The Princess Club / Family Secrets / Mountain Madness

by Catherine Marshall

  Four

  You really don’t have to come with me,” Christy said as she and the doctor made their way along the path toward the Washingtons’ property a short time later. “I’m sure Bob went straight home.”

  “Maybe,” the doctor said darkly, “but you can be equally sure that’s not the end of things. He’s going to make trouble. And if he doesn’t, someone else will.”

  “The look on his face . . .” Christy shuddered. “Where do people learn that kind of hate? These mountains are so beautiful, it’s hard to understand that kind of hate here.”

  Doctor MacNeill held back a low-hanging oak branch so Christy could pass. “You’ve been in these mountains long enough to know the answer to that, Christy. They learn it from their families and their friends. Look at the feuds still burning in these hills. It’s the same with prejudice like Bob’s. It festers, like an old wound. Hate can grow in anyone’s heart.”

  “Unless God is allowed to remove it,” Christy added.

  Up ahead, a sunny clearing came into view. In the center was a small, rundown cabin. The musical voices of children floated on the breeze. Two spotted hound dogs ran to greet Christy and the doctor, yelping happily.

  “Pa!” a young girl in blue overalls cried. “Someone’s comin’!”

  A tall, thin man ran out from behind the house. In his hands was a shotgun.

  “It’s Neil MacNeill, Curtis!” the doctor called.

  Instantly the man lowered his gun and broke into a smile. “Doctor! Thank goodness it’s you. Good to see you again.” He ran down the path and shook the doctor’s hand.

  “This is Miss Christy Huddleston, Curtis,” Doctor MacNeill said. “She’s the teacher over at the mission school.”

  “Please, you must excuse my manners, Miz Huddleston,” Curtis apologized. “The gun, I mean. We’re feelin’ a little, well . . . nervous today.”

  “Problems?” the doctor asked.

  “You tell me. Come on, I’ll show you.”

  Curtis led them toward the house. “Children!” he called. “Come meet your new teacher. Margaret, we got ourselves some company!”

  A pretty woman wearing a white apron emerged from the cabin. She smiled shyly.

  “This is my wife, Margaret,” Curtis said. “Margaret, you remember Doctor MacNeill. And this here’s Miz Christy Huddleston, the mission teacher.”

  “It’s an honor to have you visitin’,” Margaret said. “I’m afraid we’re just gettin’ settled in. I wish I’d known you were comin’. I could have fixed up some o’ my cornbread for you and the doctor.”

  “Don’t be silly,” Christy said. “We just wanted to say hello and meet the children.”

  Three barefoot children gathered in front of Christy with nervous smiles. “This here’s Louise,” Curtis said. “She’s fifteen. John is ten. And Hannah just turned eight last week.”

  “Etta’s in the cradle inside,” Margaret added.

  “And this here’s Violet,” Hannah said, pulling a small brown field mouse from her pocket. “I rescued her from an owl. She lost one foot, but I fixed her up good as new.”

  “Hannah’s got a way with animals,” Margaret said.

  “All the children’s been to school some,” Curtis added proudly. “Louise could practically read better ’n her own teacher.”

  “Wonderful!” Christy exclaimed. “Most of the children at the mission school haven’t had much schooling. There are so many of them that I often ask the better students to help out. It’ll be wonderful to have you there, Louise.”

  “Do you have a library?” Louise asked hopefully.

  “Unfortunately, no. Our school just manages to scrape by on donations. But we do the best we can.” Christy smiled. “And if you want more practice reading, we have a Bible reading every week at the mission. Maybe you and your mother would like to come.”

  “We’d be right honored,” Margaret said.

  Just then, a branch snapped in the woods. Curtis spun around, gun raised, searching the trees.

  “It’s nothin’, Curtis,” Margaret said gently. She sighed. “He’ll put himself in an early grave, fussin’ and worryin’ himself this way.”

  “Curtis,” the doctor asked, “what was it you were going to show me?”

  “I was fixin’ to bury it when you all showed up,” Curtis replied. “Follow me.”

  He led them to the back of the house and pointed. On the ground near a half-dug hole lay a dead skunk. Its stomach had been slit open. White maggots squirmed over the gaping wound. The stench was horrendous.

