The ride home was made pleasant by the memories of her sweet lips. He held the handkerchief she had given him up to his nose and breathed her scent deep inside of him.

Pete allowed Nathan this moment; he neither joked, nor sang as he usually did.

The night grew warmer. The stars were the sparkles in her dress; the moon... her flashing white smile; the rhythmic clopping of the horse's hooves matched the musical beatings of his own heart. It was as though everything around him was in sync with his passion for Margaret.

"Goodnight, Sir."

"Goodnight, Pete."

Nathan walked into the house a far different man than when he left. The Korens stayed up to hear all about his evening.

"Did you have a nice time at the ball, dear?" Merald asked. She yawned widely and took his cloak, gloves, and hat.

"Yes. She was just beautiful," he said, starry eyed, making his way into the living room to greet the Korens.

"She? But I asked about the...oh never mind...the poor lovesick thing," she said, mumbling all the way up the stairs.

Nate entertained the Korens about the funny parts of the night, including the old man dipping his fat wife and getting smacked...and the tale about the grizzly bear. He mentioned how beautiful Margaret looked, but nothing of their intimate moments.

Satisfied with Nate's account of his evening, Elisabeth got ready for bed.

"Night, dear. I'm glad you enjoyed yourself," she said, kissing Nate on the cheek.

"Goodnight, Mrs. Koren."

She walked over to the big chair where her husband sat and kissed him on the lips.

"Night, Love."

"Goodnight, sweetheart, I won't be long," Doc said.

Alone at last, both men settled back with a glass of Port and two very good cigars. Nathan appeared happier than he'd ever been. Doc mentioned Margaret several times, but Nate managed to dance all around the intimate part.

Later that night, he didn't dream of her; he didn't have to. The taste of her was now a reality. Having the woman he loved seemed imminent.

**************

Sunday morning, Nathan attended church with the Korens. The twins looked beautiful in their white dresses and bonnets.

"Why is Nate looking around so much?" the servant whispered to Merald.

"I don't know, Jenny," she said quietly.

The organ music piped out, 'Onward Christian Soldiers.' The congregation stood and sang. Nathan stood with the hymn book open, but had a hard time singing with the twins elbowing each other over who would hold the hymn book. Mrs. Koren settled the fight by taking the book since neither could read.

"I hope he's not expecting Margaret to walk through these church doors," Jenny said between mouthing the words to the song.

"I don't think that's why he's looking around. Everyone knows the Wainwrights attend their own private chapel right there on their estate."

"Well, if you ask me, I think it's mighty snobbish of them not wanting to worship the Lord with us ordinary folk. I don't know what he sees in that Wainwright girl anyway. It's plenty of nice young girls...."

"Shhhh," Merald said, staring down Jenny.

Pastor Fleming entered the pulpit. He prayed for a couple of minutes.

"Open your Bibles to Matthew 21:43. 'Therefore I tell you that the Kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to people who will produce its fruit....'" (sermon)

After the service, Nathan and the Korens rode home, but Merald and Jenny wanted to walk and enjoy more of the sun on their faces.

The street bustled with well-dressed coachmen, colorful dresses and bonnets, and children dressed in their Sunday best. Birds tweeted from bright green trees; and butterflies teased the children by flying just close enough to their little fingers, but fluttering away before being grabbed.

"Oh look, there goes the Williams girl; she's grown to be such a pretty little thing. I think she would make a fine wife for our Nathan, don't you?"

"Perhaps," Merald answered.

"Yoo-hoo! Merald! Jenny!" Two servants from another household called out and were running to catch up to them. As soon as they caught their breath, right away Jenny started telling them about Nate being sweet on Margaret. The women battled back and forth gossiping about the shameful way the two love birds had made out at the ball. After a few moments, Merald had enough.

"And to think you all just came out of church. I wouldn't blame the Good Lord for sending a lightning flash right in the mix of ya'." She bolted off and walked back to the house alone.

**************

Nathan felt as if he were floating on a cloud. The memories of that night stirred in his brain. He'd slept like an infant for the past three nights, playing that kiss over and over in his thoughts. Now...what could be more wonderful than his being summoned to the Wainwrights' ranch to treat one of their prized steers.

The driver turned onto the path leading to the house that sat near the edge of a lake. A flowing canal washed silently over the small stones. The house was large and white with elaborate wood trim that decorated the galleys of its framed structure. A story and a half high stood a central chimney.

A stout Negro woman smiled and ushered him into a room; it smelled of rosemary-mint unguents.

The walls and floors were made of fine wood. On the shiny floors were scattered calfskin rugs with Mexican prints. The guest sitting area had a large stone fireplace with an Elk head above it. In front of the fireplace were red velvet chairs facing each other.

The Negro woman had him sit in one of the chairs. Nathan clenched his medical bag and wondered who'd sit opposite him as he sat waiting to be announced.

Big Tom Wainwright stood every bit of his name. At six foot five and a little under two hundred pounds, he was still the tough hombre he'd been as a younger man. The Wainwrights were part of the great flood of farmers that poured into Texas during the 1830s.

Tom's grandfather (Boss Wainwright) quickly saw the significance of fresh pastures where cattle could thrive with minimum care. Soon, the name Wainwright became synonymous with cattle raising.

Joe Wainwright, Tom's father, took over the business after Boss died, and during the civil war, sold beef to the Confederacy until 1863. By the end of the war, roasts were selling in Eastern markets twenty-five to thirty cents a pound and Texas steer, six to ten dollars a head. By the time Tom took over the family business in 1881, the Wainwrights were cattle rich beyond their wildest dreams.

Nathan stood as Big Tom entered the room. He held out his hand and greeted Nate warmly. He offered a drink, but Nathan politely refused, stating his preference to not drink on the job. Tom was pleased with his answer and poured one for himself. He sat facing Nathan and took a gulp of his drink.

"So, how do you like Texas, Mr. Daniels?"

"Oh...I like it fine, Sir."

"People are starting to talk about your work. You're doing well under Koren. He's well respected in these parts."

"Yes. I know how fortunate I am to be studying under such a man."

Tom stood, walked over to the fireplace and took a cigar out of the box. He offered one to Nathan, but he politely refused. He lit the cigar; after a few puffs, he took a gulp of his drink and sat back down. Nathan felt intimidated and with good reason.

"My daughter tells me you were quite a favorite at the dance."

"Well...I don't know about being a favorite; I really had a wonderful time."

"I see. And this wonderful time...was it more to do with the dance or my daughter?" he exclaimed, puffing away.

"Sir?"

"I'll get right to the point. Margaret's mother and I heard about some things that went on at the dance."

"What things...Sir?" Nathan swallowed hard.

Wainwright told Nathan how disturbed he felt about him taking his daughter out in the dark, kissing and touching her inappropriately. Nate denied it and assured him that he would never disrespect Margaret. He tried so hard to convince Tom that he accidentally blurted that he loved her.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to say that. I've never even said those words to Margaret."

"You know, it doesn't take me long to size up a man. I believe you when you say you have the utmost respect for my daughter. I'm not stupid. I know gossip always adds more to what really happened. I believe you were a gentleman, because I trust my daughter. My daughter would never be interested in a man who was anything less than a gentleman."

"Oh, thank you, Sir."

"But I'm afraid I can't permit you to see her again."

"What?"

"It's nothing personal."

"If you mean money. I'm an apprentice right now, but in a few years I'll have my own practice. Maybe I won't be able to give her what you have given her, but she won't starve or be in want. Animal doctors make a very good living...and..."

"Mr. Daniels, I'm sure you're a fine man and will make some young woman a wonderful husband...just not my Margaret. Don't bother to plead your case. My mind is made up."

"'Your' mind is made up? I'm sorry, Mr. Wainwright, but this is 1906 and young people make up their own minds. You can't decide who people can or cannot love. Nobody thinks that way anymore."

"Mr. Daniels, it's been a pleasure meeting you; good-day, Sir," Tom said, standing to his feet.

"I won't leave until I see Margaret."

"Good-day Daniels, or be escorted out by some of my ranch-hands. And they will not be gentle, I assure you."

Nathan stood staring at him. "You didn't call me here for any sick animal," he said clenching his teeth. "You just wanted to tell me to stay away from Margaret."

Wainwright never answered but turned and walked back into the main house, leaving Nathan as if he'd been hit in the stomach.

**************

During the ride home, he didn't enjoy the scenery as he once had. The sun was shining, but a dark cloud hung over him. He'd carry that cloud up to his room; sleep with it over his head, like a black feathered pillow.

The Korens had received word about the real reason Nathan was asked to the Wainwrights' ranch. But there was no way to warn him in time. When he returned home, they watched him walk slowly, silently into the house, across the room and up the stairs. They said nothing and left him alone.

For weeks, Nathan tried to reach Margaret. His letters were always returned unopened. He suspected that it was not her doing. Then one evening, he heard a carriage drive up to the door and stop, then a knock. When he opened the door, the Wainwright's driver said not a word, but handed him a letter and quickly left. It read:

My Dearest Darling: I know you are hurting as I am. I know you love me as I love you. Please don't judge my family too harshly. They are so deeply buried in tradition, they know not the love you and I feel for one another. Be patient my sweet and be assured that we will be together soon. Do not contact me. But wait for instructions.
Love you always, Margaret.

For the first time in weeks, Nathan felt the strong beat of his pulse. He held the letter against his chest and read it over and over until he knew each line by heart. He had no idea what Margaret was up to, but was willing to forsake everyone and everything to spend a lifetime with her. The Korens noticed a change in Nathan's mood, but didn't dare ask him about it.

Dr. Koren was happy that Nathan had taken much of his work load. People even began to trust him with the well-being of their animals as they had Dr. Koren. Nathan's hope was to establish himself quickly so he could start his own practice. That way he could marry Margaret and move far away from her family's interference.

Daniels went about on pins and needles waiting for the next letter. It finally arrived days after the first one. The Negro made no eye contact when handing him the letter. Nate read it and blew a breath of relief. He was to meet her at Somners Creek...a popular hide-away where her young friends went to escape their parents' monitoring eyes.

When he arrived there, the sky appeared a bright orange. The driver sat at attention high up on the carriage and looked dutifully, straight ahead. Margaret, dressed in a dark cloak with the hood pulled over her head, ran into his arms. They kissed passionately before going inside. They ran to the little cottage. They were barely inside the room, when they fell into each others arms and onto the cot. He held her and looked down into her beautiful brown eyes and kissed her.

"You know I love you."

"I know," she said. "And I can't get 'you' out of my mind."

"Let's run away together."

"Don't be silly. How would we live?" she said, running a finger across his lips.

"I'll be a practicing doctor after another year or so. We could have a great life together."

"Oh, honey." She jumped up to a sitting position. "Father would never permit it."

He folded his arms around her from behind, held her to his chest and rubbed his cheek against hers. She turned, pushed him back on the cot and straddled him. He looked up at her with surprise. She took the comb out of her hair and shook her head until her dark waves flowed past her shoulders.

She smiled menacingly, opened the top of her dress and showed off her two perfect white mountains of flesh. She leaned over him, her pink nipples mounted above him like two ripe cherries ready to be popped into his mouth. She placed one near his lips. He kissed it, then flipped her on her back, covered her breast and fastened the top of her dress.

"Why, Mr. Daniels, you 'are' the gentlemen," she chuckled.

"Lucky for you I am."

"That's why I adore you so."

"Then come away with me."

"God! Do you know no other song?" she said, pushing him aside and hopping off the cot.

"Honey, you say you love me. You know your father isn't going to stop meddling. What else can we do except go away somewhere?"

"Where are we going to go? What are we going to live on?"

"We could go back to Oklahoma. Live with my mother until I start my own practice."

"You want me to go live on a little farm with your mother and four brothers and
sisters - a couple of cows and some chickens?"

"Margaret, it wouldn't be for long."

She stood in front of the mirror and twisted her hair up, piled it on top and stuck in the comb. She studied him in the mirror, as if she was trying to memorize every detail of his being. She turned to him.

"Father and I had a long talk. He gives us his blessings if we decide to marry, but he'll have nothing more to do with me. I'll be cut out of the family, forever."

"What! Really? Margaret, that's great. Why didn't you just tell me? God, this is wonderful." Nathan grabbed her, kissed and hugged her, but she just stood there like a piece of ice.

"I can't be with you," she said, glassy eyed.

He took her face in his hands and looked into her eyes."

"I know what you're thinking. You're giving up your inheritance. But honey, we'll be together and you see how the Korens live. They're not as rich as your father, but Mrs. Koren has a cook and housekeepers and a coachman. Honey I swear your hands will be as white and soft as they are now."

"It's not the money. I can't lose my family."

"Oh, sweetie, you don't really believe your father would disown you. He's just testing me to see if I'd want you without your money. And hell yes, I do."

She grabbed her head.

"Oh God, I don't know what to do. Nathan, I want to be with you, but I don't want to end up like my aunt Fanny."

"What about your aunt Fanny?"

"She fell in love with some local boy. My grandfather..."

"Joe Wainwright?"

"Yes. He threatened to cut her off from the family if she married him and she did. Now she's just a whisper. I don't remember, but I was told when grandfather died, she, her husband and children weren't even allowed to attend the funeral. It was his last wish.

"But, honey, that was your grandfather." She sighed.

"You don't understand. My family is deep into tradition. That's what makes you a Wainwright, following some protocol. Doing everything the Wainwright way. Damn, sometimes I hate that name."

"Then take another name. Daniels is a good name. I'll make it greater. You'll never be ashamed of it."

Margaret looked at him, as if she was really seeing him for the first time, as if she was seeing his soul. She smiled.

"I don't deserve you," she whispered. A tear rolled down her cheek. She grabbed her cloak and began to back up to the cottage door.

"Margaret, no," he yelled. She kept shaking her head 'no' and touched the door knob.

"Don't do this to us," he warned.

"I'm not as strong as Aunt Fanny."

"We can make this work. It's better to spend a life time with the man you love than to spend it pleasing your family."

"I can't live without ever seeing my mother."

"Margaret!"

"No! We love each other now. But how long would it be before something started to go wrong in our lives; and we'd blame each other for what we've both given up: you your apprenticeship with Koren and me my family. And we'd turn on each other and tear each other apart."

"But you don't know that...we could..."

"Oh, sweetie," she interrupted, "can't you see. I'm no good for you. I'm spoiled. I'm used to a cushy life. I'm used to having everything at my fingertips. Honey, I wouldn't last a week being poor out there in the Oklahoma wilderness with you and your mother and your brothers..."

"...and the chickens and the cows, yes I know," he said. "Well, forgive me for reaching a little too high," he said sarcastically.

She threw her cloak around her, walked to him and kissed him as hard as she could. He just stood there, stiff as a board. All the fight he had for their love was gone.

"Good bye," she whispered.

She opened the door, looked back at him; his eyes were dull and void. She swiftly walked to the coach. Nathan heard the trotting of the horse. He slowly walked and stood in the doorway. He watched the coach until it was as small as his thumb.

Author Notes

This is not a complete chapter, but a shorter fanstory chapter for the sake of my readers. For those just joining the story Characters: Nathan Daniels....Main Character Duchess Margaret...Nathan's heart breaker and lost love (not mentioned in this chapter) Doctor Koren.......Nathan's Mentor Elisabeth Koren....Doctor Koren's wife Koren Twins .......Ella and Ellie Eva Mitchell.......Deeply in love with Nathan Koren's Servants: Pete...........Negro Coachman (not mentioned in this chapter) Merald.............Head housekeeper Jenny...............Maid and cook Supporting Characters: Sweet Springs Town folk Art work by google

Months after their breakup, Nathan fought to stay focused on his medical practice as Sweet Springs buzzed of Margaret's upcoming marriage to the Duke of Marlborough. It promised to be the wedding of the decade.

"Just when you thought those Wainwrights couldn't stoop any lower, they arrange a marriage between a penniless Duke and their spoiled brat of a daughter," Elisabeth said. She checked the silverware for spots.

"People like that will do anything to raise themselves a few notches on the social register," Koren answered, sipping his coffee.

Merald came out of the kitchen; she smoothed her hands on her apron. "They say Tom Wainwright plans to pour millions of dollars into maintaining the family's English estate in exchange for a title for Margaret," Merald blurted.

"All I know is our Nate is only a shadow of the man he once was since she broke his heart."

"Nate's young. He'll bounce back," Koren assured Elisabeth.

"Miss Margaret is a Duchess now," Jenny said, setting the dinner table.

"Oh, she's shit," Elisabeth answered angrily. "I hope she rots in England."

"Now, honey," Koren asserted, putting his cup aside, "don't go getting yourself all upset. All of what's happened will make him a better man, you'll see."

Nathan's tireless attention to his work paid off. His medical skills were so impeccable, Dr. Koren offered him a full partnership. He accepted and after two years, bought a beautiful ranch home not far from the Korens. Nathan became Sweet Springs' most eligible bachelor.

**************

It was 1910, and Nathan thought a barn dance seemed a bit childish. Eva Mitchell, the new woman in his life, insisted on his taking her. But just an hour before the dance, he got summoned to the Collins' ranch. One of their mares was having trouble birthing its foal.

"Honey, you go ahead and I'll meet you as soon as I can." He grabbed his medical bag.

"Okay, sweetheart," Eva said. She kissed him on the lips.

The birth, though exhausting and difficult, wasn't anything Nate couldn't handle. Dr. Koren worked less and less these days; painful arthritis kept him away from damp barns and long distance rides. Nathan appeared satisfied with the new arrangement of Koren reserving his strength for only the extremely rare and difficult cases.

After helping to bring a beautiful, healthy colt into the world, Nate rushed home to change before joining Eva at the dance. When he arrived, everything seemed in full swing. Nate felt a bit out of place. These types of occasions weren't his cup of tea anymore. But he made the best of it. After all, he thought, these events were only good for the women to show off the latest fashion.

Nathan settled in a corner and watched the parade of lace and ribbons sashay before him. Eva found him, and playfully pulled him up to dance. They circled the floor with Eva smiling profusely.

Suddenly, as if the moment skipped into flashback, Nathan found himself circling the floor with Margaret: her white lace gown sparkling about the room; her dark hair shining beneath the lights, with the whiteness of her teeth flashing as she laughed. He stopped and hurried off the floor, with a confused Eva tagging behind. She found him leaning against a tree overlooking the flower garden. He exhaled hard, then lit a cigarette.

"Nate, what's wrong? Was it my dancing?" she inquired, putting a hand on his shoulder.

"No. I just felt a little dizzy, that's all."

"Oh, you had me worried," she said. "You looked at me as if you'd seen a ghost."

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to frighten you."

"We could leave, if you'd like?"

"No, of course not. I'll be fine. I'll just stand here awhile. You go back in." He puffed on a cigarette.

"I'm not leaving you." She stood in front of him, fingering her pearls.

"Eva, I'm fine, really. I had a trying day, that's all."

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have insisted that you come."

"Don't apologize. I'm delighted we came."

"Nate, are you sure you...."


"Will you stop!" he snapped. "I'm fine I told you!" Startled, she stepped back.

"Alright," she said above a whisper. She looked down at the floor and stood there not knowing what to do or say. When he saw what his words had done, he walked to her and held her by her shoulders.

"I'm sorry for shouting at you. I'm fine, honey, really I am. I just need a minute."

"Nathan, may I say one thing?"

"Of course."

"You're working too hard. You're doing the work of two men now that Dr. Koren is semi-retired. I think you should have an assistant."

"Yes, he and I have recently discussed just that. Now stop worrying about me. That's an order."

"Yes, doctor," she said playfully. She turned and headed back inside.

Nathan was disappointed at the way he reacted. "Damn you, Margaret!" He slammed his fist against the tree. Finishing a few puffs on a second cigarette, he went back inside and pretended to enjoy the rest of the night. After the dance, Nate dropped Eva off at her place instead of allowing her the usual weekend at his. He wanted to be alone.

"Honey, won't you let me stay with you tonight. I'll be quiet. You won't even know I'm there."

"Eva, you sleep naked and never put a stitch on until after breakfast. And you don't think I'll know you're there?"

"Oh, you know what I mean. I'm saying I won't be in your hair...get in the way."

"I'll be gone most of the day, and you'll be alone at the ranch. Now that won't be fun for you."

"Alright," she said sighing. He walked her to the door and kissed her goodnight.

Later that night, just before going to bed, he dug in his drawer for the yellowing slips of paper. They were notes written by Margaret before she left. He never even got to feel her soft body against his. She kept that for some damn Duke...he thought.

How he hated Big Tom. He wondered what kind of man would use his daughter just to elevate his social standing in the world. And what kind of woman would let him. He wanted to hate Margaret too, but couldn't.

**************

Eva Mitchell knew all too well what had happened at the dance tonight. She'd seen that far-away look in his eyes before. She knew it was memories of Margaret burning in those eyes. She had prayed to God to extinguish that fire. But tonight it seemed that blaze raged on. She sat in front of her mirror in her pink lace nighty and brushed her long red hair. She flashed her green eyes and ran her hand over her pale white face.

She was eleven years Nathan's junior, and a wealthy young widow with no children. While visiting in a town not far from Sweet Springs, she'd met Nathan through a friend. The moment her eyes fell upon him, she loved him, though none of the town folk took their relationship seriously. She settled there...bought land and built one of the finest homes in Sweet Springs.

"So I'm wasting my time," she said to herself, staring into the mirror. "He'll never love another as he had Margaret," she spoke defiantly. Eva wrote in her diary: I'LL MAKE LIARS OF YOU ALL. But two years of loving him had not brought her any closer to what she'd promised in her diary. Last spring when she'd told Nathan she was pregnant, she thought he'd explode.

"I don't like being forced into marriage." He paced the floor in front of her fireplace.

"I'm not forcing you to do anything."

"Really, Eva? You know damn well I won't let my child be born a bastard."

"Well, what do you want me to do? I didn't make this baby alone," she said looking off.

"No. But you planned it alone, didn't you?" He came and stood facing her.

"What are you saying?"

"You said you couldn't have children. That's why I never insisted we take precautions."

"I stayed childless for all the fifteen years of my marriage. I thought I couldn't conceive," she said turning her back to him.

"And I believed you until I found out your husband was a hundred. No wonder you couldn't conceive. The old fart had no more juice left." Eva snatched around to face him.

"He was eighty-two when he died," she snapped. "Plenty of old men make babies."

After several rounds of shouting at each other, Nathan stormed out of her house. For days he avoided Eva like the plague. He sent all of her messages back unopened. On day five, however, sitting in his study, he felt more deeply about the situation. Perhaps, he thought, this baby was the kick in the pants he needed to finally settle down and have his life make sense again. Tired of holding on to a dead dream, he went to Eva with a pragmatic proposal.

"We'll marry as soon as possible; but don't go making a big thing about it. I don't want people to let on," he said, taking a puff of his cigarette.

"...that I'm carrying your child?" She smirked and folded her arms.

"Exactly. And we don't want a bunch of busybodies counting backwards once the child is born."

Eva's confidant, an elderly woman she had recently befriended, beamed with excitement for her. The two busied themselves planning the perfect little inconspicuous wedding. But as if life couldn't be more difficult for Eva, happiness made a U-turn when a trip to the doctor seemed to put her world on the edge of a cliff.

"I'm so sorry to have to tell you this, Mrs. Mitchell, but you were never pregnant. I'm afraid you are experiencing early change of life," the doctor said, putting his chart aside.

"But that's impossible. I'm just thirty-nine. My mother was much older when she had me." She eased down off the examining table.

"It doesn't happen to many women this early, but it does happen."

Eva became so upset, she left the material she'd bought for her wedding dress in the doctor's office and rode home in a daze. She couldn't bear to tell Nathan the truth. She prayed somehow God would perform a miracle, and she'd be pregnant.

For two nights she wrestled with what to do until her brain seemed on fire. Finally, she sent her coachman with a message. When Nate arrived, she sat him down and told him she'd miscarried. Nathan's face went into blank mode and lines stretched across his forehead. He pulled her onto his lap, wrapped his arms around her middle and pressed his face against her belly. Later, he'd call it his second most devastating loss since the death of his father.

"I shouldn't have said those horrible things to you. It's my fault for putting you under so much stress," he said. The material of her dress muffled his voice. She placed a finger under his chin and lifted his face; his eyes appeared glassy.

"It wasn't your fault, sweetheart. It was no one's fault. This happens to women all the time."

"I'm not going to lie and say I would have been the perfect husband, but I would have loved that baby. You must believe me."

"I do, honey. I do."

He spent the night holding her but never spoke. He kept looking up at the ceiling until he fell asleep. The next day, she cooked his favorite breakfast of steak and eggs.

"I'm not hungry," he told her, checking his medical bag.

"You should eat something."

"I can't. I'll be late. There's a new shipment of steers. I have to clear them before they can be delivered to the Goosemen's ranch."

"I understand. Don't get too busy to eat, now." She walked him to the door.

"I won't." He kissed her cheek and left.

Not wanting to be alone, she spent the day at the home of her confidant. Eva felt more than just the barrenness of her womb. All her hopes and dreams were barren also. Even though Nate had behaved so tenderly after her alleged miscarriage, he never spoke of marriage again.

"God, I love him so much," she told her confidant. "Now, the one thing that could have cut Margaret out of his brain forever may never happen." The talk ended with the old woman rocking Eva in her aging arms like a weeping child.

Author Notes

This is not a full chapter. I'm trying to keep the chapters short for my reader fans. For those just joining the story: Characters: Nathan Daniels....Main Character Duchess Margaret...Nathan's heart breaker and lost love (not mentioned in this chapter) Doctor Koren.......Nathan's Mentor Elisabeth Koren....Doctor Koren's wife Koren Twins .......Ella and Ellie Eva Mitchell.......Deeply in love with Nathan Koren's Servants: Pete...........Negro Coachman (not mentioned in this chapter) Merald.............Head housekeeper Jenny...............Maid and cook Supporting Characters: Sweet Springs Town folk Art work by google The art work by google

Chapter 5
The Loss of Innocence

By amahra

Nathan looked forward to Sweet Springs' annual picnic with great relish. It meant a time to relax...a time to enjoy the interactions with town folk he rarely got to see, given his busy schedule.

