November 23, 1896
Her son Jimmy suddenly burst into the door. He still held onto the stick he was using as a spear.
"Mother. There's a beautiful lady! Outside, . . . on a horse. I think she's English!" Jimmy could hardly speak. Not because he was out of breath, but it seems as though he had not seen anyone, who hadn't been a frequent visitor, for quite some time.
"Well, ask her to come in, Jimmy."
Joan knew, or had a rather good idea, who it must be. At least she was hoping that it was her sister, Ann.
"She hasn't got here, yet. And, mommy, she spoke to me. She knew my name. Oh, momma. I don't know who it was." Jimmy spoke of her as though she were an apparition, long since gone away.
Joan looked down at Jenny, touched her cheek, and hoped with all her heart.
She heard the sound of feet clunking onto the porch as though the woman had dismounted there to stay out of the mud.
"Allo! Il y a quel qu'une?" The woman asked, 'Is someone there?', in the feminine gender, as though the woman knew, well enough, that it was Joan's house. "Joan? Are you at home?"
It was Ann!
Joan stood, ran over to the door and carefully opened it, almost afraid that her sister would disappear. She saw her face. And, she began to cry.
"Who is it? Mommy!" Jimmy turned white and sat down onto the floor.
Ann had noted James' unfamiliarity with her and, not wanting to upset him, she didn't come into the house as she was invited. But, Joan came out on out the porch toward her. Bent over with grief, she straightened herself and held her arms out to her sister.
Ann softly flung herself into Joan's longing, outstretched arms.
She held Joan, speaking to her gently, yet with a reassuring strength."I wanted to be here by Christmas. But, it seems the Good Lord knew that you were, for all intents and purposes, here alone and would that your only sibling arrived well before Thanksgiving.
"He blew the ship so fast it frightened all of us. The captain of the cutter that Harold chartered for us to cross the Atlantic ordered the main sail to be lowered, but my brave husband ordered him to leave them all unfurled. Then, of all people, Harold paid the captain an extra twenty pounds sterling to settle their argument, before it started. He told me that he owed it to Ben, and to you, of course. I'm so sorry, love, about your Ben.
"I received the cablegram and I didn't know what to do. Harold knows me well enough, I'm sure, that he knew that there was something about which I was terribly troubled that evening. I shall ask the Lord to bless his heart for not having let me be until I told him about Ben.
"Joan, I didn't even ask if we could go. I was afraid to. But, Harold went, straightaway, and chartered the Glimmerer, that cutter in which we flew across the ocean. I think that I am all cried out.
"First, out of concern for Harold's whereabouts, then, for you, for Ben, and for the children. Then, Harold came home, about an hour later. He told me to help him pack to sail to America, in the morning. And so, I cried some more, until he reminded me that he would need my help to find a few of his things. And, when I finally came to my senses, we began to pack.
"And, then we prayed for you, Joan. Before we left and on the ship, we prayed for you.
"After we left the coast of Spain, the wind began to blow very fiercely and still we prayed for you. Soon, we began to pray for ourselves, and the crew, and the ship. We weren't at all too sure that she would hold together. But, she didn't even crack the main mast as the captain said she would. Aye, our Kind Lord has been so kind to us, Joan. Hasn't he?"
That question Ann had just asked caused Joan to stop and think of things in a different light. She stopped crying, dried her eyes, and smiled, looking into Ann's beautiful eyes. "Yes. I suppose that He has, at that. He has brought you safely to me. You crossed the Atlantic in little less than a month? That was a miracle."
"Just thirty days, darlin'. Let's just say that I prefer to attribute this fact to the Lord's kindness to all of us. Now, how is that boy of yours? Where did he go? I believe that he is hiding from his aunt Ann. Joan, I meant to ask. Where is Gemma? I think that I have yet to see her lovely face. Surely, she would remember me."
Joan couldn't find anything to say. She was stuck between Ann's incessant reference to prayer, the lengthy explanation about Gemma's absence, and her amazement with her sister's markedly changed demeanor.