  “That,” Curtis said, “was waitin’ for us on our porch this mornin’. Nice welcomin’ present, don’t you think?”

  “Poor ol’ skunk,” muttered Hannah.

  “Poor ol’ us, you mean,” said John. “That skunk’s a warnin’. It’s sayin’ ‘get lost.’” He crossed his arms over his chest. “Told you we shoulda stayed put. At least back home we knowed who our enemies was.”

  Margaret patted John’s head. “Your pa wanted to get ’way from the city, John. Try his hand at farmin’.”

  “There’s better farm land all over the place. It’s too hilly here.”

  “Come on, everyone.” Curtis gestured toward the front yard. “I’ll take care of this later.”

  “Where did you move here from, Curtis?” Christy asked as they settled on the front porch of the cabin.

  “Virginia. Fredericksburg, to be exact. Nice enough place, but it had its share of skunks, too, if’n you know what I mean.”

  “And what brought you to Cutter Gap, if you don’t mind my asking?”

  “Long story,” Curtis said, smiling.

  “My great-grandpa’s why,” Hannah volunteered. “Tell her, Pa.”

  “My grandpa, William, passed through these parts a long, long time ago,” Curtis said. “Five years before the Civil War, in fact. He was a slave who escaped from a plantation in Alabama. Made it all the way to Philadelphia, safe and sound, with some help. He always had a kind word to say about some folks in Cutter Gap, Tennessee— how they took him in and did right by him. How the mountains made you feel like the Lord was your next-door neighbor.” He paused, staring off at the green peaks capped by golden sunlight. “So when we was lookin’ to move on, this place came into my head. It was like my grandpa was tellin’ me where to go.”

  “And once Curtis gets an idea in his head, you watch out!” Margaret said, laughing.

  “I wanted to get away from the city, find me some land. And I liked the idea of bein’ so plumb high that heaven’s just that much closer, if’n I needed to do some talkin’.” He laughed. “Anyways, a friend of mine knew a man who traveled to El Pano regular. And that man knew Ben Pentland, the mailman.”

  “And Ben knew I’d been thinking of selling part of my land to help buy some more medical supplies,” the doctor finished.

  “Well, we’re awfully glad to have you here,” Christy said.

  John kicked at a rock angrily. “You be the only ones.”

  “John,” Margaret said, “don’t you be rude to your new teacher.”

  “I’m afraid John’s right to be on guard,” the doctor said. “I just talked to Bob Allen, your neighbor on the west side. He runs the little mill on Blackberry Creek.” Doctor MacNeill gave a grim smile. “Let’s just say this is going to take Bob some time to get used to.”

  “Should we be . . . worried, Doctor?” Margaret asked.

  “I don’t know, to be honest. Most of the people here are good, Margaret. But they take a long time to warm up to strangers, and they don’t take kindly to new ideas. I’d be careful for a while. If you ever need anything, you know where to find me.”

  “And we’ll always be there for you at the mission,” Christy added.

  “That’s a start, anyway,” Curtis said.

  “Well, we should get going,” Christy said. “I hope to see you children in school soon!”

  “Thank you both for stoppin’ by,” Curtis said. “We’ll have you over proper-like
as soon as we get ourselves settled.”

  Christy and the doctor had just started down the path when they heard someone running after them.

  “Miz Teacher?”

  Christy turned to see Hannah rushing toward them. “What is it, Hannah?”

  “I was wonderin’ . . .” The little girl smiled shyly. She had huge, dark eyes fringed by long lashes. “I was wonderin’ if’n you have any eight-year-olds at your school.”

  “Why, we have lots!” Christy exclaimed.

  “Girls?”

  “Plenty of girls.”

  “You s’pose . . .”

  “Do I suppose what?”

  “You s’pose you got any eight-year-old girls who’d be needin’ a friend?” Hannah asked casually.

  “I’m sure we’ll find one for you,” Christy said gently.

  Hannah grinned. “I was hopin’ so!”

  Christy looked at Doctor MacNeill as Hannah ran off. “I just hope I’m right.”

