy turned to Alice, then Neil. The expression of horror on his face made her turn back to Margaret. "You're... excuse me." She fled the room, the house, desperate for air. It didn't come. She pulled at her collar, stumbling down the steps, and fell to her knees on the dirt, vomiting on the ground.

Alice followed her, knelt beside her, rubbed her back. When her stomach was empty the older woman, pulled Christy into her arms, rocked her back and forth, shaking her head in disbelief.

Neil stood on the porch, watching, helpless.

Margaret came up behind him, "I know this must be a shock to you." She put her hand on his arm.

He shrunk from her touch as from a hot poker. "How could you?" His voice was weak, but anger built and there was strength in it.

"I was dying here. I knew you'd come after me so I did what I had to do. Can you really blame me?"

"Only you could be so-" He went to Christy, helping her up, pulling her from Alice's grasp.

Christy pushed him away, looked at Margaret.

"She's so young." Margaret said.

"Don't you dare. You are dead to me. You're dead to me!" He looked at Christy, saw how she shrunk from him. He couldn't stand it, turned and fled, mounting Charlie in a leap, galloping out of sight.

Christy clutched her stomach, leaned on the stair railing.

"You need to leave." Alice got to her feet and turned on Margaret. "Go!"

"Of course. How fortunate you found a replacement – no need for me anymore. A new daughter – and Mac's new wife to top it off. How perfect for you both." She walked away, shoulders back and proud as ever.

Alice watched for a moment then helped Christy inside. "Oh, my dear girl. My dear, dear girl."

Christy stared into the fire, strangely comforted by the dancing flames, the way they quieted her mind.

Alice tried to pour tea but her hands shook so much she had to pour it off the saucer into the cup.

"Oh, Miss Alice," Christy snapped her eyes away from the flames. "I'm sorry, I didn't think of you – your daughter is..."

"Don't even think of me, Christy."

"But-"

"No," Alice shook her head.

The hours turned into days. She must have slept some time. Her mind went over and over, round in circles, over those precious hours after their wedding, the too-short time they'd spent together, but too long, she now realised. They'd never actually been married – it wasn't real. It couldn't be. The realisation of what they'd done hit her again and again, the force never seeming to lessen.

Neil rode home, rage burning in his chest, his knees pressing violently into Charlie's sides, urging him on. But when he got home he was at a loss; what was he going to do now? He haphazardly tied the horse up, stepped up to the porch, paused.

How he'd looked forward to being home again? In a moment everything had changed; everything was lost. It couldn't be. His mind couldn't comprehend it.

In a kind of daze he went inside. The fire was set, ready to light, and there were flowers on the table. He picked them up – the vase was not his. This was Christy's. Afraid he'd drop it, he put it down again.

He sat, unequal to staying standing, rested his elbows on the table and his face in his hands. This was quite simply unfathomable.

There was a cup on the table. He grabbed it and threw it, angry tears stinging his eyes, his throat aching. Water splashed out of the wooden cup and it bounced off the floor. Then he saw the note that had been sitting under the cup.

Neil, I'm at the school. I love you and long for you.

Yours (entirely)

Christy MacNeil. Xx

He crumpled it in his hand, groaning in frustration. Standing, he threw his chair across the floor.