Ann began to walk into the cabin and stopped. She turned around and put her hand to her chin. "Come to think of it, after I had hired the horse and had begun to ride out, I saw a young woman in that small town, called Mancos. She was with five young men, and was the most talkative one of the bunch. She knew exactly where this cabin could be found and she looked quite like your daughter. Imagine that."
Joan didn't always very much like it when Ann would tease, but it certainly was good to hear it, now. Actually, it helped her to regain a more viable deportment. "Oh. Gemma? I think that she's up in the work shop. She's been chopping down redwood trees and now she's likely ripping them into planks,... to build a copy of the Globe Theater. Did this girl, that you saw, have straight hair?" Joan tilted her head, inquisitively.
Just then, Ann saw a group of horses, down the lane. "Straight as a crow flies. Here she comes, now. We'll have to ask this young lady if she's been on the chop, or not." Ann leaned over the edge of the porch and waved to Gemma, who was riding up the lane with the boys.
"You, there, young lady."
Joan took Ann by the arm. "Shhh... I don't want to set a bad example in front of the boys. They are Mormoms."
Jimmy came out of the kitchen and said, "No, she is not in the work shop. She's gone to town with those awful boys". He had a mass of jam, all down his chin, and on the side of his face.
Gemma had Cal stop his horse, just as the lane widened. She jumped off the horse, ran up to the cabin, hopped up onto the porch, and into her aunt's arms. "It's so good to see you, auntie Ann. I'd have ridden home with you, but Calvin said that it would not be proper for him not to take me, as it was he who had come to get me."
"And, right he was, love. We must tell him how impressed that we are, his adherence to proper rules of etiquette. Remember. It is only in the case of a parent's request to convey her, that a lady should have a gentleman relinquish his responsibility to see her safely home.", Ann said.
Gemma smiled and agreed. "I too thought that it was only right. Has uncle Harold come along?"
Ann hesitated, looking into the cabin to see if Joan was attending their conversation. Joan had her hands full with Jimmy and a wash cloth, so Ann simply told Gemma that he had stopped off in Durango to shop, do some business, and that he would be on the train into Mancos, the next morning.
"Will he be bringing a turkey for Thanksgiving?" Gemma clasped her hands together with delight at the prospects of having a more traditional Thanksgiving meal than her mother had purported they would be having. And, she knew that her uncle Harold could provide.
"Yes. He shall be bringing a turkey for Thanksgiving." Ann smiled at her and put her arm on Gemma's left shoulder as she stepped around Gemma's right, toward the boys. Ann didn't want Gemma to see that her eyes were becoming quite misty at the thought of Joan's family not able to afford the basic faire that went along with that American holiday. "Don't you suppose that I might like to be introduced to your friends, young lady? By the way, they look as though they are waiting for some sort of farewell. Do, try to find your manners, lassie girl."
The affectionate term, 'lassie', had taken the edge off of the implied reprimand; yet, Gemma felt quite a contusion, considering from whence it had come, her favorite member of her entire family, not to mention what the infraction implied. And, rudeness was most vehemently discouraged by the Stewart family.
"I apologize, aunt Ann." Gemma's face reflected a quiet self-disdain as her eyes descended to the ground as she thought of the opportunity that she had forgone back in town. "It won't happen again. I can assure you." She paused and looked soulfully at her aunt. "Please, forgive me?."
Knowing that her aunt certainly would forgive her, Gemma turned herself toward the boys, gave her aunt another hug, and ran down to them as quickly as she could. As soon as she had their complete attention, she spoke.
"Gentlemen, I must apologize for having been so rude, not introducing you to my aunt, when first you saw her. Please ride forward as I walk along side and I shall make amends, to you, and to my aunt."
The boys solemnly began to move ahead. As Cal approached Gemma, he held out his hand to give her a lift up.
But, Gemma gave Cal a smile, a negative nod, and continued to walk toward her aunt.
Ann stood, waiting for them to arrive and Joan had walked up, with Jenny in her arms, out to her to see what it was that held them up.
Each boy stopped his horse twenty, or so, feet in front of the women and dismounted. Gemma kept walking around them and out to the front of the horses until she stood in front of her aunt.
"Aunt Ann, I would like for you to meet some of my friends, from school. This is Ronne and Jeremiah Smith." Both boys nodded and said, "Ma'am" as they politely bowed their heads.