The picnic area spread as a carpet of green that settled beneath tall, burnt orange and yellow shade trees. The southern portion cut off at the edge of a sparkling blue lake. There, a small crowd gathered and cheered on several boats of teen boys rowing in competition.

The grounds bustled with children standing with colorful balloons and pink cotton candy. The most elderly welcomed the bright humid air; their arthritic joints sucked up the heat from paradise. They called it medicine from God.

The women shielded their milky white skin with frilly umbrellas and New York fashionable wide brim hats. While some men gave their flesh willingly to the hot rays and showed off their bronze muscles as they pitched tents and unloaded crates of food, games and beverages.

"Look, Uncle Nate!" Ellie shouted, performing a perfect headstand.

"Be careful; don't hurt yourself," Nathan yelled back.

Eva remained unmoved by the event. Watching children play proved an unwanted reminder of what she and Nathan would never have together.

"Ella, stop pulling your sister's hair," Elisabeth bellowed.

"She pulled mine first," Ella yelled, twisting her pale fist around Ellie's strawberry curls.

Jenny ran and parted the entangled twins. "I swear, you two act more like you're five instead of twelve," she scolded.

They went their separate ways for a time. Ten minutes later, they were giggling and painting each other's faces with chocolate ice cream.

"God, it's a beautiful day," Nathan said, looking at Eva, "not a cloud in the sky."

"Yes, honey, the loveliest of days," she forced herself to say.

"I'll never get those stains out," Merald fussed, watching the twins throw ice cream at each other.

"Don't worry yourself, dear," Elisabeth asserted, handing a piled plate of food to Koren. "Next year they won't be able to wear those outfits anyway."

"So true," Jenny said. "I've never seen kids outgrow clothes as fast as those two."

"Who wants pie?" Elisabeth blurted out to the girls.

"Me!" Both yelled in unison, racing to the picnic table.

Koren and Nathan looked at each other playfully to see which one would grab the last piece of fried chicken. As the two played off each other, Koren began to notice small groups of men sporadically leaving their tables. They buzzed around each other while stretching their necks to see over other men's shoulders. More and more men added themselves until just a few tables were left with men sitting at them.

"What's that all about?" Koren asked, stuffing his mouth with potato salad.

Nathan looked over and squinted his eyes. "I don't know."

When Nathan saw that only he, Koren, and a few other men were still seated, he left the table to see what was going on. By the time he reached the crowd, there were so many layers of men, he had to part them like the Red Sea.

He gently pushed his way inside until he stood behind the man who had caused all the commotion. He held a newspaper that read in big, bold letters, GERMANY SINKS LUSITANIA. Nathan left the man still reading the article out loud and made his way back to the table. When he broke the news, everyone appeared stunned.

"What does this mean?" Eva asked, cutting herself a slice of pie.

"I'm not sure. Nearly two thousand on board. Over a hundred and fifty were Americans. No survivors," Nathan said.

"Does this mean we're going to war?" Elisabeth asked. She tapped Ellie's hand for eating with her fingers.

"The papers say the government believes the Germans may not have known Americans were on board. So they're not seeing it as an act of war."

"God help us," Koren said, looking up from his plate. He reached for the last piece of chicken and saw it was gone. He glanced at Nathan who looked away smiling like a cat with a canary feather hanging from its mouth.

**************

Weeks after the picnic, while the women busied themselves maintaining the small town life, the men gathered, mostly at barbershops, private club rooms, and bars, debating whether or not America should enter the war. The older men were opposed, thinking of their sons; the younger men, unafraid, couldn't wait to go.

"I say we kick those Heinies' asses," young Thorton blurted, after swilling a beer.

"Yeah...we'll show them sour bellies what's what," answered another young man.

"I thought sure we'd get involved after finding Americans among the dead when they sunk the Lusitania," the bartender said, shaking his head.

"Ahh...government claims it was an accident."

"It was no goddamn accident. Them Germans knew what they were doing."

"I don't know why President Wilson is dragging his feet."

"I say let's get involved and end this damn war before more Americans are killed," a man blurted.

"Yeah!" several men shouted, their beer mugs in hand. Suddenly, a loud voice rose above the noisy crowd.

"You young fools think war is a game?" The place went silent. An elderly man sitting at the end of the bar stared at them defiantly.

"Do you know what it's like standing eyeball-to-eyeball with a man and looking down the barrel of his gun?" he asked. "You know what it's like to shoot a man in the gut and watch the fire go out of his eyes? Or see his brains fly up in the air...hang from a tree branch like noodles? Or having to blast a hole in a sixteen-year-old kid just because he's wearing a different uniform?"

"Do you?" blurted young Thorton.

The seventy-five-year old man moved away from the bar and raised his pant leg, exposing a huge dent covered with layers of sinking white flesh where the calf of his leg used to bulge. He let the pant leg drop, turned and lifted his eye patch showing off a missing eye, with folds of skin covering it, like a boarded-up window.

"Civil War," he boasted, lowering the black patch.

"So, what are you saying old man...we just sit here, wait for them Germans to sink an American ship next time?"

"No.

"You saying we shouldn't go to war?" another asked.

"No. Just don't be so damn eager for it. The old man returned to his beer as the bar room returned to buzzing with tough talk, beer guzzling, and laughter.

**************

Eva planned a magnificent dinner. She invited Nathan and the Korens. Above the normal chatter, Nate and Koren brought the argument about war from the smoke room to the dinner table.

"Oh no you don't," Eva scolded Nathan.

"Now, you promised to give that kind of talk a rest," Elisabeth said, turning to Koren.

"Alright," Koren answered.

"Nate," Eva said, looking disapprovingly.

"I heard you, Eva. I'm not deaf."

"Uncle Nate."

"Yes, Ellie."

"Jimmy Ellis said his dad said that if we go to war, we have to give up our animals. Jimmy said the government will come and take Chester and Joey."

"Oh, no honey. Chester is your pet. Only dogs that are trained will go to war. And, well, Joey is a cat. They will mostly use horses, mules, trained dogs and even pigeons."

"What can birds do in a war, Uncle Nate?" A wide-eyed Ella asked.

"They can fly way up in the sky, above the shooting and carry messages that would be needed to help us win the war."

"Really, Uncle Nate?"

"Really," Nate said, smiling at the innocent brightness in her eyes.

"Hey, if I can't talk about war at the table, then neither will you two," Koren said to his girls.

"Ah, Daddy," Ella whined.

After dinner, the girls played outside. Koren and Nathan occupied the smoke room and took up the argument where they left off. However, away from the ears of their men, the women quietly discussed their fears of a pending war.

"I pray to God He gives President Wilson the wisdom not to involve us in Europe's war," Elisabeth expressed, sipping her tea.

"I pretend not to pay attention to the newspapers when Nate's reading, but from what I've read, we may not be able to stay out of it." She poured herself a cup. "These attacks by German U-boats on our shipping and receiving goods are hurting American pocketbooks."

"I know. That's all Koren talks about noon and night. Thank God, we have girls. Heaven help the town folk with draft-age sons," Elisabeth said. Eva became noticeably shaken and stood.

"Eva, what's wrong?

"You've always referred to Nate as your son. Now you're smirking because you have none to go to war. I find that rather interesting." Eva forced her cup and saucer aside, walked over to the window and peered out. Elisabeth followed her.

"How could you say such a thing to me? I wasn't smirking. And Nate will always be a son to me." She put her arm around Eva's waist. "Oh, dear, you're worrying over nothing; we may never even enter the war. And even if we did, Nate is in his mid-thirties. They'll want to draft younger men."

"You don't understand; they've deployed millions of horses and other animals all over Europe. Even if we don't enter the war, I hear talk that American veterinarians are requesting to go to Europe to help with medically treating the animals. They're saying as the war continues, they'll need the extra help.

"But surely Nathan wouldn't go. He...he wouldn't volunteer to leave us?"

"That's what they've been arguing about all evening. Doctor Koren's been trying to talk him out of it. I wanted to keep it from you and the twins as long as possible."

"That's why you shut him up at the table?"

"Yes."

Elisabeth dropped her head and walked away from the window. "God no. Not my Nate," she said.

Author Notes

This is not a complete chapter, but a shorter fanstory chapter for the sake of my readers. For those just joining the story Characters: Nathan Daniels....Main Character Duchess Margaret...Nathan's heart breaker and lost love (not mentioned in this chapter) Doctor Koren.......Nathan's Mentor Elisabeth Koren....Doctor Koren's wife Koren Twins .......Ella and Ellie Eva Mitchell.......Deeply in love with Nathan Koren's Servants: Pete...........Negro Coachman (not mentioned in this chapter) Merald.............Head housekeeper Jenny...............Maid and cook Supporting Characters: Sweet Springs Town folk Art Work by Google.com

Chapter 6
Of Love and War

By amahra

It was 1917, and everyone who cared about Nathan pretended to be happy, but only Nathan was truly happy. He had joined the US Army Veterinary Corps-Hospital, No. 18 station, at Sougy, France.

He and hundreds of young men were leaving Sweet Springs in the morning. America had entered the war.

**************

Nathan spent his last night staring down into Eva's green eyes, tasting her hot breath. She felt the intensity of his lovemaking like nothing she'd ever felt before, as if a hot spring was welling up inside of her. Nothing stirs the passion in a man like fearing his own mortality...as if it were his last night on earth.

Eva arched her back until her soft flesh met the hard ripples on his abdomen; she rocked to the rhythm of multiple orgasms as he thrust his manhood like the beat of a soft drum. Beads of sweat rolled off their bodies like loose pearls. The sounds of their passionate cries filled the room and hovered over them like a sweet invisible fog. They lay panting and wet in each other's arms for what seemed an hour before Nathan finally broke the silence.

"I'm going to miss the sweet scent of your hair," he said, sniffing a red lock.

Eva rose from the bed and stood in front of the mirror. She snipped a lock of her hair and folded it in a clean white handkerchief. "What are you doing?" he asked, frowning. She didn't answer, but placed the handkerchief in the pocket of his uniform that hung not far from the bed.

"There," she said, walking back to the bed; "you'll always have a part of me with you." She slid down beside him.

"That was so sweet of you, Love," he said, smiling. He kissed her softly on the lips.

But slowly Nathan's smile began to fade, and a bit of light seemed to leave his eyes.

"I know I've disappointed you many times," he said, looking off. "Having you stand in the shadow of another woman all these years." She put a finger under his chin and turned his face back towards hers.

"Let's not talk about that tonight."

"Not tonight? My God, especially tonight. I'll be gone in the morning."

"Exactly. So why ruin what few precious moments we have together?"

"If not now, when? I may never get to say this."

"I don't want to hear or even think about you not returning."

"Eva, you must be realistic. There's a war going on and not all of us are coming home. A man needs to get some things off his chest."

"Tell me when you return," she asserted, raising an eyebrow.

"Alright. You win. But you do realize I'm not the only man who's trying to say some delicate things to the woman he loves before shipping out tomorrow."

"What did you just say?"

"I said you realize I'm not the only man who's trying to say some delicate things to..."

The sudden appearance of water welling up in her eyes tied his tongue. "What is it?" he asked, gazing at her puzzled.

"That's the first time you've ever said you loved me," she managed to say over the lump in her throat.

"Oh, Sweetheart," he whispered, wiping a tear from her cheek.

"I've loved you ever since I first laid eyes on you, seven years ago," she said.

"I know. I don't know what took me so long."

"You were worth the wait," she whispered, snuggling up to his nude muscular frame.

She caressed him to near bursting. Nathan rolled over and covered her with his body. He settled deep within her. She pulled her knees up high. Their bodies moved like the waves on a turbulent sea. His tongue sweet, inviting...her breath hot, like a panting breeze. After they had exhausted their goodbyes, she slept cradled in his arms until daybreak.

**************

The new morning seemed especially cool. The April sun burst forth its passionate warmth and settled on the new buds of spring flowers. Eva rolled over sleepily, reached for her beloved, but felt only the wrinkled bedcovers. She sat straight up, ran her fingers through her thick locks and yawned. She smelled the thick aroma of coffee brewing. Wrapping a sheet around her, she followed the trail of the aroma.

"Good morning, Sweetheart," Nathan greeted, emptying a pan of scrambled eggs into a plate.

"What on earth...?" Eva asked. Nathan stood dressed in his full Army uniform with one of Eva's aprons tied around his chest.

"You just sit your little bottom right here," he said, guiding her to a chair.

He sat a plate of eggs, ham, grits and biscuits in front of her. He poured her a cup of hot coffee, and kissed her on the forehead before setting the pot down. He fixed his own plate and sat down across from her. Eva grinned so hard, she could hardly eat.

"Honey, I should be doing this for you," she said, buttering a biscuit.

"Well, I just thought I'd give you a little something extra to remember me by," he said, pouring himself a cup of hot brew.

They ate in silence, looking across at one another momentarily and smiling. After breakfast, Eva got dressed and prepared to see Nathan off at the train station.

An hour later, about six o'clock, Pete drove up in a 1917 King Model EE. It came straight off the King Auto Co. assembly line, in Detroit, Michigan. He honked the horn until Eva came to the door.

"Oh, My God, you're driving an automobile. How did you learn to drive so quickly?" she asked, gasping at the sight. Pete grinned like a Cheshire cat.

"It don't take old Pete long to learn nothing. Why, I can learn just about anything in a week's time," he said, gripping the steering wheel.

Nathan came to the door.

"Now don't you look fine in your uniform?" Pete said, grinning.

"Pete, you old rascal you, where's the horse?"

"I still drive old Bruno from time to time. Miss Elisabeth don't quite trust old King here. Couldn't get it to go one Sunday...made us late for church. Miss Elisabeth ain't been in it since."

Eva and Nathan couldn't take their eyes off the shiny brass. They walked closer to get a better look. Both ran their hands across the smooth, red-colored steel. Eva shook her head with astonishment.

"People in Sweet Springs still come and go the old-fashioned way, cause there's only a few roads fit for these new beauties," Pete explained.

"Yeah. Some leading to church and others to the train station." Nathan answered.

"It kinda sounds like something the Good Lord might'a had a hand in. One road leads you to heaven and the other to a train," Pete joked.

"I'm sure glad you're the one taking me to the station, Pete. I really missed you driving me around," Nathan said. He and Eva continued admiring the auto, but seemed to hesitate.

"Well, get in. It ain't gonna bite you," Pete teased. He opened the door, Eva and Nathan climbed onto the seat. Right away, Eva marveled at the new smell, while Nathan couldn't get enough of touching the smooth black leather interior.

"Is that all the stuff you taking with you, Mr. Nate?" Pete asked, lifting his bag.

"I'm afraid so. Everything else Uncle Sam will provide once I reach my destination."

Pete started the car. Eva appeared frightened at the strange sound. She grabbed Nathan's arm and held it tightly.

"Now, don't you worry none, Miss Eva," Pete said, noticing her reaction. "Old Pete gonna get you there and back real safe. Just sit back and relax," he assured her, easing the car forward.

"Where's the Doc and Miss Elisabeth and the twins?" Nathan asked.

"Doc drove them to the train station in the carriage," Pete said. "Miss Elisabeth said she's not gettin' in this thing, not even for you." Nate and Eva laughed as Pete continued to entertain with singing and teasing as always, driving slowly so as not to frighten Eva or any horses he might encounter on the road.

**************

As their auto pulled into the train station, they observed a sea of Army uniforms covering the platform. And it appeared the entire town, including Mayor Clarksdale and his circle of town officials, had showed up for the celebrated send-off of Sweet Springs' sons.

Koren, and other elderly men, greeted Nathan with bear hugs and well wishes for his safe return. Mrs. Koren and the twins tried to hold it together, but broke down when Nate boarded the train. Eva stood staring into his deep blue eyes until he grabbed and kissed her warmly. He turned and hurried onto the train. Weeks ago, he'd written his mother and siblings in Oklahoma. They expressed their love and promised never to cease praying for him.

As Nathan looked out of the moving train window, Pete's white-gloved hand caught his eye above all the other vigorous waving.
It had been that same white-gloved hand that greeted him when he'd stepped off the train a young apprentice over a decade ago. It proved the only wave that drew a stream of tears from his eyes.

Author Notes

This is not a complete chapter, but a Fanstory chapter made short for my readers. For those who are new to the story: Characters: Nathan Daniels....Main Character Duchess Margaret...Nathan's heart breaker and lost love (not mentioned in this chapter) Doctor Koren.......Nathan's Mentor Elisabeth Koren....Doctor Koren's wife Koren Twins .......Ella and Ellie Eva Mitchell.......Deeply in love with Nathan Koren's Servants: Pete...........Negro Driver Merald.............Head housekeeper Jenny...............Maid and cook Supporting Characters: Sweet Springs Town folk Art Work by Google.com

Chapter 7
Of Love and War Part2

By amahra

Nathan's life seemed always full of love: his love for women, his love of animals, his love of life. Lost were the innocent days when he cried as Fearsome Bill took his last breath. He now had looked into the dying eyes of hundreds of Fearsome Bills, horses that died by artillery fire and skin disorders due to poison gas. Many more injured by barbwire, infections from mud fever, and broken legs. Nathan, desperate to escape the nightmares of war, hungered for a woman's touch.

**************
Being under-staffed, Nathan, against the wishes of his captain, often led his medical team in returning patched-up horses and mules to their supply-line duties, bringing back any injured ones that could walk. They often traveled after dark.

One faint-moon night, dampness in the air, after they had returned some horses to their duties and were gathering the injured ones, including mules, to return them to the hospital, roaring mortar shells exploded nearby.

"Let's move! Let's move!" Nathan shouted, as the team obeyed the command, pulling the animals through the slushy mire as hard as they could. A shell shook the ground, throwing mules, in multiple pieces, into the air. An overturned ambulance and terrified scrambling animals blocked Nathan's view. He felt outside of his body at one point. In slow motion, he floated above it all, men screaming in pain...animal parts soaring up and around him, and the earth pared beneath him.

Another explosion and the hind legs of a horse flew off, leaving Sergeant Kowalski half-pinned under the weight of the animal when it smashed to the ground.

"Ahhhh, my arm!" he screamed."

Corporal Rascus, who was too slow to jump, fell between two horses that tumbled against one another. "Oh, God!" he blurted, before passing out. A zooming piece of metal from an ambulance nearly decapitated its driver as he desperately tried to steer several animals clear.

"I need help over here!" He yelled as he waded through the mud and under falling shells. Several teammates tried to hold their footing while pushing the animals from the rear as the driver continued to pull. Nathan's commands fell silent under the mortar roar. With shrapnel flying, men leaped like frogs on soggy pods, landing face-down in their own blood and shit.

Most of the animals were killed or injured too badly to survive. But they unintentionally acted as a shield for the medical team, so none were lost. Yet, under the cover of darkness, moving, groaning bodies began to crawl about the muddy graveyard. Some of the men who escaped injury began a roll call to see who was alive. The men froze when Nathan didn't answer.

Not wanting to shine a light in case of another attack, all of the men, crawling and walking felt around, pushing aside slimy, stinking mud, and animal guts, searching for Nathan and calling his name. After a few moments of panic, finally, they saw, a few yards off, under a dull lit sky, a still body that lay next to a dead mule. Sergeant Cooley ran to him, with the rest, who could walk, right on his heels.

"Lieutenant!" Cooley shouted, examining him. "He's been hit. I can feel the blood."

"Is he alive?" Bennett asked, dragging a mangled leg.

"Yes."

Under the distant 'brat ta tat' sound of rapid return firing against the enemy, the men scrambled around him and acted as a human stretcher. They struggled through knee-high mud to a nearby soldiers' field hospital where Nathan and his men were treated immediately. Nathan remained unconscious with round-the-clock nursing.

Major Clapton, Nathan's superior and head of the Veterinary hospital, came to check on his condition.

"How is he, Doctor?" he asked.

"He wasn't hit by ammunition," Dr. Farris answered, checking Nathan's pupils.

"He wasn't?"

"No. That gash on the right side of his head appeared to have been made by something hard, perhaps an animal's hoof," he said, joining Major Clapton at the foot of the bed.

"What makes you suspect it was an animal's hoof?"

"We found animal hairs and particles embedded in his wound."

"I see."

"The wound is infected. There's some neurological disorder as well."

Major Clapton sighed heavily. "That doesn't sound good," he said.

"Well, the damage is not that extensive; just temporary."

"How temporary?"

"He'll have limited movement for a while until he regains his balance. And he'll have some problems with speech, blurred vision, headaches, maybe a little dizziness."

"I don't mean to seem skeptical, Doctor, but that sounds pretty serious to me."

"I perfectly understand. Whenever there's the slightest injury to the brain, the situation does seem precarious. But I've dealt with these types of cases before, and believe it or not, patients have recovered."

"But he's been unconscious since he was brought in."

"His pupils react normally to light; and there's no swelling in the brain."

"How long will he have to wear that neck brace?" he asked, nodding towards Nathan.

"It's just a precaution; we apply a neck brace with every head and neck injury;

"...To stabilize the cervical spine-of course," the Major reasoned.

"Exactly."

Major Clapton walked slowly from the bed, with Doctor Farris at his side.

"Well, I have to be getting back to my own hospital duties. You'll let me know immediately if there's any change?"

"Of course, I'll contact you personally."

"Would you, Doctor? He's pretty important to us. Not just a hell of a doctor, but he keeps the younger men's morale up and kind of keeps them on their toes too, if you know what I mean."

"I quite understand. We'll make sure Lieutenant Daniels is well and back with his men as soon as he's able. I promise."

"I appreciate that, Doctor. Good day now."

"Good day, Major."

Back in Sweet Springs, Texas, the shadow of death had already cast its net as nine families learned of loved ones who would not be coming home. Eva and the Korens feared Nathan's being added to that black list after receiving word from his mother about the letter the military had sent her. Sunday was Prayer Day for Nathan and his fallen comrades. The whole town held its breath.

**************

Nathan opened his eyes to a painful white blur. He could hear voices and movement but struggled to make out what they were. Every time he lifted his head, a pain, like a sledgehammer, nailed it back onto the pillow. Going in and out of sleep, he felt something tiny, smooth and cold slip into his mouth. He recognized it...a thermometer. I must be sick, he thought. A soft hand touched his wrist and gently squeezed it for a moment then let go. He opened his eyes, hoping for success this time. A white blur stood in the white blur. A woman in white. A nurse. I must be sick, he thought, squinting at his bright surroundings.

Nurse Johnson was attending him when she noticed he was awake.

"They're blue! I knew it," she blurted.

"What?" Nurse Andrew asked, hurrying to her side.

"Come on, pay up," Johnson said, raising her eyebrows.

"Oh, shoot. And I was so sure they were green," Andrew said, handing Nurse Johnson her winnings.

"Welcome back, handsome," Johnson flirted.

"How do you feel?" asked Nurse Andrew.

Nathan spoke, but his answers were inaudible.

He had opened his eyes after nearly two weeks of lying unconscious. The nurses had been cooing over him like hens in a barn with only one rooster between them. Nurses, Betty Andrew and Sarah Johnson had each attended him. Betting on the color of his eyes became a welcome distraction for the nurses; it eased their minds from the blood and guts they dealt with on a daily bases. Doctor Farris had been summoned. Several nurses left their bed-making to get a glimpse of his beautiful blue eyes; they stepped back as Doctor Farris entered and made his way to Nathan's bed.

"Lieutenant Nathan Daniels," Doctor Farris announced.

"Yes," Nathan answered in a whispery voice.

"Well, you know your name well enough. Do you know where you are?"

"Hos...hospr'ital"

"Yes. Do you remember what happened to bring you here?"

"Ahhhhhh."

"Alright. Just relax. You and your medical team were on your way back to the hospital with injured animals when you were caught in an enemy attack." Nathan tried to raise himself, but the sledgehammer nearly made him black out.

"No. No. Don't move. You've had a serious blow to the head, Lieutenant."

"My...my men..," he struggled to say.

"Some of your men were injured, but none were killed. You were not wounded by fire; you were struck in the head by one of the animal's hooves. Perhaps a mule. We're not sure. You were found unconscious next to a dead one."

Nathan wrinkled his face and gritted his teeth as he tried to speak. "Th - the anmimamals."

"The animals? I'm sorry, they didn't make it." Nathan sighed heavily. "Now you stay still. I don't want you worrying about things you can do nothing about. You're going to need plenty of rest. The nurses here are going to take very good care of you."

The nurses all grinned; one very attractive nurse ran her hands over her curves; another gently bit her lower lip; a few smoothed back their hair, as others made gestures with their eyes. When Dr. Farris threw them an iron stare, they jolted and scattered in all directions back to their various duties.

Three weeks later, Nathan was able to sit up and eat. More and more injured men were coming in and Doctor Farris had written a request for more nurses. A new batch was scheduled in three days. Overworked and exhausted, the nurses were excited for the extra help.

Nathan learned of the whereabouts of his injured men; a few were too injured to return to duty and were sent home. Sergeant Quael lost an eye from flying shrapnel; Kowalski, an arm; Bennett, a leg. Rascus, who was pinned between two horses, suffered broken ribs, collar bone, and a collapsed lung. Several others, including Sergeant Cooley, who had rescued Nathan, had suffered minor injuries and were released to resume their duties. They had visited Nathan many times during his unconscious state and prayed for his recovery.

Days went by fast. It was early in the morning, and he felt a soft hand on his forehead. It turned into a single finger as it slid down his face and settled on the corners of his mouth. Moist lips kissed his cheek; he opened his eyes. He was not dreaming. She pulled her face back and Nathan gasped.

"Margaret!" he said, bewildered. The Duchess flashed her angel brown eyes and smiled.

Author Notes

This is not a complete chapter, but a Fanstory chapter made short for my readers. For those who are new to the story: Main Characters: Nathan Daniels....Main Character Duchess Margaret...Nathan's heart breaker and lost love Doctor Koren.......Nathan's Mentor Elisabeth Koren....Doctor Koren's wife Koren Twins .......Ella and Ellie Eva Mitchell.......Deeply in love with Nathan Koren's Servants: Pete...........Negro Driver Merald.............Head housekeeper Jenny...............Maid and cook Supporting Characters: Sweet Springs Town folk The art work: From Google

Chapter 8
Of Love and War Part3

By amahra

Margaret sat in a chair next to his bed and crossed her long elegant legs. "What are you doing here?" he asked. "To see you, of course."

