The Sleigh Maker

by Candace Sams

  “There, there, dear,” Mrs. C patted Pru on her shoulder. “I shouldn’t be so quick to blame. It happened…it’s over. We’ll talk about it later. Right now, let me see what I can get out of the doctors. How long have you been here?” she quickly asked.

  “About an hour.” Pru took another deep breath and riveted her gaze on the door to Gavin’s room before speaking. “He lost a lot of blood. It took time to get back,” she murmured. “It-it didn’t seem prudent to signal for help and then wait for it to arrive. I believe I made the right decision, Mrs. C. And I wanted to stay with him once we got here, but they…they wouldn’t let me in his room.”

  Clarinda patted her on the shoulder again. “We’ll soon get this sorted, Prudence. Stay put. I’ll see what’s what. They won’t deny me entrance to Gavin’s room,” she declared.

  Pru watched as Mrs. Claus marched toward the emergency room, pushed open the door, and walked in without so much as a by-your-leave. As the door swung on its hinges, she caught a glimpse of white uniforms hovering around a body on a stretcher. After that, all she could do was chew on her lower lip and pace back and forth. It seemed like minutes turned to hours as she waited. Finally, Mrs. Claus opened the door and motioned her forward.

  Pru rushed to her. “He’s all right, isn’t he?”

  Clarinda nodded. “He’s talking a little but isn’t very coherent. The doctors hooked him to an IV. His wound has been cleaned, stitched and a new bandage had been applied.” She paused. “He wants to see you.”

  “H-he does?”

  Clarinda smiled and nodded.

  Without waiting for another invitation, Pru dodged around Mrs. Claus’s ample form, then wove around the various infirmary staff that were still in the room. When she got to Gavin, he was paper white. The light in the room was very bright and made his pallor seem worse. A white blanket covered his body, but his left hand was on his chest, gripping the leather cord on which her engagement ring hung.

  She reached out and touched his cheek. “Gavin, can you hear me?”

  He opened his eyes and stared at her.

  She swallowed hard and asked, “How’re you feeling?”

  “W-wanted to take it…wouldn’t let them,” he croaked.

  Pru shook her head in confusion. “Take what?”

  “The ring,” Clarinda replied from behind Pru. “They tried to cut it off his neck and he went thermonuclear,” she explained and then quickly asked, “Is it really yours?”

  Pru ignored Mrs. C’s question and put all her attention on Gavin. She leaned forward so he could see her better. “Gavin, I’m so sorry. This never should have happened. Forgive me?”

  “No.”

  Taken aback, Pru removed her hands from his body.

  Clarinda stepped forward and spoke softly. “I don’t think he knows what you said, Pru. Tell him again,” she urged.

  Pru licked her suddenly dry lips, fought back a wash of tears, and tried again. “Gavin…I said I was sorry.”

  “No…n-not your fault. Mine,” he blathered. “I-I should have been able to fight the effect. I should have been stronger.”

  Pru stared down at him and shook her head in confusion. “Have they given him drugs? He’s not making sense.”

  The doctor chimed in from across the room. “He’s been given a shot to calm him down. A man his size could do quite a lot of damage.” At Pru’s look of shock, he continued. “The guards were having a rough time with him. We were afraid he’d do one of us or himself a worse injury, so I shot him full of sedatives,” the doctor clarified.

  “Gavin fought the staff when they tried to take that ring away from him,” Clarinda offered as a final explanation for what the doctor was saying. “It’s against the rules for patients to wear any kind of chain or cord around their necks.”

  Pru took a deep breath and expelled it slowly. Like her, the doctor and the staff present were all Elves and much smaller than Gavin. She couldn’t imagine why keeping her old ring would make such a difference that sedation had been necessary. “He must be out of his head from the loss of blood,” she offered in Gavin’s defense.

  Clarinda stroked her chin with the fingers of her right hand. “I think there’s something on his mind.” She paused and stared at Pru. “It is yours isn’t it?”

  “What?” Pru blurted while still staring at Gavin.

  “The ring, girl! It’s yours, isn’t it?” Clarinda insisted.

