First, I must once again thank Vickie Batzka and Larkspur1 for reading over this manuscript and for their invaluable suggestions on how to improve the story.  As always I want to thank Joan Sattler for patiently answering my questions about all things Australian and providing me with Australian slang expressions to substitute for American.  (A glossary of Australian and Welsh words and phrases is provided at the end of the story.)  Finally, I again want to thank Lissa Brown for generously allowing me to use pansies and rosemary, the combination of flowers she used in Odyssey, in my story.

Chapter 1
Adam Cartwright sat straight up in bed, his heart pounding, as the loud knocking continued on the bedroom door and he felt his wife, Bronwen, sitting up beside him in the dark room.  “What’s wrong?” he called.

“Merry Christmas, Daddy!  Merry Christmas, Mama!” a childishly treble voice called.

Adam got out of bed and fumbled to light the lamp on his bedside table.  Once the lamp was lit, he found the bottoms of his silk pyjamas in his chest of drawers and put them on before unlocking the door to the master bedroom.  It was so dark he could barely make out the figure of his three-going-on-four-year-old son.

“Adam Stoddard Cartwright, Junior,” he scolded, “it is not Christmas morning.  You know that you are to wait in your bedroom until Mama or I come to get you.”

“I thought it was morning, Daddy, and I wanted to tell you and Mama Merry Christmas,” A.C. said in a quavering voice, for he knew it wasn’t a good thing when his daddy addressed him by his full name.

“It’s all right, bachgennyn,” Bronwen said from the bed.  “Why don’t you come sleep with Daddy and me until it’s time to get up and see what Santa Claus brought you?”

“Okay!” A.C. said happily and ran to the bed followed by his resigned father.

“Here you go, Jackeroo,” Adam said, scooping up his son and plopping him in the middle of the bed.  A.C. immediately threw his arms around his mother’s neck and planted a loud smack on her cheek.  “Now, Santa Claus won’t come unless you’re asleep,” Adam said ruffling his little boy’s hair before reaching to dim the lamp.

“Right, Daddy,” A.C. said anxiously as he settled on his stomach between his parents.  He fell asleep almost immediately followed by his mother.  Adam, however, found it difficult to sleep without Bronwen’s body curled next to his.  Eventually he drifted off but almost immediately he was awakened by a hand shaking his shoulder.

“Merry Christmas, Daddy,” A.C. said excitedly.  “Mama says it’s time to go down stairs and see what Santa brought.”  He climbed over his father, narrowly missing the most sensitive part of the male anatomy.

“Merry Christmas, anwyld,” Bronwen said with a smile before leaning over to kiss her husband while their son watched curiously.  He had observed that Mama and Daddy kissed each other differently than they kissed him or his sisters.

Knowing they had an audience, it was a quick kiss and then Adam turned to his son.  “You need to go put your robe on before we go downstairs.” A.C. ran to his room past his sisters’ shouting, “Merry Christmas, Beth!  Merry Christmas, Gwyneth!  Merry Christmas, Penny!” at the top of his lungs.

Bronwen grinned as she slipped on her violet silk negligee while Adam rolled his eyes as he put on the top half of his pyjamas and his robe.  “I can’t find my slippers,” he complained. 

“Check and see if they got kicked under the bed,” Bronwen advised and in a few moments they were ready.

The four children, ranging in age from Beth’s almost seventeen to A.C.’s almost four, were waiting for them at the top of the stairs attired in slippers and robes.  “Can we go downstairs now?” ten-year-old Penny asked eagerly and her parents nodded.

“Hold onto Beth’s hand, A.C.,” Bronwen called as the children rushed down the stairs.

They were waiting impatiently in the drawing room, eyeing the pile of gifts under the decorated gum tree branch, which served as a Christmas tree in Queensland’s outback, when their parents entered the room. Their family tradition was that Adam would pass out one gift to each person and then they opened them by ages, with A.C. opening the first gift and Adam the last and continuing until all the gifts were opened. 

Bronwen had done her Christmas shopping at Bloomingdale’s in Boston that fall when they were enrolling their second daughter, Miranda, in the Girls’ Latin School, so the children all received clothing from their parents.

“I know you won’t be fourteen for a few months,” Bronwen said to Gwyneth, “but Daddy and I decided that it’s time for you to begin wearing your skirts down, so we bought you some grownup clothes in Boston.”  Beth, Adam and Bronwen’s oldest daughter, started to protest since she’d had to wait until she was fifteen before being allowed to wear long skirts, but one look at her father’s expression caused her to hold her tongue.  Besides, she understood why her parents were letting Gwyneth wear her skirts down so early.  Although she was not quite fourteen, Gwyneth had inherited her father’s long legs and stood five feet, nine inches in her stocking feet.  Adam handed Gwyneth a large box that contained several pairs of combinations made of linen and decorated with tucks and ribbons, two petticoats, and two new dresses.  One dress was made of moss-green silk poplin and the other of cinnamon-colored faille, and each had fashionable leg-of-mutton sleeves.  Gwyneth also received a couple of ready-made shirt-waist blouses and two skirts, one of golden-brown delaine and the other of dark green.  Santa Claus brought her hairpins and some pretty combs.

“I’ll help you do your hair, Gwyneth,” Beth offered and Gwyneth accepted with relief while her parents exchanged smiles.

Only A.C. and Penny were still young enough to receive toys.  A.C. was ecstatic over his Noah’s Ark and Penny adored her new doll with its china head and leather body dressed in a satin wedding gown.  As Bronwen watched Penny’s delight with her doll, her happiness was tinged with sadness, for in another year or two at the most, Penny would have outgrown dolls and only A.C. would be young enough to buys toys for at Christmas.

Adam had saved Miranda’s gift for last.  “Let’s let Mama open it, shall we?” he suggested.  Penny and A.C. were already sitting beside her on the settee and the others stood behind so they could watch as Bronwen unwrapped the gift. 

“It’s Manda and Grandpa!” A.C. exclaimed as Bronwen revealed a large photograph of Miranda and Ben in an ornate silver frame.  Miranda was wearing a tailor-made suit of black broadcloth and a shirtwaist blouse with a white cravat and dimpled for the camera.  Ben, looking very proud of his granddaughter, was dressed in a new black suit with a black silk Oxford tie.

“There’s a letter in the box,” Bronwen said and handed it to Adam.  “Let’s read it aloud.”

November 19, 1891

Dear Family,

Thank you so much for my lovely gifts.  A.C., I propped your picture up against the mirror on my vanity so I can see it every day.  I love my handkerchiefs, Beth.  Charlotte plays the piano and last Sunday afternoon she accompanied me as I sang the English words to Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau and I thought of you as I sang, Gwyneth.  I have looked at the photographs many times for they make me feel closer to all of you.  Penny, I used my rosewater the night I attended the theater with Grandpa and Aunt Annabelle.

We had a wonderful visit. They could only stay four days but every day when I got home from school Grandpa was waiting for me.  We explored the city and he told me how it had changed since Daddy and he left more than fifty years ago.  Did you know he proposed to Grandma under a tree in the Common?  The tree is still there!  Grandpa was so happy it was still standing.  They left on a Monday morning so on Sunday we all went to church with the Aldens and Mrs. Baldwin invited Granpa and me to dinner afterward.  They both told me lots of funny stories about Daddy when he was little like the time he knocked over a crock of molasses and then decided to paint pictures on the walls with it.

“Oh, Daddy,” Penny giggled, “I bet you and Grandpa had a necessary talk.”

“I’m sure we did,” Adam replied dryly, “but I was younger than A.C. so I didn’t know any better.”

“You must have been a sight,” Bronwen managed to get out as she choked with laughter at the thought of her fastidious husband covered with sticky molassess.

Beth and Gwyneth joined in the laughter as did A.C., who didn’t really understand what was so funny but found everyone else’s laughter infectious.  Adam rolled his eyes and continued reading.

I told Grandpa that I wanted to have my photograph taken as a Christmas gift to all of you, and he suggested we both be in the photograph.  He had a copy made to take back to the Ponderosa.

I almost forgot.  Two Sundays before my birthday, Tom Fuller came to call.  He asked me how I was adjusting to life in Boston and how I liked the Girls’ Latin School.  I asked him how he was enjoying Harvard.  He said his classes were harder than he’d thought they’d be.  He’s already taken your advice, Daddy, and he’s learning to fence.  I think Charlotte was jealous that Tom came to call on me but I explained that he was just being polite since we spent so much time together on the trip to Boston and his grandfather is a friend of Grandpa’s.

I’m doing well in my schoolwork, even Latin.  My marks won’t be as high in that class though.  Now that the weather has grown so cold, we don’t go to Cape Cod on the weekends so I haven’t been able to go riding.  I still walk the Aldens’ little dog, Rex, every day and I am so grateful for Uncle Joe and Aunt Annabelle’s gift.  They bought me a beautiful full-length coat that keeps me warm.  The Aldens also gave me a birthday present: a sealskin toque just like Charlotte’s.  Benj was wearing a Fauntleroy suit when he was in Boston.  I don’t think he liked it very much and I could just imagine what A.C. would say to the idea of wearing a velvet suit and a shirt with a big lace collar.

“He would look so adorable,” Bronwen said fondly.

“You are not dressing my son in velvet and lace,” Adam replied forcefully and then he continued reading.

By the way, it rained the morning of our birthday, Daddy, but the rain had stopped by the time Grandpa and I went to place the flowers on Grandma’s grave.  Grandpa had the florist make up a nosegay of pansies and rosemary.  He asked me to put a nosegay like that on Grandma’s grave every year and I promised that I would.

I had better stop now because I must get my package in the mail today if it’s to reach Cloncurry before Christmas.  I love you all and I miss you.

Your loving daughter and sister,
Miranda

“I miss Manda,” A.C. said mournfully.  “When’s she comin’ home, Daddy?”

“Not for a long time, Jackeroo.  But she graduates from the Girls’ Latin School in three years and we’ll be there for her graduation.”

“I hope she likes the Christmas gifts we sent her,” Penny said anxiously.

“I’m sure she will,” Bronwen said with a smile.  “I know she’s missing us just as much as we miss her, and probably even more.”

Nell and Mary poked their heads into the room then.  “Merry Christmas,” they both said smiling broadly at the family.  “Breakfast is ready.  The sweet rolls just came from the oven, so you need to hurry and get dressed,” Nell stated.

“As soon as you’ve finished dressing, come to my room, Gwyneth, so I can do your hair,” Beth said.

The rest of the family was waiting impatiently for the two older girls with Nell fussing that the sweet rolls would be stone cold if they didn’t eat them soon.  Finally, Beth and Gwyneth entered, and Adam was totally unprepared for Gwyneth’s transformation.  Instead of looking boyish and gawky, the high-necked cinnamon-colored dress emphasized her long, slender neck (the only feature she had inherited from Bronwen) and made her figure appear sylphlike.  Most of the curly dark hair she’d inherited from him was piled high on her head in a twist, but the hair at the back was allowed to tumble down in a profusion of curls.

“I’m sorry we’re late,” Beth said hurriedly, “but Gwyneth’s hair has a mind of its own.  It’s just too thick and curly to get it all to stay in the bun.  Then I remembered that Aunt Annabelle had shown me in one of her ladies magazines that some women wear their hair down in the back.”

“It was worth the wait,” Bronwen replied, delighted at Gwyneth’s appearance. 

‘Yes, you look pretty, Gwyneth,” Penny said a little enviously, for now all her older sisters could dress like young ladies while she still wore girls’ clothes.

Like his father, A.C. was a bit disturbed because Gwyneth didn’t look like Gwyneth now; she seemed a stranger to him.  Gwyneth felt very ill at ease in her new clothes and new hairstyle and her cheeks reddened at her mother’s and sister’s compliments.  Beth understood and said with a slight smile, “I know it feels strange at first, but you get used to it.  Trust me.”

“Llywelyn will tease me,” Gwyneth said unhappily, referring to her cousin and best friend, Llywelyn Davies.

“I don’t think he will,” Adam said.  “You look very nice, Punkin.  It’s just going to take me time to get used to seeing you looking so grownup.”
 

As soon as Bronwen’s brother, Rhys Davies, and his family arrived to share Christmas dinner with the Cartwrights, the first thing they commented on was Gwyneth’s appearance.

“Gwyneth dear, you look so grownup I almost didn’t recognize you,” Rhys’ wife, Matilda, said with a smile.

“I told you that you’d be a very pretty young lady one day,” Rhys said, putting his arm around his niece and giving her a quick squeeze.

“You sure look different,” Llywelyn said in his newly acquired mellow bass, letting his eyes travel from her fashionable hairstyle to the tips of her new patent leather slippers.  It was a shock to see his old playmate in this new guise.  Of course he was growing up and so naturally Gwyneth was as well, but it still seemed bizarre.
 
 

Ever since the Cartwrights had returned from their voyage to the States in October, Adam had been putting in long hours at the copper mine he and Rhys owned.  In a reciprocal arrangement decided on before the Cartwrights left, as soon as they returned the Davies family had traveled to Sydney to visit with Rhys’ and Bronwen’s parents, Dr. and Mrs. Davies.  They had only returned a few days before Christmas.  Now that Rhys and Adam were both working, they had more time to spend with their families so a few days after Christmas Gwyneth asked her father if they could go riding when he got home.

“I don’t know, Punkin,” he said gently.  “Zephyr’s not as young as he once was and he’ll already have made the trip to and from the mine.”

“But you can ride Rhiannon,” Gwyneth said, referring to Miranda’s Welsh Cob.

Adam wasn’t about to admit that he wasn’t as young as he used to be either, so he said, “All right.  I’ll plan on being home by five o’clock.” 

“I wanna come too,” A.C. begged and Penny added, “Me, too!”

Adam started to agree but he saw the disappointed look on his middle child’s face and instead said, “I’ll come home early on Saturday and go riding with the two of you.  This evening it’ll just be Gwyneth and me.”  Adam was rewarded by Gwyneth’s dimpled smile as he ignored the pouting of the younger children.

It was now summer vacation so after Gwyneth finished her chores she and Llywelyn took A.C. fishing at the Cloncurry river.  When they came back home Llywelyn cleaned the fish and Bronwen cooked them for their dinner.  That afternoon most of the young people in the neighborhood gathered at the Cartwrights’ home to play Battledore and Shuttlecock.  Gwyneth finished playing just in time to change clothes.  She put on a pair of the waist overalls Adam had given her and one of his old black shirts she had brought home from the Ponderosa.  She braided her hair and stuffed the braid under her black Stetson, which was a duplicate of the one her father favored.  She then examined her reflection in a mirror and grinned at her resemblance to her father in the old daguerreotypes her grandfather still treasured.  Except for her spectacles of course.  Daddy did wear glasses for reading now, but they looked different from the ones she and Mama wore.

She was just finishing saddling her Waler mare, Artemis, when her father rode up.  She didn’t notice the way his eyes narrowed at his first sight of her in the waist overalls he’d gotten her at Levi Strauss & Co in San Francisco.  Great Scott, Adam Cartwright, what were you thinking of? was his first thought as he observed how the tight-fitting pants molded to her long, slender legs and her firm, round derrière.

“I see you have Artemis all saddled,” he said, in what he hoped was a conversational tone since he did not trust his voice, as he swung out of the saddle.

“Right,” she answered cheerfully.  “I’ll help you groom Zephyr and then we can go.”

“Those are the waist overalls I got you, aren’t they?” he asked casually, and she nodded.  “Looks like I got them a size too small.”

“Oh no, Daddy, they fit perfectly.  I prefer them to my knickerbockers.”

Wonderful!  How do I forbid her to wear something that I bought her?  Then he had a thought.  Maybe they only seem so provocative to me because I’m her father.  She is only thirteen years old and she’s still my little girl, thank God, although I know it’s just a matter of time before she, too, becomes a young woman.
 

“Rhiannon’s pretty frisky,” he commented as they rode toward the river.

“Beth and I try to take turns riding her, but sometimes we’re both busy and we can’t neglect Artemis and Star.  Of course, Penny would be happy to exchange Muffin for Rhiannon.”

“I know she would, but she’s small for her age and Muffin is still a good mount for her.”  He paused and then said thoughtfully, “I’ve been thinking about fencing the pasture, but that will have to wait until April when the rainy season is over.”

“I can help,” Gwyneth offered.

“Building a fence is no work for a young lady,” Adam said shaking his head, but softening his rejection with a slight smile.  “Maybe Llywelyn would be interested in helping.”  He smiled then and asked, “I know you’re on vacation now, but I forgot to ask you earlier.  Have you had any problems with your schoolwork since we’ve been back?’

“No, the only subject I have problems with is arithmetic.  I just don’t understand how you and Miranda can enjoy it.”

“That’s okay, Punkin, because we can’t understand why you don’t like it,” he replied with a slow grin and she grinned back at him.

“Mr. Rockingham was teaching us more about poetry.  Just before we went on vacation we were studying sonnets.  Did you know a sonnet is fourteen lines of iambic pentameter?”

“Yes, I did know as a matter of fact.  Did you know that there are two types of sonnets?”

“Shakespearean and Petrarchan,” Gwyneth answered proudly.  “Everyone had to memorize a sonnet and I chose “Death Be Not Proud” by John Donne.

“One of my favorites,” Adam said reminiscently.  “‘One short sleep past, we wake eternally, / And death shall be no more, Death thou shalt die,’” he quoted.  “Do you understand what Donne means there?” he quizzed her.

“I think so.  He’s talking about the resurrection; after we are resurrected, death won’t exist.”

“That’s right.  You know, Donne was the dean of St. Paul’s cathedral in London and I remember reading a part of one of his sermons once.  ‘No man is an island entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main; if a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe is the less, as well as if a promontory were, as well as if a manor of thy friend’s or of thine own were; any man’s death diminishes me, because I am involved in Mankind.  And therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee.’”

“I’m not certain if I understand that,” Gwyneth said anxiously but her father smiled reassuringly.

“Tell you what.  We’ll talk it about next year when you’re almost fifteen.”  He paused and then asked with a grin.  “Race you back home?”

“You’re on!”
 
 

Beth’s luck held again this year and although it rained heavily earlier in the week, the day of her seventeenth birthday dawned without a cloud in the sky.  The temperature climbed to 112 degrees during the day, but that evening after the sun went down it cooled off enough to be tolerable.  This year Rob Anderson and a newcomer to Cloncurry, who played the fiddle, would supply the music and Adam and Gwyneth would attend the party.  Beth and Gwyneth both wore new party dresses purchased at Bloomingdale’s and expertly altered by their Aunt Matilda.  Gwyneth was beginning to feel more comfortable in her grownup clothes although, despite what she had told Miranda in her birthday letter, she now wished she had a bosom like her older sisters to fill out the top of the dress.  She wanted people to think that she was old enough to wear a dress this length, not that she was just a little girl who had grown too tall to wear clothing made for a child her age. 

Beth and her parents decided there just wasn’t time for a birthday supper before the party and so the Davies were invited to supper the next night when Beth would open all her gifts.

Llywelyn arrived early for the party with another boy his age.  The two were about the same height although the newcomer was an inch or so taller and more slender than Llywelyn, who had a stocky build.  The boy had black hair and black sloe eyes and, unlike Llywelyn, probably had to shave occasionally.  Adam and Bronwen were surprised to see that both boys were in their shirtsleeves.

“Good evening Aunt Bronwen, Uncle Adam,” Llywelyn said cheerfully.  “I’d like to introduce my friend, Mark Pentreath.”

“Mrs. Cartwright.  Mr. Cartwright,” the boy said nervously but shook their hands with a firm grip.  Adam noted he spoke with a trace of an accent.  He couldn’t place it for a moment but then it came to him: Cornish.

“Mark’s family just moved here recently.  His father works at our mine.  We’ve become good friends and I didn’t think you’d mind if I brought him to the party as my guest.”

“Not at all,” Bronwen replied with a warm smile.  “Do you know our daughters, Mark?”

“I’ve not been formally introduced,” Mark replied, reddening slightly for he’d noticed the beautiful eldest daughter at Chapel Bethel where his family now also attended. 

Eyeing the others anxiously, the young man was now regretting that he’d let Llywelyn talk him into coming to this party.  The sons of miners didn’t mingle socially with the offspring of mine owners.  True, Llywelyn was no snob and they’d quickly become friends at school, but this was different.  He didn’t even have the right clothes.  His mother had washed and ironed his very best linen shirt that he normally wore only to chapel and he’d polished his worn, scuffed boots until they shone.  He had experienced his first sense of foreboding when he’d arrived at the Davies house and saw Llywelyn and his father both wearing dress coats and patent-leather pumps.  He knew Llywelyn had sensed his embarrassment because he’d immediately said, “It is too hot for a coat.  I’m leaving mine at home as well.”  Mark was grateful, but he had also seen the look in Mr. Davies’ eyes as he heard the comment.  Mr. Davies had kindly held his tongue, for he knew his son was leaving his coat at home so Mark wouldn’t be the only one in shirtsleeves. 

Mr. Cartwright, of course, was wearing a dress coat, although Mark noted with some surprise that he was also wearing boots.  Mrs. Cartwright was wearing a beautiful dress, lovelier than the nicest dress Mark’s mother had ever owned.  The birthday girl looked like a fairytale princess, and Mark even knew which one, for she had hair that was black as ebony with skin white as snow and lips red as blood.  He’d forgotten there was a younger daughter; she was tall, as tall as he was.  She, at least, didn’t look like a princess.  In fact, Mark had the feeling that this girl was as ill at ease in her outfit as he was in his.

“Beth, Gwyneth, this is Mark . . .” Adam hesitated.

“Pentreath,” Mark said quickly.

“Yes, sorry,” Adam said with a smile.  “Mark, let me introduce our oldest daughter, Elizabeth, whose birthday we are celebrating, and her sister Gwyneth.  This is our youngest daughter, Penelope,” he added putting his hands on the shoulders of a pretty little girl with the loveliest eyes Mark had ever seen.  “And this is our son, A.C.,” Adam said nodding at a little boy who grinned at Mark impishly.  (Penny and A.C. were on their very best behavior since Adam and Bronwen had agreed they could stand by the musicians and watch the dancing until their bedtimes.  A.C. had been warned that he must obey Penny without any fussing, but the little charmer knew that was a small price to pay for being allowed to enjoy the festivities firsthand.)

Fortunately for Mark, another guest arrived just then—Reverend Jones, Mark saw with surprise—so the attention was no longer on him.  He heard Llywelyn ask his cousin Gwyneth for a dance and remembered Llywelyn had requested that he also dance once with her.  “She’s so tall the boys her own age don’t want to dance with her and all the older boys will be too busy hanging around my cousin Beth to pay any attention to Gwyneth,” Llywelyn had confided.  “Gwyneth’s nice and I don’t want her to be a wallflower.”

“Uh, may I have a dance, Gwyneth?” Mark asked nervously.  The girl smiled at him and her whole face lit up.  She even had a deep dimple, Mark noticed with pleasure.  When she smiled, she was very pretty he thought as he signed her dance card for a polka.
 

“I wanted to arrive early this year,” Reverend Jones said smiling at Beth, “to make certain I could enjoy one dance with you.”   Beth, to her surprise, felt a tingling of pleasure at this remark.  Ever since Reverend Jones had begun teaching her how to play the harp, which required him to place his fingers on hers, she’d unconsciously become more aware of him.  He had a very nice laugh, she noticed, very warm and friendly, and she liked the way his eyes crinkled at the corners when he smiled or laughed.

“Daddy has claimed the first dance and I promised Uncle Rhys a polka,” she said demurely. 

“I’d like to have the last dance with you as I did last year,” Reverend Jones said gazing into her eyes and causing her cheeks to turn pink.  “And I see your second dance is free,” he added, writing his name on her dance card.  Then he turned to Gwyneth.  “And may I have the pleasure of a dance with you, Gwyneth?”  She nodded mutely as he wrote his name down on her card for two dances.  She didn’t trust her voice at that moment as she was faced with the prospect of dancing with a man other than her father or her uncle.  Her discomfiture was complete as the reverend kindly added, “You look very pretty, Gwyneth. I see your cousin and Mark were intelligent enough to reserve their dances,” he added winking at the two boys.
 

Beth and Bronwen together had managed to persuade Adam to allow two waltzes this year.  Mark did not know how to dance a quadrille or a waltz, but he asked a few younger girls to dance polkas—the girls who looked a little shy and whom the other boys ignored.  The first dance was a two-step waltz.  Mr. Cartwright led Beth out and a few minutes later Reverend Jones and Mrs. Cartwright joined them and then other couples.  Llywelyn was also sitting this dance out so he and Mark stood together and watched the dancers.

“I was surprised to see Reverend Jones,” Mark commented quietly to Llywelyn as he watched the minister dance with Mrs. Cartwright.

“Ministers get married, too,” Llywelyn replied with a broad grin. 

“I guess they do,” Mark agreed with a grin of his own.

“Gwyneth and I think Reverend Jones is sweet on Beth,” Llywelyn added.

“She’s the most beautiful girl I’ve ever seen,” Mark stated.  “But she’s nice.  Some beautiful girls aren’t.  They’re too conceited.”

“Aunt Bronwen is always reminding Beth about Proverbs 31, verse 30,” Llywelyn said with a grin.

“‘Favor is deceitful, and beauty is vain; but a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised,’” Mark quoted.

“Beth gets tired of that verse, but she understands what my aunt means.  If she ever did start acting conceited, her sisters and I would let her know about it,” Llywelyn said with a chuckle.

“All your cousins are pretty,” Mark said quietly and Llywelyn smiled at him.

“I think so.  You haven’t met Miranda because she’s going to a school in the States.  They have colleges for women there and she wants to attend one.”

“I guess she must be the smart sister,” Mark said with a little smile.  “I’d like to attend the Sydney Technical College myself.”

“I’m going there,” Llywelyn said excitedly.  “Maybe we could room together.  'That'd be beaut!”

“I said I’d like to attend, but my family can’t afford to send me,” Mark replied a bit despondently.

“Maybe you could get a job now while we’re on vacation and earn money or be granted a scholarship.  You’re making good marks in school. Mr. Rockingham would know about scholarships.”

“I’ve got a job after school working at the livery stable.  My dad wants me to drop out of school now and work fulltime at the mine.”

“Don’t do that.  You’ll never be able to attend the Technical College if you don’t finish school!” Llywelyn exclaimed.

“That’s easy for you to say, Llywelyn Davies!  Your family is rich,” Mark retorted.

Llywelyn immediately looked abashed.  “I’m sorry.  I had no right to say that.  It’s just that I think it’d be such a waste if you dropped out of school to work.”

Mark smiled.  “I understand.  Dad hasn’t said too much about it lately because your dad and uncle pay a good wage.  Better than the last mine dad worked at.  So far we’re doing okay, but I’m expected to contribute my wages to the family, not save it for college.”

“Then I guess a scholarship is your best bet,” Llywelyn said supportively and he resolved to speak to his father and uncle about the subject soon.
 

It was time for the second dance so Reverend Jones came to claim his first with Beth.  It was a quadrille, which didn’t allow for much conversation, but the reverend was content to feast his eyes on Beth and her beauty.  The more time he spent with this lovely girl, the deeper his feelings grew, for she had an inner beauty that enhanced her outward appearance.  He knew he might be considered too old for her yet he’d known other happily married couples with an age span greater than eight years.  Gwyneth had artlessly let slip that her father was ten years older than her mother so that might be a way of getting around any objections Mr. and Mrs. Cartwright could have as to the difference in their ages.  He knew, of course, that Bethan (he always used the Welsh version of her name in his thoughts) was still too young now to be thinking of marriage.  However, he was prepared to wait and he thought he’d seen signs that she was beginning to view him as a man rather than just a minister and her savior on that dreadful day when her virtue had almost been compromised.  It was difficult to see young men closer to her age taking her for walks but he knew he must be patient.  Perhaps in another six months, he could ask Mr. Cartwright for permission to court her, but not before.
 

The second polka was the dance Gwyneth had promised to Mark.  He discovered she was light on her feet and he liked the fact he could look her in the eye as they whirled about the yard.  In fact, they whirled so fast that Gwyneth’s hairpins began to come loose and by the end of the dance her hair was hanging down her back.  Mark had never seen hair so thick and so curly and he surreptitiously managed to touch one curl.  It was so soft and looking at Gwyneth, with her amazing hair tumbling down her back, suddenly made him feel very warm.

“Stone the crows!  Now I’ll have to go inside and pin it back up.  And I don’t know how I’ll ever find all my hairpins,” Gwyneth said with a pout, which for some reason made Mark feel even warmer.

“I’ll help you look,” he said.  They both bent down and reached for the same hairpin.  Their fingers brushed and Mark jerked his hand back as though he’d been burnt while his cheeks flamed.

Adam and Bronwen had been dancing and they saw Gwyneth talking with Mark and her hair tumbled down and walked over.

“Oh, Gwyneth, did you lose your hairpins?” Bronwen scolded.

“It was my fault, Mrs. Cartwright,” Mark said hurriedly and Adam noticed the boy was blushing.  “I guess we danced too vigorously.  I told Gwyneth I’d help her look for them.”

“It’s too dark; you’ll never find them,” Bronwen said.  “Come with me and you can borrow some of mine,” she said resignedly to Gwyneth, as the young girl followed her mother into the house.

“It wasn’t your fault about the hairpins,” Adam said kindly.  “I’m afraid Gwyneth’s hair resists being confined.”

“I’ve never seen hair like hers,” Mark said in awe.  “It’s glorious.”

Adam looked at him sharply, but then reminded himself this was a fifteen-year-old boy, and judging from the way he was blushing, an innocent fifteen-year-old.  The boy realized whom he was speaking to and blushed even more so Adam grinned at him and said, “You’d better find your partner for the next dance.”

Gwyneth danced with her father, uncle, Llywelyn, Mark and Reverend Jones.  In addition, Sandy McDonald and Tony Williams each asked her to dance to please Beth so she greatly enjoyed herself at the party and she didn’t mind being forbidden to dance any waltzes.  Beth had a different partner for almost every dance, the exceptions being Sandy, Tony and Reverend Jones, who each danced with her twice.  Sandy and Tony considered themselves rivals for Beth’s hand, but neither of them understood why Beth was dancing twice with Reverend Jones.

He approached Beth for the final dance of the evening with a smile.  “Our waltz, I believe,” he said, extending his hand.  He held her no closer than propriety allowed, yet somehow gazing up into his eyes as he twirled her about in a slow waltz, Beth felt a frisson of excitement.  Dancing with Reverend Jones was different than dancing with boys like Sandy or Tony—he was more self-assured, more mature. 

“You are an exquisite dancer,” he said quietly, “and so graceful.  But it must run in your family because your mother and sister are as well.”

“Thank you,” she said demurely, “you are also an excellent dancer.  And you’re right about Gwyneth; now that she seems to have stopped growing, she is becoming very graceful.”

“It was sweet of you to convince Tony and Sandy to dance with her.  Not every older sister would be so thoughtful.”

“I love my sister and I don’t want to see her be a wallflower.  I think she preferred dancing with Llywelyn’s friend though,” she replied looking up into his dark chocolate eyes and then finding it difficult to look away.

“Young Mark.  I think Gwyneth may have made a conquest there,” the reverend said with a smile, finding it equally difficult to look away from her dark hazel eyes, savoring the feel of his hand on her impossibly tiny waist.

Her eyes widened.  “Fair dinkum?”

He looked confused for a moment and then said with a smile, “Oh yes.  He’s been struck by one of Dan Cupid’s arrows.  Your Tada has noticed, too.”

“Poor Mark,” Beth said with a giggle—an adorable giggle the reverend would have said.

“I think he’s decided Mark is young enough and naive enough to be harmless.  Besides, I think your sister is too young to have any interest in having a beau.”

“Too right,” Beth said dimpling.  “She has no use for romance whatsoever and doesn’t believe that she ever will.”  They both smiled at that knowing that just like every other young girl or boy, Gwyneth would change her mind soon enough.

The music ended so the reverend escorted Beth to her parents, resisting the temptation to kiss her hand.  Adam turned to his firstborn with a smile.  “Did you enjoy your party, Princess?” and she nodded with shining eyes.
 

The highlight of Beth’s birthday supper the following evening was opening Miranda’s gift, which also contained a letter.  The gift was a pair of brown leather shoes that laced over the instep.  No one had ever seen shoes like them before, but little attention was paid to the shoes since everyone was anxious to hear what Miranda had written.

December 5, 1891

Happy Birthday Beth!

I have seen snow!  It is beautiful when it first falls.  It covers everything just like white icing on a cake.  Unfortunately, it doesn’t stay white and beautiful very long here in the city. Along the roads it becomes gray slush.  It is so cold and so wet.  I would try to describe it, but you can’t understand until you’ve seen it and touched it for yourself.  Charlotte and I did build a snowman.  We borrowed a carrot from the cook for his nose and we used two lumps of coal for his eyes.  Charlotte found an old gray silk top hat that her father hadn’t worn in years so we put it on our snowman.  We then added one of her father’s old ascots.  We had a very dashing man-about-town snowman!

Once the sun sets it is very cold here.  One night it actually was only eighteen degrees.  I haven’t been walking Rex since it became so cold (he doesn’t like the cold any more than I do!) and I am very glad the Aldens’ groom drives us to school.  My birthday coat helps, but nothing can keep me warm when it’s this cold outside.

