by Zoe Matthews
“Would you like some milk and cookies?” Mrs. Collins asked Grace who hid her face on Amanda’s shoulder, but nodded her agreement for the treat. They went to the kitchen where an older girl sat at the table reading a book.
“Deborah, we have company.” Mrs. Collins spoke to the girl and introduced Amanda and Grace.
Deborah smiled shyly at them and then said, “It’s nice to meet you, ma’am. Hello, Grace.”
“You must be one of the children from the orphan train,” Amanda said to Deborah. “Welcome to Maple Grove.”
The adults talked for a while, including both girls in the conversation when they could. Grace had just finished her milk and cookies when Craig walked in with a much calmer Jeremy.
“The doctor can see Grace now,” Craig turned to Mrs. Collins. “Could Jeremy stay here with you while Amanda and I take Grace to see Dr. Collins?”
“Of course,” Mrs. Collins replied. “I’m sure he would like some milk and cookies.”
Craig picked up Grace and guided Amanda into the office Dr. Collins had on the side of their house.
“Jeremy seems to be doing better,” Amanda remarked on the way.
“Yes,” Craig agreed. “He discovered that Dr. Collins is much kinder than the other doctors he has been in contact with.”
When they entered the office, Dr. Collins greeted Amanda and then Grace.
“This is Dr. Collins, Grace.” Amanda explained to her. ”We would like him to look at your leg. Would you be able to let him do that?”
Grace nodded her head, but she climbed onto Amanda’s lap and wrapped her arms around Amanda’s neck. Grace would not let go of her neck so she could set her down.
“I’ll just look at it while you sit on your mother’s lap, how’s that?” Dr. Collins asked Grace.
Amanda took off Grace’s shoe and stocking and watched as the doctor looked over her leg very thoroughly. He pressed in certain areas and rubbed on others. Grace was quiet through the examination until the doctor tried to straighten part of her leg. Then she cried out in pain and tried to pull her leg away from the doctor.
Dr. Collins looked at Craig. “You can take her back to Pamela now and she can watch both children. I would like to talk to you both privately.”
When Craig returned, Dr. Collins sat down across from both of them.
“Let’s talk about Jeremy first. He is as about as healthy as a child can be despite having spent the last few years in an orphanage. He is a mite thin, but that will improve I’m sure, with good food and freedom outside.”
Craig looked relieved at this news. “What about his scar on his forehead?”
The doctor nodded. “I do agree that it probably should have been stitched, but there’s not much we can do about it now. It doesn’t seem to bother him, and if he keeps his hair a little longer in the front, it shouldn’t be noticeable to others.”
“What about Grace’s leg, doctor?” Amanda asked. “It seems to cause her pain and she will barely walk on it.”
The doctor looked at her with concern. “Craig told me what happened to her leg. It should have been set. If it had been set properly, it wouldn’t even be bothering her now.”
“It is so hard for me to think a doctor would refuse to treat a child properly.” Amanda said with grief for her daughter.
“I agree. I have some bad news, but I also have some possible good news. I can’t do anything for Grace. I don’t have the skills or the equipment. But, I do know of a doctor who is located in the city who might be able to help her. It would mean surgery, possibly more than one, rebreaking the bone and casting it to heal properly. It would also mean some intense therapy afterward. He might not be able to make the leg like new, but he should be able to fix it enough that she will only walk with a slight limp with little or no pain.”
“That’s great news. When do you think we can have this done?” Amanda asked.
“I will give you a letter you can take to the doctor. You can go to the city for an initial appointment whenever you are ready.”
“I am so relieved,” Amanda turned to Craig with joy in her eyes. “I was so worried she would never be able to walk without pain.” She did not recognize that Craig was not showing as much as joy as she was. “We should make plans to go as soon as possible.”
“What do we do in the meantime, doctor?” Craig asked. “Should we be making her walk?”
“I wouldn’t advise that,” the doctor shook his head. “If she is forced to walk on it, it could make things worse. I would let her walk when she feels she can. Children are resilient and I doubt she will refuse to walk just because she doesn’t want to. If she is refusing, it is probably because she is in pain.”
“She was refusing to walk this morning,” Amanda commented, “yet she walked quite a bit yesterday.”
“If she was walked a lot yesterday, she might have over done it and is sore today.” The doctor nodded. “I am glad you want to take care of this soon. If you are willing to wait for a few minutes, I will write out that letter so you can go whenever you choose.”
After the doctor left the room, Amanda continued to talk about how excited she was that there was something that could be done for Grace. After a few minutes, she realized Craig did not seem as excited.
“Is something wrong?” Amanda asked him.
