Beholden Page 31

  “Married?”

  “Never.”

  “Well, at least we have one thing in common.”

  When he left, Nell came outside and asked me how things were going.

  “The guy is obnoxious. He thinks he knows everything.”

  “I believe he does. He has his own horses. Everything you’re doing, he’s doing too.”

  “When is he going to let me get on the actual horse? You’re paying him to stand around and pontificate.”

  “He’ll let you on the horse when he feels you’re ready, and not before.”

  Two weeks went by and I still wasn’t on Napoleon’s back. The next step was to lead him by the reins around the yard and in the field. Mitch said that Napoleon had to get comfortable with his new surroundings. That horses didn’t like change and it was useless to rush them into anything.

  Gran made me pancakes and bacon or eggs and sausages in the morning to fill me up. My appetite had returned with a vengeance from working all day with the three horses. My clothes felt a bit tight, and Gran was pleased to see it.

  “You have roses in your cheeks again.”

  “Only because that maniac has me standing outside all day.”

  “Hobbs is getting very sad, you know.”

  My heart dropped. I’d been so busy listening to that irritating man, I hadn’t realized how my schedule had changed. “Sorry, Hobbs! You’re coming to the barn with me today. I don’t care if Nell or Dog or Dog don’t like it.”

  Nell didn’t care and neither did Dogs.

  And wouldn’t you know it, Hobbs fell in love with Mitch. He followed him everywhere, and I noticed Mitch smiled a lot more with Hobbs around.

  “This is an Airedale,” he said. “My grandfather had one. They’re great dogs.”

  It got to the point that Mitch spent most of his time focussed on my dog. I’d had enough.

  “You are supposed to be teaching me how to ride, not flirting with my pet.”

  “You’re—”

  “Do not say I’m a silly baby.”

  “You’re right.”

  That stopped me in my tracks. “I am?”

  “Let’s get on this horse.”

  Mitch had to put his hands on me to get me up into the saddle. It felt like Jack the first time he’d helped me sit on Napoleon.

  “I’d forgotten how high if feels up here.”

  “We’ll go slow.” He took the reins and led me around the field while the other animals frolicked around us.

  “I’m not used to sitting up here by myself. Jack always sat with me.”

  “He didn’t do you any favours, then. Riding a horse is one of the best things in life, and you need to do it by yourself if you’re going to get anything out of it.”

  As he walked ahead of me, I had a chance to look at Mitch. He was taller than Jack and had a different build, strong and wiry, the muscles and sinews in his arms well defined. His thick, chestnut-coloured hair was long, the ends curling from underneath his ball cap. He must spend his life outdoors, I thought, because his skin was tanned even this early in the year. And he was always chewing on a blade of grass or a toothpick.

  The gait of the horse lulled me as I sat. When I closed my eyes, I felt Jack behind me, and that was a comfort. God, I missed him.

  “You’re not bawling, are you?” Mitch shouted at me.

  My eyes opened and I wiped them with my shirt sleeve. “So what if I am? What difference does it make to you?”

  “Do you see Napoleon here crying about his new lot in life? No, he’s getting on with it. Stop wallowing about something that isn’t going to change.”

  “How do you know?”

  “Everyone in this village knows what happened to you. Even me, and that’s saying something because I never listen to gossip. But for some reason your story has fascinated the people around here, and I’ve had to hear the sad tale numerous times whether I wanted to or not.”

  “And what do you suggest I do, since you’re such an expert in everyone and everything?”

  “Let him go. He’s your half brother. Love him like a brother, care about him, but let him get on with his life so you can get on with yours.”

  “What do you know about my life?”

  “You’re eighteen, you’re not in school, and you’re not working. You’re living off your grandmother and this spinster on the hill is paying for these lessons. Why do these people owe you a living? You think you’re the only person who’s lost someone? Or even several people? That’s what life is, and brooding about it isn’t going to bring them back. If you’re not careful, you’re going to be known as the harpy on the hill.”

  He let go of the reins and walked away.

  “How am I supposed to get off this horse?”

  “With difficulty.”

  He got in his truck and roared off. I let out a yell that startled Napoleon and I quickly realized I needed to stay calm, hold the reins, and get control of him.

  Nell came out about an hour later and leaned on the fence. Napoleon and I were still walking. Hobbs sat under a bush, getting some shade.

  “I made a lemon meringue pie. It’s your Gran’s recipe. She gave it to me once. Would you like a piece?”

  “Sure. Would you mind staying here while I try to get off this animal? I don’t want to break anything.”

  “Just slowly slide off him. He’ll wait for you.”

  She was right. I left him grazing with Lucy and Shortbread, but Hobbs followed me into the house, much to the dismay of Dogs.

  Nell’s pie was pretty good, but not as good as Gran’s or mine. We sat and ate and didn’t talk. I got used to sitting with her. Up to a point.

  “I’ve decided I’m going to pay for my own horse lessons. Thank you anyway.”

  “Okay,” she said.

  That was it. No questions. She really was the easiest woman to be with. The complete opposite of Aunt Betty.

  “What was Pops like as a kid?”

  “He stuttered.”

  That surprised me. “He did?”

