First, I want to thank my beta reader, Lis. She has been an invaluable help to me in so many ways that I won’t even attempt to enumerate them. Most of all, I thank her for her encouragement and support in finishing the Adam in the Outback series.

Some of the characters and events mentioned in this story are from the Bonanza sequel, The Return. However, I moved the date up to 1908 so my A.C. would have been in college two years. I have grave doubts about Hoss fathering a child out of wedlock, but using the character of Josh in this story gave Adam someone he could talk with about Hoss. I don’t intend to cast any slurs on Hoss, who was my favorite character after Adam.

For this final story I want to remind everyone that the characters of Adam, A.C., Benj, Sarah, Josh, Bronc, Buckshot and Jacob are not my creations and I intend no copyright infringement by making use of them.

The Best Is Yet To Be
By Deborah Grant
2009

Grow old along with me!
The best is yet to be,
The last of life, for which the first was made:
Our times are in His hand
Who saith "A whole I planned,
Youth shows but half; trust God: see all, nor be afraid!''
Robert Browning, "Rabbi Ben Ezra"

Chapter 1
Adam Stoddard Cartwright, Jr., better known to his family and friends as A.C., got off the train in the dusty mining town of Cloncurry, Queensland, battered valise in hand. The train station was new. When he’d left Cloncurry two years ago to attend the Sydney Technical College, he’d had to travel by stage to Townsville and from there by train to Sydney. It was a hot day for May, felt more like January, and the air was so dry it seemed to suck all the moisture out of his skin. He’d gotten used to the temperate climate of Sydney and now he’d have to acclimate himself to the harsher one of Queensland’s outback. He thought about going to a pub for a beer, but decided he best get his unpleasant task over with first. After he talked with his dad, he’d really need the beer, or maybe something stronger.

As he strolled from the train station to his family’s home on the outskirts of town, jauntily whistling Waltzing Matilda, he marveled at how the town had grown in just two years. There were more businesses and more houses. Of course, he’d changed as well. He’d grown three inches taller and his shoulders and chest had broadened. He was taller than his dad by two inches now, and he had the same slim, long-legged build.

As he walked through the business district, he greeted a couple of his mates who worked in town rather than at the mines or cattle stations that were the backbone of Cloncurry’s economy. They were surprised to see him, but he promised to explain all that evening over a drink. As he approached his old home, which now was the home of his sister, Gwyneth, and her large family, he saw the house and picket fence had a fresh coat of white paint so they gleamed in the bright sunlight. Next door to the large, two-story house with the verandah that wrapped around three sides was a small bungalow. His dad had sent him a photograph and the floor plan, but A.C. hadn’t realized just how small the bungalow would be. He smiled because it seemed the perfect size for his diminutive mother, but it was harder to picture his tall father feeling at home in the little house. Since his parents weren’t on the verandah, he figured that they were probably in the library. He climbed the steps to the verandah and opened the front door.

The bungalow seemed so quiet. When A.C. was growing up with his four older sisters in the larger house, it had always been full of “sound and fury” as his mother put it. But Miranda had gone away to school in the States when he was three and then Beth had married when he was five. That left only his two younger sisters, Gwyneth and Penny, at home. Penny had died only two months later; it saddened A.C. that he could barely remember the sister closest to him in age. All he could really recall were her violet eyes—just like Mama’s except they weren’t obscured by spectacles—and her laughter. Penny had laughed a lot. After her death, there wasn’t any laughter in their house for a long time. Everyone was sad, but the saddest was Dad. A.C. could still remember how much it had hurt when Dad withdrew into himself, seeming not to care about anyone after he lost Penny. He could understand his father’s reaction better now, but it still hurt to think about that time.

Gradually Dad emerged from his depression, and he spent more time with A.C. and Gwyneth. The three of them would go fishing at the Cloncurry River, and on Sunday afternoons in the heat of summer, the whole family would go swimming there along with Beth and her family. A.C. smiled as he recalled Uncle Rhys teaching Dad and him to play cricket. (Since Dad was American, he knew how to play baseball but not cricket.) When A.C. was eight, Gwyneth moved to Brisbane for a time, and that meant A.C. was the only child at home.

A couple of years later, Gwyneth married Mark Pentreath, one of the mining engineers employed by Cartwright & Davies Mining Company. Like Beth, she lived in Cloncurry, so A.C. had nieces and nephews to play with. He and Dad were close then, he thought with a pang of regret. He remembered that when he was twelve, Dad had showed him how to use a pistol. He smiled as he recalled their target shooting with the first gun he’d ever owned, an 1899 Smith & Wesson Military & Police that Dad had given him for his fifteenth birthday. Mama had been against giving him a gun but he and Dad had won her over. Those had been good times. However, the revelation that the father he’d always respected—even hero-worshipped—had fathered an illegitimate child put a strain on their relationship. A.C. sighed as he continued to search the bungalow for his parents.

A quick glance showed A.C. that the small, cozy living room was empty, so he went to the library. It was the room he associated most strongly with both his bookish parents; the library in the large house was also the setting for many happy childhood memories. The drawing room was used for company; the family gathered in the library to play games or sing. A.C. loved that room with its walls paneled in Queensland maple, the built-in bookshelves filled with his dad’s books, and the buttery-soft leather armchairs. When he walked in this library, he could see that the old one had been replicated in this smaller home. Dad was seated behind his desk, working on something, while Mama sat in one of the armchairs, absorbed in a book.

He breezed into the room and plunked down in the leather armchair opposite Mama, letting his valise drop to the floor with a thud. “G’day, Mama. G’day, Dad,” he said airily.

Bronwen’s expressive countenance lit up with joy at the sight of her boy. Then she looked at her husband and saw Adam’s brows knit together. She glanced back at A.C. with a worried expression. Adam spoke in a quiet, even tone. “Don’t misunderstand me, son, but what are you doing here?”

“Well, Dad, after two years of studying engineering, I realized it is unbelievably boring so I quit school, and here I am,” A.C. said glibly.

“Just like that?’ his father asked in the quiet tone that A.C. knew meant he was truly angry, and the young man cursed his stupidity for taking an attitude he knew was guaranteed to alienate his dad. He leaned forward, resting one elbow on a knee with his chin on his cupped hand, unconsciously mimicking his father in a pensive mood, before answering.

“No, not just like that,” he replied in a voice stripped of facetiousness. “Look, Dad, I really tried. I studied and I was doing well, but it bored me to tears. I don’t want to spend the rest of my life as an engineer. I’d be miserable!” Realizing he had raised his voice, he took a deep breath before adding, “I know I’ve spoiled all your plans for me, but it’s my life, Dad.”

“Yes, it is,” Adam stated in that same soft tone. “Might I inquire what you plan to do with your life since you no longer wish to be an engineer and a part of Cartwright & Davies Mining Company?”

“I don’t know,” A.C. replied honestly. “But I’m only twenty; I have plenty of time to decide. Mark has already taken your place in the company. Right now, I thought I’d go see if Alf would hire me to work at the station.”

“He can always use help,” Adam replied, pinching the bridge of his nose. Bronwen recognized the gesture as a sure sign he was developing a headache. “The last time we got together to discuss how the station was doing, he was telling me that he was shorthanded. While you’re working at the station, you could give some more thought to your decision. I think you need to consider carefully before throwing away two years of study.”

“Dad, this isn’t an impulsive decision,” A.C. said, making an effort to stay calm. “I have given it a lot of thought.” He sighed mentally as he saw his dad’s eyebrows draw together in a frown. “If you want me to think about it more, I will. But I doubt I’ll change my mind.”

“I’m not trying to interfere, son, but I’d just like the opportunity to discus your decision with you,” Adam said. He could feel the beginning of an agonizing headache, and it was a struggle to remain calm after his son’s bombshell.

“Well, I could wait a day or so before going to see Alf,” A.C. said, trying not to make his reluctance too obvious. He supposed he did owe it to Dad.

“Oh, there’s just one problem,” Bronwen said, looking first at Adam and then A.C. “Your dad and I are taking the train for Sydney the day after tomorrow; we’re sailing to the States to visit Miranda and William. We’d planned on closing the house up but . . .”

“Oh, I forgot about your trip to the States,” A.C. said. Then he smiled fondly at his mama. “She’s apples. Dad and I can talk when you get back, and I’ll just go ahead and go see Alf tomorrow as I’d planned. If I’m working at the station, then I’ll be staying there.” He smiled at his parents. “I’m glad you’re going to have a chance to see Miranda, William and the billy lids.”

“We’re stopping at the Ponderosa first, and then taking the train to Hanover,” Adam said quietly.

“Fair dinkum?” A.C. said in surprise. Since they’d sailed to the States for Miranda and William’s wedding ten years earlier, Dad had never been back to the Ponderosa. Grandpa had died in 1901 and his will left one-third interest in Cartwright Enterprises to Dad, one-third to Uncle Joe, and a third held in trust for Uncle Hoss’s child. If he or she existed and was ever located; this seemed doubtful to A.C. after all these years. That cousin would be almost as old as Gwyneth, and she was thirty. Uncle Joe had died in 1903 and his will divided his share in Cartwright Enterprises among his children, Benj and Sarah, and Bronc Evans, as a payment for his many years as foreman. Since Uncle Joe’s death, the day to day running of the ranch was left to Bronc, but A.C. knew he corresponded regularly with his dad.

“Bronc writes me that there’s been an offer to purchase the ranch, but he’s suspicious of the man’s motives. I don’t want the ranch my family worked so hard to build sold to a stranger, but I can’t ignore the offer,” Adam stated. “Bronc has asked me to meet with him and this Brandenburg, so we’ll go to the ranch first. Once I’ve finished that business, then we’ll head for New Hampshire.”

“Be sure and give my love to Miranda, William and the billy lids,” A.C. said with a big dimpled smile. “I told some of my mates that I’d meet them for a pint tonight, but I won’t be too late. I’ll stay to see you off, and then I’ll go see Alf.”

When A.C. got together with his friends, they all lost track of time so he entered the house quietly, knowing his parents would already be in bed. (He was staying in the spare bedroom next to theirs. He’d discovered earlier that all his childhood belongings had been brought there when his parents moved to the bungalow. His bedroom furniture had been left in his old room for his nephew, Jory, but Dad and Uncle Rhys had worked together to make a bed and chest of drawers in the Arts and Craft style for the spare bedroom.) It seemed as though A.C. had barely fallen asleep when he was awakened by his mother shaking him, saying, “A.C., wake up.” He blinked blearily and then sat up, carefully keeping the sheet around his waist.

“What’s wrong, Mama?” he asked, unable to stifle a huge yawn. He noticed her expression was anxious and she seemed tense and strained.

“It’s your dad. He’s having a recurrence of his malaria. I’ve given him some quinine.” She looked a little abashed and said softly, “I suppose I shouldn’t have awakened you, but I wanted some company. It always frightens me to see him burning up with fever until the quinine takes effect.”

“You don’t have to apologize, Mama,” he said, squeezing her hand comfortingly and smiling. Then he added in a more serious tone, “Is he really bad?”

She nodded. “It always scares me because the fever climbs so high, and now that he’s getting older, I worry more. The quinine hasn’t taken effect yet, and he’s delirious.”

“Let’s both go sit with him,” A.C. said, kissing her cheek. “I’ll just put my robe on.” When he didn’t immediately get out of bed, she looked at him questioningly, and he cocked an eyebrow in a dead-on imitation of his father. She shook her head slightly, realizing that like his father, A.C. didn’t wear pyjamas.

A.C. noticed that his parents’ bedroom was quite similar to their old one, but he took in the little details very quickly before focusing on the supine figure in the bed. It was distressing to see his strong, vital father tossing and turning in his delirium. It reminded A.C. that Dad was seventy-one now.

He helped his mama apply cold cloths to lower his dad’s raging fever. When the quinine took effect, his dad began sweating copiously so the bedclothes were soon soaked. A.C. helped his dad into a pair of pyjamas, and then he assisted his dad to a chair before helping his mama change the sodden sheets.

As soon as it was light, he went to Dr. Brooke’s house, and luckily he was at home. A.C. paced just outside his parents’ bedroom door while the doctor examined his father. It seemed like hours, although he knew it was only minutes, until his mother opened the bedroom door and motioned for him to join them.

“Mr. Cartwright,” Dr. Brooke said with a little smile, “you should make a full recovery. However,” and he turned to Bronwen, “he’ll need complete bed rest for a fortnight after the recurrence has run its course.”

“That’s impossible,” Adam interrupted. “We’ve booked passage on a ship to the States.”

“You’ll have to postpone the trip,” Dr. Brooke said firmly. “Look, Mr. Cartwright, you aren’t a young man any longer and your body needs more time to recover.”

“Besides, Cariad, you know it will take a week or two before the recurrence has run its course, so it’s impossible for us to go now.”

A.C. spoke up suddenly. “I’ll go in your place, Dad. I’d like to see the Ponderosa again anyway.”

Dr. Brooke realized the Cartwrights needed some privacy so he said with a slight smile, “I’ll be back in a day or two to see how you’re doing, Mr. Cartwright. And I expect to find you in bed,” he stated decisively.

“I’ll see you out, doctor,” Bronwen said then, knowing her husband and son needed to talk alone.

After they’d left, Adam turned to A.C. and said carefully, “I appreciate your offer, son, but I’m afraid it won’t do. You have no experience running a ranch or dealing with business matters, so you can’t offer Bronc the advice he’s looking for.”

For a moment, A.C. bridled with resentment at his dad’s words, but then his commonsense took over. “No, I can’t offer Bronc advice, but I could offer moral support. And I really would like to see the Ponderosa again, Dad,” he said earnestly. Then he grinned engagingly. “Besides, a long sea voyage is the perfect opportunity to do some thinking about my future.”

Adam frowned slightly, but he was too tired to argue with his boy. There wasn’t any harm in A.C.’s going because Bronc certainly wouldn’t make any decisions based on A.C.’s opinion. After a moment, Adam smiled faintly at his son. “All right. My advice to you is to support Bronc in his decision.”

“Thanks, Dad,” A.C. said with a big grin and started to leave the room.

“Just a minute,” Adam said, and A.C. turned back toward him. “As soon as you get to San Francisco, send a wire to Miranda and William and let them know our visit will be delayed for a month.”

“Right,” A.C. said but before he could turn toward the door, his dad spoke again. “Dafydd and Mark had arranged for your sisters and the children to come with your mama and me. They need to know the trip has been postponed.”

“I’ll go see Gwyneth first and eat breakfast with them, and then I’ll go see Beth,” A.C. said with a smile. “Get some rest, Dad,” he added as he headed out the door.

A.C.’s long legs covered the short distance between the houses quickly, and in a matter of minutes he was knocking on the front door of his old home. “I’ll get it,” he heard his brother-in-law call as he entered the hallway.

“A.C., what are you doing here?” Mark asked, surprise written all over his normally inscrutable features.

“I quit school, but I’m here to deliver news and, I hope, to be fed breakfast,” A.C. replied with his dimpled grin.

“Right, come on in,” Mark said, opening the door and extending his hand. After they shook hands, Mark shouted, “Gwyneth, you’ll never guess who’s here.”

Gwyneth stepped into the hallway and A.C. thought with pride that if he hadn’t known she’d given birth to four children, he’d never guess by looking at her. Her figure was nearly as svelte as the day she’d married. She was the only other sibling to have inherited their dad’s long legs. In fact, Gwyneth was a female version of their dad and, as always, her curls resisted being confined in a knot atop her head.

“A.C.!” she exclaimed. “Why are you here?”

“I wish one person would say, ‘Good to see you, A.C.’,” he replied in a mock aggrieved tone.

“Of course it’s good to see you,” she said, hugging him, “but you’re supposed to be in Sydney.”

“I’ll explain all over breakfast, but first things first. Mama sent me to tell you that Dad’s had a recurrence of his malaria.” Seeing her stricken expression he added hastily, “Dr. Brooke says he’ll be right, but no traveling for a while. It’s just a postponement of your trip.”

“It’s not the first,” Gwyneth replied with a wry smile. “We were going last autumn but Jory had a riding accident and broke his leg. While his leg was healing, Beth discovered that she was pregnant so we decided to wait until this autumn.”

“From what Dr. Brooke told Dad and Mama, you should be able to go around the middle of June,” A.C. said. “Now, how about some tucker?”

“Don’t tell me you’re still a growing boy,” she said with a smile, and then added with a raised eyebrow, “You have grown since you’ve been gone though.”

“Too right. I’m now six feet and three inches,” he said proudly. “Only an inch shorter than Uncle Hoss.”

Just then three dark heads peeped around the corner. “Uncle A.C.!” eight-year-old Jory shouted, running toward his uncle. Six-year-old Benny and Little Adam, who was three months short of his third birthday, hung back. They didn’t recognize their uncle.

“How are you, mate?” A.C. asked Jory, hunkering down to be eye-level with his nephews. “And you must be Benny and Little Adam,’ he added, smiling at the two younger boys.

“G’day,” Benny said shyly, while Little Adam dimpled and said, “G’day!”

“Stone the crows!” he said to his sister and brother-in-law, “Little Adam sure looks like Dad.”

“Morwenna looks like Mama, except that she has Mark’s eyes,” Gwyneth said quietly.

“Dad must be pleased,” A.C. said, his tone suddenly serious.

“He is,” she said, “but he adores all his granddaughters. They can all twist him around their fingers just the way Penny could.” She smiled, and taking his arm, said, “C’mon, let’s get you fed, and then I want to hear why you’re here and not in Sydney.”

“Right, and I want to meet this niece of mine,” he replied with a grin.

“We only eat in the dining room if we have guests,” Mark said as they headed to the big kitchen and gathered around the large, rectangular table.

Fifteen-month-old Morwenna Bronwen, named for her grandmothers, was sitting in her highchair, messily feeding herself scrambled eggs. A.C. saw immediately that his sister was correct: except for being sloe-eyed like her father, Morwenna strongly resembled her grandma.

As they gathered around the kitchen table to eat a breakfast of bacon, scrambled eggs and fried bread, A.C. asked after Mary, and Gwyneth explained that they since they were going to be gone for so long, Mary had gone to visit her own family. A.C. nodded and then announced his decision to leave the Technical College. Gwyneth and Mark exchanged a significant glance before she said in a neutral tone, “I imagine Daddy wasn’t very happy with your decision.”

“Actually, he took it better than I thought he would,” A.C. replied carefully.

“I’m certainly pleased to hear that,” Gwyneth said. Then she asked anxiously, “And you’re certain Dr. Brooke said he’d be right?”

“I promise, Sis,” A.C. replied.

“Is Grandpa crook?” Jory asked in a worried tone.

“Yes, but Dr. Brooke says he’ll be right in a couple of weeks,” A.C. said reassuringly. “He just needs to stay in bed and rest. I’ll bet he might like some company while he has to stay in bed.”

Mark frowned but Gwyneth said, “I think that’s a wonderful idea. We’ll go visit him tomorrow after Jory and Benny get home from school.”

“Are we still gonna go see Aunt Miranda and Uncle William and Jon and Laura?” Benny asked, his face puckered by a worried frown.

“We’ll have to wait until Grandpa feels better, and then we’ll go,” his mother replied. Noting identical pouts on her sons’ faces, she said firmly, “Grandpa and Grandma had to wait when Jory broke his leg.”

“Yeah, I guess they did,” Jory admitted with a sigh. “But when Grandpa is right, we’ll go for certain?”

“Too right,” Gwyneth replied with a grin.

“But Dad was going to take care of some business at the Ponderosa, wasn’t he?” Mark asked suddenly.

“I’m going in his place,” A.C. stated. “I haven’t even unpacked,” he added after swallowing his last forkful of eggs, “so it’ll be easy for me to leave tomorrow.” He stood up and then bent over and kissed Gwyneth’s cheek. “Hooroo, Sis. Hooroo, mates,” he added, grinning at his nephews. He dropped a quick kiss on the top of his little niece’s head. “Hooroo, Sweetness.” He turned to his brother-in-law and said, “Good seeing you again, Mark.”

“Wait,” Gwyneth said as he started to leave, and he turned around, one eyebrow arched inquiringly. “Come here for high tea this evening. We’ll have Beth’s family and Llywelyn’s and Uncle Rhys and Aunt Matilda.”

“Beauty!” A.C. said with a big grin.

“Please let Beth know, and I’ll tell the others,” Gwyneth said.

Instead of ambling along at his usual pace, A.C. walked briskly to the parsonage where his oldest sister and her family resided. The parsonage wasn’t very large and only had three bedrooms so the boys shared one and the girls another. A.C. was looking forward to seeing his oldest niece and nephew again. Elen would be thirteen going on fourteen and Huw had turned eleven back in March. There was no doubt they’d remember him, as would Dylan, who was nine going on ten. He sighed mentally when he realized that he’d be a stranger to four-year-old Siân just as he had been to Benny and Little Adam.

As he approached the rectory, he noted a woman hanging laundry to dry. Not Beth, he thought, too voluptuous a figure. She turned toward him and he realized there was something familiar about her face. No, it can’t be.

The young woman’s face lit up and she said wonderingly, “Uncle A.C.!” She dropped the laundry and ran to hug him. A.C gingerly returned her hug, and then held her at arm’s length. “Stone the crows! You sure have grown up, Elen!” he said, noting how her soft brown eyes were shining with happiness. “You were just a skinny little girl the last time I saw you, and now you’re a young lady,” he added with a smile. “I just can’t get over how much you’ve grown up in two years.”

“How come you’re here and not at college?” she asked curiously.

“Oh, I decided I didn’t want to be an engineer, so I came back home. Is your mama here?”

“She’s washing the dishes,” Elen said. “I’ve got to finish hanging these nappies up to dry before I leave for school. We’re all going to visit Aunt Miranda and her family, and we’re leaving tomorrow.”

“No, I’m afraid you’re going to have to wait a bit,” A.C. said. “You see, your grandpa is having a recurrence of his malaria. He’ll be right, but the doctor says he can’t travel for a bit. You’ll probably be leaving around the middle of June. Your grandma asked me to come tell your mama; I already told your Aunt Gwyneth.”

“Poor Grandpa,” Elen said anxiously. “You’re sure he’ll be right?”

“I’m sure. Your grandma may need some help keeping him in bed the way Dr. Brooke ordered,” A.C. added, turning his lips in just a hint of a grin. “Do you and he still play chess?”

She nodded and said, “Huw plays with Grandpa, too, but he likes cribbage better.” She smiled, showing her deep dimple, and added, “We’ll help keep Grandpa occupied. I know it’s no fun being stuck in bed.” She turned toward the house and shouted, “Mama! Come see who’s here!”

Beth appeared on the verandah with a towel over her shoulder, balancing four-month-old Gruffydd on one hip. Still as breathtaking as ever I see, A.C. thought. I certainly have beautiful sisters. “G’day, Beth!” he called.

“A.C.!” Beth exclaimed, coming down the steps to hug him with her free arm. “Why aren’t you in Sydney?”

“Because I realized I don’t want to be an engineer,” he replied, flashing his dimpled grin.

“Have you told Daddy?” she asked apprehensively.

“Yeah. He’s not happy, but he took it a lot better than I thought he would.” A.C. grinned at the baby, who grinned back, showing his pink gums. “G’day, Gruffydd,” he said. “I’m sure glad your mama wrote me your name is pronounced Griffith because I never would have guessed from the way it’s spelled.”

“Our trip is postponed again, Mama,” Elen inserted.

“Right,” A.C. said quickly. “Mama asked me to tell you and Gwyneth that you’ll have to postpone the trip for a few weeks until Dad gets over his malaria.”

“Oh no! He’s having another recurrence?” Beth asked worriedly.

“Dr. Brooke’s seen him and he says he’ll be right, but he doesn’t want him traveling. In fact, he’s ordered complete bed rest for two weeks after the recurrence has run its course. Looks like you’ll be leaving around the middle of June. I’m taking Dad’s place at the Ponderosa so I’ve got to leave tomorrow. I was hoping to see Huw and Dylan and Siân.”

“The boys have already left for school,” Beth said, “but come see Siân.” They walked inside and Beth called, “Siân fach, come here. There’s someone who wants to see you.”

A chubby little girl with enormous hazel eyes and thick brown hair ran down the hall clutching a rag doll. She stopped and looked at the tall stranger curiously.

“G’day, Siân,” A.C. said with a big grin. “Remember me? I’m your Uncle A.C.”

“G’day,” Siân said with a sunny smile. “This is Maude,” and she held out the doll.

A.C. was surprised but accepted the doll. “G’day, Maude,” he said, adapting a serious tone. “And how are you this fine day?’

Siân giggled and held out her hands for her doll, and A.C. returned it with a smile. He turned to his sister. “Dad gave me his tickets for the train and steamer and asked me to get a refund on Mama’s train ticket, so I’ll go take care of that. Mark is taking care of everyone’s steamer tickets before he leaves for the mine.”

“Would you mind taking care of our train tickets as well?” Beth asked.

“No worries, Sis,” he replied with a wink. “Oh, Gwyneth is inviting everyone to high tea tonight so we can spend a little time together before I leave.”

Beth smiled, saying, “Tell her I’ll bring Picau ar y maen,” because she knew her brother loved the little cakes cooked on a griddle and sprinkled with sugar. Then she went to get the train tickets for A.C. to take with him.

Once his errand at the train station was accomplished, A.C. headed back to his parents’ bungalow. He found his mama reading in the master bedroom while his dad slept. She quietly suggested they sit on the verandah.

“I like your new house,” A.C. said as they sat side by side on the swing. “It’s not as small inside as I thought, but it is cozy.”

She smiled up at him. “I had a hard time at first leaving the house where I raised my children, but it was too big for your dad and me. Now we are making new memories here. And it’s nice that four of my grandchildren live right next door.”

“I can’t believe how the family has grown in the two years I was away. A new niece and a new nephew, and Llywelyn and Emma have two more girls.” A.C. grinned and added, “Aunt Matilda must be delighted to have three granddaughters.”

“Too right!” Bronwen said with a little laugh. “She’s busy all the time sewing dresses for all three girls.”

“I’ll get to see them this evening,” A.C. said. “Gwyneth is inviting everyone to high tea. Oh, except you and Dad. But I intend to spend the rest of the day here with the two of you. Thought Dad and I could play some cribbage when he’s awake.”

“I know he’ll enjoy that,” she said with a smile.

“I just can’t get over how much Gwyneth’s boys and Elen have changed while I was away. Especially Elen. She’s not a billy lid anymore,” A.C. said, his tone bemused.

“No, she’s not a billy lid, but she is not as grown up as she appears,” Bronwen said quietly. “She’s still just a girl of thirteen, not a woman.” She smiled reminiscently as she continued. “I remember when her mama turned thirteen how she begged us to allow her to dress as a young woman with long skirts and wear her hair up. Naturally, we refused.” She smiled slightly then, adding, “Your dad and Beth had a big blue on her birthday. I had to calm them both down and make peace between them.” Bronwen’s expressive face grew serious as she said, “But Elen has blossomed so quickly that Beth and Dafydd have had no choice but to have her begin dressing as a young lady. I don’t think Elen is really comfortable about it.” Or the way the boys at school react to her now, Bronwen mused. Elen was not flirtatious as Beth had been at her age. She was shy and ill at ease with the male attention she was beginning to receive, just as her Aunt Gwyneth had been.

Then Bronwen turned and smiled at her son. “Would you like a tour of the house? You didn’t see it all yesterday.”

“Right. I liked the way Dad recreated the library in this house,” he commented as they went in the front door.

“I don’t think you saw the living room,” she said, leading him into the cozy room with its paneled walls, hardwood floor and two casement windows that looked out over the little backyard with its lemon and orange trees. Since it was a hot day, the windows were wide open.

“This furniture is the same style as in my room. Arts and Craft Dad called it in his letters,” A.C. said.

“Right,” Bronwen stated. “Your uncle made all this furniture for us. The patterns were in some of your dad’s magazines.”

“I like it,” A.C. said after a careful perusal. “The clean lines suit the room.” He sat on the wooden settee, leaning against the colorful pillows his mama had made for it. “It’s comfortable, too.” Then he tried one of the two Morris chairs with the leather seat and back cushions Bronwen and Matilda had worked on together.

“You can adjust the chair so it’s most comfortable for you,” Bronwen told him. “There’s a mechanism that allows you to change the angle of the back. Look.”

She sat in the other chair and adjusted it so she was reclining and then put it back in the upright position.

“Beauty!” A.C. exclaimed, and tried each of his own chair’s positions.

“Here is the dining room,” Bronwen said then, walking toward the adjoining room. It was very different from the dining room he’d grown up with. It wasn’t even half the size, and instead of the long rectangular table that could seat twelve people when both leaves were added, there was a small oval table with four chairs. The table, chairs and sideboard were all in the same style as the furniture in the living room. The wallpaper caught his eye. The background was dark blue and the floral design was in white. After a moment, A.C. decided that he liked it.

“I guess you and Dad don’t entertain much,” he remarked with a hint of a grin.

She smiled and said, “No, just your aunt and uncle, Robbie’s parents, or Mr. and Mrs. Newkirk.” (The last reference was to the neighbors whose daughter, Kate, had been Penny’s best friend.) She added, “Gwyneth and Mark host all the big family gatherings since they have the biggest house now.” She led him out of the dining room saying, “The kitchen is around the corner. Just as the dining room is smaller, so is my kitchen.”

He saw she was right. Compared to the kitchen he’d eaten breakfast in this morning, this one was tiny. The walls were glazed tiles and the floor was made of stone slabs, just as the floor in the old house. In one corner was a black cast iron kitchen range. A wooden table was in the middle of the room and his mama’s old wooden kitchen dresser stood against the wall opposite the stove, and by it a square Belfast sink.

“I do all the cooking and almost all the cleaning,” Bronwen said. “Mary spends most of her time helping Gwyneth, but she assists me with my laundry and she scrubs the floors for me.”

“Seems like if Dad got to retire, you should get to retire as well,” A.C. commented, frowning slightly.

“Oh no,” she said with a laugh. “Your dad and your uncle were driving your aunt and me insane when they first retired because they had too much time on their hands. Designing and building this house and the furniture gave them something to do. Now your dad is very serious about his photography. He travels around the countryside taking photographs of the landscape and the wildlife, as well as numerous photographs of his children and grandchildren. When we’re in the States, he wants to buy a new camera. A Seneca View or something like that.”

“Your uncle is building a scale replica of Llywelyn and Emma’s house for his granddaughters when they’re older. It will be like Penny’s dollhouse but even more detailed.” Bronwen smiled up at her tall son and added, “Now that I’m only keeping house for two, I have plenty of time to read and visit with my friends and family.”

He grinned back at her. “It’s hard to picture Dad and Uncle Rhys with time on their hands.”

“Oh, it got so bad that your dad was wanting to reorganize my kitchen for me,” she said, and A.C. threw back his head and laughed at that mental picture.

“Sorry,” he said when he regained control. “I hope I didn’t wake Dad.”

She shook her head. “A mob of kangaroos could hop through the bedroom and they wouldn’t waken him. The bouts of fever leave him totally exhausted.”

He reached for her hand and gave it a comforting squeeze. “Dr. Brooke says he’ll be right.”

She smiled up at him and then suggested, “We can talk while I fix lunch.”

“Seems strange not to see Duchess,” he said sadly as sat down at the table and watched her fix sandwiches with thick slices of smoked ham.

“Yes, she’d been a part of our lives for a long time. Your dad and I are thinking of getting a kitten when we return from our trip. There is something very soothing about petting a purring cat. Gwyneth’s Athena has had so many litters that they keep her confined to the house when she’s in heat, but there are always kittens around.”

A.C. chuckled. Seeing his mama’s questioning look, he said, “I just had this mental picture of Dad playing with a tiny kitten.”

Bronwen giggled, saying, “It is comical seeing him hold a little kitten in his hand. The kitten just disappears.” A.C. grinned at that picture.

They ate in the little kitchen, and after the two of them washed and dried the dishes, they went back on the verandah. A.C. told his mama about his life in Sydney and his friends there. After a while, Bronwen happened to glance toward the Davies’ house and said, “I see Gwyneth must have told your aunt and uncle that you’re back because they’re coming to see you.”

After A.C. had greeted his aunt and uncle with a hug, he moved to one of the wicker chairs so his aunt could join his mama on the swing.

“Gwyneth told us that you’ve decided you’re not interested in engineering,” Rhys said carefully.

“Yeah,” A.C. said slowly. “I know you and Dad and Mark and Llywelyn find it interesting, but I just don’t. I’m not sure exactly what I do want to do, but I’ve got time to decide.”

“You don’t want to find yourself stuck in a profession you don’t like,” Rhys agreed. “Maybe it’s even for the best. Llywelyn and Mark work together as well as your dad and I did.” He turned to his sister then. “We’re sorry to hear that Adam’s having another recurrence.”

“Thank you,” Bronwen said quietly. “Who’d have dreamed you and Adam would still be suffering recurrences of your malaria after all these years.”

“He’s sleeping now?” Matilda asked, and Bronwen nodded. “Gwyneth said you’ll be sailing for the States in about a month. I know how eager you all are to see Miranda again after all these years. And Jon and Laura. I wish we could see them too.”

“After I finish taking care of Dad’s business at the Ponderosa, I want to visit Hanover,” A.C. said. “I’d like to get to know all my nieces and nephews.” Then he added, “I think I’ll look up Benj and Sarah in Boston. I’ll bet Sarah can introduce me to some beaut looking sheilas.” And he winked while his uncle chuckled.

“I think I’d better check on Adam,” Bronwen said. She returned a few minutes later with the news he was still asleep. It wasn’t long before Huw and Dylan came running up the street shouting, “Uncle A.C.!”

“Would you excuse me?” A.C. asked, and after the older adults smiled their assent, he sprinted down the path to the front gate. As he drew closer to the boys, he found he was once again taken by surprise at how much they’d changed while he’d been away. Dylan was still small for his age but now he wore gold-rimmed spectacles, strengthening his resemblance to his grandma. Huw had had a growth spurt and was much taller than A.C. remembered.

The three were soon chattering away just as though A.C. hadn’t been gone for two years. They discussed cricket and then the boys told A.C. how much fun their new puppy was and how sad they’d been when Nani died.

“I guess you miss Duchess,” Huw said, and A.C. nodded.

“She was a good dog, just like Nani,” he said, putting a hand on Huw’s shoulder. “I expect some day I’ll get another.”

“Aunt Miranda wrote that Uncle William would take all us boys to see a baseball game in Boston when we go for our visit,” Huw said then, changing the subject. “Grandpa said baseball is sort of like cricket, and he played it when he was in college.” His expression grew worried as he added, “I hope we can still go.”

“I think Americans play baseball all their summer,” A.C. said with a reassuring smile, “so I expect you’ll still get to go.” Both boys smiled at this.

While A.C. walked with the boys, Rhys asked Bronwen quietly, “How is Adam taking A.C.’s decision?”

“He’s hurt,” she replied, “but the irony of his son deciding he doesn’t want to follow in his footsteps hasn’t escaped him.”

“Ah,” Rhys said slowly. “I hadn’t thought of that.” Then he added, “I wonder if Tad ever regretted that neither Bryn nor I became a doctor.”

“We’ll never know,” Bronwen said. “I think what he chiefly he wanted was for you both to be happy in your chosen fields, and you are. Now, I wasn’t surprised by A.C.’s decision. Llywelyn has the same kind of temperament that you and Adam do: detached and analytical. A.C. isn’t like that and never has been. I always doubted he’d be happy as an engineer.” She added with a wry grin, “Miranda is the only one of our children who inherited those aspects of Adam’s character.”

“Yes, she would have made a fine engineer,” Rhys agreed. “Still from what she writes, she’s happy with her life.”

“Yes, and now that Laura is older, she is managing to work on a new paper for a mathematical journal,” Bronwen said with a proud smile.

Matilda had never approved of her niece’s unfeminine interest in mathematics, or higher education, so she said to change the subject, “It’s so nice of Gwyneth to invite us all to high tea, but it’s a shame you can’t be there.”

“Yes, but A.C. and I have been able to talk this morning and afternoon, so I don’t really mind,” Bronwen replied.

The boys walked onto the verandah then and Huw asked, “Is Grandpa awake?”

“I’ll check again,” Bronwen said with a smile for her grandsons. She returned a few minutes later and said, “Yes, he’s awake. Would you like to visit him while I fix him something to eat?”

“Too right!” the boys said, grinning as they hurried into the bungalow.

“If you don’t mind, I’d like to see how Dad is feeling,” A.C. said. The Davies smiled and said that they would see him that evening.

“Tell your dad that we’re very sorry to hear of his reoccurrence,” Rhys said before he and Matilda headed back to their house.

When Huw and Dylan entered their grandparents’ bedroom, they found their grandpa sitting up in bed, leaning against the pillows.

“G’day, Grandpa,” Dylan said with a big grin before jumping on the bed beside Adam. “I’m sorry you’re crook.”

“So am I,” Huw said, standing beside his brother. “We thought we would come keep you company. Maybe play a game.”

“Old Bachelor?” Dylan suggested hopefully, and his grandpa smiled at him. A.C. quietly entered the room then and asked, “May I join the game?”

“Too right!” Dylan said with a big grin.

“Well, why don’t you boys ask your grandma to find the Old Bachelor game?” Adam suggested with a small smile, and they hurried from the room.

“You look a lot better this afternoon, Dad,” A.C. said quietly. “I remember the first time I saw you after you’d had a recurrence.’

Adam frowned for a moment as he concentrated, and then he said softly, “You were afraid I was going to leave you and go to heaven.”

“It hadn’t been that long since Penny had left us,” A.C. replied in the same quiet tone, as he glanced at the large framed photograph on his parents’ chest of drawers. It showed Penny playing Old Bachelor with him, Gwyneth and Llywelyn. Penny was grinning hugely because she’d just given him the Old Bachelor card, and he was smiling from ear to ear because he wanted the card. “Playing Old Bachelor with Penny is one of the few memories I have of her.”

“You were too young when we lost her,” Adam said sadly.

Just then Dylan burst back into the room, waving the cards in one hand and saying excitedly, “Here they are!”

Huw came behind him and added very seriously, “Grandma told us to remind you that you have to stay in bed.”

A.C. chuckled as his dad rolled his eyes, then said, “The boys can sit on either side of you, and I’ll move Mama’s rocking chair over by the bed. We can just spread our pairs on the bedspread.”

As A.C. began shuffling the cards before dealing them, Huw said, ‘Uncle A.C. thinks we’ll still be able to attend a baseball game when we visit Aunt Miranda and Uncle William.”

“Oh yes,” Adam said. “They’ll still be plenty of games to see. It’s been a long time since I’ve played ball. From what your uncle has written me, I know this baseball has changed quite a bit from the ball game I used to play.”

“Fair dinkum?” A.C. said, arching one eyebrow.

“Too right,” Adam replied with a grin. “First off, the name has changed. When I played ball at Harvard, it was called town ball, not baseball. I think the biggest change is that in town ball, the ball could not be pitched; it had to be thrown. Another big difference is that when I played town ball, the game ended when one team scored 100 tallies, which William writes are now called runs. Now, in baseball, a game consists of nine innings. That means each team gets to bat nine times, and whoever has the highest score at the end is the winner.”

“That town ball that you played sounds more like cricket,” Huw commented.

“Yes, I think baseball has become more uniquely American over time. I’m looking forward to seeing a game when we visit your aunt and uncle. From what they write, your cousin Jon is as big a baseball fan as you and Dylan are cricket fans,” Adam said with a smile as A.C. finished dealing the cards.

Gwyneth worked hard preparing high tea for twenty people. She made Cornish pasties and A.C.’s favorite, Teisen Nionod—onion cake made with potatoes, onions and butter. Matilda had volunteered to make a shepherd’s pie, while Emma had promised to bring crumpets. Then, while the food was in the oven, she put both leaves in the dining room table so it would seat the adults plus Elen and Huw. All the younger children would eat in the kitchen, except for the very youngest. Morwenna and Diana, Llywelyn and Emma’s middle daughter, would be in their highchairs in the dining room, while the babies—Gruffydd and Vicky, Llywelyn and Emma’s youngest—would be in their cradles where their mamas could keep an eye on them.

A.C. was the first to arrive, and found Jory and Benny setting the dining room table. A.C. smiled as he saw the boys were dressed in white sailor suits with bell-bottom trousers, and their dark hair was neatly combed. The two younger children were playing with A.C.’s old Noah’s Ark in a corner of the dining room. Little Adam’s unruly curls had been brushed and he was dressed in a clean pair of rompers while Morwenna was wearing an allover apron of red gingham to protect her smocked frock.

A.C. saw Gwyneth was using her best lace tablecloth and her good Haviland china with its design of pink roses on a white background. For just a moment, he remembered the first meal he’d eaten on that china at Gwyneth’s flat in Brisbane, the night before he and his parents had returned to Cloncurry. The meal and the singing afterward had been wonderful, but it had been hard to leave her behind, knowing it would be months before he’d see her again. He would only know her through her letters as he did Miranda, but at least she hadn’t been lost to him forever the way Penny was.

“G’day,” A.C. said as he walked into the dining room. “I’ll help,” he added with a grin.

“This is girl’s work,” Jory grumbled as he handed his uncle the plates and went to get the glasses, while Benny carefully put down knives, forks and spoons in the order his mama had shown him. “As soon as Morwenna’s old enough, Daddy says I don’t have to do it anymore. I’ll be in charge of mowing the lawn,” he added proudly. A.C. had to choke back a laugh since pushing the lawn mower was much harder work than setting the table.

“I set the table when I was your age,” A.C. said. “Sometimes if your grandpa got home early, he’d help me.”

“Fair dinkum?” Jory asked incredulously while Benny’s big chocolate brown eyes opened very wide.

“Too right,” their uncle replied with a grin. “After all, your grandma and your mama work hard cooking all the food for us, so why shouldn’t we help just a little by setting the table?”

“I like to help Mama,” Benny said, smiling shyly at his tall uncle, who winked at him.

They were just finishing when Rhys and Matilda arrived.

“You boys have done a wonderful job setting the table,” Matilda said as she set the shepherd’s pie on the buffet. “Now, I’ll see if your Mama needs any help,” she added before heading to the kitchen.