"How did you know  I'd been injured?"

"Mother writes me once a week. She told me. Oh Nathan, there's so many of our friends we'll never see again."

"Like who?"  Nathan grew sad as Margaret sounded off  the names of twelve young men killed in action.  "No!  Not Mitchell and his cousin," Nathan said solemnly.

"Yes. This war can't end too soon for me," she said. They talked on for nearly an hour about the war and how it affected them personally. His eyes couldn't get enough of her. She was just as beautiful as when he'd first met her all those years ago. His face shone brightly with affection. Then he blurted something that even surprised him.

"Are you happy, Margaret?"

"Why, yes. I am." He lowered his eyes, looked up and faintly smiled.

"Tell me you're glad," she said. "It would mean so much to me."

"It would clear your conscience, you mean," he asserted. She leaned forward.

"I know I hurt you. I'm so sorry. Maybe it was to please my family at first, but I've grown to love my husband, and he's a good man and a good father." Nathan squirmed a little and tried not to show his true emotion.

"You have children?"

"Yes, three. Two boys and a girl." She took out photos of her children and handed them to him. She flashed a big smile as he looked at each one; she explained what they were doing in each picture, and who was on the other side of the camera. "Very nice. The girl is beautiful...like her mother."

"Thank you," she said. He handed her the photos. She placed them back in her purse and slowly looked up at him.

"Are you happy, Nathan?" He thought a few seconds. "Yes. Finally."

"I'm glad. I'm really glad." She stood. "Well, I have a long ride to the train station. I'll write your mother and the Korens if you'd like and tell them I saw you, and you looked fine."

"I'd like that. Thank you."

"Goodbye, Nathan." She bent and pressed her silky cheek against his bristle shadow. "Good bye," he said. As she walked away, he could swear her hips moved to the rhythm of his heart.

"Margaret!" She whirled around. "Yes."

I love you. I'll never stop loving you, he thought to say, but forced,
"Take care of yourself."

"I will." She turned and walked out of his life... again.

**************

Under the blanket of night, Nathan, in a daze, wandered off from the hospital and got lost in a fog. He had gotten only a few yards, when a blast knocked him to the ground. A stampede of horses with riders appeared out of the fog and trampled him under-foot, leaving him face-down, bleeding in the mud. He tried to move, but soon realized he was paralyzed from the waist down. He yelled as another group thundered by him.

"Stop! Stop! But the roar of the hooves muffled his cries. "Come back! Please!" The men and the horses disappeared into the thick black as quickly as they came. He lay struggling and dying in that horrid place. "Come back!"

"Nathan! Nathan!" He opened his eyes. Water, like beads, rolled down his face and his heart thumped rapidly. "I didn't mean to call you Nathan, Lieutenant, but you weren't answering and you were yelling and flailing your arms about. I couldn't get you to wake up."

She was one of the new nurses and she was beautiful. She had a tender gleam in her hazel eyes. She tucked a light brown lock of hair back under her tied nurses' cap. She bore a look that could calm any man in distress.

"It's okay; you can call me Nate," he said, shaking the nightmare out of his head.

"Oh, I wouldn't dare. We're instructed to refer to officers by their title," she said through her small, pink lips.

"I won't tell if you don't," he said, smiling.

"Lieutenant I...I'm really not supposed to..."

"It'll be our little secret," he whispered. His sparkling blue eyes and dashing white grin sent a tingle through her. She shot up from the side of his bed.

"I...I have other duties and..."

"What's your name?"

"Grace."

"Don't go, Grace," he said grabbing and softly squeezing her hand.

"I have to leave, Lieutenant."

"Nate," he insisted.

"Lieutenant," she repeated sternly.

"Promise you'll come back?"

"There are other nurses, Sir."

"I'm not letting go until you promise," he teased.

"Really, Lieutenant." Seeing that he wouldn't let go. "Alright, I'll come back and see if you need anything; but only for a minute."

"Oh, I'll be needing something, honey; you can bet on that. But it's going to take a whole lot longer than a minute."

"What! OHH!" She pulled away letting his hand flop on the bed. He chuckled as she stormed away. He had sent a spark into untapped territory. Territory he intended to explore.

**************

Later that night, an hour before shift-change, Grace went into a back room to check on supplies, unaware that Nathan had slipped in behind her. His eyes swallowed up her five foot six frame, her hour-glass figure, and buttocks like melons. He eased the door shut and the click startled her.

"Oh! What are you doing here? You shouldn't be up. Only nurses are allowed back here."

"You lied," Nathan responded, his eyes taking in her round breasts as well.

"I'm sorry, but nurses are not here for your personal pleasure. There are soldiers here a lot sicker than you. And they need my attention," she said pressing the supply list to her chest.

"You're right. I apologize. But I don't see any sick soldiers back here," he said pretending to look around...his eyes darting back and forth.  Suddenly he stepped towards her.

"What are you doing? Let me by, Lieutenant!" The papers spilled to the floor. "Now you stop this. I mean it. I'll scream. Don't!"

Nathan's pulled her to him and wrapped his arms around her.  She pushed, but couldn't free herself from his strong embrace. He smothered her lips with his mouth. This was not the school-boy kisses she was used to.  He kissed her neck and throat as she squirmed to break free. He backed her against the wall and held her tightly against his erection - her heart pounded against his chest. He mashed her against the wall; his penis throbbed at the thought of having her virginity.

The smacking sound of his lips against hers filled the room. Their bodies became as  one shadow on the wall. Squeezing her buttocks, he inched her uniform up and slipped his hand into her panties. His fingers touching the soft feathery hairs seem  to trigger a reserved strength one usually can conjure up when in a life or death situation. 

Freeing herself from his grip, she stepped back - swung,  and left her entired hand print on the side of his face.  She panted heavily, her face, the color of a rose petal;  her hazel eyes appeared to have changed colors. Neither said a word as Grace caught her breath; she pulled her uniform down and straightened her cap. She picked up the papers and brushed by Nathan, leaving him standing in the room, alone.

Author Notes

This is not a complete chapter, but a Fanstory chapter made short for my readers. For those who are new to the story: Main Characters: Nathan Daniels....Main Character Duchess Margaret...Nathan's heart breaker and lost love Doctor Koren.......Nathan's Mentor Elisabeth Koren....Doctor Koren's wife Koren Twins .......Ella and Ellie Eva Mitchell.......Deeply in love with Nathan And Introducing....Nurse Grace Nevers Koren's Servants: Pete...........Negro Driver Merald.............Head housekeeper Jenny...............Maid and cook Supporting Characters: Sweet Springs Town folk Art Work: Let Me Go by Castie15150

Chapter 9
The Other Side Of War

By amahra

Grace Nevers was an excellent nurse. However, she paid little or no attention to Nathan Daniels. Either she was overwhelmed by the number of injured soldiers she had to attend, or she couldn't stand the sight of the man who had molested her. Nathan chose the latter. Grace acted as a wound up doll when she attended him, very dutiful and ceramic; she never made eye contact and only spoke to him when professionally necessary.

Moreover, the faint groaning of the men swallowed up the normal noises she and the other nurses made as they busied themselves attending them. There was a loud shrieking in the air, like a horse whinnying, but it was later told it had been a soldier having a foot amputated. It was gangrenous, with no time to wait for the slow-coming supplies of ether and morphine. One of the nurses flung open the doors and someone opened a window as she sat playing hymns on a guitar. The tunes allowed in the sweetness of calm about the hospital like the smell of spring rain.

Nathan lay in the quiet flow of the music and thought of his home town of Sweet Springs. He remembered the innocence of the times before the war: he saw horses grazing in the wild and on the ranches, the children playing under tall oak trees, near freshly cut grass and colorful flower gardens. He thought of the Korens and their beautiful twin girls, Ella and Ellie. He thought of Eva, just what he'd tell her, he wasn't sure. Of course, there was Pete...with his joking and high laughter; and old Bruno, Pete's favorite smooth stepping horse. Nathan wished hard that things could be that way again. But, somehow, he knew they would not.

"Sit up please," Grace said, poking his medication and a cup of water at him. He threw his head back, plopped the pills into his mouth, and took several sips of water.

"Thank you," he said,  his eyes searching hers, softly. Handing her back the cup, he placed his hand over hers...hoping for a response; but Grace snatched the cup, then off she went to the next patient, smiling and making conversation. Nathan sunk down, pulling the covers up to his chest like a chastised little boy.

For several weeks, the tension rose even greater between them. Nathan couldn't stand the hatred he thought he saw in her beautiful hazel eyes when she came near him. Late one night, he felt he had no other choice; so again, he followed her into the supply room. He tried not to startle her, but the click of the door closing behind him made her swing around. She raised her eyebrows as she braced herself.

"I swear to God, I'll scratch your eyes out. I mean it," she said, storming forward.

"Wait! I'm not going to touch you."

"Get away from that door."

"I'm not here to harm you. Just hear me out."

"What could you possibly say that I'd want to hear?"

"I'm sorry."

"You're right. You are sorry...a sorry excuse for a man." She forced past him and grabbed the door knob.

"Please listen. I don't know what came over me that night.  I was full of drugs;  my head was spinning. A woman who meant the world to me showed up unexpectedly and told me how happy she was with another man, and then she disappeared out of my life, forever. He sighed heavily. "Please forgive me." She turned and faced him, letting her hand slip from the knob.

"That's your excuse?  Pills,  a woman?"

"Grace."

"Shut up! You think you're the only man here who's full of drugs? You think there's no man here who hasn't had a woman walk out on him? But none of them followed me back here and tried to rape me. Did they?" He looked down at the floor. "No."

Grace turned and walked out, with Nathan slowly dragging behind her. Ending a walk of shame, he climbed back into bed. For weeks, their interactions remained unpleasant.

**************

Daniels carried that guilt to bed every night and sat with it at breakfast every morning. With Margaret totally out of his life, he felt Grace was the woman he most desired. He hardly thought of Eva anymore. "Poor Eva," he whispered. He had tried so hard to convince himself that he truly loved her. Seeing Margaret again put out that false fire. But how to get Grace to forgive him... trust him. That was the big question in his mind.

Many convalescing soldiers kept busy with simple arts and crafts made from battlefield detritus: They used wooden aeroplane propellers for picture frames and clocks, and regimental badges for sweetheart jewelry, such as hair pins and lockets. With brass and aluminum available, they crafted matchbox covers, cigar and cigarette boxes and decorated flower vases. From scraps of metal, they made small items such as letter openers, napkin rings, and pins. The finished products were quite stunningly beautiful.

"Sit up please," Grace said, handing Nathan his medication. He plopped the pills into his mouth and sipped the water. As she grabbed the cup, he reached from under the covers and pulled out a beautiful jewelry box made from shell fragments. It glowed like silver. He extended it to her. Grace kept her hands at her side and just looked at it. Her eyes sparkled in admiration, though her face remained cold.

"Why are you giving this to me?"

"I just want you to have it."

"I don't want it." 

He kept his arm out holding the shiny box.  "There's nothing I want in return. Honest," he said.

"Do you really believe taking this will erase what you did?"

"No. But I can't stand that your last thought of me will forever be what I tried to do to you. I want you to look at this box and see a good man who was just confused and did a bad thing. Something he has never done before or will ever do again."

Grace studied his face and hesitated for a moment;  she looked into his eyes, then back at the box.  As he held it, she opened it to a beautiful royal blue lining made from a piece of undergarment donated by one of the flirting nurses.

"It's lovely," she said. "I'll have to leave it here while I attend to my patients."

"I understand," he said. "You certainly can't walk around with it."

After she walked off, Nathan wrapped it in a towel and placed it under the bed. Later, while watching Grace with her patients, he noticed her glancing over at him from time-to-time. His heart burst with hope, but she never claimed her gift. Nathan figured she had pretended to accept it just to get rid of him. He had only himself to blame, he thought. He didn't fault her for not wanting to have anything to do with him. Still, he wished somehow she could find it in her heart to forgive him. He thought about her sweet lips and what it could have meant under more wholesome circumstances, like a date, where there was mutual consent. He was deep in his thoughts when he heard his name from a short distance.

"Lieutenant Daniels." Nathan jerked his head around and saw two of his sergeants coming towards him. They were all teeth.

"Cooley? Davidson? Am I glad to see you," he said.

"You look great, Sir."

"I feel great. How about you guys?"  Cooley and Davidson pulled up chairs and sat facing him.  "We got banged up pretty good. But we're fine now.  We really miss you, Lieutenant."

"I missed you guys too."

Cooley lowered his head and looked at Davidson, then back up at Nathan. "Did you hear about Quael, Kowalski, and...?"

"Bennett and Rascus, yes," Nathan interrupted. "The important thing is they're out of this hell hole and back home." Cooley and Davidson agreed. Then Nathan sighed heavily. "It should've been me, not them going home all cut up like that," he said, turning his head away.

"Lieutenant, don't say that," Cooley blurted.

"Don't talk like that, Sir. None of us blame you. Not Quael, Kowalski, none of us. All I've ever heard the men talk about was how you kept us from being killed."

"Think about the men from other companies who won't be going home at all,"  Davidson concluded.

"Thanks, fellas. But you didn't have to say that."

"Lieutenant, it's true. We're not kidding you." Nathan's eyes became glassy, but he fought back the tears. Not wanting them to see their leader looking weak, he bucked up into what he thought was a more macho appearance. He poked out his chest and took in a big gulp of air.

"SO!  How's everything going at the hospital? How's Champ doing?" Nathan asked of his favorite horse patient.

"Oh, Champ is doing fine. He's a tough bronco, Sir. Too stubborn to die," Cooley said, chuckling.

"That's good," Nathan answered."

"They say the war is really winding down."

"Who says?" Nathan asked excitedly.

"Most think it's just a rumor, but it's coming from pretty high up, Sir."

"I haven't heard anything about that around here. But, come to think of it, they discourage nurses from letting us have too much outside news, you know. They're afraid bad news will slow down the healing process.

"Maybe we need to keep the newspapers away from the animals too,"  Cooley joked. Nathan and Davidson erupted into laughter. 

"God! I can't wait to get back home,"  Nathan sighed.

"I can't wait to hold my Sweetheart." A light  flashed across Nathan's face.

"Haaah, you have a girl back home.  That's really nice, Davidson.  Is it serious?" Cooley bellowed with laughter, then said,  "Sweetheart  is his cat, Sir. He gets everyone with that one."

"What kind of name is that for a cat?" Nathan asked.

"I used to sleep with her on my pillow when I was a kid. My dad started calling her My Sweetheart.  Later, I found out it was his way of calling me a sissy.  But the name stuck, so..." 

"When you were a kid?  In cat years, wouldn't that make her a hundred?" Nathan blurted.

Teasing Davidson took up a good portion of the visit,  but he was a good sport about it. They finally settled down and talked more seriously about what their plans were once the war ended and they went home. They shared letters from back home and told funny "before the war" stories until a soft-spoken nurse appeared and told them visiting time was over.

"Well, Lieutenant, Sir, we better be getting on back."

"We got to hold down the fort for you until you get out."

"The major told me what a great job you guys are doing in my absence. Tell the men I really appreciate their hard work. I'm very proud of you...all of you."

"We'll tell them, Sir."

They thanked Nathan for the compliment and saluted him before leaving. He watched humbly as Cooley and Davidson walked off, though he still felt guilty that he had gotten off much easier than Quael, Bennett and his other severely wounded men.

But despite the doctors' noble efforts, the news that the war might be at an end reached many hospitals, and the buzzing began. It reached newspapers around the globe. But no one really knew for sure because the big brass weren't talking. It was a few months before Christmas in 1918, and the entire world prayed that a peaceful solution would come soon.

Meanwhile, Nathan had a smaller concern made greater by his heart's desire to make peace with Grace. Day after day he saw that possibility slipping further away. It seemed nothing could make his pain go away, not even a possible end to this ghastly war.

**************

It was a cool afternoon as Nathan wrote on a pad: The sky is slightly dark, and the rain pours down onto the roof, like a thousand rapid heartbeats. It is Tuesday or maybe Wednesday. Time sometimes gets lost with everyday routines looking like the day before. My lovely stands by the cart in her starch whites, shining like the evening sun. She is moving things about on the medicine tray when...

"Sit up please," Grace said, interrupting him. Nathan dutifully downed  the pills and  water. She hurried away to the next patient, and Nathan went back to writing his poem. ...she holds out her delicate white hand, and in the middle of the upright pink are three round lifesaving shapes. I toss them into the salivating hole in my face, and .....

At the end of the week, Grace seemed to be behaving more pleasantly towards him, though she never said more than what was necessary. One morning he awoke and found that her gift was not under the bed, but in its place a note that read: I forgive you, as I'm sure God has .  Nathan couldn't stop glowing.

"Thank you God," he whispered several times.  Don't mess this up, you idiot, he thought. He finished his poem, settled back with his fingers overlapping behind his head, and smiled himself into a nice long nap.

Author Notes

This is not a complete chapter, but a Fanstory chapter made short for my readers. For those who are new to the story: Main Characters: Nathan Daniels....Main Character Duchess Margaret...Nathan's heart breaker and lost love Doctor Koren.......Nathan's Mentor Elisabeth Koren....Doctor Koren's wife Koren Twins .......Ella and Ellie Eva Mitchell.......Deeply in love with Nathan And Introducing....Nurse Grace Nevers Koren's Servants: Pete...........Negro Driver Merald.............Head housekeeper Jenny...............Maid and cook Supporting Characters: Sweet Springs Town folk Art Work by Google

Chapter 10
A New Beginning

By amahra

The love poem flowed steadily from Nathan's pen as he inked the finishing touches. Since Grace had forgiven him, they'd become inseparable. They read books together, played board games, and spent time talking during breaks from her duties. The nurses playfully mocked their many gazes and bright smiles from across the room.

The emptiness he once felt was no more. She had filled what a fleecing Margaret left gaping like a purulent wound.

One evening, as Grace was finishing her duties, she turned and was surprised beyond her fondest dream.

"Will you marry me?" Nathan asked, kneeling on one knee.

"Oh, Nate," she said, her eyes filling up.

"I made it out of metal and glass. I'll get you a real one, I promise."

She glanced into his eyes, then back at the ring. Her fellow nurses giggled in the background as they awaited her response.

"YES!" She blurted.

The nurses erupted into cheers and applause as Nathan placed the ring on her finger. He stood and the two embraced long and hard as cheers continued to rise.

"I'm so happy for you," nurse White told her, wiping a tear.

"Thank you, Hildy," she said.

The nurses gathered around, fussing over her and marveling at the beautifully crafted ring. Nathan walked off smiling, allowing his beloved her precious moment.

Days later, as if nothing could be more exciting for Nathan than to have Grace as his bride, all the rumors of the war's ending proved true. The first global conflict had claimed human and animal lives stretching into the tens of millions and caused unprecedented collateral damage.

Hearing the news, the hospital emerged into a yellowing glow; as if someone had removed an iron curtain and allowed the sun to burst in, clearing away every shadowy cobweb.

"Home," Nathan whispered, as he and Grace stood in the hospital doorway.

"Peace," she said.

They held each other and stared out into the smoky-gray sky. Nathan, like most soldiers, suffered the shock of peace. The eerie absence of conflict that had so defined him for nearly a year was now pushing him into a future of uncertainty. The one thing he was sure of was Grace's love.

**************

All over the world on November 11, 1918, people were celebrating, dancing in the streets, drinking champagne, and hailing the armistice that meant the end of the war. But returning the multitude of soldiers back to the United States proved a daunting task. Most soldiers would not get home until 1919.

As Nathan endured the wait for a seat on a ship, he further fretted over whether his recent letters had reached home. He had written his mother, the Korens, and Eva, but of course, never mentioned Grace. Months later, after returning to the States, his first stop was to join Grace at her home in Ohio, where she lived with her parents.

The letters Grace had written her mother and father made them eager to meet him. He stayed only a few days, but fell even more in love with Grace after viewing her in her element, surrounded by her doting friends, childhood pictures, and all the grace and charm that wafted from her parents.

"We are delighted to meet you, son. May I call you Nate?" Grace's father asked as he nearly shook Nathan's hand off.

"Of course, sir," Nate said, quite flushed.

"Grace has told us so much about you, my dear. We feel we know you already," Mrs. Nevers said.

Grace came running down the stairs and straight into his arms.

"I thought you'd never get here."

"Sweetheart, you look beautiful," he said, examining her as if she were a fine piece of art.

Gone was the overly starched white uniform. She wore a slimming soft colored dress with drop waste and raised jagged hemline and shoes with heels that were slightly curved. Her light brown hair lay waved down her back with several locks draped across one breast.

The lovers walked arm and arm into the sitting room. The Nevers left them alone; and Isabel, their servant girl, took Nate's bags up to the guest room.

Besides Grace, George and Mary Nevers had two older children, William and Lawrence. George and his partner, Sam Bishop, had owned a struggling steel company before the war. But when the United States entered, much like many other American industrial business owners, Nevers and Bishop became instant millionaires.

Because industrial workers were exempt from the draft, William and Lawrence, who worked for their father, did not have to go to war. But the elder brother, William, said it was his duty. He joined and was sent to France. Badly wounded, he returned home just at the war's end. But the excitement of his homecoming was temporarily overshadowed with the joyful news of Grace and Nathan's future wedding.

Nathan's stay was short. He and Grace kept mostly to themselves. They took long walks, swam in a nearby lake and picnicked under the shade trees. On the last evening of his stay, Mrs. Nevers gave an engagement party, inviting fifty of their closest friends. William and Lawrence Nevers, along with their wives, were the last to arrive. They found Nathan amidst the crowd and greeted him warmly.

"I need another brother like a hole in the head," William joked, shaking Nathan's hand. "This is my wife, Anna."

"I'm very glad to meet you, Mrs. Nevers."

"He's just jealous 'cause I'm better looking," Lawrence answered, extending his hand as well. "And let me present my lovely half."

"Mrs. Nevers." Nathan said, nodding to her.

He then turned his focus back to the brothers.

"So - which one of you brutes put a dead snake in my lovely's bath water when she was five?"

"Oh! That would be me...my good man," Lawrence said, with a proud grin. "I was seven and it was my finest hour."

"Alright, you two. I don't want you contaminating my beau," Grace said, interrupting. She playfully pretended to rescue Nathan by grabbing his arm and marching him back into the dining area.

The eating, the music, and the dancing blossomed into an amazing night with blessings from their minister and well wishes from adoring friends.

Early the next morning, Grace and her parents escorted Nathan to the train station. The glitter of the newly purchased ring stood out against the dark locks of his hair as she stroked it during a final goodbye kiss.

"Oh, honey, I'm going to miss you so much," Grace whined.

"I'm going to miss you more."

"Promise you'll write as soon as you get home. Promise."

"For the one hundredth time, I promise," he said, grinning.

"I love you," she said.

"I love you more. And."

"And what?"

"And, I'm going to miss my train if you don't let me go," he said, chuckling.

"ALL ABOARD!"

"Got to go, honey." Nathan gently broke her grip and jumped onto the step. The train slowly pulled off with Grace quick-stepping alongside it and waving like mad.

"Promise you'll write!"

"I will, sweetheart."

"I love you!"

"I love you MORE!"

**************

The journey home was long and bittersweet. Nate was excited, but couldn't shake the horrors of the war which were branded in his brain. As a doctor, he had cut into man and beast, and knew the price both had paid for war.

At the Texas train station, Pete's bright smile melted Nathan's heart. He was more than a servant; he was an old friend. But first, he had to greet Eva, who flew into his arms and smacked multiple kisses all over his face. With her feet dangling off the ground, she hugged him until he could hardly breathe. She hung onto his arm tightly as they strolled to the car.

"Mr. Nate, it sho' is good to see you, Sir," Pete said, extending his gloved hand.

"Pete, from now on just call me Nate." He ignored Pete's hand and grabbed him into a bear hug. When the men parted, Pete was misty-eyed.

"I appreciate that, Sir; but around other white folks I'm going to have to call you Mr. Nate. You understand," he explained, humbly.

"I do, Pete. But just so you know...when it's just us," Nathan said, patting him on the shoulder.

Eva and Nathan climbed onto the back seat and sat snuggled together.  Pete entertained them with joking and singing funny folk songs he'd learned as a boy. He let them off at Eva's house, where Nathan could bathe and put on his dress uniform. The Korens had planned a family coming home dinner in his honor.

But Eva had other ideas as she suddenly emerged naked from the closet. She slowly peeled off his uniform, his shirt, then trousers. He grinned as she teasingly backed him up against the bed. She removed his underwear and pranced in front of him, dancing with them seductively before tossing them over her shoulder.

After pushing him gently onto his back, she massaged his penis until it appeared to nearly triple its size. Eva tossed her long red locks, then straddled him, and guided his penis inside her. She sucked air through her teeth as she slid down the fleshy pole. Her gentle hissing floated above them.  She threw her head back - arching and thrusting ever so rhythmically. Her moans fell like music.

Though Nathan felt quite heated, she was not Grace - not the virtuous woman he'd longed to ease his throbbing penis into. He thought of the soft feel of Grace in his arms, the sweet scent of her silky hair, and the cute pout of her lips. He flipped Eva over on her back and rode her like a golden Palomino into that glorious sun. They fell apart sweaty and exhausted, giggling like a couple of naughty teenagers in the back seat of a car.

Later in the evening, he and Eva showed up at the Korens exactly on the hour. Nate had the military punctuality still flowing in his veins. Eva became his first civilian victim as he clocked her while she dressed and primped for the evening.

The Korens were overjoyed to see Nathan. One of Dr. Koren's legs dragged a little behind him as he slowly got up from his chair. He bear hugged Nathan as if he'd been gone  for years instead of  several months.

Always the trooper in emergencies, he had ignored his near crippling arthritis and had taken care of the animals in Nate's absence. Although most cases went to other vets in the area, Koren took care of the most difficult ones. The two men broke away and examined one another while flashing big grins.

"Welcome back, Son," Doc said.

"I can't tell you how great it feels to be back, Sir."

"You never left our prayers," Mrs. Koren said, smiling.

