Against All Odds

by Marian L. Jasper

  It was with much surprise that Felicity was found to be smiling at everyone and helping to pass food around and eventually clearing dishes. Ada was pleased and Mark was overjoyed. The colonel viewed it all with suspicion, as did many others.

  All the children went outside to play and they were joined by the men so that there was a vast cricket match going on in the main street. Rachel and Ellen were allowed to join in and the twins decided that they could make some contribution to the game. Gabriel eyed the twins with scepticism, they had the previous day decided that they were going to help him with his garden and he told Liza later that digging holes with spoons did not assist him greatly. Liza was not fooled by Gabriel’s gruffness with them as she often saw a smile on his face whenever he caught sight of them.

  Liza was extremely tired by the time everyone had left, they had all been very helpful and the house was neat and tidy. Zelma, Gabriel, Patrick and Liza put their feet up whilst the boys were having a final get together in their bedroom. Little Meg had been fed and was now sleeping soundly in her cradle.

  Gabriel was the first to say what was on everyone’s minds. “Don’t be fooled by that beguiling smile and an apparent helpfulness; I saw her face when she thought nobody was looking. You’ll have to watch yourself with her, Liza, her look was full of hate, and she also looked at Mark with contempt. In fact I believe she thinks that we are all beneath her. The colonel was very much on edge throughout the whole afternoon, and it was sad to see how pleased Ada was, thinking that her daughter was pleasing everyone.”

  They all nodded in agreement. “I’m very worried about Mark,” said Liza. “He’s saying all the same things that Edward said and that didn’t last.” Liza would say no more because she had never divulged what she had been told by the Fuller family and the colonel and Ada.

  “There are those who are two people,” said Zelma, “and I believe that she is one of them.”

  “You could well be right,” said Liza. She was now very tired and Gabriel called Si and they left and Zelma made sure that the boys were getting ready for bed; she then left for her home.

  “Of course you know that the colonel is arranging for Mark to transfer to Clarkson for a while. You suggested it, didn’t you?” said Patrick.

  “I suggested it to Ada and I presume she asked the colonel. They are both concerned about Mark; they know that his affection for Felicity is genuine, but she doesn’t feel the same, so they are trying to help Mark,” said Liza. “Does Mark yet know that he’s being transferred?”

  “No, the colonel hasn’t yet heard back from Clarkson and it’s not expected to happen for a couple of weeks or so. The colonel discussed it briefly with me, knowing that we are good friends of Mark. I had to admit to him that I also thought it was a good idea. Mark won’t be told yet,” said Patrick.

  “I think I’m going to have to lie down for a while, Patrick. I’ve had a lovely day, but I do feel very tired now. I’ll go and see that the boys are settled, can you bring Meg up please,” said Liza.

  Patrick smiled and nodded. Whilst Liza went to see that the boys were in bed, Patrick carried Meg up to the bedroom in her cradle placing her next to where Liza slept. For the moment he was sleeping in the spare bedroom but he had every expectation that he would be moving back in with Liza in the not too distant future.

  Liza was just going to lie on the bed for a while, but Patrick told her that she really needed her rest and to get into bed and he would stay with her until she went to sleep. “How are you now Liza? Have you healed and stopped bleeding yet?”

  “It has taken a while but I’m virtually clear now, Patrick. Why? I would like you back with me but I’m not quite ready for you yet, my Patrick. I hope it will be soon though,” said Liza.

  “I know you’ll want me as soon as you can, Liza. It’s very much in your nature to love me and let me love you. So I’ll banish myself to the spare bedroom for a while yet as it would be too difficult for me to sleep with you without wanting to ravish you,” said Patrick smiling and he put his arm around her as he lay on top of the covers until she was asleep. He then went downstairs and sat in the rocking chair and put his feet up comfortably all the while thinking how lucky he was to have his Liza, he certainly didn’t envy Mark.

