A week later, Christy was sitting with the children during the noon break when she saw Doctor MacNeill riding up.
He dismounted and joined her on the lawn.
“I haven’t heard from you in several days,” she said. “I was starting to worry.”
“I’m sorry. I’ve been preoccupied. I’ve been thinking, mostly . . . working some. The Washingtons’ cabin’s coming along nicely.”
“It’s nice of you to help out.”
“It’s the least I can do.” The doctor lay back on the lawn, staring up at the sky. “I have to compensate for my dear departed grandmother.”
“Not everyone can be as brave as Granny Allen was,” Christy said. “I’m not sure I’d have that kind of courage.”
The doctor sat up and pulled an envelope out of his breast pocket. “Has Ben Pentland been by yet with the mail?”
“No. But he’s due today. Would you like me to give that to him?”
“Thanks.” The doctor passed her the envelope. Christy slipped it into a book.
“Aren’t you at least going to read the address?”
“Of course not. That’s your private concern.”
“It’s to James,” the doctor said.
Christy felt her heart plummet. “Is it about the job?”
“Yes. I felt it was time.”
“I understand.” Christy looked away to hide the tears threatening to spill down her cheeks. “I’m awfully disappointed, Neil . . .”
“I’m sorry. I know you had your heart set on waltzing at the wedding. Not to mention showing off your Italian.”
Christy blinked. She looked at the doctor, eyes narrowed. “I don’t think I heard you right . . .”
“Well, if I’m not going to take the job in Knoxville, I figured there was no point in going all the way there just to show you off. After all, you’re a beautiful woman, Christy. Who knows what might happen if I let all those eligible young doctors get a glimpse of you?”
“You’re not . . . you’re not leaving us?” Christy threw her arms around the doctor’s neck and kissed him.
The children broke into wild applause, laughing and pointing. Quickly Christy pulled away, her cheeks ablaze.
“My, my,” the doctor said. “I had no idea I was in danger of being so sorely missed.”
“I’m just glad for the Cove,” Christy said demurely. “That’s all.”
“Well, I very much enjoyed kissing you on behalf of the Cove,” the doctor replied.
“But why did you change your mind?” Christy asked, smiling in spite of herself.
“Oh, a lot of things, I suppose. Seeing the Washingtons decide to stay. Whatever hardships I have, it’s nothing compared to what they’re up against. And hearing about my grandmother, Helen. I felt she’d let Cutter Gap down, just a little, that day Granny Allen asked for her help. I sort of feel like I need to make it up to this place. It’s crazy, I know.”
“Not at all.”
The doctor leapt to his feet. “And then there was you.”
“Me?”
He nodded. “See, I’m aiming to enter next year’s state waltzing championship. And I know just the girl I want as a partner.”
Christy stood, smiling. “Really? Anyone I know?”
“She speaks only one language. Her father isn’t a rich industrialist. And she’s not much of a dancer, either.”
“What do you see in her, I wonder?”
The doctor swept Christy into his arms, and they began to waltz, spinning around and around. The children watched, mesmerized.
“It’s hard to say why I’m so fond of her,” he said. “Could be because she loves these mountains as much as I do.”
When the break was over, Christy herded the last of the straggling children into the school. They’d been teasing her about her kiss and her dance with the doctor for an hour now. It was going to be a long afternoon. But at least that would make for a change from the tension still hovering in the air around the Washington children.
It wasn’t enough, she knew, for Bob Allen to hire Curtis. It wasn’t enough that the Washingtons’ cabin was being rebuilt. The older boys still tormented John and Louise and Hannah whenever they could. Ugly words were still being whispered. Even Hannah and Della May still hid their friendship.
Christy paused on the steps. Was everyone inside? She caught sight of Della May and Hannah, far off at the edge of the woods. “Girls!” she called. “Hurry up! No more dawdling!”
“Teacher!” Della May cried. She pointed to an old oak tree. “Come see! Bring everyone and come see, now!”
Christy frowned. The girls were taking an awful risk being seen together this way.
“It’s important, Miz Christy!” Della May called. “I promise!”
Christy shook her head. Well, she wasn’t eager to face a spelling lesson, either. After the doctor’s good news, she almost felt like playing hooky herself. “All right, then,” she called back, “but this had better be good, girls.”
She poked her head in the schoolroom door. “Children,” she called, “follow me.”
Christy lead the way toward the old oak, trailed by her eager students. “Where are we goin’, Teacher?” Little Burl asked.
“Actually, I have no idea, Little Burl,” Christy confessed.
Della May and Hannah were standing side-by-side next to the tree. There was a large hollow under the lowest branch, just about even with the girls’ heads.
“Well,” Christy announced, “we’re all here.”
“We got somethin’ to show y’all,” Della May announced. She put her arm around Hannah’s shoulder.
“What are you doin’ with the likes o’ her?”
Lundy demanded of Della May. “Your hand’ll wither up and fall off now, sure as anything.”
“Hush, Lundy,” Della May said firmly. “First off, Creed gets to look.”
The girls stepped aside and motioned for Creed. He peered inside the dark hole and gasped, hand to his mouth.
“Shh,” Hannah said, grinning. “Don’t tell!”
“It was all Hannah’s doin’, Creed,” Della May said. “She done found the hole.”
“Now for Miz Christy,” Della May said.
Christy peered inside the hole. There, to her amazement, were a mother raccoon and four tiny babies.
“Scalawag?” Christy whispered.
“Sure as shootin’,” Creed said.
“But I thought he was a boy.”
“Guess he had other ideas,” Creed said.
“Did you see the nest?” Hannah asked.
Christy looked again. The raccoons were nestled inside an old felt hat. It was lined with a hair ribbon, a rag doll, a plaid shirt, and a piece of chalk, among other things.
“He always was a bit of a thief,” Creed admitted. “Can’t help hisself. Or herself, I guess I should say.”
“Class,” Christy said, “Hannah and Della May have something I think you’ll be very interested in seeing. It seems we’ve found Scalawag. And in doing so, we’ve also located our classroom thief. I think we all owe the Washingtons a very big apology.”
Instantly, the children crowded around the hole, jockeying for position.
“My hat!” Lundy cried. “Why, you furry little crook, you!”
“My dolly!” Vella exclaimed. “The babies are sleepin’ with my dolly!”
John and Louise watched silently, standing far off to one side. No one apologized. No one even acknowledged that they were there.
Christy heard laughter and turned. Behind her, heading up the school steps, were Hannah and Della May. They were holding hands and giggling, as if they didn’t have a care in the world.
It wasn’t enough, Christy knew. Not at all.
But at least it was a start.