  “Yes. It used to be mine. I…I gave it back to Gavin when we broke up,” she told the older woman, refusing to be drawn into inappropriate gossip about an old story that was no one’s business.

  Clarinda turned Pru toward her and made the girl listen to her next question. “What effect was he talking about? What makes him think he should have been stronger, Prudence?”

  Pru shrugged and dragged her hands through her hair, causing her peaked cap to fall off. “I don’t know. I don’t know what the hell he’s talking about.”

  The doctor walked forward and checked Gavin’s blood pressure again. As he did so, he offered another explanation. “Sometimes shock victims will say all kinds of things that aren’t relevant to the present situation. He’s probably reliving something, or he could be confused.”

  Pru glanced at Mrs. Claus. “That’s it. He’s still trying to apologize about what he did years ago.”

  Clarinda arched one brow. “You’d never listen to him then. Will you hear him now?”

  “There’s nothing to hear. I was supposed to have dinner with him and caught him with a couple of Snow Fairies in his apartment. Everyone knows about it and I don’t really feel like putting irrelevant garbage out on the curb tonight. We’ve all been through enough,” Pru said in frustration

  “Didn’t w-want them.” Gavin brokenly called from his bed while simultaneously reaching for Pru. “I…I lied to you.”

  The doctor held up his hand. “That’s enough, I’ll have to give him something stronger and ask the both of you to leave. He’s lost a great deal of blood and needs to rest. Please, Mrs. Claus, take Miss Berry out into the waiting room. Gavin will be all right, but I must insist that he’s left alone for the time being. As long as the two of you are here, he’ll resist the sedatives.”

  Clarinda pushed Pru through the door, into the hallway and down onto the closest chair. Then, she settled her sizable frame next to the Elf. “Prudence…I want you to tell me exactly what happened the night you walked in on Gavin and those Fairies.”

  “Mrs. C, I don’t see how that’s going to help matters. Whatever Gavin did or didn’t do, it’s over. I can’t trust him. He didn’t love me or want our relationship enough to keep his hands off other women. That’s the bottom line and that’s all I’m going to say.”

  “Hmmm.”

  “What?” Pru prompted, wondering what the older woman was thinking and why there was such a quizzical look on Mrs. C’s face. Indeed, the older woman had one of her famous, interfering expressions forming on her round countenance even as Pru watched. In defense, Pru pasted on her own don’t-you-dare-ask expression. What happened way back then had nothing to do with this night’s mishaps.

  “Prudence Berry, if you don’t want to talk to me, I understand. But maybe there’re some people you should talk to. They were directly involved in the demise of your relationship, and I insist you speak with them. I think there’s more to Gavin’s side of the story,” Clarinda strongly advised. “If you want to walk away from him after that, no one will stand in your way. But I’m inclined to give him the benefit of the doubt. After all, he’s lying on an infirmary bed, injured and drugged. He’s implying something isn’t right.” She pointedly stared at Pru. “Why don’t you investigate what he’s trying to say?”

  “I think he’s referring to his sneaking around on me. He lied about all the sex he was having with those damned Fairies when I wasn’t around,” Pru angrily relayed. “That’s the lie he probably means. Even now he doesn’t deny any of his…affairs…for want of a better word.”

  “May
be,” Clarinda relented. “But I want you to go speak with them and get the details.”

  Pru gasped. “Mrs. C…I don’t mean to be rude but that was seven years ago and this isn’t anybody else’s―”

  Clarinda held up one hand to silence her. “Pru, a man doesn’t keep a woman’s engagement ring hanging around his neck for years…not without a very good reason,” she swiftly countered. “Your ring means something to him. You didn’t see him come up off that stretcher like I did,” Clarinda explained with a decided shake of her head. “The way I see it…Gavin feels that your ring is very precious. Why do you think he’d cherish it so?”

  Pru sighed, dragged one hand across her face, and shook her head. “I don’t know. I have no idea and I’m not sure I care any more. It was a long time ago.”

  “If you go talk to the Fairies and come back with that same attitude, I’ll leave it alone. But do as I command,” Clarinda insisted.

  “Right now? Right this minute?” Pru squeaked.