Little Adam and Morwenna saw Rhys and ran over to him with outstretched arms. He picked up first Morwenna and then Little Adam, and swung them over his head to giggles of delight.

“Since we’ve finished, why don’t we go wait for the others on the verandah?” A.C. suggested.

“Play catch?” Little Adam asked his older brothers eagerly.

“Right,” Jory said. “Benny, go get his ball.”

“I come, too,” the two-year-old said, trotting after his brother.

“You wanna play with us?” Jory asked his uncle, who smiled and nodded.

“Well, Morwenna and I will sit on the swing and watch you,” Rhys said.

The younger Davies were the next to arrive. Llywelyn was carrying Diana’s highchair and Ifor was proudly carrying Vicky’s cradle, which was almost too big for him to manage. Emma pushed the baby carriage containing her two littlest girls and five-year-old Cathy walked beside her, holding the basket of crumpets.

“Here, I’ll take the cradle, Ifor,” A.C. said, “and you can take my place.” Ifor readily gave up the cradle and hurried to join the game of catch while A.C. and Llywelyn carried the baby furniture inside the house. Cathy spotted her grandpa and ran eagerly up the path to join him and her cousin on the verandah.

“Cathy, be careful not to spill the crumpets!” Emma called, and the little girl reluctantly slowed her pace and carefully climbed the steps. Rhys set Morwenna down and walked over to take the crumpets from Cathy.

“I’ll take these in to Cousin Gwyneth for you,” he said with a smile. “You wait here with Morwenna and I’ll be right back.

Meanwhile, Emma lifted Diana out of the baby carriage, and she toddled toward the veranda. Emma watched her progress with a fond smile before picking up one-month-old Vicky and following behind her middle daughter.

As A.C. and Llywelyn walked together, Llywelyn said cautiously, “Mark tells me that you’ve decided you don’t want to follow Uncle Adam into the business.”

“Right,” A.C. replied, glancing quickly at the cousin who’d always been like an older brother to him. “Two years of studying engineering showed me that I’d be miserable.” He added with a quick grin, “Miranda is the one who should have taken Dad’s place.” Llywelyn nodded with a smile and A.C. said, “Uncle Rhys told me that you and Mark work together as well as he and Dad did. The company will be in good hands.”

“Do you know what you want to do?” Llywelyn asked curiously.

“No,” A.C. admitted. “I’ve got a long sea voyage ahead of me. Maybe I’ll decide to follow in Great-grandfather Stoddard’s shoes and become a sailor,” he added with a wink. “Say,” he said then, “I haven’t seen Mark.”

“He had some work he wanted to finish before he left, but he should be here soon,” Llywelyn replied. He added quietly, “Mark thinks he needs to justify our dads’ faith in him, so he works long hours—longer than necessary, in my opinion—and nothing our dads or I say makes any difference.”

“Maybe knowing I won’t be joining Cartwright & Davies will help,” A.C. said as they set the cradle and highchair down in the appropriate places. “There, now I want to meet your little girls.”

Mark arrived a few minutes before the Jones family. They all gathered in the dining room so Dafydd could bless the food. A.C. smiled when he saw the four little girls all dressed in allover aprons and the four younger boys all dressed in sailor suits. Eleven-year-old Huw wore a Norfolk suit like the men were wearing, except his had knickerbockers instead of trousers. Elen wore a simple cotton blouse and skirt similar to the other women’s. A.C. had to remind himself of his mama’s words because Elen looked much older than thirteen.

After Dafydd blessed the food, the children went to the kitchen and everyone began to enjoy the meal. A.C. praised Gwyneth’s Teisen Nionod and Beth’s Picau ar y maen, saying they were as good as their mama’s. He told his family about his visits to Bondi Beach and the old Bondi Aquarium, where he’d ridden the roller coaster, and the newest attraction—Wonderland City amusement park. Wonderland City, he informed them, had an airship, rides on an elephant named Alice, and a miniature railroad. Elen and Huw listened enviously and wished they could visit Wonderland City.

“There are plenty of fun things to do when we visit Boston,” Gwyneth said to her niece and nephew. “You were so little when you were there before that you don’t remember playing in the Common or riding the swan boats.”

“Miranda wrote me about Coney Island at New York City after I wrote her and William about Wonderland City,” A.C. said then. “Coney Island has two amusement parks. There’s Luna Park that has Shoot-the-Chutes, a miniature railroad, wild animals, theaters and a ballroom. The newer amusement park is called Dreamland, and it has a Midget City and a Haunted Swing. Miranda wrote that they visited one of William’s friends who lives in New York City last summer, and they all went to Coney Island. If you asked, I’m sure they could make plans to visit New York City while you’re in the States.”

Dafydd said quietly, “I think visits to both New York City and Boston would be too costly. We would have to choose which city.” Mark nodded his agreement.

A.C. said hurriedly, “I’m sorry. I wasn’t thinking. I know you have your trip all planned out. And there are plenty of fun things to do in Boston. Like the baseball game we talked about this afternoon.” Huw’s disappointed look quickly changed to a happy grin at that.

“And Grandpa and Grandma promised to take us to the theater and maybe to Martha’s Vineyard. They have a carousel we can ride,” Elen said.

The awkward moment passed and Beth asked teasingly, “So, little brother, did you leave a string of broken hearts behind in Sydney?”

“I hope not,” A.C. said with a grin. “I’ve spent time with some very nice young ladies, but we were just friends.”

‘Who were they?” Elen asked curiously. “Oh, I shouldn’t ask,” she said, her face growing scarlet as she saw her mama frown at her.

“She’s apples,” A.C. said, smiling at his niece. “There was a girl named Winifred Evans. She’s very sweet and very pretty, and we’ve known each other for a long time. Then there’s my mate Russell’s sister, Helen. She was only fifteen when I first met her, but now she’s a very pretty young lady. I like them both very much, but we were just friends.” He didn’t notice the look his sisters, aunt, and Emma exchanged at his statement.

They were just finishing the meal when there was a knock at the door. “I’ll get it,” Huw said, jumping up and heading for the door.

He returned a few minutes later with Robbie and Tegan Naylor, and Tegan was carrying their baby boy.

“I hope we’re not intruding,” Robbie said.

“She’s apples,” Gwyneth replied with a dimpled smile.

“Bertie said he saw A.C. at the pub yesterday, and when I went to your parents’ house, your mum said A.C. was here, but he was leaving for the States tomorrow. We just wanted to make sure we had a chance to see him before he left,” Robbie said in a rush.

“I meant to stop by,” A.C. apologized.

“Why don’t you three go to the drawing room so you can visit,” Gwyneth suggested, and the old friends went across the hall. Gruffydd and Vicky both began to fuss so their mamas took them up to Mark and Gwyneth’s bedroom to nurse them, and change their nappies if necessary, while Gwyneth, Matilda and Elen began to clear away the table. The men shepherded the rest of the children to the front yard. The little girls wanted to sit on the swing with Rhys, and the boys talked their daddies into a game of tag as the twilight gathered.

“So you really left the Technical College?” Robbie asked his friend as the three of them sat on Gwyneth and Mark’s overstuffed sofa. “I can’t believe it. You always talked about taking your dad’s place in the family business.”

“I thought that’s what I wanted,” A.C. said slowly. “But the longer I studied engineering, the more boring it became. It would have been a harder decision if Mark wasn’t there to take my place. Uncle Rhys even told me it might be for the best since Llywelyn and Mark work together as well as he and Dad always did.”

“But your dad must have been disappointed,” Tegan said, gently rocking her sleeping baby in her arms.

“Yeah, he was, and I feel bad about that, but it’s my life and I think he understands that.”

They were silent for a few minutes, and then Tegan asked, “What are you going to do now? I mean, when you come back from the States?”

“I’m not really sure, but I’ll have plenty of time to think about my options,” A.C. replied. Then he said with a grin, “May I hold Simon?”

“Too right,” Tegan replied, smiling as she carefully placed the sleeping baby in his arms. “He’s just eaten so he probably won’t wake up.

As he held little Simon, A.C. said, “Married life seems to agree with you both.”

“You should try it, mate,” Robbie said, smiling broadly.

“I have to find the right girl first,” A.C. replied with a wink.

“That Winifred and Helen that you wrote about both sounded very nice,” Tegan said with a teasing grin.

“They are and they’re very pretty, but they just aren’t the right girl. I’ll know her when I find her,” the young man said confidently.

When the Naylors left it was growing dark, so the men and younger children gathered in the library and sang songs. The women joined them until it was time for everyone to reluctantly head home.

“I wish we could see you off,” Huw said as he said his goodbye to his uncle.

“Me, too, mate, but we’re going to see each other in a couple of months,” A.C. said with a grin.

After everyone had left, A.C. thanked Gwyneth for the wonderful meal and then walked, whistling softly, to his parents’ bungalow. When he got there he didn’t see his mama, so he knocked softly on his parents’ bedroom door. His mama opened it with her finger on her lips, and then she walked with him to his room.

“I’d hoped to say goodnight to Dad,” he said regretfully as he lit the lamp before sitting beside his mama on the bed.

“He tried to stay awake until you returned, but he was too exhausted,” Bronwen said, patting her son’s hand. “I think he understands why Dr. Brooke says he needs complete bed rest.” She paused for a moment and then looked up at her son before saying carefully, “We talked while you were gone. He really does understand your decision, A.C. bach. He is disappointed, but he understands. He told me it’s poetic justice since he turned his back on your grandpa’s dream of the Ponderosa. He’s always felt some guilt about that, but he never doubted he’d made the right decision. If you don’t think you can be happy as an engineer, your dad doesn’t want you to try for his sake.”

“I’m glad he understands,” A.C. said, his relief obvious. “I didn’t want him to think that I was rejecting working at the mining company because of . . .” He broke off, looking ill at ease, and added awkwardly, “Because of what I learned last year.”

“No, he never thought that,” she said firmly. “You are a fair man, A.C., like your dad, and you wouldn’t make a decision like this just to be spiteful.” She said softly, “I’d hoped you would have forgiven him by now.”

“It’s not a matter of forgiveness, Mama,” he said thoughtfully. “When I was young, I idolized Dad. He never claimed to be perfect. I know that. But that’s how I saw him. Now I have to see him in a new light. That’s all.” He smiled sweetly at her then, reminding her so strongly of when he was small. “I do still love him, and I’d like you tell him so if I don’t get the chance before I leave.”

She leaned over and kissed his cheek. “Of course I’ll tell him.” She stood up then, saying, “I almost forgot. Your dad wrote a letter for you to give to the concierge at the Majestic Hotel changing our reservations.” She added, “He said you could use one of the suites we reserved and he’ll pay for it. Oh, and if you need to get in touch with us, you can send the letter to the Majestic and they’ll hold it for us.” She smiled wanly as she said, “I am very tired myself, so if you don’t mind, I’m going to retire.”

A.C. walked her to her door, and then undressed and slipped beneath the sheets. He lay on his back, thinking of his mama’s words, until he drifted to sleep.

Chapter 2
“Daddy, will you play catch with me ‘n’ Benny when you get home tonight?” Jory asked hopefully as he finished his breakfast of flapjacks and bacon.

“Sorry, I’m bringing some work home tonight,” Mark replied, adding as an afterthought, “maybe we can play catch Saturday.”

Gwyneth saw the disappointment on her sons’ faces and stabbed her fork into a piece of flapjack. Sometimes it seems all Mark cares about is the mine! He never has time for the children and me. I can’t remember the last time he said he loved me.

Hoping to lessen the boys’ disappointment, she said with a smile, “Don’t forget you’re going to see Grandpa after school. He’ll play Old Bachelor with you.”

“I like Old Bachelor,” Benny said with a grin.

“I’d rather play catch,” Jory muttered, but luckily Mark didn’t hear him and Gwyneth decided to ignore the remark.

After Jory and Benny went to school, Gwyneth finished washing the breakfast dishes while simultaneously keeping an eye on Little Adam and Morwenna. She needed to go shopping that morning. Since Mark had been planning to eat his meals with Aunt Matilda and Uncle Rhys while the rest of the family was away, her pantry was nearly bare. If her daddy hadn’t been sick, she would have left the children with her mama as usual, but this time the children would have to come with her.

Little Adam’s rompers were still clean so he could wear them to the shops, but Morwenna would need to change into a nicer dress, and Gwyneth needed to check her nappy. While she was cleaning Morwenna’s bottom, Little Adam announced, “Mama, I gotta go.”

“Can you wait just a minute?” Gwyneth asked, continuing to clean Morwenna.

“I gotta go now,” the little boy stated urgently.

Gwyneth sighed because she knew her youngest son always waited until the last minute to announce he needed to use the outhouse. “You’ll have to use the Jerry. Morwenna, lie still and Mama will be right back,” she instructed.

Leaving Morwenna in her crib in the nursery, Gwyneth hurried into her bedroom and took the chamber pot out of the commode chest and put it on the floor for her son to use. She heard her daughter giggling and saw she’d climbed out of the crib and was headed for the open bedroom door.

“Morwenna!” Gwyneth said in a scolding tone as she caught her baby and took her back to the nursery. She finished cleaning Morwenna, put a clean nappy and rubber nappy cover on her before dressing her in a blue calico frock.

“Now, you’re Mama’s pretty little girl,” Gwyneth said, smiling at Morwenna, who grinned, saying, “Ma-ma.”

Knowing the morning was going by quickly and she’d need to be home in time to fix lunch, Gwyneth put both children in the nursery, giving them Little Adam’s ball to play with. “Now, you play while Mama changes her clothes,” she admonished as she closed the nursery door.

She changed from her plain cotton housedress to the pretty, high-necked lacy blouse her parents had given her for her birthday the previous month and a navy linen skirt. She opened the nursery door after putting on her hat and gloves. “There, now we’re all ready to go shopping,” she said to the two children. “No, wait. You need your hats,” she said. Morwenna’s straw hat was in the nursery and Little Adam’s was in the room he shared with Benny.

“Now we are really ready,” Gwyneth said as she adjusted the angle of Morwenna’s hat and Little Adam tipped his as far back as it would go.

He went down the stairs first, holding tightly to the banister. Gwyneth held one of Morwenna’s hands while Morwenna clutched the banister in the other and they all descended slowly. The baby carriage was by the back door. Gwyneth put Morwenna in it but Little Adam baulked at riding. Gwyneth knew he would want to ride before they reached Cloncurry Stores, the town’s grocery store, so she didn’t press the issue.

As soon as Gwyneth opened the front gate, Little Adam ran through it and up the street as fast as his chubby legs would go. “Little Adam, slow down!” she commanded, but he only turned and grinned at her and continued running. Gwyneth didn’t waste time calling after her son. Leaving the baby carriage by the gate, she ran after Little Adam, catching him easily.

“Little Adam, when Mama says to slow down, you slow down,” Gwyneth said sternly, giving his behind a firm swat. He scowled at her and the minute she let go of him, he ran away. When Gwyneth caught him, she counted to ten before giving him two swats while he yelled, “No!”

“All right, young man,” she said, struggling not to lose her temper, “if you won’t obey Mama, you are going to ride with your sister.” She picked him up, yelling and kicking, and carried him back to the carriage. As soon as she put him in it, he tried to climb out. “Sit down,” she commanded, holding her son down. Morwenna watched them both, chewing on the hat she’d removed.

Gwyneth was standing there, holding her son down, when she heard her Aunt Matilda call, “G’day!”

“G’day, Aunt Matilda,” Gwyneth called as she turned toward her aunt, who was hurrying to her front gate.

“Down!” Little Adam hollered at the top of his lungs, struggling to break his mama’s hold on him, and Gwyneth’s frustration and embarrassment grew.

“Are you going shopping?” Matilda asked serenely as she approached. She’s seen her niece’s problem from the parlor where she’d been dusting. Knowing her youngest grandnephew was a handful, she’d hurriedly snatched her hat, gloves and pocketbook so she could help.

“I’m trying to go,” Gwyneth said, and couldn’t keep the frustration from her voice.

“Well, why don’t we go together?” the older woman suggested. “Little Adam, if you hold my hand, maybe your mama would let you walk with me. Will you promise to hold my hand?”

The little imp smiled sweetly at his grandaunt, looking absolutely angelic with his curls and dimples. “I pomis, Aunt Tilda.” Gwyneth felt like screaming, but she only nodded to her aunt, who lifted the little boy out of the carriage and set him down, keeping a firm grip on his hand.

“Morwenna, you mustn’t eat your hat,” Gwyneth said, taking it and putting it back on her little girl’s head. Then the four of them set off down the street.

About halfway there, Little Adam tugged on Matilda’s hand. “Yes, dear?” she asked.

“Wanna ride,” he stated.

“You forgot the magic word,” Matilda said with a little smile. The not-quite-three-year-old frowned at her but then broke into a big dimpled smile.

“Pease!” he shouted, and his grandaunt and mama smiled at him. Then Gwyneth lifted him and put him in the carriage with Morwenna, who was once again chewing on her hat.

When they reached Cloncurry Stores at the corner of Ramsay and King Street, Matilda suggested they each take one child.

“I want to visit Mrs. Harrington’s dress shop,” she said with a smile. “Why don’t you meet me there when you finish here?”

“Right,” Gwyneth replied. “You take Morwenna. Little Adam, you come with me. Where’s your hat? Oh, never mind,” she added as she lifted him out of the carriage.

Gwyneth kept a firm hold on her son’s hand as she shopped. The storeowner kept glass jars of lollies on the counter and while Gwyneth was having everything put on her account and arranging to have it delivered, Little Adam was staring at the sweets. He started tugging on her skirt to get her attention.

“Just a minute, Little Adam,” she said automatically

“Wanna lolly. Pease,” the little boy said.

“What kind would you like?” said a deep voice just behind Gwyneth.

It can’t be, Gwyneth thought, whirling around to look up into Douglas Campbell’s bright blue eyes. She’d forgotten what a big man he was: about six feet, five inches and all hard muscle. He was the only man who’d ever made her feel dainty. He smiled at her and then said to Little Adam, “I recommend barley sugar but I like licorice, too.”

Little Adam stared up at the tall red-haired man, wonder written all over his face. Then he grinned and said, “Lic’rice. Pease.”

Douglas fished a coin from his pocket and said to the proprietor, “Give him a bag of licorice.” Then Douglas ruffled Little Adam’s black curls before saying softly, “You haven’t changed, Gwyneth. You’re still as lovely as ever.” Gwyneth could feel her cheeks growing warm and turned quickly to her little boy.

“What do you say to Mr. Campbell, Little Adam?” she said then, grateful to tear her eyes away from Douglas’s.

“T’ank you,” Little Adam said, grinning up at Douglas.

“When did you return?” Gwyneth asked then, very quietly, grateful Douglas couldn’t know how fast her heart was racing.

“The day before yesterday. My dad’s not well and Mum wrote and asked me to come back. At least for a visit.”

“I’m sorry to hear about your dad,” Gwyneth said. Seeing the storeowner start to hand Little Adam the bag of licorice, she quickly said, “I’ll take that. Now, Little Adam, you may have a piece and we’ll take the rest home to share with your brothers.”

“Don’t tell me you have other children,” Douglas said in the same intimate tone as his eyes traveled over her in a visual caress. “I won’t believe it.”

“I have four children,” she replied with downcast eyes. “Thank you for buying Little Adam the lollies.” She kept a firm hold on her little boy’s hand and clutched the bag of licorice in the other.

Douglas’s mother had been shopping in the back of the store. She hadn’t noticed Gwyneth and Little Adam at first, but when her son left her and walked to the front of the store, she looked to see what had caught his attention. When Gwyneth and Little Adam left Cloncurry Stores, Mrs. Campbell stared after them, her expression bitter.

As the Campbells walked home together, Mrs. Campbell said to her son, “I saw you talking with Gwyneth Pentreath. You should keep away from her. She broke your heart once, and she’s a married woman—a married woman with a family.”

“I just spoke to her for a few minutes, Mum. What’s the harm in that?” But Douglas knew the answer to his question. He’d tried to forget Gwyneth, but he couldn’t. He was a one woman man, but that woman chose someone else. The little boy looked so much like her—the same soft curls, the same cupid’s bow mouth and the same dimples.

“I saw you buy lollies for her son,” Mrs. Campbell said quietly.

“No drama, Mum,” he replied and Mrs. Campbell shut her lips in a tight line. She’d never understood how Gwyneth Cartwright could have preferred Mark Pentreath to her Douglas. Every time she saw Gwyneth with her children, she thought with a mixture of resentment and longing that they might have been her grandchildren.

Seeing her aunt waiting for her in front of the dress shop, Gwyneth quickened her pace so that Little Adam had to run to keep up.

“I hope you haven’t been waiting long,” Gwyneth said to Matilda.

“No, not at all,” Matilda replied with a smile. She felt Little Adam tugging her skirt and said, “Yes, dear?”

“A giant gots me lic’rice, Aunt Tilda!” the little boy exclaimed excitedly.

Matilda looked at Gwyneth with raised eyebrows and Gwyneth felt her face grow warm. Douglas paid you some compliments and bought Little Adam some lollies. That’s nothing to be embarrassed about, she scolded herself. Trying to sound nonchalant, she said, “Douglas Campbell was in the store and overheard Little Adam asking for lollies so he bought him some, which he’s going to share with his brothers.”

Matilda’s eyes narrowed slightly but she only said, “I had heard Douglas was in town visiting his parents.”

When they reached the Davies house, Gwyneth said, “Aunt Matilda, would you mind watching the ankle biters for a few minutes while I see how Daddy is doing?”

“I’ll be happy to watch them,” Matilda said with a smile.

However, as soon as Little Adam saw his mama walking toward his grandparents’ bungalow, he ran after her, yelling, “See Ga-ma, Pa-pa!”

Gwyneth waited for him to catch up, and then she squatted down to be on eyelevel, saying very seriously, “Little Adam, you must be very quiet because Grandpa is crook. Do you understand?” The little boy nodded, his eyes very big and his expression solemn.

Bronwen, who’d been getting ready to do her own shopping, answered their knock with a big smile and Little Adam said in a loud whisper, “G’day, Ga-ma!”

Seeing her mama’s puzzled expression, Gwyneth explained, “He’s being quiet because he knows Grandpa is crook.”

“That’s very thoughtful, Little Adam,” Bronwen said, bending over and kissing his cheek. “Grandpa is feeling better today and I know he’d like some company.” She held out her hand to her grandson, who looked up and dimpled before putting his hand in hers.

“I’ll just go get Morwenna from Aunt Matilda,” Gwyneth said, “and I’ll bring her to see her grandpa.” She turned and walked back outside while Bronwen and Little Adam went to the master bedroom.

Adam was sitting up in bed reading, but he looked up with a smile when he heard them enter.

“G’day, Pa-pa!” Little Adam said in his loud whisper as he ran to climb up beside his grandpa.

“G’day, Little Adam,” Adam said, setting his book down and then putting an arm around the child as he crawled over and sat beside him. Seeing the sticky black ring around his namesake’s mouth, Adam said with a little grin, “Looks like someone has been eating licorice.”

“A giant gots it for me, Pa-pa!” Little Adam said excitedly.

“A giant?” Adam repeated, raising one eyebrow.

“A giant!” Little Adam stated, nodding his head emphatically.

Adam shrugged slightly and then said with a smile, “Would you like to hear a story?”

“A ‘tory ‘bout a giant,” the little boy commanded.

“Hmm. Let me see,” Adam said, pretending to search his memory. His namesake looked at him anxiously so he smiled and began, “Once upon a time there was a poor woman who lived in a little house with her son Jack. . . .”

Bronwen quietly got her hat, gloves and pocketbook and left the two Adams together. As she stepped on the verandah, Gwyneth was walking up the steps, holding Morwenna’s hand to help her keep her balance. “Oh, you’re going out,” Gwyneth said, seeing her mama wearing her hat and gloves. “I didn’t realize . . .” and her voice trailed off.

“She’s apples,” Bronwen said with a smile. “After fixing breakfast for the three of us, my cupboard is now as bare as Old Mother Hubbard’s, so I’m going shopping.”

“Oh, I should’ve thought to ask you if you needed me to get you anything when I went,” Gwyneth said, dismayed by her thoughtlessness.

Bronwen knew her middle daughter tended to be too hard on herself, so she said quickly, “No worries, Gwyneth. I need the exercise.”

Morwenna felt she’d been ignored long enough, and tugged on Bronwen’s skirt. “Ga-ma,” she said with a big grin.

Bronwen reached down and picked up her baby granddaughter and kissed her chubby cheek. “G’day, Morwenna fach,” she said with a smile.

“Little Adam is with Daddy?” Gwyneth asked then.

“Right. Your daddy is telling him the story of Jack and the Beanstalk.” Bronwen paused and then asked curiously, “Who is the giant who bought Little Adam licorice?”

“Douglas Campbell. He was in the store and heard Little Adam begging for lollies,” Gwyneth replied matter-of-factly.

“He’s back in town?” Bronwen asked in surprise. Then she put Morwenna down, saying, “Well, I need to be on my way.”

As Gwyneth got closer to the open door of her parents’ bedroom, she heard her daddy’s voice reciting:

Fee-fi-fo-fum
I smell the blood of an Englishman.
Be he alive or be he dead
I'll grind his bones to make my bread.

Oh dear! Now Little Adam will probably have nightmares, she thought. Morwenna ran to the bed and Gwyneth put her on it and let her crawl to Adam, who smiled at her as he continued the story. After he said, “So Jack and his mother lived happily the rest of their lives,” Little Adam said, “My giant not mean. My giant nice.”

“Little Adam, you mustn’t call Mr. Campbell a giant,” Gwyneth said quickly.

“Douglas Campbell?” Adam asked, lifting one eyebrow. Then he said “Well, I did hear at the pub that Sandy was in very poor health so it’s natural Douglas would come back.”

Gwyneth wanted to change the subject so she asked, “Did you get to see A.C. before he left?”

“Yes. We didn’t have much chance to talk though.” Adam said slowly, “I’m trying to accept his decision. I think it would be easier if he had a definite alternative to engineering.”

“He’ll have plenty of time to think about his future on the voyage to San Francisco,” Gwyneth said, trying to sound encouraging. Then she said to her children, “Say goodbye to Grandpa. We need to go home so Mama can start fixing lunch.”

“Wanna stay wiv Pa-pa,” Little Adam said, his expression mulish.

“Young man, when your mama tells you to do something, you should do it,” Adam said sternly. “If you want Grandpa to tell you a story the next time you visit, you do what your mama says.”

Little Adam scowled at his grandpa, who frowned at him. Gwyneth had to hide a smile behind her hand as she watched them. Little Adam was the first to look away and jumped off the bed, his expression petulant as he stomped over to the door. Gwyneth set Morwenna on her feet and watched as she trotted after her brother. Turning to Adam with a smile, she said, “Jory and Benny are coming to see you after school. I told them you’d play Old Bachelor with them.”

“The cards are right here,” Adam said with a little grin as he gestured toward the bedside table.

All the way home, Little Adam shouted, “Fee-fi-fo-fum!” and chased Morwenna, who ran away, squealing with laughter. Gwyneth had them play in the yard where she could watch from the kitchen window as she prepared lunch.

When Jory and Benny came home for lunch, Benny told Gwyneth that Miss Andrews was teaching him how to write his name. Little Adam was eager to tell his big brothers about the giant.

“Little Adam, I told you not to call Mr. Campbell a giant. He’s just very tall,” Gwyneth said.

“A giant,” Little Adam said emphatically. “Nice giant,” he added. Gwyneth mentally counted to ten. She was hoping by the time Mark got home, Little Adam would have stopped talking about Douglas.

Jory turned to his baby brother and sneered, “There’s no such things as giants, drongo.”

“Is too!” Little Adam said belligerently while Gwyneth said firmly, “Jory, you are not to call your brother a drongo. Do you understand?”

“Yeah,” Jory muttered, his expression sullen.

“Aunt Matilda told us Goliath was a giant,” Benny said, looking anxiously at his mama and then his older brother.

“Goliath was a giant, but Mr. Campbell is just a very tall man,” Gwyneth said, smiling at her second born.

“Tall as Uncle A.C.?” Jory asked.

“A little taller actually, and he’s bigger. But not a giant,” she said firmly. Then she turned to Jory and said, “You haven’t told me what you learned this morning.”

“I hate the multiplication tables!” Jory said with a scowl.

“I didn’t like them much either,” Gwyneth said, smiling at her oldest. “I’ll help you practice tonight after high tea.”

“Okay,” Jory said, with just a little smile.

Bronwen brought Adam his lunch on a tray.

“This is ridiculous. I hope you realize that. There’s no reason I can’t walk to the dining room,” he commented with a frown.

“No reason, except Dr. Brooke ordered complete bed rest,” she said sweetly as she handed him the tray, which had two plates of scrambled eggs and bacon. “I just got back from my shopping, and eggs were the quickest, easiest thing to fix,” she explained as she pulled her rocking chair over by the bed.

“I like eggs,” he said with a smile as he handed her a plate.

As they ate, she asked casually, “Did Gwyneth tell you the identity of Little Adam’s ‘giant’?”

“Yes, she told me it was Douglas Campbell,” Adam replied. He ate a forkful of eggs before remarking, “I imagine Douglas has gotten over her.”

“I wouldn’t be so sure of that,” Bronwen said slowly. “He’s never married. That sounds to me as though he may still care for Gwyneth.”

Adam rolled his eyes at this typically romanticized viewpoint. “It doesn’t really matter,” he stated. “Gwyneth made her choice, and Douglas must accept that.”

Bronwen was busy baking that afternoon and Adam was growing restless. He had been reading Edith Wharton’s Madame de Treymes, but he just wasn’t in the mood. Bronwen had put The Return of Sherlock Holmes and Upton Sinclair’s The Jungle on his bedside table, but he’d already read them. He found himself thinking about the Ponderosa. He had wanted to go there again, but had dreaded it at the same time. There were so many memories.

Those first years had been hard ones, but as a child he hadn’t known that. He’d been happy teaching Hoss how to skip stones and fish and ride and play checkers. He was good at snaring rabbits and sometimes Pa would bring home an antelope so they’d have some meat. He and Pa had worked hard planting a vegetable garden and hay for Pa’s horse, his pony and their milk cow. When Hoss was old enough, he worked just as hard. In the evenings after chores were done, Pa would tell them stories about when he was a sailor or they’d sing songs. It was a good life.

Hop Sing joined them and he and Hoss had accepted him right off. Well, if I’m honest, I have to admit Hoss accepted him first, but it didn’t take me long to look on him as part of the family. Not like Belle-mère. I gave you such a hard time, didn’t I? For a woman who wasn’t particularly patient, you certainly exercised great patience with me. And you were a good friend to me. I know if you hadn’t been my champion, I might never have had the chance to attend Harvard.

His thoughts turned then to the years after the discovery of the Comstock Lode. What a change that made in our lives. All the people flocking to the Comstock just as they’d flocked to the gold fields in California. Instead of a few families that owned ranches, Virginia City had miners and teamsters, gamblers and prostitutes. It had schools and churches, saloons and brothels. Suddenly we could get the news from The Territorial Enterprise and entertainment from Piper’s Opera House. Our lives would never be the same.

He smiled as he thought, One thing never changed, and that was the closeness among the four of us. I can remember playing countless games of checkers and chess, sitting in the great room or around a campfire singing, working together at branding calves or harvesting the hay and oats, going on cattle drives. Bronwen’s family had that same closeness and I’m so thankful ours does as well. And I can see it Beth’s and Gwyneth’s families.

Yes, he decided, we will still go to the Ponderosa before heading to Hanover. I want my grandchildren here in Cloncurry to see where I grew up, to see what their great-grandfather and his sons built.

Adam was lost in memories when he heard the sound of footsteps running toward his door and smiled.

“G’day, Grandpa!” Jory and Benny chorused, followed by Ifor’s, “G’day, Uncle Adam.”

“We come to play Old Bachelor with you,” Benny said with a big grin.

“Grandma said for us to take off our shoes and sit on the bed ’cause you can’t get up,” Jory added.

Adam shook his head slightly as he watched the boys pull off their Oxford shoes and then sit cross-legged on three corners of the bed.

“So what did you boys learn at school today?” Adam asked as he dealt the cards.

“I learned how to write my name,” Benny said with a happy smile. “I can write Benny. I’m still learning to write Pentreath.”

Ifor looked at his friend, who was frowning, and decided not to mention the multiplication tables. Instead, he said, “We’re learning how to write cursive. It’s harder than printing,” he said a trace of smugness, and Benny frowned.

“And we’re learning the names of the six states of the Commonwealth of Australia,” Jory said, pleased that Ifor hadn’t brought up the hated multiplication tables. “There’s Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, Western Australia . . .” He paused, frowning in concentration before adding with a proud grin, “South Australia and Tasmania.”

“Very good,” Adam said with a smile as he finished dealing the cards.

As they finished the game, Bronwen came into the room and said, “Boys, I made ginger biscuits today. If you go to the kitchen you’ll find a plate of them and three glasses of milk. Finish the milk and biscuits in the kitchen, and then you can come back and play some more.”

“Beauty!” the boys exclaimed, scrambling off the bed and heading for the door. “Thanks, Grandma! Thanks, Aunt Bronwen!” they called as they exited the room.

“How are you feeling?” Bronwen asked Adam as she sat beside him.

“I feel fine now,” he replied, adding with a frown, “it’s the day after tomorrow I dread.”

“My poor Adam,” she said softly and then kissed him gently.

Mark was late getting home from the mine that night. Instead of being irritated with him, Gwyneth was relieved since Little Adam was already in bed and so had no chance to tell Mark about his giant.

A couple of days later as Jory and Benny were headed back to school after lunch, they saw a tall, brawny man with flaming red hair walking down the street.

“Little Adam’s giant!” Benny exclaimed, his chocolate brown eyes big and round.

“Too right,” Jory said. “He is about as big as a giant.”

Gwyneth was sitting on the verandah’s swing with Morwenna on her lap and Little Adam lying beside her as she told them the story of the Three Little Pigs. (Little Adam strongly resisted taking a nap but she’d found she could rock him to sleep on the swing while telling him a story.) Suddenly, he sat up and shouted, “G’day, Giant!” Before Gwyneth could react, Little Adam jumped off the swing and hurried down the steps as fast as he could while clutching the verandah’s railing.

Morwenna had been startled awake by her brother’s yell and began to cry. Gwyneth tried to calm her while Little Adam ran to greet Douglas. Grabbing Douglas’s hand, the little boy led the large man up the path to the verandah.

“Sit on swing, Giant,” Little Adam commanded, and Douglas looked to Gwyneth for permission.

Morwenna had stopped crying and stared at the stranger with her big dark eyes. Gwyneth felt flustered, but she said, “Please do join us, Douglas.” Then she turned to her son and said in a scolding tone, “Little Adam, don’t call Mr. Campbell a giant.”

Douglas smiled at the little boy, who was still holding his hand, and said with a grin, “Why don’t you call me Douglas. Mr. Campbell is my dad.”

Little Adam looked up at Douglas and then dimpled. “Doug-las,” he said trying out the name.

“You sit by me, Little Adam, and then Douglas can sit by you,” Gwyneth said quickly to avoid the possibility of Douglas sitting next to her. Concealing his disappointment, Douglas sat by the little boy. “So you’re Little Adam,” he commented with a smile. “Yes, you sure look like your granddad and your mum.” He looked at Morwenna, who was staring at him. “And what’s your name?” he asked her with a smile.

“Wenna,” the little girl said and then turned her face into her mama’s neck, overcome with shyness.

“Morwenna Bronwen for Mark’s mother and mine,” Gwyneth said quietly, and Douglas nodded, accepting the reminder that Gwyneth was a married woman.

Little Adam looked up and pointed at Douglas’s head. “Hot?’ he asked curiously.

Douglas was puzzled for a moment and then he chuckled. “No, my hair is just the color of fire,” he said with a grin. Little Adam looked unconvinced so Douglas asked, “Do you want to touch it?” The little boy nodded. Douglas leaned down and Little Adam patted his hair. “See, it’s not hot.” Douglas chuckled again at the disappointed look on the child’s face.

“I’m surprised to see you, Douglas,” Gwyneth said then, avoiding eye contact by adjusting Morwenna’s apron.

“Oh, I thought I might go fishing if the river isn’t too low,” he replied. Then he stopped and said, “No, that’s not true. I walked this way hoping I might see you.”

“Douglas,” she said, her cheeks reddening.

Douglas looked down at Little Adam, who was tugging his hand. “What were you doing when I walked by?” he asked the little boy.

“Mama tell ‘tory,” Little Adam replied.

“I’d like to hear your mama’s story,” Douglas said with a big grin. Gwyneth still felt flustered, but she continued the story. Morwenna drifted back to sleep, but Little Adam remained wide awake.

“Tell me ‘tory, Doug-las,” he begged, turning his big hazel eyes on Douglas. “Pease.”

“I don’t tell stories as well as your mama,” Douglas began but Gwyneth cut him off.

“I’d like to hear your story,” she said with a smug grin.

Douglas racked his brain and finally remembered his favorite childhood story. Smiling at Little Adam, he said, “There was a donkey who was getting too old to work and his master was mean to him. The donkey heard that the town of Bremen was looking for singers and the donkey thought he had an excellent voice so he started off for Bremen. . . .”

Little Adam listened raptly to the story, and he showed no signs of falling asleep.

“I don’t think he’ll take a nap as long as you’re here,” Gwyneth said quietly when the story ended, and Douglas reluctantly nodded. For just a few minutes, he’d been able to imagine what his life might have been like if Gwyneth had chosen him instead of Pentreath.

He smiled at Little Adam and said gently, “I’ve got to go now, mate. Maybe I’ll come see you another time.” He stood up and Little Adam grabbed his hand.

“No! Stay!” the little boy commanded.

“Sorry, mate, but I’ve got to go,” Douglas said firmly as he removed the child’s hand with surprising gentleness. He lightly touched Morwenna’s soft dark hair and then, before Gwyneth realized what he intended, he softly caressed her cheek. He hurried down the steps before she could react.

“No!” Little Adam yelled, running after Douglas, but Douglas carefully latched the gate behind him so the child couldn’t follow. Gwyneth delicately touched her cheek, which seemed to burn from Douglas’s touch. It had been so long since Mark had touched her like that. No, you mustn’t think about Douglas, she told herself. Mark is your husband and it’s disloyal.

She continued to hold the sleeping Morwenna, gently rocking the swing, watching her little boy crying in frustration as he kicked the gate. Eventually, he wore himself out and trudged dejectedly back to the verandah. Seeing his woebegone little face, Gwyneth carefully laid Morwenna on the swing and picked Little Adam up and rocked him to sleep.

When Jory and Benny came home from school, they found their little brother and sister playing with the Noah’s Ark on the verandah.

“We saw your giant!” Benny said excitedly.

“He is big,” Jory added. “And his hair is so ginger!”

“Doug-las told me ’tory ’bout donkey, dog, cat and rooster live together,” Little Adam said with a big grin.

“Who’s Doug-las?” Jory asked.

“Giant,” his littlest brother replied. “He comed to see me and tell ’tory.”

“I wanna show Mama I can write my name,” Benny said then, having lost interest in his brother’s giant friend, and he went inside. Jory followed.

It wasn’t long before Ifor arrived because he and Jory had permission to go for a ride on their ponies, Brownie and Blackie. (Jory and Benny shared Blackie but Benny wasn’t allowed to ride without an adult accompanying him.) Once the older boys rode off, Benny played catch with Little Adam and Gwyneth came out to keep an eye on them and play some little finger games with Morwenna. When it was time to start preparing high tea, she took Morwenna inside so she could keep an eye on her, leaving the two boys playing outside. She hoped that by the time Mark returned from the mine, Little Adam would have forgotten about Douglas’s visit. It was perfectly innocent, she told herself (conveniently forgetting Douglas’s confession that he’d walked by hoping to see her), but she knew that Mark might not see it that way. If he and Douglas had a barney, Douglas might really hurt Mark. She did not want that.

Luck was with Gwyneth during high tea. Benny was eager to tell Mark about being able to write his name and Jory wanted to show him that he knew the multiplication table up to times eleven. Little Adam forgot to mention his new friend.

The next morning Gwyneth knew would be one of her daddy’s good days, so she went next door with Little Adam and Morwenna. Adam had been restless, although the malaria left him so anemic that he hadn’t complained about being restricted to bed. Bronwen knew that was a sign of how weak he actually was. She was happy to see Gwyneth and the children and took them straight in to Adam. Morwenna was very wiggly and wouldn’t sit still but crawled over the bed. Little Adam, however, sat right beside his grandpa and asked for a story.

“Tell ’tory ’bout donkey and dog and cat and rooster live together,” he commanded and Adam looked at Gwyneth quizzically.

“He means The Bremen Town Musicians,” Gwyneth explained.

“My giant, Doug-las, telled me ’tory,” Little Adam said, smiling at his grandpa.

Adam and Bronwen shared a look, and as Adam began the story, Bronwen said very quietly, “Let’s go to the living room, Gwyneth.”

Gwyneth went reluctantly, knowing what her mama wanted to talk with her about. Bronwen indicated they should sit on the settee but before she could open her mouth, Gwyneth said quickly, “Mama, I know what you’re going to say, but Douglas was just passing by and Little Adam saw him and wanted him to come sit with us on the swing and tell him a story. You know how Little Adam can be, and so Douglas agreed. Perfectly harmless.”

“Gwyneth, don’t forget Douglas wanted to marry you and he may still have feelings for you,” Bronwen said gently. “Do you really think if, say, Siân or Cathy had asked him to tell them a story, he would have agreed?”

“He seems to like children so he might have,” Gwyneth retorted and she didn’t hear how defensive she sounded.

“Gwyneth fach, I think it’s your children that he likes and especially Little Adam, who looks so much like you,” Bronwen said in the same gentle tone.

“We probably won’t see him again,” Gwyneth said then. “He’s only here for a visit.” Wanting to turn her mama’s attention elsewhere she asked, “How is Daddy? He looks so tired.”

“He is. You know your daddy and he’ll never admit to us how weak these attacks leave him,” Bronwen said quietly, but her daughter heard the worry in her tone.