I am doing well with my schoolwork.  You asked if I had met any boys here in Boston, and the answer is yes.  I’ve been invited (along with Aldens of course) to dine with several other families that live in Beacon Hill and some of them have sons that are about the same age as Charlotte and me.  Because Charlotte and I have not made our debut, we are too young to be invited to parties or balls.  I suppose the boys are nice enough, but I haven’t met any that I really cared for.  I almost forgot.  Daddy’s friend, Mr. Collingsworth, and his wife have invited me to supper twice and I still visit Mrs. Baldwin often on Sunday afternoons.

I hope you like your shoes and they fit properly.  We’ve always been able to wear the same shoes so I tried them on and they fit nicely.  They are called Oxfords.  People here wear them in the summer in the country or to the beach so I thought they’d be perfect for your birthday.  It makes me even colder to think how warm the weather is back home.

I must stop now so I can get your package in the mail.  I’ll write you all about my Christmas here in Boston and enclose that letter with Penny’s gift.  Give my love to everyone and give A.C. a kiss for me.

Your loving sister,
Miranda

“I want Manda to come home,” A.C. whimpered and Beth picked him up and hugged him.

“I know, little brother,” she whispered kissing his cheek.  “There, that’s a kiss from Miranda.  She misses you, too, but she can’t leave school yet.” 

“We all miss her,” Penny said sadly while a tear rolled down her cheek so Adam picked her up, big girl of ten that she was, and sat her on his lap and cuddled her, blinking back the moisture in his own eyes.  Bronwen turned to Gwyneth, who was sitting on the arm of the settee by her, and squeezed her hand comfortingly.  I don’t know if we can bear to wait three years until Miranda graduates to visit her Bronwen thought.  She caught her husband’s eye and knew he was thinking the same thing.
 
 

Chapter 2
The next morning as the Davies ate breakfast, Llywelyn asked carefully, “Dad, if I rode to the mine this afternoon, would you and Uncle Adam have time to talk with me?  It’s about business,” he added.

Rhys arched both eyebrows in surprise but he only said mildly, “I’m certain if you ride out, your uncle and I can set aside some time to talk with you.”

“Thanks,” Llywelyn said with a grateful grin.
 

Rhys told Adam about Llywelyn’s proposed visit as they rode to the mine.  Adam was as intrigued as Rhys. 

“So Llywelyn wants to talk business with us?  And you have no idea what it’s all about?”

“Not a clue.  I guess we’ll find out this afternoon.”
 

Matilda and Bronwen always packed a dinner for Rhys and Adam to eat at the mine since the distance was too great to allow them to come home.  Both men noticed Llywelyn’s nervousness when he arrived shortly after they’d finished eating, which only increased their curiosity.

Llywelyn cleared his throat and then plunged into his carefully rehearsed speech.  “Dad.  Uncle Adam.  Have you ever thought of setting up a scholarship in the name of Cartwright & Davies Mining Company?  That way you could help some of the very intelligent boys in town whose fathers aren’t wealthy to attend college.  It would be a philanthropic gesture and I’m sure the entire town would appreciate it.”

Both men were taken aback but they could see the merit in Llywelyn’s suggestion.  “We’ve never discussed it, but actually I think it is a good idea,” Rhys stated and Adam nodded his agreement.  “I have a feeling that you have a specific candidate in mind though, son.”

“Sort of,” Llywelyn admitted, “but I know he’d have to compete against other boys and he might not be the one you choose.  Anyway, I have several mates who are very bright, but their families aren’t as well off as ours and they probably won’t have an opportunity to attend college just for that reason.” 

“You’ve certainly given us food for thought, Llywelyn,” Adam said with a warm smile.  “Your dad and I will talk it over and let you know what we decide.”  Llywelyn thanked them both and rode back home, hopeful that his father and uncle would act on his idea.

“I do like the idea,” Adam said after Llywelyn left their office.  “There are some deserving boys here who have no chance of attending college because of the money involved.”

“We’ll need to set up criteria.  I would like a chance to interview potential candidates and then make the final decision.  We’ll need to decide on an amount.  It will have to be fairly large to be of real help,” Rhys said thoughtfully.

“I’ll write my father about it,” Adam said.  “I think Cartwright Enterprises might be willing to contribute, and that would allow us to fund a larger scholarship.”

“Right,” Rhys said.  “Why don’t we both write down our ideas tonight, and then tomorrow we can discuss it again.”  He grinned at Adam.  “I’m proud of my son for coming up with the idea.”

“You should be,” Adam replied with a matching grin.  “Llywelyn is a fine boy and I hope A.C. follows his cousin’s example.”
 
 

January 30, 1892, Penny’s eleventh birthday, began with a torrential thunderstorm.  The summer holiday had ended a few days earlier so Penny and Gwyneth put on their mackintosh raincoats and heavy shoes and walked to school.  The day was going to be a scorcher, for when the girls left for school it was already eighty-five degrees.  It was wash day but Nell’s and Mary’s work wasn’t affected by the rain, for soon after the Cartwrights had moved to Cloncurry Adam had put up a clothesline under the house they could use on rainy days.  (In addition to preventing houses from being destroyed by termites, building them so they sat on stumps that supported the floor of the house also provided much needed extra living space.  Almost all the Cartwrights’ neighbors also used the space under their houses for hanging clothes to dry.)

A.C. whined and begged to be allowed to go out and play in the rain but Bronwen and Beth were busy getting ready for Penny’s birthday party that afternoon.  Neither one had the time nor the inclination to stand in the rain and watch him.  Bronwen told him he must play in his room and he had a full blown temper tantrum, which resulted in his being forced to sit on a stool in a corner of the kitchen facing the wall while Bronwen made the birthday cake and Beth dusted and polished the furniture in the drawing room, dining room and library.  Bronwen tried to ignore her baby’s sobs but finally she couldn’t stand it any longer.

“A.C. bach, if you tell Mama you are sorry for being a bad boy, then you may sit at the kitchen table and watch me make Penny’s cake.”

“I’m sorry, Mama,” he said in a quavering voice, turning so she could see his woebegone little face.

“Where’s your handkerchief?  You need to blow your nose.”

“I dunno, Mama,” he said checking all his pockets. 

“All right you can use mine, and then we both need to go to the bathhouse and wash our hands.”

As they washed their hands, A.C. asked hopefully, “Can I lick the spoon, Mama?”

“Only if you are a very, very good little boy.”

“I will be Mama; I promise,” he said dimpling.

Aside from his incessant chatter, he was good so, as promised, he got to lick the spoon.  To Bronwen’s great relief as she put the cake in the oven, A.C. decided he would go play with his Noah’s Ark in his room.  She had some preparations to make for the birthday supper and she needed to fix a light dinner for everyone but Adam.  Gwyneth and Penny returned for the midday meal leaving their mackintoshes and their muddy shoes on the verandah.  As they gathered in the dining room, Penny began to chatter about her party.  A.C. had forgotten that he would be spending the afternoon with his Aunt Matilda and when Penny (in typical older sister fashion) reminded him that he was not coming to her party, he had another temper tantrum.  Bronwen’s nerves were becoming frayed and, borrowing a page from her husband’s book of discipline, she turned him over her knee and administered three firm swats to his bottom.  She then marched him up to his room and told him he was to stay there until she gave him permission to come out.  He had an excellent set of lungs and they could hear his screams downstairs in the dining room.

Penny and Gwyneth ate quickly and headed back to school while Nell and Mary returned to the laundry.  With a sigh Bronwen said, “Beth, I have a terrific headache.  Could you go ahead and frost the cake while I rest for a bit?”

“Right, Mama.  Don’t worry; she’ll be apples,” Beth replied with an encouraging smile, for her mother did look tired and drawn.

A.C. had worn himself out screaming, so Bronwen went quietly upstairs and lay down on her chaise lounge on the upstairs verandah.  She was more tired than she’d realized, for she slept until Beth came upstairs and gently shook her arm.

“I’m sorry, Mama, but A.C. woke up and I didn’t know if you wanted him to stay in his room any longer.”

“How long was I asleep?” Bronwen asked as she sat up, relieved that her headache seemed to have disappeared.

“A little over an hour,” Beth replied.

“Oh, I’m glad you woke me.  Would you please play with your brother until it’s time to take him to Aunt Matilda’s?”

“Right.  The rain has stopped.  Could I take him outside and let him swing?”

“All right, but make sure he doesn’t track any mud in the house,” Bronwen warned.

Bronwen finished all the last minute preparations for the party and then she asked Beth to go ahead and take A.C. over to the Davies house while she changed.

“But I wanna come to Penny’s party.  Please, Mama,” he said imploringly.  “Please.  I’ll be good.”

“A.C. bach, Penny’s party is for Penny and her school friends.  I’m sorry but you can’t come.  And if you have another tantrum, then you and Mama will have another necessary talk, and I will have to tell Daddy when he comes home that you have been a bad boy.”

“No, I’m not a bad b-boy,” A.C. sobbed.  “I just want to come to the p-party.”

“Come on, A.C.,” Beth said brightly, “you’ll have fun with Aunt Matilda.”  She grasped her weeping little brother’s hand and led him away.

Bronwen’s headache had returned with a vengeance and she felt like crying herself.  It didn’t seem fair to forbid A.C. to come to the party, but it wouldn’t be fair to Penny and her friends to have him there either.  She felt her control slipping away and she began to sob uncontrollably.  What is wrong with me?  Why can’t I stop crying?

A few minutes later Beth returned and found her mother sitting on the verandah crying hysterically.  “Mama, what’s wrong?” she asked, feeling panicked.

“I don’t know,” Bronwen sobbed.  “I can’t stop crying.”

“Are you all right?” Beth asked anxiously and Bronwen managed to nod.  “Don’t worry about the party.  I’ll manage until you feel better.”  She ran upstairs to change clothes, still worried about her mother.

After Beth left, Bronwen suddenly realized the only other times she had lost control like this was after the birth of her children, but she didn’t see any connection.  Fortunately by the time the party guests started to arrive, she’d managed to regain control.  She changed clothes, washed her face and hoped none of the children noted her red, swollen eyes.
 

Adam stopped by the Davies house to pick up A.C. and take him home.  A.C. saw him walking up to the verandah and ran out the front door shouting, “Daddy!”

Adam swung him up in the air and then said, “Jackeroo, you’re getting too big for this.”  Or I’m getting too old.  Maybe it’s a combination of both, Adam thought.  “Have you been a good boy for your Aunt Matilda?”

“I was good.  Wasn’t I, Aunt Tilda?”

“Yes, he was very good.  We played some games and looked at some of Llywelyn’s old picture books.”

“What do you say to Aunt Matilda for letting you come to visit?” Adam asked A.C.

“Thank you, Aunt Tilda,” A.C. replied dimpling and his father squeezed his neck affectionately as Matilda said, “You’re very welcome, A.C.”

“Come on.  You can ride home on Zephyr with me,” Adam said to A.C., then turned to his in-laws.  “We’ll see you in a bit. I can hardly wait to read Miranda’s letter.”

“We’re all anxious to hear about her Christmas,” Rhys said grinning broadly.  “We’ll have to let Penny open her gifts first though.”

“We gots a letter from Manda?” A.C. asked excitedly as he walked along holding his daddy’s hand.

“Too right,” Adam said with a smile that showed all his white teeth.  “After Penny’s opened all her presents, then she’ll read Miranda’s letter.”

“I want to hear Manda’s letter first,” A.C. said with a pout.

“Now, Jackeroo, if it was your birthday, wouldn’t you want to open your presents first?”  A.C. still looked sulky but his mood improved when Adam helped him to mount Zephyr on his own.  (Adam hoped Bronwen wouldn’t consider it breaking their agreement, but A.C.’s fourth birthday was only two weeks away and he just couldn’t resist.  He’d already bought a Welsh mountain pony from Peter Dawson—a pretty little sorrel gelding who stood exactly twelve hands high.  Bronwen had complained he was being extravagant; they could have given A.C. Miranda’s old pony, Honey, but Adam explained Honey was ready to be put out to pasture.  (What he did not tell Bronwen was that Honey had gotten lazy and he wanted A.C. to have a pony with a bit more spirit.)

Penny’s friends had all departed so Adam and A.C. went upstairs to change for the birthday supper.  Gwyneth was still in her room struggling to pin her hair up and as Adam walked into A.C.’s room to make certain A.C. was changing into one of his knickerbocker suits he suddenly heard Gwyneth’s voice saying loudly, “Gol dang it!”

Adam was standing in Gwyneth’s doorway within seconds.  “Gwyneth Marie Cartwright, do you want your mouth washed out with soap?” he asked sternly.  “If I ever hear you use that language again, I promise you that is exactly what will happen.”

“Uncle Joe talks that way,” Gwyneth sulked.

“Uncle Joe is not my daughter; you are.  And I expect you to talk like a lady, not a cowboy.  And if you talk back to me once more, you will have a sore bottom to go with your freshly washed mouth. Do I make myself clear?”

“Yes, Daddy,” she replied sullenly.  “I wish I could cut my hair.  It never wants to stay up!”

“I’ll see if Beth can come help you,” he replied, biting his cheek to stop from laughing at her ferocious scowl.  He walked halfway down the curving front staircase and called Beth’s name.

“Yes, Daddy?”

“Could you come help your sister with her hair?”

“Right.  Poor Gwyneth,” Beth said as she joined him on the stairs.  “Her hair really is so uncooperative.  I used to wish I had curly hair like hers, but not anymore.”
 

Penny was as eager as the rest of them to read Miranda’s letter so she opened her gifts in record time.  The package from Miranda contained a red pullover sweater and a fat letter.

“Why don’t you read it to us, Kitten?” Adam suggested and Penny’s smile was blinding.

December 27, 1891

Happy Birthday Penny!

Christmas in New England is certainly different from Christmas in Queensland.  Daddy, I wonder if your first Christmas in Queensland was as strange as my first Christmas here in Boston.  I suppose it must have been.  Everything is so backwards.  Instead of excessive heat, there’s excessive cold.  Instead of drinking cold drinks to cool off, everyone drinks hot drinks to warm up.  When Charlotte, Emily, Sophie and I went Christmas caroling, we had to be bundled up against the cold.

Llywelyn interrupted then. “That just sounds unbelievable.  To be all bundled up to go Christmas caroling,” he said shaking his head in wonder.

“Trust me, Llywelyn, it has taken me years to grow accustomed to caroling in my shirtsleeves,” Adam commented with a chuckle.

“Let’s get back to Miranda’s letter, please,” Bronwen said a bit sharply, for her headache had only intensified throughout the afternoon and evening.

Llywelyn stammered an apology while Adam raised an eyebrow at his wife’s tone.  It was not like Bronwen to be snappish and he wondered if she were feeling ill.  She did look tired and drawn, and she had been massaging the back of her neck now that he thought about it.  He resolved to question her when they were alone that night.  Meanwhile, Penny cleared her throat and resumed reading.

. . . I must admit that the Aldens’ tall evergreen tree is lovelier than our gum tree branch.  Their tree was over six feet tall.  Ned, the footman, had to stand on a ladder to put the angel at the top of the tree.  The Aldens are too grand for homemade decorations; all their ornaments come from Germany.  They have many more of the delicate blown glass Christmas ornaments than we do—little birds, roses, and balls.  They also have a few metal Christmas ornaments—miniature stars and musical instruments.  Then lastly they drape icicles of silver foil on all the branches.  I suppose the Aldens’ tree is grander, but I missed the little birds and animals that Daddy carved and we all painted.  That reminds me.  Did Daddy carve an animal for A.C. to paint this year?

A.C., who was sitting on Adam’s lap, looked up at him with a dimpled grin.  “When you write your sister, you can tell her all about your kangaroo ornament,” Adam said, with a matching grin.

Although the climate is very different, many Christmas traditions are the same in Boston.  For Christmas dinner we had a huge turkey with oyster dressing, and plenty of vegetables and sauces.  Then we had a Christmas pudding just like home and mince pies.  The one thing I missed was making Christmas taffy; the Aldens had never heard of that.

I loved all of my Christmas gifts and I hope my gift to you arrived in plenty of time for Christmas.  Even though I enjoyed Christmas with the Aldens, I did miss you all dreadfully.  There’s no school now because of the Christmas vacation but I am trying to keep busy so I won’t get so homesick.

Your loving sister,
Miranda

“I think tomorrow we should each write Miranda a letter,” Rhys said when Penny finished.  “As much as we miss her, it must be even worse for her.  Letters from her family should help her deal with her homesickness.”

“Yes,” Adam agreed.  “I remember how I treasured letters from my father and brothers, and when I got so homesick I could hardly bear it, I’d get out those letters and read them again.”  He looked down at his son, whose head was nodding.  “I think someone is ready for bed.”  A.C. was so sleepy that he didn’t argue and so Adam carried him to his room and put him to bed.
 

Bronwen was relieved that Rhys, Matilda and Llywelyn left early.  (Rhys and Matilda had both noticed how tired she looked and, like Adam, they had noticed her rubbing her neck to relieve the tension so they didn’t stay as long as they normally would for a family get together.)

Beth had been worried about her mother ever since she’d found her crying, and she skillfully maneuvered her younger sisters into heading upstairs to their rooms not long after the Davies left and Adam gave his firstborn a grateful smile.

When he and Bronwen were alone, he suggested they retire early.  “You look exhausted, sweetheart, and I suspect you have a headache.”

“I do,” Bronwen said ruefully.  “I actually had a long nap, but I’m ready to sleep again.  Your son wore me out today.”

“My son?” Adam asked with a sardonic smile.  “He’s only my son when he’s misbehaving.  When he’s angelic, then he’s your son.”

“He was a little devil today, although to be fair, he had some help from Penny.”  At Adam’s raised eyebrow she added, “Penny just had to gloat over the fact that A.C. wasn’t coming to her party.  He’d already had one tantrum because he couldn’t go out and play in the rain, and Penny’s gloating brought on another.”

“He told me he’d been a good boy,” Adam said with a frown.

“You know what a three-year-old’s memory is like.  I’m sure he’d forgotten.  Besides, he got a spanking after the second tantrum and he had to stay in his room for an hour.”

Adam nodded, though he was surprised that his wife had actually spanked their son.  “Well then, he’s had his punishment, and he was very good this evening.”  He looked harder at her wan countenance.  “Are you certain you just have a headache?”

She hesitated, but decided not to mention her crying jag.  No need to alarm him.  “Yes. I’m certain I’ll feel better in the morning.”

“All right,” Adam replied.  He obviously wasn’t totally convinced, but decided not to press her at the moment.
 

Bronwen woke out of a troubled sleep.  “Sweetheart,” Adam said urgently, shaking her shoulder.  “Sweetheart, are you all right?”

Bronwen realized she was drenched in sweat, her nightgown was soaked and the bedclothes were damp.  “Yes, I’m fine,” she said.  “It’s just so warm in here.  I’m sorry.  If you’ll light the lamp, I’ll change the sheets.”

In the dark, she couldn’t see the skeptical look on her husband’s face, for it wasn’t unusually warm.  However, he lit the lamp and insisted on helping her change the bed.
 

After several weeks of interrupted sleep and mood swings, Bronwen realized that she must be going through “the change”.  She resisted going to see Dr. Brooke, and she also didn’t want to tell Adam what was happening, afraid that he would find her less desirable if he knew she was becoming an old woman.  Adam decided to take matters into his own hands, and paid a visit to Dr. Brooke one afternoon.

“I can’t convince my wife to see you, but I’m afraid there is something wrong with her.  She’s become very moody lately and once or twice I’ve found her crying inconsolably over trifles.  And it seems as though we haven’t had an uninterrupted night’s sleep for weeks.”

“Why is that?” Dr. Brooke asked and then answered his own question. “Is she having night sweats?”

“Yes.  They’re as bad as mine after I’ve taken quinine,” Adam said emphatically.  “Do you know what’s wrong, doctor?”

“There’s nothing wrong with Mrs. Cartwright,” the doctor said calmly.  “She is just going through menopause.”

“Menopause?” Adam repeated.

“Yes.  You see, a woman’s body undergoes two major changes in her lifetime.  The first is when she begins her childbearing years.  The second, menopause, is when her childbearing years are over.  While their bodies are adjusting to this change, many women experience night sweats, and sometimes they will perspire profusely while they are awake as well.  They also often become very moody.  When Mrs. Cartwright’s body has finished changing, the symptoms will stop.  The best advice I can give you is to be patient and understanding.”
 

When Adam and Bronwen were alone in bed that night he said quietly, “I saw Dr. Brooke this afternoon.”

“Are you ill?” she said fearfully.

“No, I didn’t go to talk about me; I talked to him about you.”

“I told you I wasn’t sick!” she snarled.

“Yes, that’s what he told me.  He explained to me why you are so moody and why you’re having the night sweats.”  He paused and then asked gently, “Sweetheart, why didn’t you tell me?  Why did I have to hear about it from Dr. Brooke?”

She looked away and said in a voice so low he had to strain to hear, “I didn’t want to tell you that you are married to an old woman.”

“You don’t seem to mind being married to an old man,” he said with a hint of a smile and she heard the ironic humor in his voice.

“It’s not funny!” she retorted, turning to face him.  “I’m becoming a dried up old woman!  My breasts are starting to sag and I’m afraid my waist is getting thicker even though I’m eating less and trying to walk more.”

“Sweetheart,” he said tenderly, “I’m a decade older than you are.  I’m bald and my waist has very definitely thickened.  If I am honest, then I have a confession of my own that is just as humiliating for me.  If I’ve made love to you less often the past couple of months, it’s not that I find you any less attractive; it’s because my desire just doesn’t seem to be as strong as it once was.”

She smiled ruefully at those words. “As long as we’re both being honest, I have another confession:  I think my desire must be lessening as well because I’ve been content.”  She paused and then said hesitantly, “I do miss the cuddling that we always share after we make love though.”

“Then we’ll cuddle more often,” he said gently, drawing her close.  She laid her head on his chest and he said very softly as he tenderly caressed her, “As long as we’re making confessions, when we were first married, I didn’t really enjoy cuddling.  I only did it to please you, but now that I’ve gotten older, I find I take pleasure in it.”

She lifted her head and smiled at him then said quietly, “I think this must be what Mr. Browning had in mind when he wrote about the last of life being the best.”  Adam kissed her forehead in silent agreement, and they both drifted off to sleep.
 
 

Chapter 3
The winter of 1891-92 had been a hard one in the high country of the Sierra Nevada mountains, but now that March was drawing to a close, the first signs of spring were beginning to appear.  Buckshot, the Cartwrights’ cook, drove the buckboard into town for some much needed supplies and to pick up any mail that might have been delivered while the Ponderosa was snowbound.  Ben Cartwright waited impatiently for the cook’s return for he expected letters from Adam and from Miranda.  He was finding it almost impossible to concentrate on the account books, but he finally heard Buckshot’s voice as he entered the great room. 

“You got three letters and a package from Queensland and a letter from Boston, boss,” Buckshot said with a grin as he handed Ben a pile of letters.  “I put those on top.”

Ben’s fingers were itching to open the letters but he forced himself to put them to one side until supper when the whole family could hear them.  He looked fondly at the photograph of Adam’s family they’d had taken before they brought Miranda to Boston.  Then he smiled tenderly as he glanced at the photograph he’d had taken with Miranda. 

When Joe walked inside the house that evening, tossing his hat on the credenza and carefully hanging his gunbelt on the peg out of the reach of his children, Sarah ran to him squealing, “Daddy’s home!”  Joe picked her up, hugged her and kissed her cheek.  Benj’s greeting was more subdued; now that he was eight, he didn’t want to be hugged and kissed and in that he definitely reminded Ben more of his Uncle Adam than his father.  Of course, Ben thought, it is Annabelle’s reserved temperament that Benj has inherited. 

“Did Buckshot bring the mail?” Joe asked eagerly after kissing Annabelle’s cheek, all she would allow in the presence of others.  “Did we get a letter from Adam?  And Miranda?”

“Yes to all three questions,” Ben answered with a smile.  “We even got letters from Beth, Gwyneth and Penny.  Right after supper we’ll read the letters.”

“Can I hear the letters, too, Grandpa?” Sarah begged, turning her big hazel eyes on him.

“You sure can, Sugar.  You and Benj both,” Ben replied.  “Whose letter shall we read first?”

“Adam’s,” Joe said immediately.

“I want to hear Cousin Beth’s,” Sarah said with a pout.

“All right,” Joe conceded, never able to deny his daughter anything.  “Cousin Beth’s first.”

“Then I want to hear Gwyneth’s next,” Benj stated firmly

“Then Miranda’s,” Ben stated.

“I give up,” Joe said with a grin.  “We’ll hear Adam’s last.”

After supper, Joe and his family gathered on the settee, with Sarah on Joe’s lap, while Ben sat in his favorite leather armchair.  He put on his bifocals and opened Beth’s letter.

February 14, 1892

Dear Grandpa, Uncle Joe, Aunt Annabelle, Benj and Sarah,

Yesterday was A.C.’s fourth birthday and today is Valentine’s Day. Reverend Jones has a small flower garden at the rectory and he presented Gwyneth, Penny and I with a bouquet of pink roses.  (They stand for friendship.)  I thought that was very sweet of him.  I got several lovely Valentines, but you’ll never guess who else got one.  Gwyneth!  It was very pretty and signed “Your secret admirer”.  I think I know who it is.  Poor Gwyneth doesn’t have any idea and Penny and A.C. are teasing her unmercifully about having a beau.  I think she’s ready to commit sororicide and fratricide. 

“What’s sororicide and fratricide?” Benj asked wrinkling his forehead in puzzlement.  His father’s face wore the same puzzled expression.

“Sororicide means to kill one’s sister and fratricide to kill one’s brother.  Beth is just saying Gwyneth is tired of being teased by Penny and A.C.,” Annabelle said with a smile.  “I wonder who her secret admirer could be?”

“I’ll keep reading and perhaps she will mention his identity,” Ben said and his tone was uneasy.

. . . I imagine you are dying to know who I think her secret admirer is.  Llywelyn brought a friend to my birthday dance.  To be honest, since he was younger, I didn’t pay much attention to him.  I remember he was quiet and the same height as Gwyneth.  He danced a polka with her and the pins came out of her hair so it tumbled down her back.  Reverend Jones was nearby and he said when Mark (that’s the boy’s name) saw Gwyneth’s hair, Reverend Jones could tell Cupid had shot him with an arrow.  I think it’s rather sweet.  As I said, Gwyneth doesn’t have any notion that Mark likes her.  If she did, she’d be afraid to talk with him; since she doesn’t know, she, Llywelyn and Mark have gone riding and fishing several times.  (We let Mark use Miranda’s mare, Rhiannon; Mark’s father works at our mine and Mark can’t afford a horse of his own.  I think he’s sensitive about the fact that our family and the Davies are wealthier, but Gwyneth explained to him that he’s doing us a favor by exercising Rhiannon.)

A.C. had a wonderful birthday.  He was so happy when he saw his pony and his new tack, just like Daddy’s.  Gwyneth and Penny had to go to school but Mama, Nell, Mary and I watched Daddy give A.C. his first riding lesson.  That night at A.C.’s birthday supper, Daddy read the letter Miranda wrote him.  I think he is as proud of the letter as he is of his pony.

We all miss Miranda very much but she does sound like she is enjoying her school.  It’s difficult for me to imagine anyone liking school, but Miranda does.  I remember you said Daddy was the same way, Grandpa.  I’ll bet it was just as hard for Uncle Joe and Uncle Hoss to understand how he could rather be at school than with his family.

“She’s right about that,” Joe said softly and Ben smiled at him, remembering how much five-year-old Joe had missed his big brother.

. . . Even if I’m not in school, I’m still learning; I am learning how to keep house.  Right now, Mama is teaching me how to can and pickle.  We can a lot of vegetables and we pickle most of the cucumbers and beets.  We still use the recipes that Hop Sing gave Mama.  When we’re finished with that, Nell is going to teach me how to make orange marmalade.  I’m also doing a lot of sewing. Penny’s hems needed to be let down and Mama asked me to do it.  I’ve also sewn some new shirts for Daddy and A.C.  Since Nell and Mary have Sunday’s off, it’s now my job to fix breakfast that day, and sometimes I fix it other days as well.

This letter is probably long enough and I know that Gwyneth and Penny are also writing to you so I’m going to close.  Aunt Annabelle, please give Sarah a special kiss from me.  I miss playing with you, Sarah.

Love
Beth

“There, Sweetness,” Annabelle said kissing Sarah’s cheek, “that’s a kiss from Beth.”

“I miss Beth,” Sarah said.  “I wish she’d come for another visit.”

“We’ll see her again when we all go to Miranda’s graduation,” Joe said with a special smile for his little girl.

“If something doesn’t happen at the ranch to keep you here,” Annabelle muttered under her breath.  Joe heard and frowned at her slightly.

“Now read Gwyneth’s letter,” Benj commanded and Ben smiled at his grandson, though his eyes were on his son and daughter-in-law.

February 13, 1892

Dear Grandpa, Uncle Joe, Aunt Annabelle, Benj and Sarah,

Today is A.C.’s birthday.  He is four today so he finally gets to have a pony of his own.  Daddy picked out a sorrel gelding with white stockings on his back legs.  A.C. fell in love with him at first sight.  Penny and I didn’t get to see him have his first riding lesson because we had to go to school.  When we got home, he wanted to show us that he could ride and he pestered Mama until she agreed.  (A.C. can usually get Mama to let him do what he wants just like Penny can with Daddy.)  Daddy had made A.C. a little mounting block and he did a good job of mounting all by himself.  I held the leading rein and he rode very well for only his second time.  Penny and I helped him groom Sport (that’s what he calls his pony after Daddy’s horse on the Ponderosa).  Miranda wrote A.C. a letter for his birthday and he was so happy to get one written just to him.  Daddy said he insisted on taking the letter to bed with him.

I’ve been going fishing almost every weekend with Llywelyn and his friend, Mark.  Mark’s about as nice as Llywelyn and he doesn’t make fun of me for being so tall like lots of the boys.  (Daddy says they’re just jealous ‘cause they’re short.)  Anyway, Mark is very nice even if he does like arithmetic.  He also likes to read and I loaned him Miranda’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass.  (I asked Mama and Daddy first and they said I could.  He took very good care of the books.)  He liked them very much and he memorized the poem Jabberwocky.)  The three of us go riding on the weekends, too.  Mark has a job working at the livery stable after school so he can’t go for rides then.

I don’t really have any other news.

Love
Gwyneth

“Poor Mark,” Joe said with a chuckle.  “Here he is in the throes of first love, and Gwyneth just thinks of him as a friend.”

“She does now; that could change,” Annabelle said with a little smile.  “This Mark is intelligent enough to recognize that if he declared his feelings that would scare Gwyneth away.”

“If the boy is Llywelyn’s age, it’s probably just a case of calf love anyway,” Ben stated.  “Joe, when you were fifteen, you fell in and out of love just about every week it seemed.  This Mark is probably no different.”  He smiled at the flush on his youngest son’s cheeks.  “All right, now it’s time for Miranda’s letter.”

March 1, 1892

Dear Grandpa, Uncle Joe, Aunt Annabelle, Benj and Sarah,

Dydd Gwyl Dewi hapus!  That means Happy St. David’s Day!  Just as St. George is the patron saint of England, St. Andrew of Scotland and St Patrick of Ireland, St. David is the patron saint of Wales.  If I were home, I would be eating Mama’s delicious leek broth because that’s what Welsh people eat on St. David’s Day.  Mama told us that the first year she and Daddy were married, he didn’t want to try her leek broth, but she talked him into it and he loved it!  My sisters and I all wear daffodils on St. David’s Day.  Mama says Daddy is a Welshman by marriage so he wears a daffodil as a boutonnière and Uncle Rhys and Llywelyn each wear one as well. (Daffodils are symbols of Wales; so are leeks, but we’d rather wear daffodils.)  Of course, since the Aldens aren’t Welsh, they know nothing of St. David’s Day and so I’m feeling a bit homesick.

I’m eagerly waiting for a letter from Mama and Daddy about A.C.’s birthday.  As you know, he turned four so he finally got his pony.  Mama thought he could have my old pony, Honey, but Daddy said Honey was too old and she should be put out to pasture.  (I think Daddy just wanted to get A.C. a pony of his own.)  I wish I could have been there to see the look on A.C.’s face when he saw his pony.  He’s wild about horses just like Beth and Gwyneth and I can imagine how happy and excited he was.  Actually, I think Daddy was probably as excited as A.C.  When we were in San Francisco last summer, Daddy ordered a saddle made especially for a pony so A.C. is going to learn how to ride using a saddle like the ones all of you use on the Ponderosa instead of an English saddle like we girls use.  I got A.C. a book all about horses for his birthday.  I know he can’t read it yet, but he’ll enjoy looking at the pictures.

Gwyneth’s fourteenth birthday is just a month away.  The last time she wrote me she told me she was so happy that she seems to have stopped growing.  It is very strange to have a little sister who’s nine inches taller than I am.  She’s getting used to wearing long skirts but she still has problems with her hair.  Mama and Beth both have written that Gwyneth is trying to persuade Daddy to let her cut it, but Daddy says if she does, she won’t be able to sit for a month!  I’m glad my hair isn’t as curly as Gwyneth’s but I can’t believe she’d really want to cut it.  As St. Paul says, ‘But if a woman have long hair, it is a glory to her,’ and I think Gwyneth’s hair is lovely.  Speaking of Gwyneth, Beth wrote me that Reverend Jones thinks a friend of Llywelyn’s is sweet on her.  I’ve never met him but Beth says he is rather shy and serious.  He sounds exactly like Gwyneth to me!  Doesn’t he to you?

