Chapter 118

An Amazing Memory

. . .

Millicent smiled as Nathan happily spotted their parents and Auntie Luciana taking a short break in the room's far corner.

He waved so that there could be no mistake to the crowd around them that he and Millicent were on a mission. He then gently attempted to maneuver her from behind, weaving in and out of the crowd, heading to where their parents were sitting contentedly, laughing over some wild tale Luciana was telling.

"Tell me about this gigantic room, Mil," he suggested as they walked, hoping that personal stories would make this grand area feel a little less intimidating.

"Well, my favorite thing about this room is that it has the most terrific acoustics I've ever seen. When empty, the slightest whisper reverberates from one end to the other, its tone and timbre resonating to an unbelievable degree! It's as though the sounds bounce from arch frame to arch frame, turning the entire space into some mysterious massive musical instrument to play at will."

He smiled at her description as well as her enthusiasm.

Of course, she would think in terms of music, as she was pretty musical herself, being an expert pianist.

"It's really, quite amazing, Darling," she continued. "And play, we Bradford children did, spending hours here with our voices and various instruments, experimenting like mad scientists exploring all the room's many hidden talents! All my piano lessons and many practices took place right here, in this very room. You simply couldn't beat the sound!"

She smiled at the many memories.

"Between you and me," she winked conspiratorially. "I'm still convinced this room's unique abilities were collectively the singular reason Richard took up guitar."

Nathan couldn't help but snicker, remembering her brother's half-hearted musical endeavor.

"Well, I did get a fairly nice guitar out of that little experiment, one I still use today. So, you won't find me complaining at all," chuckled Nathan.

"And deservedly so, since Richard was constantly putting you through havoc."

"Aw, that's pretty much what brothers do."

"But you didn't do that to him incessantly."

Nathan chuckled again, then, with raised eyebrows, made an admission.

"No, but I certainly had my moments…"


"Hello, Family!" enthused Nathan as they finally reached their destination. "Millicent and I are so happy to catch you for a few moments. In this sea of new faces, I can't tell you how good it is to see ones we know and love!"

"Come, Son, sit by your mother," smiled Sophia, which would place Millicent sitting by her father.

Nathan kissed Victoria's and Auntie Luciana's cheeks before he did the same to his mother, then shook their fathers' hands.

Millicent first reached up and kissed her father's cheek, then Archie's, then her mother's, Sophia's, and Luciana's.

Ready to be seated, Nathan led Millicent to sit down beside him next to his mother, as had been requested.

"I must say, my Darlings, you two look as stunning as any couple I've ever seen on the dance floor," complimented Auntie Luciana. "And I mean the world over! Believe me, I've been through many wonderful celebrations and parties during my lifetime, so I should know if anyone would! Why even the Prince and Princess of Wales, with all their adornments, don't look nearly as impressive. Sophia, your two students absolutely do you proud!"

Nathan's mother beamed, thrilled with their individual dance abilities but even more so as a beautiful couple together.

"My crème de la crème of couples!" smiled Sophia, proudly.

"I don't know about either of those things, but thank you, Auntie Luciana, Mother! It's all Millicent. How can I not look good dancing with her?" winked Nathan. "I was just asking my beautiful fiancée to tell me about this majestic room we are in."

"Oh, I almost forgot! This Ballroom was also where Richard and l, then later, of course, William and Pippa, played endless games of hide and go seek until Mother would call us for our family dinner promptly at half past six each evening," added Millicent.

"Of course, at my imperious command," interjected Victoria. "All the children magically appeared, except for one petulant child, and that was always, always, Richard."

The group laughed along with Victoria, as it was easy enough for all to see the Bradford's older fun-loving son doing just that.

"'Richard Bradford,' I would call out even louder. 'If you do not come to dinner right this very moment, I will personally instruct Cook not to give you any food whatsoever tonight. And don't think your charm is going to change that! My rule. Your decision!' I know that sounds rather harsh now, but that's what it took. Although, I'm not at all proud of that fact!"