“Dr. Brooke did say he’d be right?” Gwyneth asked anxiously.

“Yes. He came yesterday when your daddy was in the fever stage. He stressed that your daddy must have complete bed rest for two, maybe three, weeks after the recurrence has run its course.”

“But when will it have run its course?” Gwyneth asked with heightened anxiety.

“Dr. Brooke hopes that it already has, but we just have to wait two days and see if the fever and chills return.” Bronwen managed a smile as she added, “He said a sea voyage would be good for your daddy; he wants him to spend a lot of time resting in a deck chair, although a turn about the deck would be good for him as long as he doesn’t overdue it.”

“I hope Dr. Brooke is right and the voyage is good for Daddy. Well, I’d better go check on the ankle biters,” Gwyneth said then, standing up.

After Gwyneth and the children left, Adam waited impatiently for Bronwen to return. She didn’t want to upset him, but knew he would just fret more if she didn’t report her conversation with Gwyneth. Reluctantly, she walked back to their bedroom.

“Well, what did Gwyneth say? Tell me,” he demanded.

“I wonder if I was right about Douglas still loving Gwyneth,” Bronwen said slowly. “Apparently he just happened to be walking down their street when she was rocking the children to sleep on the swing. Little Adam saw him and asked him to sit with them on the swing.”

“An invitation Douglas was only too happy to accept,” Adam commented acerbically.

“Gwyneth has convinced herself it’s all perfectly innocent, and Douglas just likes children,” Bronwen said with a sigh.

“Likes hers at any rate, although I doubt he’d have the same reaction to Jory,” Adam said. “I’m guessing Mark knows nothing of any of this.”

“I think that would be a safe assumption,” Bronwen agreed. “Although it’s a miracle Little Adam hasn’t mentioned Douglas to Mark.” She sat down on the bed beside Adam, and he reached for one of her hands, enfolding it in one of his. “It doesn’t matter that she’s a wife and mother now; she’s still our little girl, and I am afraid for her. Afraid she’s going to find herself in a situation that could have terrible consequences.”

He gave her hand a comforting squeeze as he said, “Hard as it is, we have to trust her, Sweetheart.”

“I know,” she said softly. Then she said, “There is one thing we can do, and that’s pray for her.” He nodded and holding hands, they prayed for their beloved daughter and her family.

Adam and Bronwen waited with a mixture of hope and dread to see if his fever and chills would return after the two days passed. When three days had passed with no symptoms, they both felt a tremendous relief. Dr. Brooke came by and said with a smile that the recurrence had run its course.

“But don’t forget what I said about complete bed rest,” he said sternly. “If you follow my instructions, then by the last week of June, you’ll be ready to travel,” he added with a smile. “It would be best if you spent one or two days in Sydney resting before you sail for the States, and I would like you to rest for a day or two in San Francisco before you travel any further.”

“We’ll follow your instructions to the letter,” Bronwen promised. “Won’t we, Cariad?”

“You wouldn’t think such a small person could be so bossy, would you, doctor?” Adam remarked with a wink and Dr. Brooke chuckled.

“Well, I can see that you’re in good hands,” he said, smiling broadly. “I’ll check back in a week.”

After seeing Dr. Brooke out, Bronwen asked Adam, “Do you mind if I share the good news with Gwyneth and Beth?”

“Not all,” he replied with a smile. “If you’ll get me your writing slope, I’ll write a letter we can send A.C. at the Ponderosa, and another to Miranda.”

“Right,” she said with a smile, and got it from her wardrobe and brought it to him. While he began writing, she changed from her housedress to a skirt and blouse. He smiled when he looked up and watched her adjust her hat. After putting on her gloves, she said, “Hooroo, Cariad,” and gave him a quick kiss before departing.

Adam was just finishing the letter to Miranda when he heard Gwyneth’s voice calling, “Daddy” followed by Little Adam and Morwenna’s happy shouts of “Pa-pa!” He hurriedly put the lid back on the inkwell and placed the letters on top of the sheets of stationary. He was closing the drawer as his grandchildren came running into the room followed by his daughter. She helped them up on the bed and Morwenna immediately crawled toward the writing slope. Gwyneth quickly moved it out of reach, and Adam smiled his thanks.

“I glad you not crook, Pa-pa,” his namesake said. “Tell ’tory?” and Adam nodded. “Doug-las don’t come tell me ’tory,” he added plaintively. Adam’s lips turned up slightly at that news.

“I’m so glad you’re right, Daddy,” Gwyneth said with a dimpled smile as she sat on the bed. Morwenna crawled over to sit on Adam’s lap.

“And Dr. Brooke says we can leave the last week in June.” He saw the impatient look on his grandson’s face and asked him, “Would you like a story about when Grandpa was a little boy?” Little Adam grinned and nodded his head.

A couple of nights later, as Llywelyn and Mark got ready to go home, Llywelyn saw that his friend was once again taking a stack of reports home to work on.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Llywelyn said slowly, putting his hands on his hips. “Look, Mark, I’m not trying to interfere in your personal life, but you’re my friend and Gwyneth’s my cousin, and I care about you both.” Mark frowned but Llywelyn continued, speaking quietly but firmly. “I know how Emma would react if I brought as much work home as you do.”

“Gwyneth understands how important my work is,” Mark said, not noticing the slight defensiveness in his tone.

“I wouldn’t be so sure of that, mate,” Llywelyn said, shaking his head slightly. He added, “I’ve known Gwyneth all her life, and she tends to keep her feelings to herself. The fact that she hasn’t complained doesn’t mean she isn’t miserable. And it’s not just Gwyneth. Jory and Benny have been coming over to our house to play catch with me and Ifor because you’re always too busy.” He saw his friend’s frown deepen and added quickly, “I’m happy to play with them. That’s not the issue, Mark. You don’t want to become a stranger to your children.” He stopped and said, “Now, I’ve said my piece.”

Mark was silent. He didn’t like anyone, even his best friend, giving him advice on how to treat his wife and children. Llywelyn shook his head and shrugged as he saw his friend continue to gather up reports to take home with him.

Douglas did try to stay away from Gwyneth and he fought against his feelings for her, but she was a magnet, drawing him to her. It was about a week later that he once again found himself walking down her street, and he saw her and the children sitting on the swing. Just as before, Little Adam came running down the path and wanted him to come sit by him and tell him a story.

“Only if it’s all right with your mum,” Douglas said, gazing at Gwyneth and thinking how lovely she was. Some of her curls had escaped from her pompadour and his fingers longed to unpin those curls and watch them all tumble down. He remembered that the first thing he’d ever noticed about Gwyneth, when she was still just a skinny little girl, were those thick black curls that hung down past her waist. He hadn’t had any use for little girls then, but he’d still thought those curls were pretty.

Gwyneth glanced up at him beneath her lashes. She’d tried to deny it, but she’d been almost as disappointed as her little boy that Douglas hadn’t stopped by again. Now she nodded, and Little Adam sat by her. Douglas sat down by him and the little boy asked for the story about the donkey, cat, dog and rooster that all lived together. This time, Little Adam climbed up on Douglas’s lap, and he did fall asleep as Douglas told the story.

“I’ll carry him up to his room,” Douglas offered as Gwyneth stood up to take Morwenna up to her nursery.

“Oh, I don’t think—” Gwyneth began, but Douglas interrupted.

“He’s getting to be a pretty big boy and he might wake up if we move him too much,” he said persuasively, and after a hesitation, she nodded.

She showed him which room her two younger boys shared, and then went to the nursery with her baby.

Douglas laid Little Adam down very carefully, and then he couldn’t resist gently stroking the dark curls so like Gwyneth’s. He walked into the hallway just as she was coming out of the bedroom. She stood in the doorway a moment framed by the light of the open window. She was heartbreakingly beautiful and his heart was so full of love and yearning that he had to speak. He walked over to her until he was close enough to touch her, and she looked up at him.

“Oh Gwyneth,” he said, his voice throbbing with longing, “I’ve tried to forget you. God, how I’ve tried, but it’s no use. I love you as much as I did when I left Cloncurry.” He reached down and carefully removed her spectacles before taking her in his arms and beginning to kiss her.

Gwyneth knew she should resist his advances, but she didn’t want to. There was such hunger in his kisses, and they awoke an equal hunger in her. Yet, a little voice she couldn’t quite silence was reminding her that what she was doing was wrong.

Douglas was almost overcome by love and desire. He tore his mouth away to whisper, “I love you so.” As he reached up and began to unpin her hair, the little voice was screaming at Gwyneth and she pushed away.

“Douglas, I can’t do this. I can’t. It’s wrong,” she said, holding him at arm’s length.

“I love you so much, and you care for me. I know you do,” he pleaded.

I can’t lie to him and deny my feelings, she thought, but neither can I admit that I may be falling in love with him. “Mark is my husband, the father of my children,” she said, the strain evident in her voice. “I made a vow—a vow to keep myself only for him—and I won’t break that vow.”

“I can’t lose you again,” and Douglas’s voice was anguished.

“I was never yours to lose, Douglas,” she said firmly. “You know that.”

He turned away and startled her by slamming his fist into the wall. Then he stood silent, struggling for self-control. When he had mastered himself, he turned to face her. His voice was quiet but intense as he said, “I will go, but I’ll never stop loving you. If I hear that Pentreath has died, I’m coming back for you.”

After Douglas left, Gwyneth began to shake. She walked into the bedroom and sank down on the bed as her knees seemed to give way. She could still taste Douglas’s fevered kisses and her body still yearned to press close to his, to feel his caress. She dug her fingers into the coverlet, and took deep breaths. Then she glanced toward the nursery and felt her eyes burn as they filled with hot salty tears.

I came so close to wrecking all our lives, she thought as she drew a deep, shuddering breath. Things have got to change between Mark and me. I must make him see that he is shutting me and our children out of his life.

When Mark left the mine that evening, he was not bringing work home with him. He’d been thinking about Llywelyn’s words. It was true that Gwyneth hadn’t complained, but she’d been very quiet—even for Gwyneth—and the last few times he’d wanted to make love, she’d complained of a headache. He was beginning to wonder if those headaches had been a way of punishing him. And he didn’t like the idea of his boys seeing Llywelyn as a substitute father. His dad had been a remote figure in his childhood, always too tired to play with him when he got home from work. Mark understood now that his dad had been working hard to provide for his family, but he’d wanted a closer relationship with his own sons.

When he got home, the boys weren’t playing in the backyard as usual—there was no sign of them anywhere. When he went to take care of his horse, he noticed that Blackie was not in his stall. I suppose Jory and Ifor have gone for a ride, but I wonder where Benny and Little Adam are.

As he walked through the backdoor, he called, “Daddy’s home!” but no children came to greet him. Instead, Gwyneth came out of the library. When he kissed her in greeting, there was no response. “Where are the ankle biters?” he asked.

Gwyneth said quietly, “We need to talk, Mark, and I thought it best the children weren’t here. Jory is spending the night with Ifor; Benny and Little Adam are going to spend the night with my parents, and Aunt Matilda is going to keep Morwenna.” Mark frowned a little as Gwyneth turned toward the library saying, “Let’s talk in here.”

Instead of the leather armchairs that had been in the room when Gwyneth been growing up, there were two settees in the Arts and Craft style that Uncle Rhys had made for her and Mark. She sat on one and Mark sat beside her. She took a deep breath before speaking. “I should have talked with you before this,” she began. “Maybe you don’t realize it, Mark, but for some time now the children and I have been coming a poor second to the mine.” He started to interrupt, but she held up a hand and said, “Let me speak, please. I know the mine is important, but I also know Llywelyn doesn’t bring home work nearly every night nor did my daddy and Uncle Rhys when they ran the mine. I ask that you don’t bring work home unless it’s absolutely necessary. I would rather see you spend time with the boys.”

“You really think I’ve been neglecting them?” he asked, keeping a tight rein on his temper and struggling to remain dispassionate.

“Yes,” Gwyneth replied quietly. “Not intentionally,” she added hastily.

“And what about you? Do you also feel neglected?”

She dropped her eyes and said softly, “Yes, I do.”

“I’ve felt neglected as well with these headaches of yours,” he said, unable to keep the resentment from his tone.

“You work hard at the mine and I work hard taking care of our children and the house. Sometimes I am just too tired to feel loving,” she retorted, her tone sharp. Then she took a calming breath and said, “I don’t want to fight, Mark. If you’ll spend more time with the children, then I won’t refuse you your marital rights.”

“I don’t want it to be a duty,” he said. “You used to enjoy our lovemaking.”

“And you used to tell me that you loved me,” she stated quietly.

“But you know I love you.”

“I’d still like to hear it. But just hearing you say the words isn’t enough, Mark. You need to show me and the children that we’re more important to you than the mine,” she said, her voice low, intent.

He silently considered her words. He’d thought that she understood the long hours he worked were to ensure he could provide for her and their children, but she saw his work from an entirely different point of view. He realized that if he continued to bring work home and spend his evenings shut up in the library, he and Gwyneth would grow further apart. The only way to prevent that was to do as she asked and demonstrate to her that she and their children were more important than his work.

“I love you, Gwyneth Marie Pentreath, and I always will. I never meant for you or our children to feel the mine was more important to me,” he said earnestly. He leaned forward to kiss her. As they kissed, Gwyneth experienced the loving intimacy that had been missing from their relationship for too long, and she responded ardently.

Later as they lay side by side in their bed, she said, “There is something else I need to tell you, Mark.”

He kissed her before saying with a lazy smile, “I’m listening.”

“A couple of weeks ago, I had Little Adam with me at Cloncurry Stores and he was begging me to get him a lolly. Another customer heard him and bought him some.” She paused and Mark looked at her quizzically. “It was Douglas Campbell.”

Mark frowned and said, “I didn’t know he was in town.”

“His father is very ill,” Gwyneth explained calmly. “Little Adam was quite taken with Douglas.” Mark’s frown changed to an angry scowl and Gwyneth said, “Douglas happened to walk down our street when I was sitting on the swing with Little Adam and Morwenna.”

“I bet he just ‘happened’ to be walking by,” Mark snarled.

“Little Adam ran to greet him and asked him to sit with us and tell him a story,” Gwyneth said then, keeping her voice emotionless.

“You didn’t let him,” Mark said, his eyes narrowing.

“It seemed harmless,” Gwyneth said, staring down at Mark’s hands, which were clenched into fists. “But Douglas and I agreed he would stay away from our street in the future.” Mark looked furious and Gwyneth said apprehensively, “Mark, please don’t be angry. He will stay away.”

She felt guilty that she was not telling Mark the whole truth, but she could bear the guilt if that was the price she must pay to protect her marriage.

“He’d better stay away,” Mark stated decisively. “You’re my wife, and he needs to remember that.” He looked at Gwyneth, lying beside him with her glorious hair tumbled all about her, and reached to delicately rub a silken curl between his fingers. I am a fool! Here’s Campbell hanging about, wanting to win her love at the very time she’s the most vulnerable since she’s unhappy with me. I know she would never betray me, but I don’t want her to stay with me out of duty. I want her to stay because she loves me.

He gently took her face between his hands and, gazing into her eyes, said, “My love, I know how lucky I am that you chose me as your husband. Forgive me for taking your love for granted.”

“I do with all my heart,” Gwyneth replied before capturing his mouth in a long sweet kiss.

The next morning Gwyneth went to get Morwenna first, only to be told by Daisy that Aunt Matilda had gone to visit her mama and taken Morwenna with her. As she walked onto the steps of the bungalow’s verandah, she could hear her baby crying so she hurried inside. Bronwen was pacing the library, trying to console her granddaughter, and she broke into a huge smile as soon as she saw her daughter.

“Mama is here, Morwenna,” Gwyneth said soothingly as she took the hysterical child from her mama. “It’s all right, Precious,” she continued, kissing Morwenna’s tearstained cheek and gently patting her back.

“She was fine last night,” Matilda said, “but when she woke up this morning, she wanted her mama. I thought her grandma might have better luck calming her.”

“But I didn’t, so I’m glad to see you,” Bronwen said with a smile. Just then Little Adam ran into the room, still wearing his pyjamas.

“G’day, Mama,” he said with a sunny smile. “Ga-ma made me ‘n’ Benny fapjacks. Me an’ Pa-pa draw pictures. I drawed ’Thena an’ Blackie an’ Doug-las.” Gwyneth winced a little at the mention of Douglas.

“Why don’t I help you get dressed so you can go home,” Matilda said, holding out her hand to the little boy, and they left.

“Douglas promised to stay away, and I explained that to Mark,” Gwyneth said quietly to her mama as she continued to pat Morwenna’s back.

“I hope Douglas keeps his promise,” Bronwen said quietly. Then she smiled slightly at her daughter. “Little Adam will forget Douglas more quickly if you just ignore it when he mentions him,” she advised, and Gwyneth nodded. “Besides, in another week, we’ll be on our way to Sydney, and that will take his mind off him. By the time we return, he’ll have forgotten all about Douglas.”

Chapter 3
A.C. rode into the yard in front of the ranch house and dismounted. He was bone-weary after spending the day castrating calves. Thanks to Brandenburg’s attempts first to buy and then, when that didn’t succeed, to bribe government officials into allowing him to seize the Ponderosa, and the ensuing court case, they were late starting. To make up for the lost time, everyone had to work longer days. A.C. turned to the man who’d ridden in with him and said with a tired grin, “I’m stuffed, Josh.”

The other man looked at him and shook his head slightly. “Cousin, I’m gonna have to teach you to speak American.”

A.C. laughed and cuffed Josh on the shoulder before leading his horse to the barn. Dad is going to be so surprised when he gets my letter telling him that after all these years, Uncle Hoss’s child turned up at the Ponderosa. He doesn’t look much like the photos of Uncle Hoss that I’ve seen, but I remember Dad talking about how blue Uncle Hoss’s eyes were and Josh’s eyes are sure blue. And his smile is the same as Uncle Hoss’s in a couple of photographs.

As A.C curried his horse, he thought, From everything Dad has told me about Uncle Hoss, it’s kinda hard picturing him fathering a bastard. Except that Uncle Hoss and Josh’s mama were engaged, and I can understand how easy it would be to get carried away. If Uncle Hoss hadn’t died in that accident, Josh would’ve just been a bit premature.

“A.C., you got a letter today from Miranda,” Sarah said that evening as the four Cartwright cousins—A.C., Josh, Sarah and Benj—along with Bronc Evans and his foreman, Jacob, all gathered for dinner.

“Miranda?” Josh asked curiously since he noted everyone else at the table recognized the name.

“A.C.!” Sarah said indignantly. “Haven’t you told Josh anything about his other cousins?”

“Other cousins?” Josh asked, looking from Sarah to A.C.

“That’s right, Josh,” Benj replied. “You have three other cousins, A.C.’s sisters. Two of them, Beth and Gwyneth, live in Queensland with their husbands and children, but Miranda is married to a professor at Dartmouth College so she and her family live in New Hampshire.”

“I can’t believe you never mentioned your sisters to Josh,” Sarah said, shaking her head at her youngest cousin.

“Things have been pretty busy around here thanks to Brandenburg,” A.C. said defensively. “I just didn’t have time to tell Josh about my family.” He turned to Josh and said with a grin, “You’ll have a chance to meet them. They’re all still planning to sail here to visit Miranda, and since I wrote and told my dad about you, I’m sure they’ll want to come meet you.”

“That’s great news, A.C.,” Josh said, positively beaming with pleasure.

“When Sarah and I were small, Uncle Adam and Aunt Bronwen came to visit a couple of times,” Benj interjected. “Beth, Miranda and Gwyneth were all lots older but Penny was close to my age.” Benj’s voice faded away and he looked nervously at A.C.

“I had four sisters, Josh, but my youngest sister, Penny, died when she was twelve,” A.C. stated softly. “I was only five but I remember what a sad time that was.”

“There are some photographs of A.C.’s family in the bottom drawer of the desk,” Bronc said quietly. “Why don’t you look at them after we finish eating,” he suggested.

Sarah found the photographs and carefully got them out one at a time. First, she handed Josh a double frame. On one side was a photograph of a bride and groom flanked by two older couples. After careful study, Josh recognized the bald and bearded older man by the radiantly beautiful bride as his Uncle Adam, and deduced that the small slender woman standing next to him must be his Aunt Bronwen. The other photograph, he saw, was a family portrait. Standing with the bride and her parents were his grandfather and Uncle Joe along with several children. The bride was the loveliest young woman Josh had ever seen.

“These were taken at the wedding of A.C.’s oldest sister, Beth. We all traveled to Cloncurry for the wedding. I was the flower girl,” Sarah added with a happy smile.

“And I was the ring bearer and had to wear a Fauntleroy suit,” A.C. added with a grin. “I hated it.”

“Gosh, your sister is really beautiful,” Josh said and then looked nervously at Sarah, who smiled at him.

“Beth is beautiful,” she said. “She and her husband have four—no, five—children. Right?”

“Right,” A.C. replied with a grin. “Elen’s the oldest. She’s not quite fourteen, but she looks like sixteen. Huw and Dylan are next, and then their younger sister, Siân. Gruffydd is the baby. Three boys and two girls. And Beth is as beautiful as ever.”

Gesturing at the family portrait, A.C. said, “This is my sister Miranda, and this,” he said, pointing to a dark-haired girl who towered over all the other females in the photograph, “is my sister Gwyneth. She takes after Dad.”

“I can see that,” Josh said with a smile. “She’s married and has children?”

“Right,” A.C. replied. “Her husband is a mining engineer, and he took my dad’s place with Cartwright & Davies Mining Company. They have three sons: Jory, Benny and Little Adam. The youngest is their daughter, Morwenna.”

“Morwenna?” Josh said. “I’ve never heard that name before.”

“She’s named Morwenna Bronwen for her grandmothers,” A.C. replied. “The Pentreaths are Cornish and Morwenna is a Cornish name.”

“Wait a minute,” Josh said. “How many nieces and nephews do you have?”

“Let me see. Four nieces and seven nephews,” A.C. said proudly and Josh whistled.

“This is Penny,” Sarah said quietly as she pointed to a little girl who bore a remarkable resemblance to A.C.’s mama.

Josh looked at the smiling face of the little cousin he never had a chance to know before looking for Sarah in the photograph. “Is this you?” he asked her, and she nodded. “And this has got to be A.C.,” he added with a chuckle as he gazed at the little boy with the shoulder-length dark hair dressed in a black velvet Fauntleroy suit with an enormous lace color. “Oh, and this must be you, Benj,” he said, pointing to a fair-haired boy standing by a lovely blonde woman. “And that’s your mother?” he asked, indicating the blonde woman.

“Yes, that’s our mama,” Sarah replied, her tone wistful.

“Now, I remember this photograph,” Benj said as he reached behind Sarah and pulled the next photograph out of the drawer. “It was taken to commemorate A.C.’s christening.”

“How come the dog is always in the photograph?” Josh asked with a grin as he gazed at the younger versions of his cousins, aunt and uncle.

“’Cause Lady was part of our family. We got her about a year before I was born and she didn’t die until I was almost fourteen. She was a good dog,” A.C. said with a sad smile as he looked at the photograph. “Her pup, Duchess, was my dog. Mama wrote me that she died a month before I quit school.

Sarah pulled out the last photograph, which was also a double frame. On one side, Josh saw his grandfather, surrounded by his granddaughters and daughters-in-law. If things had turned out differently, my mama would be standing there with Aunt Annabelle and Aunt Bronwen, Josh thought sadly. The other photograph in the double frame showed his Uncle Adam holding baby A.C. on his lap while Uncle Joe and Grandpa stood on either side and a very young Benj stood in front of Uncle Joe. Josh felt a rush of sadness and envy as he looked at the photograph because in spite of what his cousins had told him about their relationships with their fathers, both his uncles looked proud and happy as they posed with their sons.

“How old was Uncle Adam when you were born?” he asked A.C. curiously.

“Dad was fifty-one when I was born. I was a surprise; I know that,” A.C. stated. He smiled as he said, “I never really thought about Dad being older than my mates’ dads. He taught me how to ride and cut cattle and how to shoot, how to swim and how to fish. When I was little, he’d play catch with me, and later, he taught me and my mate, Robbie, how to row. He could do everything my mates’ dads could do, and some things they couldn’t do.” With a big grin he added, “I think the only thing Dad didn’t teach me was how to play cricket. My Uncle Rhys taught the game to both of us.”

“Uncle Rhys?” Josh said, looking puzzled.

“Mama’s brother,” A.C. explained. “He and Dad were business partners and Uncle Rhys, Aunt Matilda and my cousin Llywelyn lived next-door to us. Llywelyn was more like an older brother than a cousin.”

Josh couldn’t help feeling envious of A.C., who’d been lucky enough to grow up with both his parents, older sisters, plus an aunt, uncle and cousin right next-door. He doesn’t understand how lucky he is, Josh thought. Then he glanced at Benj and Sarah, and realized they were thinking the same thing he was.

“I’m stuffed—I mean I’m tired—and I think I’m going to go to bed,” A.C. said, yawning. “Where’s Miranda’s letter?”

“Here it is,” Sarah said, picking it up off the desk and handing it to him. “Be sure and give her and William, Jon and Laura my love.”

“Too right I will,” A.C. replied with a smile.

As soon as A.C. opened the door to his bedroom, he was immediately reminded of his dad. Dad’s old stand-up desk cum draftsmen’s table stood in a corner and there were still rolled up drawings propped up against the wall beside it. Dad’s first guitar stood in another corner and then there were the empty bookshelves on the wall. A.C. sat down in the comfortable chair and pulled off his boots before opening his sister’s letter. He’d sent Miranda a telegram when he first arrived at San Francisco, explaining about Dad’s recurrence and the trip being delayed for around a month while he recuperated. A.C. had meant to write Miranda with more details, but things were so hectic that he’d forgotten. Now Miranda wanted more information about what was happening at the Ponderosa since she’d read in the Boston papers about a land war.

A.C. opened one of the drawers in the stand-up desk, looking for some paper he could use to write a reply to Miranda. He saw a stack of stationary in one drawer and took the sheet off the top of the stack, only to discover underneath it was not more paper but an old book. Curious, he took it out and opened it, discovering not a printed page, but one covered in his dad’s neat and precise handwriting.

I wonder if it could be another diary, A.C. thought as he sat down and began to read. This one is even older than the one Sarah found. Judging by the date, Dad was about my age. I wonder what he would have written about.

June 11, 1856
I decided this is the perfect time to begin keeping a journal again. Already I can see that this summer with Thomas’s family is going to be quite different from last summer with Aaron’s. Staying at the Wharton farm was almost like being back home since I had barn chores every day and I helped with the haying. I can tell that staying with the Collingsworths is going to be more like my time in San Francisco with the Townsends. However, the Collingsworths are even wealthier than the Townsends. I’m not very comfortable about having a servant taking care of my clothes and polishing my boots, but I guess I’m going to have to get used to it since Mr. Collingsworth’s valet is going to be looking after Thomas and me.

I suppose I should give my first impressions of Thomas’s family. Mr. and Mrs. Collingsworth are polite but they are very formal. I do feel welcome but Mr. and Mrs. Wharton treated me just like Aaron and David, while the Collingsworths treat me as a guest. Maybe that will change, but somehow I doubt it.

Thomas hadn’t known his sister, Dorothea, was going to be spending the summer with us. He’s never talked very much about his family except to say he’s much younger than his siblings. I don’t think he can be that much younger than Mrs. Lowell. Dorothea. What a lovely name for a lovely woman. It’s sad that’s she’s a widow. Thomas said her husband died four years ago but she still wears the black of heavy mourning. He said his sisters and his mother cannot get her to wear colors again even though a widow is only to wear mourning for two years. She must have loved her husband very much. I think if men wore mourning clothes as women do, Pa would still be wearing black for Belle-mère. It does seem a shame though that a woman as young and beautiful as Dorothea should be alone. I suppose I shouldn’t think of her as Dorothea, but I just can’t make myself think of her as Mrs. Lowell. That makes her sound as if she’s old enough to be my mother.

We’re leaving for the Collingsworths’ cottage on Martha’s Vineyard early tomorrow so I’d better stop for now.

June 22, 1856
I see nearly two weeks have gone by without my making an entry in my journal. I’ll start by saying that the Collingsworths’ cottage on Martha’s Vineyard is nothing like I expected. I thought a cottage would have no more than three bedrooms and expected to share one with Thomas. This cottage has five bedrooms! I have my own, and I think the servants must have rooms in the attic. My room is large with a window overlooking the ocean but the attic rooms must be tiny and cramped. This “cottage” also has a large parlor and a formal dining room as well as a room for bathing. I never realized how tiny our cabin is until visiting San Francisco, Cambridge and now, Martha's Vineyard. I am absolutely determined that when I return to the Ponderosa, I am going to convince Pa that we should build a house. I have some ideas but I need to learn more about how houses are designed and constructed. I do know I want each of us to have his own bedroom, and I think Hop Sing should have a good sized kitchen with a stove he can use for cooking and baking. I think I’ll build a spring house as well. The root cellar works well for vegetables and fruit, but a spring house would be much better for eggs and milk and cream.

But, to return to my holiday with the Collingsworths: Every morning after breakfast, I go for a ride on their private beach. Usually Thomas accompanies me and sometimes Dorothea. They keep several horses and I’ve chosen a chestnut Morgan gelding, a real beauty. Dorothea is an excellent horsewoman and she rides a bay Morgan mare—a spirited animal that suits her. After our ride we often play tennis or croquet, although sometimes we go our separate ways and I use that time to read. In the afternoons, we either go for a swim or go sailing on the Collingsworths’ yacht. I still don’t want to be a sailor like Grandfather or Pa, but I can better understand the pull of the sea. It’s hard to explain, but there is an excitement in pitting oneself against the elements of water and wind. I’m still a novice, but Mr. Collingsworth says I’m learning so quickly that he’s not surprised to learn I come from seafaring stock. (I must remember to write Grandfather about that. He will enjoy the comment.)

In the evenings, the Collingsworths entertain or we are invited to one of their friends’ homes. After dining, we usually play cards or sometimes there is entertainment. Mrs. Collingsworth has asked me to sing a few times and Dorothea accompanies me.

Life here is vastly different from my life at home. I think what I like best about my time here is when I spend it with Dorothea. She is very different from the girls I encountered at cotillions and balls in Boston. She is well-read and knowledgeable in many areas. I can actually have an intelligent conversation with her. She doesn’t flutter her eyes and simper. She is also one of the loveliest women I’ve known.

July 1, 1856
I thought when I lost Julia that I would never love another woman, but now I’m not sure. I don’t know if what I feel for Dorothea is love; I only know that I can’t get her out of my mind, and I dream about her the same way I used to dream about Julia.

I don’t want to feel this way. I know she would never return my feelings. She is still in love with her late husband, and I can tell she only views me as her little brother’s friend. And yet, sometimes, I’ve caught her looking at me in a way that makes me wonder if she finds me attractive.

I can imagine what Pa would say if he knew how I feel about Dorothea, but I can’t stop my thoughts or dreams.

July 14, 1856
I haven’t done a good job of keeping my journal, but the days here all seem to run together. Until today. Today was the most wonderful day of my life because Dorothea and I made love. Just thinking about it excites me. I never dreamed anything could be as wonderful, as powerful as making love with her. I know what we did is supposed to be a sin, but there can’t be anything wrong in something that feels so marvelous.

I still can hardly believe it happened. I had thought she was so calm and refined, but she wasn’t then. She told me I was wonderful and she would come to me tonight. At dinner and supper, I had to act as though nothing had happened between us. That was so difficult. I hope she comes soon.

July 19, 1856
I have never been so happy, so alive. We’ve been together almost every night. I can’t believe I lived for nineteen years and never experienced anything so incredible. I can’t get enough of her. She says I’m insatiable, but the way she smiles when she says it, I know that she feels the same way about me. I only wish we didn’t have to skulk around. It makes it seem that what we share is tawdry, and it’s not. It’s glorious!

I do wonder how we’ll get together after this summer. I suppose we’ll only be able to be together on weekends, and that will be very hard. How will I study when all I’ll be thinking about is making love to Dorothea?

July 29, 1856
She is gone. Last night after we made love, she told me that we shouldn’t see each other anymore. She said I needed to be spending time courting girls my own age. I told her I would rather be with her but she wouldn’t listen to me. She even said she had corrupted me. I told her that she had introduced me to something wonderful but she just looked very sad. She told me that when I fell in love and married, I would see that what we shared didn’t even begin to compare. This morning when I came to breakfast, she wasn’t there. Thomas and I went for a ride, but she didn’t come with us. Then at dinner, I learned she and her maid returned to Brookline.

First Julia and now, Dorothea.

A.C. snapped the book shut. I owe you an apology, Dad, for reading your private journal. I didn’t realize you would actually write personal things, but I guess I don’t really know you at all. It looks like we may be more alike than I realized. Mama tried to tell me that I shouldn’t hold something you did as a very young man against you. The fact that you didn’t always live up to your ideals doesn’t mean you are a hypocrite; it only means that you’re human. After reading this, I realize she’s right.

A.C. was so tired he decided he would put off replying to Miranda’s letter for one more day. He undressed quickly and crawled into bed.

The next evening he sat at his grandpa’s old partner’s desk and wrote to Miranda. When he finished, he went in search of the crusty old cook. “Buckshot, are you going to town tomorrow? I need to mail this letter to my sister.”

“I’ll see it gets mailed,” the walleyed cook replied in his gravelly voice as he took it. “Did I hear your pa and ma are still comin’ for a visit?”

“Right,” A.C. replied, grinning. “And my sisters and their billy lids, uh, children. It’s gonna be pretty crowded.”

The cook nodded, growling, “I don’t want no kids underfoot in my kitchen,” but A.C. saw his lips turn up in a little grin

When A.C. got upstairs, he took off his boots, quickly stripped off his clothes, and slid beneath the sheets. As he was lying in bed, he happened to glance in the direction of the desk, and he thought of the old diary. He knew he should leave it alone, but he kept thinking of how close he’d felt to his dad when he’d read it last night. He threw back the bedclothes and walked over to the desk. Once he had the diary, he lit the lamp on his bedside table, moved the pillows behind him, and opened the book.

November 15, 1856
Oh God, I had the worst hangover! Aaron, Thomas, Fred, Rob and I decided to celebrate my birthday at the Warren Tavern. We saw some other friends there and we all drank too much rum. Thomas said they should give me a birthday present, and someone—I can’t remember who—said he knew the perfect gift: They’d take me to the best brothel in Boston. It had been so long since I’d been with a woman and I was drunk enough that it sounded like a fine idea. Aaron said he was going back to the dormitory and the rest of us jeered at him.

All the women were sitting in the parlor wearing nothing but their corsets, drawers, stockings and garters. Their faces were so painted you couldn’t tell what they really looked like. I found myself remembering what Pa had told me back when I was just a boy about how many prostitutes had been seduced and abandoned by men, and then could only support themselves by selling their bodies. The men who paid to use them were often diseased, and they infected the women, who in turn infected other men. I seemed to hear Pa’s voice in my head reminding me that there is no cure for the disease, which is always fatal. I remembered what it had been like with Dorothea, and then I looked at those pathetic creatures with their grotesque painted faces and all desire died. I also saw that Thomas and Rob looked as if they felt just as uncomfortable as I did. Some of the others were telling me to hurry and make my choice. When I told them I had changed my mind, they made fun of me, but I ignored them. I walked out and Thomas, Rob and Fred came with me while the others called us vile names.

We didn’t say much on the way back to the dormitory. Aaron didn’t look surprised to see me back so soon. I was starting to feel the effects of the rum so I drank some water and went to bed. One thing I vow is that I will never, ever, visit another brothel.

The more I read, Dad, the more I realize I don’t really know you at all. I thought of you as dull and thought all you did when you were at Harvard was study. The reality is proving quite different. You faced the same temptations I do. I am glad to know that sometimes you did live up to your ideals.

A.C. turned back a few pages and began reading.

September 15, 1856
Aaron and I, along with Thomas, Fred and Rob, were invited to join The Hasty Pudding Club! I was hoping we’d all be invited. Being involved in writing and producing theatrical productions should be great fun.

Stone the crows! Dad involved in writing and producing plays? I just can’t picture it!

It doesn’t look as though we’ll have much other time for socializing. Classes are more challenging each year. This year I don’t have to take Hebrew, thank God! I’m taking an advanced class in calculus instead. I thought about taking German, but since I’m reasonably fluent in Spanish and French, I decided that was enough languages. I’m looking forward to mineralogy while Aaron is dreading it. We both think we’ll enjoy chemistry.

Dad, only you could look forward to advanced calculus and mineralogy! But I’m with you about studying Hebrew. That sounds flaming awful!

He decided to skip ahead until he was about three quarters of the way through the diary.

I’ve done it! I’ve earned my bachelor’s degree and graduated summa cum laude. I’m looking forward to going home but at the same time, I’m a little sad to be leaving. I’m going to miss meeting my friends for a drink at the Warren Tavern or challenging them to a game of billiards at Ripley’s in Temple Place. They’ll be no more no more rowing with my crew in a race or just rowing for pleasure to the Spring Hotel where we’d all have supper before rowing back to Cambridge. And I’m really going to miss walking to the Corner Bookstore to see what new books have come out. Most of all, I’m going to miss the friends I made here, and Grandfather. Oh, we’ve promised to write, but it’s not the same. With the exception of Aaron, who’s going back to the family farm, their lives will be so different from mine. Even Aaron’s will be unlike mine since he and Elsie will be getting married in one week.

I still can’t believe Elsie’s family has refused to attend the wedding because she’s marrying a farmer. Aaron feels bad about the rift he’s caused between Elsie and her family, but Elsie’s told him that if her parents won’t accept him as a son-in-law, then it’s their loss. At least Elsie’s older married sister and her husband are going to be there. In fact, her sister is going to be Elsie’s matron of honor and Aaron’s brother David is going to be his best man. His little sister Docia will be a bridesmaid and I will be a groomsman. I haven’t seen Docia in three years. I guess she’s about fourteen now. I remember how she used to follow me around all that summer I stayed with the Whartons in Shelburne Falls, and Aaron and David teased me about my ‘sweetheart’. She’ll have outgrown that calf’s love, thank goodness.

I have to stop for now because it’s going to be a busy day with all the commencement activities. Tomorrow morning Aaron and I both leave for Shelburne Falls and Thomas, Rob and Fred will meet us there the day of the wedding.

A.C. dropped the book on his stomach and crossed his arms behind his head. You know, Dad, reading this makes me remember all the good times I had at college with my mates. I did like college, except for studying all those boring textbooks. It wasn’t the studying that I minded either; it was those god-awful classes. If I had been studying something interesting, I wouldn’t have minded. He sighed deeply. I really need to think about what I want to do with my life. I definitely don’t want to be an engineer and now I don’t really believe I’d be satisfied with life as a stockman, or cowboy as they call it here. But I do want to stay here on the Ponderosa. What I need is a job I enjoy that I can do here. Bronc says Josh and I are going to be repairing fences and that’ll give me time to think.

He picked the diary up again and flipped over a page or two.

We arrived at the Wharton’s farm yesterday afternoon. Everything seemed pretty much the same except that David is taller. Then I saw Docia. I just never realized how much a girl could change in three years. She’s not a woman yet but she sure isn’t a little girl either. In some ways, she’s still the same Docia. The first thing she said to me was, “Oh, I forgot how pretty your curls are.” I could feel my face getting hot and Aaron started to laugh.

A.C. started chuckling. Oh Dad, I wish I could have been there. I know Miranda has a daguerreotype of you when you were at Harvard, but I just can’t picture you with a full head of curly hair. Still chuckling, he flipped over a few pages.

Aaron and Elsie are now man and wife. I’ve only been to one other wedding and that was when Pa married Mama. I don’t remember anything about the ceremony, only how happy I was that Miss Inger would be my mama. This wedding was nice. Elsie was absolutely radiant. Aaron was so overcome when he first saw her in her wedding dress that he cried tears of joy. I wish I could find a woman I could love like that. I won’t even have a chance to meet any young women unless I can spend time in Sacramento or San Francisco. I’m not going to think about that now though.

Poor Dad! You had no idea you would have to wait about fifteen years before you’d meet Mama. But I know that you’d say she was worth the wait. He smiled then, thinking of his parents. I met some nice girls in Sydney and Cloncurry, but I knew none of them was the woman I wanted to spend my life with. I want a marriage like yours where we’ll grow closer as the years pass. Like the lines from that poem. How does it go? ‘Grow old along with me! / The best is yet to be’. That’s what I want. Then he yawned wide enough to crack his jaw and decided he’d better stop for the night. Yawning again, he put the diary back on the desk.

The next morning he was the last one to the breakfast table.

“Thought I was gonna have ta come drag you outa bed,” Bronc said dryly, but there was a twinkle in his eye.

“Say, A.C., when will your family arrive?” Josh asked eagerly between bites of biscuits and gravy.

“Dad wrote that the doctor wanted him to rest for a couple of days in Sydney and then in San Francisco, so they’ll probably get here around the first week in August,” A.C. replied, grinning at his cousin.

“Oh, we need to decide where everyone is going to sleep,” Sarah said.

“Jacob ‘n’ me will move to the bunkhouse while they’re here,” Bronc stated.

“I think we should put Uncle Adam and Aunt Bronwen in the downstairs bedroom,” Sarah said slowly. “Then Beth and Gwyneth and the babies should have Grandpa’s old room,” and she smiled at Bronc who was giving it up. “We could put Elen and Siân in Jacob’s room.” She frowned as she added, “But that still leaves Huw, Dylan, Jory, Benny and Little Adam.”

“Why don’t you share my room, A.C.,” Josh suggested. “I bet the boys would like sleepin’ in their grandpa’s old room.”

“Too right they would!” A.C. agreed with a wide grin.

“But they can’t all fit in the bed,” Sarah protested.

“Two of them can sleep in the bed and the others can sleep on swags—uh, bedrolls—on the floor. They’ll love it,” A.C. replied. “Trust me,” he added seeing Sarah looked doubtful.

The next few nights A.C. was so tired that he fell asleep almost before he could pull his boots off. As he’d worked on repairing the fence, he’d been thinking. He’d considered all the jobs he’d ever done and what had given him the most satisfaction, and in a flash of insight, he knew what he wanted to do. It’ll be a big help here at the station, and I think Dad will be pleased.