Beth wrote me that she had a wonderful seventeenth birthday.  She and Mama were able to persuade Daddy to allow a couple of waltzes at her birthday dance.  Of course, Beth danced one waltz with Daddy and the other with Reverend Jones.  It seems odd to think of our minister waltzing with Beth.

“Is their minister the young man in the photograph teaching Beth to play the harp?” Annabelle queried.

“Yes, I believe so,” Ben replied, frowning just a little while Annabelle’s face wore a speculative expression, which puzzled Joe.

. . . Beth said he’s an excellent dancer and she enjoyed their waltz.  I’m beginning to wonder if Beth likes Reverend Jones. 

I think I’d better close now.  I’m looking forward to seeing all of you in a few months.

Love,
Miranda

P.S.  I’ve discovered a marvelous new food—maple syrup!  It is so delicious!

“Well, well,” Annabelle said with a tiny smile. “So there may be a romance beginning between Beth and the minister.”  She shook her head at Ben’s frown.  “Now, Pa.  She’s seventeen years old and lots of girls are married by eighteen.  How old was Adam’s mother when you married her?”

“Eighteen,” Ben said reluctantly.

“I don’t plan on Sarah marrying at eighteen,” Joe said firmly.

“It’s not something you can plan, darling,” Annabelle retorted.  “I didn’t plan on marrying a cowboy and living miles away from civilization, but here I am.”

Ben was uncomfortable with the tension between his son and daughter-in-law so he quickly said, “Let’s read Penny’s letter, shall we?”

February 14, 1892

Dear Grandpa, Uncle Joe, Aunt Annabelle, Benj and Sarah,

Happy Valentine’s Day.  Reverend Jones gave Beth and Gwyneth and me a bouquet of pink roses.  Beth says pink roses stand for friendship.  They are very pretty and they’re the first flowers anyone ever gave me.  (Gwyneth says they’re mostly for Beth.  She thinks Reverend Jones likes Beth, and maybe Beth likes him.  I hope not.  I don’t want Beth to fall in love and get married.  At least not yet.) 

Guess what!  Gwyneth has a secret admirer.  Someone slipped a valentine for her under our front door and signed it ‘Your Secret Admirer’.  A.C. and I are having lots of fun teasing Gwyneth.  I don’t think Daddy likes her having a secret admirer though.  He asked her if she knew who he is but Gwyneth just turned red and stuttered.  I wouldn’t want some boy giving me a valentine either but there’s one boy in my class named Ian and he told me that he was going to marry me when we grew up.  I told him I was not going to marry him!  (I’m not sure if I want to marry anyone.  Maybe I’ll just live with Daddy and Mama.)

A.C. turned four yesterday.  He got a pony for his birthday.  I’d asked Daddy and Mama if I could have a horse for my birthday.  (Gwyneth got a horse for her eleventh birthday.)  They said I was too little.  I don’t think that’s fair.  I’m a good rider and it’s not my fault I’m not tall like Gwyneth.  I’m the shortest girl in my class; I’m drinking two glasses of milk at every meal so I’ll grow taller, but it’s not working.  Daddy said he thinks I’m going to be short like Mama and Miranda and I just have to accept that.  It’s not fair! 

Gwyneth gets to wear long skirts and pin up her hair now.  I asked Daddy if I could wear grownup clothes when I was thirteen, but he said, no, I’d have to wait until I‘m fifteen like Beth and Miranda did.  I don’t think that’s fair either.  Course my friend, Kate, says she can’t dress like a grownup until she’s fifteen either, so I guess that’s not so bad.

Daddy says I have to finish if I want Mama to mail my letter tomorrow.

Love,
Penny

Joe was giggling as Ben folded the letter and put it back in its envelope.  “What’s so funny, Daddy?” Sarah asked.

“I’m just trying to picture little Penny dressed up in long skirts with her hair pinned up,” Joe got out between giggles and Ben smiled at the mental picture and Annabelle added, “Of course, we know what Penny will look like; she’ll look just like her mother.”

“I’m glad Adam was firm about not giving her a horse for her birthday,” Ben added.  “Can you imagine that little imp on a horse?”

“I imagine it was Bronwen who was firm,” Annabelle said with a slight smile.  “It was clear to me that Penny can wrap Adam around her little finger.”

“I noticed that, too,” Joe said with a big grin.  “Hoss always said Adam was pretty soft underneath that hard head of his and Penny certainly proves it.

“Let’s hear Uncle Adam’s letter,” Benj said impatiently.

February 13, 1892

Dear Family,

A.C. turned four today and he got his pony.  I bought a Welsh Mountain Pony from my business partner, Peter Dawson; these ponies are friendly, even tempered and very intelligent.  A.C.’s pony is a lovely little sorrel gelding that stands exactly twelve hands high.   I’ve told A.C. stories about me and Sport so that’s what he’s named him.  I ordered his tack when I was in San Francisco and it is a miniature version of mine.  My boy is a natural horseman just like his Uncle Joe. 

Ben glanced up then and saw the proud smile on his youngest son’s face at the praise from his older brother and he felt a warm glow of happiness.  Now that Adam and Joe were both married and fathers, the strain that had sometimes existed between them had disappeared.  It’s ironic that they are closer now than they ever were when Adam lived here on the ranch.  With a small smile, Ben returned to Adam’s letter.

. . . I gave him his first riding lesson right after breakfast.  I had made him a little mounting block and he got the hang of it right away.  It won’t be long before he won’t need the leading rein.

Since A.C. is too young to write thank you notes I will tell you for him that he enjoyed your gifts very much.  Younger brother, how in the world did you get a Stetson that small?  Beth took a photograph of the two of us in our black shirts and black Stetsons and I’ll send it to you separately.  She also took a photograph of A.C., Gwyneth and I, all three, dressed in black shirts and black Stetsons.  Since Gwyneth is wearing her waist overalls and has her hair stuffed up under her hat, it looks as though I have two sons.  I’ll send you a copy of that photograph as well.

“I bet that’s what’s in the package,” Benj interjected and Ben smiled at his grandson before continuing.

The one sad note at A.C.’s birthday supper was Miranda’s absence.  We miss her all the time but it’s especially acute on holidays and birthdays.  I think I finally understand what it must have been like for all of you while I was at Harvard.  It is hardest on A.C. just as it must have been hardest on Joe.  Every night when he says his prayers, he asks God to send “Manda” home and I find myself having to fight back tears.  Bronwen and I decided to let A.C. keep the photograph of Miranda and Pa in his room to help him remember Miranda.

We are all in good health here.  Gwyneth hasn’t grown any in a year so we think her height will remain five feet, nine inches, thank goodness.  Penny, I am happy to report, has grown an inch.  (She is still the smallest girl her age, which she doesn’t like one bit.)  Tony Williams and Sandy McDonald are still regular visitors on Sunday afternoons although Beth has told them both that any walks will have to take place after our harp lessons with Reverend Jones.  I’m beginning to feel a bit on uneasy about those lessons.  I like Reverend Jones very much but I think he is too old for Beth.  What worries me is that I’m beginning to fear that Beth doesn’t agree. She has often pointed out the age difference between her mother and me, though of course, we were both well over eighteen when we were married.   His name certainly seems to be coming up in her conversation more and more frequently and I’ve seen her looking at him sometimes in a way that makes me very uncomfortable.

My girls are growing up much too fast.  Even Gwyneth has an admirer.  Llywelyn brought a friend to Beth’s birthday party and after dancing one polka with Gwyneth, I could see he was smitten.  Fortunately, the boy is as shy as Gwyneth and she is so innocent that she is totally unaware of his regard.  I’m not worried about it since fifteen year olds fall in and out of love very quickly, don’t they, Younger Brother? 

Bronwen is reading over my shoulder and reminds me to send you all her love.  Now I’d better close so Bronwen can take the letter to the post office tomorrow.

Affectionately yours,
Adam

“Can I open the package?” Sarah asked excitedly and Ben replied, “Why don’t you help Grandpa, all right?”  He chuckled as he viewed the photograph of his son and grandson, both standing on the verandah, wearing black shirts and black Stetsons, leaning against the doorframe with their arms folded high across their chests and their hands tucked under their arms.

“That’s A.C.,” Sarah said pointing.

“That’s right,” Ben said with a smile.  “That’s your cousin, A.C.  Now, why don’t you take this picture over to your mama and daddy so they can see it.”

Joe giggled and Annabelle smiled at the photograph while Ben examined the one that included Gwyneth.  She stood in the doorway between her leaning father and brother, hat pushed back, her thumbs stuck in her front pockets.  If it weren’t for her spectacles and her long, slender neck, I would swear I was looking at a photograph of Adam at age thirteen, Ben thought with a wistful smile. 

Annabelle made a tsking sound as she looked at the photograph with Gwyneth.  “Those waist overalls are not at all proper for a young lady.”

“I admit that she’ll have to stop wearing them when she gets older, but Gwyneth is just a kid, honey,” Joe replied with a grin.  “I think she looks rather sweet dressed up like Adam.”

Annabelle refrained from mentioning the “kid” already had an admirer and only said quietly, “I’m just surprised a father as strict as Adam allows it.”

Meanwhile Ben had discovered a third photograph; this one was of Bronwen and Penny and here the resemblance was even more marked.  Penny had inherited not only her mother’s features, but her charm and vivacity and they both smiled engagingly for the photographer, who was surely Adam.

“It amazes me how much Gwyneth and Penny look like their parents,” Annabelle said as she examined the photographs.

“Yeah, except Penny should be the one wearing spectacles,” Benj remarked with a little smile and his father ruffled his hair.

“I’m glad Penny doesn’t need them.  She and her mother have such beautiful eyes; I’ve always thought it a shame that Bronwen has to hide hers behind spectacles,” Annabelle replied.

“Adam doesn’t feel that way,” Joe said with a grin.  The others all looked at him with puzzled expressions.  “He admitted to me once that he’s glad he’s the only one who really sees how beautiful Bronwen’s eyes are.”

“Why doesn’t Uncle Adam want other people to see how pretty Aunt Bronwen’s eyes are?  I don’t understand,” Benj asked in a baffled tone.

“Just wait a few years, Pardner,” Joe replied.
 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
 

April 1, 1892, Gwyneth’s fourteenth birthday, came and went and still she showed no signs of becoming a woman.  Beth or Miranda would have confided her worries to Bronwen or her friends, but Gwyneth kept her worries to herself and brooded.  Adam could see how unhappy she was, but when he gently tried to persuade her to confide in him, she became even more withdrawn.

One night, as he was brushing Bronwen’s hair, he brought up his concern.

She turned around so she could face him.  “Now you know how I feel trying to get you to open up and share your troubles,” she said with a smirk.  “And how poor Pa must have felt when you were fourteen.”  He opened his mouth to retort, and snapped it shut when he realized she was perfectly correct.  She took pity on him and said quietly, “I know what’s troubling her this time, I’m certain.”

“I wish you’d enlighten me,” he replied sarcastically.

“She’s fourteen years old now and she is still a little girl,” Bronwen said quietly.

“Fourteen isn’t that old,” he replied rather defensively because he was relieved Gwyneth was still his little girl.

Bronwen shook her head at him, knowing exactly what he was thinking.  “I’ve tried to explain to her that every girl matures at her own rate, but all the other girls her age are beginning to change and she knows her sisters had already both become women before they were fourteen.  She’s just going to have to be patient; this is one problem that time will solve and I’ve told her so.”  Bronwen sighed.  “Unfortunately, that’s not much comfort to a fourteen year old who is in a hurry to grow up.”
 
 

Now that the rainy season was over, Adam was eager to get started building a fence around his property.  He asked Llywelyn if he’d be interested in earning some extra pocket money by helping him build it.

“Too right!” Llywelyn said with a broad grin, but then his expression sobered.  “I’d like to help but I know someone who could really use the money.”  Seeing his uncle’s raised eyebrow he added quickly, “My friend, Mark Pentreath.  He’d like to attend Sydney Technical College, but his family doesn’t have the money.”

Ah, thought Adam, now I know who gave you the idea of a scholarship.

“He’s very intelligent and he’s better in mathematics than I am,” Llywelyn added.

“All right, I’m sold,” Adam said with an affectionate smile.  “I’ll speak to Mark as well.”

“'Beauty, Uncle Adam.  No worries,” Llywelyn said enthusiastically and Adam smiled at his nephew’s cheerful confidence.

 “With you both working, then we can get the job done more quickly. It’s going to take a while since we can only work on Saturdays.”  He paused and said thoughtfully, “I do think I’d better check with Mark’s father first just to make certain it’s all right with him.  If it is, then you and Mark need to be here at seven o’clock this Saturday so we can get an early start.”
 

Adam and Rhys had always practiced a hands-on management style.  They wanted their employees to feel comfortable discussing any concerns or grievances with them if they did not believe they received satisfaction from their immediate supervisors.  They regularly visited the mine itself to talk with the men and give them an opportunity to discuss any issues.  Adam paid a visit the day after his talk with Llywelyn and made a point of asking Mark’s father if he could talk with him.

Mr. Pentreath was apprehensive, but Adam sensed that and immediately sought to put him at ease.

“The reason I want to speak with you has nothing to do with your work,” Adam said with a friendly smile.  “It’s a personal matter.  I would like to offer your son, Mark, a job on Saturdays helping to build a fence around my property.  My nephew is also going to help and he recommended Mark.  Naturally I wanted to have your permission before I offered the job to Mark.”

“The lad’s a hard worker; I’m certain he’ll give satisfaction,” Pentreath said, pleased that Mark had come to the attention of his employers and their families.  “Uh, there is one thing though, sir.  Mark has a job working at the livery stable every afternoon.”

“That’s no problem,” Adam replied.  “He could stop work at our place in plenty of time to get to his regular job.  Llywelyn tells me Mark is a very bright boy who’d like to go to college so I’m glad to offer him a chance to earn money he can save for his college education.”

“College is not for the likes of us,” Pentreath said with a shrug.

“I disagree,” Adam said firmly.  “My nephew says Mark’s one of the brightest boys in his class and excellent in mathematics.  It sounds to me like he has the makings of a first-class engineer.’

“Oh, Mark’s a bright lad, no doubt about it,” Pentreath said with a touch of pride.  “But college costs money and there’s just no way Mark could ever earn enough.  No, he’ll be a miner like his father before him and my father before me on back as far as there’ve been Pentreaths.”

“I see,” Adam said slowly.  “Tell me.  If Mark won a scholarship that paid for his tuition and board, then would you allow him to attend college?”

“Yes.  If there was some way to pay the expenses, I wouldn’t stand in the boy’s way.”

“Thank you for your time, Mr. Pentreath,” Adam stated sincerely.  “Since I have your permission, I’ll speak to Mark.”
 

Saturday morning, both boys arrived a little before seven while the Cartwrights were still having breakfast.  Nervously, Mark followed Llywelyn into the dining room where all six Cartwrights were gathered around the table.  Mark found it strange to see Mr. Cartwright in anything other than a coat and tie; he looked different dressed in a black cotton shirt, unbuttoned at the neck, and waist overalls.

“You boys are early,” Adam said.  “Why don’t you sit down and have some scones while I finish my breakfast.  Beth made them,” he said with a proud smile.

The food looked delicious and Mark was still hungry, but he didn’t feel comfortable sitting down at this grand table, eating off fine china, so he blushed a little and said, “No thank you, sir.”

“Beth makes the best scones I’ve ever tasted,” Llywelyn said, sitting down between Penny and A.C.  “You’ve got to try one.”

“Here, sit by me,” Gwyneth said.  “Llywelyn’s right; Beth’s scones are even better than Mama’s.” 

“All right,” Mark said hesitantly, sitting in the chair beside Gwyneth.  Glancing at her beneath his lashes, he observed that today her amazing hair was confined to a braid that hung down her back.  His fingers itched to loosen the braid so he could view that mass of curls again.  She had a tiny bit of jam at one corner of her mouth and he watched in fascination as the pink tip of her tongue peeped out and licked it off.  He was so absorbed in watching Gwyneth that he was caught unawares when the youngest Cartwright daughter sat a blue and white china plate in front of him.  Gwyneth smiled and passed him the plate of scones.

He took a scone and passed the plate to Llywelyn.  He carefully buttered his scone and noted that everyone’s eyes were on him as he bit into it.  It was delicious!  He chewed and swallowed before saying so and everyone smiled at him.

“Daddy,” A.C. said, “can I watch you put up the fence?”

“May I watch,” Adam corrected.  “Yes, you may stand on the verandah and watch.  We’re going to be working and we won’t have time to answer questions.”

“Can I, I mean, may I watch too?” Penny asked.

“I suppose,” Adam replied.  “I’m not sure you’re going to find it that entertaining,” he added quirking his lips in a slight smile.

“We’ll watch before we go riding,” Gwyneth said and Mark felt a mixture of pride and nervousness at the thought of her watching him work.

“All right, boys,” Adam said with a friendly smile.  “I’ll pay you each eight shillings for a day’s work.  Does that sound fair?”

“Too right!” Mark blurted out, for that was more than he earned a week at the livery and his father had agreed the money he earned at this job was his.  Mr. and Mrs. Cartwright smiled at his enthusiasm, and his cheeks grew red.

“Let’s get started, boys,” Adam said draining his teacup and standing.  Mark hastily swallowed the last bite of his scone.  He almost choked when Gwyneth stood up and he saw her in her waist overalls.  He could feel his heart racing as he took in those long legs.  She dropped her napkin on the floor and bent over to pick it up, offering him a mesmerizing view of her derrière in the tight pants, and he was unprepared for his body’s response to the sight.  He hurriedly averted his eyes and prayed no one would notice.  Luckily for him, everyone’s attention was elsewhere and his difficulty soon resolved itself.
 

Digging fence holes was hard work and they were all grateful when Bronwen brought them some cool water to drink after a couple of hours.

“I think you all ought to take a rest,” she said firmly.  “There’s no deadline to meet, after all.”  Her concern wasn’t for the two boys, but for her husband, who didn’t like to admit he was getting older or that he hadn’t done this kind of physical labor in years.

Adam shot her a look with one eyebrow raised, but he was actually grateful for her suggestion.  “I think that’s a good idea.  The first couple of Saturdays will be the hardest since we aren’t used to the work. In a couple of weeks, we’ll be able to work for longer periods of time.  Let’s take a thirty minute break,” and he sat down on the ground.  The two boys quickly followed suit.
 

They were hard at work when again when Penny and A.C. came running over from the house.

“Mama says you’re to come to dinner,” A.C. announced.

“That includes you, Mark,” Adam said quickly.  “I forgot to tell you that we’d be providing your dinner.”

The two children ran ahead and Mark followed Adam and Llywelyn to the backdoor and into a small room with a sink against one wall, a large claw foot tub against another and a small stove in one corner.  A couple of large wooden washtubs were neatly stacked in another corner.  There were shelves built into the wall above the tub that held neatly folded towels and a towel was hanging on a peg by the sink.  “We’ll just wash up before dinner,” Adam said.  He put a plug in the sink and then, to Mark’s amazement, he turned a spigot on the sink and water came out.  He quickly washed his hands and forearms using the bar of soap on the side of the sink.  As soon as he rinsed off the soap, Llywelyn began lathering his hands and forearms, saying, “Come on, Mark.  I’m starved.”

Mark washed up and then watched as Llywelyn pulled out the plug and the water drained out the hole in the bottom of the sink.  Adam saw the curiosity on Mark’s face and said quietly, “I had a full-circuit plumbing system installed when our house was built.  They’ve been around since ancient times and they are simple to install.  There are two conduits; one to supply water and the other to remove the dirty water.  We have indoor plumbing in here and the kitchen.”  Mark realized with amazement that the Cartwrights only used this room for bathing or washing.

“I’m hungry.  Let’s go eat,” Llywelyn begged.

They walked through a door that took them into the kitchen.  As they walked through the big room, Mark took in the white plastered walls, the red and white gingham curtains at the large windows and the huge stove in one corner of the room.  An Aboriginal woman wearing a large apron was washing pots and pans at the sink while a stout, gray-haired woman, also wearing a large apron, was cleaning the large wooden table in the center of the room.

“G’day, Nell.  G’day, Mary,” Llywelyn said with a smile and both women smiled back at him.  “This is my friend, Mark Pentreath.  Mark, this is Mary,” and he indicated the Aboriginal woman, who smiled a greeting, “and Nell.” 

“Pleased to make your acquaintance, Master Mark,” the gray-haired woman said with a smile.  “We made fried chicken since we knew we had company for dinner today.”

“Beauty, Nell!” Llywelyn said with a huge grin and Mark saw Adam was smiling as well.

“What’s fried chicken?” Mark asked his friend as they followed Adam down the hallway to the dining room.

“It’s American tucker, but it’s delicious,” Llywelyn answered.  “Aunt Bronwen uses the recipe she got from the Cartwrights’ cook back in the States.”

Mark saw the rest of the family were already gathered around the large dining room table set with the blue and white Wedgwood china and blue-tinted glasses on the amber-colored damask table cloth that matched the room’s velvet drapes.  It felt wrong to be sitting at such a fancy table in his dirty, sweat-stained clothes, but Llywelyn and his uncle were just as dirty, so it must be all right, Mark reasoned.  He noticed with a mixture of regret and relief that Gwyneth was now wearing a skirt and blouse.  Beth and Penny had changed out of their knickerbockers as well he realized.  They must just dress like that to go riding he decided. 

They all held hands while Adam said grace and then the food was quickly passed around.  Mark discovered Llywelyn was correct; fried chicken was delicious.  There were also fluffy mashed potatoes and cream gravy to go on them along with peas and carrots from the Cartwright’s garden.

“Gwyneth peeled the potatoes and I mashed them,” Penny told Mark proudly. 

“They’re delicious,” Mark replied, smiling at both girls and he saw Gwyneth’s cheeks grow pink at his praise, which made him glow with happiness.

“Bethy made lemon pie,” A.C. announced.  “She let me help beat the eggs ‘cause I’m so strong,” he added with a smirk.

“You all look like you’ve been working very hard,” Beth said.

“We have,” Llywelyn replied.  “I never realized how hard building a fence would be.”

“I was just thinking,” Bronwen interjected.  “You all have been working for almost five hours and it’s getting awfully hot.  Our thermostat read 90 degrees just before dinner.  Why don’t you three call it a day and we all go swimming at the river?”

“Please, Daddy,” Penny begged.  “Come swimming with us.”

“Please, Daddy,” A.C. added imploringly, for his daddy was usually working at the mine on Saturdays.

Adam knew Bronwen made her suggestion out of concern for him.  It galled him to admit it, but he was exhausted and his muscles were aching and so was his back.  “I think you boys have earned your eight shillings, and swimming at the river sounds like a wonderful idea to me,” he announced with a slight smile.

“Too right!” Llywelyn said emphatically.  “How about it, Mark?”

Mark felt his cheeks flame but he forced himself to say quietly, “I don’t know how to swim and I don’t have a bathing costume.”

“I can loan you a bathing costume,” Llywelyn said.

“And Llywelyn and I can teach you to swim,” Gwyneth added.

“Me, too,” A.C. said loudly causing the others to smile, for A.C. had only learned to swim a few months earlier.

“All right, you two go change into your bathing costumes and then come over here and we’ll ride to the river together.  You can use our daughter Miranda’s horse, Mark,” Adam stated.
 

It wasn’t long before the eight of them were riding to the river.  The town had put up a couple of changing tents so Adam, Llywelyn, Mark and A.C. went into one and all the females into the other.  They all had their bathing costumes on under their clothes, so all they had to do was remove their outer clothing.  Mark wore Llywelyn’s old bathing suit, a one piece with elbow-length sleeves and knee-length pants.  It was a bit short on Mark and actually came above his knees.  Mark felt self-conscious in the bathing costume, particularly since it exposed his hairy legs.  He was relieved to see that Llywelyn and his uncle also had hairy legs.  In fact, Mark noticed that Mr. Cartwright’s bathing suit was in two pieces and the top had short sleeves that revealed not only his hairy forearms but his well-defined biceps and triceps.  The bottom half of his knit bathing costume came to his knees and it was obvious that he spent a good deal of time on horseback because although his legs were slim, they were also sinewy. 

When Bronwen and the girls came out of their tent, Mark noticed Gwyneth’s bathing costume first.  Her tunic was navy blue trimmed with white braid and had a white sailor collar trimmed with navy.  The tunic was sleeveless and the pantaloons were knee length so Gwyneth’s lightly tanned arms and calves were exposed and her white sash emphasized her slender waist.

“You look awfully pretty, Gwyneth,” Mark said without thinking.  She blushed and Mr. Cartwright stared at him in a way that made him very uncomfortable.  “You all look very pretty,” he added hurriedly, and it was true.  Mrs. Cartwright wore a short-sleeved costume of blue flannel trimmed with rows of white braid on the front and sleeves that gave it a military look.  Beth wore a short-sleeved costume of red flannel decorated with white braid; the costume’s tight belt emphasized her hourglass figure.  Penny’s costume of white flannel had a sailor’s collar of striped white and red flannel and bands of the striped flannel decorated the elbow-length sleeves and the legs of the knee-length pantaloons.

“Thank you very much, Mark,” Bronwen said with a smile.  “The four of you look very dashing.”

A.C., who was wearing a short-sleeved, collarless tunic and knee-length pants of white flannel, trimmed with navy stripes, said, “Let’s swim.”  He grabbed hold of his parents’ hands and tugged them toward the river.

“Llywelyn and Gwyneth, you are responsible for Mark,” Adam announced as he walked toward the river with Bronwen and A.C.  “Make sure he stays in shallow water while you are teaching him.”  He said quietly to Bronwen as they allowed A.C. to pull them along, “I want to stay close by them.  I’m certain Llywelyn and Gwyneth will do a good job of teaching Mark, but in case something goes wrong, I want to be close by.” 

“I agree.  We are responsible for Mark’s safety,” Bronwen said just as quietly.

They’d reached the riverbank so Adam scooped A.C. up.  “Are you ready to swim, Jackeroo?” he asked with a grin.

“I’m ready, Daddy!” A.C. shouted with excitement so Adam tossed him into the shallow water where he landed with a resounding splash. 

“Penny’s next,” Adam said grabbing his giggling little girl and tossing her into the river so she landed near her brother

“Throw, Mama!” they both shrieked.  Adam grinned before lifting Bronwen up in his arms and throwing her into deeper water.  “Jump, Daddy!  Jump!” A.C. shouted.  He clapped his hands and squealed as Adam dove into the water.  Beth dove in right behind him and soon the five of them were splashing and swimming in the water.  All the while Adam kept one eye on the other three youngsters.  Mark seemed to be catching on quickly and Adam saw him dogpaddling in the shallower water by the bank.

While they were frolicking in the water, Penny suddenly shouted, “Look!  There’s Reverend Jones!” 

They all looked and saw the reverend in a two-piece bathing costume similar to Adam’s.

“Oh my, Beth thought, I never realized how broad his shoulders are.  They were as broad as her daddy’s and she realized he also had hair growing on his chest, although his was brown rather than black.  As she looked at the reverend in his bathing costume, she felt a warmth spreading throughout her body.  He really is very attractive and he looks much younger in his bathing costume.

Adam saw the way Beth was looking at Reverend Jones, and for a moment he felt an aching sense of loss.  Bronwen had noticed Beth’s reaction to the reverend as well, and she guessed what her husband was feeling so she put her hand on his arm comfortingly.  Adam looked down at her and smiled wryly.  “She really is a woman now,” he said softly.  “I wonder if this is how Tad felt when he saw how you looked at me.”

“I imagine it is,” she replied.  “But he liked you just as you like Reverend Jones.”

“I’ve been expecting him to ask permission to court her.”

“I think he’s been waiting for her to grow up a bit, but I don’t think you’ll be waiting much longer.”

“G’day, Reverend Jones!” A.C. and Penny yelled as they tread water.  He heard them and walked over.

“Good day to all of you.  Do you mind if I join you?” Reverend Jones asked.

“Yes, come swim with us,” Penny called.  Before he dove into the water, Reverend Jones felt Beth’s eyes on him.  For a moment, their eyes locked and then she dropped hers and the color rose in her cheeks.  He felt his heart sing with joy because her eyes had told him that she was beginning to return his feelings.

He swam over to the family with powerful strokes and Beth just couldn’t take her eyes off him.  “It looks like most of Cloncurry has decided to cool off in the river this afternoon,” the reverend said, looking about him.  “But where’s Gwyneth?”

“She and Llywelyn are teaching Mark to swim,” Penny replied before her parents had a chance to open their mouths.  “See, over there where the water is shallow,” she added pointing.

“I imagine it’s time for Mark to get to his job at the livery stable,” Adam said looking at the sun.  “Beth, could you swim over there and let him know he should be leaving.”  Beth nodded and started to swim over to the other three youngsters.

“Wait and I’ll swim with you,” Reverend Jones suggested. 

They delivered the message and Llywelyn decided to go with Mark so he could bring Rhiannon back to the Cartwrights’ home for him.

“I’m going to ask if I can come, too,” Gwyneth decided and the two of them swam rapidly over to her parents while Mark clambered up the riverbank.

Beth and the reverend swam more slowly back to the other Cartwrights and halfway there, he signaled that he wanted to stop and talk.

“I have an important question to ask you, Miss Cartwright,” he said quietly.  “If your father agrees, would you come walking with me this evening after supper?”

“Yes, I would enjoy that very much,” she replied in an equally quiet voice.  Then she smiled playfully.  “If we’re going to go walking, then I think you should call me by my Christian name.”

“I always think of you as Bethan,” he said softly.  “That’s your name in Welsh.”

“Bethan.  I like that,” she said shyly, looking down.

“My Christian name is Dafydd,” he added, lifting up her chin with his forefinger so he could gaze into her eyes.

“Dafydd,” she repeated in a voice so low it was almost a whisper.

“I think we’d better head back to your parents,” he said with a smile.  “I don’t want to give your father any reason to doubt my intentions.”
 

They found Adam and Bronwen playing with A.C.   “Penny begged to go with the others,” Adam explained.  “I think it’s probably time for us to head back home.”

“Could I speak with you before you go, sir?” Dafydd asked and Adam looked at Bronwen and sighed.

“Surely,” he replied quietly.  “We can talk on the way to the changing tent as long as you don’t mind A.C. coming along.”

“Not at all,” Dafydd replied, smiling at the little boy.

A.C. held onto Adam’s hand, not really paying attention to the grownup conversation as they walked along.  “I wanted to ask your permission to go walking with Beth this evening,” Dafydd said quietly. 

“I imagine Beth has already consented,” Adam said slowly and Dafydd nodded.  “Then I give you my permission.”  He smiled just a little.  “At least I know I can trust you not to take any liberties.”

Dafydd returned the smile and then said earnestly, “I think you know that my feelings for your daughter are serious.  I want to win Beth’s heart and make her my wife.”  At Adam’s raised eyebrow he added quickly, “I know she is too young now; all I’m asking for now is a chance to court her.”

“And you have it,” Adam replied in an equally serious tone.  “You are a good man and I like you.  I do wish you were a bit younger, but I’m ten years older than Mrs. Cartwright so I know the difference in your ages is not an insurmountable obstacle to your happiness.”  He smiled slightly and added, “Why don’t you have supper with us, and then you and Beth can go walking.”

“Thank you,” Dafydd said returning the smile.
 

Beth and Dafydd quietly excused themselves after supper but A.C. was puzzled when he saw them start to leave together.  “Where you goin’, Bethy?” he demanded jumping up from the table and running after them.

“I’m going for a walk with Reverend Jones,” she replied, her cheeks turning pink while Gwyneth and Penny exchanged knowing glances.

“I wanna come, too,” A.C. said, reaching for his big sister’s hand.

Adam got up from the table then.  “Not this time, Jackeroo,” he said taking his son’s hand.  “You come play jackstraws with me and Mama,” and A.C. reluctantly let himself be led away.

Once they were on the verandah and out of sight of the family, Dafydd took Beth’s hand, marveling at its delicacy, and they walked toward the town.  After a few minutes, Beth broke the silence.  “I was just thinking.  You know all about me, but I don’t very much about you except that you were born in Wales and decided to become a minister while you were at university.”

“I don’t know all about you,” he replied quietly.  “I hope I’ll have the rest of our lives to learn about you.”  He smiled inwardly as she blushed just a little.  “I’m an only child; I really envy you your sisters and A.C.  One thing we do have in common though is that my parents love me very much, just as yours love you and your siblings.  Also, my parents, like yours, love each other deeply.  It was a wonderful thing to grow up with two parents who genuinely like each other.  Not all my friends were so lucky.”

“Or mine,” she added softly.

“Dyffryn Nantile is a much older community than Cloncurry and the class distinctions are pretty rigid.  I grew up in a Welsh-speaking family.  I didn’t learn English until I went to school.  I liked school; I especially enjoyed learning about people in different countries or different times.  I’d thought I’d have to work in the slate quarry like my father and I was so happy when Tad and Mam told me they’d managed to save enough money so that if I could get a scholarship, I could go to university.”  He stopped then and said warmly, “I am very happy that your father and uncle have established a scholarship.  There are plenty of intelligent young men who would never have an opportunity to receive a higher education but for the generosity of men like them.”

“I never liked school very much,” Beth said quietly.  “I made good grades because Daddy and Mama made certain I studied and always did my schoolwork, but I just didn’t like it much.”

“Not everyone does,” he replied with a smile.  “We do have things in common.  We both love music.”