Nathan chuckled at Victoria, reenacting her recollection as he could vividly imagine the entire scene.

"Richard knew I meant it too! So, I would always then very nonchalantly turn with my head held high and walk into the dining room with the rest of the children, smiling only when my back was turned, knowing my older son would somehow magically appear out of nowhere, and soon be found following us closely behind!"

Everyone chuckled, knowing Victoria could not have had it easy dealing with Richard as a child or teen!

"Oh, leave it to Richard," noted Edward. "I can see that defiant little boy now, even after all these years. But I suppose Victoria and I were given fair warning. He was quite the handful, even at two!"

"That's an epic understatement, my Dear, but very gracious of you! Beyond that, our prankster son always seemed to have the knack for finding the most insidious and, to my 'Mother's chagrin,' often dangerous hiding places, which gave me constant nightmares of him swinging high above that marble floor. One slip, I was sure, meant certain death," insisted Victoria.

"And honestly, given the vast height, Victoria was probably right," agreed Edward, chuckling. "Our son always went for the highest level. I remember coming home every night, asking, 'Before we sit down for dinner, what has Richard done now?' I usually got quite the ear full, starting with Geoffrey at the front door. Then the rest of the help lined up in the hall to tell their tales of woe from the day, all having to do with Richard, by the way. Last but not least was my Darling wife, who had somehow managed to survive yet another day! Thankfully, the rest of the children weren't about to risk life and limb like their elder brother, but you know Richard, he wasn't fazed by anything at all, not even a little bit."

"I can't count the times Edward had to intervene to keep peace and save our raucous son's very life, especially after some implausible new risk he had taken. But, needless to say, both of us had our hands quite full in that regard," noted Victoria, relieved to finally have raised her fool-hardy son. "Indeed, it took an entire support community to raise Richard! I believe Edward had to frequently give the Staff what we called 'Richard Bonuses!'"

"Yet thankfully, by some miracle, we managed to keep our erratic son's many injuries, which he proudly wore as badges of honor, limited to minor sprains and scratches," grinned Edward, simply shaking his head.

"Although there was that broken arm when the little daredevil purposefully jumped out of that rickety tree house at six years of age, positive he could fly like the birds," Victoria reminded them.

"And don't forget our many sailboat mishaps," reminded Nathan. "Especially the big one that ended in several broken bones, which he was ecstatic over because it got him out of chores for six weeks!"

"Perhaps I should revise my former statement to just this Ballroom! How could I have possibly forgotten all that?" asked Edward as he shook his head. "At one time, we had a team of orthopedic surgeons' direct numbers by our side at all times!"

Millicent tried to hide her chuckle at the memories of her adventuresome brother.

"Thankfully, he survived! But Richard was truly blessed you saved his life, time and again, Nathan."

"He was my brother, Mil. What else could I do but take care of him?"

"You were a far better brother than he often deserved, Son," noted Edward. "But thank God, you were there most of the time to talk some sense into him and protect him from himself!"

"My pleasure, Sir. But I must confess, Richard bailed me out a few times, too," he winked.

"Nathan was adventuresome, but thank goodness, that was always tempered with caution," complimented Archie. "Pretty much like he is now, except on a horse! Can't tell you how many times his mother turned her head when he was riding!"

"Afraid you're right about that one, Dad, but if you remember, you're the one who taught me those more reckless horse tricks!"

"Regrettably, that he did, Son," chided Sophia. "It was a constant battle over which one of us was teaching our children horsemanship any given day! A task I would have preferred to have taken on completely by myself, given my husband's propensity for wild risk-taking."

Archie threw up his arms in mock defeat with a charming grin, remarkably resembling Nathan's lop-sided one.

"That I did, Son, and proud of it!" he answered, choosing to ignore Sophia's little jab. "We men have to stick together. Helped make you the excellent horseman you are today! And I'm proud to say, at least, that I contributed to that particular Mountie skill."