He realized he would have to tell Bronc that once the fence mending was finished, he’d need some time off. I just hope I won’t be away the day everyone arrives here. But if I am, they’ll understand when I return and share my news.

The night he and Josh finally finished the fence repairs, he was stiff and sore as he trudged wearily up the stairs to his room. As he was unbuttoning his shirt, his eye fell on the diary that he’d left on top of the standup desk. After a moment’s hesitation, he picked up the book and sat down to read.

July 23, 1858
Pa, Hoss and Little Joe were all waiting for me when my ship docked. Pa saw me first and ran to me and we hugged. It was so good seeing him. I felt about ten feet tall when he told me how proud he was of me, graduating third in my class. His hair is completely gray now, but otherwise he seems the same.

But Hoss and Little Joe have changed so much over the last four years. I knew they would, of course, but it was still such a shock. Hoss just turned sixteen and he’s already at least an inch taller than I am and burly. Thank goodness those years rowing crew developed the muscles on my arms and chest so at least I don’t look like a skinny scarecrow next to him. Hoss’s voice is deeper than mine now, bass like Pa’s. That I wasn’t expecting, although I don’t really know why I should be surprised. One thing hasn’t changed—his smile. It’s just as warm and friendly as ever.

Now, nothing could have prepared me for how much Little Joe has changed. He looks so much like Belle-mère—I had forgotten how much he resembles her. I thought Hoss was going to break my ribs with his bear hug, but Little Joe just held out his hand. He’s been polite, but he’s hardly spoken a word to me all day.

Pa had written me that we would be spending the night at the Townsends’ before traveling back to the Ponderosa. I arranged to have my trunk, containing most of the clothes I wore in Boston, and the two crates of my books delivered to their townhouse, and then the four of us went for a walk so we could talk.

Pa and Hoss had so much to tell me about the ranch. Pa told me how they’d just bought a McCormick reaper since he was so impressed with the one our neighbor Mr. Johnson has. (I guess Pa forgot I’d recommended he buy one before I even left for Harvard.) Hoss told me how Will Reagan is now our foreman and we’ve hired a couple more vaqueros and our herd has grown to about 500 head.

We stopped at Mrs. Ghirardelli & Co so Hoss and Little Joe could get a chocolate bar. While they were getting the candy, I took the opportunity to ask Pa how Ross and Mr. Marquette were doing. (I’ve written to Ross, but he’s not much of a correspondent. Pa had written me that he and Mr. McKaren were both worried about Ross and his pa after Betsy died of rabies and Mrs. Marquette hanged herself.) Pa looked grim but he said they seemed all right. He told me that Ross would still join all of our neighbors on Sundays. When the men and boys would ride over to the bowling alley the miners at Sun Canyon built, Ross would come and bowl a few games. Pa said that Mr. Marquette keeps to himself though.

We arrived at the Townsends’ house about an hour before dinner. I have my old room and Hoss and Joe are sharing the room across the hall while Pa has the room next to mine. That morning I’d dressed in a corduroy jacket, brown checked shirt and my old canvas work pants that I’d bought at Levi Strauss & Co here in San Francisco just before I left for Harvard. I remembered the Townsends dressed for dinner so I changed to the black dress coat and pants I’d had made in Boston and one of my dress shirts and a black silk cravat. When I joined my brothers, they both started to laugh.

Hoss said between chuckles that if I’d been wearing such fancy duds that afternoon, he’d never have recognized me. Hoss’s laughter is definitely infectious so I found myself chuckling, and just then, Pa came out of his room, wearing a black frock coat and pants. Hoss and I really started to laugh then at the look of surprise on Little Joe’s face.

It was wonderful seeing Mr. and Mrs. Townsend, Davy and Mr. Atherton. Mr. Atherton said he wasn’t surprised to learn I’d graduated third in my class, and then Mr. and Mrs. Townsend congratulated me. Davy told me that he decided he wanted to attend Yale and study law so he asked me lots of questions about what college is like. We also discussed the Supreme Court’s decision the previous year in the Dred Scott case and last year’s “panic” and ensuing “revulsion”. Mr. Townsend’s bank was one of the few in San Francisco to survive. Pa and I lost a good deal of money in the panic, but we were luckier than many since some of our investments remained sound. I told everyone about the many men and women who worked in factories back east that lost their jobs since people no longer had the money to buy the goods the factories produced. I explained that I believe our government needs to make the tariffs higher on foreign goods so people will be more likely to buy American goods and thus create jobs for Americans. (Looking back on it, I realize my family didn’t say much at dinner.)

After dinner, we gathered in the music room. We sang lots of our old favorites and Mrs. Townsend asked me if I’d learned any new songs in Boston so I sang “Kiss Me Quick and Go” and “The Mermaid”. Little Joe could hardly keep his eyes open by then, so we thanked the Townsends for a pleasant evening and retired.

August 5, 1858
I’m home. I’m sitting on the edge of the bed, writing by the light of the tallow candle on the bedside table. It’s a lucky thing Hoss and Little Joe are such sound sleepers.

The journey from San Francisco over the Sierra Nevada was a hard one. When I was at Harvard, I had few chances to go riding, and so for the first few days I would ride for a few hours, and then I would change places with Pa and drive the wagon. I made sure I didn’t say a word about how sore I was those first days because I’d seen the scorn on Little Joe’s face when I’d asked to trade places with Pa. I know I shouldn’t have let it bother me. He’s just a kid after all, and I know that I’m a good rider, but it did. By the time we reached Sacramento, I was accustomed to riding all day and Little Joe’s expression of smug superiority was gone.

My first view of our cabin was a shock. After four years of living at Harvard, I’d forgotten how tiny it is. And I hadn’t thought about the fact I’d be sharing a bed not only with Hoss, but with Little Joe! Little Joe didn’t look too happy at the arrangement and neither was I. Hoss and I are both big men and that bed was built for two boys to share. Little Joe came right out and suggested I should sleep in the bunkhouse with the vaqueros. I was willing, but Pa didn’t look too happy with Little Joe and announced this was my home and where I would be sleeping. Hoss quickly added that there weren’t any empty bunks anyhow.

We got back right about suppertime so the Reagans, José, Pedro, Miguel, Luis and Diego came out of the bunkhouse to greet me. They said they’d feed and water the horses for us and unload the supplies Pa’d bought in Sacramento and my trunk and crates. When we went inside, there was Hop Sing. He looked exactly the same as when I’d left. He bowed deeply to me and said he was glad to see Number One son safely returned to his family. I told him it was good to be back and good to see him. Then I grinned and told him I hadn’t had biscuits as good as his since I’d left home, and I was really looking forward to them. He smiled at me and said he’d make a batch for supper. While we waited for supper, I had a chance to look around. Everything was just as I remembered. The red calico curtains Belle-mère had sewn and the rug she’d braided, the plain wooden settee, the washstand by the door with the earthenware pitcher and bowl, the kitchen dresser, rectangular table and chairs. All the furniture was very plain, rather crude even, which wasn’t surprising since Pa and I had made it ourselves, learning as we went along.

Yes, everything was the same, and yet, somehow different.

Hop Sing’s cooking was every bit as delicious as I remembered. He’d prepared my favorites so we had pot roast with potatoes, carrots and onion, and he’d even made a layer cake with sweet, sticky white icing to celebrate my return. We shared the cake with our vaqueros. José is getting some silver mixed in with his coal black hair while Diego has grown an enormous mustache, perhaps to compensate for the thinning hair on the top of his head. Carl has grown some, but I’m still a bit taller. He asked me if I’d met many pretty girls in Boston. I’d told him I’d met plenty, but they all tended to be as prim and proper as they were pretty. That made him grin and say he always liked a challenge so I asked him if there were any pretty girls in these parts now. He said there were a couple in Genoa and Placerville and a couple of new families in the valley had pretty daughters. Trouble was their daddies were free with their shotguns. We shared a laugh and he invited me to attend the next grand ball the miners on Sun Mountain host. I told him I’d heard they didn’t have many women at the balls. He said that was true, and they weren’t much to look at, but they were female and they’d rather dance with good lookin’ young men like us than a bunch of scruffy old men.

Pa introduced me to the three new vaqueros: Tex, Billy and Frank. They shook my hand but then they kind of hung back, although they joked with Carl some while I was talking with José, Pedro, Miguel, Luis and Diego. I asked Pa if I could ride over and see Ross and Todd tomorrow. He smiled and said they’d be busy harvesting their hay. They would all be coming here on Sunday and were looking forward to seeing me. Then he asked me if I would rather help Hoss with the haying or round up strays for the cattle drive. That was an easy choice since I wanted to see how the reaper worked firsthand and I wanted to spend time with Hoss.

If I’m going to get up at dawn, I’d better turn in.

August 8, 1858
It’s late Sunday evening. Pa is working on his ledgers and Little Joe asked Hoss to play checkers, so I have a chance to write in my journal. First, I have to say that I forgot how much plain hard work goes into ranching. Every day stalls have to be mucked out and wood has to be chopped so there’ll be enough to last us through the winter. The McCormick Reaper really makes a huge difference in the amount of time and labor required to harvest the hay and oats though. Hoss and I working together, taking turns driving the reaper and raking the cut hay or oats from the platform, cut as much in one day as we used to in three or four. What an amazing invention!

When Little Joe asked Hoss to play checkers with him, Hoss suggested he play with me instead. But Little Joe said he wanted to play with Hoss. It didn’t bother me, but I could see Hoss was unhappy that Little Joe didn’t want to play with me. I understand that Hoss would like us to be as close as we were before I went away—first to San Francisco and then to Cambridge—but we’ve all changed over the past four years. I think we will be close again, but first Little Joe and I have to get to know each other.

We leave on the cattle drive Tuesday morning, and ever since I’ve been back, Little Joe has been pestering Pa to let him come on the drive. Hoss and I did the same thing when we were his age, not that it ever did us any good. My jaw dropped so hard it nearly came unhinged when this morning I heard Pa tell Little Joe that he could be Diego’s helper on the supply wagon. Then I had to snap my mouth shut before I said something. I can’t believe that Pa would give in that way. He hasn’t changed entirely though. Today all our neighbors came to visit, and when I was answering everyone’s questions about my life in Cambridge, Little Joe kept trying to interrupt. Pa finally sent him up to the loft. I think that may have had something to do with his refusal to play checkers with me this evening.

While we were eating supper, Pa announced that he was having me and Hoss ride swing on the drive. Pa, Hoss and Little Joe all looked at me as though I was loco when I said I thought it would be better if I rode drag. I explained that I wasn’t looking forward to eating everyone else’s dust, but I hadn’t been on a cattle drive for five years so I belonged in the greenhorn position of riding drag. Hoss then said he’d ride drag with me. That made me feel good. Pa smiled and said he’d rotate riding flank and riding drag but he’d start us off riding drag until I felt I was ready to ride flank.

I actually had two reasons for starting off riding drag, and the second one is that I figured any vaquero who normally rode swing would resent Pa’s putting me in his place.

August 9, 1858
I can’t write too long but I wanted to set this down. After supper, Pa asked me to play my guitar while we sang songs. It was fun and reminded me of how we used to sing in the evenings before I went to college. Belle-mère sang and played her guitar, too. It didn’t make me sad to think of her because it was a happy memory. It was that way with Mama. At first, I missed her so much that thinking about her made me cry. In time that changed, and now when I remember Mama, I remember all the good times and how much she loved me.

Hoss suggested that we sing the song about ‘the drunk sailor’. ‘We were all laughing as we sang and when we finished, Little Joe smiled at me and said he remembered singing that song when he was little.

August 27, 1858
We’re back from the cattle drive. I’m writing at the table downstairs because I’m tired of sitting on my bed, writing while holding my journal in my lap. At the same time, I’m not really comfortable writing my private thoughts where anyone could walk by and read over my shoulder.

I can’t believe I ever begged to go on a cattle drive. Spending two weeks without being able to bathe or shave and being surrounded by other men who are just as filthy and malodorous is not pleasant. Oh, and I mustn’t forget the dust. It covers your face, coats your mouth, and gets in your eyes so they burn. And there’s the noise. I’d forgotten just how loud the hooves of five hundred head of cattle and around a hundred horses would be.

Still, the drive wasn’t all bad. I liked sitting around the campfire with the other vaqueros eating johnnycakes, sow-belly, and red beans, and drinking Diego’s strong black coffee. Afterward we’d talk and sing. The first night I reminded Miguel of how he’d saved my life on my very first drive by shooting that rattler. He smiled and said that he’d forgotten it. I said I never would, and Pa spoke up and said he’d never forget what he owed Miguel either.

Little Joe found out that cattle drives are not much fun. Diego really made him work. Diego is usually pretty easygoing so I suspect Pa is behind it. It seems to be a good strategy; I don’t think Little Joe is going to be pestering Pa to come next year.

I was right to start off riding drag, but I surprised myself by how quickly my old skills came back to me. Third day out, Pa had me and Hoss switch positions with Billy and Frank and the four of us rotated between riding drag and flank the rest of the drive. I felt like I’d proved I was a real vaquero even if I had spent four years back East going to school.

When we got to Sacramento, I told the others I’d meet them at the saloon because I had something I wanted to do first. I paid for a bath, shaved, and put on the clean clothes I’d packed in my saddlebags. I felt like a new man when I walked out on the street. When I got to the saloon, I saw Carl having a drink with the prettiest girl in the saloon. She looked me over when I walked to their table, and I could tell she liked what she saw. Carl saw her reaction, too, and he wasn’t happy. I asked if I could join them. Carl was all set to say no, but she invited me to sit down before Carl got his mouth open. She flirted outrageously with both of us but whenever Carl tried to kiss her, she’d duck out of the way. I decided to see if I’d have any better luck, and sure enough, she let me kiss her. I enjoyed myself, but I have to admit I enjoyed making Carl jealous as much as the kisses. When we left, Carl was in a bad mood. From the way Tex, Billy and Frank were laughing at him, he isn’t used to having any competition where women are concerned. That’s going to change.

The ride home was much easier. Of course, now that we’re home, it’s time to butcher a pig and a steer and then we have to finish chopping enough wood to last us through the winter. I remember this time of the year is really hectic. I won’t have any chances to read until the first snowfall, but once winter sets in, and especially when we have blizzards, I’ll have time to read.

It’s night now and I’m writing by candlelight, sitting on the edge of my bed. I need to go to sleep but I wanted to write this down.

We only had this one evening to relax before all the chores begin. Pa was sitting at one end of the table, working on his ledgers and I was writing at the opposite end. Little Joe and Hoss were getting ready to play a game of checkers using the middle of the table, and I would play the winner. While Hoss was setting up the checkerboard, Little Joe walked over by me and wanted to know what I was writing. I don’t want anyone else to read my journal, especially my kid brother, so I knew I had to make him lose interest in it. I told him I wrote about things like how much dust I’d eaten on the drive, and how loud Hoss and Diego snore, and about the pretty girl I met in the saloon in Sacramento who let me steal a kiss. Little Joe made a gagging noise at that, which is amusing since I know in a few years his feelings about girls are going to alter radically. I just happened to see Pa looking at me with one eyebrow raised, and I winked. I know Pa will respect my privacy. Little Joe started to walk back over to Hoss and I realized that I was letting an opportunity to grow closer to Little Joe slip through my fingers.

I quickly closed the journal, saying that I had something up in the loft that I thought Little Joe would find interesting. He looked skeptical but followed me up the ladder. I told him that while I was at college, I’d designed a house for us, one where each of us would have his own bedroom and his own bed. I got the drawings from my trunk and spread them out on our bed. Little Joe immediately wanted to see where his room would be, and his face just lit up when I showed him. He yelled down to Hoss and Pa to come see the drawings of the house I’d designed for us. Pa asked me to bring them down so we could all look at them. When I spread the drawings on the table downstairs, Hoss was as excited as Little Joe. Pa didn’t say anything at first, but he studied them carefully. Then he put his hand on my shoulder and smiled at me, saying he could see I had real talent and he was proud of me.

A.C. slowly closed the diary. Maybe I shouldn’t have read your diary, Dad, but I’m not sorry I did. I think I do understand you better now. Before, I only knew you as a father. Now, I know you as a son and a brother, and as a man. I see that we have more in common than I realized, and I’m proud that you are my dad.

Chapter 4
“Don’t worry, Josh,” Sarah said to her cousin, “we’re not late. Oh, but there’s the train,” she exclaimed excitedly, and the two of them hurried to the platform.

Josh tried to breathe deeply as he watched the passengers begin to descend from the train. Ever since A.C. had mentioned that his parents and sisters, along with his nieces and nephews, would be traveling from Australia to the Ponderosa, Josh had been eagerly looking forward to meeting more of his newfound family. Especially his Uncle Adam. Now that the moment had arrived, Josh was filled with anxiety. A.C., Sarah and Benj had accepted him, but what about these cousins? And most important, would his uncle welcome him into the family?

“There they are!” Sarah shouted, waving her arm, and Josh saw an older man—about Bronc’s age, he thought—helping a tiny white-haired woman. “Uncle Adam! Aunt Bronwen!” Sarah called, and the man and woman looked their direction and smiled. Sarah grabbed Josh’s arm and propelled him through the crowd, but he saw two dark-haired women—one much taller than the other—and several dark-haired children of different ages all descending from the train.

“It’s so good to see you, Aunt Bronwen,” Sarah said, bending to kiss the older woman’s cheek and hug her gently. “And you, too, Uncle Adam.” She threw her arms around him and hugged him briefly before stepping back.

“You must be Josh,’ Adam said, extending his hand to the younger man. Adam noted that Josh’s hair was darker than Hoss’s had been and he wasn’t particularly tall, but he definitely had Hoss’s clear blue eyes and the same stocky build.

“Yes, sir,’ Josh replied, and he heard the nervousness in his voice and knew his palm was damp as he took his uncle’s hand and shook it firmly.

“Uncle Adam,” Adam corrected, turning up his lips slightly. “And this is your Aunt Bronwen.”

“I’m so pleased to meet you, Josh,” Bronwen said with a warm smile as she extended her hand. Then Adam introduced Josh to Beth and Gwyneth, and they introduced Josh and Sarah to their progeny. Neither Sarah nor Josh had ever seen that many children all together, and they felt a little overwhelmed. Josh had a hard time taking his eyes off Beth, who was even more beautiful in person. He just couldn’t believe she could be Elen’s mother. He’d forgotten that A.C. had said Elen wasn’t even fourteen; Sarah knew Elen’s age and was shocked at how well-developed she was.

Once all the introductions were complete, Adam said, “Josh, I could hardly believe it when A.C. wrote that you had turned up at the Ponderosa after all these years of searching for you.” Adam’s voice was a little unsteady and Josh saw his uncle’s hazel eyes were suspiciously bright.

“Speaking of A.C., where is he?” Bronwen inquired. “I thought he’d be here to meet us. He’s not hurt?” she added anxiously.

“Oh no,” Sarah answered reassuringly. “He left about a week before we got your telegram. He was very mysterious about where he was going, but from what he said, he should be back in a day or two.”

“That’s our baby brother,” Beth said with a smile. “We travel half way across the world, and he’s not here to greet us.”

“Oh, and Benj is in court or he’d have been here to meet you as well,” Sarah said quickly. “He’s setting up a law practice here in Carson City.”

“Well, even if A.C. isn’t here, I’m very happy to have the chance to spend some time with my niece and nephews,” Adam said, smiling broadly, and Josh realized A.C. had inherited his dad’s dimpled smile.

“Wanna see station, Pa-pa,” Little Adam said then, tugging on Adam’s hand.

“May we go now, Grandpa?” Dylan asked and all the children looked at their grandpa hopefully.

“Right,” Adam said with a smile, “we’ll go to the station.” He said to Josh, “We can talk more on the drive.”

“Oh, Josh drove the surrey and Jacob drove the wagon for your trunks. We thought some of the boys could ride to the ranch with Jacob,” Sarah said then.

“Beauty!” Huw and Dylan exclaimed.

“I wanna ride with Huw and Dylan,” Jory said and his little brothers shouted, “Me, too! Me, too!”

“Jory and Benny may ride in the wagon,” Gwyneth said, “but, Little Adam, I think you should ride with me.”

Seeing his little cousin’s ferocious pout, Huw said quickly, “I’ll look after him, Aunt Gwyneth. I promise.”

“He and Benny could sit by Jacob,” Adam suggested quietly, wanting to prevent a temper tantrum right there on the platform.

Reluctantly Gwyneth said, “All right, as long as Jacob doesn’t mind if Little Adam sits by him, then he may go.”

“Let’s go find Jacob, mates,” Adam said, adding, “Josh, would you escort the ladies to the surrey?”

“Be happy to,” Josh replied with a grin, and then offered Bronwen his arm, which she took with a smile.

Adam spotted Jacob almost immediately and herded the boys over to him.

“It’s good to see you again, Jacob,” Adam said, shaking Jacob’s hand.

“And it’s good to see you,” Jacob said. “A.C. had us a little worried when he told us about your malaria flaring up, but you look in good health now. And these fine young men must be your grandsons.”

“All but the youngest, who’s with his mama,” Adam said with a proud smile. “Let me introduce them.” When Adam finished, he added, “The boys all want to ride in the wagon with you, and we told Benny and Little Adam that if you didn’t mind, they could sit by you.”

“That’ll be fine,” Jacob said with a big grin for the two youngest boys. “I’ll enjoy the company.”

Adam tousled his namesake’s curls and then said to his oldest grandson, “Huw, you keep hold of Little Adam’s hand while Jacob loads our trunks. Your Aunt Gwyneth is counting on you to take care of him.”

“I will, Grandpa,” Huw said earnestly.

“I’ll hold his other hand,” Dylan offered and with a smile Adam said, “I think that’s a good idea. Little Adam, you hold their hands when you aren’t on the wagon. Understand?” The little boy nodded, placing his hands in his cousins’, and Adam left, calling over his shoulder, “I’ll see you all at the station.”

Adam found the surrey easily. Beth was sharing the second seat with Sarah while Bronwen, who was holding Gruffydd, was sitting with Gwyneth and Morwenna in the third one and the two Jones girls sat in the back. Adam climbed up in the front seat with Josh. As he glanced at his nephew’s profile, which was very like Hoss’s he suddenly realized, Adam began thinking of a way to connect with the young man.

As Josh started the horses on the drive back to the ranch house, Adam asked, “Have you seen the old cabin your grandfather built when we first moved to the Ponderosa?” Josh shook his head and Adam said, “I want to show it to you while I’m here. Your grandfather worked hard that first summer building our cabin and another for our livestock, plus planting a garden. It was my job to watch Hoss. He wasn’t a year old yet so he wasn’t walking, but he could sure crawl fast, and like any baby, he’d put everything in his mouth. I still had my old cloth ball and we’d roll it back and forth. When Hoss got older, we’d play catch with it and I taught him how to skip stones on the lake. I had some picture books my grandfather had sent me and I’d read the stories to Hoss. I remember that Puss in Boots was his favorite. Stories about animals were always his favorites.”

Adam stopped for a minute, and Josh looked at him and saw he was lost in memories. Then his uncle smiled at him. “Your dad always loved animals. He never understood how people could kill animals for sport, not because they needed the meat for food or the hide for leather. And Hoss just couldn’t stand to see an animal suffer. He was always nursing birds with broken wings. If we’d lose a cow or a mare giving birth, Hoss would always feed the calf or foal by hand, and he was usually successful. Whenever our cook’s sow had too big a litter, Hoss would bottle feed the runt.” Adam winked as he added, “We’d have to sell the runt to one of our neighbors because Hoss couldn’t bear the idea of eating a pig he’d raised from a little piglet. To tell the truth, I don’t think any of us could have eaten one of Hoss’s piglets.”

Adam glanced back at his wife and daughters before saying, “My family all traveled to Sydney to be there for your cousin Beth’s birth. Afterward, your dad and your grandfather wanted to see Cloncurry, where we were moving when Beth was a little older, so the three of us traveled there. I remember how fascinated Hoss was with the animals he saw. I had a very hard time persuading Hoss that he couldn’t take a koala back to the Ponderosa with him. And I remember how his face lit up the first time he saw a mob of kangaroos hopping along.”

Josh smiled at his uncle, saying wistfully, “I wish I could’ve known my pa.”

Adam put his hand on his nephew’s shoulder and gave it a squeeze. “I wish you could have known him, too. He was such a kindhearted and loving man; I know what a good father and husband he would have been.”

After the trunks were loaded on the wagon, the older boys climbed up with them, and Jacob lifted Little Adam and then Benny up on the seat before climbing up by Little Adam. I wish Mr. Ben could see his great-grandsons. He’d be so proud of them, Jacob thought. This little fellow is the spittin’ image of his grandpa. He’d have brought back so many memories for Mr. Ben, just the way Miss Miranda did.

Jacob slapped the reins and said, “Giddap, mules.” Dylan spoke up then.

“Grandpa says ‘giddap’ but Tada says ‘walk on’.”

“Tada?” Jacob repeated and Huw said quickly, “It’s ‘daddy’ in Welsh.”

“Ah,” Jacob said. “Well, your grandpa grew up here in America, and we say ‘giddap’ when we want animals to start and ‘whoa’ when we want ‘em to stop.” Dylan nodded and then Jacob said, “Your Uncle A.C. said you boys like to ride.”

“Too right we do!” Dylan said emphatically and the other boys, except Little Adam, all nodded vigorously.

“Your uncle and I picked out some ponies for you to ride while you’re at the Ponderosa,” Jacob added, grinning broadly.

“Beauty!” Huw, Dylan and Jory exclaimed while Benny’s face lit up with an enormous smile.

“I have a pony at home named Sport,” Dylan said then. “He used to belong to Uncle A.C.”

“I gotta share my pony, Blackie, with Benny,” Jory said, glaring at his little brother’s back.

“Well, you can each have your own pony here,” Jacob said, and both Pentreath boys beamed at him. “We found a Welsh pony for you, Benny. Your uncle thought the rest of you would like mustangs. They’re a little larger than your Welsh ponies.” Then Jacob asked, “So, did you boys enjoy the trip from Australia?”

“Jory and Benny got sick on the ship,” Dylan said smugly.

“So did Grandma and your mama and Siân,” Jory retorted. “Grandpa said that Uncle Hoss and Uncle Joe got sick when they sailed to Australia.” Then he said to Jacob,” Grandpa had to rest when we got to Sydney so we all got to go to Wonderland City and—”

“And ride an elephant named Alice and a miniature railroad,” Dylan said, causing Jory to scowl at him for interrupting.

“I wanted to ride the airship but Mama said no,” Huw said regretfully.

“We thought we could swim in the ocean, but it’s winter back home and my mama and Aunt Beth said it was too cold,” Jory stated quickly before Dylan could interrupt.

Little Adam tugged on Jacob’s sleeve and said, “Tell me ‘tory. Pease.”

“You always wanna hear a story,” Jory complained.

“Do you know the one about the three pigs or the one about Goldilocks and the bears?” Huw asked Jacob. “He likes those.”

“No,” Jacob replied, “but how about Joshua and the walls of Jericho?”

“I like that story,” Dylan said with a big grin. “It’s a ripper!”

Benny, who had been very quiet, spoke up and said, “Yes, that’s a bonzer story.”

Jacob deduced from Benny’s happy expression that ‘bonzer’ must mean good, and he smiled at the little boy, noting he had his great-grandpa’s chocolate brown eyes.

Little Adam got sleepy on the long drive so Jacob put him in the wagon with his head in Huw’s lap. Dylan asked to ride by Jacob and Benny, and that’s how they arrived at the ranch house. Everyone but Adam, Siân, Morwenna and Gruffydd was sitting on the front porch, drinking lemonade and waiting for them. Little Adam was still sound asleep so Jacob carefully picked him up and told Gwyneth he’d carry him up to his bed.

Elen said with a big grin, “Gruffydd and Morwenna fell asleep and Mama told Siân she had to take a nap. Then Grandma said Grandpa had to take one, too.” Jacob couldn’t help chuckling softly at that. Bronwen merely smiled and said, “Adam and the children are taking a nap together in our room. I checked and they’re asleep. There’s room for Little Adam with them, and that way he won’t wake up by himself in a strange place.” Jacob nodded and went inside.

“Jacob said he and Uncle A.C. picked out ponies for us,” Jory said eagerly.

“Right, and we’ve just been waiting for you to get here with the trunks so we could change,” Elen said. “I chose the perlino mare.”

“She looks like Rosebud. Your grandpa taught me to ride here on Rosebud,” Bronwen said to her granddaughter, and they shared a smile.

“The quarter horses are for Aunt Gwyneth and me,” Beth said and Gwyneth added, “This will be a short ride since we haven’t ridden for over a month.”

“I’ll help carry the trunks in,” Huw said to Josh.

“Thanks, pardner, but I think I’d better wait for Jacob. Those trunks look pretty heavy,” Josh said. “He’ll be back in a minute.” He smiled at the boy, who looked disappointed.

“Why don’t you boys go look at the ponies,” Gwyneth said, standing up. The boys all ran for the corral and their mothers and Josh followed. Benny was pleased with his dun pony, and Huw was happy with the bay mustang, although he looked longingly at the quarter horses. Dylan and Jory both wanted the chestnut mustang. Knowing how stubborn they both were, Beth asked Josh if he had a coin to toss.

“Sure do,” Josh said with a grin. “Heads or tails, Dylan?”

“Heads,” Dylan said and then both boys watched anxiously as Josh tossed the coin.

“It’s tails,” Josh said and Jory smirked. Jacob, who’d returned while they were looking at the mustangs, suggested to Josh that they carry the trunks upstairs. Everyone but Beth and Dylan followed them.

“They’re all bonzer ponies or Uncle A.C. wouldn’t have picked them for you,” Beth said gently to her son.

“But I wanted the chestnut,” Dylan whined.

“I know, but Jory won the coin toss,” Beth said calmly.

“It’s not fair!” Dylan said, kicking the corral.

“If you don’t want to ride the gray, then you can stay here with Grandma. It’s up to you, Dylan,” and Beth went to join the others. Dylan kicked the corral again, and then he looked at the mustang ponies. The dapple gray was pretty, he decided, just as pretty as the chestnut. He smiled at the pony and then ran inside to change out of his sailor suit.

While the others were changing clothes, Josh and Jacob sat on the porch and Buckshot brought out more lemonade, and glasses for himself and Jacob.

“So what do you think of your Australian family?” Buckshot asked Josh after taking a long swallow of lemonade.

“I think Cousin Beth is the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen,” Josh replied. “I can’t believe she’s the mother of kids as old as Huw and Elen. Especially Elen!”

“Elen’s not as old as she looks,” Jacob said quietly. “I remember A.C. said she’s not even fourteen yet.”

“You’re joking!” Josh exclaimed. “I thought she must be at least sixteen. I mean, she’s—” He broke off, his face beet-red.

“I remember the first time I ever saw Beth,” Buckshot said then. “She wasn’t quite old enough to dress like a grown-up lady, but lordy, she had the young men swarmin’ round like bees around honeysuckle.” He and Jacob both smiled at the memory.

“Gwyneth sure takes after Uncle Adam,” Josh commented.

“She sure does,” Jacob said with a big grin. “I remember the first time I met Adam and his family. I’d heard your dad and your Uncle Joe talk about their older brother who’d married and settled in Queensland, but I never figured I’d meet him. Then not long after your Uncle Joe married your Aunt Annabelle, we got word your Uncle Adam was bringin’ his whole family for a visit. Oh, your grandpa and uncle were so excited. Your grandpa was smilin’ from ear to ear when those four little girls got off the train. And he and your Uncle Joe were so happy to see your Uncle Adam. They missed them all so much when they went back to Queensland.”

“I wonder why Uncle Adam settled so far from the Ponderosa?” Josh mused.

“Well, you’ll have a chance to ask him,” Jacob said quietly.

A moment later, the boys came running onto the porch wearing the old knickerbockers they used for riding. Huw was even wearing an Akubra hat A.C. had sent him for his last birthday. They started to run for the corral but stopped when Jacob said, “Whoa!”

“But we wanna ride,” Jory complained.

“Fine, but you’re gonna need some help saddlin’ up your ponies,” Jacob said as he and Josh stood up, and Buckshot headed back to the kitchen with the glasses and pitcher. “I remember your grandpa taught your mamas to ride usin’ English saddles; ours are bigger and heavier than what you’re used to.”

“Elen uses an English saddle,” Huw said, “but we all use Australian stock saddles. That’s what Grandpa uses now, too. He says it’s better for working cattle than the saddle he used here.”

“Hmm,” Jacob said, frowning a little, “your uncle says he misses the tack he used back home.”

“Well, no matter which type of saddle is better, if Jacob and I help, then you’ll get saddled up faster,” Josh said with a wink, and the boys all grinned.

While the six of them were saddling the horses and ponies, the women came outside. They were also wearing knickerbockers. Gwyneth still had her old black Stetson and Sarah wore a gray one. Beth and Elen were wearing Akubra slouch hats. Even though Bronwen wasn’t going to ride, she’d changed from her suit to a simple blouse and skirt.

It wasn’t long before everyone was mounted. Jacob walked back to the porch and asked Bronwen if he could join her.

“Please do,” she said with a smile. As he sat down, she said, “I hope the boys behaved on the drive home.”

“They were good as gold,” he assured her with a friendly smile. “Now, that Dylan can sure talk.”

“Too right he can,” she said with a little giggle. “He’s a chatterbox just like his Uncle A.C. and Aunt Penny.”

Jacob noted she could speak of her little girl without sadness now. I reckon that’s what they mean when they say time heals all wounds, he thought. Shaking his head just a little, he said, “I can’t get over how Huw, and especially Elen, have grown since the last time I saw ‘em.”

Bronwen smiled and then three little voices calling, “Ga-ma!” were heard in the doorway. The children ran over to them—Morwenna a little unsteadily—and Siân said, “Pa-pa says come change Gruffydd’s nappy.”

“Gruffydd stink,” Little Adam added, wrinkling his nose.

“You three sit here with Jacob,” Bronwen said, lifting eighteen-month-old Morwenna and putting her in the chair she’d just vacated before going inside. A moment later, Adam walked onto the porch.

“Pa-pa, Jacob telled me ‘tory,” Little Adam said with a big dimpled grin.

“I should have warned you that you’d be asked to tell this little boy stories,” Adam said with a wink as he picked Morwenna up and then sat down, holding her in his lap.

“Jacob telled me ‘bout wall fall down,” Little Adam said, “and Daniel and lions.”

“I like the story ‘bout Daniel and the lions,” Siân said, smiling at Jacob.

“Oh, I don’t think you’ve met my granddaughters,” Adam said to Jacob. “This is Gwyneth’s daughter, Morwenna,” and Morwenna smiled at her grandpa.

“I’m Siân. I’m four,” the other little girl said to Jacob.

“My, you’re a big girl,” Jacob said, smiling at her. Jacob turned to Adam then. “You’re sure a lucky man,” he said with a quiet intensity.

“And I know it,” Adam said with conviction. Just then Bronwen walked onto the porch with seven-month-old Gruffydd. Adam said to Jacob, “And here is my youngest grandson, Gruffydd.”

“Could I hold him?” Jacob asked Bronwen, and with a smile, she handed him the baby.

“Gruffydd my brother,” Siân announced while Gruffydd grinned, showing his pink gums and the one tooth he’d cut.

“I was just thinkin’ how much your pa would’ve enjoyed seeing all his great-grandchildren,” Jacob said quietly to Adam, and he saw the pain and sadness in the other man’s eyes.

“Yes, he would have,” Adam said softly, “and I know how pleased he would be to know his grandsons are living here on the Ponderosa.”

Little Adam jumped off his chair and walked over to his grandpa. “Play, Pa-pa? Pease,” he asked, tugging on his grandpa’s hand.

“All right, since you asked so politely,” Adam replied. “What do you want to play?”

“Ball,” Little Adam replied and Siân said, “I wanna play.”

“I know where the ball is,” Bronwen said, standing up

“Jacob play?” Little Adam asked.

“Sure, if your grandma holds Gruffydd,” Jacob said with a big grin.

When the others returned from their ride, Siân and Little Adam were sitting at the table with a box of Crayola crayons drawing pictures while Bronwen was playing This Little Piggy with Morwenna and Adam jiggled Gruffydd on one knee as he talked with Jacob.

“Ma-ma!” Morwenna shouted excitedly while Gruffydd began to grin and wave his arms. Adam got up to take Gruffydd over to his mama and Bronwen held the squirming Morwenna and told Little Adam and Siân in a no-nonsense voice to stay where they were. Little Adam started to disobey but when his grandma said sternly, “Adam Joseph Pentreath,” he pouted, but he sat down. Jacob hurried over to help Josh and Adam unsaddle the horses.

The horses and ponies had all been cared for and the ladies had gone to change from their riding clothes when Benj drove up in the buggy. The older boys and Josh were playing catch, and the younger children were watching as their grandpa drew pictures for them. The game stopped and the boys went over to meet their cousin.

“Uncle Adam, Aunt Bronwen, it’s good to see you,” Benj said, shaking his uncle’s hand and then kissing his aunt’s cheek.

“Good to see you as well, Benj,” Adam said, and Josh noted with surprise that his uncle’s greeting to Benj was reserved, a contrast to his own and Sarah’s reception at the train station.

“Yes, it is very good to see you again after all these years,” Bronwen said warmly. “Let me introduce you to some of your cousins.”

Just like Sarah and Josh, Benj felt overwhelmed by the children and he was relieved when Bronc rode up and the children’s attention was focused on him. Not long after that, the women in the family came out on the porch, dressed in blouses and skirts. A few minutes after they’d greeted Benj and Bronc, Buckshot came out and said supper was ready.

Since there were so many of them, the children were all eating at the big kitchen table Adam and Hoss had made for Hop Sing. Buckshot had put the extra leaf in the dining room table so it could seat the five Cartwrights, Beth, Elen, Gwyneth, Bronc and Jacob.

“I’m so thankful you were able to find the old highchair and crib,” Beth said as she put Gruffydd in the highchair.

“I was about ready to give up and see if we could buy new ones when I found them way back in a corner of the attic,” Sarah said. She turned to Gwyneth. “I hope Morwenna will be all right sitting on top of those books.”

“She’ll be apples,” Gwyneth said.

“That means she’ll be fine,” Adam translated with a grin. Then he turned to Bronc. “So A.C. didn’t give you any clues as to where he went?”

“Nope. Just said he hoped he’d be back before you all arrived, but if he wasn’t, to tell you that he’d be comin’ back with a surprise,” Bronc answered.

“Considering his last surprise was telling me he’d decided to leave college because he didn’t want to be an engineer, I’m afraid to speculate on what this surprise might be,” Adam commented dryly.

“From what he wrote in his letter, he’s happy here,” Bronwen said quickly.

“He seems to be,” Sarah said, and Josh nodded.

“If he decides to settle here, that’s fine,” Adam said. “He’s right that it’s his life. I never wanted to force him to be an engineer just because I was.” His lips turned up into one of his crooked smiles as he added, “I wish he would decide what he wants to do with his life though.”

Bronc said quietly, “He just needs time, Adam. But it would mean a lot to him to know you understand about him not followin’ in your footsteps.”

“It sure would,” Josh agreed.

“I know. I was hoping to have a chance to talk with him today,” Adam said quietly.

Adam woke before the sun was up the next morning. He felt better than he had since his recurrence, and so he woke Bronwen up to show her just how much better he felt. Afterward they cuddled together and watched the sun begin to rise in the east, but then he said to her, “I have an errand this morning. If I’m not back by breakfast, please ask Josh to wait for me.”

“You’re going to visit your family,” she said softly, kissing his cheek.

“This first time I want to do it alone. You understand, don’t you?” he asked after kissing her gently, and she nodded. “I thought Josh and I could go fishing, just the two of us. I don’t think Jacob will mind taking everyone riding.”

“And I won’t mind looking after the ankle biters,” she said with a smile.

“Tomorrow I thought we could all go take a look at our first home on the Ponderosa,” he added.

“That’s a wonderful idea,” she said, giving him a quick kiss.

No one else was stirring when Adam went into the barn and hitched a horse to the buggy. (The distance to the family cemetery was too great for him to ride for the first time in nearly two months.) It was just beginning to be light when he drove out of the yard. He hadn’t made this trip in over ten years, but it was just as familiar as it had been when he’d lived here on the Ponderosa. He walked the last quarter mile, taking his time. He felt the tears begin to burn his eyes as he saw the five granite tombstones.

He stood in front of them with his head bowed, his cheeks wet with tears. “It’s been a long time, hasn’t it? A part of me wanted to come here but another part couldn’t bear the pain. It’s so lonely now that all of you are gone. I don’t know how I would bear it if it weren’t for Bronwen and our children and grandchildren.”

He stood by Hop Sing’s grave and said with a hint of a smile, “Buckshot’s a fair cook, but he doesn’t begin to compare with you, old friend.”

Then he walked over to Marie’s tombstone and placed his hand on the weathered granite. “Belle-mère, it’s been so many years since we laid your body to rest here, but I’ve never forgotten you. You were one of my first friends and except for that brief time I had Inger for a mama, you were the only feminine influence in my life when I was growing up. I can never thank you enough for the love and support you gave me.”

He turned slightly and put his hand on the tombstone that was only a little less weathered by age and the elements. “I’ve met your son, Hoss, and he’s a fine man. Seeing him with the children yesterday, I could see a lot of you in him. I’m going to do my best while I’m here to help him get to know you.”

He moved to stand by the newest granite marker, gently stroking it. “Joe, I see so much of you in Sarah. She’s a lovely young woman with your joie de vie. I’m trying to remember that Benj is your son and find something of you in him. I know he hurt you and I find that hard to forgive, but I am trying.”

Slowly, he turned and knelt at his father’s grave. “Pa, I know you must be enjoying the irony of A.C. turning his back on my dream. It’s only just that now I feel the same hurt I know I inflicted on you. But we both love our sons enough to give them the freedom to follow their own dreams. And I hope A.C.’s dream does lead him here even though his mother and I will both miss him. Bronwen will never complain because I think she feels there is justice in her ‘baby’ moving away from her just as she moved away from Tad and Mam.”