  Clarinda patted Pru’s hand. “Certainly not this very instant…you can get some sleep first. I’ll have the doctor call me if there’s any change in Gavin’s condition. Just do this one thing for me,” Clarinda pleaded. “I hated to see you break up. I want to know the exact reason why. That’s the prerogative of my position and I don’t think you’ve ever had the facts. Not all of them at least.”

  Pru nodded, stood, and pushed her hair back. “I’ll do as you say, but it won’t change anything. Gavin gave up on us. He gave up on me. I can’t forgive him.” She crossed her arms over her chest, blinked back tears and tried to shut out immensely painful memories from years ago. She stood and left, more tired than she’d ever felt in her entire life.

  Clarinda watched her walk out of the infirmary. As soon as Pru was gone, she lifted a hand and caught the attention of a young orderly. “Put a call through to Queen Excelsior for me. Transfer it to the waiting room.”

  The orderly nodded and hurried off to do as Mrs. Claus commanded.

  “We’ll see what the Queen of the Snow Fairies has to say,” Clarinda asserted.

  Chapter Twelve

  Pru only managed to get a few hours of sleep, and that was disturbed by dreams of Gavin. The last of her dreams turned into a nightmare where she was standing on a snow-covered lane with trees on either side. Gavin was standing in front of her and there was a heartrending look on his handsome face.

  He simply said goodbye, walked away, and vanished before her eyes. She cried out for him to come back, but when she ran forward to find him, all she saw was a trail of blood that abruptly ended. The scene jolted her awake with such force that she hurriedly dressed and ran all the way to the infirmary.

  It was Christmas Day and all the Elves, Imps, Fairies, and other occupants of the Pole were taking a much needed break to be with their families. She’d be with her own right now but for the events of the previous night.

  As she hurried through the infirmary door, Pru saw doctors standing outside the room Gavin occupied the night before. In their midst, Mrs. Claus stood with her husband, Santa. Stopping to look over the scene and their sad faces, she took a deep breath and swallowed hard. If Gavin was dead…no, that wasn’t the case. Mrs. Claus would have certainly called her if he’d taken a turn for the worse. And Gavin’s family wasn’t present. If they hadn’t been rushed to his side from their northern home, then Gavin was okay.

  She quickly strode forward. “How is he?”

  “Ah, there you are dear. I would have called, but I know how tired you were.”

  “How is Gavin?” Pru repeated and again perused the faces of those present.

  Clarinda took her aside and walked with her down the hall.

  Pru couldn’t see. Tears were now blinding her, convinced the news must be far worse than she’d allowed herself to believe.

  “There, there,” Clarinda comforted and hugged her close. “Gavin’s sleeping. He’s running a fever, and the doctors are consulting. His family has been notified and should be here soon.”

  “Can I see him?” Pru sobbed.

  “I think it’s best that you don’t. Not right now. In fact…it might be a good idea if you went to the Snow Fairy village and spoke with Queen Excelsior. She and I had a very informative kibitz concerning your break-up with Gavin,” Clarinda said as she pushed Pru’s hair off her face. “By the time you get back, I’m sure he’ll be ready for visitors.”

  “Why would the Queen be interested in my business?” Pru caustically asked. “Besides, I don’t want to leave Gavin.” She gazed back toward the room where Gavin lay.

  Clarinda cupped Pru’s cheeks in her palms. “You still care about him, don’t you?”

  “That was never the problem. Gavin’s cheating was.”

  “Did he cheat? Really?”

  “What?” Pru stared up at the formidable woman. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “Go see the Queen, dear. Excelsior will be waiting for you at her castle.”

  Pru gazed at Mrs. Claus for a long moment. An idea crept into her mind that wasn’t altogether kindly where the Snow Fairies were concerned. Not that her thoughts about those icy hussies had ever been gracious to begin with. “This is about the night that I caught Gavin with those…women.”

  Clarinda faced Pru squarely, stared straight into her eyes. “Go to the source, dear. You never confronted them and it seems to me it’s long overdue.”

  Strangely feeling the need for vindication, Pru firmly nodded. For some odd reason, Mrs. C’s words rang true. Even though she’d wanted to dismiss the subject the night before, things were somehow different today. She was ready to tackle a subject that had long been avoided.