  Over the next week or so Felicity and Mark became the talk of the town as they were seen on many occasions entering Laurie Cuzins’ house together, even when Laurie wasn’t there. It was common knowledge that Corporal Shaw frequently visited Laurie but this was creating a scandal especially when Mark could be seen leaving in the early hours of the morning with Felicity leaving a short while later.

  Patrick came home one evening with the news that, finally, Mark was going to be transferred to Fort Clarkson within the next couple of days and that the colonel and Ada were quite relieved. “Mark argued with the colonel and accused him of thinking that he was not good enough for his daughter. It didn’t go down too well with the colonel and he was put under arrest and confined to quarters until he leaves for Fort Clarkson. However, if Felicity is in the fort also it’s hardly going to be a punishment. I really feel sorry for him, but he’s broken the rules of propriety with Felicity and the colonel has to try to regain his daughter’s good name and stop all the gossip, if that’s at all possible.”

  “It really has got out of hand, but we have no room to criticise; we slept together before we were married,” said Liza.

  “Yes we did, and very nice it was too,” smiled Patrick. “The difference is that I loved you and wouldn’t get into your bed until you agreed to a lifelong commitment to me, as I did to you. Also, most of the people of this town and the fort manipulated our being together; they knew that it was right for us. The difference is that everyone knows that Mark and Felicity have no future.”

  The next day Mark visited Liza. “Mark, you are going to be in so much trouble coming here. You’re meant to be confined to quarters, aren’t you?”

  “I’m already in trouble, so it won’t make much difference, besides I wanted to see my goddaughter before I left for Fort Clarkson,” said Mark. “Also I wanted to ask you to try to persuade the colonel to let me stay here in Benson and not transfer me to Clarkson. Both Felicity and I will go through hell being apart and I want to marry her once her divorce is through.”

  “I wish I had that much influence over the colonel, but Mark, you must know that I can do nothing where military decisions are concerned. I will miss you, so will Patrick and the boys but if you can look at all this positively, when you return and you both feel the same way, then nobody can deny that you and Felicity should be together. It will be rather like a test of your affection for one another. When Patrick was away for some time I wrote to him virtually every day, even though some of the letters didn’t reach him. Many of my letters did and because of that Patrick knew that I thought of him every day. I know it’s not the same as seeing somebody but it does help,” said Liza.

  “I’ll suggest that to Felicity and I’m sure she will want to do that. Thank you, Liza; you always make me feel better,” said Mark.

  “You also have to appreciate that the colonel and Ada are desperate to safeguard Felicity’s reputation, and you have flouted the rules of propriety somewhat. Not that it’s any of my business; it’s up to you what you get up to,” said Liza.

  “I feel that we would have been married by now if it wasn’t for the fact that her divorce hasn’t yet been finalised, so I believe strongly that we are as good as married and committed to one another,” said Mark. “I’d better try to get back to the fort without being seen now, if possible.”

  “Goodbye Mark, I wish you well on your journey and both Patrick and I will be looking forward to your return and so will the boys,” said Liza.

  Liza sadly watched him ride away knowing that he was deluding himself. She hoped that he could get back to the fort without getting into further trouble. It was such a shame that a good soldier like Mark was in the process of ruining the career and the rank that he had worked so hard t
o achieve.

  Chapter 11

  Because of Mark’s confinement to the fort both Sean and Patrick had extra duties and therefore Patrick would not be home until late. Liza and Zelma had eaten with the boys who eventually went to bed and were asleep very quickly. Liza felt the need to relax and Zelma helped her fill her bath before she left for her home. Meg had been fed and she was asleep in her cradle and Liza undressed and lay comfortably in the hot water. It was a warm evening but a hot bath helped to make the worries of the day disappear, especially after Mark’s visit.

  Liza was so relaxed that she nodded off for a short while and when she awoke it was with a start as she was suddenly aware that someone else was in the room. A feeling of panic swept over her but it soon left her as Patrick’s voice said, “You really should lock the doors when you decide to take all your clothes off, Liza, but I’ve enjoyed looking at you whilst you’ve been lying there. How are you now, Liza? Are you fully fit yet?”