His voice grew thick with tears as he added, “I miss you more than I can say, Pa. I’ve had a good life in Cloncurry, but I wish my dream hadn’t taken me so far from you. I wish you could have watched your grandchildren growing up around you just as I am privileged to do. It’s only now that I truly understand what you missed. I am thankful that at least Miranda, Sarah and Benj spent their summers here and thankful that you were able to see three of your great-grandchildren.” He smiled through his tears as he added, “I’ve told my grandchildren in Cloncurry stories about you and Hoss and Joe and before we go to Hanover, I’ll bring them here.” He looked up at the sky and said, “I have to go now but I’ll be back.”

Bronc and Benj were just leaving the ranch house when Adam drove up.

“Good morning,” Benj said. “I was hoping you’d be back soon.”

“The buggy is all yours,” Adam said coolly.

As Benj drove out of the yard, Bronc said quietly, “I figured where you’d gone. Don’t mind Benj; he has an appointment in Carson City and he just doesn’t want to be late.”

Just then Josh, followed by Little Adam, Benny and Jory, came hurrying onto the porch.

“Pa-pa!” Little Adam shouted and Adam swung him up over his head while he shrieked with laughter.

“Where’d you go, Grandpa?” Jory asked and Benny echoed, “Where’d you go?”

“I went to visit your great-grandpa, great-grandma Marie, Uncle Hoss and Uncle Joe,” Adam replied.

“Like we visit Aunt Penny?” Jory asked and Adam smiled at him and tousled his hair.

“Yes, just like we visit Aunt Penny,” he replied quietly. Then he said, “I’m starving now so I hope Buckshot saved me some breakfast.”

“Fapjacks, Pa-pa!” Little Adam shouted.

“Beauty,” Adam said. Then he turned to his nephew. “Do you like to fish, Josh?”

“Yeah, sure,” Josh said. “I’m not as good a fisherman as Benj though.”

“Gwyneth is probably the best of us all,” Adam replied, his lips turned up in just the hint of a smile, “and maybe after A.C. returns we can all go fishing. But today I thought it could just be me and you. If that’s all right with you, Bronc?” he asked the other man.

“I guess I can spare him for today,” Bronc said, adding with a grin, “just make sure you bring back plenty of trout.”

“We’ll sure try,” Adam said.

“Can I come, Grandpa? Please,” Jory begged since he loved to fish as much as his mama did.

“Not this time, mate. But when your uncle gets back, we’ll go. I promise.”

Bronwen had come out onto the porch and said, “I think Jacob is going to take you for a ride and show you more of the Ponderosa. “ Jory grinned at that, and Adam winked at Bronwen before kissing her.

As they left the ranch house after Adam finished breakfast, Josh commented in an overly casual tone, “Since Benj took the buggy, I’ll hitch the horse to the surrey.”

“Oh, I can still sit a horse, Josh,” Adam said dryly. “I ride every day at home. Of course, Mercury and I are both getting along in years.” Josh’s face flooded with color and Adam clapped him on the back saying, “The fishing hole I have in mind isn’t too far. C’mon, let’s see what horses you’ve got for me to choose from.”

They set out, with Adam on a steady, smooth-gaited grullo quarter-horse that Josh had recommended. “So many things change,” Adam commented as they rode along, “but not the Ponderosa. It’s as beautiful as all my memories.”

“When I first came here, it- it felt like I’d come home,” Josh said.

“It is your home, Josh,” Adam said with a warm smile. “Your father loved the Ponderosa the same way. Hoss wasn’t quite a year old when we moved here, but he always loved it. I know he had no desire to live anywhere else. He never really understood why I wanted to go back East to college and then later to travel and see different places, but he knew it was important to me, and so he accepted it. That’s the kind of man he was; he accepted people as they were, and that’s a real gift. And Hoss always saw the best in people.”

Josh said slowly, “It broke my mama’s heart when he never came back for her, but she always loved him. Jacob explained that he was coming back to marry her, but he was drowned trying to rescue some people. Jacob said my grandpa hired detectives to try and find my mama, but they couldn’t.”

“That’s right,” Adam said. “Your parents met when Hoss had to travel to Kansas City on business. He wrote me a letter while he was there—the last letter I ever got from him—and he told me that he had met the woman he wanted to marry. She was the kindest, gentlest, sweetest woman he’d ever met Your father was always shy around women, but he told me that when he met Claire, he wasn’t nervous at all. He took care of the business that brought him to Kansas City, and then he spent his time with Claire.”

Josh listened quietly, watching his uncle’s features relax as he reminisced. “Hoss wrote me that he rented a buggy and drove her to Independence so they could see where your grandpa, grandma and I started on our trek west. He took her to Coates Opera House and shopping on Petticoat Lane. He was so happy and so much in love. He added a postscript to the letter and told me that he had proposed and she’d accepted him, and he could hardly wait for me and my family to travel to the Ponderosa so Claire could meet us.”

Adam stopped and hesitated for a moment before he added quietly, not quite able to gaze into Josh’s eyes, “He told me that the night he’d proposed, he and Claire were so happy and so much in love that things went further than either of them intended. He wrote that she had a few things she had to take care of in Kansas City so he was going home to tell your grandpa and your uncle Joe. Then he’d go get Claire and bring her to the Ponderosa. They would be married there.”

Adam stopped then and Josh waited patiently until his uncle continued. “I received a letter from Nevada about a month later. I opened it eagerly, thinking it would be about Hoss and Claire’s wedding. Instead it told me that my brother had died.” His voice shook on the last word and he had to blink back the tears that threatened to overflow. “I was devastated at the news and so was Bronwen. I’d told Bronwen what Hoss had written about being in love and getting married but I hadn’t told her what he’d written about the possibility of Claire carrying his child. I knew he only intended for me to know that. Once the first shock had passed, I knew I had to let my father and Joe know. The problem was that it took at least a month for Hoss’s letter to reach me and another for the letter telling me of Hoss’s death. By the time my letter reached your grandpa three months had passed and your mother must have panicked. I’m guessing she moved away from Kansas City, somewhere where people didn’t know her and she could pretend to be a widow.”

“Yes,” Josh said quietly. “She never told me the truth about my father until she knew she was dying. I was angry, thinking he’d abandoned her. Now, the more I learn about him, the prouder I am to be his son.” He swallowed hard and then said, “I’m sure glad I got a chance to meet you, Uncle Adam.”

“And I’m very glad I got to meet you, more than I can say,” Adam said, his voice a little unsteady.

“I’m hoping we can talk about my father,” Josh said quietly. “Bronc, Jacob and Buckshot have all shared memories, but you’re his brother. You knew him when he was just a kid. I guess from when he was a baby.”

“Biggest baby I’ve ever seen,” Adam reminisced with a grin. “Twice as big as Joe or any of ours were. Pa was sure Mama was going to have twins.” He stopped talking for a moment with a faraway look in his eyes. Then he smiled at Josh and said, “After your grandmother died, and before your grandfather remarried, I helped raise your father.”

“But you were just a kid yourself, weren’t you?” Josh asked thoughtfully.

Adam nodded, then added, “There wasn’t another neighbor for miles once we settled on what would be the Ponderosa, so I had to help.” He grinned as he added, “Hoss was lots easier to take care of than Joe was.”

“So you helped raise both your brothers?” Josh asked.

Adam shrugged slightly and replied, “Joe was almost five when his mother died, and I went away to attend Harvard a few months later. Your grandfather and Hop Sing looked after Hoss and Joe on their own. Hoss was twelve then so he helped look after Joe the same way I’d helped to look after him.”

“Growing up without any family except my mama, it’s so wonderful meeting all my cousins, and you and Aunt Bronwen. I wish I could have met Penny.” Josh stopped, his expression stricken.

“It’s all right,” Adam said gently. “I can talk about Penny and Hoss without pain now. It still hurts to talk about your grandpa and Uncle Joe, but your aunt tells me that I should, that it will help me grieve for them. She’s a wise woman and I know that she’s right.” He smiled a little and added, “When it came to being wise about emotions, Hoss and Bronwen were kindred spirits. Hoss could tell from the letters I was writing home that I was falling in love with Bronwen before I’d admitted it to myself.”

Josh smiled and said, “Really?’

Adam nodded, and as Josh listened to his uncle’s voice and watched his expression as he spoke of Aunt Bronwen, he understood that she was one of the reasons why his uncle had settled so far from his home.

A moment later Adam said, “The fishing hole is just ahead.

As they ground tied their horses, Adam said, “Your dad and I found this fishing hole a long time ago when we were boys. One morning after we finished weeding the garden, we decided it would be fun to go exploring.” Adam grinned a little as he said, “Actually, it would be more accurate to say that I decided to go exploring. Hoss was barely three and pretty much did whatever his older brother suggested.”

“How old were you?” Josh asked as they began to cut fishing poles.

“Nine, going on ten. We had some new neighbors, the McKarens, and they had a son about my age. I thought about going to see them, but I’d only been to their place a couple of times and never on my own, so I decided that we’d explore a different direction. I put Hoss in front of me on my mustang pony and we set off. I brought my knife so I could mark the trees and we’d find our way back.”

“That was pretty smart of you,” Josh said.

“Your grandpa didn’t want us going off on our own but he knew the temptation might be too great, so he made sure I knew how to mark a trail and when Hoss and Joe were old enough, he taught them. It’s a good thing because I’m sure we would have been lost if I hadn’t been able to follow my trail back to the cabin. Anyway, we rode along; I was trying to learn some birdcalls and Hoss was trying to mimic me. When we were really young, he always wanted to do whatever I did. That only changed when I grew older and interested in things that he didn’t enjoy.”

“Like what?” Josh asked as they dug for worms to bait their hooks.

“I loved to read and I loved learning anything to do with numbers. Hoss just didn’t enjoy what he called book learning. Neither did Joe. I guess you could say I was the odd one because I did. But your grandpa helped us to understand that we each have different gifts and one gift isn’t better than the other. For example, your dad had a way with animals that neither Joe nor I did.” Adam’s expression grew thoughtful as he added, “A.C. reminds me a little of Hoss that way. Before he went to the Technical College, he used to work with Cloncurry’s veterinarian.”

He stopped and smiled at Josh. “I’ve wandered pretty far from telling you how we found the fishing hole. We’d been riding for a while and were getting hungry, so we looked for a place to eat the food we’d brought with us. This looked like a likely spot. After we ate, I thought maybe we could catch some fish to take home so our pa wouldn’t be so upset about our wandering off. I made a pole for myself and a smaller one for Hoss, and then we dug up some worms. He really liked that and we both got pretty dirty, but Pa never cared too much about that.”

“My mama was always gettin’ after me about gettin’ my clothes dirty or torn,” Josh said with a grin.

“Well, I think that’s one of the differences between mothers and fathers,” Adam said with a wink. “Let’s get our hooks baited so we can catch some fish.”

After they were settled, Adam continued. “Hoss was a born fisherman, just like your cousin Gwyneth. Not many three year olds can sit still for very long, but Hoss could. We caught four trout for dinner.”

“And did they stop Grandpa from punishing you?” Josh asked.

“Nope,” Adam replied with a grin. “He punished me since he knew whose idea it was to wander off, but Hoss would always cry when I got a tanning. I think it hurt him as much as it did me. After we ate the trout, Pa had us show him where the fishing hole was, and the three of us often went fishing together here. When Joe was old enough, Hoss and I brought him here.” He winked as he added, “Now, if we’re going to catch any fish, I’m going to have to be quiet.”

Adam and Josh returned with a fine string of trout for supper. Buckshot had fixed sandwiches that everyone going riding could take with them, and so the riders weren’t back yet. Since Gruffydd wasn’t weaned, Beth had stayed behind to help look after the youngest children. She’d gotten Siân and Little Adam to agree to take their naps by lying down with them. They were all napping upstairs and Bronwen was sitting on the porch reading when the two men returned.

“I’ll clean the trout,” Josh said as they dismounted. “Aunt Bronwen looks like she could use some company. Buckshot’ll help me,” he added since his uncle hesitated.

Adam knew it was useless trying to hide how stiff and sore he was from Bronwen, but as she watched him walk over to the porch, she only said, “You need to soak in a hot bath, Cariad.’

“I know,” he said as he eased himself down on the chair by her. “I’ll go to the washhouse in a few minutes.” Then he squinted at the road leading to the ranch house. “Looks like we have a visitor. I wonder if it could be our wandering boy.”

As the rider approached, they could see it was indeed A.C. and Bronwen smiled and waved at him.

“Sorry I wasn’t here when you arrived, Mama and Dad,” A.C. said as he dismounted. He stepped onto the porch and then kissed Bronwen’s cheek before sitting in the empty chair across from his parents. “I have some news to share with you, and I think it will please you both.” He leaned forward and took a deep breath. “I wasn’t here at the Ponderosa because I was in Pullman, Washington, enrolling in the School of Veterinary Science.” He saw his dad raise one eyebrow and added, “I know you were both disappointed that I dropped out of the Technical College. Well, I liked the idea of earning a degree, but not in engineering. Since I left Cloncurry, I’ve been thinking about what I’d like to do. I remembered the satisfaction I always experienced when I helped Mr. McDonald and I realized that as a veterinarian, I would be a real asset to the Ponderosa.”

“I think it’s a wonderful idea,” Bronwen said, smiling at her son and then glancing at her husband, but he remained silent. A.C. waited to see if his father would say anything, but when he didn’t, he continued.

“I did some checking around and the only School of Veterinary Science in this part of the country is at the State College of Washington in Pullman. Means I’ll have to be away from the Ponderosa for four years; I didn’t tell anyone what I was planning because I wanted the two of you to be the first to know.” He paused and said, “Don’t you have anything to say, Dad?”

“I agree with your mama that it’s a wonderful idea,” Adam replied with a slow smile. “In fact, I was just telling Josh how you used to work with Mr. McDonald.” He paused then asked, “How are you going to pay for your tuition and board?”

“Well, I’ve been putting my wages in an bank account here and I thought maybe I’d see if I could find a job in Pullman,” A.C. replied.

“That’s not necessary,” Adam said. “I paid for your sister to attend Radcliffe and I was paying for you to attend the Technical College, so I’ll pay for your tuition and board.”

“You don’t have to, Dad,” A.C. said earnestly and saw his dad’s lips turn up in the familiar half smile.

“I know, but I want to. It’s going to be hard work and I don’t want your studies to suffer because you have to devote time to a job.”

“Thanks, Dad,” A.C. said with a warm smile that lit up his expressive features. He hadn’t truly realized just how much his dad’s approval meant to him.

“How far is it from here to the college?” Bronwen asked.

“It’s hundreds of miles,” A.C. replied with a slight grin, “I’ll spend summer vacations here, but I’ll be on my own at the college most of the year.”

“I don’t really know the geography here,” Bronwen said. “Hundreds of miles in which direction?”

“North. The college is in beautiful country with green rolling hills and fields of wheat and hay,” A.C. replied. “Oh, and lentils. I was told the area is famous for its lentils,” he added, grinning. “It’s nothing like Cloncurry.”

“Well, I’m glad you made it back here today,” Adam said with another tiny grin, “because tomorrow we’re all going to visit the old cabin your grandpa built when we first moved to the Ponderosa.”

“That’ll be beaut!” A.C. exclaimed. Then he asked, “Where is everyone?”

“Gwyneth, Sarah and Jacob took the billy lids for a ride and Beth is helping me look after the ankle biters,” Bronwen answered.

“Josh and I went fishing and he’s cleaning our catch,” Adam added.

“You took him to the fishing hole you and Uncle Hoss found?” A.C. asked, and his dad nodded.

“I promised Jory that once you were back we’d all go fishing,” Adam said. “Everyone who wants to go,” he corrected himself. “Huw and Jory like to fish and, of course, Gwyneth.”

“And Benj,” A.C. said. “We should go on Saturday so he can come.”

Adam nodded, remembering his promise to Joe. Then he grinned, saying, “I don’t think Josh believed me when I said your sister is the best fisherman in the family.” A.C. chuckled.

Adam stood up and said, “Well, I’m going to take a long, hot bath. Would you mind bringing me some clean clothes, Sweetheart?” Bronwen nodded, and he bent over gingerly to kiss her before walking stiffly to the washhouse.

“Guess Dad went for a ride today,” A.C. commented as he watched Adam’s progress.

Bronwen nodded. “The first since his recurrence. I think it was a little longer distance than he realized. He did take the buggy when he went to visit your grandpa and uncles.”

“It must be hard being the only one left,” A.C. said quietly.

“Yes, it is,” Bronwen said softly, “but I think it’s good that he can be here with them because I know what a comfort it is to both of us to visit your sister.”

A.C. and Bronwen were talking when Beth and the children came outside. Beth’s face lit up when she saw her brother, and she hurried toward him. He bent over and kissed her and then took Gruffydd from her. “Stone the crows, mate! You’ve sure grown since I saw you in May.” Gruffydd smiled and A.C. said, “You’ve got a tooth now I see.” Then he turned to the other three. “G’day, mates.”

“Do you remember your Uncle A.C.?” Bronwen asked. Siân and Little Adam shook their heads while Morwenna put a finger in her mouth and sucked on it as she stared up at her uncle. Then Morwenna toddled over to Bronwen and held up her arms. As Bronwen picked up her granddaughter, she said to Siân and Little Adam, “I’m sure Uncle A.C. would play catch with you if you ask him.”

“Too right I will,” A.C. said with a grin and Beth said, “I’ll go get the ball.”

When Beth returned, Bronwen said to her granddaughter, “Grandma has to get Grandpa some clean clothes, so you stay here with Aunt Beth and Gruffydd.” Seeing Beth raise an eyebrow, Bronwen explained Adam was stiff after riding to the fishing hole so was taking a hot bath. “I’m sure he’s wondering where I am with his clothes,” she added with a little grin.

As the family gathered for supper that evening, Sarah asked A.C., “So are you going to tell us where you were, or is it a deep, dark secret?”

Everyone but Adam and Bronwen looked at A.C. expectantly, and he grinned. “It’s no secret; I just wanted to tell Mama and Dad first,” he replied. “You all know that when I arrived here I knew I didn’t want to be an engineer, but I didn’t know what I did want to be. Now I do.” He paused, and they all looked at him expectantly. “I want to be a veterinarian.”

“A veterinarian?” Josh repeated, his expression one of surprise, which was mirrored on the faces of Sarah and Benj.

However, Beth and Gwyneth didn’t look surprised at all. “You did like working with Mr. McDonald,” Gwyneth said thoughtfully.

“I am officially enrolled in the School of Veterinary Science at the State College of Washington in Pullman,” A.C. said proudly. He turned to Bronc and said, “I’ll be gone for four years, but when I return, I’ll be more of an asset to the Ponderosa.”

“That’s true,” Bronc agreed quietly. “Be mighty fine to have our own veterinarian.”

“But you’re gonna be gone four years,” Josh said, his disappointment obvious.

“I’ll spend summer vacations here, but Pullman is too far away to visit here during the school year,” A.C. said.

Bronwen turned to her husband. “Cariad, would we have time to visit Pullman before we sail home? I would like to see where A.C. will be spending the next four years.”

“I was thinking the very same thing,” Adam said with a wink. “We’ll go from Hanover to Pullman, and then travel from Pullman to San Francisco.” He asked his son, “Will you be staying in a dormitory?”

“No, I made arrangements to stay at a boardinghouse that the admissions office recommended to me,” A.C. replied. He turned to Bronc. “Classes start in September but I want to travel to Hanover with my family. It’ll be the first time we’ve all been together since Miranda and William’s wedding.”

“I expected you’d want to go,” Bronc said with a smile. “We’ll all miss you until you come back next summer.”

Seeing the distress written all over Josh’s face, Adam quickly added, “But we won’t be leaving for Hanover for three more days. We’ll go see the cabin my father built with his own hands tomorrow, and anyone who’s interested can come fishing on Saturday.”

“I want to come,” Gwyneth said with a grin. “I don’t get that many opportunities to go fishing.” Then she added quickly, “I mean I’ll go if Mama and Beth don’t mind watching Little Adam and Morwenna.”

“I’ll help watch them,” Sarah said with a grin. “I haven’t spent much time with them or Siân and Gruffydd.”

“And Elen will help, too,” Beth said to her sister, “so go and enjoy yourself.”

“A.C. tells me you still like to fish, Benj,” Adam said with a friendly smile.

“That’s right,” Benj answered, returning his uncle’s smile.

“Dylan’s never shown much interest but the other older boys will all want to come,” Adam said, “so that will make seven of us.” He smiled at Bronc and Jacob and added, “Of course, you’re both welcome to join us.”

“Thanks, but this is a special time for your family,” Bronc said and Jacob nodded, adding, “Maybe I’ll stay here and tell Little Adam some stories. Never saw a child as hungry for stories as that one.”

“Oh, I have a feeling he takes after his grandpa,” Bronwen said with a wink. “His father told me once how much Adam enjoyed hearing stories about his days at sea.”

Benj spoke up then. “Uh, I don’t have any appointments tomorrow, so I’d like to see the old cabin. If that’s all right.”

“Of course,” Adam said. Then he turned to Bronc. “I don’t suppose anyone has been there in the last ten years?”

“Nope, but I reckon it’s pretty sound, except for the loft,” Bronc replied.

Josh had been quiet ever since A.C. made his announcement, but now he spoke up. “The boys were tellin’ us that you have a ranch, Uncle Adam, but A.C. said that you own a mining company.”

Adam smiled at his nephew as he answered. “My brother-in-law and I are partners in a mining company but we bought a cattle ranch, or station as we call it, a year or so after we moved to Cloncurry. Mining is so chancy that I thought we should have another source of income. We couldn’t run the mine and the station, so we hired a man to run the station for us. A.C. worked there a couple of summers before he went to the Technical College and the boys want to do the same when they are old enough.”

“What’s your ranch called?” Josh asked his uncle.

Adam grinned at Bronwen as he said, “Rhys and I decided to let our wives name the station.”

Bronwen chuckled as she added, “As we drove there, my sister-in-law, Matilda, said it was a wilderness, so I christened the station Tir Gwyllt, which means wilderness in Welsh.”

“Tir Gwyllt is much prettier than wilderness,” Sarah remarked with a smile.

“The station has been a steady source of income over the years,” Adam said, “whereas the mine has been boom or bust.”

The children finished eating first and came trouping into the great room. Morwenna toddled over to her mama, who lifted her up on her lap. Spying the checkerboard, Huw asked if he and Dylan could play a game.

“Sure thing,” Bronc replied with a smile.

“Jory, why don’t you and Benny, Siân and Little Adam go play catch until we’ve finished eating,” Gwyneth said, and Beth added, “Yes, that’s a good idea.” The younger children all ran outside while Huw and Dylan sat down to play.

When everyone had finished eating, Adam suggested they gather in the great room and sing.

“That’d be beaut, Dad!” A.C. declared. “Your old guitar is upstairs.”

Adam smiled just a little and said, “After all these years, I’m sure the strings need to be replaced, but we can sing a capella. Without accompaniment,” he added, seeing some blank looks. He seated himself in the blue velvet armchair and Little Adam walked over and held his arms up, so Adam lifted him onto his lap.

“What shall we sing first?” Bronwen asked as she and Beth, Gwyneth and Elen sat on the settee, with Morwenna on her mama’s lap while Siân sat on her sister’s and Beth held Gruffydd.

“Sing Jesus Loves Me,” Little Adam commanded.

“Yes, Jesus Loves Me,” Siân echoed.

“It’s the only song they know,” Beth explained.

After everyone was seated, the Australian members of the family sang the children’s hymn while the others listened and watched the littlest children’s innocent, happy faces.

“Could we sing Waltzing Matilda next?” Dylan asked.

“Let’s sing some songs everyone knows first,” Bronwen said gently.

“How about Sweet Betsy From Pike?” A.C. suggested. “We all know that one.”

They sang a selection of American and Australian songs until the youngest members of the family were rubbing their eyes to keep awake.

“Before we stop, could you sing a song, Gwyneth?” A.C. asked. “It’s been a long time since I’ve heard you sing.” He turned to the others, saying, “Gwyneth has such a beautiful voice.”

Gwyneth’s cheeks were just a little pink at her brother’s praise but she asked, “Do you have a request?”

“Fairest Lord Jesus,” he replied. “It’s one of my favorite hymns.”

Gwyneth said, “Daddy, Mama, Beth, if you would sing the melody on the last verse, I’ll sing the descant.”

The others, especially Josh, listened raptly as Gwyneth’s clear, rich soprano filled the great room. Then, as the other three voices blended on the melody, Gwyneth’s soared true and pure on the descant.

“That was the most beautiful singing I’ve ever heard,” Josh said when they finished.

“It was glorious,” Sarah agreed. “Gwyneth, your voice is so beautiful.”

“Yes, you could sing professionally,” Benj said quietly.

“I’d rather just sing for my family,” Gwyneth replied.

“My husband persuades her to sing solos at our church,” Beth said, giving her younger sister a quick hug. Then she stood up and said, “We need to put the ankle biters to bed.” Siân and Little Adam were too sleepy to fuss and let themselves be led off to bed by their mamas and Bronwen went along to help.

As they walked up the stairs, Adam turned to A.C. with a smile and said, “There’s a full moon tonight. How about you and I sit on the porch and talk?”

“Right, Dad,” A.C. replied. He’d been looking for an opportunity to speak with his dad.

Father and son sat down, tipping back their chairs and stretching their long legs in front of them. At first the two men were silent, and then Adam began to speak. “Son, those weeks that I was confined to my bed and the voyage here gave me plenty of time to think about my reaction to your announcement that you had no desire to become an engineer. I wasn’t fair to you.”

“Well, I took you by surprise,” A.C. said with a shrug.

“Yes, but I shouldn’t have been surprised,” Adam stated. “Your mama wasn’t. After you left, we talked about your decision, and she made me see that I viewed you as an extension of myself. Because I liked engineering, I just assumed that you would like it as well. Your mama has always seen us both clearly and recognized our temperaments are very different, or as you wrote, we’re as different as night and day. Still, I could have tried harder to understand you.”

“And I could have tried harder to understand you,” A.C. said quietly. “When I was a billy lid, I was so proud to have you for a dad. You were smart and strong and I thought there wasn’t anything you couldn’t do.” A.C. looked away then before continuing. “When I discovered you were fallible, just like me, I reacted like a child. I wanted to hurt you for not being perfect.”

“I was hurt, but I deserved it for the pain I caused you and your sisters, and most of all, your mama,” Adam said, and A.C. heard the sorrow in his dad’s voice.

“No, Dad, I don’t agree,” A.C. said firmly. “Yes, you made a mistake, but we all make mistakes.” He put a hand on his dad’s shoulder. “I was proud of you, Dad, and I still am. I just know that my path in life is going to be different from yours. Not better, just different.”

Adam nodded slowly. “I’m pleased you’ve found a profession that you’ll enjoy as much as I always enjoyed mine,” he said with a smile as he reached over and gave A.C.’s neck an affectionate squeeze.

They sat in companionable silence and then A.C. said slowly, “Dad, I have a question I’d like to ask you.”

“Go ahead,” Adam said.

A.C. drew a deep breath and then chose his words carefully. “Dad, ever since I’ve been back here on the Ponderosa, I’ve wanted to ask you why you left.” His dad was silent for so long, A.C. thought he wasn’t going to answer, but then Adam began to speak, slowly and thoughtfully.

“There wasn’t one single circumstance that led to my leaving the Ponderosa,” he began, tugging on an earlobe. “I lived here for thirteen years after I earned my degree from Harvard, and as the years passed, I grew increasingly weary of branding and castrating calves every spring and going on cattle drives every summer. The timber operations were more challenging, but ultimately, it was your grandfather who made the final decisions. I had no quarrel with that, but I began to dream of my own business.”

Adam stopped, aware of his son’s intent scrutiny, and gazed up at the velvety black sky, speckled with white stars, and at the luminous white moon. A.C. waited silently until his dad continued.

“That’s one reason. Another is that I wanted to step out of my father’s shadow. I knew that to many people here I would always be Ben Cartwright’s oldest boy, and by the time I was in my thirties, I definitely wanted to be my own man.”

“I can certainly understand that reason,” A.C. said quietly, and then they both smiled wryly.

Adam’s tone was softer when he spoke again. “The final reason that I chose to settle in Australia was because I fell in love with your mama. I could see how close she was to her family and I didn’t want to separate them. Of course, the irony is that by settling in Cloncurry, she didn’t see any more of your tad-cu and mam-gu than I saw of your grandpa.”

“But there were Uncle Rhys, Aunt Matilda and Llywelyn,” A.C. interjected, and his dad slowly nodded.

“Your grandpa never complained, but I knew that it hurt him when I chose to start my mining company in Cloncurry,” Adam said then, his expression pensive. “I regret the pain I caused him, but I’ve never regretted my decision.” He smiled slowly at his son. “I know your grandpa would be pleased that you’ve decided to live here.”

“I really miss everyone in Cloncurry though,” A.C. said softly. “I did when I was in Sydney, too.”

“And we all miss you,” Adam said, “but we can write.” His tone grew more serious as he added, “It would mean a lot to your mama if you’d write more often.”

A.C. nodded, looking guilty. “I promise I’ll do better.”

“I know you will,” Adam said, the corners of his mouth turning up slightly. Then he sat up straight and said, “How about a game of checkers?”

“You’re on,” A.C. replied, grinning.

“My, there is something about the Ponderosa that is certainly invigorating,” Bronwen said with a satisfied smile as she and Adam cuddled early the next morning.

“Too right,” he said with a wink before kissing her. Then as he held her close, he said quietly, “You were right as usual, Sweetheart. This visit has been good for me. The ranch brings back so many memories of Pa and Hoss and Joe. And it’s good to see A.C., Josh, Benj and Sarah living here, to know that Pa’s dream lives on.”

“Yes, it is good,” she said softly.

Adam and Bronwen were the first family members up that morning, so they set the dining room table. Just as they were finishing, Little Adam came hurrying down the stairs in his pyjamas, tightly clutching the banister. They started to say good morning, but he announced desperately, “Gotta go!”

“Here,” Adam said as he rapidly crossed the room, “You can use the Jerry in our room.”

When the two Adams returned, Elen and Siân had come downstairs, Elen wearing her knickerbockers since she was going to ride to the cabin.

“That was close,” Adam said to Bronwen. Then he announced, “Little Adam and I will go make sure the other boys are up.” He added with a wink, “And I’ll make sure Little Adam knows where the chamber pot is in that room.”

Once everyone was gathered in the great room, the children started to head for the kitchen, except Little Adam.

“C’mon, mate,” Huw said, reaching for his cousin’s hand.

“I eat wiv Pa-pa,” Little Adam said, shaking his head.

“No, Little Adam, you eat in the kitchen with the other children,” Gwyneth said firmly.

“I wanna eat wiv Pa-pa,” the little boy said, moving closer to his grandpa. “Pease,” he added, remembering the magic word, and then smiling engagingly at the adults.

“Tell you what, mate,” Adam said, ruffling his namesake’s curls “since you remembered to say ‘please’, I’ll come eat in the kitchen with you, and Elen can take my place here in the dining room.”

All the younger children were happy that their grandpa was going to eat with them and Elen, who’d been eating in the kitchen with the younger children since A.C.’s return, was pleased to be eating with the adults. Gwyneth said quietly to Beth, “I’m afraid Little Adam is going to be spoiled if he always gets his own way.”

“I don’t think so,” Beth replied reassuringly. “He’s still so young, and he did remember to say ‘please’. Gwyneth nodded, but it was clear she wasn’t totally convinced.

Beth, Gwyneth and Elen washed and dried the breakfast dishes while Bronwen and Buckshot made sandwiches for the picnic lunch. (They’d made plenty of ginger cookies the day before.) In the meantime, Josh and A.C. hitched the horses to the surrey and Benj and Jacob helped the boys saddle the horses for everyone who was going to ride to the cabin while Adam watched his littlest grandchildren.

“If you don’t mind, I thought I’d tie my horse behind the surrey and ride to the cabin with you,” Josh said as everyone began to mount up and Adam helped Bronwen into the surrey.

“Of course we don’t mind,” Bronwen said, smiling warmly at her nephew.

“Sit wiv me ‘n’ Pa-pa,” Little Adam said with a big grin.

“Thanks for the invitation,” Josh said, smiling at the little boy. Just before he sat down, he asked, “Uh, could I hold Gruffydd?”

“Too right,” Bronwen said, standing up and handing the baby to her nephew.

“I’ve never been around a baby before, but he’s as cute as a bug’s ear,” Josh commented as he settled Gruffydd on his lap.

“A bug’s ear?” Bronwen repeated doubtfully while Siân and Little Adam began to giggle.

“It’s no worse than stoning crows, Sweetheart,” Adam said, turning around and winking at her, and she nodded and grinned.

“Can we go now, Grandpa?” Jory yelled so Adam said, “Giddap,” and slapped the reins and they all set out.

They hadn’t gone far before Little Adam said, “Tell me ‘tory, Pa-pa. Pease.”

Adam smiled at his namesake and said, “A long time ago, another family traveled to the same place that we’re going. They were a much smaller family—just a daddy and his two little boys.”

“And a mama,” Siân said from the second seat, where she and Morwenna and Bronwen were sitting.

“No, Siân, these little boys’ mamas were in heaven,” Adam said quietly. He saw that Josh was listening as intently as the little ones, and smiled at him. “The older boy was the same age as Benny and the younger was about the same age as Gruffydd. Now, this family wasn’t traveling in a surrey like ours. They traveled in a wagon that was covered with a watertight canvas bonnet to keep out the rain. The older boy had been traveling in that wagon ever since he could remember, but his daddy told him they were going to live out west and build their own cabin to live in instead of the wagon.”

“When they traveled west, they saw a beautiful blue lake with the tallest trees the boy had ever seen. The boy wanted to build their cabin there, but the daddy explained that it was too late. They wouldn’t have time to grow the food they’d need during the long cold winter. But he promised the boy they’d come back in the spring and build a cabin and plant a garden. And that’s just what they did.”

“They found the perfect spot to build their cabin. They wouldn’t have to go too far to get water and they could catch fish to eat. The very first thing they did was to plant a garden. The daddy worked hard with the spade, turning up the good black soil, while the older boy played with his baby brother. When the daddy finished digging the garden, he made a sort of sling out of a blanket so he could carry the baby on his back while he and the older boy planted seeds.”

“Like Jack plant?” Little Adam asked excitedly.

Adam chuckled before replying, “No, they weren’t magic seeds. These seeds grew into cabbages and peas and carrots and squash and beans and potatoes that the family could eat.”

“Even the baby?” Bronwen asked skeptically.

“The daddy and the older boy would mash up the peas and carrots and squash and potatoes so he could eat them,” Adam replied, turning his head and winking at her. “Once the garden was planted, it was time to build the cabin. First, the daddy dragged rocks and stones to build the cabin’s foundation, and the older boy dragged the biggest ones he could manage so he could help. When they laid the foundation, the daddy had a big axe he used to cut down one of those tall pine trees. The older boy wanted to help chop the tree. He talked back to his daddy when his daddy told him he was too little to chop down trees, so his daddy had a necessary talk with him.”

Siân’s and Little Adam’s eyes got big and round because they knew what that meant, while Bronwen grinned, easily picturing the scene.

“What’s a necessary talk?” Josh asked.

“A spanking,” Adam replied with a grin. Then he continued the story. “Once the daddy stacked the logs to make walls, it was time to fill in the chinks between the logs. That was fun and everyone could help, even the baby. They jammed sticks and wood chips into the cracks. The older boy kept having to stop his baby brother from trying to eat the wood chips.” Josh chuckled at that, and hearing him, Siân and Little Adam began to giggle. Smiling broadly, Adam continued. “Then came the really fun part. They mixed dirt, sand from the lakeshore and water together to make a cement, and then they covered all the cracks. The baby got more of the cement on himself than he did the cabin, but he had fun. The older boy was pretty dirty too, but he was glad he and his brother got to help build their new home.”

Adam turned his head to smile at his granddaughters and then at his grandsons. “In just a little while, we’re all going to see the cabin that the daddy and his two little boys built.”

Benny was riding close so he could listen to the story, and now he said, “You were the big boy, weren’t you, Grandpa? And Uncle Hoss was the baby?”

“That’s right,” Adam said. Then he called out to the others, “Why don’t we sing?”

“Sing that song about Matilda,” Josh said. “That’s a catchy tune.”

As the party approached the little clearing, Huw reined in his horse and whistled. “Stone the crows! It sure is small,” he exclaimed.

“Too right!” Dylan agreed. “It’s even smaller than Grandma and Grandpa’s house.”

“You and Great-grandpa and Uncle Hoss and Uncle Joe all lived here?” Elen asked. She’d thought the parsonage was small, but it was a mansion compared to this.

“That’s right. And most of the time your Great-grandma Marie and Hop Sing lived here too,” Adam replied, amused at his grandchildren’s astonishment. “Give me a minute to make sure it’s safe, and then we can go inside. We cannot go up in the loft though,” he added. “I know that wouldn’t be safe.”

They all ground tied their mounts. The older children, along with A.C., Benj and Sarah, began to look at the cabin’s exterior while Adam examined the cabin’s structure. Beth and Gwyneth walked over to the surrey to see how their youngest children were doing.

I’ll take Gruffydd,” Beth said to Josh with a smile. He turned to Little Adam and said, “You stay with me, Pardner, until your grandpa says we can go inside.”

Gwyneth added, “Little Adam, hold Josh’s hand,” as she put her hand around Morwenna’s, and Beth said, “Siân, you take Grandma’s hand.” Then their little group went to join the others.

“See, children,” Bronwen said, “this is where your grandpa, great-grandpa and Uncle Hoss smeared on the dirt, sand and water.” Little Adam tugged on Josh’s hand until he pulled them close to the cabin, and then he touched the homemade cement smeared all over the bottom logs.

“And look at the stones your grandpa and great-grandpa dragged here to make the foundation. They worked hard,” Josh said with pride.

“It’s amazing to think that our grandfather built this cabin all by himself, except for the help of a six-year-old,” A.C. commented to Benj and Sarah.

“I wonder how he stacked the logs,” Sarah said. “They’re too big and heavy for him to have lifted on his own.”

Adam overheard them and said, “He used a hoist. It was slow and dangerous work.”

“Who lived in the other cabins?” Elen asked then, glancing around at the other two cabins in the clearing.

“That one was the barn,” Adam replied as he pointed to the one a distance away from the other two. “And that one was the bunkhouse for our hands. It wasn’t built until around the fourth spring we lived here and began raising cattle. The first year, we grew just enough food to feed ourselves. But then your great-grandpa began growing extra food that he could sell to other pioneers who were traveling over the mountains to Oregon. He saved the money they paid him until he could buy some calves.”

“How long has this cabin been here?” Josh asked.

“Almost seventy years,” A.C. replied.

“Sixty-five to be precise,” Adam corrected with a little grin. “Your grandpa did a good job. I’ve checked and it’s safe to go inside and look around.”

“I remember Grandpa put in new windows and a new floor before Miranda and William used the cabin on their honeymoon,” Gwyneth commented as they walked inside.

“I wouldn’t want to spend my honeymoon here,” Elen declared as she took in the small room furnished with a crudely made wooden table, chairs and settee.

“Oh, I don’t know,” A.C. said. “With a little cleaning, it would be cozy and romantic.” Elen rolled her eyes.

“It’s so little,” Jory said, ignoring all the talk about honeymoons.

“Where did you sleep, Grandpa?” Benny asked.

“When we first lived here, your Uncle Hoss and I slept over there by the fireplace, and your great-grandpa slept by the window. We didn’t have real beds then—just what they called sleeping shelves. They were wooden planks supported by boards. At least it meant we weren’t sleeping on the dirt floor,” Adam replied.

“Dirt floor!” Elen said, sounding horrified.

“Your grandpa didn’t have time to build a floor until just before winter set in. A dirt floor would have been too cold in the winter.” Adam shivered involuntarily at the idea. “It snowed so much that we had to stay inside, and so your grandpa made some real beds with frames, bedsprings made of ropes, and mattresses stuffed with straw. I was too little to use a hammer and saw, so it was my job to rub the wood smooth with a piece of pumice.”

“There’s no stove,” Elen said. “How did you cook?”

“We used the fireplace,” answered Adam. He walked over to a door at one end of the cabin and opened it, revealing a small lean-to that contained a simple bed like Adam had been describing. “This was Hop Sing’s room.”

“Stone the crows! That’s the smallest bedroom I ever saw!” Dylan exclaimed. Benny and Jory said, “Too right!” vigorously nodding their heads.

Adam smiled and walked over by the door at the other end of the cabin. “About the fourth summer we lived here, your great-grandpa built the loft. I helped him take apart the bed Uncle Hoss and I shared so we could carry it up the ladder to the loft, and it became our bedroom.”

“Where’s the ladder?” Dylan said, looking around.

“It probably rotted over the years,” Adam said. “There wasn’t much to see in the loft because we basically only used that room for sleeping. After your grandpa made the loft for us, he made this lean-to for his bedroom, and it soon became his and your great-grandma Marie’s.” He opened the door to a larger lean-to.

“It must have been very hard for my grandmother, leaving New Orleans to come live here,” Benj said as the children and the women moved away to examine the main room and its contents more carefully. The disgust in Benj’s tone was obvious and both his cousins resented it.

“Yes, it took courage to leave the way of life she knew and come here,” Adam agreed quietly. “But she loved your grandfather, and in time she came to love your Uncle Hoss and me. And she had a very good friend and neighbor in Jessie McKaren. In spite of the hardships she faced here, I think she was happy.”

“But why should it always be the wife who makes the sacrifice?” Benj asked bitterly. “Why couldn’t Grandfather have brought you and Uncle Hoss to New Orleans and made a life there?”

“I’ll try and answer your question, Benj,” Bronwen said, startling the four men, who hadn’t realized that she had rejoined them. She moved close to Adam and he put an arm around her shoulders. “For most women, Benj, being with the man we love is more important than where we live. It is just that simple. Life in Cloncurry was an adjustment for me and for my sister-in-law, but our husbands were in the mining business and they had discovered copper in Cloncurry, so naturally that is where we lived. Your grandfather had a dream to settle in the west and your grandmother understood that just as Josh’s grandmother and A.C.’s had before her.”