  “I think you’re right after all, Mrs. C. I never did tell those strumpets what I thought of ‘em.” She turned and stormed out of the infirmary. There were now doubts in her mind. What she’d seen that night in Gavin’s apartment might not have been the whole truth.

  Why Gavin hadn’t told her was easy enough to figure out. She’d simply taken her ring off, thrown it at him, and stormed away. He’d tried to write, call, and send email but she’d torn up unread letters, turned her answering machine off, and blocked his messages from her computer. To make sure there’d be no accidental meetings, she’d moved far away and was only in the vicinity of Elf Town during the height of the Christmas season. Eventually, he’d stopped trying to contact her. Her own family had told him to leave her alone at her request.

  With every step she took, her anger grew. Gavin still had some things for which to answer, but there were others involved and they’d never explained themselves or even offered an apology. She picked up her pace.

  ****

  After entering that section of the Pole known as the Fairy Village and finding the streets as deserted as they’d been in Elf Town, Pru stalked right up to the sparkling white castle where the Queen of the Snow Fairies resided. She lifted her hand and pounded on the arched, sparkly blue door. A moment later, a servant cracked open the massive door.

  “I’m sorry, Queen Excelsior isn’t receiving…oh…I beg your pardon. Her Highness told me to expect you Lady Prudence. Do come in,” the servant acquiesced.

  Pru waited for the pretentious, rotund Fairy to move out of her way, then she strode purposely into the castle. “Where’s the Queen?”

  “Please milady…this way,” the servant bowed and gestured toward a long hallway to their left.

  Pru followed, waving off the man’s attempt to take her cloak. She had no intention of staying one second longer than she had to. While she had no quarrel with the Queen herself, some of that lady’s minions were nothing more than glittered-up strumpets who needed to have their wings clipped and their legs zipped together at the knees.

  “I’ll inform her Highness that you’ve arrived,” the servant told her as he lifted his nose in the air and strolled away.

  Pru was left standing there, ignoring the gleaming lavender floors, the crystalline walls and the icy looking white throne upon which Qu
een Excelsior usually sat.

  While that great lady controlled the Fairies, Excelsior had no control over the Elves or other denizens of the Pole. That kind of power was reserved for Santa and Mrs. Claus. There was no doubt in Pru’s mind that Mrs. C’s authority was how she’d gained access to Excelsior on this chilly Christmas morning.

  Because of the subject matter that led her into the Queen’s domain, Pru wasn’t inclined to be as tactful or present the etiquette the situation demanded. All she wanted was information concerning the night Gavin was caught with those damned Snow Fairies―Aurora and Borealis.

  She began to pace, trying to control her anger. Finally, muted steps echoed throughout the arched hallways outside the room. Pru turned to greet the Queen and affected a slight bow.

  “Ah, I was wondering when you’d get here,” Excelsior admitted. “Clarinda has told me so much about you.”

  Pru tried not to gawk at the striking figure before her. From a distance, she’d seen the Snow Fairy Queen when affairs of state required the woman to make public appearances. But the royal woman’s magnificent presence never ceased to mesmerize.

  Tall, sporting long white hair that glowed with the light of thousands of ice crystals, Excelsior bore a high crown of sparkling white gems on her head. The Queen gracefully glided into the throne room like an early winter snowflake. Even her gown of ice blue reminded Pru that she was in the presence of a very magical creature. As powerful as the queen was, however, that fact didn’t alter or diminish Pru’s suspicious ire. Still, she tried to maintain a modicum of cautious behavior.

  “Forgive my intrusion during Christmas, Your Highness. Mrs. Claus instructed me to speak with you on a matter of…personal importance.”

  Excelsior sat on the throne and looked the younger woman over carefully. “Yes, your visit has to do with Gavin.” She regally situated her gown around her body before continuing. “You’re very lovely. I can’t understand why Gavin would ever sexually engage any of my women,” she prevaricated.

  Pru silently counted to ten before saying anything. “Forgive me for saying so, Your Highness, but can’t you?”