Elisabeth's sister, Irene , husband Bill and their set of twins, Lillie and Rosie,were visiting the Korens for the weekend.

"Uncle Nate! Uncle Nate"! they yelled, running to him. One hugged him in front; the other hugged his side.

"Wow! I've only been gone a short time and already you guys have grown a few inches," he said, pointing to how far the teens came up to his shoulder.

"Tell us stories! Tell us stories!" They said in unison while jumping up and down.

"No stories right now. Let Uncle Nate relax and enjoy being home," Koren said.

The children quietly stomped away disappointed. Then Nathan promised to tell them a true story about a carrier pigeon that became a war hero.

"A bird hero, Uncle Nate?" Lillie blurted.

"Yep!"

"Wow," Rosie said, wide eyed.

**************

The evening went on as if time had stood still. No war, no deaths, no blood or torn flesh. He enjoyed the smell of Doc's cigar, the aroma of homemade pies, the children's giggles and the "good old" taste of Port.

After dinner, Eva hardly left his side. And when he spoke, her eyes twinkled as she watched his lips move. The evening ended most pleasantly, with the children sitting up in bed, clutching their dolls as Nathan began the story.

"It was late October, and 194 American soldiers were trapped behind enemy lines."

"What's enemy lines?" Lillie asked.

"He means the mean old Germans," Rosie said.

"Yes, that's right, the Germans," Nate said. "So...they're stuck behind enemy lines and surrounded by the Germans. They've run out of food and ammunition, plus not only are the Germans firing on them, but they're being fired on by their own countrymen who don't know they're there. They need help and fast. And the only way to get a message through to American headquarters is to send a pigeon."

"Couldn't they send any bird?"

"Oh no, Lillie. Only one kind of bird could do THIS job. Pigeons are very smart. They're fast, they're fearless and no matter where or how far you send them, they always find their way back home."

"Oooh."

"But not just any old pigeon. This was a job for their top pigeon, Cher Ami."

Rosie giggled. "That's a funny name for a bird."

"Not to the French. It means Dear Friend. Anyway, they put a message in a capsule and tied it onto Cher Ami's leg and off he flew...straight out of the bush. Higher and higher and higher, he flew way up into the sky. His wings flapping in the wind, with the American headquarters 25 miles away. He was flying along. It was smooth sailing for a while, when suddenly, the Germans spotted him."

"Bekommen, dass vogel!  (Get that bird!)"  One shouted. Cher Ami found himself in  a thunderstorm of bullets.

"Oh no." The twins were glued; their little eyes staring at Nathan's lips.

"He soared past those bullets like they were breadcrumbs, ducking and swerving, just flapping away." Rosie bit her lower lip and Lillie clenched her doll tightly. "When the Germans saw he wasn't hit, they got real mad and unleashed more firing power at him. One missed his beak but caught the side of his eye."

"No!" Lillie yelled.

"But Cher Ami kept right on flying; with one good eye, he could see the headquarters just 19 miles ahead of him.

"Schieben! (Shoot him down!)"  a nasty old German shouted,"  as they continued throwing everything they had at him. He dodged ten, twenty, thirty bullets; then forty, fifty, but as he turned to avoid a few more, one drilled a hole straight through his chest."

"Does he make it, Uncle Nate?" Lillie asked, shaking like a little leaf.

"Of course he does, silly, be quiet," Rosie snapped.

"Though gravely  wounded, the gallant bird kept flying, knowing his country needed him. His wings were flapping so fast, you could hardly see he had wings at all. With nine miles to go and his blood dripping down like red rain, Cher Ami pushed on, swerving, and dodging when all of a sudden, Boom!" Lillie jumped and Rosie sunk her teeth deeper into her bottom lip. "One bullet struck the leg with the capsule. With a half mile to go, Cher Ami flapped on, his little pigeon leg dangling by a thread of meat and the message hanging on for dear life.

"Aw!" they said in unison.

"He reached the headquarters, but collapsed on the landing, blood pouring from his chest and eye. They picked up his leg that was totally detached now, with the message still fastened to it. They opened the capsule and were shocked at what they read.

'We are along the road parallel to 276.4. Our own artillery is dropping a barrage directly on us. For God's sake, STOP IT!'"

"Yippee!  He made it!"

"I told you he would," Rosie said, grinning.

"They immediately called off the firing and launched a rescue mission. Thanks to Cher Ami's gallant flying and continuous efforts in the face of death, they reached the soldiers just in time, saving the 194 men. He was awarded the highest medal and a wooden leg.
He was the most decorated bird in the world."

The twins cheered and clapped.

"Oh I love pigeons."

"Can we have one, Uncle Nate?"

"Oh no, you'd have to keep it locked up in a cage. And that would be cruel. Don't you think?"

"Yeah," they said in unison.

"Okay, time to go to sleep," he gently ordered. Lillie jumped into her own bed. Nathan tucked them in and kissed them on the forehead.

"Goodnight, Uncle Nate," Lillie said, yawning.

Rosie said nothing;  she'd dozed off as soon as her little head hit the pillow. Nathan walked to the door and looked back at them. He felt something he'd  never felt before. It was a sudden eagerness to repeat this scene, many times with children of his own. He smiled and closed the door.

Waiting downstairs, Eva hugged and thanked the Korens for a wonderful evening. Nathan joined her and they drove off into the night.  After waving them off, Mrs. Koren shook her head. "Poor Eva," she said, holding on to Dr. Koren's arm.

**************

For several days Nathan treated Eva warmly, but distant. She asked her confidant if it could be  battle fatigue. Her friend concluded that it was quite possible, and if Nate decided to talk, she should be very sympathetic and understanding. Eva appeared grateful for the advice and said she felt more assured than ever about their relationship.

Nathan couldn't bear not telling Eva any longer.   He just couldn't find the right moment. He knew how much she loved him and how much telling her would hurt. One evening, after dinner, standing in her bedroom, Nathan finally said.

"Eva, we need to talk." He took a deep breath and turned around. "Eva, I'm sorry, but I've met someone," he practiced, staring into the mirror. "Now, Eva you know we never DID discuss marriage."

 "SHIT! Dear God, help me," he whispered, dropping his head.

Eva emerged from the bathroom. Her sweet scent filled the room. She was naked and her hair was wrapped in a towel.

"Sweetie, did I hear you talking to someone?"

"Sit down," he said, handing her pink nightie. "I have something to tell you."

Author Notes

This is a complete chapter. It seems a little long because I felt it essential to let Nathan tell the twins the Pigeon story. The story is true, though I added a little more drama with a tiny bit of human character. The complete story can be found online. Just type: Cher Ami. The brave little pigeon was awarded France's highest honor, The Croix de Guerre with Palm. If you think it's too long, I'll try to shorten the bedtime story. For those who are new to the story: Main Characters: Nathan Daniels....Main Character Duchess Margaret...Nathan's heart breaker and lost love Doctor Koren.......Nathan's Mentor Elisabeth Koren....Doctor Koren's wife Koren Twins .......Ella and Ellie Eva Mitchell.......Deeply in love with Nathan And Introducing....Nurse Grace Nevers Korens' Servants: Pete...........Negro Driver Merald.............Head housekeeper Jenny...............Maid and cook Supporting Characters: Sweet Springs Town folk Art Work by Google

Chapter 11
Sweet Springs, USA

By amahra

Eva took the last step she'd ever take in this life. Her foot graced the air as she soared from a 100-foot cliff overlooking the scenic greenery. The ground contact reduced her buxom body to fragments of bone and busted flesh.

From a distance, her scarlet hair lay indistinguishable from the bright red mass splashed upon the stony ground. One green eye protruded onto her pale white cheek. The expression life had left behind on her face was unmistakable. Eva Mitchell died screaming. Body fluids oozed through her ripped clothing, and one shoe was missing from a mangled foot.

A search party found her body after her confidant reported her missing when she failed to return home from a walk.

"I'd been so worried about her," the friend told the sheriff.

"Why is that?"

"She...she just wasn't acting right...you know. Since she broke up with her young man."

"I see," the sheriff said, looking as if he'd already made up his mind.

Climbing Busch Peak was a favorite pastime for many Sweet Springs citizens. The view was said to be one of the most beautiful in the region.  Printed signs were placed along the way, warning people not to drink or walk the path after dark.

"Eva knew that path like the back of her hand. There's no way she would have slipped," the store clerk babbled.

"If you ask me, someone pushed her," claimed a customer.

In spite of the rumors, Sheriff Ryely dismissed it as a terrible accident. Still, the suicide rumor spread like wildfire. It shocked the small town well beyond its usual demeanor. Eva was so well liked in Sweet Springs for her warm spirit and charitable giving.

As the accusations reached capacity, the Korens watched sadly as Nathan's popularity plummeted. He became known to many townsfolk as the man who'd killed Eva Mitchell. They felt he was just as responsible as if he'd thrown her off that cliff.

Nathan, distraught, hid behind his mansion walls for weeks - lending his practice over to Dr. Koren. He postponed the wedding, stating that he couldn't bear to bring Grace to live in such a poisoned environment. After Grace read his letter confessing everything, she became so depressed that her parents sent her to relatives in Canada until the matter cooled.

Although Nate paid for the funeral, he stayed well out of sight until Eva's family had loaded her body onto the train. In Virginia, she was laid to rest near a quiet lake next to her mother and Grandparents.

**************

The sky was dark grey with clouds, and a fine rain beat like tiny pebbles against the roof. A knock came at the door. Nathan peeked through the window and saw Elisabeth Koren standing with a cloth-covered picnic basket. When he opened the door, she wiped her feet on the welcome mat - then quickly stepped past him.

"I bought you something to eat," she said, hurrying towards the kitchen.

"You didn't have to do that."

"Oh, nonsense. You've got to eat, don't you?" she said, unloading the basket of food. "Let's see now, there's fried chicken, biscuits, string beans, potato salad. Oh, and your favorite - Brown Betty pie, and Mrs. Conklin sent a jar of her homemade peach jam."

"Mrs. Koren, you're too kind." Elisabeth turned and looked him up and down.

"Lord - Son, you look like shit." She gently shoved him towards the staircase.  "Now, go up and bathe and shave while I set the table."

Nathan mounted the steps like a little boy being sent to his room.  Elisabeth gazed around the kitchen. There was trash on the floor and piles of dishes, glassware and pots and pans in the sink. She took out an apron she'd brought and rolled up her sleeves. She went to work - broom flying, suds splashing, and dishes clanking. 

Upstairs -  Nathan finished shaving and stared at himself in the mirror. He hated what he saw. Several days ago he had the love of two women, now there was only one and he had the other one's blood on his head. He closed his eyes and tightened his jaw.

"Why - Eva? Why did you do it?" he asked her in his mind's eye.

He remembered how she looked that night before he told her about Grace.  She stood there naked, her shapely body pale and white. He remembered her wet red locks falling against her pink nipples when she removed the towel from her head. She looked so beautiful, he almost didn't tell her that night.

But he did - and watched her face turn ash white, and her mouth drop. He remembered how her eyes filled, and how her body shook as she cried loudly. Then he watched her eyes turn to burning red coals, veins pop in her neck. She began throwing everything she could at him and asking him over and over, 'Why Nate...why?' He could still hear her screaming at him - calling Grace a bitch and ordering him out of her sight.

He examined the scab-covered gash above his right eye from a perfume bottle she'd thrown at him. He wished she'd thrown that liquor bottle instead.

"Nate - come and eat!" Elisabeth shouted from the bottom of the stairs.

"I'll be right down!" he shouted back.

A few minutes later, Nathan descended the stairs in clean clothes, combed hair and brushed teeth. The two sat quietly and ate. She smiled as he stuffed his mouth with a second helping of everything. Then she broke the silence.

"You can't keep blaming yourself - you know."

"Why not? Everyone else does," he answered, with a mouth full of food.

"To hell with everyone else. You and Grace don't have to live here."

"I'm not sure there is a me and Grace anymore."

"Now, what makes you say that?"

"She doesn't answer my letters. What does that tell you?"

"Honey, she's in shock. Just give her time. She loves you."

"Yeah...but she could write, tell me she loves me, she hates me, call me names, anything - but..this...this...silence. I don't even know what she's thinking about me right now."

"Nate, relax. Take it from a woman. She's going to realize how much she loves you. And this whole thing will be like a terrible nightmare you both will wake up from. Believe me...if I told you how many times I forgave Koren before we were married...."

"Really...little old harmless Doc...come on. What did he ever do?"

"Don't get me started," Elisabeth said, rolling her eyes. She took a sip of her tea. "I just know you and Grace will be fine."

"I hope you're right, Mrs. K."

"Mrs. K? Um - I like that," she said, stuffing her mouth with pie.

**************

Although the death of Eva and the flying rumors of blame had dealt a terrible blow to this once very quiet and close-knit town, things were about to seem a whole lot worse for the people of Sweet Springs.  It had devastated cattlemen long ago and nearly wiped out the beef market. By 1907, the problem was squashed - or so they thought.  For every now and then, it raised its ugly head.....

Nathan dropped everything and rushed over to the JP Ranch. When he arrived, Jim Pullman was panicking, pacing in front of his fenced-in cattle.

"What's wrong Jim...the message said life or death?"

"My cattle are barely eating; they're losing weight and not producing nearly as much milk as they did before."

"Alright, so they're under the weather. But why scare me with life or death? I didn't know what to think when I got your message."

"Don't you get it? It's only one thing that can make cattle act like that."

"I see where you're headed. Now - let's not jump the gun on this. Let me take a look." Nathan moved inside the fence and examined one of the underweight cows. "When did you notice they weren't eating?" he asked, examining the cow's eyes.

"A week or so."

He threw Jim a sharp stare. "And you're just now telling me about this?"

"I thought it was the feed. Shit.  I bought it cheaper off this peddler that was passing through.  Called myself saving pennies. I went back to feeding them the old stuff, but they still wouldn't eat. That's when I sent for you."

Nate looked inside the cow's mouth and nose and felt for the temperature of its ears. "Noticed any blood in their urine?" he asked, checking the cow's rectum.

"No."

He measured with his eyes how far the animal's tail stuck out from its body. An indication of irritation or pain in the perineal region. "Are their stools runny or solid in a pile?"

"It's soft, but still in a pile. Does that mean something, Doc?"

Nathan didn't answer, but carried a serious look on his face as he moved from cow to cow.  "After your cows gave birth, did you notice any deep red color or smelly discharge from the vagina?" he asked, checking for fresh or clotted blood near the opening.

"No redder or smelly than usual." 

Nate stood up and looked around. He noticed the cows weren't grooming, and none had reacted to his presence, especially when he touched them.

Pullman became agitated at Nathan's worrisome look and no response to his questions. "You find anything or not, Doc?"  he blurted.

Nathan didn't answer;  he noticed the elbows of the cow, and just to be certain, pressed against the rib cage and waited for its reaction. When he felt he'd seen enough, he walked out and closed the fence behind him. He strolled silently to the outside washroom to wash his hands.

Pullman shifted from foot to foot and cracked his face at Nathan's silence. "Well?" he snapped.

"Your cattle are suffering from Babesia Bigemina."

"Speak English, damn it!"

"They've got Tic Fever."

"I knew it. Goddamn it to hell, I'm ruined! My cattle, my ranch, my life...." Jim snatched his hat off and slammed it to the ground.

"Now wait a minute, Jim.  Hold on there. This is not the 1800s. We may have caught this thing in time. I'm going to shut you down for...."

"You mean I'm quarantined."

"Yes, quarantine. This may be the only ranch infected. So, don't say anything to anybody about this. I don't want a panic on my hands. Don't let any animals in or out of this place...not even your cat or your dog. Do you understand?"

"Of course I understand. What do you take me for...an idiot?"

Nathan  hurried off to Dr. Koren to set plans in motion before the news spread.

But in just hours, the news moved like a dust storm and panic broke out among neighboring ranchers. Nathan had to act fast. He and Dr. Koren summoned help from neighboring cattle doctors. Veterinarians from other nearby towns were paid by their own towns' ranchers to treat Sweet Springs' infected cattle so the disease wouldn't spread to their town. Every mayor from across Texas held his breath while the veterinarians worked tirelessly and meticulously, checking every inch of cattle on every ranch. No four-footed creature in their path was overlooked. The entire region was shut down. No farm animals were allowed in or out of the area until further notice.

Even wild animals were kept in check by men with rifles. Every aspect of the town's life revolved around the health of farm animals: the feed stores; the farm tools and supplies stores; the general food stores; Blacksmiths; hay and vegetable farmers; and business that had nothing to do with cattle farming, such as saloons, clothing shops and milliners, hotels, barber shops, banks, all thrived on the overstuffed purses of the wealthy cattle families.

The mayor held a town meeting to convince the people not to pack up and leave.

Bang! Bang! The mayor hit the table repeatedly with his walking stick.

"Now, settle down, folks," he said.

"We'll settle down when we get some answers!" shouted a man from the crowd.

The mayor waved the people to sit so he could finish. "Now there's been talk of you folks wanting to leave. I beg you to give the veterinarians a chance to get this thing under control."

"They've had plenty of time already," a man spoke up.

"Yeah!" members of the crowd yelled.

Jesse White stood and fumbled the brim of his hat. "And what if they can't stop this thing? I've got a wife and kids that's gotta eat. I can't lose my store."

"I understand, Jesse. I wouldn't ask this if I weren't sure. The vets have given me their word. I'm asking you all to have faith."

An hour went by - more shouts of anger persued the mayor as he addressed every concern. Finally, the crowd appeared to be satisfied as they filed out into the street. No talk of leaving town... for now.

But the mayor's job wasn't over. He pleaded with the local news editor not to print anything unless he (the mayor) was notified that the disease had spread. The top editor reluctantly agreed. But even the press couldn't keep the lid on such a story. The very survival of Sweet Springs was riding on the veterinarians to squash this outbreak before it destroyed the town and the entire Texas beef industry.

Days stretched into weeks; weeks stretched into months. Finally, the town blew a huge breath of relief that was felt throughout Texas. The disease was found only on one ranch and treatment was underway and ongoing.  The local news printed: 'VETS GIVE SWEET SPRINGS RANCHES CLEAN BILL OF HEALTH.' Texas beef was mostly preferred not only in the States, but also abroad; because of quick and decisive action, it would remain on the market.

"Hallelujah!" one Texas rancher was heard shouting.

Meanwhile - back at Pullman's place, the ranch hands had done a tremendous job of setting up multiple numbers of vats. Each vat was five feet deep. It was filled with a mixture of different kinds of solutions that would kill ticks but not harm the cattle. After the vats were filled, they dipped each animal into the solution. It was a long and daunting task.

Koren, who had witnessed worse infestations in his youth, said it was the mildest case he'd ever seen. It was speculated that sometime ago, when one of Pullman's cows ran off and wasn't found until the next day, that it may have grazed in tick infested grass (by wildlife) and brought it back to the herd.

Nathan returned to the JP Ranch week after week. The infestation soon disappeared, the quarantine lifted, and the cattle certified to be moved.

Pullman, eventually, went back to doing business; Nathan (no longer in hiding) went back to his medical practice.  Though Eva Mitchell was never forgotten, the nasty rumors over her cause of death stopped abruptly. All was forgiven the man who'd help save their way of life. And Sweet Springs went back to being Sweet Springs, USA.

Author Notes

This is not a complete chapter, but a Fanstory chapter made for my readers. The spaces between the dialogue make it seem longer. For those who are new to the story: Main Characters: Nathan Daniels....Main Character Duchess Margaret...Nathan's heart breaker and lost love Doctor Koren.......Nathan's Mentor Elisabeth Koren....Doctor Koren's wife Koren Twins .......Ella and Ellie Eva Mitchell.......Deeply in love with Nathan Grace Nevers.......Nathan's fiance Koren's Servants: Pete...........Negro Driver Merald.............Head housekeeper Jenny...............Maid and cook Supporting Characters: Sweet Springs Town folk Art Work: Ranch Country by: trailblazer101

Chapter 12
For His Eyes Only

By amahra

Warning: The author has noted that this contains strong sexual content.

London, 1920

Nathan whistled a tune and toweled off the few remaining droplets of water from his muscular body. He pulled on the bottom half of his pajamas and ran his hands over his head, smoothing back his shiny dark hair.

Grinning widely before the mirror, he checked his teeth. He blew his breath in his hands and sniffed. Everything had to be perfect for his virgin bride whom he envisioned lying naked in the next room.

Nate paced around in the bathroom--not wanting to rush in on her like a horny dog. It was important to him to make her first time a treasured memory. He sat on the edge of the bathtub and reflected on the events leading up to the moment....

"Ladies and Gentlemen," the minister announced, "I present to you for the first time, Dr. and Mrs. Nathan Gerald Daniels." Applause erupted among the two hundred guests.

Grace looked dazzling in her white, satin wedding gown that hugged her thin, but curvy body. She was adorned in her mother's pearls. Her bridal veil, made of French lace, appeared the longest Nathan had ever seen. She seemed to float down the aisle like an angel whose feet barely touched the floor.

He saluted his bride with a sweet lingering kiss that drew Oohs from the adoring crowd. Their first dance was a tango that would have made the famous Vernon and Irene Castle proud. The evening seemed filled with stars with Nathan and Grace as its glitter.

Later, still covered in rice, the newlyweds took the Ohio State Limited to New York, where they boarded the Red Star Cruise Liner to London. Once in London, they took a cab through the exclusive central area. The last time he saw this city, young men wore uniforms and the Germans' defeat was already history.

"Here we are, The Grand London Hotel," the cab driver said.

The Grand was a luxury full-service hotel which included a beautiful ball room, elaborate suites, several restaurants, and membership clubs that overlooked Green Park in direction to Buckingham Palace.

"Oh, thank you, Sir," the bellboy said, after palming a large tip.  He flashed a yellow smile and handed Nathan the key.

The suite's interior was lavished in Art Deco which included rosewood and marble top tables. In the dining area were different sets of Indigo glass-wares.  The four post bed, where his bride lay, was made of chrome with brass claw feet and metal figures of chariots and horses in the headboard and footboard.

"Honey, everything alright?" Grace called.

"Yes, sweetheart. I'll be right out."

Nathan took a deep breath and rose from the edge of the tub.

Grace fluffed the pillows several times, and kept her eyes on the bathroom door. She twisted a lock of her hair and fidgeted with the straps on her pink nightie. Her mother had told her: "Now, remember to relax; it may hurt a bit, but don't tense up. Father will have that talk with Nathan, so he'll know to be gentle. Don't be frightened, sweetheart;  you're a woman, now. " Mrs. Nevers' voice cracked when she had said the word woman. She sobbed into her white handkerchief.

"Oh, my baby,"  she said, wiping the snot from her nose.

"Now, Mother...really. Don't go on so. You'll give yourself another headache."

**************
The night before the wedding, Nathan and George Nevers left the women in the next room and headed for the smoke room. Nevers grabbed a bottle of bourbon and poured a hefty bit into two glasses.

"Nate, you and I are men of the world," he said, handing Nathan a drink.

"Yes sir."

"...and being men of the world, we've seen and done many things," Nevers added, before taking a big gulp.

"Awe...yes, Sir," he answered, wondering where Mr. Nevers was going with this.

"I was young once. Long before I met my wife, I was a bit reckless and wild. Did a lot of things I regret. Tossed aside a lot of women. Some deserved it. Some didn't."

Nathan downed the bourbon and clenched his teeth. Nevers walked slowly towards him and got in his face.

"I know Grace is a young woman, but she's still my little girl--and means the world to me. She's never known a bad day in her life..."

"Mr. Nevers, if you're worried about..."

"Just shut up and listen. Now, I don't know what happened with that Eva woman. I don't know if she jumped, like they say, or were pushed or what the hell you did to her, and frankly...I don't give a damn. But the last time I saw my Gracie cry that loud, she was a baby. And I'm not going to lie to you. I tried my best to talk her out of marrying you. But, she loves you, damn it. So here we are." He tossed his head back and drained the remaining bourbon from his glass.

"Eva didn't jump. They found the neck of a shattered liquor bottle still clasped in her hand."

"I don't give a shit about how she ended up at the bottom of a cliff. You deceived that woman!" he said, his voice escalated.

"Mr. Nevers, I was confused when I was with Eva. At the time, I was trying to get over another woman. But it's not like that with Grace. I love her, Sir, and would never hurt her."

"Gracie is spoiled, but not rotten," George said, tightening his hand around the empty glass until the glass disappeared and it was just a fist hanging at his side. "She's my heart, my joy. Her happiness is like sunshine to me. Look, I'm not a violent man.  I'm not. And I've never threatened anyone. Ever. But I swear to Almighty God, if you hurt her, there will be no place on God's green earth you'll be able to hide from my wrath."

"Sir, I plan to have a daughter of my own someday. If any man tried to hurt her, I'd be the same way."

"So... we have an understanding."

"Yes. Off course."  Nevers loosened his grip and the glass reappeared. He took Nathan's glass and walked back for more bourbon.  Nathan was nervously sweating and loosening his collar, when Nevers returned and stood before him.

"No offense?" he asked, handing Nathan a double shot, this time.

Nathan took it and blew a breath in relief.  "No offense, Mr. Nevers. You won't regret my marrying Grace, I can assure you."

"Good."

Nevers stared at him and polished off his drink without making a face. He continued staring Nate in the eyes. A stupid little game men played to check the masculinity of another. Nathan took the bait. He polished his and tried not to blink either, though his throat burned, like someone had lit a match and held it to his tonsils. He fought back the tears and kept a straight face. After Nevers was satisfied, he placed his glass on the marble table before him, as did Nathan.

"Well...let's join the women, shall we?"

"After you," Nathan said, the room spinning.

The two men started for the door when Nevers stopped suddenly, causing Nathan to nearly bump him in the back.

"Oh...just for the record, since I told my wife I'd talk to you. Be gentle with my daughter on your wedding night. I'm sure you know what I mean?"

"Oh...Oh. Yes. I do. Don't worry. I'll go slowly. I'll be so gentle, she'll think she's being poked by a big old feather," he said, grinning.

"Hey! That's my daughter. Did I ask for details?"