“This is going to cost quite a bit. I won’t have the money to pay for it until after the crops are in this fall.”
“Oh, money isn’t a problem.” Amanda waved her hand as if she was brushing the concern away. “I have more than enough to pay for it.”
Craig became very silent. “What do you mean, you have enough?”
“My late husband inherited some money which became mine when he died,” Amanda explained, not understanding why he was upset. “I have hardly used any of it. I am so glad I didn’t because now I can use it to help Grace.”
“How much do you have?” Craig asked. Amanda named an amount.
“You have enough that you didn’t need to work. I thought you had to work and that’s why you had your sewing shop.”
“I started my dress shop because I needed something to keep me busy and I enjoyed it,” Amanda said.
“Well, I consider that money yours. We are married now and it is my responsibility to take care of this family and earn the money for any expenses. I don’t want to use any of your money.”
“I don’t understand,” Amanda said with confusion in her eyes. “We are married, which means we share everything. My money is now our money and can be used for things the children needs or for anything else for that matter.”
“It is the man’s job to provide for his family and that is what I will do,” Craig said firmly. “I should have enough money by fall to pay for the operation. We will need to wait until then.”
“Do you mean that even though we have this opportunity and the means to fix Grace’s leg, you want her to wait for several months because you are insisting on paying for it?” Amanda questioned him. “You are willing to make Grace keep dealing with her pain? That doesn’t seem quite right.”
“It is what will happen. I don’t appreciate you hiding the fact that you have money.” Craig said, as he stood up started to walk out of the office. “I don’t want to talk about it anymore. I am going to get the kids and we will wait for you in the wagon. You go ahead and wait for the letter.”
Amanda sat in her chair stunned at what had just happened. It just did not make sense to her. Why would he make Grace live with pain for three or four more months because he wanted to pay for it? It never occurred to her to tell Craig about her money. She was not trying to hide it from him. The money really did not matter to her. She was glad she now had a chance to use it for some good. The doctor soon came in and gave her the letter. Amanda left as soon as she could, after promising Dr. Collins that they would keep him up to date. She did not say anything to him about her argument with Craig and she let him continue to believe they were going to take Grace to the city as soon as poss
ible.
Chapter 12
There were lot of adjustments in the next few weeks, but Jeremy and Grace surprisingly did very well considering all the major changes in their lives.
Jeremy followed his new dad around like a little puppy. Wherever Craig went, Jeremy was not far behind. He learned how to care for the horses and Craig told Amanda one day during the evening meal that Jeremy had a gift with horses.
“Even Apache who is known to kick for no reason is calm around Jeremy,” Craig bragged. “In fact, I have an idea.” He looked at Jeremy as he pushed his empty plate away.
“If you help with the crops and around the farm doing odd jobs, in the fall I will give you Apache for your very own.”
“Do you mean it?” Jeremy’s eyes lit up with excitement, but then he lowered them. “I don’t know much about tending to the crops.”
“I realize that and I will teach you. That’s my job, and if I am doing something else, John can help teach you.”
“Alright!” Jeremy exclaimed, looking like he was about ready to jump out of his seat in excitement.
Another time Amanda was sitting in one of the porch chairs sewing a new shirt for Jeremy. Grace was sitting on the stairs nearby playing with her doll. Craig walked up to Grace with a wrapped cloth bundle in his arms. He bent down and sat near Grace.
“I have a surprise for you,” he said and put the bundle in her lap.
Grace carefully unwrapped it and a little kitten’s head poked through the brown cloth.
“Oh,” Grace breathed as she looked at the kitten. “For my very own?” she asked as she could hardly believe her good fortune.
“Yes, she’s yours. The barn cat had kittens and they’re old enough to leave their mother and find new homes.”
“What’s her name?” Grace asked as she pulled the kitten out from the cloth. It was gray and white in color.
“You can choose, but choose a girl’s name.”
Grace scrunched her eyes closed for a few seconds in thought, and then announced, “I’m going to name her Emma.”
Amanda heard a gasp behind her. She turned around and saw Jeremy standing there.
“That was ma’s name,” he quietly explained.
Amanda looked at Craig and watched as he sat next to Grace giving her instructions on the kitten’s care. Amanda felt the stirrings of new love within her for her new husband. She more than just cared for him. She was falling in love with him.
Amanda also spent a few days a week at the dress shop. Craig had provided her with a buggy and horse and she always took Grace with her. Amanda had quickly found a young woman, Julie, to train, and she was now doing most of the work for the shop. Amanda was finding that she was losing her desire to own a dress shop. She had only started the shop to keep her busy and because there was a need for someone to make dresses in Maple Grove.