  “I don’t know, Patrick, but I think so. I’m a little bit frightened,” said Liza.

  Patrick took off his jacket and boots and said, “Well, I’ll see if you feel all right if you’ll let me,” and he put his hand in the water and felt her gently. “You seem to feel the same as you were, but there’s really only one way to find out. I promise if I seem to be hurting you, I will stop immediately. Come on, Liza; let me help you out of the bath.”

  She started to stand up and he helped her and wrapped her in a towel, lifted her up and carried her through to the sitting room and laid her on the rug on the floor. He pulled his trousers and pants down and entered her so very gently. Gradually she started to relax as he slowly worked on her and it made her realise that she was more than ready for them to start their night time enjoyment again.

  “How do you feel now, my Liza? I trust I haven’t hurt you,” said Patrick when he had finished.

  Liza laughed, “I feel no worse than when we have played particularly robustly in the past. Thank you, Patrick.”

  “I think the time has come for me to move back into your bed,” said Patrick and seeing the look on Liza’s face, he carried on, “don’t worry, I won’t ravish you again tonight but I’ll enjoy feeling your body next to me, I’ve really missed that.”

  “Yes, me too,” said Liza.

  Patrick was hungry and a stew was ticking over on the stove which he enjoyed and all the while he smiled at Liza, “We’re going to have such a good time now, Liza. We no longer have any worries about you getting pregnant. I know that you would have liked to have given me another child, but I’m not concerned, in fact I’m pleased because I can love you and keep you safe and healthy at the same time.”

  Liza then told him about Mark’s visit and Patrick just shook his head and said, “Yes, unfortunately he got caught and he’s in prison until he gets escorted to Fort Clarkson.”

  “I hope he can redeem himself in the eyes of the colonel and Captain Graves when he returns,” said Liza.

  “They both know who is really to blame for his problems, which is why they have really been quite lenient with him. We’ve all tried to make him see sense but I’m afraid he’s hopelessly in love and can’t see further than his nose, or should I say some other part of his anatomy,” said Patrick.

  “He asked me to try to persuade the colonel to stop his transfer to Fort Clarkson, but I told him that I had no powers to interfere in military matters. The boys are going to miss him,” said Liza. “When does he leave for Clarkson?”

  “The day after tomorrow, I believe. I don’t know if they are going to trust him to ride; or they may make him travel by wagon with a guard,” said Patrick.

  “That would be so demeaning; surely they wouldn’t do that to him. Do you think it would be right for me to visit him before he leaves, or would he be embarrassed if I were to see him behind bars?” said Liza.

  “I think he’d like to see you, Liza and I know that you’ll see the colonel and see what you can do to persuade him to let Mark travel under his own steam and not with an armed guard,” said Patrick.

  “Do you know if Felicity has visited him?” asked Liza.

  “She hadn’t up until the time I left,” said Patrick. “I don’t think she will either, but of course Mark will make excuses for that.”

  “I’ll go and see him tomorrow then and you’re right, I’ll see the colonel and Ada. I hope I don’t bump into Felicity. I just don’t want to be confronted by her at the moment,” said Liza.

  “How’s little Meg been today; she seems to be sleeping well at the moment,” said Patrick.

  “Both Zelma and I try to keep her well-fed and very clean so that she has no reason to cry and that seems to be working. I hope I don’t wake you tonight when I feed her and change her,” said Liza.

  “It doesn’t matter if you do, after all she’s my daughter also,” said Patrick.

  “I know but you have to work so hard at the moment. Is there going to be a replacement for Mark?” said Liza.

  “I believe so, hopefully on a temporary basis as I’d like to see Mark back soon,” said Patrick. They cleared up and Liza made Meg’s feed for the night and wrapped it in a towel to keep warm until it was needed and Patrick carried Meg in the cradle up to their bedroom.

