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| The Journey Begins |
| Summary: The second story in the series. Clayton has found a place for his family to move to, so they pack up and leave to head for Providence. |
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| Clay was grinning broadly as he walked into the main dining room of the �North Star.� He glanced around and then caught of the waitresses by the arm. �Evelyn,� he said softly. �Where�s Mrs. Webb?� �She�s the kitchen, sir,� the young lady replied, pointing the way. Clay nodded his thanks and marched off toward the kitchen. He opened the door marginally, to make sure no one was behind it, before bounding in and calling, �Felicity!� Clay pulled up short and blushed slightly, when noticed his wife was deep in a discussion with her father. �Hello, Mr. Porter,� he said, nodding his head politely. �Hello, Clayton,� the older man replied. �I assume you have news?� Clay nodded slightly. Porter may like him and may have approved of the marriage, but the man was not at all pleased at the prospect of having his daughter taken so far away. Grinning broadly, Clay turned to his wife and held out the paper he had clutched in his hands. �Mr. Baxter agreed to sell us the hotel in Providence and Mr. Rabb assures me that he got us the best possible price on the building and the land,� Clay stated, handing her the paper. Felicity took the telegram and read it; then she turned to her father. �Sorry, Dad,� she said softly. �I�m afraid that you and Ma will just have to carry on without Clayton and me. If we want to get to Providence in the two weeks we�ve been allotted, we have to leave within the next day or so.� Porter sighed and hugged Felicity. �We�ll miss you,� he whispered, placing a kiss on her forehead. Clay nodded. �We�ll miss you too, Mr. Porter, but we won�t be too far away. You can always visit,� he said softly, silently hoping they wouldn�t take him up on the offer. Mrs. Porter tended to pester them about the smallest detail, even with things that were beyond anyone�s control. *** Clay set the last box in the wagon and turned to look at his wife. �Is that everything?� he asked uncertainly. When she started to nod, he smiled and asked, �Where are the children?� Felicity�s eyes grew wide for a moment and she replied, �They�re inside, with Ma.� Webb nodded and the couple went inside to retrieve their two children. �Clarity, Martin,� he called. �It�s time to go.� Clarity frowned and hugged her grandmother tightly for a moment. �Bye, Gammy,� she said sadly. �Oh, it�s alright, dear,� Mrs. Porter said, returning the embrace. �Your grandfather and I will visit you as soon as you are settled in Providence.� Clarity nodded and bounded over to her father. �Ready, Daddy,� she stated, taking his hand. Clay smiled and asked, �Do you have your dolly?� The girl looked thoughtful for a moment, then ran to retrieve the soft-stuffed doll from her grandmother�s lap. Clay smiled and picked up his son. �Say good-bye, Martin,� he prompted the two-year-old. �Bye!� the boy repeated. Mrs. Porter pulled Clayton and Martin into a rough embrace and kissed the boy on the cheek, before stepping back. �You take care,� she said quietly. �We�ll be fine,� Clayton assured her. Soon the little family was loaded into the wagon. Clayton was driving, while Felicity sat behind him entertaining the children. They rode on in relative silence for quite a ways, before Felicity peered up at Clay. �I can�t help thinking we�ve forgotten something,� she stated softly. Clay smiled and nodded. He always felt the same way when he�d prepared for long trips before he�d married Felicity. Cocking his head to one side, Clay silently went over the list of things they�d decided they needed. Suddenly, he smiled and turned to his wife. �I know what we forgot,� he said softly, as he reigned in to stop the wagon. �What?� Clay grinned and pulled his wife closer. �This,� he replied, taking her into a deep, passionate kiss. Sitting back, he said, �I love you, Felicity. Thanks for doing this.� Felicity smiled and nodded. �I love you too, Clayton,� she breathed. Glancing back, she saw that the children had already fallen asleep. Felicity climbed over the seat and leaned on her husband�s arm. They didn�t know what they�d face on the road to Providence, but they knew they would face it together. End |
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