Bronwen smiled up at her husband as she put her arm around his waist and hugged him. “We loved our husbands, and so we went where their dreams took them. We quickly discovered frontier life was even more difficult than we had imagined, but we chose to be content with what we had, rather than longing for what we had left behind.”

Benj shrugged and walked away, but he thought about his aunt’s words. All these years, he’d blamed his dad for his parents’ separation, thinking that he didn’t love his family enough, but now Benj was beginning to think that explanation was too simplistic.

As the women examined the fireplace, Elen asked her mama, “Did Aunt Miranda cook on the fireplace when she and Uncle William were here on their honeymoon?” To her surprise, her mama began to laugh.

“What’s so funny?” A.C. asked, walking over to join his sister and niece, followed by the other men.

Beth managed to stop laughing as she said, “Elen wanted to know if Miranda cooked meals in the fireplace while she and William honeymooned here.” When she said that, Adam, Bronwen and Gwyneth all began to laugh while the others looked bewildered. Beth explained to them, “Miranda can’t cook. I think the only meal she cooked for William was toast for their very first breakfast, and William admitted that she burnt it. They ate their meals at the ranch house.”

“Oh, I remember that they ate with us,” Sarah said with a grin. “I just didn’t know why.”

“She really can’t cook?” Elen asked, finding that hard to believe.

“We all have different gifts, as your tada would say,” Beth explained. “Aunt Miranda may not be able to cook, but while I struggle with the household accounts—”

“And so do I,” Gwyneth interjected.

“Aunt Miranda has always been good with numbers,” Beth finished.

“She’s more than good with numbers,” A.C. added. “She’s published papers on mathematics, and your grandpa, Uncle Rhys, Cousin Llywelyn and Uncle Mark are the only other people in our family who can understand them.”

“Fortunately, they can afford to hire a cook to prepare their meals,” Bronwen said with a smile.

“All this talk of cooking has made me hungry,” Adam said. “I thought we’d have our picnic on the lakeshore. Are we ready to eat?”

“I wanna eat,” Benny said and his little brother yelled, “Eat!”

They all decided they had seen enough and headed for the lake. As they rode along, Josh said to A.C., “I meant to ask you, what’s a ringer? Jory told me that when he grows up, he wants to be a ringer and work on his grandpa’s station.”

“Hmm. I guess you’d say a ringer is a very experienced cowboy who only works with cattle,” A.C. replied slowly. “For example, a ringer doesn’t help with harvesting the hay or oats. That’s the job of a stationhand.”

Josh smiled and nodded to indicate he understood. “I’m sure glad your family got to come for a visit. I was eager to meet your dad, but I really like your mama and sisters and all the kids. I’ve never really spent any time around kids, but they’re fun,” Josh added with a smile. “I wish I could’ve met Miranda.”

“Oh, I’m sure you will,” A.C. said with a grin. “Now that Jon and Laura are older, I think they’ll probably come visit here in the summers the way they did when Grandpa was alive. At least, I hope so. I really only know Miranda from her letters so it’ll be nice to spend time with her and her family.”

“I guess she’s awful smart. Her husband, too, if he’s a professor.”

“Right, but she’s not up herself and neither is William,” A.C. said.

“Huh?” Josh said, totally baffled.

“Uh, I mean they don’t act superior,” A.C. translated. “I’m sure you’ll like them.”

After they ate the picnic lunch, Adam got out the horseshoes he’d brought and he and A.C. challenged Josh and Benj to a game. The boys had a contest skipping stones while Bronwen got the little ones to lie down and take a nap. The other women all went for a walk along the shore, looking for wildflowers they could take to the family cemetery.

“I’m so glad you were able to visit,” Sarah said as they walked together. “I love the Ponderosa, but it can be lonely being the only woman here. And I miss my friends back in Boston.”

“Have you made any friends here?” Beth asked.

“Yes, but in Boston I could visit my friends every day. Here we’re lucky to visit once a week,” Sarah replied. “I can’t even call them on the telephone.” Then she smiled ruefully. “I’m sorry. I don’t want to complain. I’m just enjoying spending time with you all so much. I’m going to miss you when you leave on Monday.”

“I don’t think you’re complaining,” Beth said. “I admit that I’m glad we lived in Cloncurry when I was growing up, and not on our cattle station. The isolation would have been hard to bear.”

“Do you have any beaus?” Elen asked then, and her mama frowned at her for asking such a personal question, but Sarah smiled.

“A couple of young men have called on me since I’ve been back. One of them I really do like. His name is Victor Scott. He’s a teacher at the Stewart Indian School. He likes his work there, but he thinks it’s wrong to forbid the students to speak their native languages or to practice any of their native customs. I didn’t agree, but now he almost has me convinced.”

“He sounds interesting,” Gwyneth said and Beth asked, “Will we have a chance to meet him?”

“Yes, you can meet him on Sunday,” Sarah replied with a little smile. “We all attend the First Methodist Church in Carson City. That’s where we met.” She added, “Josh and A.C. both like him.”

“What about Benj?” Gwyneth asked curiously.

“Well, Benj is very conservative,” Sarah replied carefully. “He’d prefer I were courted by someone who shared his views, but he doesn’t dislike Victor.” She smiled wistfully as she added, “I think Daddy and Grandpa would like Victor.”

“I’m sure we’ll like him,” Beth said, reaching for Sarah’s hand and giving it a squeeze.

Once the women returned with the wildflowers, they all went to visit the family cemetery. Each of Ben’s great-grandchildren placed a flower on the five graves, with the two youngest helped by their mothers. Then the grandchildren placed their flowers, and lastly, Adam and Bronwen. After Adam gently laid the flower on his father’s grave, he turned to the others and said, “My pa’s favorite hymn was Amazing Grace, and I would like us to sing it for him.”

The American Cartwrights joined in a little hesitantly but soon everyone but the very youngest sang the familiar words:

Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch like me.
I once was lost but now am found,
Was blind, but now I see.

Through many dangers, toils and snares
I have already come;
'Tis Grace that brought me safe thus far
and Grace will lead me home.

Yea, when this flesh and heart shall fail,
And mortal life shall cease,
I shall possess within the veil,
A life of joy and peace.

When we've been there ten thousand years
Bright shining as the sun.
We've no less days to sing God's praise
Than when we've first begun.

Adam made no effort to check the tears that wet his cheeks as he sang. When they finished, everyone quietly headed for the horses and surrey, giving him a moment alone to say his final goodbyes.

The next day the family broke into two groups: those going fishing and those who weren’t. Sarah, Elen, Dylan and Benny went for a ride while Bronwen and Beth entertained the youngest children. The fishermen (and woman) returned with plenty of fish for dinner. Benj, A.C. and Josh cleaned the fish; Beth fixed baked beans and Bronwen and Gwyneth made cole slaw, while Buckshot prepared hushpuppies and fried the fish. Rather than the children and adults separating into two groups, they all ate outside. Once everyone was finished, Adam suggested they make some ice cream.

“Ice cream?” Benny asked.

“That’s a bonzer idea, Dad!” A.C. exclaimed. “Josh, let’s pound the ice.”

“Can I help pound?” Huw asked eagerly.

“Sure,” Josh replied.

“But they only need one helper,” Adam inserted quickly as the three headed for the ice house. “Dylan, Jory and Benny, you can turn the crank on the freezer. That’ll be your job.”

“Mr. Buckshot, you’ve worked hard enough,” Bronwen said. “I’ll stir up the custard for the ice cream.”

“All right, ma’am, but if you ain’t made any ice cream fer a spell, I’ll just hunt up my old recipe,” Buckshot said. “It’s fer Philadelphia-style and ya don’t hafta cook it, so the kids won’t hafta wait as long to eat it.” They both headed for the kitchen.

“I’m pretty sure I saw the old freezer out in the barn,” Benj said. “Come help me look, Sarah.”

“But what’s ice cream?” Benny repeated.

“Oh, it’s delicious,” Gwyneth answered with a smile. “The first time I ever had it was when I was here on the Ponderosa. We made some and it was a ripper. Then your grandpa and Aunt Beth and Aunt Miranda went to Boston and your grandma, Uncle A.C., Aunt Penny and I all stayed here. I remember Aunt Penny and I went with Uncle Joe to drive them to the train station and afterward, Uncle Joe bought me and Aunt Penny our very first ice cream soda. We shared it and it tasted so good.”

“And your grandpa took me and Aunt Miranda to an ice cream parlor in Boston,” Beth said. “We didn’t have ice cream sodas though, just ice cream. It was delicious, but not quite as good as what we’d made ourselves.”

“How long does it take to make?” Dylan asked.

“It shouldn’t be too long before it will be time for you to turn the crank. In the meantime, you and your cousins could play a game.”

“London Bridge!” Siân shouted, for that was her favorite game.

“I’ll be half the bridge; who’ll be the other half?” Adam asked.

“I can’t because I have to change Gruffydd’s nappy,” Beth said.

“Yes, and Morwenna needs a clean nappy as well,” Gwyneth added. The two sister took their babies inside to change them.

“I’ll be the other half,” Elen offered and so they began the game.

It wasn’t long before Benj and Sarah returned with the freezer.

“It’s awfully dusty,” Sarah said.

“The dasher and the can should definitely be washed before we use them,” Adam agreed.

Elen immediately said, “I’ll do it,” so Benj handed them to her and she went inside.

“I’ll get a rag and wipe off the bucket and crank,” Sarah said, heading after Elen.

“Benj, would you take Elen’s place as the other half of the bridge?” Adam asked.

“Uh, sure,” Benj replied. He’d been trying to avoid the children, but this morning while they were fishing, he’d discovered Huw and Jory weren’t the little nuisances he’d imagined.

They were on the third game of London Bridge when A.C. carried the burlap sack of ice out front, followed by Josh and Huw.

“Huw, please go to the kitchen and tell your grandma the ice is ready,” Adam requested. Huw returned, followed by Elen, carrying the clean dasher and can. After Elen came Bronwen and Buckshot, carrying the bowl of cream, sugar and vanilla, all mixed together with a pinch of salt.

Adam carefully positioned the can in the freezer and Buckshot poured in the ice cream mixture. Then Adam put the top on the can and attached the crank. Once that was done, Josh and A.C. began alternating layers of crushed ice and salt until the bucket was full.

“Benny, I think you should turn first,” Adam said.

“Wanna turn!” Little Adam shouted excitedly and Siân yelled, “I wanna turn.”

“You both forgot the magic word,” their grandpa said, sounding very serious but with a twinkle in his eye.

“Please!” Siân hollered and not to be outdone, her cousin shouted, “Pease!

“All right, you can all take turns,” Adam stated. “We’ll start with Little Adam since he’s youngest, then Siân, Benny, Jory and Dylan. Then I’ll finish.”

Just as Adam had known would happen, the younger children quickly lost interest in turning the crank so their mothers and Sarah played Follow the Leader and Mother, May I? with them.

Jory immediately noticed that the crank was becoming harder to turn, and when he commented on it, his grandpa explained that meant the ice cream was starting to freeze.

“We’ll know it’s ready when we can’t turn the crank,” Adam added. “If it’s getting too hard, you need to give Dylan a turn at the crank.”

“No, it’s not too hard, Grandpa,” Jory said quickly.

“He’ll never want to admit that it’s too hard,” Bronwen commented softly as she watched the determination on Jory’s face as he used both hands to turn the crank.

“You’re right,” Adam said with a chuckle. “I’ll give him another minute and then tell him that it’s Dylan’s turn.”

“It’s ready!” the boys shouted when Adam stopped turning the crank.

“Almost,” Adam said. “The ice cream still needs to ripen.” He added hastily, “But you can eat what’s on the dasher.”

“I’ll go get a big bowl and some spoons,” Bronwen said, smiling at her grandchildren.

“I’ll help, Uncle Adam,” Josh offered while the children all crowded around, eager to taste the ice cream.

Adam carefully removed the crank and then Josh wiped all the ice and salt from the top of the can. When Bronwen brought out the bowl and passed out a spoon to each child, Josh held the can down while Adam pulled out the dasher and stood it up in the bowl. The children swarmed around and Adam said, “Let Morwenna, Siân and Little Adam get their spoonful first.”

Siân swallowed her spoonful and was surprised by how cold it was, but then she grinned and exclaimed, “A ripper!” Morwenna’s face just lit up. Little Adam tried to get more, and when the older boys wouldn’t make room for him, he shoved Benny as hard as he could to get him out of the way. Benny hit him and then they both felt their grandpa’s big hands close around their arms and pull them apart. (The older boys were so busy scraping ice cream off the dasher that they didn’t pay any attention.)

“He hitted me Pa-pa,” Little Adam said angrily.

“You pushed me first,” Benny said, scowling at his little brother.

“Let’s see what your mama has to say to the pair of you,” Adam said sternly, walking them over to Gwyneth, who was wiping the sticky ice cream off Morwenna’s face.

“Benny and Little Adam were fighting,” Adam explained.

“He started it, Mama!” Benny said while Little Adam said, “He hitted me!” Gwyneth sighed.

“Right now I want you both to go sit on the porch. And no talking or you won’t get any more ice cream. Do you understand?” Gwyneth said firmly.

“Yes, Mama,” they both answered before stomping off to the porch with identical sulky pouts.

The older boys finished with the dasher so A.C. suggested a game of tag while they waited for the ice cream to ripen. Elen would have liked to play tag, but it was too hard to run in her long skirt so she asked Siân if she’d like to play Old Bachelor, and Sarah offered to join the game.

“Can I play?” Benny asked hopefully.

“No, you and your brother are being punished for fighting,” Gwyneth replied firmly.

It’s not fair! Benny thought, blinking back angry tears. Little Adam pushed me first.

“Do you mind if I talk to the boys?” Adam asked Gwyneth, seeing Little Adam’s ferocious pout and Benny’s angry scowl.

“Not at all,” Gwyneth said with a tired smile and her daddy kissed her cheek and his littlest granddaughter’s before walking over and sitting down behind his grandsons.

“Come here, boys,” he said and they got up and walked over to stand on either side of him. “Now, Little Adam, you know that it was wrong to push Benny, don’t you?”

The not-quite-three-year-old’s face assumed a mulish expression and he said, “Benny hitted me!”

“But that was after you pushed him, wasn’t it?” Adam asked gently.

Little Adam stuck out his lower lip, but he reluctantly nodded.

Adam turned to Benny then and said, “Benny, you know that you aren’t to hit your brothers, even if they do hit you first, don’t you?”

His expression miserable, Benny nodded. Then he blurted out, “But it’s not fair!”

“You’re twice as big as your brother and can hit twice as hard. Do you really think it’s fair for you to hit him?” Adam asked in the same gentle tone he’d used with Little Adam. Benny’s chin began to wobble as he slowly shook his head. “Now, if you boys tell each other that you’re sorry, then I think your mama will say your punishment is over.”

“I’m sorry I hit you,” Benny said, and at the same time, Little Adam said, “I sorry.”

“Now let’s go tell your mama,” Adam said, standing up and taking their hands.

“I wish we could have ice cream every day,” Dylan stated as he scraped his bowl clean.

“Too right!” Jory exclaimed enthusiastically.

“I’m sure there are ice cream parlors in Hanover we can visit, and I know there are in Boston,” Adam said, enjoying their enthusiasm.

“Can I have a soda like Mama and Aunt Penny?” Benny asked and his mama smiled at him.

“I’m sure you can,” she replied.

“Oh, ice cream sodas are good, but my favorite ice cream is a hot fudge sundae,” Sarah said.

“What’s a hot fudge sundae?” Bronwen asked curiously.

“They pour a hot fudge sauce over vanilla ice cream,” Sarah explained. “It’s heavenly!”

“I want to try one of those,” Elen announced.

“Could I have both?” Dylan asked hopefully.

“Not unless you want a stomachache,” Bronwen replied, unable to suppress a grin.

“I’m sure we’ll make more than one visit to an ice cream parlor,” Adam said. “One time you can have a soda and another time you can have a sundae.”

“That’s a bonzer idea, Grandpa,” Huw said with a grin, anticipating devouring sundaes and sodas.

“Since we’re going to be leaving early for church tomorrow,” Beth said then, “it’s time for all you children to start taking your baths. Siân and Morwenna will go first.”

“Benny and Little Adam, you’ll be next,” Gwyneth added.

“Why do I hafta take a bath with Little Adam?” Benny whined. He was big enough to scrub himself clean but his mama still bathed his little brother.

“Because there is only one bathtub and lots of people who need to bathe tonight. Aunt Beth and I decided the youngest children would bathe together,” his mama replied in a no-nonsense tone.

Benny knew better than to talk back to his mama but his sullen expression showed that he wasn’t happy. His grandpa said, “After you and Little Adam have taken your bath and you’re ready for bed, I’ll come tell you a bedtime story.” Benny’s expression brightened at that and Little Adam clapped his hands.

“I wanna story,” Siân said then.

“You can come in the boys’ room and listen,” Adam said, “but right now, you need to take your bath.

“I think I’ll come listen,” A.C. said. “It’s been a long time since I heard one of your grandpa’s bedtime stories,” he added with a wink.

That night as Adam brushed Bronwen’s hair, she said to him, “Beth told me that while they were on their walk, Elen asked Sarah if she had any beaus. Sarah mentioned one young man by name, Victor Scott, and told them that she really does like him.” Bronwen’s lips curved up just a little as she watched her husband’s expression in the shaving mirror on the wall. “Apparently, he teaches at a school for Indians.”

“Stewart Indian School,” Adam said automatically.

“Yes, that sounds right. She mentioned A.C. and Josh both like him. Evidently, he and Benj have different political views so Benj doesn’t favor the young man’s suit. I don’t think that matters much to Sarah though.”

“If A.C. and Josh both like him, that’s in his favor,” Adam said thoughtfully.

“Sarah said we’ll meet him tomorrow at church,” Bronwen added.

“I think I’ll invite him to dinner,” Adam remarked as he put down her hairbrush.

“I thought you might,” she said and they shared a smile.

Sunday morning, as Adam drove the surrey to the stone church that stood at the corner of Division and Musser, followed by A.C., Josh, Benj and Huw on horseback, people on the street stopped to stare at the little procession. When they halted in front of the church, other people arriving gathered around. There were one or two old-timers who remembered Adam and expressed pleasure at seeing him again and A.C. introduced his family to the others. Then Sarah approached with a young man who appeared to be in his mid-twenties. Bronwen, Beth and Gwyneth all noted that he was attractive, but not extraordinarily handsome. He was of average height and build with curly brown hair and brown eyes.

“Aunt Bronwen, Uncle Adam, Beth and Gwyneth, I’d like for you to meet Victor Scott. Victor, this is my aunt and uncle, Mr. and Mrs. Adam Cartwright, and their daughters, Mrs. Dafydd Jones and Mrs. Mark Pentreath.”

“I’m very pleased to meet you all,” Victor said with a warm, friendly smile. “Your family here has really been looking forward to your visit.” His smile broadened as he added, “A.C. told me that he had a large family, and I see he didn’t exaggerate.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Mr. Scott. I would like to extend an invitation to have dinner with us at the Ponderosa this afternoon,” Adam said, smiling at the young man.

“I’m happy to accept your invitation” Victor replied. He knew Benj didn’t favor his courtship of Sarah, so winning her uncle’s approval was important to him.

After Adam had blessed the food and everyone had filled their plates, he turned to Victor, who was seated on his right, and said, “I understand that you teach at the Stewart Indian School.”

“Yes, sir,” the young man replied. “This will be my third year.”

“When my father wrote me the state legislature was creating a boarding school for Indian children, I had very mixed emotions,” Adam stated. “I was very much in favor of the children learning to read and write in English as well as arithmetic and so forth. Ultimately, they will need to acquire the skills to survive in our culture. What troubled me was that the children would be separated from their families, and they would be forced to speak only English.” He frowned as he added, “Whenever Europeans or their descendants encounter native cultures—here in the Americas or in Australia or Africa—the native cultures suffer.”

Bronwen spoke up then. “Not only in those lands. The English have done their best to wipe out Cymraeg, or Welsh as they call it. My parents told me how children who spoke Cymraeg at school were punished or ridiculed. The English tried to stamp out all the Celtic languages and they succeeded with the Cornish language.”

“Well, really Aunt Bronwen, wouldn’t it be better if everyone in Great Britain spoke English? What use are the old native languages?” Benj asked, and his tone was definitely condescending.

“Our native language is part of what makes us Welsh, and not English,” Bronwen answered, and her tone was glacial.

“And that’s why I think it’s wrong that we forbid the children at our school to speak their native languages,” Victor said with conviction. Then, in a more relaxed tone, he said, “And speaking of languages, since I’ve known A.C., I’ve noticed that while Americans and Australians both speak English, it’s not the same English.”

“No, it’s certainly not,” Adam said with a chuckle. “When we first moved to Cloncurry, I felt like I was hearing a foreign language. A bedroll became a swag, grub became tucker, and a ranch became a station. Those are just a few examples. Then there is my wife and children’s propensity for stoning crows,” he added, smiling broadly. The others all grinned since they’d heard A.C. and his family use the expression.

“I know exactly what you mean, Dad,” A.C. said, “because it works both ways. If I say something is a ripper here, I just get blank looks.”

“Fair dinkum?’ Gwyneth asked.

Smiling, her brother said, “Too right, just like the ones you’re getting now.” And everyone chuckled.

“I keep telling A.C. he’s gonna have to learn to speak American,” Josh said with a grin.

“I’m sure he’ll adapt, just as Miranda did when she attended Radcliffe College,” Adam said, winking at his son.

“I’ve just enrolled at the School of Veterinary Science at the State College of Washington,” A.C. explained to Victor.

“Then I guess I won’t be seeing much of you,” Victor commented.

“Only during summer vacation,” A.C. agreed. “In fact, this is the last time you’ll see me until next summer. Tomorrow my family is leaving for Hanover, New Hampshire to visit my sister, Miranda, and her family. From there I’ll go straight to Pullman.”

“Well, I wish you every success,” Victor said sincerely.

“Thank you,” A.C. replied.

Then Victor turned to Adam. “So you have a daughter who lives here in the U.S.?”

“Yes. Miranda is our second born. She wanted to attend Radcliffe College here in the States. It meant so much to her that her mother and I agreed. She met a young man named William Gordon who was working on a doctorate in history at Harvard and they decided to marry.”

“Excuse me, but would he be the Dr. William Gordon who wrote The Importance of America’s Westward Expansion?” Victor asked.

“Yes,” Adam replied with a hint of a smile. “You’ve read it?”

“Yes, I thought it was brilliant,” Victor replied.

“When Miranda first wrote us that she was marrying a history professor, I thought he’d be dull,” Beth admitted, “but when we traveled here for the wedding, I discovered that I couldn’t have been more wrong.”

“I knew I’d like him when he agreed to have their wedding here so Adam’s father could attend,” Bronwen said quietly.

“He’s a man I’d like to meet,” Victor said with a nod for emphasis.

“I’m sure you’ll have an opportunity,” Adam said. “If A.C is going to spend his summers here, I’m certain Miranda and William will bring their children for a visit.”

“I’ll look forward to meeting them,” Victor said with a smile.

Later that evening, after the children were in bed and A.C. and Josh were playing a game of checkers while Benj waited to play the winner, Sarah joined the rest of the family on the porch.

“So what did you all think of Victor?” she asked, trying to sound casual.

“I liked him,” Adam stated, “and I think your father and grandpa would have liked him, too.”

“That’s what I thought,” Sarah said with a happy smile. “I- I like him better than any of the young men I’ve known in Boston. They are all so superficial compared to Victor.” She stopped and said self-consciously, “Of course, there’s nothing serious between us. We just enjoy each other’s company.”

Bronwen, Beth and Gwyneth exchanged a knowing look at that remark.

The next morning the family set out for the train station in Carson City. Just as they had before, the boys rode in the wagon with the luggage, with Little Adam and Benny sitting by Jacob. Sarah squeezed into the back seat of the surrey with Elen and Siân while A.C. sat with his mama.

“I’m sure gonna miss all of you,” Josh said, turning his head to smile at his Australian cousins and aunt.

“We’ll miss you and Sarah and Benj,” Bronwen said. “This visit has been so wonderful.”

“We need to make an effort to write more regularly,” Adam stated firmly.

“I know I should do a better job of writing,” Sarah admitted.

“So should we,” Gwyneth said.

“I can see why you and Beth don’t have time to write,” Josh said, smiling at Morwenna and Gruffydd, who were sitting on their mamas’ laps.

“I’m not as busy as Mama and Aunt Gwyneth,” Elen said then. “I could write and tell you what’s happening to all of us,” she added shyly.

“I would love to read your letters,” Sarah said with a warm smile for her young cousin. “And I promise to write and tell you what’s happening here on the Ponderosa.”

When it was time for Adam’s family to board the train, Sarah hugged her aunt, uncle and cousins tightly, feeling her eyes fill with tears, knowing that except for A.C., she would never see them again. Josh started to hang back, but when first his aunt and then his cousins hugged him, he gently hugged them back. Like Sarah, he couldn’t hold back his tears as he said goodbye to the family he’d grown so close to over the past week, knowing this was a last goodbye.

He wiped at his eyes and said in a voice that wasn’t quite steady, “I’ll be lookin’ forward to your letters, Elen.” Then he turned to his uncle, who was the only one left on the platform. “I’m so grateful that I got to meet you, Uncle Adam. I just wish we could have spent more time together.”

Adam was too moved to speak and hugged his nephew tightly before hurrying aboard the train as it started to move. Josh and Sarah saw the children waving to them from the windows until the train carried them out of sight.

Chapter 5
“Will they get here soon, Mama?” Laura, who was two months short of her fifth birthday, asked for the one thousandth time. Or so it seemed to her parents. She was a pretty little girl with her daddy’s light brown hair, her mama’s dimpled smile and big hazel eyes. The Gordons had been waiting at the Lewiston Train Station in Norwich, Vermont, which was just across the Connecticut River from Hanover, New Hampshire where they lived, for the past quarter of an hour. The train bringing the Cartwrights, Joneses and Pentreaths was due to arrive in approximately five minutes but to Laura and her older brother Jon, that was an eternity.

“Yes, sweetie, they’ll be here soon,” Miranda answered patiently. She and William shared a smile and he knew she was actually more impatient than their daughter for her family’s arrival. She and her parents and sisters had corresponded regularly over the past ten years. A.C. was not a very faithful correspondent, but he always enclosed a letter with his birthday and Christmas cards. Since he was now living in the U.S., William wondered if he’d be accompanying the rest of the family.

“Do you think they’ll like our automobile, Daddy?” Jon asked.

“I imagine they will,” William replied. He was very proud of the automobile he’d bought a month earlier: a Cadillac Model G Touring Car that could seat five people. He’d talked it over with Miranda and they both decided that although it was very expensive at $2,000, it was a good investment. Since they had so much snow in the winter, they had decided to order the cape cart top for an additional $120. There were too many visitors to fit into the automobile, so William had arranged for a couple of hackney cabs to transport those who didn’t ride in the automobile over the Ledyard Free Bridge that connected Hanover and Norwich and then to their house on Butternut Lane.

“We sure have a lot of cousins,” Jon said, shaking his head. “I’m glad most of ‘em are boys.”

“Do you think they’ll bring us a kangaroo, Mama?” Laura asked.

“No, sweetie, Mama has told you they won’t be bringing any kangaroos, koalas, emus or kookaburras.”

“Yeah, but Huw wrote that he might bring a boomerang,” Jon inserted.

“I think I hear the train whistle,” William said.

“Hold me up, Daddy, so I can see the train,” Laura begged, and with a smile, William lifted his little girl and sat her on his shoulder.

“I hear the train whistle,” Jon said excitedly while Laura squealed, “I see it! I see it!”

Laura and Jon stood between their parents and watched as a tall, bald man with a neatly clipped white beard stepped down and offered his arm to a little white-haired woman wearing spectacles. They looked exactly like their photographs so Laura and Jon knew they were Grandpa and Grandma. They were surprised to realize their grandpa was so tall, taller than their daddy.

“Oh Miranda fach,” Bronwen said, holding out her arms, and Miranda ran to hug Bronwen and kiss her cheek.

“It’s so good to see you, Angel,” Adam said, his voice unsteady, and he blinked back his tears as he hugged his second born. Then he looked for his grandchildren and saw them standing with their father. Miranda saw her sisters and a very tall young man descending from the train and hurried over.

“A.C.!” she exclaimed. “Oh, you’re so tall.”

While Miranda was greeting her siblings, nieces and nephews, Adam shook his son-in-law’s hand and then Bronwen asked, “Do I get a hug, William?”

“Of course, Mama,” William said with a warm smile, and he gently hugged his mother-in-law, who looked more delicate than she had ten years earlier. “Here are Jon and Laura,” he said with a beaming smile.

“Hello, Grandma and Grandpa,” Laura said shyly, dropping a curtsey, and Jon said, “Hello, Grandma. Hello, Grandpa.”

“Hello, Jon,” Adam said, holding out his hand to the eight-year-old with Bronwen’s beautiful violet eyes, and the boy shook it solemnly.

“It’s so wonderful to see you both,” Bronwen said, smiling warmly at her grandchildren.

“Laura, can you give your grandma a hug?” William asked gently, but she reached for his hand and clung to it. Bronwen smiled at William to show she wasn’t surprised at Laura’s shyness. Adam put his arm around Bronwen’s shoulders comfortingly. Even though Jon’s formality and Laura’s shyness were to be expected, they still hurt.

By this time the Cartwright siblings had finished hugging and kissing. “It’s wonderful to see you, William,” Beth said with a warm smile as she hugged him and then it was Gwyneth’s turn.

Grinning broadly, A.C. held out his hand to his brother-in-law. “Been a long time, William.”

“Hard to believe the last time I saw you, you weren’t much bigger than Huw,” William said with a smile as he shook A.C.’s hand. “Now, we drove to the station in our automobile, and some of you can ride to our house in it.”

“An automobile,” Adam commented with obvious interest.

“A Cadillac Model G,” William stated proudly.

“May I ride in it, Uncle William?” Dylan asked hopefully.

“May I please, Uncle William?” Jory begged.

“I thought that some of you boys and your uncle and grandpa could ride to our house with me and Jon, and everyone else could ride in hackney cabs,” William replied. Looking at Adam, he added quickly, “Of course, you may prefer to ride in one of the cabs, Dad.”

“Oh no,” Adam replied with a smile. “I’ve read about automobiles and it will be interesting to ride in one. How many people will it hold?”

“Well, it’s really built for five, but since the boys are smaller, I think we could squeeze in six,” William replied. “A.C., do you want to ride in the automobile?”

A.C. saw the longing on his nephews’ faces at the thought of riding in an automobile and said, “I’ll let the boys ride this time.”

“Thanks, Uncle A.C.!” the boys chorused.

“Dad will sit in front with me and Huw, Dylan and Jory can sit in the back with Jon,” William said briskly. He saw the disappointment on Benny’s face and said quickly, “I’m sorry, Benny, but I promise you can ride in the automobile the next time.”

“Right, you and I will both ride the next time,” A.C. said, giving his nephew’s shoulder a squeeze, and Benny managed a wobbly smile.

“I hope I’ll have a chance to go for a ride while we’re visiting,” Elen said. “I’d love to tell my friends that I’ve ridden in an automobile.”

“Too right you’ll have a chance,” Miranda replied with a smile. “Your uncle has taught me to drive, so I’ll take the ladies for a drive whenever they’d like.”

Beth and Gwyneth looked surprised for a moment at the idea of their sister driving an automobile, but Adam and Bronwen merely shared a smile.

“Well, Miranda, you may know how to drive an automobile, but Gwyneth, Mama and I have the right to vote now,” Beth said smugly.

“Oh, let’s not discuss Women’s Suffrage,” William inserted quickly.

“My family knows I belong to The National American Woman Suffrage Association,” Miranda said, a bit testily.

“And you know that I support you, dearest,” William said, “but we don’t want to discuss it here.” Miranda smiled ruefully as she nodded her agreement. “Let me escort you ladies to your cabs, and then we can all be on our way,” William said then.

“I’ll take care of having our trunk transported to your house and the other two to the Hanover Inn,” Adam said. “Sweetheart, you have the luggage tickets.”

“No, Cariad, you have them,” Bronwen replied.

“No, I’m sure I handed them to you so you could keep them in your handbag,” Adam said, trying to keep the impatience from his voice. “Remember?”

Bronwen began rummaging through her handbag. “I don’t see them— Oh, wait, here they are.” He shook his head slightly at her handbag’s disorder as she handed him the tickets, and then he strode off to the luggage depot.

Miranda turned to her brother, “Oh, A.C., we didn’t reserve a room at the inn for you. You’re welcome to stay with us, but we’ll have to put you in the attic bedroom.”

“She’ll be apples,” A.C. said, adding, “I’ll tell Dad to have my valise sent to your house.” He sprinted off and easily caught up with Adam and then ran back to rejoin the others. William offered his arm to Bronwen and then escorted everyone not riding in the automobile to the waiting cabs. As they walked away, Gwyneth and Beth admonished the boys to wait for Uncle William to return and not wander off.

Jon felt ill at ease, surrounded by cousins who were strangers. Huw seemed to sense his discomfort and after a minute, he smiled at his cousin before saying, “This is very different from Cloncurry where we live.”

“Yes, you’ve got lots more trees,” Dylan said, shoving his spectacles up his nose. “At home, they’re mostly gum and gidgee trees but we have a couple of palm trees in our front yard.” He pointed to the trees lining the nearby street. “What kind of trees are those?”

“Birch,” Jon replied. “We have a big butternut tree in our front yard and an apple and a cherry tree in the back.”

“There’s lots of trees on the Ponderosa, but they’re mostly pine trees,” Jory commented as he looked around.

William returned just in time to overhear Jory’s comment. “We have some pines here,” he said, “although not ponderosa pines. The year you and Jon were born, your Aunt Miranda and I, along with many of the other citizens of Hanover, prevented a company form cutting down the pines that grow along the river and turning them into matches.” He smiled reminiscently as he added, “Your great-grandpa was really proud of us for saving those pines.”

“Look. There’s Grandpa,” Dylan said then, waving to Adam.

“All right then, let’s head to the automobile so we can be on our way,” William said, and they walked off the platform together with Jon sticking close to William.

“What a ripper!” Huw exclaimed as he caught sight of the Cadillac.

“Too right!” Dylan and Jory chorused.

William said proudly, “It has a four-cylinder, twenty horsepower engine.”

“Stone the crows!” Dylan said excitedly.

“Jump in, boys, and we’ll be on our way,” William said, opening the door to the back seat.

The boys scrambled into the Cadillac while Adam got into the passenger seat in the front. As soon as the engine started, Huw once again proclaimed, “What a ripper!”

“I wish we had a car like this,” Jory said, turning around so he could look back and see the wagons and carriages they’d passed. “Look, there’s Mama and Aunt Beth and Aunt Miranda! We passed ‘em!” he said excitedly as he waved his straw sailor hat.

“Le’me see,” Dylan exclaimed, starting to turn around.

“Boys, you need to sit still,” William said firmly, not taking his eyes from the road, but Adam turned around and looked sternly at the boys. They reluctantly faced the front.

“Did you boys enjoy your visit to the Ponderosa?” William asked as they drove along.

“Too right!” Dylan replied. “The Ponderosa is a bonzer station.”

“In Australia, we call ranches stations,” Adam explained to William and Jon.

“We each got our own mustang to ride,” Dylan said then. “Mine was dapple gray. He was a ripper!”

‘I had a chestnut,” Jory said quickly so he could get a word in. “At home, I have to share my pony, Blackie, with Benny, but not at the Ponderosa.”

“I have a pony,” Jon said shyly. “Her name is Cocoa.” He said with a sigh, “Daddy and Mama said when Laura has her birthday in October, I hafta share Cocoa.” William and Adam exchanged smiles at that remark. Then Jon added, “We don’t have a stable at our house so we keep Cocoa and my mama’s mare, Desdemona, at the college stable.”

“You teach at a college, don’t you, Uncle William?” Huw asked.

“That’s right. I’m a professor of Modern History at Dartmouth College,” William replied. Then with a smile he asked, “What did you boys do at the Ponderosa besides ride?”

“We went fishing, except for Dylan and Benny,” Jory replied. “Mama and I caught the biggest fish, didn’t we, Grandpa?”

“You sure did,” Adam agreed with a little grin.

“Daddy and I fish at the river, and he takes us for boat rides,” Jon said.

“I bought a skiff,” William explained to Adam. “So Sunday afternoons in the summer I take Miranda and the children for rides.” He grinned as he added, “It’s good exercise for me.”

“Daddy’s showin’ me how to row,” Jon said proudly. “When I go to Dartmouth, I’m gonna row crew.”

Dylan wasn’t that interested in rowing boats; he had something else on his mind. “We made ice cream at the Ponderosa, and Grandpa said we could go to an ice cream parlor here,” he said eagerly.

“Sure, we can do that,” William said with a grin. “In fact, we could go this afternoon.”

The boys cheered and Adam said to William and Jon, “That was the first time the boys had ice cream.”

“You never had ice cream before?” Jon asked in amazement.

“You see, Jon, it never gets cold enough in Cloncurry for water to freeze into ice. Not even in the winter,” Adam explained.

William added, “Your mama told me that she had never seen snow until she left Cloncurry and came to live in Boston.”

Seeing the skepticism on his cousin’s face, Huw said earnestly, “We’ve seen pictures of snow, but that’s all.”

“Living here in Hanover, we’ve seen plenty of snow, haven’t we, Jon?” William remarked. As Jon nodded, William added with a chuckle, “The winter Jon was Little Adam’s age, we got so much snow, it was piled up higher than Jon.”

“Stone the crows!” Dylan exclaimed. “I wish I could’ve seen that.” Then he asked hopefully, “Will it snow while we’re here, Uncle William?”

“I’m afraid not,” William replied gently while Jon laughed and said, “It doesn’t snow in the summer.”

“August is winter,” Dylan said belligerently.

“No, August is summer here. Remember,” Huw said quickly.

“I forgot,” Dylan muttered, his cheeks reddening in embarrassment.

“It’s an easy thing to forget when August is in the winter where you live,” William said kindly. His tone was more severe as he added, “Jon, you owe Dylan an apology.”

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t’ve laughed. I forgot that it’s winter where you live,” Jon said contritely, and the two boys smiled.

Adam turned around to look at his grandsons. “Today feels about the same as winter in Cloncurry, doesn’t it, boys?”

“Too right!” Jory said and his cousins nodded.

“This is really what winter feels like?” William asked Adam, who nodded. “Poor Miranda! No wonder she’s never gotten used to winter here.”

“Uh, Uncle William, are we still going to a baseball game?” Huw asked then.

“Sure thing,” William replied. “On Saturday, we’re going to see the Boston Red Sox play the Chicago White Sox at the Huntingdon Avenue Grounds.” The boys gave another cheer.

Bronwen and her daughters along with Laura, Morwenna and Gruffydd took one cab while A.C., Elen, Benny, Siân and Little Adam rode in the other.

“I just can’t get over how slender you both are after having all these children,” Miranda said, unable to keep a touch of envy from her voice. She was definitely plumper than she had been at the time of her marriage, but William always assured her that she had grown plumper in just the right places. Now, seeing her svelte sisters, she felt stout.

“We just follow Mama’s advice about going for a walk every day,” Beth said with a little smile.

“And it doesn’t hurt that neither of us is especially fond of sweets,” Gwyneth said. “Although I’m looking forward to visiting some ice cream parlors as much as the children are,” she added with a dimpled grin.

“Are we gonna eat ice cream, Mama?” Laura asked excitedly.

“Yes, I think we are,” Miranda replied with a smile.

“I’d forgotten how green everything is here,” Bronwen commented as she looked out the cab window. “Your grass is so lush and verdant.” She gave a little snort of disgust. “Not like our Mitchell grass.”

“But in Cloncurry everything isn’t covered by several feet of snow every winter and the temperature doesn’t hover between zero to fifteen degrees,” Miranda retorted. “You’d think after ten years I would have grown accustomed, but I haven’t,” she added wryly.

Laura tugged on Miranda’s arm then, saying, “When are we gonna have ice cream, Mama.”

“Not until after lunch, sweetie,” Miranda said.

“Oh, Miranda, Wednesday is Little Adam’s birthday,” Gwyneth began.

“Yes, I remembered,” Miranda said. “I’ve already placed an order with the bakery and the cake will be delivered that afternoon.” Correctly interpreting her sister’s expression, she explained, “Mrs. Matthews doesn’t like anyone else in her kitchen. She tolerates me making fairy bread for Jon and Laura’s birthdays but I’m always aware of her disapproval. She bakes delicious cherry and apple pies using the fruit we pick from our trees, but she doesn’t really like baking. I buy our bread and rolls from the grocer, and I always order our birthday cakes from the bakery. The baker decorates the birthday cakes beautifully and I know you’ll like it, and so will Little Adam.”

Gwyneth shrugged her acceptance but said firmly, “I am making his fairy bread.”

“I like fairy bread,” Laura said, smiling shyly at her aunt, who smiled back at her. “I like kangaroos, too.”

“Roos!” Morwenna said with a big grin.

“So does Morwenna,” Gwyneth said, adjusting her spectacles.

“Does the baby like kangaroos?” Laura asked Beth.

“Yes, he likes to watch them hop,” Beth replied with a smile. Just then Gruffydd began to fuss. “I think he’s hungry,” Beth said.

“We’re almost home now,” Miranda said.

Beth nodded, but then added, “He’s not very patient when it comes to being fed.”

“I don’t think any baby is,” Bronwen said with a wry grin.

William turned onto a quiet cul-de-sac shaded by large old trees, and then pulled up in front of a two-story brick house with dark green shutters and white trim surrounded by a white picket fence. A medium-sized, long-legged black and tan terrier with a rectangular head ran up to the gate and began barking excitedly.

“Here we are,” William said with a grin, and the boys opened the doors and jumped out of the car.