"Sorry. I was just trying to ease your mind." Nate cleared his throat to cover a chuckle.

Nevers' face was stern. But after reflecting on Nathan's words, his face grew soft and a smirk appeared. "You're a crazy bastard. You know that?" Nevers said laughing. He threw his arm around Nathan's shoulders and said in a low mischievous voice, "Speaking of feathers. You ever heard this one? Two Indian midgets walked into a bar....."

In the next room, Mary Nevers, along with Grace and their small circle of wedding helpers, were having tea. They had decided to take a well-deserved break from approving the menu and making last minute adjustments to the seating arrangements for the reception.

Suddenly, Nathan and Mr. Nevers loudly stumbled into the room, laughing hysterically. Nathan was doubled over and Nevers was holding his protruding belly. Startled, the women gasped and whipped their heads around.

Indignant to the outburst, Mrs. Nevers shot up from her chair and asked, "George, what on earth are you fools howling about?"

"Nah...Nothing dear," Nevers said, wiping a tear from his eye.

**************
The bathroom door opened and Nathan strolled over to the bed. Grace moved over, and he slid in beside her. She had the sweetest grin on her face and her cheeks were naturally a pale pink.

He smiled at her and snuggled closer. She lifted her arms and pulled him to her. They kissed passionately for several minutes. She gently pulled away long enough to remove her nightgown - letting it slip to the floor--then she pressed back into his arms and they kissed  for several more minutes. She pulled away again, laying back on the pillow and relaxing her hands above her head, as if she'd rehearsed it.

Her body was deliciously pink and white, like peaches and cream. He finally got to see what filled out all those dresses: her full breasts, a tiny waist with round plumped hips. She looked like a goddess, lithe and beautiful. Her long brown hair lay in an S across one shoulder and was radiantly shining under the light; her eyes were bright and crystal clear, and sparkled like blue marbles.

"God, you're so beautifull," he said.

Nathan scrambled out of his pajamas and half covered her body with his. He kissed a spot just under her ear; he slid his lips down her neck  then moved to her breasts taking each pink nipple into his mouth.  "Hmmmm," she moaned softly, as he eagerly sucked them. Sliding his hand between her legs, he fingered the inside of her vagina until it was wet. Then he licked and made soft bites along her abdomen while still massaging the opening of her vagina.

Grace responded with heavy panting, lifting her buttocks slightly off the mattress at times. Breathing more rapidly, she moaned and trailed her fingers across the hard muscles of his back as he slid his face further and further down between her legs. When his lips touched her clitoris, she trembled and dug her fingernails deep into the mattress. He circled her clitoris with his tongue  and sucked it. The more she moaned the more vigorously he sucked, until her body jerked and she let out a high pitch that seemed to hover above them.

Nathan quickly rose between her legs. He slipped his hard penis, that was long and smooth, half-way into her while she was sopping wet and still reeling from the orgasm. He kept his eyes on her face so as to detect any discomfort as he inched his way in.  She slid her arms around his neck and pulled her knees nearly to her chest. He pushed more into her. She let out a gasp as she had received her husband fully.

She gripped him as he worked it inside her and thrust upward to match his pace.  "Aahhhhhhh,"  she repeated louder and louder, as he vigorosly stroked his way into his own ecstasy. His voice muffled in her neck,  "Oh, God, oh God. Baby. Oh, God....."

Author Notes

This is not a complete chapter, but a Fanstory chapter made for my readers. I'm aware of Prohibition which started in 1920. My characters will not drink in future chapters. They'll have to face their miserable lives sober. If at anytime I see they can't handle the stress, I'll write in a Speakeasy. LOL! For those who are new to the story: Main Characters: Nathan Daniels....Main Character Margaret...Nathan's heart breaker and lost love Doctor Koren.......Nathan's Mentor Elisabeth Koren....Doctor Koren's wife Koren Twins .......Ella and Ellie Eva Mitchell.......Deeply in love with Nathan (Deceased) Grace Nevers Daniels.......Nathan's Bride George and Mary Nevers......Grace's Parents Koren's Servants: Pete...........Negro Driver Merald.............Head housekeeper Jenny...............Maid and cook Supporting Characters: Sweet Springs Town folk Image from Google

Chapter 13
Ten Oakes

By amahra

A misty grey hovered over the London square.  It was a new morning, and the sun appeared to have forced its way through the darkened clouds. 

Outside his hotel window, Nathan could hear the sound of raindrops drumming, like tiny fingers, against the pane. He leaned over and kissed the rosy cheek of his sleeping wife who lay next to him on the big brass bed.

He and Grace had loved every moment of their honeymoon, but couldn't wait to return home. They were leaving Europe, but the continent would never leave "them". They had seen it at its worst during the war, and now at its best in its continued recovery. This part of the world would both haunt and delight the couple forever. For it was in the midst of the world's deadliest human conflict that they met and fell in love.

**************

Back In the States

The limo pulled away from the Texas train station with a whistling Negro at the wheel.

"Joseph, what's that you're whistling?" Nathan asked.

"Oh--just a little tune I made up, myself, Boss."

"Keep it up. I like it."

Grace smiled and seemed to enjoy the entertainment. She and Nathan took in the scenic view during the long but comfortable ride to his ranch in Sweet Springs.

"What a beautiful place, Texas.  I'm looking forward to raising a family here," Grace said, snuggling up to him.

"Yes, it is beautiful. I felt the same way years ago when I first settled here."

With only a few minutes left in the ride, Nate flattened his nose against the car window and frowned.

"Hey!  Wait a minute, Joseph. This is not the way to my ranch. You're going the wrong way."

Joseph grinned. "Just following orders, Boss," he said pulling up to the double gated estate. 

"Following whose orders?  Where on earth are you taking us?" Grace asked.

"It's a surprise, Mam. Is all I can say." 

After Joseph passed through the first gate, a ground keeper yanked open the second gate allowing the car to pass.  Nathan lowered the car window and stared out. His eyes fell upon the huge spread of grass, the multi-level gardens and a beautiful in-ground fountain that shot water 10 feet into the air.  There--a short distance away, stood a tall two-story white mansion with giant pillars on either side. 

"Man, for God's sake, whose place is this?"

Before Joseph could answer, the designer door flew opened and George and Mary Nevers hurried out onto the front steps--both grinning like Cheshire cats. When the car stopped, the stunned couple stumbled out of it like drunken sailors.

"Welcome to Ten Oakes," George Nevers said with his arms wide opened.

"Father, what's going on?" Grace asked, walking into her father's arms.  She turned and hugged her mother tightly, then stared at them awaiting a response.

"This is a wedding present from me and your mother."

"You bought us this?" Nathan asked, with his eyes big as saucers.  He turned to Grace. "You really didn't know about this?"

"No. I'm just as surprised as you are."

The two gazed upon the  21,000 square foot mansion--built by English architect, Sir Alfred Bringhum.  The back of the house was even more amazing.

"Oh, look--what a lovely brook.  So many oak trees and formal gardens where we can host  parties in the summer. I'm speechless," Grace said.  Nathan slipped his arm around her waist.

"Mr. and Mrs. Nevers ...."

"Don't you think," Mary interrupted, " it's time you called us Mother and Father?"

"Mother, Father,  I...I don't know what to say."

"Honey, we did say we wanted a big family and--well, this certainly will do," Grace asserted.

"If we had 20 kids, we couldn't fill this place."

"Oh dear...if you think it's too big..." Mary said who spoke as though she thought Nathan was disappointed.

"No No, Mother, that's not at all what I meant. We love it. Don't we, honey?"

"Oh, yes. And thank you both." She rushed into George's arms as she had done countless times as a little girl. He hugged her and kissed her cheek.

"You're welcome, Angel."

"Well,"  Mary said, grabbing Grace by the arm, "shall we go in and see the rest of the house?"

With his mouth still half opened, Nate followed them. The first to hit his eyes were the high beamed ceilings and wide planks.  Everywhere he looked, from the first floor to the second, there were silk drapes covering the tall windows and rooms with early 19th century antique furnishings. The 34 room mansion featured 10 bedrooms--including two master suites, 15 baths, 20 closets, 12 fireplaces, a ball room, and a 200 seat formal dining area. 

Mesmerized by it all, Grace smoothed her hands over one delicate piece she found in the nursery. It was a walnut and Burled mid-19th century baby crib with carved animal markings.

"I chose this with care, honey. Do you like it?"

"Mother, you've outdone yourself. It's beautiful." Grace's eyes began to tear as she gave Mary a big hug. The house was equipped with every European import  including a French chef, maid and butler.  Nathan thanked the Nevers, but felt the French servants were a bit much and with Grace's approval, elected to hire a Negro woman to oversee the running of the house.

Mary and George decided to stay a while and help the couple settle into their new home. After a few weeks, they returned home to Ohio.

Grace and Nate quickly became a welcomed part of their new community. Everyone, including the Korens, seemed to adore Grace and considered Nathan a lucky man for having landed such a prize

Not far from the Daniels' new home, was Big Tom Wainwright's estate. Nathan had risen so quickly in this tight-knit town: from a young, penniless apprentice back in the early 1900s; to living downwind of the multi-millionaire Wainwrights. But Nathan wasn't impressed with such social nonsense.  In fact--many townsfolk, in their amazement, had once said of Nathan that in spite of his non-interest in becoming rich, wealthy women seemed to fall right out of obscurity and onto his lap.  

**************

Overjoyed with his new role of being a husband, Nathan had expressed, many times, his eagerness to become a father.  And after many attempts to get pregnant, their first baby was finally due in the spring of 1922.  But that birth date was not to be. Instead--it became the first of a string of miscarriages that plagued the couple for years.

Grace was devastated. Each miscarriage sent her deeper into a depression and even more away from Nathan. They rarely talked any more except to argue over whose fault it was that Grace wasn't able to bear a child. Mary traveled the long distance, several times, to be by her daughter's side;  her visits sometimes included her refereeing the couple's loud arguments.

When Nathan saw how this was taking a toll on their relationship, he lied to convince her that having children made no difference to him.  But his words fell on deaf ears. Grace's obsession  with having a baby had changed her from the sweet person who had captured Nathan's heart, to a cold and bitter woman.  At one point, she became so verbally abusive towards Nathan--he honestly didn't think the marriage would survive one more failed pregnancy.

The Nevers spared no expense--taking their daughter to the best doctors in Europe. Finally, the Korens sent the couple to a near-by town in Texas, where a little old country doctor told Grace there was nothing wrong with her or Nathan, and that she simply had to relax and let nature take its course.

"Sometimes, my dear,"  the doctor said, "what comes naturally to others, may just take a little more time for the rest of us." 

Following the doctor's advice, a year and a half later, in 1925, Grace gave birth to a beautiful rosy cheek girl who Nathan wanted to name Margaret. 

"After all I've been through to give you a child, you want to name her Margaret? Why don't we make her middle name Eva, after your cliff jumping girlfriend?"

Nathan tried to out shout her and explain, but Grace ordered him from the room.

To prevent the situation from exploding further, Elizabeth Koren told a half-truth about Nathan's promise to name his first girl after her mother. Elizabeth's mother's name was Margaret Ann Mobely, but Nathan had made no such promise.  Grace had always admired Elizabeth, believing her lie, she apologized to Nathan.  All agreed the child would be Christened--Margaret Mary Daniels.

"Have you lost your damn mind?" Elizabeth snapped, after finding Nathan alone with a drink in his hand. She pinched his arm.

"Ouch! What?"

"Margaret? Really--Nate?"

"Well--you explained it, didn't you?" He frowned and rubbed the sore spot on his arm.

"Why on earth would you want to name your child after a woman who has caused you so much pain?"

"It wasn't her fault. Her parents forced her into an arranged marriage."

"Or,  so you tell yourself. Nate, for God's sake, don't ruin this.  Grace is the best thing that's ever happen to you."

"What are you talking about? I'm not ruining anything. For your information, my mother's middle name is Margaret."

"Well, why in the hell didn't you say that?"

"I never got a chance. The minute I mentioned the name Margaret, Grace goes bananas, and YOU come galloping to my rescue like I was some damsel in distress."

"Jesus Christ. You're going to send me to an early grave."

 "Oh... you old momma bear, You,"  he said, setting his drink aside. "You'll  live to be a hundred if not a hundred and ten." He grabbed her and playfully danced her across the room.

"Nate, be serious," she said, trying to wiggle out of his arms.  He kissed her on the forehead and made her smile. He was the son she never had. He loved her as much as his own mother. "Nate, please tell me you're over Margaret."

"Yes. Yes. I'm over Margaret. You worry too much, Momma Bear."  Then with a chuckle, he smacked her on the butt before hurrying from the room.  Elizabeth stood there with her hands on her hips.  She shook her head and smiled.

"You loveable fool," she said softly to herself. "Now how to keep you from finding out that Bitch is in town?"

Author Notes

This chapter may lack excitement because it's not a complete chapter. I need to keep chapters short for my fan-readers who keep up with the story. Also, I'm aware of Prohibition which started in 1920. My characters will not drink in future chapters. They'll have to face their miserable lives sober. If at anytime I see they can't handle the stress, I'll write in a Speakeasy. LOL! For those who are new to the story: Main Characters: Nathan Daniels....Main Character Margaret...Nathan's heart breaker and lost love Doctor Koren.......Nathan's Mentor Elisabeth Koren....Doctor Koren's wife Koren Twins .......Ella and Ellie Eva Mitchell.......Deeply in love with Nathan (Deceased) Grace Nevers Daniels.......Nathan's Bride George and Mary Nevers......Grace's Parents Ten Oakes'Servants Joseph........Negro Limo driver Koren's Servants: Pete...........Negro Driver Merald.............Head housekeeper Jenny...............Maid and cook Supporting Characters: Sweet Springs Town folk Image from Google

Chapter 14
Ten Oakes Part II

By amahra

After being hired, Pearl White, a Negro woman in her mid-forties, immediately took charge of running the Daniel's elaborate 34 room, multimillion dollar mansion. She was given charge over the window washer, cook, laundry woman, gardener, and limo driver. Pearl adored baby Margaret and quickly became a beloved addition to the Daniels' household.

**************

Grace fidgeted, watching Nathan diaper the baby. "Now, honey, be careful with those pins." He ignored her and spoke baby-talk to little Margaret.

"Yeah...you're all dry. Yeah... Daddy's little princess is aaalll dry."  She cooed and grinned as he picked her up, cradling her in his arms. He gently rocked her while walking back and forth in front of the crib.

Grace looked on smiling. "I love watching you with her. You don't act at all like a new father."

"I'm around the Koren's grandbabies so much... I've even 'bathed' a couple of them."

"Oh, yes. I forget."

"I can't wait for her to get older so I can tell her stories.. Hey, Sweetie...Daddy's got lots and lots of stories to tell his little princess. And Daddy's going to teach you to ride a bike and a pony and..."

"Nathan, for heaven sakes, I thought 'I' had the baby."

"What are you talking about?"

"You've had her all morning. Let me hold her some," she said, stretching forth her arms. But Nathan pretended to ignore her.

"I think Mommy's jealous. She wants me to put 'you' down so I can hold 'her',"  he whispered to his yawning baby.


Grace grinned. "Oh, that's ridiculous."  Then in a childish mood, she picked up a small pillow and threw it at him. Nate made a one-hand catch and threw it back. He placed the sleeping baby in her crib and covered her. Turning to Grace, he spoke in a low voice...

"My arms are empty now. Satisfied?" Grace giggled as Nathan posed a mischievous look on his face. He slowly tipped towards the cot where she sat. He hopped on it, gently forcing her back against the throw pillows...kissing and nibbling her neck and pushing his hand under her nightie.

She shushed him. "Quiet, you idiot. You'll wake the baby."

In the midst of their romantic playing, Pearl tapped lightly on the nursery door.

"Yes," Grace answered, pushing Nathan off and sitting up. She slipped back into her nightie just as Pearl cracked the door and poked her head around. Nathan quickly rested on his elbow, mimicking an innocent school boy.

"Excuse me, Mr. Nate, there's a Mrs. Margaret Pendleton here to see you and Miss Grace. She claims to be some kind of Duchess."  Nathan looked at Grace with a blank stare. He quickly turned back to Pearl.

"Is anyone with her?" he asked, easing up into a sitting position.

"No Sir, just her."

"Tell her we'll be right down," Grace said.

"Yes Ma'am."  Pearl pulled the door shut.

"Well, what do you make of that?" Grace asked.

"You...you're going down with me?"

"Why, of course...don't you want me to?"

"Absolutely," he answered, with a lump in his throat.

She noticed frown lines suddenly appearing along his forehead. "Nate, stop worrying. Margaret is a part of your past. I'm comfortable with that now."

The lines disappeared, and a warm smile grew across his face as he stood. He walked over to the crib and picked up his sleeping princess.

"What are you doing?"

"I want her to see our baby."

"Wait...let me fix my hair and throw something on."

Grace hopped from the cot and rushed to her closet in their bedroom adjoining the nursery. She fingered through several French negligees, then chose a white satin, ankle-length one with long sleeves. After shoving her feet in her low-heel slippers, she dashed before the mirror, brushed her hair and dabbed some pink on her lips before joining Nathan.

"All right, I'm ready."

With baby Margaret's little head against his shoulder, Nate slipped his hand in Grace's as they made their way down the staircase and into the family room where Margaret waited.

**************

The duchess stared at the 17th century painting that hung over the imported European fireplace. As her eyes took in the colors of the painting, her feet shifted in navy blue, two inch heels with T-straps that matched her navy blue outfit. She wore a  tailored, shawl-collared dress suit top with a pleated short skirt that flared at the hips and ended just below the knee. A navy blue, bell shaped cloche hat covered her bobbed hair-cut. A dark brown lock of her hair formed a curl above one of her dark brown eyes. Her mink-collared, grey wrap-coat lay upon the sofa; and beside it, her blue and grey, checkerd handbag.

"Duchess Margaret." Grace said.

Margaret snapped her head around. "Sorry, I didn't know you were there. I...I was just admiring your painting."

"I'm so glad you like it," Grace answered. She walked over with her hand extended and Margaret shook it. Nathan slowly walked behind Grace and stood like a zombie, looking on while the women talked.

"That's a great copy of the priceless Mughal painting," Margaret said, looking up at it. "I've seen the original countless times hanging in the Metropolitan museum of Art."

"Yes, it is quite good. My mother picked it out."

Margaret's eyes widened when she looked towards Nathan, and a smile flashed across her flawless face.

"Oh... and there's the baby," she said, walking over and standing so close to Nate that he could smell the honeysuckle in her hair. He leaned forward so she could get a better look at the baby, their faces just inches apart. Grace smiled and moved closer to them, keeping her eyes glued on Nathan.

"She's adorable," Margaret said.

"Would you like to hold her?" Grace asked.

"May I?" She took baby Margaret who dribbled and cooed as she gently bounced her up and down...her little buttocks resting on the Duchess' arm.

"Well, hello there. You're just a little doll, you know that?"  Then she asked,  "What's her name?"

Nathan froze.

"It's Margaret Mary," Grace said. But before the Duchess could react, she said quickly, "She has Nathan's mother's middle name as her first name and my mother's first name as her middle name."

"How very clever," Margaret said, glancing over at them.

"Well, let me give you what I came for."

 She handed the baby back to Nathan. Their eyes met like a flash of lightning then parted  just as quickly. Margaret walked over to her handbag and pulled out a white envelope. She pointed the envelope at Grace, who came forward, with Nate close behind. Grace took the envelope and peeled it open. It revealed a Trust Fund set up for the baby with a blank space for the name.

"Oh, Duchess, we can't accept this. Why, this is an enormous sum of money." Nathan leaned over and gasped at the amount. Finally getting the cobwebs out of his throat, he said....

"Margaret, are you sure about this? By the time she's twenty-one, she'll be almost as rich as you."

"Well, before you two start making me into some kind of saint, let me say I have very selfish reasons for doing this."  She walked over to Nate and looked him in the eye. He began to shake inside, not knowing what she would say.

"Mother wrote to me about what you did during that Tick Fever outbreak. My Father and everyone else around here believe your quick wit saved a lot of people in this town from ruin...my family included."

"Is 'that' what this is about? I was just doing what any veterinarian would have done. And I...I wasn't alone...I had help." Margaret turned her focus to her coat and handbag.

"Mrs. Daniels, your husband is being quite modest. Perhaps you can make him understand just what an impact his quick handling of the problem had on this town," she said, putting an arm through one of the sleeves of her coat. Grace stepped forward and helped her other arm through the other sleeve.

"He knows, Duchess. It's just the kind of man he is. That's why I love him so."  Margaret didn't comment, but simply said....

"Well, I must be going. It's been a pleasure meeting you Mrs. Daniels and your beautiful baby."

"It's been quite a pleasure meeting 'you' as well'. And Nate and I thank you so much for the wonderful gift. We'll see to it that Margaret Mary attends the best schools. Won't we, Sweetheart?"

"The very best, Dear."

"I'm sure you will," she said, buttoning her coat. Just then, the baby became fussy; she began to kick a little and cry.

"Honey, let me take her up. It's time for her feeding." Nathan handed her the baby. "Duchess, I'm sorry I have to leave so abruptly, but she gets really irritable around nap time," Grace said.

"Please, I quite understand, being a mother thrice over, myself."

"Are you sure you won't stay for brunch?" Grace asked, raising her voice over the baby's whose crying had begun to increase in volume.

"I'd love to, but I promised some friends that I would join them at the country club. As a matter of fact," she said, looking at her watch, "I should have been there minutes ago." She grabbed her purse.

"Perhaps we can make brunch another time."

"Yes...of course," Margaret said. Grace turned and mounted the staircase, with a wailing Baby Margaret trying to suck her little fist off. The noise trailed down the hallway then to a sudden silence when the nursery door closed behind them.

Alone. Nathan was finally able to get the good look he wanted. She was just as beautiful in her late thirties as she had been at twenty. Her diamond studded earrings matched the gleam in her beautiful brown eyes. She smiled as she glided over to him, clutching her handbag. He noticed her full hips making beautiful contact with the sides of her wrap-coat that fitted snug.

She looked him up and down. "Marriage and a baby seem to agree with you."

"You don't look so bad, yourself, after three kids."

"Why,  thank you. I'm glad you noticed."

Nathan's pulse raced and he shifted his weight. "I really should be helping Grace with the baby. She's not as well as she pretends. You understand."

"Of course. But one thing before I go."

"Yes?"

"You once asked me if I were happy.  Are 'you' happy, Nathan?"  He just stood there and stared. She searched his beautiful blue eyes as if she'd know if he were lying.

"Yes. Very. More than I can say."

"I believe you. I also believe there's a part of you that still loves me."

 "I don't think you should be talking like that."

"I shouldn't be talking like that?  Or, I shouldn't be talking like that, 'here?'  We can fix that, you know."

"Why did you come here? And why did you really give our baby that money?"

"I told you," she said, standing so close, he could smell the mint on her breath.

"Whatever we once meant to each other is in the past. We're both happily married, now."

"I'm not," she said, searching his face again.

Nathan stiffened;  he felt tiny beads of sweat invading his forehead. He wet his lips and remembered how she tasted the first time he'd kissed her. How her body melted into his when he held her. How she'd teased him with her breast, exposing one pink nipple.  But then--something flashed inside of him, as if a hypnotist had snapped his finger.  

 "That's 'your' problem."  He took her gently by the arm and escorted her to the door. He opened it and stood back. She stopped short of walking out and looked up at him. Nathan avoided her eyes. She saw his hand on the door knob and ran hers over it. It felt good to him, like warm satin. He didn't react. But when she licked her finger and smoothed it over his lower lip, one of his heartbeats dropped, like a hot coal in a tin bucket.

"I'll be in touch," she said, before walking off.

Nathan closed the door behind her and just stood there with his head against it. The coolness of the wood had a sobering effect. He swallowed hard and felt like someone had just made a fresh cut in an old wound.
 

Author Notes

This is the second half of the 13th chapter. I need to keep chapters short for my fan-readers who keep up with the story. Also, I'm aware of Prohibition which started in 1920. My characters are wealthy and like the wealthy at that time, they could afford to buy the good stuff on the Black Market. Prohibition was said to have been a very unpopular law, therefore, nobody kept it. History has it that some Speakeasies were even protected by the police. For those who are new to the story: Main Characters: Nathan Daniels....Main Character Margaret...Nathan's heart breaker and lost love Doctor Koren.......Nathan's Mentor Elisabeth Koren....Doctor Koren's wife Koren Twins .......Ella and Ellie Eva Mitchell.......Deeply in love with Nathan (Deceased) Grace Nevers-Daniels.......Nathan's wife George and Mary Nevers......Grace's Parents Ten Oakes'Servants Joseph........Negro Limo driver Pearl.........Negro Housekeeper Koren's Servants: Pete...........Negro Driver Merald.............Head housekeeper Jenny...............Maid and cook Supporting Characters: Sweet Springs Town folk Image from Google

Chapter 15
Unclaim My Heart

By amahra

Nathan considered himself lucky. He had survived moments alone with a flirtatious Margaret. She was still in his heart, and it scared him to death.

He barely slept that night pondering the consequences of his actions had she gotten her way. Just what the hell did she mean by--she'll keep in touch? Was she talking--letters from London, or was she planning on staying in Sweet Springs for a time?  His brain ached from thinking. He loved Grace and had no intentions of leaving her and the baby. Being alone with Margaret can't happen ever again. 

Baby Margaret interrupted his thoughts....

"Oh no! Pearl, take her," he said, almost spilling his coffee.

"Mr. Nate, for heaven sakes, it's only a little spit-up," Pearl said.  Grace chuckled.

"A little? It's not funny. Now I have to go back up and change my shirt." Pearl took the baby and Nate pushed away from the breakfast table.

 "I'll take her, Pearl.  You reheat his food."

"No. I have to be going," he said.

"Honey, you've barely eaten."

" I'll get something at Old Man Tucker's place. Miss Lucy is always trying to feed me when I go out there."

He hurried up the staircase, squinting at the sight of the thick white slime and holding the shirt away from his body with his thumb and index finger, as if the spit-up were acid and eating through to his skin.

"See what you did to Daddy," Pearl said to Baby Margaret--wiping the corners of her little mouth.