She now wanted to be busy at the farm taking care of her new family. Amanda hoped that she could someday in the near future transfer the store to Julie. She knew Craig would be happy with that decision since he expressed just that morning his worry that she was taking care of too many things. He wanted her to be able to take the time to enjoy her new family.
But not everything in Amanda’s new life had a silver lining. She was very concerned about Grace’s leg. She could tell it hurt and bothered Grace, although she did have better days where she could walk more. Craig refused to talk about it with Amanda, although he carried Grace around whenever he could and always showed caring and concern for her.
Amanda had tried to talk the situation out with Craig a few times, and he would turn away or leave the room. Amanda got the definite message he resented the idea she had the money and means to help Grace and he did not. Amanda started to feel that Craig was rejecting her and she wondered if he regretted his multiple proposals now that he was stuck with her and knew about her money.
****
Craig watched as Amanda drove away in the buggy with Grace at her side as they headed towards town to work in her dress shop. He had noticed that there was sadness in her eyes and he knew his reaction about her money was hurting her.
He did not know why it bothered him so much that she had more money than he did. Ever since he had been out on his own at the age of 15, he was proud that he was able to support himself. He had worked hard and long hours and saved every penny he could. He had went without needed clothing and other items and only ate simple foods. It took almost 15 years, but he was finally able to purchase the farm he now owned and he was proud of this accomplishment. He had succeeded further than his father ever had.
Did he resent that Amanda’s money was essentially given to her? That she hadn’t really worked for it or earned it? That it was inheritance money? He knew she was a hard worker. She had done well with her dress shop. She did her share helping Lily with meals and keeping the farmhouse clean. The children looked clean and well cared for. She was an excellent mother. He could tell she cared deeply for them and loved them.
He enjoyed watching her as she read to Grace or played checkers with Jeremy. She was different when the children were around her, more alive and less sad. She was constantly touching them and giving them hugs, letting them know in her own way that she loved them and was glad they were in her life.
When she was alone with him, she was more formal and distant. She allowed him to hold and kiss her at night and she seemed to enjoy the closeness as much as he did, yet it seemed to him she only talked to him when she needed to, and it was usually when she had questions about the children or the house.
For the first few days after the doctor visit, she tried to talk to him about her concerns for Grace, but he always rebuffed her, and would quickly walk away with an excuse that he needed to take care of a chore or an animal on the farm. She had since stopped trying to talk to him about it.
He wished the money didn’t bother him so much. He wished he had known about it before he married her. He wished she hadn’t kept the knowledge from him, though she adamantly denied keeping it from him on purpose.
If he had known, would have he still married her? Craig thought long and hard about that question and was able to quickly answer that, yes, he still would have married her. He suddenly realized that he loved her and was grateful circumstances made it so she finally agreed to marry him. He missed seeing her smile that was just for him. Suddenly everything within him longed for that sight. He knew he needed to come to terms with her money. He just didn’t know how to do that.
Chapter 13
Three weeks after the doctor’s visit, Amanda decided she had given Craig enough time to get used to the idea of her money. After the children were in bed one evening, Amanda invited Craig into the kitchen for some leftover cake and coffee.
“We need to talk about Grace,” Amanda started the conversation when they were seated across from each other.
“Why? Is something wrong?”
“I think her leg is really bothering her,” Amanda explained. “She has lived a fairly sedentary lifestyle before coming here. She probably didn’t need to move around very much in the orphanage. But now that she is living on a farm, she wants to walk and she tries to, and I’m afraid she could be causing more damage to her leg.”
Craig sighed. “What are you trying to say, Amanda?” His lips thinned as if he knew the answer.
“I think we need to reconsider using the money David left me to fix her leg, now.”
“You know my feelings about this,” Craig fairly shouted at her. “We wait until the crops are in.”
“Is it fair to make Grace wait because of your pride?” Amanda asked.
“This isn’t about pride. It’s about me as the head of this household supporting this family.”
“And what about my role?” Amanda questioned. “Aren’t we partners in this marriage? Shouldn’t we be raising these children together?”
“Yes, your role is the care of the children and the house. That is a wife’s role.”
“Shouldn’t we be s
haring these roles?”
“Yes, when it’s needed.” While they were arguing, neither saw a shadow in the kitchen doorway.
“It will be expensive to fix Grace’s leg. We need to wait until I can earn the money and that won’t happen until the crops are in.” Craig stood up. “I have made this decision. I don’t want to talk about it again.” He left the kitchen and went outside to make his final check on the animals in the barn before bed. The shadow in the kitchen doorway slowly disappeared.