“This is Prince,” Jon said proudly to his cousins as he leaned over the fence to pet his dog, who was standing up on his hinds legs with his front paws on the fence and grinning a doggy grin.

“Good boy, Prince,” Huw said, holding out his hand for the dog to sniff. One by one, the younger boys did the same.

“Sit, Prince,” William said firmly before opening the gate and quivering with excitement, the terrier obeyed.

“When you sent us the photograph of all of you and Prince, my tada said he looks just like the terrier he had when he was a boy,” Huw commented before petting Prince.

“Prince is a Welsh Terrier so I’m not surprised your dad had one. They’ve only been in this country for about twenty years, but they’re a very old breed,” William replied. Seeing his father-in-law’s raised eyebrow, he said somewhat sheepishly, “I always wanted a dog when I was a boy, but my parents thought they were a nuisance. Prince is my dog as much as he is Jon’s.”

Adam smiled at his son-in-law and then asked, “What about Laura?”

“She hasn’t shown much interest in Prince,” William replied regretfully. “She’ll pet him, but she prefers her dolls and her teddy bear.” He grinned ruefully as he added, “Miranda is the one who trained Prince. She keeps reminding us that we have to be firm with him so he knows who’s the boss.”

While the boys were playing fetch with Prince the two cabs arrived, and everyone could hear Gruffydd, who wanted the entire town of Hanover to know how hungry he was. Miranda hurriedly escorted Beth and Gruffydd up to the master bedroom while the rest of the family met Prince.

Siân petted Prince once but he was bigger than their Colwyn and Madoc and scared her just a little. She looked all around curiously. The grass in this yard looked like a thick green carpet and she’d never seen a tree like the one that shaded the yard. It was much taller than a gidgee but not as tall as a gum. It had more branches and more leaves than a gum though. She suddenly noticed that two lower branches had swings, one higher than the other.

“I wanna swing,” she exclaimed, running over to the big butternut tree that dominated the front yard.

“That’s my swing,” Laura said, running over and snatching it out of Siân’s reach. “You use Jon’s.”

William had been watching Laura and quickly walked over to the two little girls. “Laura, Siân is too little to use Jon’s swing,” he said firmly. “Let her use yours.”

“I don’t wanna,” Laura said, sticking her lip out in a pout and holding tightly to the swing’s rope.

“Laura Elizabeth, Daddy is very disappointed in you. Let your cousin swing in your swing,” William said sternly, and very reluctantly Laura let go of the swing.

Adam had followed William and now said to Siân, “Do you want Pa-pa to push you?” and the little girl nodded.

William took Laura’s hand and walked with her up the path made of paving stones, past the lilac bushes, onto the porch. He sat on the swing and then lifted his little girl onto his lap.

“Laura, I am very disappointed in you for not sharing your swing with your cousin,” he said gently as he turned her face up to his.

“It’s my swing,” Laura said sullenly.

“I know that, but why didn’t you want to share it with Siân?” William asked patiently. Laura only shrugged and looked down at her shoes.

“If we had traveled all the way to Cloncurry and Siân wouldn’t let you swing on her swing, would you like that?” William asked in the same mild tone.

“N-no,” Laura stammered.

“Then don’t you think you should go tell Siân that you’re sorry?” and Laura slowly nodded.

Adam was gently pushing Siân and Little Adam together on the swing as Laura and William approached.

“Laura has something to tell Siân,” William said, so Adam stopped the swing.

“I’m sorry I didn’t want you to swing in my swing,” Laura said and Siân smiled at her.

“Pa-pa, I gotta go,” Little Adam announced loudly and Siân added, “Me, too.”

“I’ll show you where the water closet is,” William said with a smile, and the two children grinned because they remembered the water closets at their hotels in Sydney and San Francisco and how much fun it was too pull the chain and flush the toilet.

Adam correctly interpreted their excited grins and, as they walked up the path to the house, he said, “I think I’d better help Little Adam. Bronwen went with the others to see the backyard and she can help Siân.”

“I don’t need help, Pa-pa,” Siân complained but Adam smiled a little and said, “I think Grandma should help you.”

“Laura, would you please bring your grandma to the water closet?” William asked, and Laura ran for the gate to the back yard.

Laura led Bronwen to the water closet just in time to hear the sound of the toilet flushing and Adam’s voice saying firmly, “No, young man. It only needs to be flushed once.”

They opened the door and Siân, who’d been dancing up and down, hurried inside, followed by Bronwen.

William said with a chuckle, “I guess flushing the toilet is something new for the children.”

“Right,” Adam said with a wink. “And they want to keep on pulling the chain so they can watch it.”

Just then A.C., Elen and Gwyneth, who was holding Morwenna’s hand in one of hers and a small satchel in the other, appeared with Jon, who turned around and hurried back to play with his cousins and Prince.

“Where can I change Morwenna’s nappy?” Gwyneth asked her brother-in-law.

“Our bedroom is at the top of the stairs, facing the front yard,” William replied. “That’s where your sisters are.”

“You should see the backyard, Grandpa. It’s beautiful,” Elen said as she waited for her turn.

“Shall we go see the backyard?” Adam asked his namesake and Little Adam nodded. “Lead the way, William. Miranda writes that you have a green thumb.”

“I am proud of our yard,” William said. “Gardening is something I never had a chance to try until we bought this house, but I really enjoy it.”

Bronwen emerged from the water closet with Siân just in time to hear William’s comment. “You have a right to be proud, William,” she said with a smile. “I wish I could have a garden like yours.” At the quizzical look on her son-in-law’s face, she explained, “Water is a precious commodity in Cloncurry. I have to be practical and grow vegetables.” She smiled at the children and said, “Let’s all go see Uncle William’s flowers.”

“Oh, pretty!” Siân exclaimed, her eyes shining as she beheld the flowerbeds of purple pansies, yellow, red and orange marigolds, purple asters and bronze chrysanthemums, which were just beginning to bloom, bordered by snowball bushes. And she noted with delight the English lavender growing along the path to the apple and cherry trees at the end of the yard.

“Don’t climb too high, boys,” William called, seeing the older ones were climbing the trees while Benny played fetch with Prince. “There aren’t any cherries left and the apples aren’t ripe yet.”

Bronwen remembered the time A.C. had fallen from one of their trees and had a concussion and a broken arm. She called, “Boys, get out of the trees! Now!”

A.C. had just come back outside and called, “Let’s play tag, boys. I’ll be It.” He grinned at his mama before running to join his nephews.

“Wanna swing, Pa-pa,” Little Adam commanded, tugging on his grandpa’s trousers.

“Me, too,” Siân said and Laura chimed in with, “I wanna swing.”

“How about I swing you in Jon’s swing and we’ll let your cousins use yours?” William asked his daughter and Laura smiled and nodded.

For a few minutes, Bronwen and Elen watched A.C. chase the boys while Prince ran around barking excitedly and chasing everyone indiscriminately. Then the other women joined them on the porch, and they talked until it was time for lunch.

Mrs. Matthews wasn’t happy about having nine children eating in her kitchen (only Elen was eating in the dining room), but once she saw Jon and Laura’s cousins were polite and well-behaved even if they did sound very foreign, she began to warm to them. She was especially pleased that when they finished, Huw said, “Thank you for the delicious meal, Mrs. Matthews.”

Immediately the other boys and Siân chorused, “Thank you, Mrs. Matthews,” while Little Adam and Morwenna chimed in with, “T’ank you.”

“You’re very welcome, I’m sure,” Mrs. Matthews replied with a smile.

The children all trouped into the dining room where the adults were just finishing.

“Uncle William, may we go to the ice cream parlor now?” Dylan asked hopefully.

“Are you sure you have room for ice cream?” William teased.

“Too right I do,” Dylan replied emphatically.

“Do you all have room for ice cream?” William asked and they all assured him that they did. “Then we’ll all have some ice cream. My treat.”

“Why don’t we walk?” Miranda suggested. “It’s only about a mile to the ice cream parlor.”

“A walk would be nice,” Bronwen said, “especially after being cooped up on the train for several days.”

“Yes, I’d like a chance to stretch my legs,” Adam agreed.

“We brought Jon and Laura’s old baby carriage down from the storeroom in the attic and put it in the mudroom,” Miranda said to her sisters. “We can put Gruffydd and Morwenna in it. Little Adam, too, when he gets tired of walking.”

“What’s a mudroom, Aunt Miranda?” Dylan asked curiously.

“It’s the room you enter when you come in through the backdoor,” Miranda explained. “When it’s raining or snowing, we take off our rubber boots there so we don’t track mud or snow through the house. And we hang up our mackintoshes and heavy coats there so they don’t drip rainwater or snow in the house.”

“Daddy, can we take Prince with us?” Jon asked then. “Please.”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” William replied. “He can’t come in the ice cream parlor.”

“I could tie his leash to the baby carriage while we were inside so he couldn’t get lost,” Jon pleaded, and reluctantly William agreed.

It wasn’t long before the little cavalcade began the walk down tree-shaded Butternut Lane toward the town’s business district. They made quite a procession and several people coming out of shops stopped to gawk. It wasn’t long before Little Adam was tired and wanted to ride in the baby carriage. Then the two little girls got tired so William lifted Laura onto his shoulders and A.C. gave Siân a piggyback ride. Seeing them, naturally Little Adam also wanted a piggyback ride, so Adam picked him up and set him on his shoulders.

When they reached the corner of East Wheelock and North College, William stopped and said proudly, “This is Dartmouth College. Here is The Green and if you look to the north, you can see Dartmouth Row. Those are the oldest buildings on the campus.” The children looked and could see four white clapboard buildings with many windows facing the street. “If you look a little further north, you can see Rollins Chapel and Webster Hall,” William continued. Adam remembered the chapel from his previous visit; he’d thought it was a fine example of neo-Romanesque style.

Beth glanced to the east and said, “Isn’t that the hotel? I remember it overlooked The Green.”

“Yes, that’s it,” Miranda replied. “We’ll walk by it on the way to the ice cream parlor. It’s just around the corner on Lebanon Street. I’ll go with you while you sign the register, and we can join the others when you’ve finished.”

The Jones and Pentreath children had never seen a shop like the ice cream parlor with its little round glass-topped tables and long marble counter. Behind the counter were shiny spigots and there were shelves on the wall with tall fluted glasses and glass bowls that were shaped like tulips. And the shop was brightly lit by electric lights. A boy and girl sat at the counter with one of the tall glasses in front of them, each sipping from a straw stuck in the glass. They looked and then blinked when the Cartwrights, Joneses, Pentreaths and Gordons entered the shop. The teenage boy behind the counter turned toward them when the little bell on the door jingled as they opened it. Jon walked up to the counter with a happy grin and said, “Hello, Charley. This is my grandpa and grandma and cousins from Australia.”

“I’m pleased to meet you,” Charley said with a friendly smile. Then he saw Elen and gawked at her, causing her cheeks to grow pink and she stared down at the black and white linoleum floor.

William said quickly, “I’m treating everyone, Charley.” He turned to his in-laws. “What would you like, Mama and Dad?”

“We have ice cream sundaes, ice cream sodas and ice cream cones,” Charley said helpfully. “And we have Coca Cola.”

“What’s Coca Cola?” Bronwen asked.

“It’s a flavored soda water,” William explained. “Miranda and I both enjoy Coca Cola.”

“I think I would like a glass of Coca Cola and a dish of ice cream,” Bronwen said to Charley as she shifted Gruffydd to one hip.

“Vanilla, chocolate or peach?” Charley asked then.

“Oh, peach ice cream sounds delicious,” said Bronwen, feeling daring. “Could you give me three spoons?

Charley smiled down at Morwenna and Little Adam, who were each holding one of Adam’s hands, and said, “Sure thing, ma’am.” Then Charley turned to Adam.

“What flavor ice cream sodas do you have?” Adam asked.

“Vanilla and chocolate,” Charley replied.

“I believe I’ll try a chocolate soda,” Adam said and then turned to Bronwen. “Why don’t you pick a table, Sweetheart.”

“Oh, I’ll bring your order, sir. You don’t need to wait,” Charley assured Adam, who smiled and followed Bronwen to a table with four chairs. Charley swallowed nervously so his Adam’s apple bobbed up and down before asking Elen, “Wh-what would you like, miss?”

“I would like to try a hot fudge sundae,” Elen said shyly.

“Oh, they’re my favorite,” Charley said, smiling bashfully at her.

“I think Elen has made a conquest,” Bronwen said quietly as Adam helped Little Adam and Morwenna onto their chairs. He turned his head and then shrugged resignedly.

“If I’ve learned one thing, it’s that I can’t stop little girls from becoming young women,” he said with a rueful smile.

Jory was tired of waiting to be asked what he wanted and said loudly, “I want a chocolate soda.”

“Uh, sure,” Charley said, forcing himself to take his eyes off Elen. “What do the rest of you kids want?”

“I’d like a hot fudge sundae,” Huw said and Dylan added, “Me, too.”

“What about you, Benny?” William asked.

“I want an ice cream soda,” Benny answered, remembering his mama said she and Aunt Penny had shared one.

“Chocolate or vanilla?” Charley asked. Benny couldn’t remember if his mama had vanilla or chocolate. Since Grandpa had picked chocolate, that’s what he would get. “Chocolate,” he answered.

“And what about you two ladies?” Charley asked Laura and Siân.

‘I want an ice cream cone,” Laura announced but Siân was overcome with shyness and stared at Charley. William smiled at her and said to Charley, “Get them each a vanilla ice cream cone.”

Jon had waited patiently and now said, “I’d like a vanilla ice cream cone.” A.C. grinned and said, “I’ll have a chocolate one.”

Charley then asked, “What about you, Professor Gordon?”

“I’ll just have a glass of Coca Cola,” William replied. Then he said to the little girls, “Let’s go sit at the table by your grandma and grandpa.”

“Let’s sit here,” Dylan said to the other boys as he started to climb up on one of the stools at the counter.

Charley had been hoping for a chance to talk with Elen if she sat at the counter and quickly said, “The tables are nicer.”

A.C. winked at him conspiratorially and said, “Right, let’s sit at the tables, mates.” Then he gently nudged a blushing Elen toward a stool at the counter.

The four older boys immediately moved to a table, leaving Benny feeling left out. Then Uncle A.C. put a hand on his shoulder and said, “Come sit with me, Benny, so I don’t have to sit by myself.” Benny smiled happily and sat with his uncle.

Charley was busy preparing all the orders, talking to Elen all the while, when Beth, Miranda and Gwyneth entered the shop. Beth’s eyes widened in surprise at the sight of her shy daughter talking with a boy, and then she smiled.

“Do you like the sundae?” Charley asked Elen anxiously.

“Yes, it’s delicious,” Elen replied. “It’s the first one I ever had.”

“Don’t they have ice cream sundaes in Australia?” Charley asked.

“Not in Cloncurry where I live. It’s a little town in the Outback. I imagine they have them in a city like Brisbane or Sydney,” Elen answered.

“I like small towns,” Charley said. “I went to Boston once but I like Hanover better.” He paused and then asked tentatively, “Would you like to come with me to the Nickelodeon tomorrow afternoon?”

“I’d love to,” Elen replied, feeling a strange combination of excitement and trepidation, “but I’d have to get my mama’s permission.”

“I’ll ask her,” Charley said. “Uh, is she the tall lady with Mrs. Gordon?”

“No, that’s my aunt,” Elen said, hoping against hope that her mama would agree.

Beth listened to the request and then said gently, “It’s kind of you to ask Elen, but her father and I think she’s too young to be spending time with a young man.”

“I have an idea,” Miranda said quickly. “William and I were going to suggest we all go to the Nickelodeon tomorrow. What if Charley came with us?”

Beth hesitated; she wasn’t sure that Dafydd would approve, but if they were all there, she couldn’t see the harm. “If you would like to join us, Charley, that would be just fine.”

It wasn’t quite what the boy had in mind, but he did want to spend more time with Elen. He smiled and asked Miranda, “What time should l meet you?”

“A little before two,” Miranda said.

Charley nodded and went back behind the counter to talk with Elen.

Beth watched and commented in a bemused tone, “Elen is usually so shy with strangers.”

“From what I’ve seen, Charley is usually tongue-tied around girls,” Miranda said.

“Maybe that’s why they’re comfortable together,” Gwyneth suggested, remembering the first time she had met Mark.

Prince had been sitting outside the store with his leash tied to the baby carriage patiently waiting for his humans to emerge from the ice cream parlor, but now he was bored and began to bark.

“Prince wants some ice cream, too,” Jon said, looking at his half-eaten cone. “He can have the rest of mine.” He jumped up and ran outside. They could all look out the shop’s picture window and see him sit on the sidewalk and hold out the ice cream cone to Prince. The dog’s long pink tongue slurped up the ice cream as the others all watched.

“Look, Uncle A.C.! Prince likes the ice cream!” Benny said.

“Too right he does,” A.C. said with a wide grin. “Look, he’s finished. You’d better work on yours or it’ll melt through the bottom of the cone.”

As soon as Prince finished, he began to lick Jon’s face while he tried to wag his stub of a tail. Since most of the others were still eating their ice cream, William stood up saying, “If you’ll excuse me, I think Jon and I will take Prince to The Green for a run.”

Adam had finished his soda and asked Bronwen, “Do you mind if I desert you for a few minutes? I noticed that we passed the Dartmouth Bookstore, and I’d like to do a little browsing.”

She nodded, adding with a smile, “I might join you when we finish.”

As soon as Adam stood up, Little Adam jumped down from his chair. “I go wiv Pa-pa.”

“No, I think you should stay here,” Bronwen said, but the little boy looked at her with his big hazel eyes and said, “Go wiv Pa-pa, pease.”

“I was planning on browsing the picture books,” Adam said with a wink, and held out his hand to his grandson.

Little Adam quickly chose The Tale of Squirrel Nutkin and sat down on the floor to look at it. While he was absorbed in the book, Adam picked up a copy to be a birthday gift for his grandson. He hurried to the front of the shop before Little Adam saw that he had the book, and in his haste, he bumped into a young man with curly brown hair.

“I’m so sorry,” Adam began and the young man said, “It’s all right.” Then Adam stopped and stared.

“Are you all right, sir,” the young man asked solicitously.

“Yes, I’m fine,” Adam replied. “Please forgive me for staring, but you reminded me of someone.” No wonder Miranda knew the moment she saw this young man that he and I must be related. The likeness is remarkable, Adam thought.

“Of course,” Richard Crowley replied. He smiled genially at the older man and continued on his way toward the door.

Adam watched him go. He knew it would be best if he didn’t mention the chance encounter to anyone but, as luck would have it, Bronwen was entering the shop as Richard was leaving. She stared after the young man, and then saw her husband watching her as the clerk counted his change. She said nothing then, but when they left the Dartmouth Bookstore, Little Adam walking between them, she asked quietly, “That was Richard Crowley?”

Adam nodded. “I’m sure it must be. I bumped into him by accident. I- I hope seeing him hasn’t upset you,” he said, and she heard the uneasiness in his tone.

“No, it hasn’t. I knew we might encounter him,” she said in the same calm tone. She added thoughtfully, “He certainly does resemble you. He’s shorter by a couple of inches and his coloring is fairer, but in every other way, he’s your image.”

“Tell me ‘tory, Ga-ma,” Little Adam commanded then, and they both smiled down at the other grandson who resembled Adam.

“You forgot the magic word, mate,” Adam said, ruffling his namesake’s curls.

“Pease, Ga-ma,” the little boy said, smiling up at his grandma.

“As soon as we get back to your Aunt Miranda and Uncle William’s house, I’ll tell you a story,” she promised. “And maybe Siân and Laura will want to hear it, too.”

Bronwen kept her promise and then she and Little Adam played with Jon’s blocks on the porch, and were joined by Morwenna when she woke up from her nap. (Bronwen also kept an eye on Gruffydd as he crawled around the porch.) The rest of the women and Elen played Simon Says, London Bridge and The Farmer in the Dell with the two little girls while Adam, A.C. and William played Hide and Seek and Kick the Can with the boys in the backyard.

After supper, the families gathered in the drawing room and sang until it was time for the Joneses and Pentreaths to go to the Hanover Inn. William drove Gwyneth’s family first, with Benny proudly sitting in the front seat by his uncle. A.C. rode with them at Benny’s insistence and held Little Adam on his lap. The Jones boys were eagerly awaiting their next chance to ride in the automobile and Elen was delighted when her uncle invited her to sit in the front seat.

After Laura and Jon were in bed that evening, William excused himself, saying he had work to do in the library.

“William is such a thoughtful man,” Bronwen said, smiling fondly as her son-in-law left the drawing room.

“He is,” Miranda agreed. “And it’s really remarkable considering his mother’s temperament.”

A.C. raised an eyebrow at his sister’s comment while Bronwen frowned at her daughter’s disrespectful remark.

“Now, Angel,” Adam cautioned, although from his brief meeting with William’s parents at the time of Miranda and William’s wedding, he certainly understood her attitude.

“Oh, I know I shouldn’t speak of my mother-in-law that way,” Miranda admitted, “but she is my bête noire.” Then she stopped and smiled at her parents and brother. “I don’t want to waste any of your visit talking about Mrs. Gordon. It’s so wonderful seeing the family all together, except for Dafydd and Mark.” She smiled wistfully as she added silently, and Penny.

“Yes, it is wonderful,” Adam agreed with a warm smile.

Miranda turned to A.C. then. “So you’ve decided to be a veterinarian?”

“That’s right,” A.C. said. “I’ll be attending the State College of Washington in Pullman for four years, and once I’m a licensed veterinarian, I’ll be living at the Ponderosa. I’ll be spending my summer vacations there while I’m in college.”

“And Benj is starting a law practice in Carson City?” Miranda asked.

“Right. He’s rented an office and he’s had a few clients,” A.C. replied. “He’s not interested in being a stockman. Uh, I mean cowboy.”

“What I can’t get over is Uncle Hoss’s child turning up after all these years,” Miranda said. “Is he staying on at the Ponderosa?”

“Yes,” Adam answered before A.C. could open his mouth. “I could tell from the short time we spent together that Josh loves the Ponderosa the same way his father did.”

“I’m glad there will still be Cartwrights living on the Ponderosa,” Miranda said slowly. “It was so sad when it seemed Grandpa’s dream had died with Uncle Joe.” She turned to her brother and smiled affectionately. “If you’re going to spend your summer vacations there, then we’ll plan on spending part of it there as well.”

Bronwen reached for Adam’s hand and he smiled tenderly at her, both pleased that Miranda and A.C., who had been separated during A.C.’s childhood and adolescence, now had an opportunity to spend time together.

The four of them talked until they heard the clock chime that it was nine. Miranda said then, “I know you must be tired after traveling all the way from Carson City so let me show you to your rooms.”

Carrying an oil lamp, Miranda led them upstairs and then opened the door to one of the rooms facing the backyard. The lamplight revealed a large room with four sash windows, two overlooking the backyard, and containing a low post bed and wardrobe. “This is your room, Mama and Daddy,” Miranda said.

“It’s lovely,” Bronwen said, looking around while Adam lit the lamp on one of their bedside tables.

“I’m glad you like it,” Miranda said with a pleased smile. “Breakfast is at seven and I’ll see you then. Goodnight.”

As she closed their door, Adam and Bronwen heard Miranda say to A.C., “I’m afraid your room is smaller. I hope you don’t mind.”

As they began to get ready for bed, Bronwen said with feeling, “After those nights sleeping on the train, sleeping in a real bed will be sheer bliss.”

“I couldn’t agree more,” Adam said. Then he smiled as he added, “But seeing all our children and grandchildren together is worth a little discomfort.”

“Too right it is!” Bronwen said, and he loved how her happiness lit up her face.

“Have I told you lately that I adore you?” he asked softly before leaning down and capturing her mouth in a kiss.

Adam was awakened from a sound sleep by a loud clap of thunder and the sound of rain beating against the windows. Bronwen always slept more soundly, so he lay quietly beside her until he finally drifted back to sleep. From long habit, he woke at five o’clock. The rain was no longer lashing against the windowpanes, but when he opened the interior shutters, he could tell it was still raining. While he was putting on his robe before heading to the water closet, Bronwen woke up. He waited until she slipped on her robe and then they headed downstairs together, with Adam holding the lamp, trying to be very quiet so they didn’t wake up sleeping family members. They reckoned without Prince’s superior sense of hearing. He came trotting briskly from Jon’s room and when he saw them, he gave a happy woof.

“Quiet, Prince,” Adam said in a low but firm voice. Prince obeyed, then ran over to Bronwen and stood up and put his front feet on her legs, begging for some attention.

She petted him and then said, “Go back to Jon, Prince,” pointing to Jon’s door. Prince simply cocked his head and looked at her. Clearly he was not interested in returning to the dark bedroom.

“Wonderful,” Adam muttered as they started down the stairs, Prince trotting at Bronwen’s side.

When Adam emerged from the water closet, he found his son fondling Prince’s ears as he wait for his turn.

“I got back in the habit of getting up at dawn,” A.C. drawled with a wink as Bronwen started to go through the doorway.

She hesitated, saying, “I think I’ll take a bath and wash my hair before the others are up.”

“I’ll go put your clean clothes in the bathroom,” Adam offered and she smiled, saying, “Thank you, Cariad.”

As Adam headed up the stairs, Prince headed for the front door with A.C. following to let him out. When A.C. stepped onto the porch, he could see the storm had changed to a steady, gentle rain. Prince did his business quickly and then trotted briskly up to the porch, where he gave himself a good shake. A.C. had hurriedly moved away, and when Prince was done shaking, A.C. petted him to judge how wet he was.

“Sorry, boy, but you’re still too wet to come inside. I’ll be back in a few minutes with a towel,” he said to the dog before quickly darting back inside. Prince began to whine and scratch at the door so Adam went outside to keep him company. When A.C. came out with the towel, Adam held out his hand for it and began rubbing Prince dry.

“It was nice to sleep in a bed again,” A.C. remarked, leaning against the side of the house. “But my room was intended for someone Mama’s size. Since it’s an attic room, it has sloping eaves and at its highest, the ceiling isn’t even seven feet. I know because my head almost touches it.”

Adam chuckled as he said, “Sounds like the loft in our old cabin. Once your Uncle Hoss and I were grown, we couldn’t stand up straight.”

“It’s hard to picture you and Uncle Hoss and Uncle Joe all up there sharing a bed,” A.C. said with a grin.

“It was definitely crowded,” Adam agreed with a wink as he neatly folded the towel he’d been using on Prince, “but that winter I was actually glad to be sharing a bed because the loft was cold.” His tone grew more serious as he added, “I doubt you’ll find it any easier to adjust to winter in Washington or Nevada than your sister has to winter in New England.”

A.C. shrugged and then said, “I hope the rain lets up. It won’t be easy keeping nine billy lids entertained cooped up inside until it’s time to go to the Nickelodeon.”

Adam said, “We’ve got the games we played on the ship and train. She’ll be apples.” Then he smiled and said, “I’m looking forward to the Nickelodeon myself.”

“I went to see some moving pictures in Sydney,” A.C. said. “I saw a couple you’d have enjoyed because they were about Sherlock Holmes.”

“That would be interesting,” Adam agreed. “Miranda wrote us that she and William saw William Gillette as Sherlock Holmes, and they thought his performance was brilliant.” He stood up then saying, “If your mama has finished her bath, I’m going to take one.”

Jon was surprised to wake up and not find Prince sleeping beside him. He ran out in the hall but there was no sign of Prince. He realized that he needed to use the water closet so he hurried down the stairs. The rain had cooled the temperature and he was chilly in his bare feet and cotton pajamas. As soon as he finished, he called, “Prince!” and his dog came running from the library, barking a greeting, followed by his grandparents and uncle.

“Jon, you’re going to catch cold,” his grandma scolded.

“I was just looking for Prince,” Jon said.

“Well, hurry upstairs now and get dressed,” Grandma said with a smile, which he returned before running up the stairs with Prince at his side.

When he got to his door, his mama said, “Oh, you’re already up.” Then she saw he was barefoot and said, “It’s too cold to be going barefoot.”

“That’s what Grandma said; she and Grandpa and Uncle A.C. were in the library with Prince,” Jon said before going in his room to dress.

“I should’ve known they’d already be up,” Miranda said to William. “They’re used to getting up at dawn.” She buttoned her cardigan as she said, “It’s so chilly; I hope Beth and Gwyneth packed sweaters for the children as I suggested. I’m going to telephone the hotel to let them know that you should be there with the car in about an hour and a half.”

The four older boys and Elen were the first to arrive, and they saw the others waiting on the front porch. As they dashed up the walk, Aunt Miranda called, “Go around to the backdoor, children, and leave your mackintoshes in the mudroom.”

As they walked into the mudroom, they noticed there were several hooks along the wall so they hung their dripping raingear there.

“I’m glad we packed our pullovers,” Huw said. “It really does feel like winter today.”

All four boys wore knitted pullovers while Elen wore a cardigan with her skirt and high-necked lacey blouse. Mama hadn’t wanted her to wear the blouse since it was her nicest and reserved for church or other special occasions, but she’d finally persuaded Mama that going to the Nickelodeon with Charley was a special occasion.

Jon and A.C. were waiting in the hallway for them. “G’day, mates,” A.C. said. “C’mon into the library. Your Aunt Miranda is going to teach us a new game called Panjandrum, or you can play Old Maid with Grandma, Grandpa and Laura.”

“Old Maid?” Benny said in a puzzled tone.

“It’s just like Old Bachelor except the card you don’t want to get has an old woman instead of an old man,” A.C. explained.

“That’s what I wanna play,” Benny declared as they walked into the library. He saw his grandparents were sitting on the brown leather Chesterfield, and Grandpa was wearing a pullover like his. There was a long, low table in front of them, and Laura was sitting on the floor on the other side of the table so Benny went over and sat beside her.

Miranda had cleared off the large partner’s desk and was seated behind it, shuffling a deck of cards. “I’m afraid only five people can play Panjandrum so, Jon, I’d like you play Old Maid right now,” Miranda said.

“But I wanna play Panjandrum,” Jon protested.

“You can play the next game,” Miranda said firmly. “Right now, I’m going to show your cousins and uncle how to play. Since they’re all beginners, they can play a game together.”

Huw was watching his aunt shuffle the deck and noticed instead of diamonds, hearts, spades and clubs, the cards had numbers printed on them in red, black, green and yellow.

“What kind of cards are these?” he asked curiously.

“They’re Rook cards,” his aunt answered. “Your uncle and I play Rook with our friends but there are several games children can play with the cards, and Panjandrum is our favorite.”

It was about a half an hour later that William returned with the rest of the family. Beth and Gwyneth smiled as they saw the two groups playing games. Prince jumped up to greet William with a happy woof, but Little Adam shrank back behind Gwyneth and Morwenna started to cry.

“Sit, Prince,” William commanded and the terrier obeyed, but he barked, which made Morwenna cry louder and Gruffydd began to wail.

Miranda hurriedly got the box of Jon’s blocks from one corner of the room and walked over to her sisters. “I brought these for the ankle biters to play with, but I think it would be better if they played in the drawing room,” she suggested, and her sisters quickly agreed.

By lunchtime the rain had stopped, but since it was wet outside the children played indoors until it was time to go to the Nickelodeon. The five youngest were taking their afternoon nap and Nancy, the Gordons’ maid, would be looking after them until their mamas returned. Once the rain stopped, it had grown warmer so the boys removed their pullovers, and the men replaced theirs with blazers.

“Since it’s still so wet out, I’m going to drive the women to the Nickelodeon,” Miranda declared.

Naturally they arrived first and, as Bronwen climbed out of the front seat, she said, “Don’t be insulted, Miranda fach, but I’m going to walk home.”

“I enjoyed the ride, but I still prefer our surrey,” Beth said. “It’s quieter.”

While they waited, Miranda explained that the Nickelodeon had been a vaudeville theater and the owner decided to show moving pictures in the afternoons and have vaudeville shows in the evening. “Now, he shows moving pictures all day long,” she said. “It costs a nickel to see several moving pictures—a drama, a comedy, an adventure, and a documentary—and it takes about an hour to see them all. A pianist plays music to accompany the moving pictures, and while they change the reels, the audience has a sing-along. The Nickelodeon changes the program twice a week, and since Jon and his friend Freddy really enjoy the moving pictures, this summer either Lydia or I have taken them here once a week.”

“Huw and Dylan are very excited to see a moving picture,” Beth said with a fond smile. “That’s all they talked about when we got back to the hotel last night.”

“It was the same with Jory and Benny,” Gwyneth said. With a small sigh, she added, “I know Little Adam doesn’t understand what a moving picture is, but I’m afraid he’ll have a tantrum when he finds out he didn’t get to go with his brothers.”

“Hello!” they heard Charley call as he approached them. He had clearly dressed to impress Elen. He was wearing a navy blazer and a straw boater, and his thick brown hair had been slicked down with brilliantine.

Beth smiled a little when she remembered how long Elen had fussed with her pompadour this morning and insisted on wearing her best blouse. She’s growing up so quickly. In a few years, my baby could have a baby of her own, she thought wistfully.

It wasn’t long before the rest of the family arrived at the Nickelodeon. Charley asked Beth, “May I pay for Elen’s ticket, Mrs. Jones?”

Beth smiled at him and replied, “That would be fine, Charley. Just remember that we’re all sitting together.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Charley said with a huge grin. “We’ll go ahead save you all some good seats,” and he held out his arm to Elen. She blushed just a little as she placed her gloved hand lightly on his arm, and they walked over to the box office.

“I have to keep reminding myself that she’s not quite fourteen,” Miranda said quietly.

Just before they entered the building, Adam took A.C. to one side. “You sit on one side of Elen and Charley,” he instructed, “and I’ll sit on the other.”

“Right,” A.C. said. He didn’t think Charley would try to do more than hold Elen’s hand, but having her uncle and grandfather sitting nearby should discourage him from taking any liberties in the dark.

As Adam escorted Bronwen into the Nickelodeon, they saw it looked like a conventional small theater with several rows of seats facing a stage. The difference was that in front of the curtain someone had hung a large bed sheet. Elen rolled her eyes as her grandparents sat down beside her while Charley’s Adam’s apple bobbed up and down as he swallowed convulsively when a smiling A.C. took the seat by him. The five boys moved to the front row, where several other children were sitting. They didn’t have long to wait until the room became dark and black-and-white images appeared on the bed sheet Elen was startled when she felt Charley’s hand reach for hers. His was a little damp and she realized he was nervous, too, so she relaxed.

When the lights came on to signal they had seen their nickel’s worth, Miranda asked her family what they thought of the Nickelodeon.

“It was a ripper!” Dylan exclaimed and the other boys enthusiastically agreed.

Adam smiled at his grandsons’ enthusiasm. “It was interesting,” he stated, “but I would prefer to see a play with the actors performing on the stage.”

“So would I,” Bronwen agreed. “And I prefer a more natural acting style.”

“Yes, but the exaggerated style was very effective in the comedy,” Gwyneth commented and Beth agreed. Gwyneth then added, “I think I enjoyed the sing-along as much as the moving pictures.”

“Me, too, Mama,” Benny said, smiling up at her and she gave his shoulder an affectionate squeeze.

“Uh, Mrs. Jones,” Charley said nervously, “would you allow me to treat Elen to a sundae or a soda?” He had let go of Elen’s hand as soon as the lights had come on but from the way her tall uncle grinned at him, Charley suspected that he knew they’d been holding hands.

“I’d like some ice cream,” Huw said then and all the boys agreed.

“I’m afraid Gruffydd may be getting hungry,” Beth said and Gwyneth added, “I imagine Nancy has her hands full so I think I should go back to William and Miranda’s house.”

Seeing all the disappointed faces, A.C. quickly said, “I’d like to try one of those sundaes so I could go with the boys.” He didn’t need to add, “and Elen and Charley.”

“That hot fudge sundae did look delicious,” Bronwen said with a little smile. “Perhaps we could share one, Cariad?”

“That sounds like a wonderful idea,” Adam replied with a wink.

“Why don’t I drive you both home?” Miranda suggested to her sisters. “Then everyone else can go to the ice cream parlor.”

As soon as the three sisters opened the Gordons’ front door, they could hear Gruffydd crying. They hurried upstairs and when they walked in Jon’s room, where they’d put the two boys down for their nap, they found Nancy pacing the room with a screaming Gruffydd while Little Adam and Morwenna played with Jon’s blocks. Beth took Gruffydd from Nancy and headed for the master bedroom where she could nurse him while Miranda went to check on Laura and Siân. Gwyneth picked up Morwenna while her little boy demanded to know where she’d been.

Miranda discovered the two girls were having a tea party for Laura’s doll and teddy bear and hadn’t missed their mamas so she joined Beth. As she watched Beth nurse Gruffydd, she said quietly, “I’d like to have another child, but I just don’t conceive very easily. I know William is disappointed but he says maybe it’s just as well since my doctor says another pregnancy after two cesarean sections is risky.” She looked a little guilty as she said, “Seeing all your children, I can’t help feeling a little envious.”

Beth laughed softly. “And seeing this beautiful house and all its furnishings, I was feeling a little envious of you.” The two sisters smiled. “The truth is that we’re both blessed,” Beth said. “We’re both married to good men who love us.” She grinned impishly as she added, “I do wish the parsonage had a water closet though.”

Adam, Bronwen and William shared a table at the ice cream parlor. When they were ready to leave, Bronwen said to the men, “Why don’t you and the boys go on ahead and I’ll walk home with Elen after she has a chance to say goodbye to Charley.”

William glanced quickly at Elen and Charley, who shared a table in a corner at the rear of the shop, as far as they could get from Elen’s younger brothers and cousins. “I’m glad it will be years before Laura will be interested in boys,” he said honestly.

“Take it from me, those years go by very quickly,” Adam said and his smile was tinged with sadness.

As the men and boys exited the shop, Bronwen walked over to where Elen and Charley were sitting. “I will wait for you outside, Elen,” she said with a smile.

“Could- could I walk Elen to Professor and Mrs. Gordon’s house, Mrs. Cartwright?” Charley asked hopefully.

“I’m afraid not, Charley,” Bronwen said as kindly as she could.

“Please, Grandma,” Elen pleaded, gazing at her grandma with her soft dark eyes.

“Elen fach, you know if your tada were here, he would say no,” Bronwen said, her tone gentle but firm. She repeated, “I’ll wait for you outside.”

As she walked away, Charley asked Elen, “Will you be here in Hanover much longer?”

“No. We’re leaving for Boston Friday afternoon,” she replied regretfully. “And then we’ll be heading back to Cloncurry.”

“I guess this is goodbye,” Charley said sadly, “because I won’t have another day off until Sunday. I- I’m really glad I got to meet you, Elen.”

“I’m glad I met you. Thank you for a wonderful afternoon, Charley,” Elen said shyly. “I- I’d better go now.”

Charley jumped up so he could pull back her chair for her. Then he walked with her to the door and held it open for her.

“Goodbye,” he said, his tone and expression forlorn.

“Goodbye,” Elen said softly before joining her grandmother.

They walked together in silence, Bronwen waiting to see if her shy granddaughter would confide in her. After a few minutes, Elen said softly, “I liked him, Grandma. He was nice.”

“Yes, he seemed to be a very nice boy,” Bronwen agreed.

“He won’t have any more time off, so I won’t see him again, but I’m very glad I had a chance to meet him.” And he said that he was really glad he met me, that he wanted to spend more time with me, Elen thought exultantly. Her joy shone from her eyes and her grandma smiled to see it.

“I’m glad you could spend time with Charley,” Bronwen said, putting an arm around the girl’s shoulders and giving her a quick hug. Grandchildren grow up even faster than children, she thought wistfully.

That evening as Adam and Bronwen were alone in their room and he was brushing her hair, she said, “You’re certainly quiet tonight.”

“I’m sorry,” he said. “I’ve just been thinking.” She waited, and he continued to brush her hair with firm, even strokes. After a few minutes, he said, “I’ve been thinking about all the changes that I’ve seen in my life. For example, when I was a boy most farmers harvested their crops by hand using a scythe or cradle. It would take a man a day to cut two acres. Then farmers began to use the reaper Cyrus McCormick invented and it could cut as much grain in a day as four or five men using a cradle or scythe.” He paused in his brushing and she turned to face him.

“I can remember people laughing at the very idea of a horseless carriage, and yet now, they are a reality,” he continued. “Bell’s invention of the telephone means that people no longer need to rely on letters to communicate over distances. Now, they can actually talk to one another.”

“Don’t forget electric lights,” Bronwen added. “Miranda told us on the way to the Nickelodeon that she and William are saving so that they can have electricity installed in this house.” She shook her head in wonder. “Imagine a room this late at night that was lit up as bright as day.”

He winked as he set down the hairbrush and said, “This late at night, I’m asleep so I don’t have any need of Mr. Edison’s incandescent electric lights.”

She giggled a little as she said, “You have a point.” She stood up and they kissed before getting into bed and curling up like two spoons.

The next day was Little Adam’s birthday. William drove to the Hanover Inn early that morning to get Gwyneth and her family. Mrs. Matthews gave Gwyneth a chilly reception in her kitchen, but she had set out the loaf of bread, butter and colored sugar she knew Gwyneth would need from observing Miranda make fairy bread for Jon and Laura over the years. Gwyneth quickly set about slicing the bread and then trimming the crust off. Once that was finished, she spread butter lavishly on each slice before sprinkling the colored sugar liberally so the slice was entirely covered. Finally, she cut each slice of bread into a triangle and heaped them onto a plate.

When Gwyneth carried the plate of colorful fairy bread to the dining room where the Cartwrights, Gordons and Pentreaths all crowded around the table, Adam said, “Look, fairy bread. Now, I wonder whose birthday it is?”

“Hmm, it’s not mine,” William said with a wink.

“It’s not mine either,” A.C. said, grinning.

“It’s Little Adam’s, isn’t it, Mama?” Benny asked excitedly.

“Right,” Gwyneth said with a dimpled smile. “Today Little Adam is three years old.”

“Happy birthday!” Laura said excitedly and Jon, Jory and Benny shouted, “Happy birthday, Little Adam!”

The birthday boy’s grin was enormous as he exclaimed, “My birthday!”

“Are we having a party for Little Adam?” Jon asked. “And a birthday cake?”

