not until this afternoon," Robert answered. "I thought maybe I could take you off Sarah's hands and show you around Woodvale. If you'd like?"
Feeling relieved that she still didn't have to go home yet, Mary replied more excitedly that she'd meant to. "That would be lovely, thank you."
"Good, that's that sorted," Robert said and once more kissed his Aunt. "And I'll see you later. You still want me to fix that loose shingle on the roof?"
Sarah nodded. "About time. I've been asking you long enough." Turning to Mary she remarked. "Pity you couldn't stay longer, Mary, maybe I could get him to do more of the things he's promised me."
Waving away the comment, Robert went to the door and opened it. Standing in the doorway he remarked, "Don't listen to her, she's going a little senile."
"I'll senile you with a cuff around the ear young man," Sarah smirked. "Now get out of here." Turning to Mary, she added. "And don't listen to a word he tells you about me."
Smiling at the affection between them, Mary picked up her bonnet. Fixing it to her head, she joined Robert at the door. "I'll see you later, Sarah."
"You will, now off you go," Sarah replied. "And Robert?"
"Yes."
"Well, you know…"
Confused by the message that passed silently between them, Mary found herself ushered out the door and led to the horse and buggy outside.
"What was that last thing?" Mary asked taking her seat beside Robert.
Cracking the reins and getting the buggy underway, Robert ignored the question. "So, what would you like to see first?"
"Well, I don't know much about the town. Other than what I've seen between here and the station," Mary replied, still feeling a little lost. "I suppose it's to you."
"OK then. If you don't mind I have to drop by the schoolhouse and pick up something I left there, if that's alright?"
"Fine by me."
"OK. School's the first stop then," Robert said and cracked the reins once more. "So—James told me you did some teaching, Mary."
"Well, if you could call it that," Mary replied. "Compared to what you do it's a bit on the small side."
"How so?"
"Well if you can call three children a class."
"That's it, just three? What I wouldn't give for a class that size," Robert said. "Multiply that by ten. Ranging in ages from about six to twelve. You at it long?"
"Not really, two years to tell the truth. It was a local family. They'd tried to hire a real teacher, but couldn't find one so I suppose I was the next best thing."
"Well, there she is."
Coming closer to town and following Roberts direction Mary watched as large wooden building came into view. Looking a lot like the one from her own town, Robert's had a bell tower that loomed high above it. "It's impressive."
"Yep, she is. Only rebuilt a few months back. Someone got careless with a lantern and burnt the whole place to the ground."
"I'm sorry to hear that."
"We think it was one of the kids, but no one knows for certain." Muttering to himself, Robert slapped a hand to his forehead. "What am I doing wasting your time with this place.—How about I take you to the place James had picked out for the two of you. Unless that's too-"
"No, that would be lovely Robert. I'd like to see it. He'd been keeping it a secret, I'd like to see it with my own eyes."
"Done," Robert said and pulled the horses reins a hard right. Cracking the reins once more, he gave the horse a new course that took them high into the hills that overlooked the town.
Chapter 5
"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Robert asked.
Mary looked over the valley below her and found herself lost for words.
"If you look to your right, you'll see the lake," Robert said, standing beside her and pointing the way. "Me and him had so much fun there in the summer. In fact, it was James that taught me to swim."
Mary looked at it and then to the pile of felled trees that lay on the ground. "And that…?"
"I'm sorry, I don't know what I was thinking," Robert said and took her arm. "I just thought that he would
Feeling relieved that she still didn't have to go home yet, Mary replied more excitedly that she'd meant to. "That would be lovely, thank you."
"Good, that's that sorted," Robert said and once more kissed his Aunt. "And I'll see you later. You still want me to fix that loose shingle on the roof?"
Sarah nodded. "About time. I've been asking you long enough." Turning to Mary she remarked. "Pity you couldn't stay longer, Mary, maybe I could get him to do more of the things he's promised me."
Waving away the comment, Robert went to the door and opened it. Standing in the doorway he remarked, "Don't listen to her, she's going a little senile."
"I'll senile you with a cuff around the ear young man," Sarah smirked. "Now get out of here." Turning to Mary, she added. "And don't listen to a word he tells you about me."
Smiling at the affection between them, Mary picked up her bonnet. Fixing it to her head, she joined Robert at the door. "I'll see you later, Sarah."
"You will, now off you go," Sarah replied. "And Robert?"
"Yes."
"Well, you know…"
Confused by the message that passed silently between them, Mary found herself ushered out the door and led to the horse and buggy outside.
"What was that last thing?" Mary asked taking her seat beside Robert.
Cracking the reins and getting the buggy underway, Robert ignored the question. "So, what would you like to see first?"
"Well, I don't know much about the town. Other than what I've seen between here and the station," Mary replied, still feeling a little lost. "I suppose it's to you."
"OK then. If you don't mind I have to drop by the schoolhouse and pick up something I left there, if that's alright?"
"Fine by me."
"OK. School's the first stop then," Robert said and cracked the reins once more. "So—James told me you did some teaching, Mary."
"Well, if you could call it that," Mary replied. "Compared to what you do it's a bit on the small side."
"How so?"
"Well if you can call three children a class."
"That's it, just three? What I wouldn't give for a class that size," Robert said. "Multiply that by ten. Ranging in ages from about six to twelve. You at it long?"
"Not really, two years to tell the truth. It was a local family. They'd tried to hire a real teacher, but couldn't find one so I suppose I was the next best thing."
"Well, there she is."
Coming closer to town and following Roberts direction Mary watched as large wooden building came into view. Looking a lot like the one from her own town, Robert's had a bell tower that loomed high above it. "It's impressive."
"Yep, she is. Only rebuilt a few months back. Someone got careless with a lantern and burnt the whole place to the ground."
"I'm sorry to hear that."
"We think it was one of the kids, but no one knows for certain." Muttering to himself, Robert slapped a hand to his forehead. "What am I doing wasting your time with this place.—How about I take you to the place James had picked out for the two of you. Unless that's too-"
"No, that would be lovely Robert. I'd like to see it. He'd been keeping it a secret, I'd like to see it with my own eyes."
"Done," Robert said and pulled the horses reins a hard right. Cracking the reins once more, he gave the horse a new course that took them high into the hills that overlooked the town.
Chapter 5
"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Robert asked.
Mary looked over the valley below her and found herself lost for words.
"If you look to your right, you'll see the lake," Robert said, standing beside her and pointing the way. "Me and him had so much fun there in the summer. In fact, it was James that taught me to swim."
Mary looked at it and then to the pile of felled trees that lay on the ground. "And that…?"
"I'm sorry, I don't know what I was thinking," Robert said and took her arm. "I just thought that he would
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