"Yes, you did, and much appreciated, Dad! I think I was the only student at the Academy whose parents had already taught me all the Mounties' equestrian tricks! Hey, not to change the subject, but what other events has this room seen over the years," asked Nathan, genuinely curious.

"Oh, over the years, this Grand Ballroom has seen a lot of exuberant life. Some would say even extraordinary life as the place has been used for almost everything you can imagine! I'm sure I can't remember them all," admitted Edward. "But there are a few that certainly stand out."

"And honestly, none of us Bradfords would have had it any other way," smiled Victoria. "Whenever this room has been needed, it's been used, no matter the reason, and proven quite useful in the process."

"Well, as you know, this Ballroom has seen tons and tons of fundraisers for Victoria's, Millicent's, Richard's, and, of course, my own charities over the years," explained Edward. "Though, I'll admit we've been a bit lax on Pippa and William, allowing them to wait till after their college work is completed to start their foundations in earnest. And that's thanks to Richard, Margaret, and Millicent doing such a grand job with their foundations! It goes without saying that this room has also seen many magnificent parties, compliments of my Darling Victoria and my Darling Millicent."

"Thank you, Dear, for the both of us! Although there have been many other exciting things too, that to most people might be quite unexpected for a Ballroom," mused Victoria. "But not at all to us!"

"There's one that's so special to me, though most of the details as to why, I've learned from listening to my parents talk about everything after the fact," suggested Millicent. "But millions of priceless personal memories are attached that mean the world to Richard, William, me, and even Pippa, though she was smaller. Of course, our perspective was one of wonder as children not knowing or understanding the terrifying details causing the situation at the time, nor the total upheaval to the Cree way of life. We were simply thrilled our grandparents were coming to live with us, although we all knew it was temporary."

"Ah, you're referring to my parents and their entire Cree tribe staying here!" smiled Victoria.

"Really?" asked Nathan, fascinated. "The entire tribe?"

"Yes, right here in this Ballroom. You tell the story, Edward," urged Victoria. "I'll jump in and help if you need."

"One Christmas, not long after our new home was built and during the harshest of blizzards in 1899, I insisted that Victoria's Cree father, our children's grandfather, bring his family and entire tribe to live right here in this very Ballroom. There was no way I could leave them out in the brutal cold. However, my proud, self-sufficient father-in-law resisted my offer vociferously as he had always provided for his family and tribe by himself, without any help whatsoever, I might add!" *123

Edward went on to explain further.

"But as the ferocious winter elements were cruelly and harshly ravaging both the young and the old in a way they never had before, my father-in-law, Chief Star Blanket, who had the second largest tribe at that time, and actually has the largest now, finally acquiesced, knowing that he nor his council simply couldn't stand by and watch more of their people die when they had an alternative solution, no matter how unconventional or distasteful that solution was to them at the time. And believe me, this Ballroom was quite the distasteful option as far as both he and his council were concerned. Though, I will admit, transporting them here with all their belongings in such horrific weather was quite the endeavor. But there was no other choice, so they brought their Buffalo hide tents with wooden poles, and we men spent the night setting them up right here in this Ballroom!"

"I would love to have seen that," enthused Nathan. "What a sight that must have been!"

"It was, even to me, and that's with me being Cree, used to living in those very teepees! Seeing them all lined up within this grand room was somehow awe-inspiring in such a unique way," admitted Victoria. "We were just relieved they were all safe. However, I'll never forget at the very beginning of their relocation, my mother took it upon herself to unearth my newly planted floral greenhouse. It was formal in design, and I was very proud of having just completed the difficult project. But it happened to reside just beyond the Ballroom that year, so Mother saw an opportunity and quickly turned it into a sustainable vegetable garden with lots of root and leafy vegetables, full of Cree herbs and plants to be used for the tribes' foods as well as their much-needed medicinals!"

Victoria continued.