  “So do I,” the doctor said, shaking his head.

  Five

  That evening, Christy joined Alice Henderson in the mission house parlor for a cup of tea.

  “You seem troubled, Christy,” Miss Alice said.

  “I can’t seem to stop thinking about the Washingtons,” Christy said. “I’m so worried the people here won’t accept them.”

  She looked at Miss Alice hopefully. Alice Henderson was a Quaker mission worker who’d helped to found the school. She was a lovely, dignified woman, generous, thoughtful, and strong. Many times since coming here, Christy had turned to Miss Alice for help in understanding the people of Cutter Gap. She always seemed to have an answer, and her answers always carried a message of hope. She was known throughout the mountain communities and highly respected by all.

  But tonight Miss Alice’s deep gray eyes were troubled. “I wish I could tell you that these people will come to accept the Washingtons. I wish I could tell you that when they read in their Bibles ‘Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself,’ they will take those words into their hearts and act on them.” She sipped at her tea. “But I don’t know if that will happen, Christy. It may take years. It may even take lifetimes.”

  “I’m worried about the children at school. They can be so cruel sometimes. And some of the older boys, like Lundy . . . they can be downright dangerous.”

  Miss Alice nodded. “I’ve heard some talk about parents who plan to keep their children out of school if the Washingtons come.”

  “I suppose all we can do is try to help the children see that we’re all really the same on the inside. In time, maybe they’ll come to understand that.”

  “I hope we can say the same of their parents,” said Miss Alice. “Sometimes it’s easier for children to see the truth of things.” She reached for the teapot. “More tea?”

  “No, thanks. I should be getting to bed before long.”

  “You’ve had a long day. Thank you for picking up that medicine from Doctor MacNeill.”

  “I didn’t mind.”

  “No,” Miss Alice said with a knowing smile, “I don’t suppose you did.”

  Christy went to the window. The stars glimmered over the dark trees like a thousand fireflies.

  “Miss Alice?” Christy said. “What would you say if somebody wanted you to pretend to be something you’re not?”

  Miss Alice gazed at Christy thoughtfully. “Would that somebody be a certain physician who shall, for our purposes, remain nameless?”

  Christy grinned. “Am I that transparent?”

  “As glass.”

  “Neil told one of his old school chums that he and I are engaged. Now that friend is getting married, and Neil wants me to go to the wedding.”

  “As his fiancée?”

  “As his rich fiancée who speaks four languages when she isn’t busy winning waltz championships with him.”

  Miss Alice laughed. She had a glorious laugh, like bells ringing, that always made Christy feel better about life. Instantly, Christy found herself laughing, too, so hard it brought tears to her eyes.

  “It is . . .” Christy gasped, “it is pretty ridiculous, when you think about it, isn’t it?”

  “Neil MacNeill!” Miss Alice said, chuckling. “The most down-to-earth, no-nonsense man I’ve ever met, caught up in a story that silly? Yes, I’d say it’s quite ridiculous.”

  Christy wiped her eyes. “I told him I simply couldn’t lie like that. What else could I have said?”

  Still smiling, Miss Alice considered for a moment. “Don’t worry, Christy. Neil is a reasonable man. If I know him as well as I think I do, he’ll come to his senses and see the error of his ways.”

  “I think he was feeling a little jealous of his friend. James has all the things Neil has had to sacrifice—money, a thriving practice, a nice home.”

  “That’s understandable. Jealousy is a perfectly human emotion. However, this little deception of Neil’s is . . . well, it’s going a bit too far.”

  “I’ll tell him I’ll go to the wedding, but only on the condition that he tell the truth,” Christy said.

  “It’s certainly easier than learning three new languages overnight,” Miss Alice said with a grin.

  David appeared in the doorway. “What on earth are you two giggling about?”

  “Men,” Christy replied.

  David raised his brows. “Oh? Anyone I know?”

  “Actually,” said Miss Alice, “he doesn’t sound a bit like anyone we know. But we’re hoping that will change.”