“Yes,” she said in a happier tone and then added hesitantly, “I like poetry.  Some poetry,” she amended.  “I like Shakespeare’s sonnets and I’ve been reading Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s poetry.  I don’t much care for her husband’s poetry,” she commented, wrinkling her nose and he smiled. 

“You are so lovely,” he said softly.  “I know all the young men must tell you so.”

“Yes, they do.”  She hesitated before adding in a rush.  “I’m tired of hearing how beautiful I am.  I want to be loved for who I am, not what I look like.”

“I think you are being a bit hard on my half of the species,” he replied with a smile.  “Just because we can’t help noticing how lovely you are doesn’t mean that we’re blind to your other qualities.  I like you because you are kind and generous and patient as much as for your beauty.”  She looked up at him and he smiled tenderly.  “I’ve had over a year to observe you with your brother and sisters and with your parents and my admiration for your character has been growing all that time.”

They walked along in silence and when he returned her to her home, he lifted her hand to his lips.  “May I walk with you tomorrow?”  Beth suddenly felt very shy and she only nodded before hurrying inside.
 
 

Chapter 4
“Well, Paul,” Joe said as he watched Dr. Martin put away his stethoscope in his leather bag, “is he fit to travel to Boston?”

“Your father is amazingly fit and vigorous for a man of his years,” Paul Martin replied with a smile.  “Since Annabelle will be traveling with him, I don’t see any reason he shouldn’t make the journey to Boston, particularly since he’ll be traveling in a Pullman Palace and he can take a nap whenever he feels tired,” and he looked at his old friend sternly, for Ben Cartwright was not known for taking things easy..

“I’ll make sure he rests, Paul, don’t you worry,” Annabelle added.  “Benj and Sarah are disappointed that they aren’t coming with us this time, but entertaining two young children in a confined space is a strain.

“As much as I love Benj and Sarah traveling with them last time was tiring,” Ben conceded.  “I can imagine what it must have been like for Adam and Bronwen traveling with A.C. and Penny,” and Joe and Annabelle shared a smile—a rarer and rarer occurrence these days Ben thought sadly.
 

Two days later Ben and Annabelle were on their way to Boston.  They were each sitting quietly, lost in their own thoughts, when suddenly Annabelle broke the silence. 

“Pa,” she said carefully, “have you ever thought that if Elizabeth had lived and you’d brought her out west, she might not have been happy?  That she would have missed her life in Boston with all it had to offer?”

Ben looked at her sharply, for he discerned the motive behind her question, and he decided to answer her as honestly as he could.  “Yes, I have wondered sometimes whether Liz would have been happy on the Ponderosa, but I honestly believe the answer is yes.  She shared my dream—that’s why just before she died she made me promise to take Adam and go west—and she would have faced the hardships of life on the frontier with determination and pluck.”  He smiled then, lost in memory.  “Liz was a very stubborn woman and I don’t think she would have allowed herself to be defeated by a wilderness or Indians or anything else.  I’m certain she would have missed all the amenities she had known in Boston, but she would have found compensations in making our dream a reality and joy in Adam and the other children we would have had.”  He paused and then said quietly, “Joe’s mother had also grown up in a large city, and I saw the difficult adjustments she had to make to life on an isolated ranch, but she did make them and she never indicated to me in any way that she regretted her decision to marry me and live on the Ponderosa and be a mother to our boys.”

Annabelle only said, “She was a courageous woman.  I don’t think I could have survived the difficulties,” and turned to watch the scenery.  Ben turned to look out the opposite window, but knew in his heart that his daughter-in-law was right.  Over the years he had witnessed her growing discontent with life on a ranch.  She and Joe loved each, but Ben feared love might not be enough to bridge the differences in their interests and upbringing.
 

Miranda already had her valise packed and was counting the days until the arrival of her grandpa and aunt.  Since school was out, she had less to occupy her mind and she was beginning to suffer acutely from homesickness.  Charlotte and Emily were sorry that she wasn’t coming to Martha’s Vineyard, where both their families spent the hot summer months, but they understood their friend’s melancholy.  Indeed, Emily told Miranda she didn’t know how she could bear not seeing her family for two years.

“Sometimes, I don’t know how I can either,” Miranda confessed, “but I begged to attend the Girls’ Latin School and I’m going to stick it out no matter how much I miss my family.”

The day the Cartwrights were scheduled to arrive, Nicholson, the Aldens’ groom, drove Miranda to the train station and waited with her.  She spotted her grandpa and aunt and went tearing down the platform to disapproving stares, but she was oblivious to everything but her grandpa’s smiling face.

“I’m so happy to see you, Grandpa,” she said, her voice catching in a sob as she hugged him.

“No happier than I am to see you, child,” he replied.  Oh, Liz, she is so like you.  It almost seems that you are here with me, Ben thought to himself as he hugged his granddaughter.

Reluctantly, Miranda moved away from her grandpa and turned to her aunt.  “It’s wonderful to see you, too, Aunt Annabelle,” she said shyly and they embraced briefly.  Nicholson approached then.  “Oh, Nicholson brought the carriage and he’ll take care of your luggage,” she stated awkwardly.

“Yes, sir,” Nicholson said with a slight smile, for Miranda was a favorite among the Aldens’ staff since she treated them as individuals and not objects.  “If you have the baggage ticket, I’ll take care of it right now.  Miss Miranda will show you to the carriage.”

“I can hardly wait to be at the Ponderosa,” Miranda said enthusiastically as they walked along, “and to be able to ride astride again.  Mrs. Alden said it wasn’t ladylike so I’ve had to ride sidesaddle when we go to Martha’s Vineyard on the weekends.”

“My sister-in-law is correct,” Annabelle said a little frostily.  “It may be acceptable for you to ride astride at Cloncurry or the Ponderosa, but not here.”

“I know, but I still don’t like it much.  Daddy always said it’s safer to ride astride, and now I know why.”  She glanced sideways at her aunt and said demurely, “I love Boston, but I am looking forward to spending time on the ranch; it reminds me more of home.”  She smiled at Ben.  “And I’m hoping you and Uncle Joe can tell me some stories about Daddy when he was growing up there.”

Ben smiled warmly and put his arm about her shoulders.  “We’ll enjoy it.  We miss your father and all your family very much.”

“We miss all of you,” Miranda replied earnestly.  “Especially Daddy.  He’s told us lots of stories about when he and Uncle Joe and Uncle Hoss were growing up.”  She said thoughtfully, “He never talks much about Grandma Inger or Grandma Marie.  I feel like I’m getting to know Grandma from talking with Mrs. Baldwin, but I’d like to know more about them.  Do you know why Daddy doesn’t like to talk about them?” she asked Ben as they approached the carriage.

“I think the memories are painful for him,” Ben said carefully.  “I’d be happy to talk to you about them.  Uncle Joe doesn’t remember your Grandma Marie very well but he likes hearing about her and so do Benj and Sarah.”

Rather abruptly Annabelle asked, “Did you see much of your mother’s parents when you were living at home?”

“No,” Miranda said sadly.  “Cloncurry isn’t accessible by train and it’s a long, arduous journey from Sydney to Cloncurry.  Tad-cu and Mam-gu have made it three times to visit all of us, but we know them by letters mostly just as we do all of you.”

“Is Sydney a large city?” Annabelle queried.

“Yes.  Mama grew up there and she says it’s around the same size as Boston.  It was quite a change for her when she and Daddy first moved to Cloncurry and Aunt Matilda told me she had a terrible time adjusting when she and Uncle Rhys first moved there.  It was better when Mama and Daddy moved next door, but I think they both miss the friends they left behind and I know they miss the shops.  You may think Virginia City and Carson City are small, but they are much larger than Cloncurry, Aunt Annabelle.”

“Yet your mother and aunt still stay there,” Annabelle said mostly to herself.

“Of course.  It’s where the mine is and Daddy and Uncle Rhys have to be there.”  She paused and said thoughtfully, “Actually, I suppose after all these years, it’s home to them.”

“But don’t they miss the culture and society?” Annabelle asked.  Ben was growing more and more uncomfortable but thankfully he was certain Miranda didn’t understand why her aunt was asking such questions.

“I suppose, but we entertain ourselves.  Daddy and Gwyneth play their guitars and we all love to sing.  Mama gives all of us singing lessons.  Gwyneth sings ‘Il était un roi de Thulé’ from Faust beautifully and Uncle Rhys sings Mephistopheles’ aria, ‘Vous qui faites l'endormie’.  He has a wonderful bass voice.  Daddy does a marvelous job with ‘Non più andrai, farfallone amoroso’ from Le Nozze di Figaro.  Mama’s favorite is Gluck’s ‘Berenice, che fa?’ and she and Daddy sing ‘Là ci darem la mano, là mi dirai di si’ from Don Giovanni.    Even though I’d never seen Shakespeare performed until you took me to see Macbeth, Daddy and Mama have read some of the comedies to us and they use different voices for different characters.  They are almost as good as the actors.  My favorite is when they read The Taming of the Shrew.  They are so funny.”

“Of course, your father shares your mother’s love of the arts,” Annabelle commented.  Puzzled, Miranda looked to Ben for enlightenment, but he shook his head slightly.  Just then Nicholson walked up, having arranged for Ben and Annabelle’s luggage to be delivered to the Aldens’ house, for they were staying there for two nights before heading back to the Ponderosa.  (Annabelle had arranged it with her sister-in-law because she knew her father-in-law needed to rest before starting the return to the Ponderosa.) 

As they drove to the Aldens’ house, Miranda commented, “You know, Grandpa, I’ve been thinking.  It must have been awfully difficult if you started out from Boston with Daddy when he was the same age as A.C.  I remember what A.C. was like on the train, and yet there were Mama, Daddy and I all there to help watch him.  You were all alone with Daddy.”

Ben smiled.  “If your daddy had A.C.’s temperament, I’m not sure if I could have managed.  Fortunately for me, your daddy was a quiet, thoughtful child.”  He smiled more broadly as he added, “With an insatiable curiosity.  He did wear me out trying to answer his questions.  In fact, it’s you and Gwyneth that remind me of your daddy.  You have his love of learning and his logical mind while Gwyneth is quiet and introspective just as he is.  Now, A.C. reminds more of your Uncle Joe.”  Miranda and Annabelle both smiled at that and then Ben questioned Miranda about her school and what she’d been learning.
 

Ben had to admit he felt rested and more energetic after the two nights at the Aldens’ home.  The Aldens bade Miranda a fond farewell and told her they were looking forward to seeing her in the fall and then Nicholson drove the three Cartwrights to the train station.  After they began their journey, Annabelle opened her copy of The Bostonians, which she’d purchased at the Corner Bookstore since Adam and Bronwen had recommended Henry James, and began to read.  Ben and Miranda moved to the other end of the car so they could converse without disturbing her.

“Could you talk to me about Grandma Inger now?” Miranda asked a little hesitantly but Ben smiled at her warmly.

“Your daddy and I met Inger in Illinois on our trip west.  I’d run out of money and had to stop to earn some more.  We hadn’t much to eat for breakfast that morning and no dinner because our provisions were completely gone. I had to leave your daddy in the wagon while I looked for work; the poor child was hungry and he wasn’t feeing well either.  I managed to find a job and the very next thing I did was to buy some food for my boy.  A young woman was running the store, the only one in town.  I don’t suppose she was actually beautiful, but she was friendly and pleasant even to a prickly stranger.”

“Prickly?” Miranda repeated for it didn’t sound like her grandpa.

“I’m afraid I was a very unhappy man then,” he replied sadly.  “Your grandmother had been gone for five years but I missed her so much and I was still angry that she had been taken from me and from Adam.  I often felt I was a failure as a father since it was such a struggle to feed and clothe my child.  And I wondered if I was doing the right thing taking him to a frontier that would be lacking in so many of the opportunities he would find in Boston.”  Ben smiled slightly at his granddaughter and continued.

“This young woman, Miss Borgstrom, was so kind and cheerful and when Adam wandered into the store saying he didn’t feel good, she immediately put her hand on his forehead to see if he had a fever.  The strange thing was that your daddy let her do it.  Women always made a fuss over Adam.  He was a beautiful child with those big hazel eyes, long eyelashes and curly black hair, and I’ve noticed women always respond to a motherless child; it must be an instinct.  But Adam normally resisted anyone but me touching him, so I was surprised when he made no objection.  Later, he told me repeatedly what a nice lady Miss Borgstrom was.  I think he responded to Inger’s loving kindness from the moment he saw her.  When we first married, I teased Inger that it was really Adam she loved; she’d only married me so she could be Adam’s mother.”  Miranda smiled at this.

“The three of us were so happy.  Inger was such a compassionate, generous woman.  She knew that a part of me would always belong to Elizabeth, and she accepted that without any jealousy.  I knew that Liz would approve of my loving Inger and letting her be a mother to Adam.  Oh, how your daddy blossomed under Inger’s love and care.  He had decided that five was too old to sit on my lap but he’d let Inger hold him on hers and she’d sing him to sleep at night just as I knew Liz would have done.  He’d never smiled much before, but now he did.  I remember when we told him he was going to be a big brother, he was so excited and so proud.”

Ben’s expression darkened and he added, “Your daddy and I were devastated when Inger died in the Indian attack.  It was terrible for him, seeing his mama killed right before his eyes.”

“He saw her die?” Miranda repeated, a sob catching in her throat, for she’d never known that and she grieved for her father, imagining how she’d feel if she saw her mama killed.

“I wish I could have at least spared him that, but he was the first to see her fall with an arrow in her back.  I’m afraid I wasn’t much help at first because I was too caught up in my own grief.  But I had to deal with it because I had your daddy to take care of and your Uncle Hoss, who wasn’t quite two months old.”

“Did Daddy love Grandma Marie like he did Grandma Inger?” Miranda asked after a few moments.

“That’s hard for me to answer,” Ben said slowly.  “I think he loved them both, but not in the same way.  Your Grandma Marie was very different from your Grandma Inger and they were both different from your grandma.  They did have some things in common.  They were all kindhearted and affectionate women.  Inger was more patient than either Elizabeth or Marie and more domestic.  Elizabeth had been taught how to be a good housewife, but I don’t think she enjoyed those domestic tasks the way Inger did.  Marie had been raised with servants to do all the actual housekeeping and she never learned to cook well, which was one of the reasons Hop Sing was such a blessing.  Elizabeth loved to read and to dream and that was different from Inger or Marie.  Inger was serene by nature while Marie and Elizabeth both had tempers.  Marie had the most volatile temperament of my three wives without question just as your Uncle Joe has a more hot-blooded nature than his brothers.  In fact, Marie and your daddy had such different characters that I suppose it was inevitable that they clashed sometimes just like your daddy and Uncle Joe, but Marie loved your daddy as much as she loved Uncle Hoss and Uncle Joe.  She was the one who convinced me to let him got to Harvard,” Ben added with a smile.

He paused and then said thoughtfully, “Your daddy was twelve when I brought your Grandma Marie to the Pondersa, and at first he wasn’t at all happy about my marriage.  He felt your Grandma Marie was trying to take your Grandma Inger’s place.  I tried to explain that Marie wasn’t taking Inger’s place any more than Inger had taken his mother’s, but he refused to listen.  He was very unhappy and he withdrew from everyone but your Uncle Hoss.  But Uncle Hoss loved Marie the same way your daddy had loved Inger and that made your daddy even more angry and miserable.  When he learned that your Grandma Marie was going to have a baby instead of being happy as the rest of us were, he asked me to let him live with his grandfather in Boston.”  Miranda’s eyes widened in surprise at this revelation.  “It took a long time for Marie to win your daddy’s love,” Ben said quietly, “but eventually she did.  However, I don’t think he ever thought of her as a mother; I think he looked on her as a friend.  He never called her “mama” as he did Inger; he always called her Marie.

“What about Grandma Marie—was she sad that Daddy never thought of her as his mother?” Miranda asked.

“Yes, I think she was a little sad, but mostly she was glad that he thought of her as a friend and that he loved your Uncle Joe as much as he loved your Uncle Hoss.”

“I’m always so sad for Daddy when he talks about growing up without a mama.  I love Mama so much and I just can’t imagine growing up without her.”

Ben smiled at her and took one of her hands in his and squeezed it gently.  “It was difficult for your daddy and your uncles growing up without a mother; I think it was hardest on Adam.  Never knowing his own mother and then loving Inger so much and losing her so soon,” Ben said quietly.  He patted Miranda’s hand saying, “That is why I am so glad he found your mama.  Your parents love each other very much and I like to believe the happiness they share makes up for the tragedies of your daddy’s childhood.” 

Miranda smiled then and said, “I hope so.  I know that I’m very lucky to have parents who love each other and love all of us.  Sophie told me that her parents never even speak to each other directly.  They only speak through Sophie and her sister, or through the servants.  I can’t even imagine a home like that.”

They changed the subject then and talked of Benj and Sarah and the latest news of Miranda’s family.  Ben was disconcerted when Miranda revealed Beth had written her that she was going walking with Reverend Jones.  “Beth writes that they hold hands and they talk about all sorts of things.  It sounds to me like she may be falling in love with him.  It will seem odd having a minister for a brother-in-law.”

“I think that’s putting the cart before the horse,” Ben snapped and Miranda said quietly, “Beth’s best friend, Susan, is already engaged and she’s going to be married in three months when she turns eighteen.  Her friend, Lucy, is going to be married this month.  Daddy wouldn’t let Beth marry before she turns eighteen, but I don’t think he’d stop her marrying after that, especially since we all like Reverend Jones.”

Ben sighed.  “It’s just hard for me to realize you girls are almost grown.”

Miranda smiled.  “Gwyneth and Penny don’t have any interest in boys yet.”

“But your sister and your daddy both write that there is a boy who is interested in Gwyneth.”

“Llywelyn’s friend, Mark?  Yes, Beth is certain that he likes her; she thinks it’s sweet.  Gwyneth is totally oblivious to his regard.”  Miranda grinned at Ben.  “Mark is helping Daddy and Llywelyn put up a fence around our property and so he eats dinner with them every Saturday.  Daddy and Mama are impressed by what a hard worker he is; he works at the livery stable after school as well as this job.  Mark is at the top of his class and he’s saving money to attend Sydney Technical College.  Llywelyn wrote me that he hopes Mark can win the Cartwright and Davies scholarship because then they can room together.  They both want to study engineering and Llywelyn is certain Mark can get a job at our company after he graduates.”

“Sounds like Mark has a good friend in Llywelyn,” Ben replied with a small smile. 

“I wish I’d had a chance to meet Mark before I left,” Miranda said regretfully.  Then she dimpled.  “Penny has a beau as well.  She wrote me indignantly that one of the boys in her class chased her around the schoolyard and kissed her, so she hit him.  He tells everyone that he’s going to marry Penny when they grow up.  It makes Penny furious.  I can just see the indignant look on her face,” Miranda chuckled.  She added, “Penny wrote that Daddy told her that if the boy does it again, to let him know and he’ll have a talk with his parents.” 

Ben thought to himself with a smile, I pity the young men who want to court Penny.

As if reading his thoughts, Miranda then said, “You know, Beth and I thought Daddy was strict with the boys who wanted to keep company with us, but he’ll be ten times worse with any boys who want to court Penny.”  She giggled.  “I feel sorry for them already.”
 

After a pleasant journey, they arrived in Carson City, where Joe, Benj and Sarah were waiting for them with the surrey.

“Hello, Mama!  Hello, Grandpa!” Sarah squealed as she ran to them to be hugged and kissed.  Then she said shyly to Miranda, “Hello, cousin Miranda.”

“Hello, Sarah,” Miranda said with a smile.  Then she turned to her uncle and older cousin.   “Hello, Uncle Joe. Benj.”

“It’s good to see you all of you back safe and sound,” Joe said before hugging his wife and daughter.  (Miranda was surprised he didn’t kiss Aunt Annabelle;  Daddy always kissed Mama when he came home from the mine and he certainly would have kissed her after being separated for more than two weeks.)  Then Joe embraced his father before turning to his niece.  “Do I get a hug?”

“Too right!” Miranda replied and felt herself enfolded in his arms.  “But I’m guessing Benj is too old for hugs, right?”  Benj’s cheeks reddened but he nodded.

As they headed back to the ranch, Sarah kept turning around so she could talk to her cousin and Grandpa.  “You wanna come to a tea party when we get home, Miranda?”

“Now, Sarah, your cousin is a little old to be playing with dolls,” Annabelle said reprovingly but Miranda interrupted.

“She’ll be apples—I mean, it’ll be all right.  I’ve missed Penny’s tea parties,” she said dimpling.  “Gwyneth never had much use for dolls, but Beth and I attended tea parties with Penny and her friend, Kate, and their dolls.  I’d be happy to come to yours, Sarah,” and she felt rewarded by the beaming smile on her little cousin’s face.
 

Miranda fit easily into life on the ranch.  She played dolls with Sarah; she played checkers and backgammon with Benj and began teaching him chess  When Buckshot announced he didn’t like anyone in his kitchen, she laughingly told him that she was banned from the kitchen at home because she was such a dreadful cook.  Joe told her she didn’t need to muck out her mount’s stall, but she assured him she’d always done it at home and she expected to do it here.  Several of the younger hands vied for the chance to accompany her on her daily ride, for as one put it, “I caint hardly understand why a purty gal like that’d want to be goin’ to school so fur away from her family, but at least she don’t walk around actin’ like she’s too good to be around the rest of us like someone else I could name.”
 

A couple of days after Miranda had arrived, Joe arranged his schedule so he could spend more time with his niece.  One day he volunteered to be her escort on her daily ride.  As they rode along, she finally got up the courage to bring up a matter that had been on her mind for some time.  “Uncle Joe, I’d like to ask you a question.”

He grinned.  “Go right ahead.”

“Well, you were only five when Daddy went to Harvard, right?”  Joe nodded slowly.  “Could you tell me how you felt about his being gone all that time?”

“I can tell you, Miranda, but I don’t think you’re going to like the answer,” he said candidly.  “I missed your daddy so much when he was first gone, just as I imagine A.C. misses you.  I was sad, but I was angry, too, because I couldn’t understand why my big brother would rather be at school than at home with us.  When he’d write about his grandfather and his friends, I was jealous—afraid that Adam loved them more than he did me.  After the first year he was gone, even though he wrote to me, he didn’t seem real to me.  He was more like a memory, like the ones I had of my mother.  It wasn’t that way for Hoss, but he was twelve when Adam left.”

“You think I’ll become just a memory to A.C.?” Miranda asked and Joe saw the tears welling up in her eyes.

“I told you that you wouldn’t like what I had to say.  I’m sorry, Miranda, but yes, I think it may be the same with A.C.  Not with Gwyneth or Penny though.”  She looked so sad and bereft and he felt a need to offer her some comfort.  “Going to college is something you really want just as it was something your daddy really wanted, and there’s nothing wrong with going after a dream.  You just have to be prepared to pay the price.  Besides, things worked out between your daddy and me and I expect they will between you and A.C.,” and he was pleased to see her faint smile.
 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
 

It was an unusually chilly July morning and all the family except Penny were gathered in the dining room.  “Was Penny up when you came downstairs?” Bronwen asked Gwyneth.

“Yes,” Gwyneth replied.  “But I think she’s catching a cold.  I heard her coughing a couple of times in the night and blowing her nose.”

Bronwen sighed.  “That child never likes to admit she’s sick.  Just like another member of this family,” she added, shooting an accusing look at Adam, who only grinned.  Just then Penny entered the room with a nose that was cherry red.

“Good morning, Penelope,” Bronwen said and Penny’s expression became worried.

“Good bornig,” Penny replied nervously.

“It sounds like you have a cold, Kitten,” Adam said gently.

“No, I’b fine,” Penny insisted.

“You don’t sound fine,” Bronwen said tartly.  She got up and placed her hand on Penny’s forehead.  “And you feel like you’re running a fever.”  Penny started to protest again that she was fine, but instead started coughing, and Adam and Bronwen both knew from the sound that her cold was in her chest as well as her head.

“As soon as you finish breakfast, young lady, you’re going back to bed,” Bronwen commanded.

“But I dod feel sick,” Penny whined.  “I dod want to stay in bed.  Please, Daddy,” she begged looking hopefully at Adam.

He started to ask Bronwen if Penny couldn’t just stay home from school, but before he could open his mouth he saw the look on Bronwen’s face and only said firmly, “You heard your mother, Kitten.”

Penny pouted but it didn’t do any good.  (It never worked with Mama, and it only worked with Daddy if Mama wasn’t around.)  She ate her oatmeal and drank her orange juice although she made a face because the juice burned her throat.  She was still eating her oatmeal when Adam came over and kissed her forehead.  “Be a good girl, Kitten, and stay in bed so you’ll get better quicker.”

“Will you cub tell be a story when you get hobe?” she asked hopefully and he smiled warmly at her.

“Right.  What kind of story would you like?”

“When you and Uncle Hoss and Uncle Joe were little boys,” she said eagerly and he stroked her soft hair and nodded.
 

After finishing her breakfast, Penny went upstairs into the room she shared with Gwyneth.  The room was papered in a design of nosegays of violets on a white background and the curtains at the large windows were of pale green dimity.  Just like their older sisters, Penny and Gwyneth had canopy beds made of Queensland maple.  In one corner of the room stood the dollhouse Penny had received for her seventh birthday.  She thought about playing with it, but knew her mother would be coming to check on her soon and if Mama didn’t find her in bed, she’d be in trouble.  She could get out of bed later and play, she decided.  She got back into her long-sleeved cotton nightgown and braided her hair so it wouldn’t tangle.  Before getting into bed, she got her paper dolls out of her toy box along with Alexandra, the bride doll she’d received for Christmas this year, and Victoria, the baby doll Grandpa, Uncle Joe and Aunt Annabelle had given her.  She was playing with the paper dolls when Bronwen entered the room, Lady trotting at her heels.  Penny saw she had the thermometer in her hand.

“I dod hab a feber, Bama.”

“I just want to check and see.  Open up,” Bronwen said in a no-nonsense voice.  Penny rolled her eyes (I think all our children have inherited that trait, Bronwen thought) but complied.  After a few minutes she took it out.   “100.5 degrees.  You do have a fever.  You must stay in bed, Penny.  I’ll bring you up a pot of tea with honey; that should make your throat feel better.  I’ll make you chicken broth for dinner.”

“Would you play backgabbon with me, Bama?  Please.”

“I can’t right now, but maybe this afternoon.  You have your dolls.  I could bring you a book to read if you’d like.”

“Right.  I wanted to read Black Beauty,” Penny replied.

Bronwen kissed her cheek and smiled.  “I’ll be back in just a few minutes with your tea and Black Beauty.”

Just then A.C. ran into the room.  “Hi, Penny.  Wanna play jackstraws with me?”

“A.C.,” Bronwen scolded.  “Penny is sick and I don’t want you catching her cold.  Come on,” and she took his hand and dragged him out of the room.  Lady jumped up on the bed and sniffed at the paper dolls.  Penny moved them onto her bedside table and began petting Lady.  “At least you habn’t forgotten be, habe you, Lady?” and Lady licked her face enthusiastically.  Bronwen returned shortly with the tea and book and took Lady with her when she left.

Penny drank her tea and read for a bit but then she felt tired so she closed her eyes and the next thing she knew Bronwen was bringing her chicken broth.  “I hab to go to de dunny,” Penny said desperately. 

"Penny!"

"Sorry.  I bean outhouse."

 “No, I want you to use the chamber pot; I don’t want you going outside because it’s too chilly.”  Penny pouted but knew better than to argue. 

After she finished her chicken broth, she was playing with her dolls again when A.C. snuck in.  “You’re goig to get in trouble,” she warned.

A.C. grinned unrepentantly.  “I wanted to play jackstraws with you,” and he held them in one of his chubby fists.

Penny was so pleased to have someone to play with that she forgot all about her mama’s promise to play backgammon just as A.C. conveniently forgot he was supposed to be taking his afternoon nap.  Bronwen was coming up the stairs with the backgammon game when she heard their excited voices coming from Penny’s room.

“Adam Stoddard Cartwright, Junior!” she said sternly as she burst into the room, “you are supposed to be taking your nap!”

“But Penny was lonely, Mama,” he protested.

“Penny is sick and I told you not to come in this room because I don’t want you to get sick, too.  You have been a very bad boy and you know what happens to bad boys, don’t you.”

A big fat tear trickled down his cheek.  “They get necess’ry talk.”

“That’s right they do,” she replied.  She picked him up off the bed and applied two firm swats to his behind and guided him, sobbing loudly, across the hall to his own room.  In a few minutes, she reappeared in Penny’s room.  “What do you have to say for yourself, young lady?”

“I toad him he was goig to get in trouble,” Penny said in a small voice.  “You toad be to stay in bed so I couldn’t cub tell you.”

Bronwen frowned, but there was a certain logic in what Penny said and Bronwen knew her daughter was bored and lonely.  The older girls could easily amuse themselves when they were sick, but Penny was very gregarious and hated being alone.  Bronwen suspected that was the chief reason why she never liked to admit to being ill.  “You’re sick, and I suppose that’s punishment enough,” she said letting her expression soften.  “I was going to play backgammon, but since you’ve already been playing with A.C., I want you to try and take a nap, too.”  She put her hand on Penny’s forehead; she thought it felt a little warmer, but that sometimes happened late in the day.

Penny didn’t think she could sleep again, but one minute she was lying fretfully in bed and the next her daddy was kissing her cheek.

“How are you feeling, Kitten,” he said sitting on the bed beside her.

“I feel fine,” she said trying very hard (but without success) not to cough.  “Can I get out of bed?”

“Mama asked me to take your temperature.  If you don’t have a fever, then you can get up for a bit.  Sounds like you still have a bad cough though.”  When he checked the thermometer, he shook his head.  “Sorry, Kitten, but your temperature is 101 degrees, so you’ll have to stay in bed.  Mary will bring you up a tray for supper.”

“Are you goig to tell be a story?” she asked fretfully and he smiled. 

“I said I would.  I’ll come up right after supper.”

Penny got more chicken broth for supper with some bread and butter and a big glass of lemonade.  She’d eaten all the broth and one slice of bread when Adam came up and was sipping the lemonade.

“Can you eat the other slice of bread for Daddy?” he asked sitting beside her and stroking her hair.

“I dod feel hungry,” Penny said and he sighed. 

“All right, just finish your lemonade and then I’ll tell you your story.”  When she finished, he put the tray outside the door, moved the rocking chair by her bed and sat down.

“It was a hot July morning,” he began when Penny interrupted.

“It’s not hot in July; it’s cold.”

He shook his head and pretended to frown.  “In Nevada, it’s hot in July,” he replied emphatically.

“Oh, I forgot,” she giggled and he grinned.

“It was raining that morning, and that made it perfect weather for fishing.  Your Uncle Hoss asked Grandpa if he and I could go.  I hoped Grandpa would say yes but, since I was sixteen, I was working as a ranch hand and I wasn’t certain if Grandpa would give me the time off.”

“But I dought you were in school,” Penny interrupted again.

“No, there wasn’t any school for me to attend back then.  Grandpa and Grandma Marie both taught me some in the evening using my copy of Webster’s The American Spelling Book.  I studied spelling, grammar, history and geography from Mr. Webster’s book. Grandpa taught me some geometry and trigonometry and Grandma Marie taught me to speak French.  That fall, I went to stay with some friends of our family in San Francisco and studied with a tutor so I’d be able to pass the entrance examinations for Harvard.  My tutor taught me a little Latin and Greek (enough to pass the entrance examinations), advanced algebra and calculus.  He also taught me about literature, poetry and composition.”  He stopped then and gently tweaked Penny’s little snub nose.  “Now, let’s get back to the story, shall we?”

“Right, Daddy,” she replied with a beaming smile.

“Your Uncle Hoss looked at Grandpa so pleadingly that I think he couldn’t help but say yes.  ‘You can go fishing this morning, but then I need your brother’s help breaking those mustangs this afternoon.’”

“‘Thanks, Pa,’ I said and Uncle Hoss’s smile was so big it nearly split his face in two.  Unfortunately, we’d forgotten all about Uncle Joe.  Now, he was about the same age as A.C. and he thought he was big enough to go fishing with his two older brothers.  Uncle Hoss and I just wanted to spend some time together and we knew if Uncle Joe came along not only wouldn’t we catch any fish, but probably we would have to spend all our time watching him to make sure he didn’t fall into the water or hurt himself.”

“I held my breath and crossed my fingers, but it didn’t do any good.  Uncle Joe pleaded with Grandpa and Grandma Marie so they decided he could go.  And of course I had to be in charge of him.  I’m afraid I was pretty cross—“

“Just like Gwyned when you and Bama bake her do subdig she doesn’t want to do,” Penny interjected.

Adam coughed, embarrassed at Penny’s discernment, and said, “Well, uh, yes.  I suppose I was being just like Gwyneth when she has the sulks.  Anyway, Uncle Joe was so happy at being included that I couldn’t really stay sulky.  I promised that I’d find him a fishing pole just his size when we got to the fishing hole.  Uncle Joe didn’t get a pony until he was five so he rode with me to the fishing hole.  He talked my ear off.  Kind of like someone else I know,” Adam said with a grin.

“A.C.!”

“Your brother is a chatterbox, but that’s not who I was thinking of,” Adam replied with a teasing grin.

“Be?  I’b not a chatterbox, ab I?”