  “Not terribly, and not all the time, and he did outgrow it, but the kids would make fun of him, like horrible Angus Turnbull.”

  “The police chief?”

  “Yes. He and his wife, Myrtle, were the class bullies. But you know, Myrtle was the first person who asked me to make her a dress, and that’s how I started my whole dressmaking business. You take the good with the bad.”

  “When did you know you loved Pops?”

  “When I was seventeen, I lost my parents in a car crash.”

  “You’ve lost three people you loved in car crashes?”

  She nodded. “I thought I didn’t love my parents and that they didn’t love me. I had a lonely childhood. George told me that my parents did love me, but that sometimes people have a hard time expressing it. It made me feel better during that terrible time.”

  I took a sip of tea. “If you loved each other, why didn’t you get married?”

  “Your father asked me several times, but I always said no. Because of my childhood, I was afraid to be a mother and I didn’t think it was fair to George because he’d always wanted a family. I was wrong. Jane was like a daughter to me, and I adored her. I’ve been wrong about a lot of things over the course of my life.”

  On the morning of July 13, Patty called me. “I’m looking at your niece right now.”

  I screamed and scared Gran.

  “What’s wrong?! she shouted from the bathroom.

  “Patty had a little girl!”

  “You didn’t need to give me a heart attack! Congratulate them for me.”

  “Gran sends congratulations. What’s her name?”

  “Kimberly Bridget.”

  I howled.

  “What’s wrong?!” Gran shouted from the bathroom.

>   “The baby’s name is Kimberly Bridget!”

  “I hope the baby isn’t as loud as you are!”

  “What did Mavis say about that?” I asked Patty.

  “She wanted to know why she wasn’t named Kimberly Mavis.”

  “And you said?”

  “‘That’s for the next girl.’ She doesn’t know that this is the last kid. I’m only doing this twice.”

  “When can I come down?”

  “You? Whenever you want, and the sooner the better.”

  By this time, I knew Mitch’s number and where he lived. I called him. A woman answered.

  “Hello. Is Mitch there?”

  “He’s out in the fields. Can I give him a message?”

  “Yes, please. I’m Bridie Mackenzie—”

  “Oh, Bridie. I’ve heard a lot about you.”

  Because I was still so excited over Patty’s news, I stupidly said, “From who?”

  “Why, Mitch, of course.”

  “Oh. And you are?”

  “His mother, dear.”

  Mr. Independent lived with his mother. Hmm. Who’d have thought?

  “I can’t see him for a couple of weeks. I know he’s only coming over once a week now, but my sister just had a baby and I’m going down to Sydney for a while to help her.”

  “Aren’t you a dear? I’ll be sure to tell him, Bridie.”

  “Thank you, Mrs.…Curry.”

  “Goodbye, dear.”

  Thinking about it, I’d probably live with Mrs. Curry too. She sounded nice.

  I called Nell and told her the same thing, but I had to ask nicely. “I know you said you didn’t want to take care of Napoleon but it’s only for a couple of weeks, and I’ll try and make it up to you when I get back.”

  “You will. You can do some painting around the house.”

  “It’s a deal.”

  After kissing Gran and Hobbs goodbye, I set off in the car. The weather was hot and sunny. I had my windows down the whole way, and I had to put my hair in a ponytail to get it off my face. As I drove down the road, glancing at the stunning scenery of the Bras d’Or Lakes glistening in the sun, I found myself whistling. Whistling!

  Sometimes you have no idea how far you’ve come until you take yourself out of your own routine.

  The baby was adorable, naturally. I couldn’t get enough of her, but Pup wanted my attention too, and it made Patty’s life easier if I kept him occupied while Patty spent time with her new daughter.

  “I can’t believe the difference it makes, having a girl instead of a boy.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “With Pup, I never gave a thought to him turning sixteen or going to his prom or his wedding. I’ve already got Kimberly’s outfits planned. It’s like playing with a little doll. When I think back to Mom always putting me in cute outfits and never wanting me to get dirty I can kind of get it, but I’m not going to be that dipsy-doodle about it.”

  Patty didn’t suffer from the baby blues this time, and what a difference it made for the whole family. She even enjoyed having Mavis over because Mavis, too, was enraptured by Kimberly. Ray was over the moon with his new little one. It was a pleasure seeing these parents together with their kiddies.

  Patty couldn’t get over the difference in me.

  “You look fantastic. Like you’ve been hiking every day.”

  “The very best thing I could have done was take Napoleon. He forces me to get outside in the fresh air.”

  “The horse does, or the guy, what’s-his-name?”

  “Mitch. Yeah, he’s pretty bossy too.”

  She gave me a sly smile as she rocked Kimberley and I put on Pup’s socks. “Tell me about him. Is he cute?”

  “No! He’s too intense to be cute. He’d bite your head off if you suggested such a thing.”

  “A definite creep, then?”

  “Not a creep, just someone who thinks he’s right all the time.”

  “Like you, ya mean?”

  I threw a teddy bear at her feet.

  About a week into my visit, Mavis called and asked me to come over to her apartment. That was the last thing I wanted to do.

  “Bring Pup too. That way Patty will get some rest.”