  Up in her bedroom, Christy climbed under her blanket with a sigh. She graded papers for a while. Then she pulled out her diary from her nightstand. She wanted to jot down the day’s events before she drifted off to sleep:

  I confronted two problems today. One, I think I can handle. Doctor MacNeill seems to be going through some doubts about his life here, but I’m sure he’ll come to see how much he belongs in Cutter Gap. He has to. If he were to leave, the Cove would suffer terribly without a doctor. And I have to admit that I would suffer, too.

  The other problem is very different. A new family has moved here, and it’s already clear they aren’t going to get a warm reception. Somehow, I have to find a way to help the Washingtons. Miss Alice says it will take time for them to be accepted, maybe years. But I’m determined to find a way to help them put down roots here. If I keep my eyes and my heart open, perhaps, God willing, I’ll see the way.

  Six

  Della May settled into her desk at school the next morning, carefully sneaking a peek at her brother Creed. He winked at her, then put a finger to his lips. She knew he’d hidden Scalawag in his desk. She also knew that if Miz Christy found out, she’d be mad as a skinned snake.

  On Miz Christy’s very first day of teaching, Creed had brought Scalawag to school. She’d made Creed promise not to bring the raccoon again, and Creed had kept his promise until today. It wasn’t like Creed had a choice. Scalawag had been acting plumb strange, moping and refusing to eat. He usually followed Creed around like a hound dog, but lately, he’d taken to slipping out of the Allens’ cabin at night, heading off to who knows where.

  This morning, when Scalawag wouldn’t even eat the fresh possum meat Creed had saved for him, Creed had decided the only thing to do was take the raccoon along to school, hidden in a burlap sack.

  There were six Allen children altogether, but Della May was the only one Creed had told about Scalawag. He knew he could trust her. They were almost like best friends, although Della May sometimes wished she had a real best friend. Brothers didn’t really count. She always had Wanda Beck and Mary O’Teale, but neither of them liked to read the way Della May did, or just sit quietly in the woods and watch the animals and birds come and go.

  Della May loved Creed, but sometimes he could be a bit of a troublemaker. She spent an awful lot of time pulling him out of one scrape or another. And she had a feeling today was going to be one of those days.

  If Miz Christy found out about Scalawag, she’d be hoppin
g mad. She might even tell their pa, and he’d been mad enough all on his own lately, fretting about the new folks down the road. Della May shuddered a little, just remembering how dark and mean his eyes had been yesterday.

  Truth was, a lot of pas and mas were fretting lately. Many of Della May’s schoolmates were missing today, on account of they heard the Washingtons were coming to school. Her own pa had wanted to keep the children home, but Creed and Della May had begged and pleaded until he’d covered his ears and said “Be off with you, then,” in a growly voice.

  Suddenly a hush fell over the room. Creed nudged her with his elbow.

  In the doorway stood Miz Christy, the preacher, and a woman Della May had never seen before. She was wearing a blue dress like Della May’s ma wore sometimes, tattered at the edges, but clean. She had a smile like Della May’s ma, too, the shy kind. But her skin was nothing like Della May had ever seen before. It was a warm brown acorn color.

  “Her skin . . .” Della may whispered to Creed, “it’s so purty.”

  Creed sent her a hush-your-mouth look, and Della May realized she must have said something very wrong.

  The ma stepped aside and some children came into the room. There were three of them, a girl and a boy, both older than Della May, and another girl, who looked to be just about eight. The older children had a proud look in their eyes, but the youngest girl just looked scared and hoping all at once.

  She met Della May’s eyes. Della May started to smile, then stopped herself. She knew for a fact that would be wrong. Her pa had taught her that much.

  “Pheww!” Lundy Taylor cried. “Somethin’s stinkin’ awful! Lordamercy, what is that smell?”

  Some of the children giggled. Miz Christy’s face turned hard as stone. The little girl moved closer to her ma. Della May wondered if the girl was going to cry.

  “That will be enough, Lundy,” the preacher scolded. Della May had never heard him sound so angry. “Quite enough.”

  “Children,” Christy said, “I’m very pleased to introduce you to some new students who’ll be joining us today. The Washingtons have just moved to a place between Doctor MacNeill’s cabin and the Allens’. This is Louise, who’s fifteen. John is ten. And Hannah is eight.”