"As it only made practical sense to my mother, who, as the wife of the Chief, was responsible for meeting her people's needs, she hadn't once thought to ask for permission from Edward nor me. She simply rolled up her sleeves and did what was in her mind necessary to sustain her people. It mattered not that Edward and I would have happily supplied any and all of the tribe's needs. Their pride and sense of self-sufficiency simply wouldn't allow for that."

"But not a word was said by Victoria or Edward," interjected Luciana. "As such was the respect for Victoria's parents, the children's grandparents, and the Cree way of life. And yes, Nathan, it was quite an extraordinary site to behold! The entire situation was amazing. Why I spent all the time I had to spare with them, myself, trying to learn everything I possibly could. But to Edward's and my parents' astonishment and chagrin, which positively delighted both of us, by the way, teepees gloriously covered this entire Ballroom with not much space to spare! Why we even had to expand to the second floor behind the arches, which I might add, was my idea!"

"I had forgotten that, Luciana," mused Edward. "But that idea actually turned out to be most helpful, barely giving us enough space for everyone to reside comfortably."

"Of course, during the two months my parents and their tribe stayed, I felt it was important to encourage the children to live in the Ballroom tents right along with their Cree grandparents, although it didn't take much urging," explained Victoria. "The only condition I insisted on was that they had to wear the Cree clothing and eat the Cree recipes to get a true feel for the Cree way of life."

"It was quite the experience!" smiled Millicent. "The best of our lives! Mother wisely knew that the love and life lessons we would receive from our grandparents and the entire Cree Tribe would prove priceless. She also knew it was our one opportunity to experience the Cree way of life and traditions firsthand and that the entire experience would serve us well as part of our birthright and heritage. And she was right; our time together has proven invaluable to us many times over, especially as we've moved onward into our adult lives."

"And now," continued Millicent. I understand how very proud the Cree people are. Self-preservation is genuinely their way of life. So, it was very humbling for them to accept Father's help. But somehow, we all miraculously made it through and had the grandest of times doing it! Of course, we children adored our grandparents being here, not to mention having the entire tribe with us. And in the end, I believe they all loved spending time with us," finished Millicent. "Except maybe for Maskwa, the young hunter to whom Richard attached himself. But at least now, nobody shoots an arrow like my brother!"

"My boy can hit a moving target with the best of them," agreed Edward proudly. "Even his grandfather says so."

"Poor Maskwa didn't get a moment alone, though, the entire time he was here. Once Richard learned he was the tribe's best hunter, the boy glued himself to him. But you're right, my dear Daughter, that was one tough goodbye for everyone concerned," admitted Victoria. "Many tears were shed, not the least of which were by my own father, whom I have never seen cry before, nor since!"

"Nonetheless, the whole experience proved to be quite the adventure for all of us," mused Edward. "And more importantly, it was the right thing to do. I'd do it all over again if needed, in a heartbeat!"

"I can only imagine! I really do wish I could have seen this place filled with teepees," reiterated Nathan, simply amazed at the thought, seeing this grand room in a whole new light.

"It really was the most adventuresome experience for us, but an educational, soul-searching, and humbling one as well. We learned so much, Darling," beamed Millicent. "Each of my siblings would unanimously tell anyone who would listen now that living in the Ballroom with our Cree grandparents that blustery winter is the fondest childhood memory we have, as well as our most life-altering one."

Nathan bent his head to kiss her forehead.

"I have no doubt! Wish I could have been there, with you, too!"

"Me too!"

"We do have photos," smiled Victoria. "Remind me to show you, Nathan!"

"Well, that memory will be hard, if not impossible, to top. Any more stories," asked Nathan hopefully, totally enchanted with this particular memory, while looking forward to more…

. . .

123. The Great Blizzard of 1899, also known as the Great Arctic Outbreak of 1899, and the St. Valentine's Blizzard, an exceptionally severe winter blizzard, one of the worst in recorded history, affected most of the US and much of Canada. Swift Current in present-day Saskatchewan reported a record-high barometric pressure of 31.42 inches of mercury or 1.065mb. Public Domain Information