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Annie began to spend more time with Jesse, who was convinced now her baby would be healthy. Annie’s presence made the days of confinement easier. Jesse wondered aloud if she’d ever get to the Christmas party. Annie’s eyes twinkled as she promised, “I’ll bring you a piece of cake!”
Daniel was hunting with Jake and Alec most days, and was happy to leave Annie in the canyon. Jesse pestered her for news, and Annie revealed that Norah Riley had started to go to school, and Jane Barber was “stepping out” for the first time in her life.
“With John Riley?” Jesse asked. Annie nodded sagely then giggled. She bit her lower lip.
“Tell me. Tell me what you know!”
“I think,” said Annie, “I think they’ll get married.”
“Oh, how wonderful! Everyone should be married—don’t you think so?”
***
ADAM WENT TO TOWN ONE day with Jesse’s Christmas list and returned to find the doctor had visited in his absence. Rebecca met him at the door with the news. She was wringing her hands, a gesture completely at odds with her normally stoic character, as she told him the doctor had ordered Jesse to bed.
“What else?”
“Jane came with him, and after the doctor was finished, she asked to see Jesse alone. I don’t know what she said, but our little mite’s been crying.”
Adam went in and sat beside his wife. She was asleep, lying on her side with her hair falling over her face. He brushed the tawny curls back to find her cheeks wet with tears. I’ll kill her! If she’s said anything to hurt her, I’ll kill her with my own bare hands.
“Jesse... Mavourneen, wake up.”
“Adam,” she murmured, and one little hand came out from under the quilt. He took it in his and touched her hair again.
“How are you?”
“All right. Just tired. Doc said to rest as much as I can.”
“Are you warm enough?”
“Shore am,” she drawled. “Y’all did a wonderful job with this room—I’m snug as a bug!”
He glanced around at the yellow pine walls, the cheerful blue striped curtains, the white quilt Moira Flaherty had made for them. Then his left eyebrow curled up from the middle as a frown furrowed his brow. “Rebecca said Jane came to see you?”
She closed her eyes and nodded. He saw a tear in the corner of her eye and wiped it away.
“Tell me, mavourneen. What did she say?” When she didn’t answer, he repeated, “Tell me.”
“She said she was sorry. For all the mean things she said. She said she was wrong, she was jealous. And she was sorry.”
He wiped her tears with a corner of the quilt. “All right, love. Don’t cry. Please, mavourneen, don’t cry.”
She reached for his hand again and took a deep shaky breath.
“It’s just... it makes up for so much. She didn’t have to do it. She never said anything to me, so I wouldn’t have known. Don’t you see?”
“Yes, love, I do,” he answered. “And I’m glad she did. But, mavourneen, don’t cry. Please.
“Come here, love. I want to hold you.” He lifted her in his arms and took her out to the old rocking chair. She snuggled up close to him and he covered her with an afghan and held her tightly. But she was quiet. Too quiet. I will kill that woman. I’ll kill her right now. Because I know she’s done something—said something that hurt.
“Jesse, what else did Jane say?” He felt the little start she gave. “Tell me, mavourneen.”
Tell him, a lilting old voice said. Tell him all. He will understand.
“She...” She caught her bottom lip between her teeth, trembling violently. Her breath came in little gasps. “She said... that Sarah Taylor told her... that...”
Tell him, it crooned. Tell him and let him heal it. He will understand.
“That Tommy... that Tommy and me... we... we...”
“Hush, my love,” he whispered. “Hush. That wicked old bitch doesn’t have enough to do. That’s why she makes up stories. No one would believe that, Jesse. No one at all.”
But her trembling didn’t subside and a sobbing noise escaped her.
Tell him.
“Russell... believed it... that’s why he... he said if I... was good enough... for... an Indian...” She clutched at him frantically. “Adam... Adam...”
He held her even closer, whispered in her ear. Any words of comfort he could find while in his heart, he cursed her brother to hell for all eternity. Cursed the wicked woman who’d manufactured that lie, who’d put them through this horror.
God damn that Taylor woman! Keep me away from her. Keep me away from her or I will beat her to death. I want her to hurt, to bleed, to be terrified. I want her to feel what she has done to this innocent girl. My little girl. Oh, dear God, how could you let this happen?
He felt Annie’s hand trembling on his shoulder and looked up into her tear-streaked face.
She needs you, said the pale eyes. He controlled his rage, and pressed his lips again to his wife’s forehead. He murmured into her hair.
“Adam?” It was a plea. “You don’t...”
“No, my love.” He lifted her face to his. “How could I believe anything so silly? Jesse.” Deep and tender, yet with the hard edge of steel. “Jesse, mavourneen, I know I am the only one.”
Annie sank to her knees and blessed him. For his words had struck Jesse’s heart, removed the fear she’d lived with for so long, that he’d someday hear the rumor and believe it. Annie heard the groan that went up from Adam’s soul.
Let it be over! Let this be all. I do not know how much more I can stand.
As she reached for him, Annie caught Jesse’s hand also, and the girl looked up at her. Her tears had stopped falling and there was a serenity in her smile that went beyond the surface. Went all the way down into the depths of the spirit on which she lived. There was no more. No more fear. No more secrets. No more. Annie took her hand and closed it around Adam’s, then wrapped her own over it.
It is over.
Relief flooded his being as he freed his hand to stroke his wife’s bright hair. He looked down at Annie. Thank you, his heart said, and her soft smile acknowledged it. He turned to the woman in his arms, wiped the traces of tears from her face with an edge of the quilt.
“Did Doc say why he wanted you to stay in bed?” he asked.
“He said not to worry. There’s nothing wrong. But the baby’s getting so big and I’m so little—he doesn’t want it to come too soon. We have to defy gravity and keep this little one in here a few more weeks.” She held his hand against her. “But I think he’s got a mind of his own.”
“He? Does ‘he’ have a name?”
“I think we should name him after your brothers.”
“Brian?”
“Mmmm.” She cocked her head at him. “I thought after all of them.”
“But, Jesse, how many names can he have?”
“Oh, we’ll pick out one for everyday. You know, when we call him and such.”
“You don’t really mean you’re going to name him ‘Brian Daniel Frank Geordie Jake’? Be serious, love.”
“You forgot Conor,” she told him, “and Henry.”
“Jesse...” He knew she was teasing him and was thankful for it, for the calmness he felt in her. So he sighed in mock exasperation. “All right, love. If that’s really what you want.”
She was still giggling at him when Daniel came for Annie.
“What’s the joke?” the woodsman asked.
“No joke,” his brother responded. “Just a name for the baby. Jesse’s sure it’s a boy.”
“Great! So what’s his name?”
“I thought we’d name him after his uncles,” Jesse replied.
The woodsman was quiet for a moment. “I think that’s a fine idea.”
“Daniel!” Adam found himself laughing. “Okay, I’m outnumbered. Poor kid’s gonna have seven names. But what if it’s a girl?”
Suddenly serious, Jesse replied, “Katherine.” For his grandmother.
He took her hand, raised it to his lips and kissed it with utmost tenderness. “Thank you,” he whispered in a voice thick with emotion. “You wonderful girl. I love you so much.” He hugged her close and Daniel patted her bright hair.
“We’ll see you tomorrow,” he said. But Annie shook her head.
“Tomorrow’s Sunday,” she said in a strained voice. “We’re going to Evelyn’s.”
“Monday, then,” he told Jesse.
“Say hello to little Adam for us.” She grabbed for Annie’s hand and pulled her down to kiss her cheek. “Thank you so much.”
Annie smiled but didn’t respond.