“A very pretty one,” he replied dimpling.  “Anyway, we got to the fishing hole and I found the perfect branch to make Uncle Joe a fishing pole.  Meanwhile, he and Uncle Hoss had been digging worms for bait.  When I saw the mud Uncle Joe had managed to smear on his shirt and breeches, I knew I was in for a lecture when we got home.”

“Why?  You hadn’t done anydig wrong.”

“If you’re the oldest and in charge, and your younger brother or sister misbehaves, you get blamed.”

“Dat’s not fair,” Penny stated emphatically.

“I think Beth would agree with you,” Adam replied with a wink and Penny’s cheeks turned pink.  Adam smiled and continued.

 “I helped Uncle Joe bait his hook and the three of us settled down on the fishing bank.  Of course, Uncle Joe didn’t understand that if you want the fish to bite you have to sit still and be quiet, and he got bored very quickly.”

“Fishig is borig.  I dod understand why Gwyned likes it so buch.”

“That’s because you’re like Uncle Joe in some ways,” Adam replied with a smile.  “Uncle Hoss and I decided the only way we might manage to catch some fish was if we played with Uncle Joe until he got tired enough to take a nap.  We played ring-a-round-a-rosy and London Bridge, and then I showed him how to skip stones.  He still wasn’t tired so then we played tag.  It was getting late so we decided we had to start fishing or we’d never catch anything.  Uncle Joe pouted a little when we told him he had to sit still but then while he was sitting there, he finally fell asleep.  We only had an hour before we had to go and I didn’t catch anything and Uncle Hoss only caught one fish.  One fish wasn’t going to do us any good, so he decided to throw it back.  When we first started home, Uncle Hoss and I were feeling pretty grumpy but as we got closer to home, we realized that we’d had as much fun playing with Uncle Joe as we would have had fishing so we were all in a good mood.  The only person in a bad mood was Hop Sing, who’d planned on having fish for supper.”

“I liked dat story.  Tell be anoder one, Daddy.  Please.  Tell be the story about when I was born.”

He smiled at her before beginning.  “It was a very hot January day.  We knew you were going to arrive any day so Uncle Rhys told me that he could handle the work at the mine for the next few days until you decided you were ready to be born.  Poor Mama wasn’t very comfortable and she was hoping you’d decide to be born pretty soon.”

“Was Bama as big as she was before A.C. was born?”

“No, your brother was definitely the biggest baby,” he replied with a chuckle.  “He’s going to be tall, maybe even taller than me.”  He smiled at the skepticism on her face and continued.  “Even if Mama wasn’t as big as she was when A.C. was born, she was still uncomfortable.  You were a very active baby, always moving and kicking Mama.  Sometimes at night I’d put my hand on Mama’s stomach and I could feel you moving.”

“Fair dinkum?”

“Sure.  Mama and I would talk to you sometimes,” and Penny giggled at the picture of her mama and daddy talking to her when she was inside mama.  Unfortunately, her giggles brought on a fit of coughing.  When she was done, Adam gave her a spoonful of the cough syrup Bronwen had made using Hop Sing’s formula.  (She’d sent the formula to her father, and Dr. Davies told her it was an excellent cough syrup and he intended to make some for his patients.)

“Are you feeling better?” he asked, for he noticed she’d coughed up a lot of phlegm and she nodded.  “Let’s plump those pillows so you can sit up,” he said, moving behind her.  When he was satisfied, he sat back in the rocker and continued.  “After breakfast, we all went out on the verandah where it was cooler.  Poor Gwyneth was cutting her molars and that really hurts so she was crying and I was walking back and forth with her.  I wished I had some ice I could give her to suck on, but you can’t find ice in Cloncurry in January.  Mama was playing Old Bachelor with Beth and Miranda.  Poor Gwyneth finally cried herself to sleep but it was hot in her room so I just sat down and held her on my lap while she slept.”

“Just before Mary came to tell us dinner was ready, Mama felt the first sign that you were going to be born.  Right after dinner, I took your sisters over to stay with Aunt Matilda.  Beth and Miranda wanted to stay and watch you be born and Gwyneth started crying because she wanted to stay with Mama and me.  I almost had to have a necessary talk with Beth and Miranda.”

“Why couldn’t dey watch be get born?” Penny asked curiously.

“When you’re a mama, you’ll understand.  Right after I took your sisters to Aunt Matilda’s, I went to tell Dr. Brooke that you were on your way.  He came back home with me and took a look at Mama.  He said you wouldn’t be born for a few hours yet so he’d come back.  I stayed with Mama and we’d walk around the verandah and then she’d rest and then we’d walk again.  About 5:30, Dr. Brooke came back and said it shouldn’t be too much longer.  Nell went upstairs to be with Mama and I went into the nursery we’d fixed for you and waited.  It seemed like forever to me, but it was only about a half an hour later when I heard the sound of a baby crying.”

“Be!” Penny said excitedly.

“That’s right,” Adam replied with a wink.  “I hurried inside the bedroom and there was the doctor holding you upside down by your feet and you were screaming as loud as you could.”

“No wonder.  Why was he hodig be upside down?”

“Oh, he gave you a little slap on your bottom to make certain you started breathing.  You had a good set of lungs.  Not as good as Gwyneth’s though.  Anyway Dr. Brooke said, ‘You have another daughter, Mr. Cartwright.’”

“Were you disappointed I was a girl?” Penny asked anxiously.

Adam smiled warmly at her.  “No.  When Nell put you in my arms, I saw I’d gotten just what I hoped for:  a little girl who looked just like her mama.”  He paused and then said in a conspiratorial tone, “I’ll tell you a secret, Kitten.  I was hoping that your Uncle Joe would be a sister.”

“Fair dinkum?” Penny asked in surprise.

He nodded.  “I already had a younger brother so I didn’t figure I needed another one.  But instead of giving me a little sister, God gave me four beautiful daughters to love.”  He smiled and squeezed her little hand.  Her long slender fingers were the one thing she’d inherited from him.  “I think you should try to go back to sleep, Kitten.”

“Would you sing to be, Daddy?  And let be sit on your lap?”

“All right.  If you promise to try and go to sleep, you may sit on my lap and I’ll sing to you.”  He lifted her easily, for she was the smallest of the children, even smaller than Miranda had been at her age.  She looked more like nine than eleven.  He kissed her soft cheek and then settled her on his lap with her head resting on his shoulder.  Bronwen was coming up to check on Penny and heard Adam’s voice singing softly.  She stood quietly in the doorway and gazed at the sweet scene of her husband, who normally was uncomfortable expressing his affection physically, singing and gently rocking his little girl.
 

The next morning before dressing and going downstairs, Bronwen went into Gwyneth and Penny’s room to check on her littlest girl and take her temperature.  She knocked lightly on the door before entering and heard Gwyneth’s quiet, “Come in.”

Gwyneth was getting dressed for her barn chores.  “How do you feel?” Bronwen asked quietly, seeing that Penny was still asleep.

“I feel fine.  I don’t think Penny coughed as much during the night.”

“That’s good.  I want to take her temperature.”  She shook Penny’s shoulder firmly.  “Wake up, Penny fach.”

Penny slowly opened her eyes and yawned.  “Bornig, Bama”

“Good morning.  You still have a cold, but I want to see if you still have a fever.  Open up,” and she deftly inserted the thermometer.  When she pulled it out, she frowned a little.  “99.9 degrees.  I’m afraid you’re going to have to spend another day in bed.”  Penny looked so woebegone that Bronwen said cheerily, “I tell you what.  I’ll have Beth come up after breakfast and play backgammon with you and this afternoon I’ll come up and we can play checkers.  That way you won’t have to be alone all the time.”

Penny still felt depressed, but she tried to smile for her mama.  Beth came up right after breakfast wearing a big smile.

“Are you feeling any better?” she asked kindly.

“I’b fine.  I’b just lonely.  I hate beig by byself,” Penny replied and Beth saw the tears in her eyes.  She smiled at her sister and said cheerfully, “Well, you’re not alone now.  I brought the backgammon game.  Let’s see if you can beat me.”

As they played, they talked and Penny surprised Beth by suddenly asking, “Bed, do you like Reverend Jones?”

Beth’s cheeks grew pink but she said demurely, “Of course I like him.  Don’t you?”

“Oh, you know what I bean.  Do you love hib?”

Beth’s expression grew very solemn.  “I’m honestly not certain.  I know I like being with him—more than I like being with Sandy or Tony.  I feel comfortable with him and he’s not always telling me how beautiful I am.  I get tired of that.”

“Why?  I wish I was beautiful like you.  I wouldn’t get tired of people tellig be I was.”

“Oh yes you would because you’d start to wonder if anyone would like you if something happened and you weren’t beautiful anymore.”

“Oh,” Penny said thoughtfully, for this was a new concept and a difficult one to understand.

“Besides, you’re pretty and you’re fun to be around—most of the time,” she said with a grin and Penny stuck out her tongue.  “Anyway, Annie told me that her brother, Ian, says he’s going to marry you when he grows up.”

“I’b not barryig Ian BacGregor!” Penny said emphatically and her older sister chuckled.

They played quietly for a few minutes and then Penny asked another question that had been on her mind.  “Bed, if you do decide you love Reverend Jones, would you barry hib and go live at de rectory?”

“If I decide I love him, and if he asks me to marry him, then yes, I would live with him at the rectory.”

“Wouldn’t you biss us?” Penny said forlornly.

“No, because I would visit you every day or you could visit me,” Beth replied with a laugh.  “Besides, if I marry, then I’ll have children of my own to look after.  I think it would be wonderful to have a baby of my own.”

“I dod.  I remember A.C.’s stinky diapers,” Penny stated, wrinkling her nose.

“You’re forgetting all the adorable things babies do,” Beth replied with a dreamy smile.  “I remember the first time A.C. smiled at you and how excited you were.  And remember how happy Daddy was that A.C.’s first word was da-da?”

“I guess babies are fun,” Penny agreed, “except for stinky diapers.”   Just then A.C. appeared in the doorway. 

“Mama said I could talk to you if I stand in the doorway.  It’s not fair Bethy can play with you and I can’t!”

“I don’t catch colds as easily as you do and neither does Gwyneth.  That’s why we can be in the room with Penny,” Beth explained with a smile.  “Why don’t you tell us what you’ve been doing this morning?”

When Bronwen came up later with Penny’s dinner, she found A.C. sitting in the doorway while his sisters tried (with mixed success) to teach him to play Twenty Questions, and she smiled at the sight of her children playing happily together.
 

After another day Penny’s temperature returned to normal, but she still had some congestion in her chest so Bronwen kept her at home.  She was allowed to sit in the library in the afternoon, but A.C. still wasn’t allowed to be in the same room with her and Bronwen and Beth just didn’t have much time to play games, so Penny was very lonely and dejected.  One afternoon, when she was indulging in a bout of self-pity, she got a brilliant idea.  Since everyone was ignoring her, she would sneak into Mama and Daddy’s room and pin up her hair and try on one of Mama’s dresses, just so she could see what she would look like when she would finally be allowed to dress like a young lady instead of a little girl.
 

Adam came home early that afternoon because Bronwen had mentioned how lonely and miserable Penny was, and he thought he’d surprise her by spending extra time with her.  He decided he would change clothes before visiting Penny.  He walked into the master bedroom loosening his tie and stopped short at the sight of his youngest daughter sitting at her mother’s vanity wearing her mother’s party dress of violet silk, her mother’s amethyst pendant around her neck, her hair pinned up in a twist, and smearing coralline salve on her mouth. 

“Penelope Jane Cartwright!  What do you think you are doing?” he snapped.

Penny whirled around to see her daddy’s angry expression, his thick black brows drawn together in a scowl.  “I j-just wanted to see what I’d l-look like when I could dress like Mama.”  Her huge violet eyes began to fill with tears.  “Please don’t be angry with me, Daddy.”

At the sight of those tears, Adam’s irritation evaporated.  He scooped Penny up in his arms and then sat down on the little bench with her on his lap.  “I’m not angry with you, Kitten.  It’s just that you and your sisters are in such a big hurry to grow up, and I’d like you to be my little girls for as long as possible.”

Penny looked at her daddy’s face and saw the love in his eyes and she smiled at him.  “I’ll always be your little girl, Daddy.  I promise.”  If only you could, Adam thought wistfully.
 
 

Chapter 5
Adam came home early one pleasant evening in late September, whistling merrily as he walked from the stable to the backdoor.  Bronwen was waiting for him at the door and he thought how exhausted she looked.  (They hadn’t gotten a good night’s sleep the previous night since they’d had to change the bedclothes in the middle of the night because they were so damp from her night sweats.)  Keeping his thoughts to himself, he washed up and kissed her as usual and asked how her day was.

“It was awful!  Your son and your youngest daughter got into a knockdown, drag out fight this afternoon!”

“A fight?” Adam repeated, raising one eyebrow.

“Yes, and they have the bruises to prove it.  Come into the library and I’ll tell you all about it.”

Adam sank into one of the buttery soft leather chairs and pulled Bronwen onto his lap.  She sighed and rested her head on his broad shoulder before saying in a tired voice, “Apparently it started because A.C. snuck into Penny and Gwyneth’s room while Beth and I were working in the garden.  He took Victoria into his room because he wanted to see how her arms and legs moved and how she said, ‘Mama.’”  Adam frowned a little, for he could see where the story was going.  “A.C. had pulled off Victoria’s arms and legs and was working on the head when Penny came home from school and found him.  That’s when the fight started.  Penny slapped A.C. and he hit her in retaliation.  By the time Beth and I heard them yelling and went upstairs, they were rolling on the floor, kicking, hitting and biting each other.”  Adam had a mental image of his extremely petite eleven-year-old daughter, who looked more like a nine-year-old, fighting with her four-year-old brother, who was tall enough to pass for a small six-year-old.

Bronwen paused and took a deep breath before continuing.  “I was so angry with the two of them that I was afraid to spank them.  I sent them to their rooms and told them you would be having a necessary talk with each of them.”

Now it was Adam’s turn to sigh.  “I suppose I’d better get it over with.  I don’t remember the older children ever being so obstreperous,” he said shaking his head.

“Oh, I don’t know about that,” she replied with a wry grin.  “I think that you and I are just getting too old to deal with this kind of mischief.”

“Amen to that!” he stated emphatically.
 

“I’m very disappointed in you, Penelope Jane,” Adam said severely as he entered the room and saw his littlest girl lying face down on her bed.

Penny rolled over and sat up, her eyes and nose red and swollen from weeping, a bruise forming on her left cheek.  “A.C. broke Victoria!  Look,” she said tragically holding up her limbless doll while her voice ended in a sob.

“It was wrong of him to sneak into your room and take Victoria without your permission,” Adam replied quietly, “but it was not your job to correct him.  You should have told Mama or me and we would have punished him.  Now, I must discipline you as well.”

“But I’m sorry, Daddy.  I won’t ever hit A.C. again.  I promise,” Penny pleaded, tears forming in her beautiful violet eyes.

“I’m glad you’re sorry and I certainly hope you’ll never hit your brother again, but you still must be punished, Kitten.  You know that.”

“I’m sorry,” she sobbed.  “Please don’t spank me, Daddy.”

For a moment, Adam didn’t think he could do it, but then he reminded himself that he couldn’t let Penny think she could use tears to get out of anything unpleasant.  “I am sorry, Kitten.  I don’t like having to do this, but you have to learn there are consequences to your actions,” he said very quietly.  He sat on the edge of her bed before saying, “Come here and lean over my knees.”

Penny did, crying as though her heart would break, and he administered four firm swats to her bottom.  She flung herself back on her bed and wouldn’t look at him.  “Mama said you may come down and eat supper with the family, so splash some water on your face and then come down to the dining room.”

“I’m n-not hungry,” Penny managed to get out between sobs.

“Even if you don’t eat, Mama and I want you to come downstairs.  Please don’t be disobedient again and force me to have another necessary talk with you,” he said softly, reaching over and rubbing her back gently.

“I don’t mean to be bad,” she sobbed as she rolled over to face him.

“You’re not bad, Kitten,” he said gathering her in his arms and sitting her gently on his lap.  “You may do bad things occasionally, but you’re not bad,” and he kissed her cheek tenderly.  She flung her arms around his neck and hugged him.

He hugged her back before saying, “You head downstairs.  I have to go have a ‘talk’ with your brother.”
 

Like his sister, A.C. was lying on his stomach and his face bore the evidence of his tears.  As soon as Adam entered the room, he rolled over and announced, “Penny hitted me, Daddy!”

“She hit you for a reason, didn’t she, son?”

“No, she just hitted me!” A.C. insisted.

“I think you had better think harder because I know Penny wouldn’t hit you without a reason,” Adam stated calmly.

“Well, I guess she was mad ‘cause I wanted to see why ’Toria’s arms and legs move,” A.C. admitted reluctantly.

“Did you ask her if you could play with Victoria?”

“No, ‘cause I knew she’d say no,” A.C. replied logically.

“What would you have done if Penny had come into your room and broken your jumping jack?”

“Hit her!” the little boy replied emphatically.

“If you hit her, then you’d get a necessary talk just like I had with Penny.”  Adam saw with a frown the smug look on his son’s face.  “You were just as bad as Penny.  You snuck into her room when she wasn’t there and you knew that was wrong, didn’t you?”  Reluctantly A.C. nodded.  “You took one of her toys without asking and you broke it and you knew both of those things were wrong, didn’t you?”  A.C. could see where this was headed so as he nodded the tears began forming in his eyes.  “Then when Penny hit you, you hit her back, and boys are never ever to hit girls.”  The tears were now rolling down A.C.’s chubby cheeks but Adam said gently, “You know you have to be punished for doing those bad things, don’t you?”  A.C. nodded, crying in earnest now.  Adam sat down on the bed and put his son across his knees and gave him four firm swats just as he had Penny.  A.C. was crying so hard that Adam picked him up and held him in his arms and rubbed circles on his back until he calmed himself.  Then he gave A.C. his handkerchief and told him to blow his nose.

“Now, you won’t sneak into your sisters’ rooms again will you?”

“N-no, Daddy,” A.C. replied in a quavering voice.

Adam smiled at him and added, “And you won’t play with their things without asking, will you?” and the little boy nodded.  “And you won’t ever hit a girl, no matter what she does to you?”  A.C. started to stick his lip out in a pout, but he saw his daddy’s frown so he nodded, reluctantly.  Adam kissed his cheek and said, “All right.  Now let’s go down and see what’s for supper, all right?”

“Right,” A.C. replied with a little smile.

“Jackeroo,” Adam added, “I expect you to tell your sister that you are sorry that you broke Victoria.”

“’Kay, Daddy.  I am sorry.”
 

Later that night Adam and Bronwen came to put A.C. to bed, and since his nightshirt only came a little past his knees, they got their first look at the bruises on his legs where Penny kicked him.  When they came to kiss Penny goodnight, they observed her calves and ankles were also bruised.  As they lay side by side in bed Adam said in a bemused tone, “I can’t believe two such small children could inflict so much damage on each other.   At least their stockings hide the bruises on their legs, but that bruise on Penny’s cheek looks terrible.  I’m glad A.C. is too young to use his fists or she’d probably have a black eye.  I have got to make him understand that he cannot hit a girl under any circumstances.”

“He has three good examples to follow: you, Rhys and Llywelyn.  I don’t think we have to worry that A.C. will grow up to be a bully,” Bronwen replied calmly.
 

The next evening just as the Cartwrights were finishing supper there was a knock at the door.  Penny and A.C. raced to answer it, forgetting to ask to be excused, which caused their mother to sigh.

“G’day, Reverend Jones,” Penny said with a big grin and A.C., who’d lost the race, piped up, “G’day!”

“Good day to you both or I should say, ‘Good evening’.”  He saw Penny’s face and did a double take.  “Penny, what happened to your face?”

“A.C. hit me,” Penny replied importantly.

“A.C,” Dafydd said in a scolding tone.

“She hitted me first,” A.C. replied belligerently then added with a sigh, “but Daddy says boys don’t never hit girls, no matter what.”

“Your daddy’s right,” Dafydd said.  “What in the world started the fracas?  The fight,” he amended seeing their puzzled looks.

“A.C. broke Victoria, but Daddy fixed her,” Penny said with a huge grin.  “He said I’m lucky I have a daddy who’s an engineer.”

Dafydd looked puzzled, but Beth, who had followed her younger siblings, quietly explained.  “Victoria is Penny’s baby doll and her arms and legs move.  Since Daddy is an engineer, he was able to make them move again.”

“That’s right,” Adam said with a laugh as he, Bronwen and Gwyneth entered the foyer.  “I admit that I never realized my engineering studies would be useful in repairing dolls.  How are you, Dafydd?”

“Very well, thank you sir,” the young man replied as he nodded his welcome to Beth’s parents and sister.

“I guess you’re here to see Beth, aren’t you Reverend?” Penny asked, grinning while her eyes sparkled mischievously.

Reverend Jones returned her smile and answered, “Yes.  I wanted to ask her if she’d care to go for a walk this evening.”  He looked at Beth and their eyes locked. Adam and Bronwen shared a knowing glance as they each remembered their own courtship.  Penny watched their expressions and giggled softy before turning to her little brother.

“Come on, A.C.  Let’s see if Daddy and Mama and Gwyneth will play Old Bachelor with us.”  (A.C. had only recently learned to play, but he didn’t understand the point of the game and always wanted the Old Bachelor card.  Penny loved to play with him because she never lost.)
 

Beth and Dafydd had been going for walks and buggy rides for almost five months, and Dafydd was more and more certain that Beth returned his feelings.  He decided it was time to take their relationship to a new level.  As he walked up the path to the Cartwrights’ house, holding Beth’s hand in his, he asked gently, “May I kiss you goodnight, Bethan?”

She dropped her eyes shyly and said in a low voice, “Yes, Dafydd.”

They stood at the bottom step of the verandah and he bent down and placed his mouth on hers.  It was a gentle kiss, but he felt her stiffen in his arms, so he forced himself to end it.

“I’m sorry,” she said, her voice ending in a sob.

“You have nothing to be sorry about, cariad,” he replied, gently caressing her cheek.  “We have all the time in the world for you to grow accustomed to my kisses.”  He placed his lips on hers again and this time she was more relaxed although she didn’t return his kiss.  The experience with Hampton was more than a year in the past, but it had affected Beth more than anyone had realized.  Dafydd found his thoughts toward Hampton were not at all Christian.  Still, he consoled himself, if he were patient, then Bethan would learn not to be frightened of his kisses and caresses.  He would help her bury forever her memories of Hampton’s assault.

“I’ll see you tomorrow night,” he whispered before heading back to the rectory.
 

After school a few days later, Penny came running into the house yelling, “We’ve got letters from Miranda!”

“Did I get a letter?” A.C. demanded, jumping up to try and grab the letters from Penny who held them high above her head.

“Yes.  Everyone got a letter, but we have to wait until Daddy comes home to read them.”

On hearing the commotion, Bronwen had come from the kitchen where she and Beth were preparing supper.  “Thank you for getting the mail, Penny,” she said holding out her hand and Penny reluctantly relinquished the letters. 

“I want my letter,” A.C. demanded and Bronwen frowned at his tone.  “I want my letter, what?” she said firmly.

He stuck his lip out in a pout but then his expression brightened.  “I want my letter, please.”

“I’m sorry, but Penny is right; we’ll all read our letters together after supper.”  Gwyneth walked on the verandah then and Bronwen said, “Gwyneth, would you mind going for a ride with A.C. before supper?”

“Right,” Gwyneth replied.  “Just let me change, A.C.”

“I want to come, too,” Penny insisted so Gwyneth shrugged and said, “Come on then.”

A.C. started to run to the stable, but Bronwen caught him.  “And where do you think you are going, bachgennyn?  You know you are not to go to the stable unless one of us is with you.”

This time A.C.’s lip came out in a ferocious pout and he kicked the verandah railing.  Bronwen sighed; there were times when A.C. was very much his father’s son.  “I suggest you pull that lip back or Gwyneth and Penny will be riding without you.”  He complied but was obviously still sulking when his sisters came running down the front stairs.  Actually, Gwyneth ran; Penny slid down the banister.  Bronwen shook her head before saying sternly, “Penelope Jane, you have been warned about sliding down the banister, haven’t you?”

“Yes, Mama,” Penny said hanging her head.  “You won’t tell Daddy, will you?” she asked anxiously, for she hated disappointing her daddy.

“Not this time, but if I catch you doing it again, I will.  You know what will happen then.”

“A necess’ry talk!” A.C. said with a dimpled grin and Penny stuck her tongue out at him behind Bronwen’s back.

Bronwen then turned to Gwyneth.  “Since you are old enough to wear your hair up and your skirts down, you are too old to be running down the stairs.”

“I’m sorry, Mama,” Gwyneth replied unconvincingly but Bronwen decided that a nice long ride would use up some of their energy so they’d behave properly when their father came home.

Penny and A.C. had a race and Penny was furious because Sport beat Muffin.

“Cheer up, Pen,” Gwyneth said as they rode side by side on the way back, with A.C. riding just ahead where they could keep an eye on him.  “Maybe for your twelfth birthday you’ll get a horse.  Beth and Miranda did and they weren’t much taller than you.”

“I hope so, but I’m afraid that Daddy and Mama will think I’m too small.  I hate being the shortest!”

“It’s not much fun being the tallest either although I guess I did get a horse when I was only eleven.”

“And you got to wear grown-up clothes a year earlier than Beth and Miranda.”

“Girls clothes are more comfortable.  At least I don’t have to wear a corset.  That’s the only good thing about not having any breasts.”

“I hope I’m not as old as you are when I get them,” Penny replied.  “Beth wasn’t quite thirteen when hers started growing.  She said it was very strange at first.  Until Mama made her wear a corset, she told me she could feel them moving when she walked,” Penny added with a giggle.

When they reached the stable, they saw Adam was already grooming Zephyr.   “Daddy!” A.C. shouted.  “We gots letters from Manda!”

“Then let’s hurry and take care of our mounts so we can eat supper and then read the letters,” Adam stated with a big grin.
 

“Read my letter first, Daddy” A.C. demanded, practically jumping up and down in excitement, as the family gathered in the library after supper.

“If you want me to read it first, you have to ask politely,” Adam replied, sitting in his favorite leather chair while Bronwen sat in the one next to it.  Penny perched on the arm of Adam’s chair while Gwyneth sat in the chair opposite Adam’s.

“Read my letter first, please,” A.C. stated emphatically as he climbed on his daddy’s lap and Adam ruffled his hair before opening the letter addressed to Master Adam Cartwright, Jr.

August 15, 1892

Dear A.C.,

How are you?  Mama wrote me that you have grown half an inch.  It sounds to me as though you’re going to be tall like Daddy and Gwyneth.  Mama also wrote me that you are learning your letters and your numbers.  I am very proud of you, little brother.

Daddy writes that you love to ride Sport.  I’ve been doing a lot of riding while I’ve been staying with Grandpa on the Ponderosa.  I like the horse I ride here, Guerrero, but I miss Rhiannon.  Please give her an apple and scratch her ears for me.

I love you, A.C., and I miss you very much.

Your loving sister,
Miranda

“May I read mine next, Daddy?  Please,” Penny begged.

“Certainly, you can read yours next, then Gwyneth, then Beth.  We’ll read the letter to Mama and me last,” Adam replied, giving her long hair a gentle tug.

Penny tore open her letter eagerly and began to read.

August 15, 1892

Dear Penny,

I was sorry to learn about your cold.  I know it’s not much fun to be stuck in bed, but Mama only makes you stay in bed because she loves you and wants you to get better. 

Adam and Bronwen shared a smile at this realizing that Penny must have complained to Miranda in her last letter.

. . . I wish I could have been there to see you and Beth teaching A.C. how to play Twenty Questions.  I always liked to hear Daddy’s stories when I was sick, too.

I’ll be leaving for Boston in another week.  I love being at the Ponderosa with Grandpa, Uncle Joe, Aunt Annabelle, Benj and Sarah.  Sarah likes dolls as much as you do and we’ve had tea parties several times.  The first time it made me miss you so much I almost cried.

I go for a ride every day.  Sometimes Grandpa comes with me and sometimes he’ll ask one of the hands to accompany me.  Usually I ride with Jacob—remember him?  He’s very nice.  His parents were born as slaves, but after President Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation, his father and mother got married and they moved west.  Jacob told me that slaves weren’t allowed to marry, at least not a real marriage in a church.  Isn’t that awful?  Anyway, Jacob’s had a very interesting life and he was a good friend of Uncle Hoss’s.

I still have to write to Gwyneth, Beth, and Mama and Daddy so I’m going to close now.

Love,
Miranda

After Penny crammed her letter back in the envelope, Gwyneth opened her letter carefully and removed the stationary.

August 15, 1892

Dear Gwyneth,

My summer vacation is almost over now and I’ll be heading back to Boston.  Being on the Ponderosa is almost like being home.  I groom Guerrero, take care of his tack, muck out his stall and feed and water him.  Just like at home, I’m not allowed in the kitchen.  (Grandpa and Uncle Joe laughed when I told Buckshot I wasn’t allowed in our kitchen either because I’m such a terrible cook.  Grandpa told me Grandma Marie wasn’t much of a cook either.) 

Gwyneth stopped and looked questioningly at her father.  Adam smiled broadly and said, “Grandpa is being kind.  Grandma Marie was a terrible cook.  She could make good coffee though.  She made what the French call café au lait, and that’s how I first started drinking it.”  He shrugged.  “I’ve gotten used to tea though.”

Bronwen said teasingly, “But I notice you drink plenty of black coffee whenever we visit the Ponderosa.”

He winked.  “I said I’ve gotten used to tea, not that I don’t miss good coffee.”

“I want to hear Manda’s letter,” A.C. said belligerently, earning a frown from his father, but everyone hushed and let Gwyneth continue.

I’ve been spending a lot of time riding and exploring the ranch.  I’ve also been to tea parties with Sarah and I’m teaching Benj to play chess.  He’s pretty good for an eight-year-old.  He’s disappointed that I don’t want to go fishing with him the way you did.  I guess I’ve spent the most time with Grandpa.  He’s told me lots of stories about the years he and Daddy traveled west. Grandpa said Daddy was very sweet, most of the time.  I told Grandpa it was hard for me to picture Daddy as a little boy so he showed me a photograph Daddy had sent him of you when you were eight.  Grandpa said if your hair were shorter and you were wearing a shirt and pants, it could have been a picture of Daddy.

Dr. Martin told Reverend Jordan what a musical family we are and the two of them (and Grandpa) persuaded me to sing a solo at church. It was very strange not to be singing with you and Beth.  I told them afterward they should have gotten you to sing because you have the best voice in the family.

Well, I still have two letters to write so I’ll close now.

Love,
Miranda

While she was listening to Gwyneth read, Beth had opened her letter.  There were two pieces of the stationary and one had Private written on the outside, so she left that one in the envelope and pulled out the other.  When Gwyneth was finished, Beth unfolded the stationary and began to read.

August 15, 1892

Dear Beth,

It seems strange that here in Nevada summer is drawing to a close while in Cloncurry it’s winter that is ending.  I was writing Gwyneth that living here on the Ponderosa is more like being at home.  At the Aldens house, servants do all the work.  At first it was nice not having to dust or polish the furniture or help wash and dry the dishes, but it didn’t feel right that others were having to do all that work.  Of course, I know that’s how the servants earn their living and it’s not really any different from Nell and Mary, who do the worst drudgery at our house, but it makes me feel somehow slothful, so I still make my bed every morning.  (Gwyneth would like having someone like Maureen to do her hair though and I know Maureen would consider Gwyneth’s hair a challenge.)

Even though I’ve worked taking care of my mount, I’ve been pretty much a lady of leisure in all other ways.  I visited Susan McKaren a few times and she visited me in return.  On my first visit, Andy asked after you and I could see he was very disappointed when I told him you had a beau now.  I also spent some time visiting with Evelyn Lightly.  Susan and Evelyn were very interested in hearing about life in Boston and wanted to know about the young men I’d met.  The boys I’ve met in Boston and Nevada aren’t very different from the ones back home; most are just too immature to interest me.

Adam breathed a secret sigh of relief at that disclosure, and happened to look up and catch his spouse’s eye.  Bronwen gave him a bit of a grin and he winked so that only she could see it.

The best part of spending my summers here has been spending time with Grandpa.  He’s lived such an interesting life and told me so many stories—not only stories about Daddy, but about Grandma, Grandma Inger, Grandma Marie and Uncle Hoss.  Uncle Joe is so busy with the ranch that we haven’t had as many opportunities to talk.

Well, it’s getting late, so I’d better close.  Tomorrow I’ll have to get up early and write to Mama and Daddy.

Love,
Miranda

“Now let’s hear your letter,” Penny said excitedly to Adam and he smiled at her before beginning to read.

August 16, 1892

Dear Mama and Daddy,

It’s been a year now since I left Cloncurry.  You were so right about homesickness, Daddy, and yet, I’m so grateful to you and Mama for allowing me to attend school in Boston.  As much as I’ve enjoyed my summer here at the Ponderosa, I’m looking forward to returning to Boston.  It must have been even harder for you, Daddy, leaving Boston to come back to the Ponderosa when there were so few people and you had to go across the mountains to Sacramento or San Francisco for the amenities you could take for granted in Boston.  And how difficult it must have been for you, Mama, to leave Sydney and come to a little frontier mining town like Cloncurry. I am just beginning to understand how hard it can be to follow your heart and your dreams. 