Ann responded with a generous, "How are you? It is so nice to meet you, both".
Gemma gestured toward the next and said, "This is Willie Campbell".
And, he said, "Howdy, ma'am," to whom Ann bowed her head.
"Kib Johnson and my chauffeur, Calvin Owens." Kib and Cal both said "Hello. How are you, ma'am?", alternately.
And, to this, Ann returned with, "I am quite well, thank you. It certainly is good to meet such a fine group of young gentlemen who would care enough for my niece as to take her riding on such a nice day. And, I would also like to thank Calvin for his refusal to forfeit his responsibility to carry Gemma safely home, as he so gentlemanly executed with such propriety. Thank you, Calvin Owens".
Calvin blushed and exclaimed, "I was only doing as we were taught in Young Men's Mutual Improvement Association, at church, ma'am".
Ann smiled and rejoined, "Well, it certainly is an improvement over some of the young men that we have in southern England".
By this time, Cal was somewhat beside himself and didn't respond.
Gemma thought that she should try to ease some of the pressure and continued the introductions. "This is my mother, whom you have met. And, this is my little sister, Jennifer."
The sun had begun to set and had gone down behind the cabin, shading their view from the sun, so Joan proudly held up the baby for the boys to see her.
Gemma decided that she would have a little fun and introduced the boys to Jennifer. "Jenny, this is the Wild Bunch. That's Butch Cassidy. There, with the red face."
Jenny had been happily cooing and suddenly belted out an attempt to form a few words, "Oh? Ahh!"
Kib simply had to respond to Gemma's untruth. "She doesn't believe you, either. Gemma."
Ann's laughing at this was so loud that it echoed a little off the other side of the vail, which caused Joan to laugh along with her sister.
The boys were also amused by this. However, it would be getting dark soon. None of them had actually had an opportunity to check in with his parents and the boys where all were apprehensive of this fact.
Kib interjected, apologizing that they had to be going, expressed his appreciation to Ann for coming all this distance to be with Joan and her family, and went on to say, "And, I am sure that I speak for the rest of our group. We bid you Adieu. Good night, aunt Ann."
They each, in single file, walked his horse before the family, affirming Kib's comments, admitting how nice it was to have met Ann, and how sorry he was to have to leave.
They rode off, down the drive and when Gemma thanked them, again, they all turned in their saddles and took their hats off. As they replaced their hats, they all broke into a trot. When they reached the main road, they galloped out of sight.
Ann was very pleased. She said, "Ryan MacLery had told us in the cablegram that we were to be wary of some of the people, here in Mancos. That they would try to change our religion, convert us to Mormonism. I quite liked those Mormon boys you have had here, Gemma. Did they try to convert you?"
"No. But, they told me somewhat about the mad celt that they had tried to get to come to church, a few years back. I told them that we bought our property from him. Shut them up, in short order." Gemma went along with her grand father Evans, for the sake of peaceful conciliation. She was of an agnostic opinion. Or, at least, she didn't claim to know, anyway.
Joan approached her sister porting her treasure for Ann to behold. Jenny had begun to notice other people and was, today, in particularly good spirits. She seemed to be telling everyone around her how pleased she was with them.
Ann never had seen her niece, but had read of her in the letter Joan had sent just before Ben had died. "So, this is the princess for whose coronation I was absent."
Joan handed her to Ann, smiled, and said, "Jennifer Ann Evans, I would like for you to meet your aunt Ann."
Ann carefully took the baby into her arms. She thought about the child's father and her future. Ann looked into the child's face and could easily recognize Jenny's resemblance to her own mother's bright baby blue eyes. "You've got your grandmother's eyes and your father's hair, little darlin'. Don't you?" And, she held the child tightly, but gently, as Jenny reached out her hand and toyed with her aunt's ear and hair.
"Joan. I've never known a child to respond so well to affection as this little girl.", Ann thrilled and held her even more tightly as she spun around twice, stopped, and held her out in front of her.
Jenny held out her arms to Ann and then sunk back into the hands in which she was held, rolling her eyes as she said, "Ohh, Oh. Oooweee!".