"That's what he gets for thinking she's too precious to sit in her high chair."

"Now, Miss Grace, you leave him alone.  Most fathers are like that about their first child, especially if it's a girl."

Grace shook her head and sipped her coffee.  After a few minutes, Nathan bounced down the stairs, still tucking in his shirt and headed for the kitchen. He kissed Grace and little Margaret on the lips, turned and hurried towards the front door.

"Have a wonderful day, Mr. Nate."

"Thank you, Pearl."

Outside, Joseph waited patiently.  He stood at attention--flawlessly dressed in dark brown riding pants and double-breasted suit jacket with two rows of gold colored buttons from shoulder to waist; he wore a matching  hat with a short black bill, shiny black knee-high boots, and white gloves. With medical bag in hand, Nathan walked to the limousine where Joseph held open the door.

"Morning Mr. Nate," Joseph said, with a beaming smile.

"Good morning, Joseph."

Nathan eased onto the back seat.  Joseph banged the door closed and walked briskly around to the driver's side--got in and started the car.  While the engine roared, Nate spotted Grace waving from the doorway and blew her a kiss as the 1926, black and grey Cadillac sped off under a beautiful, blue and sunny sky.

"Where to first, Sir?"  Nathan was already looking over his today's schedule.  He had told Pearl the night before to fill Joseph's lunch basket, because they had a long day ahead of them and would be covering a lot of ground:  from Abalene Springs--clear across to Rooster Creek.

"We'll start at Old Man Tuckers' place," Nate said. "He has a sick calf. Plus, he wants me to check his old hound dog, Chester."

Joseph veered off to the left--heading to Abalene Springs.

"Next, is Ted Baker's place," Nate said, "then Bob Beans' farm;  I got a cattle check-in at the JT Ranch: Then, some minor stops before heading home; Miss Millie's Mule, Tom Beckle's cat; and little Jenny's spaniel is well overdue for its litter."

"Whew!  I see why my basket is so heavy. You think you can get all that done in just one day, Mr. Nate?"

"Sure. It's not as much as it sounds. Most of the people around here take very good care of their animals. All they're usually suffering from is a little stress, fatigue, or just plain overweight. If I told Jim Tucker once, I've told him a hundred times to stop feeding that dog from the table."

Joseph laughed. "He sure loves that mangy hound."

"I'm afraid he's going to love him to death one of these days," Nate said.

He continued looking over his schedule as Joseph entertained him with beautifully whistled church hymns. The sun beamed as a flock of tiny birds flew into the pale blue sky in a V formation. Twenty minutes into the journey, the roar of the engine softened as the Cadillac pulled into Tucker's farm. The savory scent of fried bacon and strong coffee hung in the air.

The door flew open and  Miss Lucy, Tucker's wife, greeted Nathan with a wide smile, and had flour all the way up to her elbows. She was a short,  bulky woman, with sun-tanned skin and soft blue eyes. She kept her mixed grey and red hair up in a bun. Her worn grey dress was covered with a navy blue waist apron that was streaked with flour.

"Good morning, Miss Lucy."

"Jim!" she yelled, "Doc Daniels is here. Come on in, honey, and just sit on over there at the table and eat something."

"Why, thank you, Miss Lucy. I didn't have time to eat breakfast this morning."

"Now, don't you worry none about that. Miss Lucy gon' feed you right nicely."  She stuck her head out the window,  "Jim, the doc's here!" She turned and gestured  to him. "Now you just help yourself to some hot biscuits. I got another mess of  'em in the oven."

"This is awfully nice of you, Maam. I really appreciate it."

"You're welcome, darlin', Jim!" She yelled at the top of her voice.

"I'm coming, Woman,  keep you bloomers on, will ya'." Old man Tucker slowly walked into the kitchen with a bloated Chester waddling behind him--his long ears and jowls nearly touching  the floor.  After greeting Nathan warmly, Jim said...

"Sorry, Doc, I didn't hear you drive up. I was a foolin' around dare in the barn."

"How's the calf doing? Is it any worse?" Nate asked.

"Oh, it's about the same. Not nursing his mother. I been bottle feedin' em' though."

"Well, that little critter can keep. You sit down, now and eat your breakfast," Miss Lucy said.

"Yes, honey," Jim answered. Then he whispered, "She's the bossiest damn woman I ever did know." 

Nathan chuckled. 

On the table were platters of scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, a large bowl of spiced apple sauce, a small bowl of grape jam and a basket of biscuits soaked with sweet home-made butter. A large pot of coffee bubbled over on the iron stove.

The men sat and ate, while Miss Lucy fussed over them,  and Chester stood over in a far corner farting and eating pork sausage and jam-smeared biscuits.

Meanwhile--miles away, on the balcony of Big Tom Wainwright's estate, stood a radiant Margaret all decked out in a long, pink, French lace negligee.  She made it no secret to her intimate friends that she had made a mistake in marrying the Duke.  Appearing to be in deep thought, she stared out over her father's wealthy spread as far as her twinkling brown eyes could see: Her pale cheeks--flushed and her pink lips in a sensuous pout.

But, back at Ten Oakes, a confident Grace counted her blessings; she had married the man of her dreams, overcome miscarriages, and reveled in the tender moments spent with her miracle baby daughter. In a weekly letter to her Mother, Grace expressed just how happy she and Nathan were--unaware that a scheming Duchess had other plans for her handsome husband.


 

Author Notes

This is not a complete chapter. I keep chapters short for my fan-readers who keep up with the story. Also, I'm aware of Prohibition which started in 1920. My characters are wealthy and like the wealthy at that time, they could afford to buy the good stuff on the Black Market. Prohibition was said to have been a very unpopular law, therefore, nobody kept it. History has it that some Speakeasies were even protected by the police. For those who are new to the story: Main Characters: Nathan (Nate) Daniels....Main Character Grace Nevers-Daniels..... Nate's wife Baby Margaret ........... Nate and Grace's daughter Margaret...Nathan's heart breaker and lost love Doctor Koren.......Nathan's Mentor Elisabeth Koren....Doctor Koren's wife Ella and Ellie ......the Korean's twins Eva Mitchell.......Deeply in love with Nathan (Deceased) George and Mary Nevers......Grace's Parents Ten Oakes'Servants Joseph........Negro Limo driver Pearl.........Negro Housekeeper Koren's Servants: Pete...........Negro Driver Merald.............Head housekeeper Jenny...............Maid and cook Supporting Characters: Sweet Springs Town folk Art Work by Jim Warren

Chapter 16
Forbidden Hearts

By amahra

For weeks, as Nathan sat alone in front of a crackling fireplace with his eyes sparkling in the light from the flames, the love of two women occupied his mind: One, to him, was as a diamond tiara--the other, dark and sultry, like a sapphire ring.

One late evening, as he sat snoozing in his favorite chair with his medical notebook opened and face down across his chest, Pearl woke him.

"Mr. Nate...Mr. Nate."

"Um?" The notebook slid to his lap as he stirred.

"Mr. Wainwright phoned, Sir.  He asked if you could come right away. One of his mares is down."

"Ummm...let him know I'll be right there."

"I already did. I know you don't refuse no animal in trouble."

He looked up at Pearl and smiled.

"Tell Joseph to bring the car around and get my medical bag," he said, rising from the chair.

"Right away, Sir."

In his stocking feet, Nate stumbled into the kitchen.  He bent over the sink and splashed cold running water on his face, then patted it with a towel.  After pulling on his boots, he grabbed a jacket and his medical bag. Grace stood at the door and kissed his cheek as he passed.

Joseph held an umbrella over him as they scurried to the car. It was another dreary night. The harsh Texas winter lingered into spring.  After traveling several miles through the fog and rain, they finally breezed through the gate of Wainwright's luxurious estate. Nate spotted a light coming from the open door of the barn. He got out and Joseph parked the car a few feet away.

When Nathan walked into the barn, Big Tom and Margaret were down on all fours leaning over their prize mare. The horse was covered with several blankets and they were rubbing her vigorously to keep her warm.

"What's the problem, Mr. Wainwright?"

"Don't know. She doesn't seem to have any energy. I get her up on her feet, but after a minute or two, she's right back down again. I slept here all night."

Nathan knelt down beside her. After checking her eyes and nose, he looked into her mouth. He felt around her face and throat for any lumps, and then checked the inside of her ears. Tom broke the silence.

"Know anything, yet, Doc?"

"I need to take her temperature and do a rectal exam. How's her appetite?"

"Fine."  Big Tom rubbed his eyes and staggered when he got to his feet.

"Father!" Margaret's hands held him steady. "You're exhausted; why don't you go on up to the house. Nate and I can handle things."

"Are you sure?"

No! For God's sakes, don't leave. The words sat on his lips, but they never parted them. "Mr. Wainwright," he blurted, "I...I think your presence is needed... here, Sir. The horse doesn't know me, and your voice will settle her."

"Well, if you insist, but, she knows Margaret. I'm sure her presence will do. Won't it, Margaret?"  She had a look of desperation in her eyes. "Yes, Father."

Wainwright shifted unsteadily on his feet. "Nate, I really could use some sleep."

The color left Nathan's face. "Alright, Mr. Wainwright. I'm sure I can manage."

"We'll, manage it," Margaret insisted.

"Good. Don't hesitate to send for me if it's anything serious. I mean it."

She gently guided him towards the barn door. "We will, Father, I promise."

Wainwright left the barn and trudged back up to the house.

It took a few minutes for Nate to set up for the exam, while Margaret patted and stroked the mare's neck to calm her, but her eyes never left Nate.

"I'll need urine and stool samples to take to the lab," he said. She inched closer to Nathan during the procedure, but he kept his focus on the mare, very much aware of her coquettishness.

"I have to get you your samples in the morning."

"The morning will be fine," he said, with a professional demeanor. "How old is this mare, anyway?" 

"Seven or eight," she said. Nate finished up the exam and reached into his leather bag.  He pulled out a bottle that had a clear, strong smelling solution in it and poured a good bit of the liquid into his hands.  

"How many times has he mated her?" he asked, wiping his hands with a cloth.

"I'm not sure. You know, I've spent most of my time in London."

"Guess," he said, sharply.

"I...I suppose every year since she was three."

"He needs to retire her."

"But, she's our best mare."

"He's a rich man.  He can afford twenty more." 

"But we like this one," she said, playfully.  Nathan kept a straight face.

Margaret started to say something else, when he shushed her to listen to the mare's breathing, while he clocked it.

"Do you know how much money she brings each time she births a colt?"

"I don't care, she needs a rest." He tucked his watch back in its little place in his pants.

"Father won't hear of it."

"Then why the hell send for me if you're not going to take my advice?" 

Nathan threw his tools into his medical bag and scrambled to his feet. Margaret's face flushed and her eyes widened. She grabbed his arm.

"Nate, my God, you're angry."

"Am I, now?"

He tried to pull his arm away.  But she held on to him.

"I didn't mean to question your judgment. It's just I know how much Morning Girl means to my father."

"Tell him if he wants this horse to have a full and healthy life, he can't mate her to death. Your father is an old cowpoke, he should know better."

"Alright...you're right, calm down. I'll convince Father. He listens to me."

"Good." Nate attempted to leave, when Margaret flung her body between him and the door.

"Why do I sense this is not just about the mare?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," he said, with a stone face.

"I think you do. Look at me." He looked away.

"Don't do this, Margaret."

"Look at me," she whispered in a sultry voice. Nate looked into her beautiful brown eyes: Those eyes that had melted his heart the first time he saw her.

She stood so close he could smell the rose water on her skin. Her pink lips were plump and inviting. The barn light lit up the shine on her dark hair. Her white breast peeked through the unbuttoned top of her soft blue blouse. He grabbed her by the shoulders so hard, a button flew off. He pulled her to him and kissed her long.

When they finally broke, she was breathing heavily; the long kiss appeared to have taken her breath away. Still, her eyes told him she wanted more. She reached up and covered his mouth with hers. The warm wetness of her tongue shot a jolt to his loins: His manhood doubled and throbbed. She wrapped her arms around him so tightly, he could barely breathe. And he didn't want to--if it meant leaving her arms.

Outside, a coyote howled at the moon. Dark clouds further unburdened themselves, while the moist air took on a slight chill, and the rain sounded as a thousand fingers drumming upon the roof.

Inside, Morning Girl lay quietly, as the lost lovers found a dark corner of the barn. Their tossed clothes marked a trail to where they lay: their flesh--hot and sweaty, their hearts racing, and their naked white bodies moving rhythmically against the flattened hay.



 

Author Notes

This is the second half of chapter 15. I keep chapters short for my fan-readers who keep up with the story. Also, I'm aware of Prohibition which started in 1920. My characters are wealthy and like the wealthy at that time, they could afford to buy the good stuff on the Black Market. Prohibition was said to have been a very unpopular law, therefore, nobody kept it. History has it that some Speakeasies were even protected by the police. For those who are new to the story: Main Characters: Nathan (Nate) Daniels....Main Character Grace Nevers-Daniels..... Nate's wife Baby Margaret(little Maggie) ........... Nate and Grace's daughter Margaret...Nathan's heart breaker and lost love Doctor Koren.......Nathan's Mentor Elisabeth Koren....Doctor Koren's wife Ella and Ellie ......the Korean's twins Eva Mitchell.......Deeply in love with Nathan (Deceased) George and Mary Nevers......Grace's Parents Ten Oakes'Servants Joseph........Negro Limo driver Pearl.........Negro Housekeeper Koren's Servants: Pete...........Negro Driver Merald.............Head housekeeper Jenny...............Maid and cook Supporting Characters: Sweet Springs Town folk Art Work by Jim Warren

Chapter 17
The Other Woman

By amahra

(THE LAST PARAGRAPHS OF CHAPTER 16)

She stood so close he could smell the rose water on her skin. Her pink lips were plump and inviting and the barn light lit up the shine on her dark hair. Her white breast peeked through the unbuttoned top of her soft blue blouse. He grabbed her by the shoulders so hard, a button flew off. He pulled her to him and kissed her long.

When they finally broke, she was breathing heavily, and the long kiss appeared to have taken her breath away. Still, her eyes told him she wanted more. She reached up and covered his mouth with hers. The warm wetness of her tongue shot a jolt to his loins that made his manhood double and throb. She wrapped her arms around him so tightly, he could barely breathe. And he didn't want to--if it meant leaving her arms.

Outside, a coyote howled at the moon. Dark clouds further unburdened themselves, while the moist air took on a slight chill, and the rain sounded as a thousand fingers drumming upon the roof.

Inside, Morning Girl lay quietly, as the lost lovers found a dark corner of the barn. Their tossed clothes marked a trail to where they lay: their flesh--hot and sweaty, their hearts racing, and their naked white bodies moving rhythmically against the flattened hay.

**************


(CHAPTER 17)
The long ride back to Ten Oaks gave Nathan time to reflect on what he’d done. How the hell did I let this happen? Joseph must have sensed that something was wrong. Not his chatty self, he kept quiet the whole drive back to the Daniels’ place.
 
Nathan climbed into bed—careful not to wake Grace. He just lay there staring up at the ceiling regretting and loving every moment he had spent with Margaret. A man can’t love two women, was his last thought before finally falling to sleep.
 
The next morning Nathan skipped breakfast—not able to look Grace in the face just yet.  I can’t keep this up; she’s going to get suspicious. He completed his rounds on the outskirts of town and headed back to Big Tom’s with the results of the lab test on Morning Girl. He was looking forward to seeing Margaret, but only to tell her that what happened the other night, can’t happen again.
 
“Hey, Nate,” Big Tom said, greeting him with an outstretched hand.
 
“Mr. Wainwright,” Nate said, shaking his hand.
 
“Are those the results? Margaret told me what you said about retiring Morning Girl.”
 
“Yes, it seems I was right. The horse is a bit overworked.”
 
“I want you to know that I would never intentionally overwork my animals. I honestly thought she could handle it—she being stronger than my other mares and all. Plus, she was in such demand. But she’s retired now.”
 
“Well—that’s good to hear. Nathan took in a deep breath and looked around. “Is Margaret here?”
 
“As a matter of fact, she is. Go on in. I’ll have Netty get her for you.”
 
Nathan walked ahead of Big Tom and got comfortable on the overstuffed sofa in the family room. Big Tom yelled to Netty, his Negro maid, to tell Margaret Nate wanted to see her.”
 
After a bit of small-talk, Big Tom stood and said, “Would you like a drink while you wait?”
 
“No thank you, it’s a bit too early in the day for me.”
 
“Aah, it’s never too early for a glass of Port,” Big Tom said, walking over to the liquor cabinet. “Best thing to have before dinner.” He poured himself a drink and gulped it down.
 
“I’ll go see what’s keeping Margaret,” he said, hurrying from the room.
 
Nathan eyes scanned the room. He’d never been this far into the Wainwrights' home before and he found it conservatively beautiful. The last time he’d been as far as the parlor, and he and Big Tom had exchanged harsh words.
 
“Nate,” Margaret said, flowing towards him and landing on his lap.
 
“Are you crazy?” He looked around nervously and gently pushed her away. He stood facing her.  “I came here to tell you that what we did was a mistake,” he said, above a whisper.
 
“You can’t mean that.”
 
“Keep your voice down. No, I do. We’re both married with children. I don’t know what happened to us last night. I just know it can’t happen again.” Nathan tossed the envelope with Morning Girl’s test results on the sofa and attempted to leave. She grabbed his arm, pulling him off balance.
 
“You can’t just leave it like that. You still love me. If I wasn’t sure before, I am now.” She looked into his eyes. “We felt something for each other last night. You can’t deny it.”
 
“I’m not sure what I felt. Or what you felt. I’m married and that’s that.” Nathan walked off.
 
“I’ll tell Grace,” she said. He stopped dead in his tracks as if his feet were stuck in mud. He turned slowly and the look on his face frightened her.  In spite of that look, she raised her chin and swallowed hard. “I will, I mean it.”
 
“Why? Why do you want to destroy my marriage?”
 
“I love you.”
 
“That’s too bad. You had your chance and you made your choice.”
 
“But I was young and didn’t know any better than to think I had to please my family.”
 
“It’s too late for us.”  She stepped forward and grabbed both his shoulders. “But no one has to know. I’m not asking you to leave Grace. We can still see each other.”
 
“So that’s it. You’ve gotten bored with your titled husband, so you want to fill the void with me?” He chuckled quietly. “No, you’re not going to use me for your little pleasure. And you’re not going to say anything to my wife. Is that clear?”
 
Margaret stood with a smirk on her face and said nothing. Nathan turned and left the house. A few moments later, Big Tom entered the room; he put both hands in his pockets and just stared at her.
 
“Anything you want to tell me, Margaret?”  She looked away.
 
 
**************
 
 
Back home, Nathan struggled to forget that night.  He concentrated on a new horse treatment for the throat where soft diet, warm coverings in winter and ventilation of stables worked well for the overall wellness of this condition.
 
Grace had noticed Nathan moping about but said nothing. It seemed Nathan’s sudden dark mood had put everyone in the household at arm’s length. All except his baby girl. She had taken her first little steps without the presence of her father. Nathan was so busy with his practice, that there just never seemed enough time for his family—and now, this thing with Margaret. He felt every bit of a heel.  A knock came on the door. A few moments later, Pearl handed him a taped note.
 
“The driver is waiting for an answer, Sir,” she said.
 
He took the note and tore at the tape. It was from Margaret. She threatened to reveal to Grace about their affair if he failed to meet her tonight at the little cabin in Somners Creek. Nathan’s face became flushed. He tore up the note and burned it in an ashtray. Then he went to the door where the Negro driver waited and whispered something to him. The driver tipped his hat and left.
 
“Honey, wasn’t that the Wainwright’s driver?”
 
“Yes,” he said, his eyes dancing about. “Mr. Wainwright needs me. I shouldn’t be too long,” he said. He kissed Grace on the forehead and headed for the door.
 
“Nate, you’re forgetting your medical bag and you’re wearing your slippers,” Grace said.
 
“Oh,” he said, smiling nervously.  He rushed back, changed into his shoes and grabbed his bag.
 
“Sir, I’ll have Joseph to bring the car around.”
 
“Aah...No. I’ll take the car. Don’t wake Joseph. He’s had a long day. I won’t be long.”
 
Pearl and Grace just looked at each other as Nathan drove off in a blitz.
 
When he arrived at the cabin, Margaret had Champagne chilling and fragrant candles burning. She wore a black lace negligee and black satin slippers. She looked up at him and smiled. He rushed to her and grabbed her by her shoulders and shook her so hard, her long, dark locks smacked against his face. She stumbled out of his grasp, threw her head back and laughed.
 
“I could choke you, you little bitch.”
 
“Oh stop it. You love me and you know it. Why keep pretending?”

"Margaret, my home--where my wife and baby lives. How could you?"

She ignored his anger and stood looking at him. "Tell me you don't love me," she said.
 
He lowered his head and then looked up at her. “All right, Margaret. Yes, I do love you. I’ll never get over you; I know that now. There was a time I would have forsaken everything to be with you. But that was a lifetime ago. I’m not risking losing Grace. I had a long talk with myself driving over here.”
 
“And just what did yourself say to you?” she asked playfully.
 
“I’m going to tell Grace everything. And pray to God she’ll forgive me.”
 
“Don’t be a fool. Of course she won’t forgive you. Oh, Honey, what’s the harm in our being together? We’re not hurting anybody. No one has to know. I’m only going to be here for two more weeks anyway. Then you can come to visit me. Think how much fun we’ll have in England.”
 
“Are you serious? And what about your husband?”
 
“We live separate lives. All he ever wanted was the Wainwright money and I get to play duchess to some tiny place on the edge of the world. Some bargain daddy made. You know—we are so far down the royal ladder that we haven’t even been invited to Buckingham Palace, or any major event they’ve had.”
 
“Am I supposed to feel sorry for you?”
 
“No, I guess not,” she said, flopping down on the cot.
 
“It’s too bad things didn’t work out for you.  It’s been hard for me too, but I’ve moved on. I think you should do the same.”
 
She jumped up from the cot. “How can you say that?” Her eyes filled when she spoke. “Please, don’t punish me for being young and stupid. Please.”
 
Nathan held her. “I’m not punishing you, Baby. As much as I still love you, I can’t—no, I won’t betray Grace.”
 
Margaret drew closer. “Look at me and say you don’t want me right now.”
 
“Margaret, don’t—someone is going to get hurt.” 
 
She pressed her lips to his and he grabbed her and kissed her. The taste of her lips filled him with ecstasy. They began peeling off their clothes, their lips still locked together. She fell back onto the cot and he fell on top of her. They made love more than once; the first was like they were the only two people on earth: it was loud and wild—with Margaret like a cat in heat. The second time was more surreal and calm—their bodies moving like slow waves on the sea.  The ice in the Champagne bucket melted and the candles went out.
 
The next morning, the cabin shone bright as the sun lit up the sky.  Birds tweeted in a tree outside the window. Nathan lifted his head.
 
“Oh, God—what time is it,” he said, jumping up. Margaret rolled over, still in a sleepy daze, and stretched.  Nathan rushed his clothes on. He went to the sink and splashed cold running water on his face and checked his eyes. “Why didn’t you wake me, damn it?” He looked around for his socks. He could only find one. “Shit.”  He slipped the shoe on his naked foot and then walked back to the sink, wet his hands and ran his wet fingers through his hair.
 
“Well, you did say you were going to tell her about us.”
 
“You act like you’re enjoying this. This is serious. I didn’t want her to find out like this. Oh, God what the hell am I going to say?” He stood bent over the sink.
 
“Nate, for whatever it’s worth, I wasn’t really going to tell her.”
 
“Now, you tell me?” He grabbed his bag and stormed out of the cabin. On the way home, he rehearsed over and over in his brain what he was going to say to Grace and in between, he prayed. God if you never answer another prayer of mine, Please, Please answer this one.
 

 

Author Notes

I have reviewers telling me to use a lower case c in Champagne. This is what I read when I research it: Champagne is capitalized but a bottle of champagne requires a lower case c ... In my chapter I simply say...Champagne. Ok, it's been a while since I posted my book. I hope my fans hasn't forgotten Nathan Daniels. I've posted the last paragraphs of chapter 16 to help you remember. This is the first half of chapter 17. I keep chapters short for my fan-readers who keep up with the story. Also, I'm aware of Prohibition which started in 1920. My characters are wealthy and like the wealthy at that time, they could afford to buy the good stuff on the Black Market. Prohibition was said to have been a very unpopular law, therefore, nobody kept it. History has it that some Speakeasies were even protected by the police. For those who are new to the story: Main Characters: Nathan (Nate) Daniels....Main Character Grace Nevers-Daniels..... Nate's wife Baby Margaret(little Maggie) ........... Nate and Grace's daughter Margaret...Nathan's heart breaker and lost love "Big" Tom Wainwright..... Margaret's father and one of the riches cattlemen in Sweet Springs, Texas Doctor Koren.......Nathan's Mentor Elisabeth Koren....Doctor Koren's wife Ella and Ellie ......the Korean's twins Eva Mitchell.......Deeply in love with Nathan (Deceased) George and Mary Nevers......Grace's Parents Ten Oakes'Servants Joseph........Negro Limo driver Pearl.........Negro Housekeeper Koren's Servants: Pete...........Negro Driver Merald.............Head housekeeper Jenny...............Maid and cook Supporting Characters: Sweet Springs Town folk Art Work by Google

Chapter 18
A Woman Scorned

By amahra

(The last paragraph of chapter 17)

“Oh, God—what time is it?” he said, jumping up. Margaret rolled over, still in a sleepy daze, and stretched.  Nathan rushed his clothes on. He went to the sink and splashed cold running water on his face and checked his eyes. “Why didn’t you wake me, damn it?” He looked around for his socks. He could only find one. “Shit.”  He slipped the shoe on his naked foot and then walked back to the sink, wet his hands and ran his wet fingers through his hair.
 
“Well, you did say you were going to tell her about us.”
 
“You act like you’re enjoying this. This is serious. I didn’t want her to find out like this. Oh, God what the hell am I going to say?” He stood bent over the sink.
 
“Nate, for whatever it’s worth, I wasn’t really going to tell her.”
 