After spending the summer with Grandpa, I feel like I know Daddy better.  I already wrote Gwyneth how Grandpa told me that I could look at any photograph of her as a little girl and imagine her hair cut short and I’d know exactly what Daddy looked like.  Grandpa also showed me the daguerreotypes of you while you attended Harvard, Daddy. 

Adam coughed a little and then started to continue reading but Bronwen interrupted.  “I think you’re skipping part, cariad.  Hand me the letter, please.”  Beth and Penny giggled as they saw their daddy actually blush as he sheepishly gave the pages to his wife.

You were devastatingly handsome, Daddy; it was hard to realize I was looking at my father.  I mean, I’ve always been proud of having a handsome father, but I just never realized how extraordinarily attractive you were when you were a young man.  I guess I can understand why Mama would have left Sydney to be with you.  Oh dear, that sounds very shallow, doesn’t it?  I hope that when I do fall in love, it will be for his character and not his looks.  Or at least, not just his looks.

I’ve done some studying on my Latin and Greek since they are my worst subjects, but I’m afraid there are just too many distractions here.  I’ll really have to study hard when I return because I want to graduate at the top of my class and make you both proud of me.

Your loving daughter,
Miranda

“Read my letter again, Daddy,” A.C. begged and Adam smiled at him. 

“I’ll read it to you when you’re in bed since it’s time for you to be heading there.  How about that?”

“Okay,” A. C. replied, for once not making a fuss about his bedtime to his parents’ enormous relief.
 

That night after Bronwen and Adam came in to tell Beth goodnight, she stealthily lit her bedside lamp and got out the piece of stationary marked Private.

Beth,

Has Reverend Jones kissed you yet?  Do you really love him?  I’m having a hard time seeing you as a minister’s wife, but maybe that’s because Reverend Darnell’s wife was so old.

Tom Fuller came by for one visit, but I’m certain he was just being polite.  Don’t think it bothers me.  He’s a nice boy but we were never more than acquaintances.  Besides, I don’t have time to be thinking about boys with two more years at the Girls’ Latin School and then four years at the Harvard Annex.

I’ve enjoyed being here at the Ponderosa. Sarah reminds me a little of Penny.  I think she’s lonely.  There’s no little girl her age nearby she can play with the way you and I did when we were little or as Penny does with Kate.  As beautiful as the Ponderosa is, I will be glad to return to Boston with its public library, booksellers, plays and concerts.  Unfortunately, I think Aunt Annabelle feels the same way.  Don’t say anything to Daddy or Mama, but I am afraid that all is not well between Uncle Joe and Aunt Annabelle.  They don’t argue, but they don’t seem to talk to each other much at all.  I feel sad for them, but grateful that Mama and Daddy love each other so much.

I miss you very much, Older Sister, and I wish I could be there to see you and Reverend Jones together.  (I know you refer to him by his Christian name, but I just can’t seem to do that.)  Promise me that you won’t get married until I can be there.

Love,
Miranda
 
 

Every Saturday evening for the past six months as she took her bath, Gwyneth checked her body for any signs she was becoming a woman.  She’d noticed hair beginning to grow where Mama had told her it would, but she didn’t see any signs that her breasts were developing.  She studied them critically and thought maybe, just maybe, they looked a little less flat.  She wanted nice round ones like Beth’s, but she’d settle for small ones like Miranda’s.
 

A couple of days later as the family gathered for breakfast, Gwyneth noticed that Penny was wearing the silver pendant engraved with the Ponderosa’s pine tree brand that Ben had given her for her birthday.  (While Gwyneth was staying at the ranch, she’d mentioned how much she admired Adam’s signet ring and so Ben had the pendent made and placed on a delicate silver chain and gave it to Gwyneth for her fourteenth birthday.)  “Take off my necklace!” Gwyneth demanded grabbing Penny’s arm in a fierce grip.

“Ow!  You’re hurting my arm!” Penny cried.

“Gwyneth Marie, let go of your sister this minute,” Adam said sternly.

“She’s wearing my necklace and she never asked me if she could,” Gwyneth retorted angrily. 

“That still doesn’t give you the right to manhandle her,” Adam replied firmly.

“You always take Penny’s side!” Gwyneth shouted.  “It’s not fair!” and she ran from the room in tears.

“What’s wrong with her?” Penny asked in surprise while Adam and Bronwen exchanged concerned looks. 

“I’ll deal with you in a moment, young lady,” her father said as he got up from the table and went after Gwyneth.  He found her in the backyard sitting under one of the orange trees sobbing her heart out.

“What’s wrong, Punkin?” he asked gently, hunkering down by her, unnerved by this uncharacteristically emotional response.

“I don’t know.  I can’t stop crying,” Gwyneth sobbed.  “I’m trying but I can’t.”

Bronwen had followed Adam and now said quietly, “I think I know what’s wrong.  Cariad, I need to talk with Gwyneth alone.”  She and Adam exchanged glances so he understood she would provide him with an explanation later and he headed back to the house to have a “necessary” talk with Penny about borrowing her sister’s things without asking.  Bronwen sat down by her daughter and put her arm around her shoulders.  “Gwyneth fach, I think in a few days you are going to begin menstruating.  Some girls and women get very emotional a few days before their time of the month, and it looks like you are going to be one of them.”

“You mean I’m going to feel like this once a month for the rest of my life?” Gwyneth cried—a look of sheer horror on her face at this news.

“Not your whole life.  Just until you’re in your forties or fifties,” Bronwen replied with a slight smile.  “It may not be this bad every month; only time will tell.  Now, I want you to come inside with me and I’ll give you what you’re going to need soon, and show you how to use it.”
 

After their parents both went after Gwyneth, A.C. looked at Penny accusingly and said, “You made Gwyneth cry!”

“I didn’t mean to; I just wanted to wear her necklace,” Penny replied, her shoulders hunched in misery.  She knew that borrowing Gwyneth’s necklace without asking was very wrong and that Daddy and Mama (even A.C. and Beth) were angry with her.

“You knew she wouldn’t agree, so you just went ahead and took it anyway,” Beth retorted.

“I’m sorry,” Penny said, tears forming in her eyes and rolling down her cheeks.

“Turn off the waterworks,” Beth snapped.  “They are not going to get you out of a necessary talk this time.”  At these words, Penny began to cry even harder.  “Come on, A.C.,” Beth said in disgust, “why don’t the two of us go for a ride?”  The little boy agreed with alacrity and so Penny was left alone in the dining room.
 

As Adam headed back inside he thought about Gwyneth’s accusation.  Do I unconsciously favor Penny?  I certainly don’t intend to favor one child over another.  I know I don’t love Penny more than Gwyneth.  I think the problem is that Gwyneth is too much like me; she makes me see things about myself that I’d rather remain ignorant of.  He mentally gave himself a shake.  Penny has definitely gone too far this time and she must be punished.  She deserves a necessary talk, but I don’t think a few swats on her behind are sufficient punishment.  What can I do that will make the most impression on her?

He found Penny alone in the dining room crying bitter tears.  “I’m sorry, Daddy.  I’m really sorry,” she sobbed.

“I should hope you are sorry, Penelope.  You know perfectly well that borrowing without asking is stealing.  You were very upset with your brother when he borrowed Victoria without your permission.  What you did was even worse because your brother is only four years old and doesn’t understand perfectly the difference between “borrowing” and “stealing”.  You are eleven and you understand entirely.”  He looked at her sternly and commanded, “Come here.”

She walked over with her eyes downcast, refusing to meet his.  As soon she stood in front of him, he sat down and said firmly, “Bend over.”  After applying four firm swats to her bottom he said in an implacable voice, “Here is the rest of your punishment:  Since today is not a school day, you are confined to your room for the remainder of the day.  Mary will bring your meals on a tray and sit it outside your door.  When you’ve finished (and I expect you to clean your plate), you are to sit the try outside the door.  I don’t even want you leaving the room to use the outhouse; you can use the chamber pot in your room.”  She had been sobbing all the while he was speaking and he now took her chin between his thumb and forefinger and forced her to look at him.  “Do you understand?”  She nodded and he added, “Do you understand why you are being punished?” and she nodded again.  “All right.  You may go to your room.”  She ran from the room crying loudly.
 

When Bronwen and Gwyneth returned, they found Adam giving instructions to Mary about taking Penny’s food upstairs and leaving it outside the door.

“I’ve restricted Penny to her room for the day,” he told Bronwen and Gwyneth.  “She’s not allowed even to use the outhouse, but is to use the chamber pot in the room.”  He turned to Gwyneth.  “I’m afraid you’ll need to keep out of your room for the day because I want her to be totally alone so she can think about what she did and why she is being punished.”  Gwyneth nodded but Bronwen didn’t like the smug satisfaction on Gwyneth’s face. 

“Before Daddy leaves for the mine, I have something to say to you, Gwyneth.  What Penny did was wrong and she is being deservedly punished.  When she tells you she is sorry tonight, I expect you to accept her apology.”  She saw Gwyneth frown at that and added gently, “Remember what Jesus said, Gwyneth: ‘For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.  But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.’”

Now it was Gwyneth’s turn to hang her head.  “I will forgive her.  I know she didn’t take the necklace to be mean and I expect she will definitely have learned her lesson after spending the entire day totally alone.  She really hates being by herself.”

“I don’t want any of you feeling sorry for her and going in and being with her,” Adam said sternly.  “It won’t hurt her to spend the day in solitude and I believe she will never take someone else’s belongs without asking again after this experience.”

After supper that evening the family went into the library to play games and sing, but no one’s heart was in it knowing Penny was in her room all alone and miserable.  Finally Gwyneth burst out, “Daddy, may I please go upstairs?  I want to tell Penny that I forgive her, and I can’t bear to think of her up there all alone any longer.”

Adam slowly nodded and Gwyneth ran out of the room and up the backstairs.  When she opened the door to the bedroom, the room was dark and she could hear the sound of Penny’s quiet sobs.  She made her way to her bedside table and lit her lamp.  Then she walked over and sat down on Penny’s bed and put her hand on her little sister’s heaving back.

Penny rolled over at her touch and Gwyneth saw her baby sister’s expression was one of abject misery.  Her eyes were puffy and red and her nose was red and swollen while her face was blotchy.  “I’m so sorry, Gwyneth.  Please, please, forgive me,” she sobbed.

“I do forgive you, Pen.  I do,” Gwyneth replied feeling her own eyes fill with tears.  The two sisters hugged each other and cried until they heard footsteps and saw their family standing in the doorway.

“So is everything right between you two?” Adam asked quietly and they both nodded.

“I missed you, Penny,” A.C. said as he ran over to hug his sister.  “Please don’t be bad again.”

“I won’t,” Penny said in a shaky voice.

“Would you like to come down and play Old Bachelor with us?” Bronwen asked with a gentle smile.

“Please, Penny.  You’re the only one who’ll give me the Old Bachelor,” A.C. implored, not understanding why everyone else laughed.
 
 

Chapter 6
Two days after Christmas as the family was gathered around the breakfast table, Bronwen said, “It’s time to begin planning your birthday party, Beth.”

“Oh,” Beth said, “I don’t want a party this year.  I just want a nice supper with all of the family and Da-uh, I mean, Reverend Jones.”

Bronwen and Adam exchanged significant glances at this remark; they both had a strong feeling that Reverend Jones might be asking Beth a very important question on her eighteenth birthday.

“Of course, if that’s what you want,” Bronwen said with a smile.  “We’ll make it a very special dinner.”

Beth, too, wondered if Dafydd would be asking her that special question.  He had been so patient with her and she now enjoyed the kisses they shared.  What had seemed disgusting when done by Mr. Hampton was wonderful when she did it with Dafydd.  Mama had been correct: Loving a man made all the difference. 
 

Beth planned the menu for the birthday supper, but Bronwen insisted that she, Nell and Mary would prepare the food.  A.C. grumbled because he had to take a bath in the middle of the week, but he looked adorable with his rosy cheeks and neatly combed hair, dressed in his best knickerbocker suit.  Penny wore her favorite dress, a short-sleeved smocked frock of rose moiré.  Gwyneth wore the new dress she received for Christmas with enormous leg-of-mutton sleeves; it was made of cream-colored silk and decorated with scarlet ribbons.  Adam had written Miranda and asked her to purchase a new gown for her mother at Bloomingdale’s as his Christmas gift since he knew they wore the same size.  Miranda had chosen a lovely gown of shot silk moiré in pale green and lavender.  Bronwen wore it for the first time that evening and Adam thought she looked ravishing.  The birthday girl was wearing a gown she’d made for herself of antique rose faille with just a hint of décolletage.  Poor Dafydd could scarcely tear his eyes away from her neckline until he became aware of Adam’s stern looks.

As they left the dining room to adjourn to the library so Beth could open her gifts, Dafydd caught Adam’s eye and indicated he wished to speak to him.  Adam shared a look with Bronwen and she nodded her understanding and unobtrusively shepherded the others down the hallway so Dafydd and Adam could speak in private.

“Sir,” Dafydd began, “when I first asked for your permission to court Beth, I told you that it was my earnest desire to win her heart and hand and make her my wife.  We agreed she was too young to marry then and so I have never spoken of it again.  But Beth is eighteen now, and tonight, with your permission, I wish to ask her to be my wife.  I promise you that I will care for her, and make sure that she wants for nothing that I can possibly provide.  I know I am not a wealthy man, but I will make a good Christian home for us and do everything I can to make her happy.”

As Dafydd looked searchingly into Adam’s eyes for any sign of approval, the older man asked one simple question.  “Do you love her?”  The young minister looked a bit startled by this, but the warm glow in his eyes and the earnest smile that accompanied it spoke volumes.  “Oh yes, sir.  It will be my joy to follow the Apostle Paul’s commandment and love Beth as Christ loved the church and as I love my own body.”

This heartfelt response was all that Adam needed to hear.  Extending his hand, he said, “Then you have my blessings, Dafydd.  My only wish is that my little girl is happy, and knowing her as I do, I feel sure that her answer will be the one you’re hoping for.”

“Thank you, sir!”  Dafydd replied happily and grasped Adam’s hand in both of his.
 

After Beth opened her gifts, Dafydd asked if he could take her for their customary walk.  Adam’s lips quirked up in a very slight smile as he agreed.  The couple walked away from the town toward the river holding hands.  Dafydd stopped beneath a gum tree and turned to face Beth, taking both her hands in his own.

“Bethan, the first time I ever saw you, I thought you were the loveliest of God’s creations.” 

“Dafydd,” she began, but he put his finger over her lips.

“I quickly realized that your physical beauty paled beside the beauty of your spirit.  That first time I visited your family, I noticed how rather than being jealous of Gwyneth’s incredible voice, you generously encouraged her to share it with me.  At your birthday party, I observed how kind and how friendly you were to the young men who were the most shy, the most ill-at-ease.  I’ve watched how patient and how loving you are with A.C. and how he adores you.  I’ve heard your parents praise you for your industry and I’ve tasted just how well you cook and bake and seen how beautifully you can sew.  You have all the qualities of a virtuous woman, whose price is far above rubies.”

He saw the love in her eyes at his words and dropped to one knee, “Dw i’n dy garu di, Bethan.  I love you, Bethan.  Would you do me the great honor of becoming my wife?”

“Oh yes, Dafydd,” she said, her eyes alight with her love and joy.  He stood quickly and took her in his arms and kissed her passionately; wondrously, she returned his kiss without hesitation.  When they broke apart, he reached into his pocket and then took her left hand.  She felt something cool slip over her ring finger; it was a plain gold band with a very small ruby.  She understood the symbolism and felt her eyes began to tear.

“I wish it could be a larger ruby, but I’ll never be able to provide you with the wealth your father has.  You understand that?”

“I don’t care about that.  I know my mother would be happy living with my father in a hovel, and I feel the same way about you, dearest,” and he took her in his arms again.

When their kiss ended, he said breathlessly, “Mrs. Hammond can still come twice a week to help with the heaviest cleaning and the laundry.  I don’t want you working these beautiful fingers to the bone,” and he lifted her hands so he could kiss each.  “Now, I think we should go in and share our wonderful news with your family.”
 

They entered the library with their arms about each other’s waist.  A.C. was already in bed but Gwyneth. Penny and Llywelyn were playing The Errand Boy while the four adults conversed.  Penny looked up and saw her sister and Reverend Jones and her eyes opened very wide.  The rest of the family turned to the doorway then and Beth smiled radiantly as she said, “We have some wonderful news to share with all of you.  Dafydd and I are engaged to be married.”

“Congratulations to you both,” Bronwen said as she got up and went to Beth so she could hug her.  She then turned to Dafydd.  “May I?”

“Please,” he said with a grin and they hugged.

The rest of the family now joined them and Adam hugged Beth next and kissed her cheek.  Then he held out his hand to Dafydd saying, “You’re a lucky man.”

“I know it, sir,” Dafydd replied with a beaming smile, placing his arm around Beth’s shoulders.

“I’m going to miss you when you get married,” Gwyneth said rather sadly after she hugged Beth.

“Stone the crows!  I’ll just be living at the rectory, Gwyneth.  You can visit me as often as you like.  You and Penny,” Beth said with a smile.

“That will be fun,” Penny said grinning.  “Will you serve us tea and cake?”  Beth nodded with a smile at her baby sister.  “We’ll come visit you often, won’t we, Gwyneth?” Penny said excitedly before hugging her oldest sister.  Next it was Rhys and Matilda’s turn to hug Beth and shake Dafydd’s hand.  Llywelyn was a little shy so Beth hugged him and then red-faced he shook Dafydd’s hand.

“Have you thought about a date yet?” Bronwen asked as they all sat down with Gwyneth and Penny perched on the arms of Adam’s chair while Llywelyn sat cross-legged on the floor.

“No, Mama.  We just got engaged,” Beth said with a laugh.  Then her expression grew serious as she looked at Dafydd.  “I’d like for Miranda to be my maid of honor,” she said softly.

“Then the wedding should be in July,” Adam stated, “so she can miss the least amount of school.”

“Yes.  She can sail to Sydney and then travel here with Tad-cu and Mam-gu,” Bronwen added decisively.

“I wonder if Grandpa, Uncle Joe, Aunt Annabelle, Benj and Sarah will be able to come” Beth said hesitantly.

“I’m afraid such a long journey is probably too much for Grandpa, but I hope the others can come because I don’t want Miranda traveling here by herself,” Adam replied.

“If they can come, then Sarah can be our flower girl and A.C. our ring bearer,” Beth said.

Dafydd felt a huge wave of frustration at the thought of a seven-month engagement.  He looked at Beth’s pleading expression and knew he couldn’t deny her the opportunity for her family to be with her on their special day.  He was going to be getting a lot of exercise and taking a lot of cold baths over the next seven months he thought with an inner sigh.

“What about Gwyneth and me?” Penny asked anxiously.

“I want Gwyneth to be my bridesmaid, but I’m afraid you’re too young, Penny.  I’m sorry.”

Beth, Bronwen and Gwyneth began talking about wedding gowns and the color of the bridesmaids’ dresses.  Adam wasn’t paying particular attention to the conversation and suddenly he heard a little sob. He looked up at Penny and saw she was crying silently, the tears streaming down her face. 

“Kitten, what’s wrong?” he asked worriedly but she jumped off the chair arm and ran from the room.  He found her on the verandah crying as if her heart were broken.  He picked her up in his arms and carried her to the porch swing at the front of the house and then sat down with her on his lap.  “Tell Daddy what’s wrong, Kitten,” he said softly, as he held her in his arms and gently rubbed circles on her back.

“B-Beth doesn’t want me to be in her wedding,” Penny sobbed.  “She wants Miranda and Gwyneth and A.C.; she even wants Sarah, but she doesn’t want me.”

“That’s not true, Kitten.  It’s just that you are too young to be a bridesmaid but too old to be a flower girl.”

“But everyone else is in the wedding; you even walk Beth down the aisle.  I’m th-the only one who’s left out,” and Penny began crying even harder.

Bronwen had noticed when they left and followed them.  She now sat beside Adam on the swing and said softly, “No, you aren’t the only one left out, Penny fach.  The mother of the bride doesn’t do anything either.  You and I will just sit together at the front of the church on the bride’s side until Daddy joins us after he gives Beth away.”

“Gives her away?” Penny asked in confusion while the tears still rolled down her cheeks.

“To me,” Dafydd said, surprising the three Cartwrights.  He had followed Bronwen and now sat on Adam’s other side.  “I’ll be getting not only a wife but three sisters and a brother.”

“That’s right,” Penny said smiling through her tears.  “You’ll be our brother.”  She asked in a more cautious tone, “Do we still call you Reverend Jones?”

“No,” he said with a smile.  “You may call me Dafydd.”

“Here at home,” Bronwen added.  “Until Beth and Dafydd are married, you should call him Reverend Jones in public I think.”

“I agree,” Adam said firmly.  Then he had a sudden thought.  “Will your parents be able to attend the wedding?”

“No, I’m afraid it is beyond their means.”

“Then let us help,” Adam said quickly.

“No.  I thank you, but no,” Dafydd replied.  “My parents would never accept that kind of charity.”

“It wouldn’t be charity; it would be our wedding gift to you and Beth.  We want to meet your parents and I’m certain they will want to meet Beth,” Adam said firmly.

“Yes, all of our families can travel together from Sydney,” Bronwen said with a smile.  “They will definitely get to know each other by the time they arrive at Cloncurry.”

“Too right!” Adam said with an enormous grin.

“Diolch yn fawr, Tadda,” Dafydd said with a matching smile and Adam looked at Bronwen.

“He said ‘Thank you very much, Dad.’”  (She didn’t tell him that Dafydd had actually used the equivalent of Daddy, which was what Beth always called Adam.)

“You’re very welcome,” Adam replied and just then Beth and Gwyneth came around the corner followed by the Davies. 

“We wondered where you’d gone,” Beth said.  Then she noticed her little sister’s swollen eyes and tearstained face.  “What’s wrong, Penny.”

“I thought you didn’t want me to be in your wedding,” Penny said with a hiccupping sob.

“But Daddy and I explained that she does have a job; she’s to keep me company and sit by me in the front pew,” Bronwen said, dropping a kiss on Penny’s cheek.

“I never meant to hurt your feelings, Penny.  I’m so sorry,” Beth said and then she bent over and kissed Penny, who managed a watery smile.

“Even if you aren’t a bridesmaid, you’ll still have a new dress to wear to the wedding,” Bronwen said.  “Stone the crows!  If we have to make a dress for each of us and a bridal gown, we need to get started as soon as we can.”

“Princess, you pick out the colors for your mama and Penny,” Adam said in an undertone but Bronwen said, “I heard that Adam Cartwright!”

“Beth has a better eye for colors that suit you,” Adam said with an unrepentant grin and Bronwen stuck out her tongue at him, to the embarrassment of their daughters.  Dafydd, on the other hand, felt like he was truly part of the family.

“I just thought.  Who will marry us?” Beth asked a bit anxiously.

“I’m going to ask my bishop,” Dafydd replied with a fond smile.  “I have a friend who has a church in Townsville and I want to ask him to be my best man.  By having our wedding in July, it makes it easier for them to attend as well.”  He added, “I’ll ask Robbie MacDonald to be my other groomsman,” referring to Cloncurry’s young veterinarian with whom he’d struck up a close friendship.
 

“We were right that Dafydd would ask her tonight.  Could you undo my top buttons for me?” Bronwen asked as she and Adam got ready for bed that night.

He did as she asked and then bent over to drop light kisses on her exposed shoulders and nape.  He lifted his head, saying, “I’d rather they waited until Beth was nineteen.”  Then he gave a low, evil chuckle.  “But the look on poor Dafydd’s face when he realized he has to wait seven months.”  He chuckled again.

“We certainly couldn’t have waited seven months,” Bronwen reminded him.  “Of course, he is a minister.”

“He’s still a man,” Adam said with a frown.

“We have to trust them, cariad,” she said seriously.

“I know,” he replied with a sigh.  Then he winked at her, drawing her into his embrace.  “Have I told you how lovely you looked tonight?”

“No, I don’t believe you have,” she said very demurely.

“I’ve been waiting impatiently all evening until we could be alone,” he murmured softly as he pulled out her hairpins and watched her raven tresses tumble down.

Later, as they were cuddling together, she saw him smile and asked, “What are you thinking about?”

“Our wedding night,” he replied, pinching her buttocks teasingly.  “You were so adorably modest and shy.”

She giggled softly.  “Oh, yes.  I wanted to turn out the lamp.”  She lifted her head up so they could kiss and then said softly, “But you were so patient with me.”

He dimpled.  “I was as nervous as you were.  You were so tiny and delicate and innocent.  I wanted our first time to be special for you, but I had wanted to make love to you for so long I was I afraid I wouldn’t be able to control myself ”  He chuckled and then added.  “I remember the next morning you were still very nervous about me seeing you nude so you ran to put on your robe on.  I didn’t have the heart to tell you that I had been admiring your body all the while we were making love.  Then when I walked over to get my robe out of the wardrobe, I swear I don’t know why I didn’t burst into flames from the heated looks you were giving me.”

“Well, I was too embarrassed to look the night before, and I didn’t have my spectacles on anyway,” she replied with another giggle.  “I thought you were the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen and I couldn’t believe that you loved me and wanted me.”

“Yes, as I remember, it took a number of demonstrations before I could convince you,” he said with a smug grin.

She grinned back but then her expression became more serious.  “My prayer is that Beth and Dafydd will know the same happiness that we have,” she said softly, resting her head on his chest.

“Amen,” he replied quietly, placing his arm about her shoulders.
 
 

Adam came home each evening to find his library turned into a dressmaker’s workshop.  There were bolts of silk and satin and taffeta scattered across his desk along with quantities of lace and tulle, ribbons and pieces of paper patterns.  Before sitting down, he checked for pin cushions, needles and sewing scissors. All the females in the household were caught up in what he thought of as “wedding fever”.  He tried to keep out of their way although he did give his approval to the material Beth selected for Bronwen’s and Penny’s dresses: soft lilac satin for Bronwen and pale green taffeta for Penny.  The bridesmaid’s dresses were of deep apricot silk, which suited Miranda and Gwyneth’s pale ivory skin tone.  (Bronwen could fill in for Miranda during fittings.)  Against his and A.C.’s objections, Matilda was making A.C. a Fauntleroy suit of black velvet and a white silk shirt with a large lace collar to wear as ring bearer, for all the Cartwright females had outvoted the males.  Dafydd, Adam and Llywelyn were visiting Cloncurry’s tailor to have new tailcoats made.  (Adam was chagrinned to discover he could no longer button the one he’d worn to his own wedding, and he began joining Bronwen on her evening walks.)
 

The wedding preparations were put on hold the last week in January to concentrate on Penny’s twelfth birthday.  Adam and Bronwen knew she was going to be upset not to receive the horse she had been hinting that she wanted more than anything.  They both hated to disappoint her, but they agreed she was still too small for a horse.  They had bought her a gift in Boston the year before that they had been saving for this birthday and they hoped it would make up for not receiving a horse.

The morning of Penny’s birthday she was the first one up and she dressed hurriedly and rushed out to the stable to meet her new horse.  Adam found her there a few minutes later when he came to do his chores. 

“Happy birthday, Kitten,” Adam said as she ran to him for a hug and a kiss on her special day. 

“Where’s my horse, Daddy?  Haven’t you brought it home from the Dawsons’ yet?”

“Kitten, I’m sorry but you aren’t getting a horse this year.  Next year Mama and I think you’ll be big enough, but not this year.  Muffin is still the best mount for you now.”

“B-but Beth and Miranda got horses for their twelfth b-birthday.  Gwyneth got one when she was eleven!” Penny said as her eyes began to fill with tears.

“I know it doesn’t seem fair,” he said putting his arm around her shoulders and hugging her, “but you’re smaller than any of your sisters were at twelve.  Just go look at the marks by the back door.  I’m sure when you’re thirteen you’ll get a horse.  You can come with me to Mr. Dawson’s station and pick out the horse you want.  Okay?”

“But I wanted one this year,” she said tragically, the tears trickling down her cheeks.

“I’m sorry, Kitten, but you’re just going to have to wait.  I know you’ll get other lovely gifts so try and forget about your disappointment and remember that next year, for certain, you’ll get your horse.  A grownup girl doesn’t sulk or pout when she doesn’t get everything she wants; she is happy with the gifts she does receive.”

“I’ll try, Daddy,” Penny whispered bravely and he squeezed her neck affectionately.

All the girls in her class were invited to her party while Gwyneth and Llywelyn took A.C. riding so he wouldn’t sulk about not being allowed to attend.  Bronwen and Beth fixed all Penny’s favorite foods for the birthday supper and A.C. was impressed when Penny blew out all twelve candles on a single breath.  After eating a slice of birthday cake, everyone adjourned to the drawing room to watch Penny open her gifts.

“Open mine first, Penny,” A.C. demanded eagerly and with a smile Penny nodded so he ran to select his from the pile of gifts.

“Mama and Daddy helped me make it,” he said proudly as Penny held up a jumping jack dressed in a pair of denim pants and a black shirt.  “We made him look like Daddy when he was a jackeroo,” he added with a big dimpled grin. 

“Thank you very much, A.C.,” Penny said with a matching grin for she knew this was A.C.’s way of showing he was sorry for what he’d done to Victoria.

Next Penny opened the Davies’ gift, which was a new dress of bright pink muslin with a matching pink hair ribbon.  Ben had sent Penny a small wooden box that he had decorated by carving a design of leaves and flowers.  “I made you this box to keep your treasures in, Penny dear,” he had written.  Joe and his family had sent her several pairs of pretty clocked stockings and some lace trimmed hankies with her monogram.  Beth and Gwyneth had gone together to buy her a nice set of hairbrushes while Uncle Bryn and Aunt Victoria had sent her a pleated red wool skirt that her aunt had made.  “We used wool from our own sheep,” her uncle had written.  Tad-cu and Mam-gu sent her a new sailor blouse and a red tam-o’-shanter that went perfectly with the red skirt.

“I’ll open Mama and Daddy’s gift next and then Miranda’s,” Penny declared.  She was still bitterly disappointed not to get her horse, but she was trying very hard not to sulk and she did love all the gifts she had received.  She opened the little box and her eyes grew wide as she saw a lovely heart-shaped gold locket on a delicate gold chain.  Her initials, PJC, were engraved on the front in fancy script.  “Oh Mama and Daddy, it’s beautiful!” she exclaimed and ran to hug each of them.

“Open it up,” Bronwen said with a smile.  Penny opened the locket to reveal a miniature of her mama and daddy.  “Oh, how lovely!” she said hugging her parents again.  “Thank you, Mama.  Thank you, Daddy.”

“We bought the locket for you when we were in Boston and had the miniature done.  We’ve just been waiting for your twelfth birthday to give it to you,” Adam said with a smile, putting his arm around his little girl and hugging her.

“May I see it?” Beth asked and A.C. demanded, “I wanna see!” 

The locket was passed around so everyone could admire it and then A.C. announced, “I wanna see what Manda got Penny.”

“I hope she sent me a letter,” Penny said as she began to unwrap the gift that had traveled from Boston to Cloncurry.  “Yes, here’s a letter, and here’s a book, Beautiful Joe.

December 26, 1892

Dear Penny,

Happy twelfth birthday, little sister!

I’ve spent my second Christmas here in Boston with the Aldens.  They are so good to me and treat just like family, but somehow that makes me yearn for my own family even more.  How I wish I could have been there to help decorate our Christmas “tree” and seen A.C.’s roo ornament.  How I wish I could have been with you all to make the Christmas taffy.

But I don’t want to be maudlin. . . .

“What’s maudlin?” A.C. asked, wrinkling his forehead in bewilderment.

“It means sad,” Adam replied and then nodded to Penny to continue.

I loved all my gifts and I hope you enjoyed mine. 

I think I must be acclimated to Boston’s weather because I’m not suffering quite as much from the cold and am able to continue my daily walks.  I have a different companion.  Poor little Rex died about a month ago.  I miss him but he was twelve, which is a long life for a dog.  Two weeks ago the Aldens bought a puppy—another Boston terrier.  Charlotte named him Yankee Doodle and we call him Doodle for short.  He is a smart puppy and is learning how to sit and come and heel very quickly.  I’m the one doing the training.  (Poor Rex never had any training except for being housebroken.) 

I’m enjoying all my classes except for Latin and Greek.  I am taking another year of French and am enjoying it very much.  Charlotte is taking German.  She wanted me to take it as well, but I want to concentrate on French right now.  I plan on taking German while I’m at the Annex.  Calculus is my favorite subject and while I don’t mean to brag, I am the top student in that class.  Mrs. Alden decided Charlotte should have voice lessons so I am continuing mine.  I’m afraid Charlotte is a bit jealous because she has beginning lessons while mine are advanced.  I reminded her that she can play the piano and I can’t so she challenged me to begin taking piano lessons.  Now I am taking beginning piano lessons while she takes advanced and that has mollified her. 

Charlotte is eager to make her debut, but she can’t until she graduates from school and that won’t be for another year.  She has decided she is in love with a Harvard senior named Robert Lodge; his father and Mr. Alden are acquainted so he has been to supper here a few times.  He’s never said much to either of us so I don’t know how Charlotte can be in love with him.  I suppose he’s handsome; he has flaxen hair and blue eyes and must be at least six feet tall.  I prefer his friend, William Gordon, who smiles more often.  He’s not particularly handsome though.  He’s only about seven inches taller than I am with curly golden brown hair that is always in need of cutting and he wears spectacles like Mama and Gwyneth.  He’s not conceited, and I think Robert is.  They are both rather condescending about my desire to attend the Harvard Annex, but William is not as odious about it as Robert is.