  My nerves got to me, driving with Pup in the car. I made him sit right beside me so I could use my arm as a shield when I slowed down. He was as good as gold. I told him so.

  “Good, Dee?”

  “Yes, sweetheart. Very good.”

  Pup loved going in the elevator. He wanted to push all the buttons but boy, was I going to scrub his hands when he got home. He knew which one was his grandmother’s door and banged on it. “Mave!”

  She actually had her grandson call her by her first name. Why was I not surprised?

  When I stepped into the room, my heart gave a lurch. Our dining room set was the first thing I saw, followed by some pieces of our living room furniture. But it made me feel nostalgic rather than sad. These were Mavis’s things, not mine. I didn’t have to be afraid of this anymore.

  The entire time I was there, she had me stop Pup from getting up on the furniture and run around collecting the Royal Doulton figurines on the cabinet shelves. This was not a safe zone for children. I was almost more exhausted from this than shovelling horse manure.

  She finally produced some store-bought cookies, which kept Pup occupied for more than two minutes.

  “You’re looking much better, Bridie,” she said.

  “I feel better.”

  “Amazing what time will do.”

  “Yes.”

  “In that vein, I feel I owe you an apology for the way I behaved towards you when you were a little girl.”

  If she had lit me on fire, I would have been less shocked.

  “I’ve had time to reflect, since the night of…the disaster…and now that the truth has been laid out for all of us, it gives me a perspective: the bigger picture.”

  All I could do was nod.

  “You were an infant, like Kimberly. You had no say in who you belonged to. It was ridiculous of me to be jealous of you, to think that your father loved you more than Patty. I know he loved you both, but he expressed his love for you in a more protective way, knowing you had no one else. I was angry, because I knew something about the situation felt off. I really did feel like he was lying to me, and it turns out I was right. I wasn’t crazy after all. But again, that wasn’t your fault and I’m sorry.”

  “I could be a brat.”

  “You could. But all kids are brats sometimes. And I was immature enough to let it get to me.”

  “I’m not sure what to say.”

  She clasped her hands on her lap. “‘I forgive you’ might be nice.”

  “I do forgive you, Mavis. I grew up in a lovely home, with all my needs met. I have a sister and these two wonderful babies in my life. I’ve learned a bit about my mother Jane’s life, and I realize that she was the one who had nothing. I had everything. And that’s because Pops, Mama, and you let me thrive. I don’t think of my childhood without thinking of all five of us together.”

  She let out a deep sigh. I reached over and hugged her. It still felt a bit awkward, only because she never was a great hugger. Not like Mama, who enfolded you in her big arms and comfy tummy.

  We turned our attention to our boy and chatted about how handsome and clever he was. It was…nice. Not complicated or fraught or fractious, maybe for the first time in my life. Just nice.

  When I got back to Patty’s, the magnitude of what had happened hit me like a bolt. Mavis and I were friends. I was beginning to realize you can never have too many of those.

  Patty’s mouth hung open like an unhinged door. “Say that again?”

  I said it again.

  “I’ve never in my life heard my mother apologize to anyone. Not e
ven me, more’s the pity. Wait until I tell Ray. Do you think she’s had a mini-stroke or something?”

  “She looked perfectly normal.”

  “Wow. Nothing’s impossible. Oh, by the way, will you be Kimberley’s godmother?”

  This was just the best day.

  23

  All summer and into the fall, I painted Nell’s house. She hired someone to paint the outside shingles, but I picked away at the inside whenever I wasn’t riding Napoleon. She said she didn’t care how long it took me. And because she wanted all her rooms done, she insisted on paying me.

  “But I owe you for looking after Napoleon.”

  “I have a confession. Mitch came up here after you left and rode Napoleon down to his farm and looked after him. He doesn’t want you to know.”

  “Great! Now I owe him!”

  “Don’t you dare. He’d be furious. You know how he gets.”

  That man. But it did make me grin.

  Sometimes Gran would drive up and join us for lunch. She said she was getting too lonely by herself all day long. Once Aunt Betty heard we were having regular chin-wags, she wanted to come too. Gran was sure that Nell would put the kibosh on that, but she said Aunt Betty was welcome.

  That’s how we heard that Fraser needed a new hip but was too stubborn to get one.

  “He’d rather hobble around than fix the dang thing.”

  “Just as well, Betty,” Gran said. “You’d have to pick up the slack.”

  She looked like that thought hadn’t occurred to her. “I suppose he shouldn’t be too hasty.”

  It’s also how we heard about Mitch’s family. Aunt Betty filled us in between bites of carrot cake.

  “If he’s as stubborn as his father, that’s saying something. Frank Curry was a farmer, cabinetmaker, and, in his spare time, an amateur boxer. That’s what killed him.”

  “He died in the ring?” I said.

  “No. The next day. His doctor told him not to fight. He’d had some kind of a bleed behind his eye during his last bout and the doctor said he should quit altogether. But he was making good money in those days. The trouble is, once you’re dead you don’t get a paycheque, and his wife, Maud, had to go to work cleaning houses.”

  “Does Mitch have a brother? There was a younger kid with him when they delivered Napoleon.”