“Now you tell me?” He grabbed his bag and stormed out of the cabin. On the way home, he rehearsed over and over in his mind what he was going to say to Grace and in between, he prayed. God, if you never answer another prayer of mine, Please, Please answer this one.

**************

(Chapter 18)
When Nathan drove up, it was nearly seven in the morning, and Joseph was standing in the front yard in full uniform and at attention. Nathan noticed the grim look on his face. And surrounding him, placed upon the lawn, were many of Nathan's possessions, including his numerous medical books. He nearly tumbled out of the car.

"NO, no, no," Nathan said, with both hands to his head and looking around at his things. "Joseph, what's happened?"

"Sir," Joseph said sadly, "I'm to take you and your things to wherever you want to go."

"What do you mean--wherever I want to go? I want to go here. This is my home."

"I...I'm really sorry, Mr. Nate."

Nathan ran to the door. It was locked. He tried his key, but something was stopping the door from opening. He banged hard and shouted.

"Grace. Honey--open the door. Grace. Sweetheart. Please. Open the door...Honey."

Nathan stepped back from the door and approached the side window. Pearl was holding the baby who smiled at her daddy. Pearl's eyes appeared glassy as she looked at Nathan. Suddenly Grace appeared with a stony glare. She said something to Pearl, and Pearl left the window with the baby still grinning at her daddy. Nathan thought he saw her wave bye bye. Then Grace stood with her arms folded and just stared at him. Nathan looked at her with innocent puppy eyes as his expression pleaded with her to let him in.

"I can explain, Honey," he shouted.

He'd never seen that look on her face before. It really frightened him--the idea of losing her. She never blinked, but slowly closed the drapes while he stood pleading with his eyes. Nathan whirled around and walked to the front steps--plopped down and put his face in his hands. Joseph stood in front of him--shifting from foot to foot.

"Well, Joseph, looks like I'll be needing a place to stay."

"Yes sir."

Joseph made several trips from the lawn to the car. After he'd packed everything in, Nathan slowly walked to the car; he stopped and looked back at the house, sighed and then climbed onto the back seat.

"Where to, Sir?"

"Just drive around for a while, will you? I want to clear my head."

"Yes sir, Mr. Nate."

After an  hour, Joseph pulled up in front of the Korens' house.

"Joseph, I didn't tell you to stop. Why did you stop here?"

"I figured you be needin' your friends right about now, Sir."

Nathan shook his head and half-smiled at Joseph's wisdom. When he stepped out of the car, the Koren's door flew open. Elizabeth stood there with a mixture of sadness and anger on her motherly face. Grace must have phoned her. He knew she was going to let him have it. Just how many times had she warned him about staying away from Margaret?

Joseph stood with the first armful of Nathan's things.

"You can put them upstairs in the bedroom at the end of the hall, Joseph," she said.

"Yes Ma'am."

After Joseph had placed all of Nathan's things in the spare room, he turned to Nathan before leaving the house.

"I'm sure sorry, Mr. Nate."

"It's my own fault. I hope you don't think too badly of me, Joseph, I really do love my wife."

"I know you do, Sir. It's sometimes hard being a man. If you know what I mean, Sir."

"I know what you mean. Look after them for me. Sometimes Mrs. Daniels forgets to lock up at night.

"Don't you worry, Mr. Nate. Ain't nothin' gon happen to Miss Grace and the little Miss whiles I'm around."

"Thank you, Joseph." He touched Joseph on the shoulder and smiled.

Surprisingly, during the quiet evening, Elizabeth and Dr. Koren never mentioned why he was there. There were no lectures or "I told you so" from Elizabeth. Though the evening felt strained, they treated him cordially. Finally, after dinner, Nathan couldn't stand their phony politeness any longer.

"All right, I destroyed my marriage," he blurted.

There was a long silence. Dr. Koren never looked up from his pipe and journal. Elizabeth continued sewing with frown lines growing across her face.

"Damn it. Say something," he shouted.

"I'm sure after Grace has cooled off, everything will be back to normal, Son."

"Oh stop it, Koren," Elizabeth said. "Not every woman is as forgiving as I've been."

"Do you have to air our dirty laundry in front of Nate?" Dr. Koren said.

"This is 1928, Koren. These younger women are just not going to take this kind of thing lying down--the way our mothers taught us to do. And I don't blame them. What the hell were you thinking, Nate?"

"I wasn't thinking, Mrs. K."

"Oh you were thinking all right. But with the wrong head."

"Now, Elizabeth, no need to take that route."

"Well, it's true isn't it?"

"No, Doc, she's right. She warned me several times about Margaret.  I thought she was long gone from my heart. I thought I could handle being around her. Look, I swear--I slipped just one time that night in her father's barn. It...it all happened so fast.

"You laid with her in the barn?" Elizabeth snapped.

Nathan began explaining so fast, his words seemed to fly out of his mouth. "But I swear she blackmailed me into meeting her again. She said she'd tell Grace if I didn't. I was frantic and went to meet her...just to meet her, mind you. That's when it happened again. I knew and she knew I still had strong feelings for her. But you...you've got to believe me. I was never going to leave Grace and the baby, and I told her so. But she just laughed. Then she said she had lied and was never going to tell Grace. I got mad and left, but by that time it was too late. My stuff was spread out on the lawn, and Joseph was waiting." Then he slowed down. "I only intended to tell her off and leave. When I didn't come home, Grace must have phoned Wainwright and found out I'd lied. How could I have been so stupid?"

"Now, Nate, my boy, don't be so hard on yourself," Dr. Koren said, puffing on his pipe.

"Oh, you men make me sick the way you stick together. Go have a glass of whiskey or whatever you do in that Man room of yours."

"That's a good idea. Care to join me, Nate?" Koren asked, easing up from his chair.

"Sure, why not?  Getting drunk seems like a good idea." The men walked into the smoke room and closed the door.

"And don't come out until you figure out how to get Grace back," Elizabeth shouted. Then she mumbled to herself, "And I think I'll go and have a nice, long talk with Mrs. Tom Wainwright. I'll bet I can get Margaret to stay away from you."
 

Author Notes

I've posted the last paragraphs of chapter 17. This is the second half of chapter 17, but I've posted it as chapter 18. I keep chapters short for my fan-readers who keep up with the story. Also, I'm aware of Prohibition which started in 1920. My characters are wealthy and like the wealthy at that time, they could afford to buy the good stuff on the Black Market. Prohibition was said to have been a very unpopular law, therefore, nobody kept it. History has it that some Speakeasies were even protected by the police. For those who are new to the story: Main Characters: Nathan (Nate) Daniels....Main Character Grace Nevers-Daniels..... Nate's wife Baby Margaret(little Maggie) ........... Nate and Grace's daughter Margaret...Nathan's heart breaker and lost love "Big" Tom Wainwright..... Margaret's father and one of the riches cattlemen in Sweet Springs, Texas Doctor Koren.......Nathan's Mentor Elisabeth Koren....Doctor Koren's wife Ella and Ellie ......the Korean's twins Eva Mitchell.......Deeply in love with Nathan (Deceased) George and Mary Nevers......Grace's Parents Ten Oakes'Servants Joseph........Negro Limo driver Pearl.........Negro Housekeeper Koren's Servants: Pete...........Negro Driver Merald.............Head housekeeper Jenny...............Maid and cook Supporting Characters: Sweet Springs Town folk Art Work by Google

Chapter 19
Broken Hearts

By amahra

(The last paragraph of chapter 18)

"You laid with her in the barn?" Elizabeth snapped.

Nathan began explaining so fast, his words seemed to fly out of his mouth. "But I swear she blackmailed me into meeting her again. She said she'd tell Grace if I didn't. I was frantic and went to meet her...just to meet her, mind you. That's when it happened again. I knew and she knew I still had strong feelings for her. But you...you've got to believe me. I was never going to leave Grace and the baby, and I tried to make that clear. But she just laughed. Then she said she had lied and was never going to tell Grace. I got mad and left, but by that time it was too late. My stuff was spread out on the lawn, and Joseph was waiting." Then he slowed down. "I only intended to tell her off and leave.  When I didn't come home that night, Grace must have phoned Wainwright and found out I'd lied. How could I have been so stupid?"

"Now, Nate, my boy, don't be so hard on yourself," Dr. Koren said, clenching his empty pipe between his teeth.

"Oh, you men make me sick the way you stick together. Go have a glass of whiskey or whatever you do in that Man room of yours."

"That's a good idea. Care to join me, Nate?" Koren asked, easing up from his chair.

"Sure, why not? Getting drunk seems like a good idea." The men walked into the smoke room and closed the door.

"And don't come out until you figure out how to get Grace back," Elizabeth shouted. Then she mumbled to herself, "And I think I'll go and have a nice, long talk with Mrs. Tom Wainwright. I'll bet I can get Margaret to stay away from you."

**************
 
(Chapter 19)
Word spread fast in the servant community and then to their employers, which is how most prominent households got secrets about every other prominent household. The Daniels marriage had hit the rocks, and divorce was imminent. Of course, there was never talk of divorce, yet gossip still took precedence over facts in Sweet Springs, Texas.

Every note Margaret’s driver delivered was intercepted by Dr. Koren and burned in an ashtray. Margaret and Big Tom fought constantly over her infidelity, and Big Tom threatened to cut her out of his Will if the torrid affair didn’t end.  But they were empty threats; Big Tom loved his twenty-year social standing with a titled daughter in the family. In fact, it was the last thing Margaret yelled at him before storming out of the room during an argument.

Not since Eva was found at the bottom of a cliff, had Nathan been tied up in a scandal. Now it would take more than a tick fever scare to restore him this time. Nearly half of Nathan’s animal patients belonged to strict Christian families, and his business was taking a hit. Naturally,  Big Tom hired another Vet. Well, that’s one way to keep from seeing Margaret, Nathan thought after learning he'd been replaced.

Although every letter Pete delivered to Grace was returned unopened, she did, however, allow Nathan a two-hour weekly visit with the baby while she was conveniently out of the house.  That Saturday afternoon, Nathan stood in the family room of his house; it felt strange not living there anymore. He looked around and his eyes welled up. He walked over to the sofa and touched it like he was greeting an old friend; he sighed then took a seat and waited for Pearl to bring the baby down from her playroom. He wished, somehow, he could make Grace listen, just listen, even if she didn’t understand or forgive him. All he wanted was his day in her "court".

When Pearl entered with the child, Nathan lit up like a Christmas tree.

“Oh my goodness, she’s walking,” he said.

The baby’s arms were up over her head and Pearl was holding her hands like they were strings on a puppet as she took her little steps to her daddy. As she grinned, Nathan could see at the front of her mouth, two shiny white teeth—one at the top and one on the bottom.

“Hey, Sweetheart. Come on."  With a flashing white smile, Nathan stooped with his arms opened wide.

He scooped her up in his arms and held her to his chest—his watery eyes overflowed. The baby played with a tear on his cheek as Pearl looked on at this tragic reunion—her eyes dripping like a leaky faucet.
 
**************
The sky was grey, and a fine rain fell from the clouds as Pete ran around to the passenger side. He held an umbrella over Elizabeth Koren as she stepped from the car. Netty greeted her at the door and asked her to sit in the family room while she went to get Mrs. Wainwright.  Elizabeth looked around the room with her chin in the air. “Rich people—always acquiring more than they need,” she mumbled to herself. Suddenly, Netty walked back into the room.

“Mrs. Wainwright will be right down, Miss. Shall I get you something…maybe some cake and coffee?”

“No thank you."

“Very well, Miss.” Netty left the room.

After a few moments, Mrs. Wainwright entered  the room. Her tall, elegant frame was draped in a navy-blue, floor-length satin hostess gown and her long, mixed grey hair, piled neatly on top of her head, was held with a ruby and pearl-studded comb.

“Elizabeth,” she said, walking towards her with a cold stare.

“Rose,” Elizabeth said with a false smile. Rose gestured for her to sit down in the large chair, while she took a seat in another facing her.

“Are you sure you don’t want anything to eat or drink?” Rose seemed uncomfortable and tried to look sincere.

“I’m sure. I’m not going to be here that long.” She stared at Rose and cocked her head.

“So, what do I owe this visit? It’s been a long time,” she said, wiping a few beads of sweat from her brow.

“Yes, it has. It’s been a very long time, Rose, since we talked.”

“What can I do for you?” Rose asked as if she dreaded the answer.

“Well, for one, you could start by putting a harness on that bitch of a daughter of yours."

“I beg your pardon,” Rose said, with one eyebrow raised and her chest swelling up.

Elizabeth leaned forward and glared at Rose. “Oh don’t play Miss rich and refinement with me, Rose Wainwright. Like Mother like daughter.”

“What do you mean?"

“You keep that home wrecker away from Nathan.”

“But Margaret’s a grown woman. I can’t tell her what to do. And what does this have to do with you?”

“Nathan is like a son to me. And don’t give me that ...'I can’t tell Margaret what to do...' I know Margaret will do whatever you and Big Tom tell her to do.  You knew she was in love with Nathan,  and you made her marry that English royal bum anyway.”

“That wasn’t my doing. That was Tom’s," she said looking off and stroming her long pearls that hung down nearly to her waist. Then she started fanning herself nervously with her hand. “God, for a moment there, I thought you had gone back on your word.”

“You mean my promise to keep your little secret?” Elizabeth said with a devilish smile.

“Yes,” she said,  blowing her breath, like she was relieved.

“That you slept with my husband.”  Rose looked around nervously and shushed Elizabeth.

“And that Margaret isn't Tom's daughter, but my husband’s daughter?”

“What is the matter with you? Keep your voice down."

I said I'll keep your secret and I will,” Elizabeth whispered,  "but only if Margaret stays away from Nathan. If word ever got out about you, you’ll be ruined. Not one self-respecting family in Texas will receive you.  Think what this would do to your precious Margaret if this got to the English news papers.”

“Elizabeth, why?  I’ve done what you blackmailed me to do all those years ago for keeping my secret. I gave you money to start Koren off in his business. I talked every wealthy family in these parts into hiring only him to take care of their animals. I’ve done everything you made me do. We should be even by now.  It’s not fair for you to go against what you promised because of Margaret’s actions.”

“I don’t give a damn if it’s fair or not. Either convince Margaret to stay away from Nathan, or I’ll ruin you like I should have years ago.”  Elizabeth stood to leave.

“You realize I’ll probably have to tell Margaret the truth in order to get her to stop,” Rose said rising from the chair.

“I don’t care how you do it. Just do it.” 

Elizabeth left the house with Rose Wainwright standing in a daze, fingering the long pearls that hung from her elegant throat.

Meanwhile, back at the Daniels’ house, Grace sat in the car as Pearl pleaded with Nathan to give her the baby and leave. His time was up and Grace refused to come in until he left.  He kissed the little tot so many times, her little pink face was damp.

“Mr. Nate, Please.”

“All right, Pearl.”

He handed Pearl the baby, but she held on to her daddy's lapel and fussed. He gently pried her little hands loose and forced himself to tune out her crying, or he knew he’d never leave. He rushed out of the house to keep from breaking down.

Outside, Nathan spotted Grace’s eyes peering at him. He ran to the car and tapped on the window. Grace turned her face away from him. Joseph sat in the driver’s seat looking lost and helpless.

“I love you,” Nathan yelled to her.  He got into his car and drove off.
 

Author Notes

I've posted the last paragraphs of chapter 18. This is the first half of chapter 19. I keep chapters short for my fan-readers who keep up with the story. Also, I'm aware of Prohibition which started in 1920. My characters are wealthy and like the wealthy at that time, they could afford to buy the good stuff on the Black Market. Prohibition was said to have been a very unpopular law, therefore, nobody kept it. History has it that some Speakeasies were even protected by the police. For those who are new to the story: Main Characters: Nathan (Nate) Daniels....Main Character Grace Nevers-Daniels..... Nate's wife Baby Margaret(little Maggie) ........... Nate and Grace's daughter Margaret...Nathan's heart breaker and lost love "Big" Tom Wainwright..... Margaret's father and one of the riches cattlemen in Sweet Springs, Texas Doctor Koren.......Nathan's Mentor Elisabeth Koren....Doctor Koren's wife Ella and Ellie ......the Korean's twins Eva Mitchell.......Deeply in love with Nathan (Deceased) George and Mary Nevers......Grace's Parents Ten Oakes'Servants Joseph........Negro Limo driver Pearl.........Negro Housekeeper Koren's Servants: Pete...........Negro Driver Merald.............Head housekeeper Jenny...............Maid and cook Supporting Characters: Sweet Springs Town folk Art Work by Google

Chapter 20
A Pool of Tears

By amahra

(The last paragraph of the chapter 19)

Meanwhile, back at the Daniels' house, Grace sat in the car as Pearl pleaded with Nathan to give her the baby and leave. His time was up and Grace refused to come in until he left. He kissed the little tot so many times her little pink face was damp.

"Mr. Nate, Please," Pearl said, reaching for the baby.

"All right."  Nathan  handed Pearl the baby, but she held on to her daddy's lapel and fussed. He gently pried her little hands loose and forced himself to tune out her crying, or he knew he'd never leave. He rushed out of the house to keep from breaking down.

Outside, Nathan spotted Grace's eyes peering at him. He ran to the car and tapped on the window. Grace turned her face away from him. Joseph sat in the driver's seat looking lost and helpless.

"I love you," Nathan yelled to her. He got into his car and drove off.

**************

(Chapter 20)
Margaret dabbed a little of her favorite perfume on her throat and smoothed her hand over her hair. She was going to the Korens to demand to see Nathan. He wasn't answering her letters. Knowing how the Korens felt about her, she suspected Nathan never even saw them. They may have intercepted her letters, but they wouldn't refuse her face-to-face, especially if she made enough of a ruckus. The Korens were very particular about how they appeared to their neighbors. Margaret intended to take full advantage of that. She'd make such a fuss that the Korens would let her in rather than bear the harsh stares of their neighbors.

The bedroom door was cracked open, and Netty quietly knocked before entering.  Margaret, busy primping, saw Netty in her mirror.

"Miss Margaret, your mother would like to see you in the family room."

"Thank you, Netty. Tell her I'll be right down."

"Yes, Miss." Netty backed out of the doorway and left the door ajar.

Downstairs, Rose Wainwright paced nervously. Big Tom was out and about, overlooking the  men he had in charge of running his cattle empire. He loved riding horseback and admiring all that belonged to him. He was like a miser--his eyes counting and taking in all the wealth he owned.

Margaret, dressed in a two-piece black top, black and white checkered skirt, walked into the family room clenching her purse.

"Mother, you sent for me?"

"Yes--dear. Close the door."  Margaret slid the French doors closed; she walked over and stood before Rose.

"Is something wrong? You look worried," Margaret asked, frowning.

"Sit down, dear." But she didn't sit--and looked at Rose suspiciously.

"I don't want to sit down. If this is about Nathan, Father didn't get anywhere with me, and neither will you."

"All right, stand then." Rose stopped pacing and stood looking at her. "Dear, there's something you need to know. I don't care if it hurts me anymore. I'm...I'm more concerned about my grandchildren. I don't want them hurt because of something I've done.

Margaret put her purse on the sofa and looked at her mother sympathetically. "You're scaring me. What is it? Is it Father?"

"No. I said it was something I've done. And what you do with what I'm going to tell you will affect your children. I'm hoping you'll keep this to yourself."

"What on earth could you have done that could affect the children?"

Rose started pacing back and forth in front of the cold fireplace and wrung her hands like a nervous criminal.

Margaret raised her hands shoulder high, then let them flop in front of her. "Mother, for God's sake, what is it? I can't stand it."

Rose stopped pacing again and looked straight at her. "Many years ago, before I met your father, I was in love with a young apprentice. I wanted to marry him, but my father didn't think he was good enough, so he married me off to Tom."

"Mother. You? In love with someone else? But you did fall in love with Father?"

"Eventually. But unfortunately not before making the worst mistake of my life." She started wringing her hands again.  "After Tom and I were married, my young apprentice married too. But we couldn't stay apart from each other." Rose blew out hard, then paused. "We had an affair. His wife found out and threatened to ruin my family with scandal. So I backed off." Rose searched Margaret's face--perhaps to find a positive reaction.

Margaret cupped her face with her hands. "Oh dear, did Father know?" she asked above a whisper.

"No. And he must never know,"  she said, her eyes pleading.

"Well--of course I won't tell. But what does this have to do with me and the children?"

"It seems this woman is very fond of Nathan. She's like a second mother to him and is threatening me yet again.  She's vowed to expose me unless you stay away from him."

"This woman, you mean, the wife of your former lover?"

"Exactly."

"She wants me to stay away from Nathan? This...this mystery woman?"

"Yes."

Margaret's eyes danced momentarily, like she was thinking deep and hard. Then as if a light bulb had suddenly flashed in her brain, she cocked her head and looked at Rose.

"Mother, you had me going there for a while. Of all the crazy things you've done. Did Father put you up to this?"

Frown lines appeared on Rose's forehead, and she shook her head as if puzzled. "What are you talking about?"

"If you think this crazy made-up story of yours is going to make me give up Nathan, you're sadly mistaken."

Margaret turned, grabbed her purse from the sofa and headed for the door. Rose scurried--pulled her back hard and spun her around. She pushed Margaret back away from the door--away from possible prying ears.

Shocked at her mother's aggression, she blurted, "Really!  Mother!"

"Margaret, I'm sorry, but you have to listen." Margaret squinted at the seriousness on her mother's face and stood attentively. " I didn't want to have to tell you the whole story," Rose continued,  "but I see I must. Rose swallowed hard then said, "Tom is not your father. Dr. Koren is your father."

"What!" There was a long pause.  Margaret stared at Rose in disbelief.  Then she slowly stumbled over to the sofa and eased down.

She sat in a daze while Rose told her the whole sordid story--including how the Wainwrights' family doctor blackmailed her after disclosing medical facts of Big Tom's inability to produce children--a bad case of the mumps when he was a boy. He had kept that fact from the Wainwrights, knowing how important producing heirs to their fortune was to them.  After learning of Rose's pregnancy, he leaped at the opportunity to make a little of that fortune for himself. The doctor, later, left town, taking the secret with him.

Margaret buried her head in her hands, then looked up at Rose with blazing fire in her eyes. Tears rolled down her face as she kept looking at her mother in amazement. Rose was still talking, but Margaret had had enough. She ran from the room, sideswiping Big Tom in the hallway. Big Tom frowned as he watched her run up the stairs. He jumped slightly when he heard her bedroom door slam. He walked into the family room where Rose stood looking off and wringing her hands.

"What the hell is the matter with her?" Big Tom asked, looking over his shoulder and up the staircase. Then he looked at Rose. She couldn't look Big Tom in the face. She cast her eyes down at the floor.

"I just told her she had to stay away from Nathan, or else."

"Oh--I see that went well," he said, limping over to the liquor cabinet.

She looked over at his legs. "What happened to you?"

"Old age, Darlin', that's what's happened to me." He rubbed his saddle-sore backside then poured himself a stiff drink.

**************

After a couple of hours of sulking, Margaret slipped out of the house and headed over to the Korens. She was going to have it out with Elizabeth. She arrived shortly and stood banging on the door as loudly as she could. An angry Dr. Koren jerked open the door and stood blocking her way; but Margaret forced him aside and stormed in.

"Now wait one minute, Missy," Dr. Koren snapped. Koren walked briskly behind Margaret then stopped when he saw Elizabeth walking towards her. She stared at Margaret as if she wanted to tear her apart.

"Nate is not here; and you get out of this house before I call the police," Elizabeth blazed at her.

Margaret stood majestically--head straight---shoulders back--one hand resting in the palm of  the other;  she glared at Elizabeth. "You're not going to call anybody, " Margaret told her,  "you're not dealing with my mother. You're dealing with me now."

Elizabeth raised her chin in defiance. Margaret walked to her and stood close.

"You're not going to call anybody, because then, you'd have to explain to your daughters why I'm calling their father Daddy." Elizabeth's eyelids fluttered and she breathed hard. "...Not to mention," Margaret continued,  "what would happen to your grandchildren. Who'd want to play with them?" Margaret leaned in even closer to her and said very menacingly, "So you see, my dear step-Ma-ma, you have just as much to lose as we do. I'll see Nathan whenever and wherever I please. And you and my mother and dear daddy over there can go straight to hell."

She turned and strolled over to the door like she had just flashed her winning poker hand and had taken all the money and left the table. She turned halfway around and said with a smirk to Elizabeth, "It seems the shoe is on the other foot."

"You're right. Life could be really hard on my family if I said anything," Elizabeth admitted--her face flushed, "but can't you see what you're doing? You think it's fair to break up Nathan's marriage. He tried so hard to forget you. I know--I was there: the tears, the hurt, the humiliation of being told he wasn't good enough for you. I comforted him. Finally, he met someone who could make him forget you. If you really love him, you'll leave him alone."

"Leave him alone?"  Margaret stood--mouth partly opened, as if she couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"You've got everything," Elizabeth continued with pleading eyes, "money, a royal title, a castle in England. Everything Nate has, he built from scratch. Now you want to tear it all down."

Margaret looked sternly at Koren then swept her eyes over to Elizabeth. "He loves me, and I love him; and we are  going to be together. Stay out of it, Elizabeth--I mean it."

She opened the door and walked out. Elizabeth and Dr. Koren stood in the doorway as the motor raced and Margaret's car sped off. Elizabeth sighed. What seemed like victory a few days ago, had now come back to bite her in the ass.

"Koren, what are we going to do?" she asked, looking like she'd just lost a battle with the devil.

"Pray," he said, putting his arm around her shoulder as they both stood in the doorway with the cool evening air brushing against their faces.