Since you wrote me that you liked Black Beauty as much as Gwyneth and I did, I bought you this new book, Beautiful Joe.  Just as the author of Black Beauty wrote about the cruel way horses are treated, this author writes of the cruelties inflicted on dogs.  I am afraid it is very sad in places, but I think you’ll enjoy it. I hope you have a very happy twelfth birthday, little sister.

Your loving sister,
Miranda
 

Later that night when Adam and Bronwen came to tuck the children in, Adam asked Penny softly, “Did you have a nice birthday, Kitten?”

“Yes, it was wonderful.”  She paused and then looked at each of her parents.  “But I will get a horse next year, won’t I?”

“Yes, you will.  We promise,” Bronwen replied and dropped a kiss on her cheek.  Adam did the same and then they went to tell Gwyneth goodnight.  Later that night as Bronwen snuggled next to Adam she said quietly, “I’m glad it was Penny that we had to disappoint and not Gwyneth.”

“What do you mean?” Adam asked, his eyebrow shooting up.

“I mean, cariad, that if it were Gwyneth who hadn’t received the pony she’d talked about for months, she’d still be sulking.  You know that I’m right.”

“Yes, I’m afraid you are,” Adam said with a sigh, for he knew whom Gwyneth took after.
 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
 

Miranda, Charlotte and Emily were building a snowman in front of the Alden’s house when Miranda saw the postman.  “Oh, I want to see if I have any letters from home,” she said excitedly and ran to ask.  In a few minutes she was back, her face now glowing from happiness as well as the cold.  “I have a letter from my sister, Beth.  Would you mind awfully finishing the snowman without me?”

“No, go ahead.  Just let us know if she writes anything romantic about your minister,” Charlotte replied with a grin.

Miranda let the footman take her coat and sealskin hat and hurried to the privacy of her room.  She opened the letter and began to read.

January 12, 1893

Dear Miranda,

I have the most wonderful news to share with you.  Tonight, Dafydd proposed to me and I accepted.  We want our families to be able to attend our wedding so we plan on being married in mid July.  Daddy is writing to ask your headmistress to allow you to miss the last two months of school and I hope Uncle Joe, Aunt Annabelle, Benj and Sarah can all come with you.  I wish Grandpa could attend, but the trip is probably too much for him.

I want you to be my maid of honor, Miranda.  Gwyneth will be a bridesmaid and A.C. the ring bearer.  If Uncle Joe and Aunt Annabelle come for the wedding, then Sarah will be my flower girl.

I am so happy, Miranda.  I love Dafydd so much and I know we will be so happy together.  I’m not frightened of being Dafydd’s wife, but being a minister’s wife is rather daunting.  Still, everyone here has known me all of my life and they won’t expect me to undergo a sudden metamorphosis. 

Dafydd says Mrs. Hammond will continue to come in twice a week to do the laundry and help me with the heavy cleaning.  I’m going to have Nell show me how to do the laundry and ironing since those are two things I’ve never done.  I’m so glad Mama taught me how to can and pickle and put up orange marmalade, and I’ll plant a garden so we can grow our own vegetables.

Tomorrow I’m going to write and tell Grandpa, Uncle Joe, Aunt Annabelle, Tad-cu, Mam-gu, Uncle Bryn and Aunt Victoria the news.  Then Mama, Aunt Matilda and I are going to look at Aunt Matilda’s pattern books to choose one for my wedding gown.  (We’ll also be choosing gowns for the bridesmaids; I ‘m glad you and Gwyneth have similar coloring. Since you and Mama are the same size, we can use her for all but the final fittings.) 

I am so happy, Miranda.  I just can’t seem to stop repeating it.  I hope after you graduate you can find a man whom you will love as much as I love Dafydd and that the two of you will be as happy as I know Dafydd and I will be.

Your loving sister,
Beth

You’re actually going to marry Reverend Jones, Miranda thought.  I guess I’m going to have to learn to think of him as Dafydd.  He is a good man and a gentle one and I know that he loves you, but it is sad to think that when I graduate and come home, you won’t be there.  I know I can visit you at the rectory, but it just won’t be the same.
 

Two days later when she arrived at school, she was informed the headmistress wished to see her.  She noted the dark oak paneling in the headmistress study and the lace curtains at the bay window and then Miss Bradford indicated that she should be seated.

“I received a letter from your father, Miss Cartwright.  He writes me that your older sister is to be married and your family wishes you to be there for the wedding.  He also writes that because of the distances involved, you will need to leave school at the beginning of April.  He further advises me that you may miss the first week or two of the new term.”  Miss Bradford stopped and looked appraisingly at the young woman before her.  Since this was only the second year Miranda Cartwright had been a pupil, Miss Bradford didn’t know her as well as the girls who’d attended five or six years.  However, all her instructors were impressed with her intelligence and her conduct.  If she kept her grades up, she would almost certainly be salutatorian of her class.

“Ordinarily I would frown upon a student missing so much school, but you’ve earned some of the highest grades in your class and,” she added with a smile that softened her severe expression, “it’s not every day that a sister marries.  I have discussed the matter with your instructors and we have decided to allow you to take your final examinations before you leave.  You will have extra work in Latin and Greek sine they are your weakest subjects.  Some instructors may choose to give you work to complete on your voyage, which you may turn in when you return in the fall.”

“Thank you, Miss Bradford,” Miranda said with a dazzling smile that displayed her deep dimple.
 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
 

The Ponderosa had been snowed in for a fortnight and Ben was anxious to see if any letters had arrived from either Miranda or her family while they had been snowbound.  The weather was too cold for him to risk a ride to town so he sent Jacob.  It was still a hard trip and Jacob didn’t return until dusk.  He grinned broadly at Ben as he held up a letter.  “It’s from Miss Elizabeth Cartwright,” he said as he handed Ben the letter.  Annabelle and the children were already in the great room and Joe was just coming down the stairs.  Buckshot had heard Jacob’s return and now said, “Supper won’t be ready for a few minutes, Boss.  Why don’t you go ahead and read the letter?”

“I’d like to hear what Beth has to say,” Joe added with a grin and Annabelle smiled her agreement.

January 13, 1893

Dear Grandpa, Uncle Joe, Aunt Annabelle, Benj and Sarah,

First, I want to thank you all for the lovely gifts you sent me for my birthday.  Now, I have the most wonderful news to share with you.  As you know, I have been keeping company with our minister, Reverend Dafydd Jones, for the past several months (with Daddy’s permission of course).  Yesterday, Dafydd asked me to marry him and I accepted.  I want all my family to share my happiness with me so we will be married in mid-July.  I am so hoping you can come.  If you can, I want Sarah to be my flower girl.  A.C. will be the ring bearer, Gwyneth my bridesmaid and Miranda my maid of honor.

Daddy and Mama suggest you sail to Sydney and that way you can travel with Tad-cu and Mam-gu.  You can take the train from Sydney to Townsville, but then you’ll have to travel by horseback or horse and wagon.  As much as I want Grandpa to attend, I’m afraid it is probably too difficult. . . .

Ben stopped then and looked at Joe and Annabelle.  “I’m going,” he said firmly.  “The sea voyage will be a pleasure and as long as we take our time, I’m certain I can manage the trip from Townsville to Cloncurry.”

“Oh, Pa, I don’t think it’s a good idea,” Annabelle began but Ben cut her off.

“Don’t forget I’ll be traveling with a doctor,” he said firmly.  She and Joe looked at him blankly until Joe said with a grin, “That’s right.  I forgot Bronwen’s father is a doctor.  Paul still has to agree, but I think you’re right and if we take it slow and easy you can manage.”

“But Adam is always writing about how hot their summers are,” Annabelle said worriedly.

“Ah, but July is their winter and it’s also their dry season so we don’t have to worry about traveling in a heavy rain,” Ben replied.

“What’s a flower girl?” Sarah asked.

“A flower girl walks down the aisle ahead of the bride and throws flower petals for her to walk on.  You’ll be a beautiful flower girl, Sugar,” Joe replied, kissing his little daughter’s cheek.  “I guess I can get away from the ranch for Beth’s wedding.  I’ve always wanted to see where Adam and Bronwen live, and take a look at the mine.  We can see some kangaroos,” and Sarah clapped her hands in excitement. 

Benj smiled.  “Will we see any other strange animals, Dad?”

Ben answered his grandson.  “I traveled to Cloncurry once before and we saw koalas, emus and dingos.  We heard kookaburras—they’re birds that sound like your dad when he giggles.”

“A bird that sounds like Daddy,” Sarah said, giggling herself.

“Yes, I wasn’t too fond of them because they would wake me up with their laughing,” Ben said winking at his granddaughter.  “Now, let me finish Beth’s letter.

. . . Daddy and Mama’s wedding gift to us is to pay for Dafydd’s parents to travel from Wales to Queensland, so Mr. and Mrs. Jones will also be traveling with all of you from Sydney.  Dafydd’s best man, Reverend Charles Edgerton, lives in Townsville so he’ll be traveling with you for that part of the journey.  Daddy told me to tell you that you won’t have to camp out like he and Grandpa and Uncle Hoss did.  You can spend the night in towns along the way although since they’ll be so many of you, you’ll probably have to share beds because these little towns don’t have hotels, just rooms to rent in the pubs.  When you get to Cloncurry we've worked it all out. 

I am so happy.  I love Dafydd so much and I am going to try so hard to be a good wife.  I’m a little nervous about being a minister’s wife but Dafydd says I’ll do just fine.  I’ll send you a formal invitation later, but I wanted to let you know that the wedding will be in early July.  Daddy says you’ll need to arrive in Sydney by late May and mid-May would be better.  If you tell us when you’ll arrive, we’ll contact Tad-cu and Mam-gu and they will make hotel reservations.  (We all thought it would be better to let Mr. and Mrs. Jones stay with Tad-cu and Mam-gu since they are all Welsh and the Joneses would probably feel more comfortable staying with them than they would at a hotel.) 

Oh, I almost forgot.  Daddy is writing the headmistress of the Girls Latin School arranging for Miranda to miss school so she can come with all of you.

Love
Beth

“We have a lot of preparations to make in the next few weeks,” Ben said.  “Joe will need to travel to Boston for Miranda and the rest of us will need to be ready to leave a day or two after that.”

“I can’t leave in the middle of branding,” Joe protested.

“Bronc can handle it,” Ben said firmly, “and I won’t have Miranda traveling by train alone.”

“I could go get her,” Annabelle suggested.

“But then you’d have to travel to Boston alone,” Joe replied. 

“Yes, but I’m not a seventeen-year-old girl,” she replied tartly.  “I’ll manage.”  Joe frowned, but nodded slightly to show he acquiesced.

“You should go into town tomorrow,” Ben said to Joe, “so you can arrange for our passage to Sydney.”

“Are we going on a steamship?” Benj said excitedly.

“That’s right, Pardner,” Joe replied with a smile.  “You and Grandpa can share a cabin—“

“A stateroom,” Annabelle corrected, “and not one of the smallest.”

“You and Grandpa can share a stateroom and Sarah and Miranda can share one.”

“Goody!  I can share a room with Miranda!” Sarah said clapping her hands in excitement.
 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
 

Summoning up all his willpower, Dafydd forced himself to tear his mouth away from Beth’s and drop his arms to his side.  She started to place her arms around his neck, but he gently pushed them aside.  “Bethan, if we don’t stop now, I am going to take you right here under this gum tree,” he said hoarsely.  “Please, button your blouse.”

“And you button your shirt,” she replied, her cheeks pink.

“I’m glad blouses with high necks are the fashion so your parents can’t see the marks,” he remarked as he watched her button her shirtwaist blouse.

‘Uh-oh,” she said looking at him while her eyes twinkled.  “I don’t think your collar is quite high enough.

“I don’t think I can bear to wait another month and a half,” he groaned.

“It’s not easy for me either you know,” she stated softly, “but all the arrangements are made.  Your parents and all the American Cartwrights should be arriving in Sydney in a few days.  We’ve finished everyone’s dresses but mine and Aunt Matilda and I should have it finished within a month.  It’s so beautiful, Dafydd.”

“It won’t be as beautiful as the woman wearing it,” he said tenderly and took her in his arms.

Almost as soon as their lips touched they heard a voice growing closer.  “Bethy!  Dafydd!  Come for a ride with me!”  They broke apart hastily just as five-year-old A.C. came in sight.

“Come for a ride with me, please,” he begged gazing at them with pleading hazel eyes.

“Why don’t you ask Gwyneth,” Beth suggested.

“She’s watching Llywelyn and Mark playing cricket, and Penny is playing at Kate’s house.  Please come for a ride with me.  Daddy said that way I could be your chap—”  He wrinkled his forehead.

“Our chaperone,” Dafydd finished for him.  “Your Tada is a wise man, A.C,” Dafydd commented as he saw his future father-in-law approaching 

“Well, I see the two of you didn’t walk far,” Adam said dryly, and the young couple were grateful to see a twinkle in his eyes although he frowned slightly at the telltale bruise on Dafydd’s neck.

“We were just telling A.C. that we’d be happy to go riding with him,” Dafydd said quickly feeling his face flush with guilty color.  To his great relief, his future father-in-law grinned slightly.

“I know my daughter will find this difficult to believe, but her mother and I were once young and engaged,” Adam replied with a wink.  “Of course, I was less patient than Dafydd and we were only engaged a month, and even that seemed like an eternity.”

A.C. was bored with this adult exchange and said impatiently, “Let’s go!”

“I’ll go change,” Beth said ruffling his hair.  “I’ll meet you at the stable.”

“I’ll saddle Star for you,” Dafydd added and she smiled her thanks.

“Daddy’s gonna saddle Sport for me ‘cause I’m not big enough yet.  Maybe next year when I’m six I can saddle Sport myself.’  Dafydd grinned at his soon-to-be little brother.
 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
 

“It’s been eighteen years since we’ve seen Dr. and Mrs. Davies,” Joe commented with just a touch of concern while the family stood on deck as the ship approached Sydney Harbor.  “I sure hope we can recognize them.”

“Don’t worry, Uncle Joe,” Miranda said dimpling.  “I can recognize Tad-cu and Mam-gu.”

“Tad-cu and Mam-gu.  Why do you call them that?”  Benj’s curiosity reminded Ben strongly of Adam at that same age.

“Tad-cu is Welsh for Grandpa and Mam-gu is Welsh for Grandma.  Since they’re Welsh, we’ve just always called them that.”

“I guess that way you don’t confuse your two grandpas,” Benj commented and Miranda nodded.

Ben spoke then.  “It seems like just yesterday, Joe, that you, Hoss and I were arriving at Sydney for Beth’s birth and now we’re arriving for her wedding.”

“Sure wish Hoss could be here, too,” Joe said softly.

“He is, son, along with Elizabeth, Inger and your mother,” Ben replied in an equally soft voice.

“Will we see kangaroos when we get off the ship, Miranda?” Sarah asked hopefully.

“I’m sorry, Sarah, but there are no kangaroos in Sydney,” Miranda replied with a grin.  “We’ll see kangaroos and koalas when we travel in the outback to Cloncurry.”

“Cousin Gwyneth said they have cowboys in the outback but they call them jackeroos, just like Uncle Adam calls A.C.,” Benj commented.

“That’s right,” Ben replied with a smile.  “When I traveled to Cloncurry before with your uncles, we saw quite a few.”

“How come you didn’t go to Cloncurry, Dad?” Benj asked.

“Oh, I stayed to keep Aunt Bronwen company and look after her and Beth while your Uncle Adam was showing Grandpa and Uncle Hoss where they were going to live when Beth was a little older.”

“I thought Beth always lived in Cloncurry,” Sarah said.

“No, Sugar.  Beth was born in Sydney because that’s where Uncle Adam and Aunt Bronwen lived when they first got married.  They moved to Cloncurry when Beth was three or four months old.”

“I was born in Cloncurry and so were Gwyneth, Penny and A.C.,” Miranda informed her cousin with a smile.

“How come you don’t live on the Ponderosa with us?  I wish you did,” Sarah said sadly.

“Your Uncle Adam owns a mine here in Queensland and he needs to live near the mine,” Ben said and Joe and Annabelle detected the sadness in his tone.  Joe knew that even after all these years his father still missed Adam, almost as much as he missed Hoss.

“Australia is Aunt Bronwen’s home and Uncle Adam didn’t want to ask her to leave it,” Annabelle added and both men heard the bitterness in her voice.  Joe was angry and replied resentfully, “But Aunt Bronwen told me once she would have lived on the Ponderosa if Uncle Adam had asked her to.”

Even the children sensed the hostility and looked nervously at their parents.  Ben sought to ease the tension by exclaiming, “Look, children!  I can see the docks.”
 

In spite of Joe’s worries, the Cartwrights and Davies spotted each other easily.  After the Davies embraced their granddaughter they turned to the other Cartwrights.  “It’s good to see you looking so well, Mr. Cartwright,” Dr. Davies said, for he was pleased to note the older man’s good color and the firmness of his handshake.

“I was just telling the others that it seemed like only yesterday we were here for Beth’s birth.  I can’t believe she’s soon going to be a wife.”

“I know,” Mrs. Davies said with a smile tinged with sadness.  “Perhaps if we had a chance to see her grow up, but they live so far away from both our families.”  The two sets of grandparents shared a wistful look.

“I’m forgetting my manners,” Ben said quickly.  “Mrs. Davies, Dr. Davies.  Allow me to present my daughter-in-law, Annabelle, and my grandchildren, Benj and Sarah.”

“I’m going to be the flower girl,” Sarah announced importantly.

“And I can see you’ll be a pretty one,” Dr. Davies said with a warm smile.  “Mrs. Cartwright, it’s a pleasure to meet you,” and he extended his hand.

“Please, call me Annabelle.  After all we are family,” she said shaking first Dr. Davies’ hand and then Mrs. Davies’.”

“How are we related?” Sarah asked curiously.

“We’re not blood relations,” Dr. Davies answered seriously.  “But we’re the parents of your Aunt Bronwen.”  Sarah nodded to show her understanding.

Arrangements were made to have their luggage delivered to the hotel.  The Cartwrights took a couple of cabs to their hotel, except for Miranda, who was staying with her grandparents.  They all planned to have supper that night at the Davies’ home, where they would meet Beth’s future in-laws.

“I should warn you that you may have some difficulty understanding the Joneses,” Dr. Davies said just before they went their separate ways.  “They are Welsh speakers.  They learned English at school, but they don’t speak it much and their accent is very heavy.  But they are very pleasant although a little nervous.  I gather they’d never left their hometown in North Wales before sailing here.”

“I understand,” Ben said.  “We’ll do our best to put them at ease.  After all, we’re as much foreigners here as they are.”

“Don’t dress too formally for supper,” Mrs. Davies added, “that will help put them at ease.”

“When will we be leaving for Townsville?” Joe inquired.

“Not for another four days.  The Joneses just arrived yesterday and I think all of you need a chance to rest before we begin our journey by train.  And the roughest part trip comes at the end.  It’s been almost five years since Sian and made the trek.”

“That must have been for A.C.’s christening,” Ben commented wistfully.

“We all wished you could have been there, too, Grandpa,” Miranda interjected, taking his hand in hers and squeezing it.

“Say, if we’re going to be here for a few days, I’d like to visit Bondi Beach again,” Joe stated with a grin.

“Remember it’s winter here; I’m afraid it’s too cold for swimming,” Dr. Davies said kindly.  “I want your father to rest for the four days, but I’m certain the rest of us can do some sightseeing.  We’ll see all of you this evening,” he added as they went to find their surrey.

“Why isn’t Miranda coming with us?” Sarah pouted.  “I wanted to share a room with her like we did on the ship.”

“Miranda wants to stay with her grandparents,” Annabelle replied with a smile.  “She doesn’t get to see them very often.” 

“I still wish Miranda was sharing a room with me,” Sarah said forlornly.

“You’ll be sharing a room with Daddy and me,” Annabelle said, “and Grandpa and Benj will share a room.” 

Joe frowned at this, for he knew Annabelle had made these arrangements to make it impossible for him to claim his marital rights.  At least that part of their marriage had been good, but lately Annabelle didn’t want him to touch her.  The last few times they had made love she had been cold and distant; nothing he did awoke a response.  What had once been a time of joyous sharing, she clearly regarded as an unwelcome duty.  He still didn’t know how things had gone so wrong between them.
 

Ben and Joe easily recognized the Davies’ unassuming frame house with its friendly and homey atmosphere.  Annabelle, who had grown up in Boston’s exclusive Beacon Hill neighborhood, was just a little disdainful of the middle class suburb of Darlinghurst where the Davies lived, but she couldn’t fault their hospitality.  Ben was especially interested in meeting Beth’s future in-laws.  He found the Joneses very pleasant, although a bit ill at ease surrounded by foreigners.  However, Joe and Ben both exerted their charm and they soon had the Joneses comparing their voyage from Liverpool with the Cartwrights’ voyage from San Francisco.  Once he relaxed, Mr. Jones proved quite a raconteur who told many interesting tales of life in a small town in North Wales.  It was true that at first the Cartwrights did have difficulty understanding the Joneses heavy Welsh accent, but as the evening wore on, it became easier to follow them. 

Mrs. Jones was a quiet, rather unassuming woman, who let her husband do most of the talking.  However, during a break in the conversation, she did speak up.

“Mrs. Davies showed us a photograph of our Dafydd’s intended.  She is such a beautiful girl; it seems hard to believe that a girl that lovely would want to marry our Dafydd and be a minister’s wife.”

“Our Beth is more than just a pretty face,” Mrs. Davies responded. 

“That’s right,” Miranda stated.  “She is kind and generous to everyone and she loves to cook and bake and sew.”

“And she’s not at all vain about her beauty,” Annabelle added.

“I like Beth,” Sarah interjected.  “She’s nice just like Miranda.”

All the adults smiled at little Sarah and then Ben said quietly, “Beth does love your son very much.  She is a little nervous about being a minister’s wife, but your son is confident that she will do well and so am I.”

“As I am,” Dr. Davies added.  “Beth will make your Dafydd a fine wife.”

“She should certainly give us beautiful grandchildren,” Mr. Jones added with a teasing wink.  “I think he is a lucky man to have won the heart of such a lovely girl.”  He smiled then adding, “He is quite taken with her entire family and has written us about them often.  He writes that Beth’s sister, Gwyneth, has the most beautiful voice he’s ever heard.”

“She does,” Ben and Miranda said simultaneously and everyone smiled.

Mrs. Jones added, “And he says the two youngest children are a pair of mischief makers.”

“They are,” Miranda said with a smile.  “Especially A.C., but Penny’s not much better.  I’ve missed them so much while I’ve been at school.”

“You’ll be seeing all of them soon now,” Dr. Davies said with a smile.
 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
 

“Daddy, will Manda come today?” A.C. asked one morning at breakfast just as he had every morning for the past several days.

Adam summoned up all his patience and answered calmly, “I don’t know, Jackeroo.  She might.”

“But they’ll be here sometime this week, won’t they, Daddy?” Penny asked, for the wedding was now only a week and a half away.

“I’m sure they will,” Bronwen answered but she and Adam shared anxious glances.  They had expected their families to have arrived by now and were concerned something might have happened.  Adam had told her the previous night that if they hadn’t arrived by tonight, Rhys and Llywelyn were going to ride toward Townsville and see if they could find them.
 

That noon when all the family except Adam was gathered in the dining room eating dinner, they suddenly heard Lady barking excitedly. 

“Maybe it’s them!” Penny exclaimed and jumped up without asking to be excused, followed immediately by her younger brother.  Before the others could even reach the front door, they heard Penny and A.C. squealing, “They’re here!  They’re here!”

Gwyneth’s long legs allowed her to run faster than the others and she grabbed A.C. just before he dashed off the verandah and ran to meet the approaching surrey, buckboard and horses.  “Lady, come!” she commanded and quivering with excitement the little terrier stopped and walked back to the porch.

“Penny!” Bronwen called sharply halting her youngest daughter in her tracks.  “We’ll wait until they’ve stopped before we go greet them.  We don’t want to spook the horses.”  She turned and waved to Matilda and Llywelyn, who’d been alerted by their dog and had come to investigate.

Once the horses and vehicles had pulled up in front of the Cartwright’s house, they all hurried off the verandah to greet their family followed by an excited Lady.  Llywelyn and his dog, Cabal, ran over from his house followed by his mother at a more sedate pace.

“Manda!” A.C. screamed running straight for his sister with the rest of the family right behind him.  Miranda dismounted hurriedly and bent over to hug her little brother.  “Stone the crows!  You’re too big for me to pick up, A.C.!” she exclaimed, surprised at how much her baby brother had grown.  She looked up and saw her mother and moved toward her with outstretched arms.  “Oh, Mama, I’ve missed you so!”  They hugged and kissed and cried simultaneously.

“Don’t forget us,” Penny said and Miranda tore herself from her mother’s embrace to hug each of her sisters.  Llywelyn had been greeting his grandparents while the Joneses and the rest of the Cartwrights and Dafydds’s best man, Reverend Charles Edgerton, watched the loving reunion of Miranda and her family.

While the women in his family were exchanging hugs and kisses, A.C. suddenly noticed his grandparents and ran to them.  “G’day, Grandpa!  G’day, Tad-cu! G’day Mam-gu!” he exclaimed excitedly.

“Good day to you, young man,” Ben said with a big smile.

“Can you give me and your grandpas a big hug?” asked Mrs. Davies, bending down and holding out her arms to her youngest grandchild.  He flung his arms around her neck and hugged her tightly while she kissed his soft cheek.  Then he ran first to Dr. Davies and next to Ben and hugged them. 

“How about your Uncle Joe?  Do I get a hug?” Joe asked hunkering down and grinning at his nephew.  A.C. launched himself at his uncle and nearly knocked him off his feet with his hug.

“Gol dang—I mean, my goodness—you have grown, A.C.” Joe commented with a laugh as he ruffled his nephew’s long hair.  (Bronwen had managed to convince Adam to let it grow so it would curl slightly on the day of the wedding.)

“G’day, Aunt Annabelle,” A.C. said, grinning cheekily at his aunt.  “Do you want a hug?”

“Of course,” Annabelle said smiling and she hugged him quickly and then turned to her children.  “You remember A.C., don’t you?”

 “Hello, A.C.,” Benj said with a smile and Sarah added, “We saw kangaroos and koalas on our way to visit you.”

Lady ran over then barking happily and Benj said, “This is your dog, isn’t it?  The one in all the photographs?”

“This is Lady,” A.C. said proudly.  “And that’s Cabal,” he said pointing to the other blue-and-tan little terrier sitting by Llywelyn. “He’s my cousin Llywelyn’s dog”

Dr. Davies spoke up quickly.  “Huw, Myfanawy and Charles, allow me to introduce my grandsons, Llywelyn and A.C.”  He grinned at the Cartwrights.  “I know you all certainly know A.C., but I don’t think you’ve met Llywelyn.  Llywelyn, this is your Uncle Adam’s father, his brother, Joe, and his sister-in-law, and Reverend Jones’ parents.”  He then nodded at the small, slender, bespectacled young man with a receding hairline standing to one side.  “Finally, let me introduce Reverend Charles Edgerton, who’ll be Reverend Jones’ best man.”

“Hello,” Llywelyn said shaking hands with the adults.  Then he turned to the children.  “You must be Benj and Sarah.  I’ve heard a lot about you from my cousins.  I mean, our cousins,” he corrected himself with a grin.

“They told us lots about you, too,” Sarah said grinning back.

Just then Beth came walking over to them.  “Huw and Myfanawy, let me introduce you to your future daughter-in-law,” Ben said with a smile.  “Beth, dear, I’d like for you to meet Mr. and Mrs. Jones.”

“Helo. Sut dych chi?” Beth said smiling warmly and extending her hand.  (She had been practicing her Welsh with Dafydd.)

“Da iawn diolch,” Mr. Jones replied and Mrs. Jones added, “A chithau?”

“Eitha da,” Beth replied with a smile.  “We’d better speak English now so everyone can understand.’

“You speak Welsh very well,” Mr. Jones said with a warm smile.  He thought his son’s fiancée was even more beautiful in person than she was in her photographs.  Dafydd is a very lucky man he thought to have this beautiful creature for his wife. 

Mrs. Jones was more concerned with her future daughter-in-law’s character than she was with her appearance.  Beautiful girls were often selfish and vain.  Her Dafydd needed a wife who would support him in his calling, cook his meals, clean his house and be a mother to his children. This young woman seemed very pleasant but she obviously came from a wealthy family and probably had no idea what was involved in making a home.

Bronwen and the girls came over then and Dr. Davies introduced them before saying, “We’ve had a tiring morning, Bronwen fach, and I want Ben to rest.”  At Ben’s raised eyebrow he added, “I plan on taking a short rest myself since I’m no longer as young as I once was.”

“Of course,” Bronwen said with a smile, familiar with stubborn Cartwright pride.  She turned to Llywelyn.  “Llywelyn bach, could you ride over to the rectory and let the reverend know that his parents are here?”  He nodded and sprinted toward the horses grazing in the fenced in pasture. 

“Tad, you and Mam and Pa will be staying at Rhys’ house so I’ll let Matilda show you to your rooms.”  As her parents and Ben followed Matilda, she turned to the young minister.  “Reverend Edgerton, you’ll also be staying at the rectory.”  She slapped her forehead.  “Oh please forgive me.  Have you had dinner?  We were in the middle of ours when we heard you but we can easily set some more places and there’s plenty of food.  Nothing fancy, just beef stew that Beth made.”

“I’m hungry,” Sarah announced and her mother said, “Sarah!” in a scolding tone.

“No, please do come join us,” Bronwen said firmly.  “I think we’ll let the children eat in the kitchen.  Penny, could you carry your bowl and A.C.’s to the kitchen and tell Nell or Mary that you and A.C. along with Sarah and Benj will be eating there and to fix Benj and Sarah a bowl of stew.  Oh, and let them know we have five other guests.”  Penny nodded reluctantly, for she didn’t like being classified as one of the children now that she was twelve.  Bronwen then turned to Beth and Gwyneth.  “Please set places for our guests.”

Nell and Mary had anticipated Bronwen’s request and were already refilling the tureen with stew.  “Lucky Miss Beth made such a big batch,” Mary commented to Nell as she sliced more bread to put on the dining room table.  Just then the tea kettle began to boil so Mary hurriedly finished the bread and began a fresh pot of tea.

“C’me on,” A.C. said grabbing Sarah’s and Benj’s hand and leading them down the hall to the kitchen while Bronwen escorted the others into the dining room.  The guests looked about the large, airy room appreciatively.  The Joneses were awed by the expensive Wedgwood china and fine silver while Annabelle admired the fine damask table cloth and napkins and the velvet drapes all of the same warm amber.  They had all seated themselves when Nell entered with the tureen of stew followed by Mary with more bread and the freshly-brewed tea.

After one spoonful of stew, Mr. Jones said enthusiastically, “This is delicious.  And you made it, Bethan?”  Beth nodded, smiling at the heartfelt praise.

“It’s marvelous,” Reverend Edgerton said, his thin face lighting up.  “I wish the woman who fixes my meals cooked half as well.”

“Yes, it is very good,” Mrs. Jones conceded.

“She made the bread as well,” Gwyneth interjected, for she sensed Mrs. Jones didn’t totally approve of Beth.

“Yes, I’ve been letting Beth do all the cooking and the baking for the past several months,” Bronwen added with a fond smile at her firstborn.  “She’s been helping with the cooking and cleaning for the past couple of years since she left school.”

“But you have servants,” Mrs. Jones commented.

“Yes, but I also have five children and a husband who is extremely fastidious.  There’s plenty of work to go around,” Bronwen replied keeping her tone sweet.  “There are no ladies of leisure here in Cloncurry, Mrs. Jones.  I’ve raised Beth and all my daughters to know how to manage a household.”

“Beth is excellent with children,” Annabelle stated.  “The summer before last she stayed at our ranch for a few weeks while her parents took Miranda to school, and she was such a help with Sarah.”

Beth’s cheeks were beginning to turn pink at all this fulsome praise from her family.  “Please, you’re embarrassing me,” she said with a self-conscious laugh.”

“We’re sorry,” Joe said with a grin.  “We just want the Joneses to know how lucky their son is”

“No, I’m the one who is lucky,” Beth replied very earnestly.  “Dafydd is such a wonderful man.  He’s kind, generous and patient.  He loves to smile and to laugh.  He is so good with children and he’ll be a wonderful father.”  She blushed faintly at her last remark.  Her words, more than her family’s praise, won over Mrs. Jones, for she now believed that Beth truly loved her son.
 

While the Joneses and the other Cartwrights were eating, Dr. Davies was making sure Ben was resting.

“I feel like A.C. having to take a nap in the afternoon,” he grumbled.

“I told you that Sian and I are having one as well,” Dr. Davies replied with a twinkle in his eye.  “Just as soon as I have you settled.  Adam and Rhys won’t be home for a few hours yet according to Matilda and I know you want to be rested before he returns so you don’t worry him.  When Llywelyn and Reverend Jones arrive, they’ll bring our luggage over so don’t be worrying about that.  If you should need me, Sian and I are in the room next door and I’ll leave our doors slightly ajar so I can hear you if you call me.”

Ben actually was more tired than he’d cared to acknowledge.  He hated to admit it even to himself but this kind of travel at age eighty was almost too much.  He hadn’t even grumbled when Dr. Davies had them stop and rest for a day every two or three days on the trek from Townsville. He admitted to himself that he wasn’t looking forward to the return journey, but he’d have a fortnight before he had to face it again.