Joan beamed at Ann and said, "Let's go into the cabin, where we can build up the fire and talk about Harold and how he does in his business. By the way, where is that husband of yours?"
Ann put on a rather serious look and said, "Harold is in Durango. He has exercised his power of attorney over Ben's legacy. And, he is exchanging some of the funds into American currency and depositing them into the Bank of Durango, to be used, as you will, in future. He should be in on the train, tomorrow morning. Will it be well enough with you if I were to stay with you tonight? Harold and I shall book a room in a hotel for tomorrow and thereafter. Agreed?"
Joan had to steady herself. She had almost began to speak to Ann several times before she finally could form the right words. "I thought that Ben had abandoned his legacy when he refused the chairmanship of his father's company. How has this come about?" She sounded almost alarmed.
Ann grinned and explained that Harold had taken over Evans' enterprises when he went into Cardiff, to make the final payment on the loan Ben had made to him. Jonathan was bedridden, deeply regretted his treatment of Ben two years before, when they left to go to America, and left the whole lot to Harold. "Harold found the papers on Ben's legacy and acquired the power of attorney sometime before Jonathan became ill. Oh, Joan. You didn't know. Ben's father was hospitalized, some time in June, this year. The doctor's aren't too sure that he will survive to the end of the year." Ann felt badly that she hadn't pressed Harold on the issue and had him write to inform her.
Joan sat down in the slush and cried. She finally said, through her tears, "Oh, Ann. That is the one thing that I have prayed about, Ben's legacy." She stood up, took her sister and her daughter in her arms, and cried some more.
"Now, now, little sister, mine. Everything has turned out alright, then. Hasn't it? Let's go inside and tell the children that you are no longer paupers, bound for starvation." Ann gave her niece to Joan, put her arm over her shoulder, and took her sister by the arm. They walked slowly into the cabin and shut the door.
Jimmy and Gemma had been inside, all the while. Gemma had built a fire and Jimmy had done his best to try to find something for the women to eat.
Ann walked Joan into the bedroom and they sat onto the bed. No sooner had she done this, when Jimmy came in with two pieces of bread and jam, one in each hand.
"Joan dear, I think that your son has outdone himself. He's brought us bread and jam." Ann said, and took one of them from the proud little boy.
Joan anxiously looked at him and then smiled, pleased to see that he hadn't made a mess, again. She kissed him on the cheek and said, "What a treat, Jimmy. Thank you".
The young boy turned and walked out of the room. As he did this, he said, "You're welcome, mommy. You, too, lady".
Joan was very embarrassed. She started up to bring Jimmy back to make amends. Ann held her by the arm and said, "It's no use forcing an introduction on him. He will learn, for himself, soon enough".
Joan sat back onto the bed and sunk her face into Ann's shoulder.
Ann didn't say a word. She put her hand on Joan's head and stroked her hair gently.
The door had been open to the front room and Gemma had heard about half of what had been said. Despite the open door, Gemma felt that her mother needed some privacy.
She took out one of Jimmy's favorite books from the shelf, sat in the large overstuffed chair, opened it to an illustration, and began to read to her brother who sat next to her on the floor. Jimmy looked up to her only when she held the book for him to see the picture.
The children sat with their backs toward Ann and Joan. When Gemma asked Jimmy if he wanted to learn to read, the two women had to stop themselves from laughing at Jimmy, when he shook his head so incessantly that he lost his balance from equilibrium depravity and bumped his head on the side of the chair. Jimmy heard them, trying not to laugh and turned himself and said, "It didn't hurt. I just bumped on the pillow thingy".
Joan took her sister's hand and led her into the front room and they both sat on Gemma's bed, listening to Gemma reading aloud. When Gemma reached the end of the story of the lazy grasshopper and the industrious ant, Joan told Jimmy that when the ant felt that the grasshopper had learned his lesson, the ant shared a little food with the grasshopper so that he wouldn't starve. "Like some of the kind people, here in Mancos, have shared their food with us. So, that we wouldn't have to starve." Joan wanted Jimmy to learn from the good example which had been set for him by the people there. But, Jimmy was even more aware than she had known. "And, the people from Webber, too. They shared their food with us, too. Huh?"