Author Notes

I've posted the last paragraphs of chapter 19. This is chapter 20. I keep chapters short for my fan-readers who keep up with the story. Also, I'm aware of Prohibition which started in 1920. My characters are wealthy and like the wealthy at that time, they could afford to buy the good stuff on the Black Market. Prohibition was said to have been a very unpopular law, therefore, nobody kept it. History has it that some Speakeasies were even protected by the police. For those who are new to the story: Main Characters: Nathan (Nate) Daniels....Main Character Grace Nevers-Daniels..... Nate's wife Baby Margaret(little Maggie) ........... Nate and Grace's daughter Margaret...Nathan's heart breaker and lost love "Big" Tom Wainwright..... Margaret's father and one of the riches cattlemen in Sweet Springs, Texas Rose Wainwright...........Margaret's mother Doctor Koren.......Nathan's Mentor Elisabeth Koren....Doctor Koren's wife Ella and Ellie ......the Korean's twins Eva Mitchell.......Deeply in love with Nathan (Deceased) George and Mary Nevers......Grace's Parents Ten Oakes'Servants Joseph........Negro Limo driver Pearl.........Negro Housekeeper Koren's Servants: Pete...........Negro Driver Merald.............Head housekeeper Jenny...............Maid and cook Wainwright Servant Netty.......Negro Housekeeper Supporting Characters: Sweet Springs Town folk Art Work: Tears of Jealousy, by: Lynnka

Chapter 21
Once More My Love (Part 1)

By amahra

(The last paragraph of chapter 20)

"....If you really love him, you'll leave him alone."

"Leave him alone?"  Margaret stood--mouth partly opened, as if she couldn't believe what she was hearing.

Elizabeth continued with pleading eyes.  "You've got everything: money, a royal title, a castle in England. Everything Nate has, he built from scratch. Now you want to tear it all down."

Margaret looked sternly at Koren then swept her eyes over to Elizabeth. "He loves me, and I love him; and we are  going to be together. Stay out of it, Elizabeth--I mean it."

She opened the door and walked out. Elizabeth and Dr. Koren stood in the doorway as the motor raced and Margaret's car sped off. Elizabeth sighed. What seemed like victory a few days ago, had now come back to bite her in the ass. She looked like she'd just lost a battle with the devil. "Koren, what are we going to do?"

"Pray," he said. He put his arm around her shoulder as they stood in the doorway with the cool evening air brushing against their faces.

**************

(Chapter 21  Part One)
Days turned into weeks; weeks turned into months, and still Grace's heart seemed cold. With the time Nathan spent working, plus trying to get new animal patients to replace the ones the Christian families had snatched away from him, the baby hardly knew him anymore.

Margaret had gone back to England to make a financial settlement with her husband. She had filed for divorce, moved out of the castle and into an elaborately furnished home in Berkshire she named Wakefield Manor.

Big Tom stayed true to his threats to cut Margaret out of his will if she ever left her husband. But it was realized that Rose Wainwright was a far wealthier heiress to her own father's fortune, and she had no intentions of cutting Margaret out of her will.

Margaret was to return to Sweet Springs in a week or so to visit her mother, and she expected Nathan to go back with her to England and start a life together.

"There's nothing keeping me here anymore," Nathan once told Elizabeth.

Grace's mother had moved in. No surprise there. Mary Nevers could always be counted on when times proved difficult for Grace. Nathan couldn't help hearing the warnings of George Nevers about hurting Grace. I had let him down, let Grace down. Even though the Korens were supportive, Nathan felt he'd let them down also.

With no way to repair his marriage, no way to rebuild his practice, there was nothing left but to return to England with Margaret. No one knew him there. In Europe, people were practically immune to scandals. They'd lived with them a lot longer than Americans. Say, about five or six centuries longer?

Merald held the coffee pot over Nathan's cup. "More coffee, dear?"

"No, thank you." Nathan pushed away from the breakfast table.

Elizabeth set her coffee cup down. She reached over and touched Nathan on the arm just before he walked off. "You're going out, Nate?"

Nathan held out a small black photo album. "Yes, I'm taking these pictures of me over to Ten Oaks. I don't want my daughter to forget what I look like." He started for the door.

"Honey." This made him stop and turn. Elizabeth frowned and shook her head. "I'm sure Grace wouldn't let her forget you."

Nathan chuckled, but the humor never reached his gorgeous blue eyes. "The last time I was there visiting my daughter,  Grace's mother made sure I saw her removing all the pictures of me from the walls and shelves."

She cocked her head to one side. "Oh, Honey, I'm so sorry."

 "Don't be, Mrs. K.  I deserve everything that's happened to me. I know the people in this town have had quite enough of me and my sordid love-life."

Elizabeth got up  from the table and walked over to him. "Don't be silly. There are people in this town who are still grateful for the work you do with their animals. Why...this town would have been ruined if it hadn't been for you during that Tick Fever scare."

"Yeah, but it didn't bring Eva back, did it? And it's not going to bring my wife and child back to me either."

The sparkle in her eyes dimmed. She drew closer and placed her hands on his broad shoulders. "I can't believe you're just giving up, Nate."

"What else can I do?" He hunched his shoulders. "Grace has made it perfectly clear she wants nothing to do with me. When I go to visit my daughter, if I'm in the garden, she's in the house. If I'm in the house, she waits in the car. She won't even look at me. No, Mrs. K, I'm...I'm done." He glanced down at the picture album. "I better get going over to Ten Oaks. I'm going to tell Pearl to hide this so Mary doesn't get her hands on it."

"Give the baby a hug for me."

"I will." Nathan closed the door behind him.

Koren stood in the doorway of his smoke room. He'd heard everything. He came into the living room and eased down in the overstuffed chair. 

Deep frowns lined Elizabeth's  face. She walked over to where he sat. His face matched hers. "Oh, Koren, it's so sad."

"Well, like you said, today's young women are not taking this kind of thing lying down." He opened a medical journal and settled on a page. Then he looked up and over his spectacles at her.  "I often wondered what would have become of us if you hadn't forgiven me. I've always been grateful, you know." He searched her face.

She smiled. "I know."

Koren's eyes darted back and forth. "Have you ever regretted it?"

"Never." She kissed him on his balding head and left him to read his journal.

**************

Weeks blew by like a slow wind, and Margaret had finished her business in England to return to Sweet Springs for a short visit with her mother and to bring Nathan back with her to Wakefield Manor. He was no longer welcomed at the Wainwright estate. Big Tom was adamant about that. So, Margaret made it very comfortable for their temporary stay at the little cabin in Somners Creek.

Nathan had mixed feelings about the cabin: it was the last place he'd spent with Margaret before losing her twenty-two years ago; and it was the place where he'd lost Grace after spending the night with Margaret. I'm finally with the woman I've always loved. Why do I feel numb from the neck up?

The Fall sun shone warm and bright. Netty had come earlier to the cabin with a basket of food and had given the place a good cleaning before leaving. Margaret lifted the platter of two thick juicy steaks and placed it in the middle of the little round table. Nathan forked one and placed it on his plate. She scooped string beans and mashed potatoes and filled both their plates, then forked a steak for herself. There was no ice box in the cabin, so they made do with warm sweet tea.

Margaret talked on and on about how much Nathan would love it in England. She spoke of all the friends she had there, and how eager they were to meet him. Nathan chewed his food, and he shook his head in all the right spots of her talking but heard very little of what she was saying. He couldn't help but think of the third female who was caught up in this fine mess: his daughter; she would grow up thinking he was a two-timing heel who didn't love her, and who'd left her mother for another woman. How would she ever know that none of that was true?

Back at Ten Oaks, Pearl finished packing all of Nathan's things and called for Joseph to transport them to the Korens' place where Nathan had resided since the break-up.

Mary walked out of the nursery carrying something. Grace's face froze when she recognized it. "Mother, what are you doing with that?" 

Mary, though startled, looked at Grace unconcerned. "Why, I'm going to throw it away."

Grace reached for the black photo album Nathan had brought earlier. "Hand it over." 

Mary reluctantly placed it in her hands. "You can't want them, my dear." 

She waved her away. "Mother please go and oversee the packing women."

"But the packing is all finished."

"Then, just go find something else to do. I want to be alone right now," she said, her voice cracking.

Mary frowned. "Of course, dear." She left and marched heavily down the stairs, sucking her teeth and mumbling to herself.

Alone. Grace opened the album and flipped through the pictures; the memories filled her heart as her eyes scanned each one: so many with him smiling; so tall and so handsome; a few of him holding the baby; this one of him hugging Grace; this one of him making mischief with the servants; this one with the three of them and the Korens at the church's annual picnic.

The water welling in her eyes was a stark contrast to her flashing white smile as she looked at each photo.  One reflected a beautiful recent past, while the other... "Oh Nate."  She flopped down on the edge of the bed, holding the pictures to her breasts and wept.

**************

Nathan rolled off of Margaret onto his back, sweating and panting hard. Margaret, smiling widely, scooted closer and rested her head on his pounding bare chest. She circled his chest with her finger as she spoke.

"Just think, soon we'll be making love like this in our own home in Wakefield Manor. Are you excited?"

"Yes, of course." Nathan, still panting, wiped the sweat off his forehead with the palm of his hand.

She pouted like a little girl. "You don't sound excited."  Nathan rolled his eyes up to the ceiling  but never answered.  "I'm going to help you start your practice there," she continued.

"I'm not so sure I want to start from scratch. Nobody knows me in England. Besides, they may not want to help a Yankee."

She lifted her head from his chest. "Now, Honey, don't be silly. I told you I have lots of friends there. I'll make sure they put in a good word for you with the right people."

He folded his hands behind his head. "Umm, I don't know."

Margaret put her head back on his chest. His heart pounded in her ear. "Just leave it to me. Everything will be fine, you'll see." She lifted herself on her elbow, leaned and kissed him on the lips. He smiled.

Around twelve noon, he and Margaret tidied up the cabin and locked it before getting into their separate cars. They were to pick up their luggage and meet at the train station that evening. Once in New York, they would board the Red Star Liner to London.

Margaret's driver seemed to hold the car door open forever while she overplayed the need to remind Nathan to be on time. "Now, Sweetheart, don't forget the train leaves at seven o'clock sharp. Please leave out around five. I want to be at the station a little early so we can relax and maybe have a cup of coffee before we board."

Nathan bowed his head and pointed to a finger when he mentioned each appointed time. "Leave home at five; be at train station by six; board train at six-forty-five." He wiggled his eye brows and smiled.

She shook her head and smiled back. "Are you sure you don't want us to go together?"

"No. All of our things won't fit into one car, I told you. Your things alone will probably need two cars," he teased.

"Oh, stop." She playfully waved her hand at him and climbed onto the back seat.

Nathan slid into the driver's seat of his car, and both cars sped off in opposite directions.


**************
 

Author Notes

This is the last chapter Part One For those who are new to the story: Main Characters: Nathan (Nate) Daniels....Main Character Grace Nevers-Daniels..... Nate's wife Baby Margaret(little Maggie) ........... Nate and Grace's daughter Margaret...Nathan's heart breaker and lost love "Big" Tom Wainwright..... Margaret's father and one of the riches cattlemen in Sweet Springs, Texas Rose Wainwright...........Margaret's mother Doctor Koren.......Nathan's Mentor Elisabeth Koren....Doctor Koren's wife Ella and Ellie ......the Korean's twins Eva Mitchell.......Deeply in love with Nathan (Deceased) George and Mary Nevers......Grace's Parents Ten Oakes'Servants Joseph........Negro Limo driver Pearl.........Negro Housekeeper Koren's Servants: Pete...........Negro Driver Merald.............Head housekeeper Jenny...............Maid and cook Wainwright Servant Netty.......Negro Housekeeper Limo Driver Supporting Characters: Sweet Springs Town folk

Chapter 22
Once More My Love (Part 2)

By amahra

(Last paragraph of chapter 21  Part One)

Margaret's driver seemed to hold the car door open forever while she overplayed the need to remind Nathan to be on time. "Now, Sweetheart, don't forget the train leaves at seven o'clock sharp. Please leave out around five. I want to be at the station a little early so we can relax and maybe have a cup of coffee before we board."

Nathan bowed his head and pointed to a finger when he mentioned each appointed time. "Leave home at five; be at train station by six; board train at six-forty-five." He wiggled his eye brows and smiled at her.

She shook her head and smiled back. "Are you sure you don't want us to go together?"

"No. All of our things won't fit into one car, I told you. Your things alone will probably need two cars," he teased.

"Oh, stop." She playfully waved her hand at him and climbed onto the back seat.

Nathan slid into the driver's seat of his car, and both cars sped off in opposite directions.
**************

The Final chapter
(Chapter 22  Part Two)
Nathan stood at the window with his hands in his pockets and stared at the orange sky.  Elizabeth, her eyes red and puffy, finished Nathan's packing. Merald and Jenny moped about, and Pete was unusually reserved. Dr. Koren sat in his chair with a newspaper spread across his chest and faked a nap.  Within the woeful silence, the steady ticking of the wall clock became eerie. Everyone, except Nathan, flinched when the clock chimed five.

"Well," Nathan said, quietly, "I guess this is it."

Pete put the last piece of luggage in the car and waited behind the wheel. The twins, Ella and Ellie, their husbands and their children had come and said their tearful goodbyes the day before. Elizabeth held up pretty well then,  but she finally broke down. She grabbed Nathan around the neck and spoke in his ear. "I've loved you like a son. I'll always love you." She buried her face in his chest.

Dr. Koren rose from his chair, walked over to Nathan and gently pulled Elizabeth away. "Come on, Honey. We'll see him again." Koren held her and patted her back gently. While she rested her head on Koren's shoulder, Nathan stroked her mixed grey hair. Koren looked over at him. "You'll stay in touch?"

"Of course. You and Miss Elizabeth mean the world to me, you know that."

"Take care of yourself, Nate," Koren said, still holding on to Elizabeth. "If you need anything, you write us and let us know."

"I will."

Elizabeth broke away momentarily. Nathan stepped in and gave Koren a bear hug. Koren patted him hard on his back the way men do.


Elizabeth wiped her face with her hand. Koren reached into his back pocket, pulled out a handkerchief and handed it to her. She blew her nose. "If things don't work out, remember, you always have a home here, she said," her lips trembling.

"I know."

Over in a far corner of the living room, Merald and Jenny stood watching. Pete honked the car horn. The sound had a sobering affect on everyone. Nathan walked briskly over to Merald and Jenny and kissed their cheeks. Elizabeth grabbed him again and kissed his face. He patted Koren on the shoulder and hurried out to the car.

They all crammed in the doorway and waved frantically as the car drove out of their view.

On the way to the train station, Pete drove stony-faced.

Nathan breathed in the big Texas air, he thought, for the last time. He wanted to remember everything about Sweet Springs. But his mind wouldn't let him separate the good from the bad. Maybe it's best I don't remember. Start a new life some place else. There's no life for me here anymore.  Everybody hates me. The town. Grace's parents. Grace.  He sighed.  Oh, Grace. Baby.  If only you'd listened.  At least given me a chance to...

Twenty minutes into the drive;  fifteen minutes away from the train station, a familiar sight caught Nathan's eye. It sat afar off on a high hill. It was Ten Oaks. God, it looks so heavenly from here... the place where he'd taken Grace as his bride; where he looked at her beautiful face from across the dining table; where he'd enjoyed watching her sleep after they'd made love; the ups and downs of her pregnancies; the place where God had blessed them with their miracle baby.

Then, as if the sun had broken through a dark cloud that hung over his head, something  snapped inside of him. Something crazy he'd never thought of.

"Pete, turn around," he said, sternly.

"Huh?" Pete huffed.

"Turn around. Take me to Ten Oaks."

Pete shook his head. "Okay, but we gonna' be cutting it mighty close if we want ta' make that seven o'clock train."

"Don't worry. We'll make it. There's something I've got to do first."

Pete veered off the main road, mashed his foot on the gas and pushed the1928 Lincoln Model L towards Ten Oaks. He made every sharp curve, causing Nathan to slide from one end of the back seat to the other. "Sorry about that, Mr. Nate."

"I'm...I'm fine."

Nathan gently scraped his knuckles back and forth across his teeth. Lines grew across his forehead, and his jaw tightened as the car drew nearer to Ten Oaks. After clearing the mansion's second security gate, Pete finally pulled in front of the house. He slowed the car down, but before it came to a complete stopped, Nathan pushed open the door and hopped out, nearly costing him his balance.

He knew Grace was home when he saw the car. He walked agilely to the back of the house  and looked around on the ground near the window sill until he spotted what he needed. He picked up a medium size flower pot and smashed the window pane several times until it became just a big square hole.

Pete heard glass breaking and ran around the back just in time to see Nathan's feet clearing the window ledge. "Lord have mercy!" Pete said, his eyes as wide as an owl's. Then he heard shouting from inside the house. Pete ran and jumped in the car and started it. He kept the engine running in case Nathan needed a quick getaway.

"For the last time, you get out of this house, right now," Mary Nevers shouted.
 
Nathan ran through the downstairs like a madman, checking every room and shouting for Grace.  Grace heard him and Mary yelling. She ran into one of the guest bedrooms and locked the door.  When he started for the stairs, Mary jumped in front of him. He could have gotten past her but was trying not to put his hands on her.

Pearl had just laid the baby in her crib and now stood at the top of the stairs watching the commotion.

"Grace!" he yelled over Mary's head. "Pearl, where is she?" 

Pearl parted her lips.

"Don't you tell him anything, Pearl,"  Mary ordered.

Nathan's face pleaded with Pearl.  "Tell her to come down stairs."

Pearl made a motion to move.

"You stay right where you are."

Pearl froze and stayed tight-lipped. She looked at him as if her heart went out to him. She loved him and Grace but didn't dare anger Mary.  However, with Mary's back to her, Pearl responded to Nathan's plea by moving her eyes slowly to the right several times. But with Mary shouting and distracting him, Nathan didn't notice.

"For the last time, get out of this house. Grace wants nothing to do with you."

He looked up at Pearl again. "Just tell her I want to see her...just for a minute."

"You do, and you'll never work here again."

Pearl stayed perfectly still and didn't attempt to speak, but this time, moved her head slowly in the direction of the guest bedrooms. When Nathan saw that, he shoved Mary aside and leapt up the staircase, two steps at a time.

"OH!" Mary said, stumbling to one side.

Pearl cast her eyes to the floor to indicate to Mary she hadn't done anything. Nathan gave her shoulder a quick "thank you" squeeze as he brushed passed her. He hurried down the long hall, looking in every room until he got to one that was locked. He banged on the door.

"Grace, I know you're in there. Open up. Now!"

Grace stood in front of the bed chewing on her thumbnail. Mary came storming up the stairs shouting. "I'm calling the police this minute." When suddenly, to Mary's shock, his foot went up, and the door thundered opened.

Mary swooned, but Pearl and Joseph broke her fall. Nathan walked boldly into the bedroom where Grace stood with her mouth wide open. He grabbed her by the shoulders and pushed her down on the bed.

"Now, I know it's over between us. And after I'm finished, I'll leave and won't bother you again." He paused and took a deep breath. "Grace, I love you. What I did to you was wrong." Grace sat twisting her wedding ring on her finger and stared down at the floor. "I thought I was in love with Margaret, but that was a long time ago." He stopped and lifted her chin with his finger, forcing her to make eye contact. "Look at me," he said.

She stared into his eyes.

He let her chin go. "I was so young when I met Margaret. I believe I just wanted her because I was poor and people didn't think I was good enough for her. And I thought having her would make me somebody, I don't know. But I realized something, while riding over here, I don't belong in England. My home is here, in Sweets Springs." Those words, home, here, lit a fire in her. She wanted to speak, but Nathan kept talking. "You may not want me as your husband, but I am going to be a father to our daughter. If you want a divorce, I won't fight it." He looked away. "God knows you deserve it after what I did."

Nathan didn't notice Grace when her face brightened. She tried to make eye contact, but when he looked back at her, she became frightened.  His mood had changed so quickly, and his eyes had narrowed. She could barely see any blue in them. He shifted his weight to the other foot and pointed a finger at her. "And if you let that cow of a  mother of yours talk you into keeping me away from my daughter.  I'll fight you. I'll fight you with everything I've got."

Before Grace could gather her thoughts, Nathan turned and hurried out of the bedroom. He passed Mary in the hallway. Joseph was holding her up against the wall while Pearl fanned her with her apron.

Nathan scurried down the stairs. He stopped in the library, grabbed writing paper and a pen and began to write. When he'd finished, he folded the paper and left by the front door. As he ran over to the car, he could hear Mary and Grace shouting upstairs. Nathan jumped in the back seat of the car and Pete took off.


"Sir, I don't know if we can make the train from here in twenty minutes, but I'll sho try."

"I'm not going to the train station, Pete."

"Huh!"

"Drop me back off at the Korens, and take this to Miss Margaret."

But before he handed Pete the folded paper, a certain feeling rushed over him like a kind of sixth sense that made him turn and glance out of the back window.

"Pete, stop the car."

Pete slammed on brakes just before he got to the mansion's first gate. Nathan pushed open the door and stood by the car. Grace was running as fast as her beautiful legs could carry her. Nathan was a bit puzzled. He wasn't sure what to make of it. As she ran closer, he could see she had been crying, but the look on her face was soft and pleading. He stood there as she flew into his chest and threw her arms around him. It took all of his masculine strength not to topple over.

He grabbed her and lifted her off the ground while she kissed every area of his face. Between her tears and her kisses, not a spot on his face remained dry. He lowered her down to the ground and began planting kisses on her face and neck. Then he held her a little away from him and just stared at her in amazement.

"Oh, Nate, Honey," she said, trying to catch her breath. "I love you. I don't want a divorce, and...and I would never keep our daughter from you no matter what Mother says.

"It's okay, Honey, you don't have to explain. I'm just glad you want me," he said, still kissing her on the cheek and forehead as she desperately tried to catch her breath. Nathan stared into her eyes as she spoke fast, trying to get out all of the words she should have said to him in the bedroom. "I wanted to take you back. But between Mother badgering me and my own stupid pride, I was confused."

Nathan held her in his arms. "Honey, you don't have to explain."

But Grace couldn't stop talking. "I've always feared your love for Margaret. But when you said you weren't going away with her, I knew you loved me. Oh, Nate please come home." She fell against his chest. "I love you so much."

With his arms wrapped around her, Nathan looked over his shoulder at Pete, who was grinning from ear-to-ear.  He handed Pete the now slightly wrinkled letter.  Pete got into the car and started the engine.

Nathan looked back at Pete again. "Oh, Pete," he called.

Pete snatched his head around and stuck it out of the window. "Yes, sir?"

"Bring my things back to Ten Oaks."

"YES! SIR!" Pete said with all thirty-two white teeth gleaming. He raced the engine and shot off like a canon. The time was six thirty-three.

Meanwhile, back at the train station, a nervous Margaret paced back and forth a few feet from the train. Her heart was thumping. Most of her luggage was already on the train, except for a small jewelry case. People were beginning to board. She bit her lower lip and stretched her neck, looking for any sign of a car coming.

"ALL ABOARD!"

"No. No. Wait!" she yelled to the voice. She walked back and forth wringing her hands. People were kissing, hugging, and saying their goodbyes.  She looked over her shoulder and saw the crowd had thinned. Then she looked straight ahead of her and saw headlights. "Finally," she said.  Pete shot up and brought the car to a screeching halt.

A smile flashed across her face then slowly faded when she saw Pete walking towards her, but no Nathan. "Something must have happened," she thought out loud. "Pete, where's Mr. Daniels?"

"He asked me to give you this, Ma'am."

Margaret stared at Pete, who stood with a poker-face. She pulled the folded paper from his fingers and slowly opened it. Everything around her disappeared as she read the words...


Margaret,
I won't do this to Grace and the baby.  I couldn't live with myself. We had our chance.
I'm sorry.
Nate

"Miss," the porter said,  "you've got to get on the train. Miss?"

Margaret came back to earth. She looked up and Pete was driving off. The porter took her arm and gently turned her around and guided her towards the train. He held her tighter when she wobbled while stepping up. She stood like all of the life had drained out of her.

"You need to take your seat, Miss. The train will be pulling out soon." 

She gave one last look out as if the letter had been just a dream. But all she saw was an empty space where Nathan should have been.

At exactly seven o'clock, the train moved out under a dark cloud of smoke. Margaret sat alone in her private car and watched her sad reflection in the window.

**************

Miles away from the train station, the Koren household became ecstatic when Pete broke  the good news. Pete's laughter lit up every room. Dr. Koren and Elizabeth kept hugging each other. Merald and Jenny broke into a Dosey Doe in the kitchen.

Back at Ten Oaks, Grace smiled as Nathan stood over the crib and watched his little angel sleeping with her thumb in her mouth. To Mary's horror, Grace and Nathan strolled hand-in-hand back to their bedroom and locked the door. Their lips locked instantly, and they peeled off their clothes. Then Nathan lifted her and placed her naked body on the bed. Grace rolled and got under the covers. She smiled as Nathan slid his muscular body next to her.


"I love you," she said, her soft white body pressed against him.

"Oh, Baby, I love you too." He rolled over, his bare chest gently pressing in her pink nipples. He took her mouth into his.


Out in the darkness, a lone train whistle blew. Its mechanical scream faded and melted in the distance, taking with it a lost love that would soon be forgotten. The End .....

Author Notes

This is Part 2 of the last chapter of this book. It's longer than the previous chapters. If the ending is too abrupt, it's because it's the second half of one chapter. To get the full effect, read both chapters 21 and 22 together. ( I want to thank those of you who stuck with the book from beginning to end. I hope you will enjoy the ending. And thanks to all of you for your comments, corrections and support.) For those who are new to the story: Main Characters: Nathan (Nate) Daniels....Main Character Grace Nevers-Daniels..... Nate's wife Baby Margaret(little Maggie) ........... Nate and Grace's daughter Margaret...Nathan's heart breaker and lost love "Big" Tom Wainwright..... Margaret's father and one of the riches cattlemen in Sweet Springs, Texas Rose Wainwright...........Margaret's mother Doctor Koren.......Nathan's Mentor Elisabeth Koren....Doctor Koren's wife Ella and Ellie ......the Korean's twins Eva Mitchell.......Deeply in love with Nathan (Deceased) George and Mary Nevers......Grace's Parents Ten Oakes'Servants Joseph........Negro Limo driver Pearl.........Negro Housekeeper Koren's Servants: Pete...........Negro Driver Merald.............Head housekeeper Jenny...............Maid and cook Wainwright Servant Netty.......Negro Housekeeper Supporting Characters: Sweet Springs Town folk Art work by Google

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