It is worth it though, he thought to himself just before dozing off.  Beth is as radiant as a bride should be.  I’m looking forward to meeting her intended; if Adam and Bronwen like him then he must be a fine young man.  It will be so good to see Adam again.  He smiled to himself, for it was getting harder to see the little boy with his mother’s curly dark hair and hazel eyes who traveled with him from Massachusetts to Nevada in the bald and bearded man his son had become.  Oh, Liz, it’s hard to believe our boy will be fifty-seven this November.  I can still remember so vividly that tiny infant you left in my care.  He’s a fine man and a lucky one, for he’s been able to spend nineteen years with his love.  If only we could have been as lucky. . . .
 

Llywelyn and Dafydd returned as everyone was finishing dinner.  Beth accompanied the Joneses and Reverend Edgerton to the rectory so she would have more time to get to know her future in-laws.  “I’d like to ride to the mine and see Daddy,” Miranda announced.

“I want to go, too,” Gwyneth declared.

“Only if Llywelyn agrees to go with you,” Bronwen said firmly. “I don’t want the two of you riding that distance alone.”

“Right,” Llywelyn said with a broad grin.  “Let’s go.”

“I’ve got to change into my waist overalls,” Gwyneth said.  “You two go ahead and Artemis and I will catch up.”  She just stopped herself from running out of the room since they had company and instead walked rapidly on her long legs.

“How would you like to see the rest of the house?” Bronwen asked Joe and Annabelle.  “I’ll show you where you’ll be sleeping.  We’re putting you in A.C.’s room and he and Benj will be staying with Llywelyn.  A.C. is so excited because he’ll be sleeping on a swag.”

“A swag?” Joe repeated and Annabelle looked equally mystified.

“Oh dear, I forget what you Americans call it.  They’ll be sleeping on the floor.”

“A bedroll,” Joe said with a giggle.  “Benj and Sarah are old hands at it now since there were never enough beds to go around between Townsville and here.  We let the women and Pa have the beds.”

“It wasn’t easy to convince Pa to sleep on a bed,” Annabelle said with a fond smile.  “Luckily, your father can be very firm,” and Bronwen returned her smile.

“Let me rescue Nell and Mary from the children,” Bronwen said, heading toward the kitchen calling their names.
 

“Your house is lovely,” Annabelle said after she had toured the downstairs.  “It’s so different from the ranch house.  It’s difficult to believe Adam designed both.”

“I made the same comment the first time we visited the Ponderosa.  Adam explained to me that he designed that house for four men, five counting Hop Sing,” Bronwen replied.  “He designed this house for me and our children.”

“Come see Penny and Gwyneth’s pretty beds, Mama,” Sarah said tugging on her hand, for she and Penny had gone ahead upstairs.  “Penny said I’m going to sleep in Gwyneth’s and Gwyneth’s going to sleep on a swag.  What’s a swag?”

Joe smiled at his daughter and replied, “Swag is what Australians call a bedroll.”  He turned to his sister-in-law then.  “Gwyneth doesn’t have to give up her bed; Sarah can sleep on the bedroll, uh, swag,” he stated while Sarah’s expression showed her disappointment for she had been thrilled at the idea of sleeping in Gwyneth’s bed with its ruffled canopy.

“No, it’s all right, Joe,” Bronwen assured him.  “Gwyneth offered to let Sarah sleep in her bed.  She thought Sarah would enjoy it.”  Seeing Sarah tugging impatiently on her mother’s hand she asked, “Shall we look at the upstairs?” 

Joe chuckled when he saw A.C.’s bed.  “If I didn’t know better, I’d swear your Daddy had his old bed shipped here,” he said to his nephew with a grin.  He looked sideways at his wife.  “It looks like a tight fit but I’m certain we’ll manage.”

“Yes, I’m certain we will,” Annabelle replied frostily.  Bronwen looked at them apprehensively and Joe knew he would also be sleeping on a bedroll.

When he saw how much his little daughter admired her cousins’ canopy beds, he decided he would get her one once they got home.  “Oh, look at the dollhouse,” Annabelle breathed.  “It’s beautiful.”

“Daddy and Uncle Rhys made it for me,” Penny said proudly.  “Llywelyn helped make the furniture and Aunt Matilda made all the curtains.”

“We’re looking forward to meeting your uncle,” Joe said with a smile while Benj examined the miniature furniture.

“Now, come see Mama and Daddy’s bedroom,” Penny said and the adults all smiled.

Annabelle immediately felt a stab of envy when she saw the master bedroom, for it was nearly twice the size of the bedroom she and Joe shared.  She was also envious of Adam and Bronwen’s private verandah.  “This is such a beautiful room,” she declared.

“It sure is a big bed,” Benj observed and Bronwen smiled at him.

“When we were little, we all used to come get in bed with Mama and Daddy on Sunday mornings,” Penny said with a grin.  “Gwyneth and I would get in the middle between Mama and Daddy, and Miranda and Beth would sit at the end with Lady.”

“Where was I?” A.C. demanded, for he thought he was the only one to get in bed with Mama and Daddy.

“You weren’t born yet,” Bronwen said stroking his hair back gently.  “Now your sisters are all too old to get in bed with us so it’s just you and me and Daddy.”

“Gosh, we’ve never been in your bed,” Sarah said to her parents.

“Some parents prefer privacy,” Annabelle explained self-consciously.

“Oh, Mama and Daddy have privacy.  They always lock their door at night so we have to knock to come in,” Penny said guilelessly while Bronwen’s cheeks turned pink   At least Adam has a reason to lock his bedroom door, Joe thought sourly.
 

When Miranda, Gwyneth and Llywelyn approached the mine office, Gwyneth suggested, “You go knock on the door, Miranda, so you can surprise Daddy and Uncle Rhys.  Llywelyn and I will come in after.”

Miranda knocked on the door and heard her father call, “Come in.”  Both men looked up as she entered and Adam jumped to his feet and crossed the room in three strides. 

“Angel!” he said, hugging her tightly, “it’s so good to see you.  I’ve missed you.”

“And I’ve missed you,” she replied, tears filling her eyes.

“I’d like a hug, too,” Rhys said and they embraced while Gwyneth and Llywelyn entered the office quietly.

“When did you all arrive?  Is everyone all right?” Adam inquired with just a touch of concern.

“We arrived a little after noon,” Miranda answered, “and, yes, everyone is fine.  Tad-cu took very good care of Grandpa.  We would have been here much sooner, but Tad-cu had us stop and rest a day for every two or three days we traveled.”

“I told you Tad would take good care of your father,” Rhys said squeezing his brother-in-law’s shoulder, for he knew Adam had been very concerned about his father making the arduous journey at his age.

“Tad-cu is making your father rest right now, Uncle Adam,” Llywelyn interjected.  “He said he and Mam-gu are going to rest as well.  Beth is at the rectory with the Joneses and Reverend Edgerton.”

“Everyone else is at our house,” Gwyneth added.  “Miranda wanted to see you and Mama said she and I couldn’t ride here unless Llywelyn came.”

“So here we are,” Llywelyn finished.

“Why don’t you and the girls head back to town,” Rhys suggested to Adam.  “Llywelyn and will stay a bit longer and then we’ll head back.  By that time our parents will be up from their naps,” and he grinned at his brother-in-law.

“Thanks, Rhys,” Adam said, flashing his dimple. “Let’s go, girls,” he added putting an arm around each girl’s shoulder as they exited.

“Your headmistress, Miss Bradford, wrote me a nice letter,” he commented to Miranda as they rode back to their house.  “I knew she didn’t like the idea of you missing so much school, but she did understand why we wanted you here for Beth’s wedding.”

“I think I did all right on my finals,” Miranda stated.  “The only classes I’m worried about are Latin and Greek.  My instructors in those two classes gave me a ton of assignments to work on while I’m gone.  Luckily Tad-cu is better in Latin and Greek than either of us,” Miranda said dimpling.

“That’s right,” Adam said with a matching grin.  “Physicians have to know both.  I take it he helped you while you were traveling?” and Miranda nodded.

“Stone the crows!  A.C. has certainly grown since I’ve been gone,” she stated emphatically.

“Yes, he has,” Adam replied with a proud grin.  “He’s even taller than Gwyneth was at age five.”  Gwyneth smiled at this.  “I think he’s probably going to be taller than me before he’s done growing.”

“Penny’s grown a bit, too,” Miranda said.  She looked sideways at her father.  “She wrote me how disappointed she was not to get a horse for her birthday, although she loves the locket you and Mama gave her.”

Adam looked first at Miranda and then at Gwyneth.  “Mama and I didn’t like disappointing Penny, but we honestly didn’t feel that she is big enough and strong enough to manage a horse yet.  She’s even smaller at age twelve than you were, Angel, and Mama and I almost didn’t get you a horse for your twelfth birthday.”  Both Miranda’s eyebrows shot up at this because she’d had no idea her parents had considered not getting her Rhiannon.

Gwyneth decided to change the subject.  “Does Charlotte still think she’s in love with that Harvard student?  I can’t remember his name.”

“Oh I think you mean Robert Lodge.  No, now she fancies she’s in love with another student named Edmund Gould.”  She smiled.  “It’s just as well because Robert Lodge is engaged.  His friend William is going to graduate summa cum laude just as you did, Daddy.  He is going to work on his master’s in history at Cambridge.”

“I take it you mean the university in England and not Cambridge, Massachusetts?”

Miranda nodded, smiling slightly.  “He asked me if I would write to him, and I said yes.”  She saw her father raise his eyebrow and said quickly, “We’re just friends, Daddy.  He’s nice and we enjoy talking.”  She turned to her younger sister then saying, “Even if he does regard mathematics with the same loathing you do, Little Sister.”  They all laughed at this but Adam was still a bit concerned.  Still, as he told himself, this William is in England so nothing will come of their letters.

As they approached their home, Adam said to the girls, “I’d like to stop by the Davies’s and see if your grandpa is up from his nap.  Punkin, would you mind taking care of Zephyr for me?”  Gwyneth nodded, realizing that Daddy wanted a chance to be alone with Grandpa.

As Adam approached the Davies house, he saw Ben and his in-laws sitting on the verandah playing a game with the younger children.  A.C. spotted him first and dropped his cards and ran toward him yelling, “Daddy!  Daddy!”  Adam saw Ben look up then and his father’s face broke into an enormous grin.

“Hi, Jackeroo!” Adam said to A.C., bending down to kiss his cheek

“Daddy, Manda’s here and so is Grandpa and Tad-cu and Mam-gu and Uncle Joe and Aunt Annabelle and Benj and Sarah!” A.C. managed to get out in one breath.

“I know.  Miranda rode to the mine to see me,” Adam said with a smile at his son’s exuberance.

“Where’s Manda now?” A.C. asked a bit anxiously.

“She and Gwyneth are putting away our horses.”

“I want to show Grandpa and Tad-cu and Mam-gu my pony, but Tad-cu said to wait until you got home.  So can we go see Sport?”

“As soon as I say hello to everyone, then we’ll go take a look at Sport,” Adam replied, ruffling his son’s hair and sighing at the length, for it was nearly to his shoulders.

As soon as Adam and A.C. started up the verandah steps, Ben rose slowly and walked toward them.  “Oh son, it’s so good to see you again,” he said in a choked voice, embracing his firstborn and feeling Adam’s arms hugging him back.  They both had to blink back the tears that threatened to overflow.  Adam felt how frail his father had become while Ben noticed that his son’s hair (what was left of it) and his beard were totally gray now except where it was snow white like his own hair.

“Daddy’s here so let’s go see Sport,” A.C. commanded.

“I said we could go after I said hello to everyone,” Adam replied sternly, “and you don’t tell grownups what to do.  You know that.”

“I’m sorry, Daddy,” A.C. said, looking contrite.

“Apology accepted,” Adam replied, gently squeezing his son’s neck.  “Hello, Tad.  Hello, Mam.  How are you both?  Survived the journey I see,” he said, shaking hands with his father-in-law and kissing his mother-in-law’s cheek.

“Hello, Uncle Adam,” Sarah said.  “Do you remember me?”

“Let me see.  I have a niece named Sarah and she has brown hair and hazel eyes like yours, but she’s much smaller than you are.”

“That’s ’cause I got taller,” the six-year-old replied with her father’s mischievous grin.  “I’m gonna sleep in Gwyneth’s bed and Penny said I can play with her dollhouse.”

Adam smiled at his niece and said, “Can I have a hug?”  Sarah nodded with a grin so Adam bent down and hugged her.  He turned to his nephew then and extended his hand.  “Hello, Benj.  It’s good to see you.”

“Hello, Uncle Adam,” Benj replied and smiled just a little as he shook his uncle’s hand.

“How are you, Kitten?” Adam asked Penny after leaning over and giving her a hug.

“I’m fine, Daddy.  May we show the others our ponies now?”

“Do you feel up to a little walk, Pa?” Adam asked but glanced at his father-in-law, who nodded imperceptibly.

“Of course.  I haven’t even had a chance to see your house yet since Llywelyn insisted I take a nap.”  He saw the confused look on the children’s faces and said to Dr. Davies, “I guess I’d better call you ‘Doc’ so everyone will know I don’t mean your namesake.”

Adam saw the children still looked confused so he explained, “Llywelyn is named for his grandfather, Dr. Davies, just as Benj is named for his grandfather and A.C. is named for me.”

“But your name is Tad-cu,” A.C. said to Dr. Davies in bewilderment.  He stuck his lip out in a pout when everyone but Sarah laughed.

“Tad-cu was once a little boy like you, Jackeroo, and his mama and daddy named him Llywelyn,” Adam said gently.  “Uncle Rhys and Aunt Matilda decided to name their little boy Llywelyn after him.  Uncle Joe and Aunt Annabelle named their little boy Benjamin after Grandpa because that’s his name, but we call him Benj for short.  Mama wanted to name you Adam after me, but we call you A.C. for short.  Do you understand?” A.C. thought for a moment and then he nodded his head and smiled at his daddy.  “All right, now let’s go see Sport.”

“And Muffin,” Penny added.

The children all ran ahead giving Adam a few minutes alone with this father and in-laws.  “How was the trip?  Honestly?”

“It was fine,” Ben replied.  “Everyone cosseted me as though I were an infant,” he added with a snort of disgust and the other three smiled slightly.

“The children were enthralled with their first sight of a mob of roos jumping along,” Mrs. Davies added with a beaming smile.

“Actually,” Dr. Davies added, “I think the Joneses and your brother were equally excited.  Your sister-in-law has such sang-froid that it’s difficult to tell.”

“They fell in love with the koalas and we had a hard time convincing little Sarah that she couldn’t have one as a pet,” Mrs. Davies said.

“Just like Hoss,” Adam commented quietly and he and Ben shared a sad smile.
 

The ponies were duly admired and Benj and Sarah were given permission to ride Miranda’s Honey and Beth’s Daisy, who had both been turned out to pasture but who would enjoy being ridden again.

“Come see our house, Grandpa,” Penny said. 

“And see the dollhouse Uncle Adam made,” Sarah added.  “It’s just like their house only little.”

As they drew closer to the house, they could see Bronwen, Joe and Annabelle sitting on the verandah drinking tea and talking.

“Hey, Older Brother, it’s good to see you,” Joe said, getting up.  Adam held out his hand but Joe pulled him into a brief hug.  “Uh-oh, I see what hair you have left is turning white now.  Caused by this little scamp I bet,” Joe said, reaching out to grab his nephew and tickle him.

“I think his sisters deserve part of the credit,” Adam replied with a smile.  “You’ve got more gray than brown yourself, Younger Brother.”

“Uncle Adam said Benj and me can ride Beth and Miranda’s old ponies,” Sarah interjected excitedly.

“They have funny saddles though except for Uncle Adam’s and A.C.’s,” Benj commented.

“They’re not funny saddles; they’re English saddles,” his father corrected.  He grinned at Adam.  “I once beat your Uncle Adam in a horserace by using an English saddle.”

“Which I’m never to be allowed to forget,” Adam said with a longsuffering sigh.

“Uncle Joe beat you, Daddy?” A.C. repeated.

“That’s right, A.C., I did,” Joe answered grinning broadly.  “It wasn’t often that I was able to best my oldest brother so I’m never going to let him forget it.”

“Oh, like the time I beat Miranda at backgammon,” Penny grinned while her eyes sparkled and Miranda frowned slightly and Gwyneth grinned.

“Exactly,” Joe replied while Adam added, “And the time Gwyneth and Llywelyn took A.C. fishing and he caught more than both of them.”  Now it was Miranda’s turn to grin and Gwyneth’s to look discomfited.

“You can fish here?” Benj said eagerly.

“Fair dinkum.  Llywelyn and I and our friend, Mark, fish at the river all the time.  We could go tomorrow if it’s okay with our folks.”  Adam and Bronwen nodded as did Joe and Annabelle.  “I’m certain Uncle Rhys and Aunt Matilda will let Llywelyn come, too,” Gwyneth said smiling happily.

“I’ll even bait your hook for you,” Benj said with a happy grin, which Gwyneth returned.

“Mark always baits my hook for me,” she replied, “but I guess he won’t be there so you can.”

“Why don’t you ask Mark to go with you,” Joe suggested.  “I know we’d all like to meet him,” he added with a wink at his brother.

“Yeah,” Sarah said, “Beth wrote us that Mark—“  The rest of her sentence was cut off when her mother placed her hand over her mouth.

“Sarah just forgot that what people write in a letter is private, and we don’t discuss it with others,” Annabelle said looking at Sarah sternly.  “Come with me, Sarah.”

When she had Sarah in the drawing room she said quietly, “Don’t repeat what Beth wrote about Mark liking Gwyneth.  Understand?”  Sarah nodded but looked puzzled so Annabelle added, “Beth might be wrong and even if she’s right, Mark should be the one to tell Gwyneth, not you.”  Sarah’s face showed her understanding so they went back on the verandah.

“Gwyneth and Benj went to ask Mark about going fishing tomorrow,” Joe said as Annabelle looked for her son. 

“Can we go play with your dollhouse, Penny?” Sarah asked hopefully and Penny nodded with a smile and the two cousins ran inside.

“A.C., why don’t you come show me your Noah’s Ark,” Annabelle suggested.

“And my Brownies,” A.C. replied excitedly.  “I got Brownie Nine Pins and Brownie rubber stamps.  You wanna come, Tad-cu and Mam-gu?”

“Yes, we would very much,” Dr. Davies replied, ruffling his grandson’s hair, so Ben, Joe and Adam had a chance to be alone.

“It’s so good to see you both,” Adam said as he sat in one of the wicker chairs.  “I’ve always wanted to show you where we live.”

“It’s a beautiful house, son,” Ben said with a smile, “but more important, you and Bronwen have made it a home.”

“Most of the credit for that goes to Bronwen,” Adam said smiling.  “I am so lucky in my wife.”

“Yeah, you sure are,” Joe said.  Adam glanced sideways at him, but Joe didn’t elaborate.  However, Adam saw the sadness in his father’s eyes at Joe’s words.

“The town has grown a bit since I was here last,” Ben commented, wanting to change the subject.  “It’s still a frontier mining town though.”

“We wish there were more cultural events, but we manage to entertain ourselves,” Adam replied.

“That’s what Miranda told us,” Ben said with a smile.

“I’d like a chance to see the mine, and maybe this stud farm you’ve invested in,” Joe stated and Adam nodded.

“I’m sure that can be arranged.  Once the womenfolk start talking about dresses and wedding cakes and wedding breakfasts, A.C. and I make ourselves scarce.”  They all three chuckled at that. 

“So how does it feel to be losing a daughter?” Joe asked and Ben frowned at him but Adam smiled sadly.

“I am happy for Beth and Dafydd.  He’s a fine man and I couldn’t wish for a better son-in-law, but it’s hard accepting that in just a little over a week, she won’t be my little girl any more.  She’ll belong to her husband.”  He smiled wryly and added, “Bronwen says she’ll feel the same way when A.C. marries.”  He and Ben shared a smile and then Adam said quietly, “At least Beth and Dafydd will be living here in Cloncurry; he won’t be taking her hundreds of miles away where Bronwen and I could seldom see her or our grandchildren.  For the first time I understand what it’s like for Tad and Mam.”  He saw the wistful expression on Ben’s face and said softly, “And for you.”

Joe decided to lighten the mood so he smiled and said, “That’s right. In another year or so, I can call you Grandpa.”

Adam refused to rise to the bait but only grinned broadly.  “I’m kinda looking forward to that.  Being a grandpa has got to be an easier job than being A.C.’s daddy,” and they all three shared a smile.
 

The next several days the Cartwrights and Davies took advantage of the time they had to spend together.  Adam and Rhys took turns working at the mine so they each had time to spend with their visiting family.  Ben and Dr. and Mrs. Davies reveled in the time they could spend with their grandchildren.  They played with A.C.’s Brownie Nine Pins and also numerous games of Old Bachelor and jackstraws with A.C. and Sarah, while their children and older grandchildren joined in games of croquet and battledore and shuttlecock.  In the evenings the Joneses and Reverend Edgerton would join them and they would sing songs while Adam and Gwyneth played their guitars and Dafydd and Beth their harps.

That first day when Joe visited the mine with Adam and then that evening when they were all together, Joe felt a tiny pinprick of jealously at the easy camaraderie that existed between Adam and Rhys. However, he squelched it immediately and felt ashamed of the emotion.  He didn’t think anyone else knew, but Dr. Davies was a very perceptive man, one of the qualities that made him such a fine physician.

“You know, Joe,” he said one afternoon when they were sitting on the Cartwrights’ verandah after Ben had dozed off during a game of chess that Joe was kibitzing, “I wish you could have met my other son, Bryn.  I think you and he would be great mates.  I know he raises sheep instead of cattle, but I think the two of you would have a lot in common, just as Adam and Rhys do.”

Joe smiled gratefully at Dr. Davies.  “I was expecting to meet both Bronwen’s brothers,” he replied, “but no one has mentioned anything about her oldest brother.  Are he and his family just not here yet?”

“No, I’m afraid Bryn and Victoria aren’t able to attend the wedding.  Believe it or not, travel from Broken Hill to Cloncurry is even more difficult than travel from the States to Cloncurry.”  He sighed.  “Broken Hill, like Cloncurry, is at the back of beyond and I haven’t seen my firstborn in more than twenty-five years.”  Joe was appalled.  Here he’d thought it unfair that in the nineteen years since Adam’s marriage they had only seen him four times, but at least they had seen him and his family.

Dr. Davies continued.  “Sian and I really haven’t seen any more of our family here than you and Ben have.  It’s been so wonderful for your father and for us to spend this time with our grandchildren.  Just as I’m sure you’re glad of the chance to spend time with your nephew and nieces.”

“Yes,” Joe said with a smile. “And I’m glad my children have the chance to spend time with Adam’s.  That means a lot to me.”

“Your Sarah and Penny have certainly grown close.  I remember Bronwen writing us that Penny was disappointed not to have a little sister.”

“Well, I have to say that is one wish I’m glad wasn’t granted.  I know how happy Pa was when A.C. was born,” Joe said with a big grin.

“I can imagine,” Dr. Davies said with a happy grin of his own.
 

Among all the happy family gathered in Cloncurry, only Annabelle felt herself to be an outsider.  Now that she had seen Sydney and then Cloncurry she could not understand how Bronwen could be happy living with Adam in a wasteland, for Cloncurry was more devoid of culture and the amenities than Virginia City or Carson City.  Yet, Bronwen was happy living here; Annabelle could not dispute the evidence of her own eyes.  Not only was Bronwen happy, but she and Adam obviously loved each other very much.
 

The day of the wedding was a perfect winter day in Cloncurry—bright, cool and crisp.  Adam dressed quickly and then went to the Davies house to take A.C. his Fauntleroy suit.

“I don’t like this, Daddy.  It looks like girls’ clothes,” A.C. pouted as Adam straightened the large lace collar on A.C.’s white silk shirt.  Poor A.C., Adam thought, looking at his son in his black velvet jacket and knickerbockers, black cotton stockings and his freshly polished black buttoned boots. Bronwen had even talked him into letting A.C.’s hair grow until it was almost shoulder-length and curled slightly.  A.C. is definitely getting a haircut tomorrow, Adam promised himself.

“Lots of little boys dress this way,” he said persuasively, “and you needed a special suit to wear as ring bearer. You’re very important, you know.”  He saw A.C. still looked a little rebellious so he added, “As soon as the wedding reception is over and Dafydd and Beth leave, you can change into your regular clothes.  Is it a deal, Jackeroo?” and he held out his hand. 

“It’s a deal, Daddy,” A.C. replied shaking his daddy’s hand.
 

As usual the gentlemen, dressed in their black tail coats, starched shirts with high collars and black silk neckties (or in the case of Benj an Eton suit with a short black jacket, long gray pants and large stiff white collar), were ready before the ladies.  Mrs. Davies, Matilda and Annabelle, dressed in fashionable gowns with enormous leg-of-mutton sleeves, were the first of the women to join the men along with Sarah in her pretty smocked frock of apricot silk and her basket of flower petals.  Penny, dressed in her lovely gown of pale green taffeta with a sash of a darker green, joined them next.  Her hair had been curled and carefully arranged in ringlets, and she wore her new locket and her first pair of silk stockings.

“You look lovely, Kitten,” Adam said kissing her cheek.

“Pretty as a picture,” Ben said.  “Does Grandpa get a kiss?”

She smiled and kissed his cheek and then her Tad-cu’s and Mam-gu’s.

“You look just like your mama did when she was twelve,” Mrs. Davies said with a smile and Penny’s answering smile lit up her whole face. 

Miranda and Gwyneth were the next to appear.  Most of Gwyneth’s hair was pinned up in a twist like Miranda’s but some of the curls in the back were allowed to cascade to her waist.  As the two sisters, dressed in their apricot silk gowns, came down the curving staircase, their father, grandfathers and uncles had to suppress their smiles at the sight because Miranda didn’t stand much higher than Gwyneth’s shoulders.  Adam’s heart ached at the sight of his middle daughter, for today Gwyneth looked like a young woman; the bridesmaid’s dress showed that her figure was no longer boyish.  For a moment, Ben was taken back to his own wedding day, for Miranda was the image of Elizabeth Stoddard the day he married her.

Joe looked at Rhys and said with a proud smile, “You know, Rhys, I think we have the loveliest nieces in the whole world.”

“I think you’re right, Joe,” Rhys said beaming proudly at the girls.

“Wait until you see Beth,” Gwyneth said.  “She is more beautiful than I’ve ever seen her.”

“We need to be getting to the church,” Adam said worriedly, pulling out his pocket watch.  “I’m going to see what’s keeping them.”

“Be patient, Adam,” Mrs. Davies said gently.  “I’m sure Bronwen is just having a talk with Beth.  I had one with her on her wedding day and my mother with me.”

“That’s right, Adam,” Matilda added.  “It’s tradition.”

“We’re going in different surreys, so why don’t the rest of us go to the church now,” Ben suggested and Dr. Davies agreed.  Soon Adam was left alone in the entryway, leaning against the doorframe.  Upstairs, Bronwen was helping Beth arrange her floor length veil.

“Beth, I think you are the most beautiful bride I’ve ever seen,” she said softly.  “You look as happy as I did the day I married Daddy.”

“That’s because I love Dafydd just as much as you love Daddy,” Beth replied in a voice choked with emotion.  “I am so grateful to you and Daddy for showing me what a marriage should be.”

“I think that is the greatest compliment you could pay us,” Bronwen said, blinking very fast to hold back the tears that threatened to overflow.  “Your daddy and I don’t always agree about everything, but we’ve learned when to compromise.  We also remember the scripture, ‘let not the sun go down upon your wrath.’”  She smiled.  “I have one final piece of advice.  You and Dafydd should be each other other’s best friend, and try to keep some part of each day that is just for the two of you.  Once you start having children, it gets harder, but it is important, Beth.  Trust me.”

“I do, Mama,” Beth replied softly.

“We’d better go down before your daddy comes up to see what’s keeping us.”  “I’ll carry your train for you,” she added with a smile.
 

Gwyneth was right, Adam thought as he felt his eyes burn with unshed tears at the sight of his daughter coming down the stairs.  I have never seen Beth look so lovely.

“Dafydd is such a lucky man, Princess,” he said softly when she put her hand on his arm, and she smiled radiantly at him.
 

When they got to the church Joe and Llywelyn, who were serving as ushers, escorted Bronwen and Penny to their pew.  Adam caught a glimpse of Dafydd, Reverend Edgerton and Robbie MacDonald standing nervously at the front of the church and smiled inwardly, remembering how he had felt on his wedding day.

First Sarah and A.C. went down the aisle followed by Gwyneth and then Miranda.  Adam looked at his firstborn as she stood beside him, a vision of loveliness in her embroidered white lace silk gown, her face slightly obscured by her floor length tulle veil, holding her bouquet of white lilies and carnations.  He felt joy at her happiness but it was tinged with sadness, for soon she would no longer be his little girl but Dafydd’s wife, and it would be Dafydd who would love and cherish her for the rest of her life.

They heard the opening strains of Pachelbel’s Canon in D and she turned to him with a radiant smile, “It’s time, Daddy.”

He placed her hand on his arm and they walked down the aisle.  He saw Miranda and Gwyneth, looking lovely but grave.  A.C., dressed in his hated Fauntleroy suit, stood very still, obviously taking his role as ring bearer very seriously.
 

Adam tried to concentrate on the minister’s words: “Dearly beloved, we are gathered together here in the sight of God . . . signifying unto us the mystical union that is betwixt Christ and his Church . . . It was ordained for a remedy against sin . . . Into which holy estate these two persons present come now to be joined.”  All the while images of Beth surfaced in his brain—her first smile, hearing her call him Da-da for the very first time, watching the excitement on her face as she urged her pony into a gallop, sharing a smile with her as he taught her to dance the slow waltz..  He was so lost in memory that he was startled at the sound of Beth’s voice beside him.

“I will.”

The bishop looked at him then and smiled as he said, “Who giveth this woman to be married to this man?”

Taking a deep breath to steady his voice, Adam replied, “I do.”  The finality of it almost crushed him as he sat beside Bronwen, who smiled tearfully at him and took his hand in her small delicate one and entwined their fingers.  As he listened to Beth vow to love and to cherish Dafydd until death parted them, he could feel the wetness of his tears and taste their saltiness.  He felt Bronwen’s fingers tighten around his as the bishop said, “Forasmuch as Elizabeth and Dafydd have consented together in holy wedlock, and have witnessed the same before God and this company, and thereto have given and pledged their troth either to other, and have declared the same by giving and receiving of a Ring, and by joining of hands; I pronounce that they be Man and Wife together, In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.”  As the newlyweds turned to face their friends and family, Adam saw their faces were radiant with the love they shared. 
 

The guests adjourned to the Cartwrights’ home and all too soon from Adam’s point of view, it was time for the bride and groom to cut the wedding cake and then for him to make his speech. 

He stood and gazed at the faces of friends and family, then at the beautiful and joyous face of his daughter, looking at him with shining eyes.  “Daughters are flowers that fathers plant and tenderly cultivate, always knowing that they will bloom in another man’s garden,” he said quietly and felt Bronwen’s fingers intertwine with his own.  “It’s a very difficult thing to let a daughter go, but I know you love her as much as I do, Dafydd, and that you’ll cherish her all the years of your life together just as I love and cherish her mother.”  He paused and then added sternly, “If you don’t, you’ll have me to answer to.”

A.C. looked at his father’s resolute face and piped up, “Me, too!” which made everyone laugh.

Adam smiled warmly then at his son-in-law and said, “Friends, please join me in raising your glass to the health and happiness of Reverend and Mrs. Dafydd Jones.”
 
 

References:
The title of this story comes from a song, The Pickers Are Comin’, written by Gary Geld and Peter Udell for the musical version of the movie, Shenandoah.

The fragments of the marriage service come from Book of Common Prayer, 1662.

For general information on clothing and fabrics in the era I used Fashion in Costume: 1200-1980 by Joan Nunn.  I also used the two Web sites.
 
 
 

Glossary of Welsh and Australian Words and Phrases:
Welsh
A chithau? – And you?
Anwyld - beloved
Bach and fach – adding bach after a man’s name or fach after a woman’s is a form of endearment.  Penny fach would translate as Penny dear or Penny dearest
Bachgennyn – little boy
Bore da - hello
Cariad – dear or darling
Da iawn diolch – Very good, thanks
Diolch yn fawr – thank you very much
Dw i’n dy garu di  - I love you
Eitha da diolch – Quite well, thanks
Helo. Sut dych chi? – Hello.  How are you?
Mam – mother
Mam-gu – grandmother
Noswaith dda – good evening
Sut wyt ti – How are you?
Tad – father
Tada - daddy
Tad-cu – grandfather

Australian
“Beauty, Uncle Adam.  No worries.”  Translation: “That’s great, Uncle Adam.  You won’t be sorry.”
Fair dinkum – used as a substitute for “Oh really?” or “true”
I feel stuffed – I’m tired
Jackeroo – a cowboy
Right – Okay
She’ll be apples – It’ll be all right
Stone the crows!  - I asked Joan for an Australian version of “My gosh!” or “My goodness!” (an expression that Adam’s daughters could use without having their mouths washed out with soap)
“That’d be beaut!” Translation: “Wouldn’t that be swell!”
Too right – definitely