  Patrick stirred that night when Liza fed and changed Meg, but they both found comfort in being in bed together as it felt as if they had been apart for much longer than the couple of months since the baby’s birth. Liza awoke as dawn was breaking and she turned to Patrick and nudged him. He was already awake and said to her, “Are you sure, Liza?” and she nodded. He noticed a slight intake of breath as he made love to her and offered to stop but she shook her head and at last they were back in their normal routine.

  They spent a short time in each other’s arms but Patrick had to get to work early. Meg was still sleeping soundly and Liza got some breakfast for Patrick and saw him on his way to the fort saying that she would probably see him there when she went to visit Mark and the colonel.

  When Meg woke up she was a little hot and her breathing was slightly laboured. The blue tinge had returned and Liza took her to see Tom.

  “She doesn’t seem too bad, Liza,” he said. “I’ve seen her worse, but you do know that this is going to happen quite regularly. It is quite a warm day and that probably isn’t helping with her breathing. I know you keep her as calm as possible and that seems to be working. She seems to have settled now, so I don’t think you’ve got a problem. How are you feeling now, Liza? You’re looking much better but putting on a little more weight would be a good idea. Do you eat regularly?” he asked.

  “Yes, Zelma makes sure of that. I think I’m getting fatter but I don’t want to put too much weight on,” said Liza and with relief, she returned home.

  The boys were at school and Liza hadn’t told them that Mark was going away, she would find the right time and tell them that it was only going to be for a short while.

  Zelma knew that Liza wanted to visit Mark. She knew that Mark was in trouble because of Felicity and she gave Liza the benefit of her thoughts on the subject, which Liza could only say that there was nothing they could do and that eventually it would work itself out, but she did need to see the colonel and Mark before he left the next day.

  As Liza drove to the fort, she couldn’t make up her mind whether to see Mark or the colonel first and decided that she would see Mark, then the colonel and if necessary see Mark again. Patrick was out on patrol and he wouldn’t be back until late afternoon. Liza saw Ben and asked him if she could see Mark and was he still locked away.

  “I can’t see that there would be any harm in you visiting him. I’ll take you over there but I’ll check with him first if you don’t mind,” said Ben.

  “Yes, I don’t want him to feel embarrassed,” said Liza but Ben came back saying that Mark would like to see her. She was shocked when she saw him. He wasn’t dressed in his lieutenant’s uniform, he had a non-ranking shirt and trousers on and was unshaven and looked as if a good wash wou
ldn’t go amiss.

  “What on earth has happened to you, Mark; where’s your proper uniform and don’t they allow you a razor here? Surely they don’t think you are going to do anything stupid with it, do they?” said Liza.

  “This seems to be what you are given when you are in prison. They may think that I’m stupid, but I certainly wouldn’t harm myself. I believe that I will be transported to Clarkson this way and Liza, I’ve been told that my transfer there is going to be permanent,” said Mark sadly.

  “I’ve told you that I can’t influence military decisions, but I most certainly can try to get some dignity back for you. How dare they treat you like this? Is this because you came to see me yesterday?” asked Liza.

  “I think that was the final straw in the colonel’s mind. I should not have left the fort as I was confined to quarters, but I know that it’s because they don’t think I’m good enough for Felicity and I’m sure they are stopping her from visiting me before I leave tomorrow,” said Mark.

  “I’ll be back later, Mark,” said Liza as she left to confront the colonel about the demeaning nature of Mark’s treatment.

  She marched across to the colonel’s office and Ben took one look at her face and said, “I think he’s free, I’ll just check for you, Liza.” He knew how Mark was being treated and he also thought that it was unnecessary.

  She was ushered into the colonel’s office and the colonel also saw that she was decidedly unhappy. “Colonel, we’ve known one another a while now and because of that I know that you are a great believer in allowing people to keep their dignity. Therefore, how have you let Lieutenant Kendal be kept in those appalling conditions without water to wash with and without the lieutenant’s uniform which he has always been so proud of? If you are worried that he will cut his throat with his razor then at least let a barber shave him and to tell him that he is going to be transported that way to Clarkson is inhumane?” said Liza.