"They sure did, Jimmy." Gemma was glad that her little brother had noticed such a thing as people's generous kindness, and the like.
"She is not an ant. She is a beautiful lady. Almost as beautiful you are, mommy." Jimmy said and stared at his mother, defiantly.
Gemma explained the difference between an aunt and an ant, to Jimmy." And, you're aunt Ann is mommy's sister." Jimmy just shook his head, looking at the floor.
This brought the sullen mood of serious news to a halt. At this point, Joan didn't know whether to continue, reprimand Jimmy, or laugh, either one.
Ann, sensing Joan's precarious indecision, continued the dialogue with, "I couldn't quite hear that, Jimmy. Kindly repeat what it was that you've just said".
"You're beautiful, Ann. Now, may I go on?" Joan was amused, but not that amused.
"Please, do continue, mother." Gemma sat with anticipation. Her hands were clasped together on top of the book.
"Thank you, dear. Your grandfather Evans has left your father a legacy of money that your uncle Harold has seen to in Durango, today. He should arrive on the train, tomorrow morning." "There is some property in Wales, too, Joan. A certain street in Pontypridd. You will receive rents from eight different businesses and three or four residences. Harold has said that it should amount to almost seventy-five pounds per month. You are set, Joan.
"Harold tells me that he will manage the properties and subtract a suitable amount for his fee, maintenance, and upkeep, every month." Ann paused to judge Joan's reaction. "You own four blocks in the main business district." She turned to Gemma. "Do you have any questions, Gemma?"
"No. I'm just happy that mother won't have to work. She has been worried sick about how to feed and clothe Jimmy and me. I don't know what she..."
Joan was suddenly struck with a thought about rich people and their children. "I wouldn't be too sure if I'm not going to be working, Gemma. Your father had a dream of making a success of a business here in western Colorado, and I plan to see it through. Ann, how much money, did Harold say, that it would be, the legacy?"
Needless to say, Gemma didn't like the sound of this and Ann didn't seem to, either. But, she knew better than to try to straighten out her younger sister, least of all, in front of her niece and nephew. "He wasn't eager to disclose that amount to me on the ship, nor has he, at any time, told me of any particular amount. Is that important to you now, Joan?"
"No. But, if you knew just how much it is, I could begin to make some plans, without counting my chickens before they are hatched, so to speak." Joan knew that she must appear to Ann as somewhat smug.
But, it was important to her to remember some of the things upon which she and her late husband had agreed, when first they were married. And, Joan had not merely idyllically agreed. They both felt that people who didn't teach their children the joy and benefits of good, honest work, were being nothing more than foolish. Joan wanted very much to carry on hers and her late husbands interests.
Joan reached into the fireplace with the hook and pulled out the dutch oven. They had pot roast, potatoes, and carrots. She made some really good gravy from the drippings and corn starch. Jimmy wasn't very hungry, so Gemma had to make him a sandwich with some slices of the roast and the bread that Joan had baked, early the day before.
All the time that they were eating, Joan thought what a blessing that it would be, to be able to buy a new wood stove so that she would no longer have to bake bread in that heavy metal box she'd had to put into the fireplace on hot coals that she would have to work almost all morning to prepare. When she'd have to build up some more heat, smoke would fill the cabin, even with both doors opened and Jenny had to be shut into her bedroom until the smoke cleared. But, the fresh bread always seemed worth the trouble.
Ann was absolutely famished. She hadn't eaten anything at all, since before she and her husband had arrived in Durango, when they had a late breakfast on the train. Even then, she had not been able to eat very much, anticipating her reunion with the sister she hadn't seen for nearly three years.
As they finished their meal and Joan began to help Gemma with the dishes, Ann asked for more potatoes and gravy. "Mmm. I've never had such good gravy in all my life." She took another bite and swallowed, hardly taking time to chew. "Oh, where did you learn to make this heavenly gravy?"
Gemma looked up at her mother, smiled, and said, "She told me that it's her mother's recipe which her big sister has refined throughout the years and taught to her".
Ann just swallowed and blushed. She finally shook her head and said, "Ah,... Yes, of course. I should have known that she would have further improved upon it."
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