“Yes, we are,” Miranda replied. “This afternoon. Right now, I want to have a slice of that delicious fairy bread that Aunt Gwyneth made.”

“This fairy bread is better than yours, Mama,” Jon announced after swallowing his first bite, causing his daddy to choke on his coffee while his grandparents both laughed. The children looked at the adults, mystified by their behavior.

Miranda only smiled as she said, “That’s because Aunt Gwyneth is a better cook than I am. In fact, the reason Mrs. Matthews is our cook is because I am such a bad one.”

“That’s okay, Mama. You’re better at helping me with my ‘rithmetic than Daddy is,” Jon said very seriously, and again the adults puzzled him with their laughter.

The Joneses arrived after breakfast, and all the children were excited about the upcoming party. The men kept the older boys playing games in the backyard, and the women played games with the younger children in the front yard. Except Bronwen. She made Gruffydd some of her teething tea. He had started cutting a new tooth and was fretful.

The cake arrived shortly before lunch and Gwyneth had to admit it was beautifully decorated. She and Miranda had decided to have the party after the children’s nap. The birthday boy, seconded by Laura and Siân, objected loudly, until their mamas told them that if they didn’t take a nap, there would be no party.

Seeing his namesake’s scowl, Adam said, “I’m tired and I’m going to take a nap. Do you want to take a nap with me, Little Adam?”

“Tell me ‘tory?” the three-year-old asked hopefully.

“If you promise to lie down with your eyes closed, then I promise to tell you a story,” Adam agreed. The two Adams headed up the stairs, hand in hand.

Later that afternoon all the family members gathered in the library. The birthday boy was seated in the center of the Chesterfield with his mama and grandma on either side of him while the other adults sat in leather tub chairs or side chairs brought in from the dining room and the children sat on the floor. Little Adam’s gifts were arranged on the coffee table where he could reach them.

“That’s our gift,” Jon announced as Little Adam picked one from the pile. He opened the box and pulled out a lion made of mohair.

“Turn the key and then put the lion on the floor,” William said with a little smile. Bronwen turned the key for the little boy, and then she sat the toy on the floor. Little Adam clapped his hands and shrieked with delight as the toy lion crouched back on his hind legs, moved his head and then leaped forward. He was so thrilled with the lion that he had to be reminded that he had other gifts to open. The next gift contained several pairs of socks, a new straw hat, and a wooden whistle from the Joneses. Gwyneth thanked her sister for the socks and hat while Little Adam began to blow his whistle.

“We’ll save the whistle for you to play with outside,” Gwyneth said, wincing at the shrill sound. “Here, open this gift. It’s from Uncle Rhys and Aunt Matilda,” she said, handing her littlest boy a package that had traveled with them from Cloncurry.

“Look, it’s a train!” Dylan exclaimed as Little Adam removed the wooden toy from the box.

“Uncle Rhys made it himself, didn’t he?” Huw asked his grandparents and they nodded. Rhys had made an engine, a couple of passenger cars and a little caboose and Matilda had painted the train. Huw instructed his little cousin, “Put it on the floor and push it, Little Adam.” Little Adam happily pushed the little train on the library’s highly polished hardwood floor.

“You still have three gifts to open,” Gwyneth said after a few minutes. “Here, this one is from Uncle A.C.”

“It’s a bank,” A.C. explained when the box revealed a brightly painted squirrel holding an acorn and facing a tree trunk. “You put a coin on the acorn, press this button and the squirrel drops the coin in the tree trunk.” He looked a little embarrassed as he added, “I, uh, only have American money.”

Adam grinned at his son as he said, “Bring your bank here, Little Adam, and I’ll give you sixpence you can give the squirrel.” The birthday boy trotted over to his grandpa with his bank while Adam fished around in his pockets until he found a sixpence mixed in with the American coins. Little Adam set the bank down on the floor and placed the coin on the acorn as his uncle had instructed, but nothing happened.

“You have to press the button,” A.C. reminded his nephew, and when Little Adam pushed the button, the squirrel put the sixpence in the tree.

“Again,” Little Adam said eagerly.

“Pa-pa doesn’t have much Australian money either,” Adam said as he hunted through the coins in his pocket. “All right, here’s tuppence, but that’s all I have.”

Little Adam quickly caused the squirrel to deposit the coin and said hopefully, “Again?”

“No more,” Adam said, “but you haven’t opened the present Grandma and I gave you yet.”

“Come open our present,” Bronwen said, holding up the gift.

Little Adam ripped off the wrapping paper and his face lit up when he saw The Tale of Squirrel Nutkin. “A ‘torybook! Read me ‘tory, Ga-ma.”

“I’ll read to you after you open your last present and we have some birthday cake,” she promised him.

“This present is from me and Daddy and your brothers and sister,” Gwyneth said as she handed her little boy his last gift. Little Adam was delighted to discover he had another storybook.

“The Brownies Abroad,” A.C. read when Little Adam held up the book to show his family. “I remember when I was an ankle biter, I had Brownie Nine Pins and Brownie rubber stamps.”

“That’s right, you did,” Gwyneth said. “I wonder what happened to them.”

“I found them up in the attic when I was packing,” Bronwen said. “I left them there because I thought one of your boys might like them, but then I forgot all about them after we moved.”

“Can we eat the birthday cake now?” Dylan asked eagerly.

“Dylan!” Beth scolded and Miranda rang the bell to let Nancy know it was time to bring the cake.

Nancy wheeled in a cart with the cake, plates, forks and napkins, and the children all gathered round.

“What a bonzer cake!” Huw exclaimed. “Look, it has ‘Happy Birthday Little Adam’ written on the top!”

“My name! Wanna see my name!” Little Adam said excitedly.

“Here,” William said, picking the little boy up and then pointing to where the baker had piped on the writing. “That says ‘Happy Birthday Little Adam’.” Then setting his nephew down, he said, “I’ll light your candles so you can blow them out.”

As everyone was finishing their piece of birthday cake, William stood up and said, “I’d like everyone’s attention, please. I have an announcement to make.” Once everyone’s eyes were on him, William smiled and said, “My announcement is that the head of my department is interested in my idea of a comparison of the frontier experience in the United States and Australia. He is giving me a leave of absence so that I can travel to Australia to do research. When all of you sail for home, Miranda, Jon, Laura and I will be sailing with you.”

“That’s wonderful, William!” Adam exclaimed while all the children began talking excitedly.

“It is wonderful, but I can’t believe you kept it a secret from me,” Miranda said.

“It wasn’t easy,” William stated with a chuckle. “Especially since I had to take Mrs. Matthews and Nancy into my confidence. I was worried all the time that Nancy would spill the beans. I told Mrs. Matthews that she could have a paid vacation while we’re gone and I asked Nancy to stay here. I don’t like the idea of the house being vacant for three months. And then there’s Prince. Luckily, Nancy likes Prince so she’s going to feed and walk him. I’ve talked with Rob Tompkins and he’s fine with Freddy coming over to play with Prince so he doesn’t get lonely.”

“I’m glad that’s all taken care of, but I only have tomorrow and Friday morning to get ready,” Miranda said, sounding harried. Happy as she was to have a chance to visit her old home, she did wish William had given her more advance notice. He was the sweetest man, but not the most practical.

“I’ll help,” Bronwen offered, and Miranda accepted her offer with a smile. Then she turned to her husband and said briskly, “While we’re in Boston, William, you need to see if Bloomingdale’s has any flannel lounge suits. You won’t want to wear heavy wool suits in Cloncurry.”

“Too right, mate,” A.C. said with a broad grin.

“Daddy, are we really goin’ to Australia?” Laura asked, tugging on his hand.

“We sure are,” William replied. “We’re going to see the house where your mama grew up.”

“And kangaroos?” Laura asked, her eyes shining.

“That’s right, sweetie,” Miranda answered. “You’ll see kangaroos and koalas and all sorts of animals and birds that don’t live anywhere but Australia.”

“I bet Prince’ll like chasing kangaroos,” Jon said with a big smile.

“Prince has to stay here, Jon, just as your cousins had to leave their pets back in Cloncurry when they came to visit us,” William said gently.

“But why?” Jon asked.

“For one thing, he’d hate being cooped up on the train and ship,” William said, ruffling his son’s hair. “I know he’ll miss us, but he’ll be happier here in his own yard and his own house. He likes Nancy and she’ll feed him and take him for walks. And Freddy is going to play with him.”

“But what if he forgets me while I’m gone,” Jon said sadly. He wanted to go to Australia, but he hated the idea of being separated from his dog.

“Dogs have good memories, but if you’re worried, give him a pair of your dirty socks. Your scent will be on them and that will help him remember you,” A.C. suggested. “It worked with my dogs, Lady and Duchess, when I traveled to the Ponderosa.”

Little Adam tugged on Bronwen’s hand. “Read me ‘tory, Ga-ma,” he said, reminding her of her promise.

“Right,” she replied with a smile. “Let’s go sit on the porch where it’s quiet,” she suggested, holding out her hand to her grandson.

Siân overheard and said quickly, “I wanna hear the story,” and Laura added, “I wanna hear it, too.”

“Right, we’ll all go sit on the porch,” Bronwen said.

Adam smiled as he watched the little ones go with Bronwen. Rhys and Matilda will be so happy to see Miranda again and meet her family. And it’s nice that my sons-in-law will meet. William’s background is very different from Dafydd’s and Mark’s but, in spite of that, I think they’ll like each other. He shook his head slightly. Of course Mark will probably be prickly at first since he knows William is from a wealthy family, but once he’s spent time with William, his attitude will change.

The next day, to Miranda’s relief, was hot and sunny. While everyone else spent the day at the river fishing, riding in William’s boat or playing on the river bank, Miranda, with the help of Nancy and her mama, washed clothes and hung them to dry in the backyard. While the clothes were drying, she changed from her simple housedress to a linen suit, put on her hat and gloves, and drove the automobile downtown. First, she went to the bank and withdrew a sum of money to give Nancy to use for household expenses during the three months they would be gone. Next, she drove to the coal yards and paid for a three month supply of coal to be delivered to their cellar.

As she walked to the automobile, she thought to herself, I think that takes care of everything. I telephoned the school superintendent and explained about Jon and Laura missing some school because they will be out of the country, and he’s having Jon’s schoolbooks sent here this afternoon. William said he’d already paid Mrs. Matthews and Nancy three months wages. I left a note for the milkman so he’ll only deliver a quart of milk a week; that should be plenty for Nancy. She frowned a little as she thought about Nancy, who was used to being paid every week. Nancy was a hard worker but a little slow and Miranda felt a responsibility for her. When I get home, I need to sit down with Nancy and help her plan a weekly budget so she doesn’t run out of money while we’re gone.

Friday morning the women all took turns ironing the freshly washed clothes and amusing the youngest children while the men played with the boys. Jon spent as much time with Prince as he could. When it was time to leave for Boston, he tried hard not to cry so his cousins would think he was a crybaby, but alone in the cab with his parents and sister, he just couldn’t stop the tears. William put an arm around his son’s shoulders comfortingly. Laura said in a loud whisper, “Jon’s crying,” but Miranda softly hushed her and then distracted her by talking quietly about the animals she’d see in Australia. By the time they’d crossed the Ledyard Free Bridge, Jon was able to stop crying so William handed him his handkerchief. If his cousins noticed his red eyes and nose, they didn’t comment on it, remembering how hard it had been to say goodbye to their pets.

It was late when the cabs carrying the Cartwrights, Joneses, Pentreaths and Gordons arrived at the Parker House hotel. The littlest children had all fallen asleep and had to be carried in while Benny was half asleep and stumbled along holding his grandma’s hand. Since William was holding Laura, Miranda signed the register and after glancing at what she’d written, the desk clerk said, “Oh, Dr. Gordon, we weren’t able to find a suite for your parents on the same floor as yours. We put them on the floor above.”

“My parents?” William repeated.

“Yes. Oh, there they are,” the desk clerk said, gesturing toward the elevator.

Adam saw that Mrs. Gordon had become very stout. She had more frown lines and they were more deeply etched. Her hair was still the same obviously artificial gold. William’s father had changed little over the past decade except that he was a little heavier, his thin hair was more grey than brown, and he wore a pair of spectacles similar to Bronwen’s. Adam was annoyed at the appreciation in Mr. Gordon’s eyes the minute he spied Bronwen.

As soon as Jon saw them, he said politely, “Hello, Grandmother. Hello, Grandfather.”

“Hello, Jonathan,” Mrs. Gordon said, noting with displeasure that her grandson wore his Norfolk jacket unbuttoned and the belt unfastened. She attributed his casual dress to his mother’s insidious influence.

“Hello, Jon,” Mr. Gordon said with a warm smile for his grandson.

“Hello, Mother Gordon. Hello, Father Gordon,” Miranda said coolly.

“Mother, Father. This is a surprise,” William stated, his tone neutral.

“Good because we wanted to surprise all of you. Your mother and I decided that we shouldn’t pass up an opportunity to become better acquainted with our daughter-in-law’s family,” Mr. Gordon said glibly. He held out his hand to Adam, saying, “Good to see you again, Mr. Cartwright.”

“Yes, it’s a pleasure,” Adam said. He shifted Little Adam to his left arm so he could shake Mr. Gordon’s hand, but his tone was lacking in enthusiasm. William’s mother did not offer her hand so he merely nodded as he said, “Mrs. Gordon.”

“Mrs. Cartwright, the years haven’t touched you. You’re lovelier now than you were the last time we met,” Mr. Gordon said as he lifted Bronwen’s proffered hand to his lips. Beth, Gwyneth and A.C. were amused by the portly older gentleman’s flirtatious behavior until they saw their father did not share their amusement. Nor did Mrs. Gordon.

As Bronwen managed to extricate her hand, William said quickly, “Mother and Father, I’m sure you remember Miranda’s sisters, Beth and Gwyneth, and her younger brother, A.C.”

“Delighted to see you all again,” Mr. Gordon said, his tone jovial. His smile widened as his gaze traveled over A.C. “You, young man, have changed dramatically,” he added with a wink. Mrs. Gordon, who looked as if she bitten into a lemon, merely inclined her head.

“It’s a pleasure meeting you both again,” Beth said politely and was seconded by her siblings.

After quickly introducing his nieces and nephews, William said firmly, “I’m afraid you’ll have to excuse us. As you can see, the children need to be in bed.”

“Of course,” his father said, “but we were hoping we could have breakfast together here at the hotel. At eight o’clock?”

“We’d be happy to join you,” Bronwen said, ignoring her husband’s frown since there was really no polite way to refuse.

When Adam and Bronwen were alone in their room getting ready for bed, he growled, “Gordon had better behave himself tomorrow at breakfast.”

“I certainly hope so,” Bronwen agreed, getting into the bed and snuggling close to Adam. “I was embarrassed tonight.”

“He’s right though,” Adam said, taking her in his arms. “You are even lovelier now than you were ten years ago.” She snorted just a little in disbelief so he kissed her and then said softly, “And you are dearer to me with each passing day.”

“I feel the same,” she said, adding quietly, “Seeing William’s parents reminds me how blessed we are.”

He held her close, thinking, Yes, I am blessed. Blessed to have found my true-love and blessed to have the chance to grow old together.

William’s parents were the last to arrive at the restaurant, and Mr. Gordon was disappointed to discover Adam was sitting on Bronwen’s right and A.C. on her left. He realized some faces were missing, but when he commented on Beth and Gwyneth’s absence, Miranda explained they were breakfasting in their rooms with Gruffydd and Morwenna.

“They’re just too young for restaurants,” Miranda added.

Mr. Gordon nodded his understanding but his wife stared pointedly at Little Adam. He was sitting at the table, using the wooden booster chair that had been passed from Jory to Benny to him, with a napkin tied around his neck as a bib. He dimpled at her and announced, “I’m big boy. I’m three.”

“Little Adam just had his birthday,” Jon explained.

“That’s nice,” Mrs. Gordon said perfunctorily. Just then the waiter came to take their order.

After the waiter left, Mr. Gordon asked, “What are your plans for today?”

“This morning I’m taking my mama and sisters and Elen shopping at Bloomingdale’s,” Miranda replied. “Daddy and A.C. are going to take the children sightseeing.”

“I have to do some shopping as well,” William added. “Then we’re meeting here at noon for lunch.”

“I’d like to do some shopping,” Mrs. Gordon announced. Then she turned to her husband and said imperiously, “I’m sure that Mr. Cartwright and,” she frowned a little as she forced herself to use a nickname, “A.C. would appreciate your help minding the children.”

“Too right we would,” A.C. said with an enormous grin. He earned a grateful smile from his parents.

For a moment, Mr. Gordon looked disappointed but then he smiled at the children. He wouldn’t mind spending more time with his grandchildren, and their cousins seemed to be well-mannered. He turned to his son and asked, “Have you made any plans for this afternoon?”

“Yes, most of us are going to watch the Red Sox play the White Sox,” William answered.

“Beth and I are going to take the little ones to the Common and for a ride in the Swan Boats,” Miranda added.

“Can we play in the Frog Pond?” Laura asked her mama.

“Yes, you may,” Miranda replied.

“The Swan Boats and Frog Pond are fun,” Laura told Siân.

“Have you ever seen a baseball game, Mrs. Cartwright?” Mr. Gordon asked then.

“No, but I enjoy watching cricket,” Bronwen replied.

“I’d be very happy to explain the game to you,” Mr. Gordon said eagerly.

“Uncle William and Jon explained the rules to us on the train ride from Boston,” Dylan interjected. “It doesn’t sound much like cricket.” Normally, he would have been scolded, but instead his grandma smiled at him and his grandpa winked.

“So you’re planning on attending the game with us, Father?” William asked then.

“Thought I would,” Mr. Gordon said. “I’m a Red Sox fan.”

I’ll make sure you’re not sitting anywhere near Bronwen, Adam thought, staring challengingly at Mr. Gordon until the other man looked away.

After lunch, everyone who was going to the baseball game gathered in the hotel lobby. Once William had everyone’s attention, he explained, “We’re going to ride the elevated railroad to the ballpark.”

“What’s an elevated railroad, Uncle William?” Huw asked curiously.

“It’s like a regular railroad except it’s powered by electricity and the track is built above street level,” William explained.

William observed that his nephews were as excited to be riding the train as they were to be attending the ballgame. They stared out the windows, watching the traffic on the street beneath them as they passed over. William had gotten them to the ballpark early so they could find better seats, but there was still a long line queued up in front of the entrance. It had a sign that arched overhead proclaiming: Huntingdon Avenue American League Base Ball Grounds.

“Listen, boys,” William said firmly as they joined the queue. “I’m going to give each of you twenty-five cents, and you give it to the man at the turnstile. Then you stand to one side until everyone has paid and we’ll find a place we can all sit in the grandstand. But we all stay together. Understand?’ They nodded and William began passing out the coins.

It seemed to take forever, but finally they reached the turnstile and each boy handed over his twenty-five cents. Benny had held onto to his so tightly that he could hardly get his fist to unclench.

“C’mon, drongo,” Jory complained, earning a sharp reprimand from Bronwen, who’d overheard. “Sorry,” he muttered, his tone patently insincere.

Once everyone had paid, William shepherded his group toward the grandstand by third base. Since they were early, they found seats close to the front row. The boys all sat together and Adam and A.C. made sure they sat on either side of Bronwen.

“I’m glad we aren’t sitting in the sun,” Bronwen said, smoothing her white kid gloves. She was comfortable in her light cotton dress, but what really made the difference was the new corset she’d bought that morning at Bloomingdale’s. It was short and lightly boned. The saleswoman said it was intended to be worn for sport but it was so comfortable that Bronwen intended to use it all the time.

“We must have some Cracker Jack,” Mr. Gordon announced. “My treat,” he said and then gestured to one of the vendors.

As the vendor hurried over, William said quickly, “Two people can share a box,” so Mr. Gordon bought six boxes and quickly passed them out.

“What a ripper!” Dylan declared after eating his first handful of the caramel-coated peanuts and popcorn.

“That means it’s very good,” Bronwen explained to Mr. Gordon.

As they ate their cracker jack and waited for the game to begin, William said, “I was lucky enough to attend the game here four years ago when the Red Sox pitcher, Cy Young, pitched a perfect game against the Philadelphia Athletics.”

“What’s a perfect game, Uncle William?” Elen asked curiously.

“A perfect game is when no player on the opposing team is allowed to reach a base. Only two other major league pitchers pitched a perfect game, and that was back in 1880. A couple of weeks ago, the American League celebrated ‘Cy Young Day’ and Jon and I were here to watch some of the best players from other American League teams play Cy Young and the Red Sox.”

“We’ll get to see Cy Young pitch, won’t we?” Huw asked eagerly.

“You sure will,” William said with a big grin.

About halfway through the ballgame, Adam leaned over and quietly asked, “Are you enjoying the game, Sweetheart?”

“Too right I am,” Bronwen replied. “I hope Beth, Miranda and the little ones are enjoying themselves. And of course, Mrs. Gordon,” she added hurriedly.

“I’m sure Beth, Miranda and the little ones are having a wonderful time,” he replied. “I have difficulty picturing Mrs. Gordon enjoying herself though.”

“Oh Adam, that’s terrible,” Bronwen said, but couldn’t stop giggling.

“It’s too bad the Red Sox lost,” Huw commented as they left the ballpark, “but it was a bonzer game. Thanks for taking us, Uncle William.”

“Huw speaks for all of us, William,” Bronwen said, “and we all want to thank you for such an enjoyable afternoon.”

“I still like cricket better,” Jory announced, causing his mama and grandpa to roll their eyes while his uncles both laughed.

That evening as the families dined at the Parker House restaurant, Mrs. Gordon sat in silent but obvious disapproval as the children were allowed to talk about how they spent their afternoon.

When everyone was finished discussing the ballgame and the Swan Boats and Frog Pond, Mr. Gordon asked, “What are our plans for tomorrow after church?”

“I want to take the children to visit the graves of their great-grandmother Cartwright and their great-great-grandfather and grandmother Stoddard,” Adam said quietly as the waiter began to serve dessert. “Their graves are in the Granary Burying Ground.”

“I didn’t realize you had family here in Boston,” Mrs. Gordon remarked, clearly surprised..

“My mother’s family settled in Boston in the 1630s,” Adam said, his tone just a little smug. “My parents were married in the Park Street Church and I was christened there.”

“Afterward, we’ll take all the children to the Common,” Bronwen inserted. “Starting Monday, they’ll be cooped up on a train for several days, so they need a chance to run and play tomorrow.”

“You’re not leaving so soon, surely,” Mr. Gordon protested.

“As much as we’ve enjoyed our visit, the children miss their fathers and I know Beth and Gwyneth miss their husbands,” Bronwen said with a gentle smile.

“I, uh, have some news to share with you, Mother and Father,” William said then. “The head of the history department has approved my idea to write a comparison of the frontier experience in the United States and Australia, so Miranda and the children and I are traveling to Australia as well. We should be home in early December.”

“You’re not taking my grandchildren out of the country,” Mrs. Gordon declared imperiously.

“Pardon me, Mother, but I am taking my children to visit their mother’s birthplace,” William said, and Miranda was impressed, and a little surprised, by his firm tone. However, the children, who had been quietly eating dessert, all exchanged uneasy glances, upset by the tension among the adults. William added decisively, “Travel broadens the mind so it will be educational for Jon and Laura.”

“Australia would be an interesting place to visit,” Mr. Gordon commented. “I’d like to see a herd of those kangaroos hopping along.”

“A mob,” Bronwen said.

“Beg pardon,” Mr. Gordon said blankly.

“They’re called a mob of kangaroos, not a herd,” Bronwen corrected with a smile. Then she turned to Mrs. Gordon. “It will mean so much to our family and friends in Cloncurry to have a chance to see Miranda again and meet Jon, Laura and William.” Reluctantly, Mrs. Gordon nodded her understanding.

“You have more family in Australia?” Mr. Gordon asked as he looked around the table at the children and thought of Beth and Gwyneth dining in their rooms with the two youngest.

“There are my brothers-in-law, Dafydd and Mark, to start with,” Miranda said.

“And my brother, Rhys, and his wife, Matilda, and their son, Llywelyn,” Bronwen said.

“Llywelyn is married to my best friend, Emma,” Miranda added with a dimpled smile.

“And how many children do they have now?” A.C. asked, grinning broadly at the astonishment on the faces of all three Gordons. “Four isn’t it?”

“Right,” Adam said with a wink. “One boy and three girls.”

“Ifor is the same age as us,” Jory said to Jon as he swallowed the last bite of Boston cream pie. “Me and him have the same birthday.”

“And Ifor’s sister Cathy was born a couple of months after Laura,” Bronwen said.

“Then it’s good they’ll have a chance to meet,” Mr. Gordon said, smiling genially. “I take it you’ll be leaving for San Francisco on Monday.”

“Actually, we’ll be making a brief visit to Pullman, Washington first,” Adam stated.

“Pullman, Washington?” Mr. Gordon repeated, confused.

“A.C. is enrolled at the School of Veterinary Science there,” Bronwen said proudly as she smiled at her boy.

“Ah, so you’re not going into the family business,” Mr. Gordon said, glancing at Adam sympathetically.

“Actually, he is,” Adam said. “Once he has his license, he’s going practice on the Ponderosa,” and he smiled warmly at A.C. “I guess you could say that I am the son who didn’t go into the family business.” Then he winked at Bronwen as he added, “Of course, if I’d stayed on the Ponderosa, I would never have met Mrs. Cartwright, and that would have been a tragedy.”

“I second those sentiments,” William said, reaching for Miranda’s hand as he gazed fondly at his son and daughter.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

“Next stop Pullman,” the conductor said as he walked through the car, which was occupied chiefly by the Cartwrights, Joneses, Pentreaths and Gordons.

Elen was sharing a seat with A.C. and she turned to him. “We’re almost there.”

“Classes start in two days so it’s a good thing,” A.C. replied.

“Are you nervous?” Elen asked. “I would be, living so far from home.”

“Yes, I am,” A.C. admitted. “I was a little nervous when I went to the Technical College but at least I wasn’t going to school in a foreign country. When I was here earlier, I didn’t have a chance to meet any of the other students boarding with Mrs. Duffy.” He managed to smile slightly as he added, “I didn’t know anyone when I first attended the Technical College either. I made new friends there and I will here.”

By the time the train reached Pullman that afternoon, a light rain was falling and the temperature had dropped to about fifty degrees. (“You sure have cold summers in the States, mate,” Huw said to Jon.) The mackintoshes were all packed away in the trunks that had been sent ahead to San Francisco, but Miranda and William had brought their umbrellas and the children’s sweaters were packed in the carpet bags with Morwenna and Gruffydd’s clean nappies and everyone’s clean underwear.

“Miranda, why don’t you loan A.C. your umbrella and he and I will arrange for some cabs to take us to the hotel,” William suggested as the women and children all crowded under the roof of the platform to keep out of the rain.

The two men came back almost immediately and William said, “Apparently there is only one cab so we’ll have to take turns riding to the hotel. I think Beth and Gruffydd and Gwyneth and Morwenna should go first. You can probably squeeze in, Mama,” he added.

“No, I’ll wait,” Bronwen said.

They watched as A.C. held his umbrella over Gwyneth and Morwenna while William did the same for Beth and Gruffydd. A.C.’s wide brimmed Akubra was doing a better job of keeping his head dry than William’s derby was keeping his.

“I wanna go wiv Mama,” Little Adam shouted as he watched his mama disappear from his sight. He started to run after her, but Miranda caught him. “Go wiv Mama!” he hollered and began to cry.

“I’ll take him,” Adam said, gently picking up the screaming child and holding him until he quieted to hiccupping sobs.

“I want my mama,” Siân said, her lower lip jutting out and her chin beginning to quiver.

“Mama just went to the hotel,” Elen said soothingly. “You’ll see her in a little bit.”

“I don’t like it here,” Laura whined.

“I know, Sweetie, but you and Siân can ride to the hotel with Grandma and Grandpa and Little Adam,” Miranda said. She noticed Benny’s woebegone expression and added, “I think there will be room for you, too, Benny.” The six-year-old managed a wobbly smile.

When he saw William and A.C. returning, Adam said to his grandson, “I’m going to give you to Grandma to hold so she can carry you under the umbrella. Okay?”

The three-year-old sniffed and nodded so Adam handed him to Bronwen. Miranda asked William if he could hold his umbrella over the two little girls and Benny.

“I’ll do my best,” William said. “Benny, why don’t you walk in front and you girls walk together behind him. But you have to stay bunched up so you’re all under the umbrella.”

Miranda and the children left behind had to smile at the sight of William, walking bent over, trying to keep the umbrella over all three children.

By the time the last family members reached the hotel, the rain had stopped and the sun began to shine brightly. The hotel wasn’t elegant like the Majestic in San Francisco or the Parker House in Boston, but it was clean. Beth and Gwyneth had put the three youngest children down for a nap, but the others were tired of being confined and wanted to see where their uncle was going to school.

“I need to stop at Mrs. Duffy’s first so she knows that I’m here and drop off my bag. Her house is on Maple and it’s on the way to the college,” A.C. stated.

“Lead the way,” Adam said, offering Bronwen his arm.

“Why don’t you go, Beth,” Gwyneth suggested. “I’ll keep an eye on Gruffydd.”

“If you’re sure you don’t mind,” Beth said, and Gwyneth smiled and said, “She’s apples.”

As they walked toward Maple Street, A.C. pointed and said, “See the red brick clock tower in the distance? That’s one of the college’s oldest buildings.” He sounded almost apologetic as he explained, “There aren’t very many buildings yet, but the college has only been in existence since 1890. I really like the clock tower and the administration building. And I’ll show you where a new veterinary science building is being built.”

“Pullman is an attractive town,” Beth commented as they walked along. “It reminds me a little of Hanover.”

“They are both college towns,” William said, “even if Hanover is much older.”

A.C. halted in front of a large house painted buttercup yellow with dark brown trim. The children all stared at the round tower in the back while Adam immediately identified the style as Queen Anne by its tower, oriel windows, overhanging eaves and large front and second-story porches.

“This is where I’m boarding,” A.C. said. “I’ll just let Mrs. Duffy know I’m here, and then I’ll show you around the college.”

“I’d like to meet Mrs. Duffy,” Bronwen said and Adam added, “So would I.”

“Right,” A.C. said, opening the gate in the picket fence for his parents with a flourish.

“I’d love to see the inside of the house, wouldn’t you?” Miranda asked Beth, who smiled and nodded.

“I’d like to see that tower,” Huw said and the other boys echoed his sentiments.

A.C.’s knock was answered by a pigtailed girl of seven or eight, holding a feather duster, who grinned up at him.

“Howdy, Mr. Cartwright,” she said. “We got your telegram sayin’ that you’d get here today. C’mon in,” she added, holding the door wide open. Then she yelled behind her, “Mama, Mr. Cartwright’s here.”

“Now, Ethel, I told you to call me Adam,” A.C. said. “I’d like for you to meet my mother and father. He’s Mr. Cartwright,” A.C. added with a wink. Just then a plump woman in her forties, wearing a red gingham apron over her dress, walked into the entry with two little boys who looked to be about five following her.

“I’m glad to see you’re here, Mr. Cartwright,” she said, and then stopped when she saw Adam and Bronwen.

“Mama and Dad, I’d like for you to meet Mrs. Duffy and her two youngest, Joey and Rufus,” A.C. said. “Mrs. Duffy, allow me to present my parents.”

“I’m pleased to meet you, Mr. and Mrs. Cartwright,” Mrs. Duffy said, shaking hands first with Bronwen and then Adam. “Your son mentioned that you were traveling to this country for a visit.”

“We’re sailing back to Australia in a few days, but we wanted to see where A-, uh, Adam was going to school and where he would be living,” Bronwen said, smiling at Mrs. Duffy and then the two little boys.

“I can certainly understand that,” Mrs. Duffy said, returning Bronwen’s smile. “I’m afraid you’ve caught me in the middle of this week’s baking or I’d invite you for a cup of coffee. Or tea.”

“We understand,” Bronwen responded.

“Actually, we’d have to decline your offer because the rest of the family is waiting for us outside,” Adam explained.

‘I just need to drop off my bag,” A.C. said. “Would it be all right if my parents came with me?”

“Certainly,” Mrs. Duffy replied. “Oh, will you be having supper here tonight?”

“No, I’ll be dining with my family tonight, but I’ll be back by eight o’clock,” A.C. told her.

“That’ll be fine,’ she said with a smile. “It was a pleasure to meet you, Mr. and Mrs. Cartwright. If you’ll excuse me,” and she headed back to the kitchen, trailed by her children.

A.C. led his parents up the stairs at the end of the entry and down a short hall to a comfortable bedroom with a large oriel window overlooking the backyard, where a boy was pushing a lawnmower. The room was painted a pale blue with white trim and crown moldings. There were blue and white chintz curtains at the window and a hooked rug on the wooden floor. The furniture—a bed, washstand, desk and chair—were utilitarian and didn’t fit with the elegant room. Adam suspected that when the house was built, the Duffy family was more prosperous. They probably had a reversal of fortune, which was why Mrs. Duffy now took in boarders and did her own baking.

“It’s a lovely room, A.C.,” Bronwen said as he set his carpet bag on the floor by the bed, “and Mrs. Duffy and her children seem pleasant.”

“Have you met any of the other boarders?” Adam asked as they left the room.

“No,” A.C. replied. “Mrs. Duffy told me when I arranged to board here that she always has four students from the School of Veterinary Science board with her. She said two of her boarders have been with her for three years and the third started boarding with her last year. She assured me that they’ll—what was the expression she used?” He frowned slightly in concentration and then grinned. “Got it. She said they’ll show me the ropes. I think that means they can answer any questions I may have about the college or the School of Veterinary Science.”

“Right,” Adam said with a wink.

A.C. took his family on a tour of the college and the children all admired the four-story red brick administration building with its two mismatched towers.

“The tower with the pointed roof could be the one where the witch imprisoned Rapunzel,” Elen suggested. “I can imagine her at the top, letting down her hair so the prince could climb up and rescue her.”

“Nobody’s hair is that long,” Huw scoffed. The adults all smiled while Elen rolled her eyes.

The entire family ate at a restaurant the hotel desk clerk recommended since the hotel had no room service. The children chattered away about the upcoming voyage and how happy they were to see their daddies, pets and friends. They never noticed how quiet their grandparents, mamas and Uncle A.C. were.

When the family was ready to leave the restaurant, Adam told the others to go ahead to the hotel, that he and Bronwen would be along in a few minutes. Once everyone had gone, Adam turned to A.C.

“I have something for you, son,” he said, reaching into the pocket of his jacket and extracting a thick envelope. “Benj drew the papers up for me,” he added as he handed the envelope to A.C.

A.C. opened the envelope carefully instead of ripping it open in his usual fashion. He scanned the papers quickly and then looked at Adam, his expression a mixture of emotions.

“I- I don’t know what to say, Dad. ‘Thank you’ just doesn’t seem adequate,” and A.C.’s voice choked.

“I thought about leaving you my share of Cartwright Enterprises in my will, but then I thought since you’ll be twenty-one in a few months, it would be a fitting birthday present.” Adam put an arm around Bronwen’s shoulders as he added, “I discussed it with your mother, and she agreed.” Bronwen smiled up at her boy, noting his solemn expression.

“This means a great deal to me, Dad. I promise that I’ll live up to your trust in me,” A.C. said earnestly.

“I never doubted that, son,” Adam said, squeezing his son’s shoulder affectionately with his free hand. “You’ve always been a son I could be proud of.”

A.C. didn’t trust himself to speak; he put an arm around his dad’s shoulders and hugged him hard. Then he bent down and kissed his mama’s cheek. Straightening, he said, “I’ve got to go now but I’ll see you at the train station tomorrow morning.”

Adam and Bronwen stood and watched their son as long as they could. Then Adam turned to look at Bronwen, and in the twilight he could see the tears spilling down her cheeks as she cried silently. He took her in his arms and held her comfortingly, feeling his own eyes burn.

After a few minutes, she pulled away and began to fumble in her handbag for a handkerchief. With a crooked little smile, he reached into his pocket and handed her his. She dried her tears and then blew her nose.

“I promised myself that I wouldn’t cry in front of A.C.,” she said, looking up at Adam, “but I knew you’d understand.”

“Of course,” he replied, taking her in his arms again and finding comfort in the familiar feeling of her slender, delicate frame pressed close to his. He leaned over and kissed her tenderly before saying softly, “I’m going to miss him, too.”

The next morning A.C. said goodbye to his nieces and nephews first. They had grown attached to their tall uncle and the older children realized it might be years before they saw him again. The older boys managed to hold back their tears, but Elen and Benny couldn’t help crying a little when they hugged their uncle. After telling A.C. goodbye and promising to stop by Pullman on their return to Hanover, Miranda and William took charge of the children, giving A.C. a chance to say his goodbyes to his sisters and parents.

“God bless you, Little Brother,” Beth said and then hugged him. “I hope you’re happy in your new life.”

“Thanks, Bethy,” he said, kissing her cheek. “I’m going to miss you and your family so much.” Then he turned to Gwyneth. “I’m going to miss you and your family just as much, Sis.” They hugged and she kissed his cheek.

“I know you’ll be a wonderful veterinarian,” she said softly. “And I also hope you’re happy here.” Then she stepped away and Adam took her place. A.C. enveloped him in a bear hug and when they broke apart, Adam looked into his son’s deep brown eyes, so like his grandpa Ben’s, and said quietly, “I love you, son, and I know you’ll be a fine veterinarian and a tremendous asset to the Ponderosa.” He smiled as he added, “My prayer is that you find a woman you can love as much as I love your mama, a woman who will bring you joy all the days of your life together.”

“Thanks, Dad,” A.C. said, hugging his dad one last time. “I love you.” Then Adam gave Bronwen her chance to say goodbye to their son.

A.C. bent over and gently hugged his mama and then kissed her cheek. “I love you, Mama, and I promise I’ll do a better job of writing to you and Dad.”

She smiled as she said, “I’ll hold you to that promise. Your dad and I will always want to be a part of your life just as you will always be a part of ours.” She stood on tiptoe so she could kiss his cheek. “I love you, my son, and I pray God will bless you now and always.”

The train’s whistle could be heard and Laura and Siân began to squeal, “There’s the train!”

A.C. hugged his mama one last time and then waved to his family as they boarded the train.

“We’ll see you in December,” Miranda called and the children called, “Bye, Uncle A.C.!”

He watched until the train was no more than a tiny speck on the horizon, and then he walked to his new home.

Chapter 6
Adam reached back and rubbed his neck, trying to ease the tense muscles. He and Bronwen, along with the Joneses, Pentreaths and Gordons, had been riding the train from Sydney for several days and he was sick of traveling and looking forward to being home in Cloncurry.

“If you could turn so you’re sitting sideways, I’ll rub your shoulders for you,” Bronwen offered.

Adam sighed softly, feeling his muscles relax as Bronwen massaged his neck and shoulders. “I can’t tell you how happy I’ll be tonight when we’ll be sleeping in our own bed,” he commented with a big grin.

“Sleeping accommodations on ships and trains are not very comfortable,” she agreed.

“A good night’s sleep isn’t the only thing I’m looking forward to,” he replied with a wink as he pulled her on his lap and kissed her. They heard Benny’s voice calling, “Grandma! Grandpa!” and reluctantly broke apart. When Benny entered their compartment, Bronwen was sitting demurely beside Adam.

“Will you play Old Bachelor with me? Please?” Benny asked. “The other boys are playing Panjandrum, and they said I’m too little to play,” he added, scowling.

“We’d be happy to play with you,” Bronwen replied, and Adam got the cards from their satchel. He was dealing them when William opened the compartment’s door and stuck his head in.

“Do you mind if I join you?” he asked. “Your daughters want to talk and I’m definitely de trop.”

“I know the feeling,” Adam said with a chuckle. “C’mon in.”

“You wanna play Old Bachelor, Uncle William?” Benny asked as William sat beside him.

“Sure, I’d love to play,” William replied, smiling warmly at his nephew. He noticed his father-in-law was in his shirtsleeves and had loosened his tie. “Mama, you won’t mind if I follow Dad’s example and take off my coat?”

“Of course not,” Bronwen answered with a grin.

“I’m sure glad I took Miranda’s advice and bought a couple of flannel suits,” William remarked as he removed his coat and then loosened his necktie, his face glistening with sweat. “I think I would have died of heat stroke if I were wearing my regular suits,” he added before mopping his face with his handkerchief. Adam and Bronwen both smiled.

“It gets lots hotter than this in the summer, Uncle William,” Benny said earnestly, and both William’s eyebrows arched.

“Yes, the temperature is usually around 100 degrees or more in December and January,” Adam commented with a little grin. He chuckled at the look of horror on his son-in-law’s face.

“Dafydd had a difficult time adjusting to our summers,” Bronwen remarked, “because it doesn’t get that hot in Wales.”

“What about Mark?” William asked. “Cornwall doesn’t get that hot either.”

“Mark was much younger when his family moved to Cloncurry,” she replied. “It’s harder to adjust when you’re an adult. I had a difficult time when we first settled here, but now I’ve lived longer in Cloncurry than Darlinghurst so it seems normal to me.”

“Normal,” Adam added with a wink, “but we still don’t enjoy the heat.”

After they finished one game of Old Bachelor, Elen and the little girls came looking for the cards. Bronwen suggested to Benny that he play with his cousins, and he went with them willingly. William looked out the window at the passing scenery, taking in the scrubby gidgee trees and dry, brown Mitchell grass.

“It looks so different from New England,” he commented “Everything is so parched and withered. Is there a draught?”

“No,” Adam replied. “You see, we don’t really have four seasons. From December through March, we have monsoon rains, and the rest of the year we have a dry season.

“That’s why I don’t have a flower garden,” Bronwen said, adding softly, “but we’ve always managed to find water for Penny’s rosebush.”

“Miranda said Cloncurry was built along the banks of a river,” William commented.

“Yes, but this time of year the river has pretty much dried up,” Adam said. He smiled at his son-in-law. “If you don’t mind, Professor, I’ll give you a very brief history of Cloncurry.”

William nodded and his lips turned up in a little smile as the crinkly lines at the corners of his eyes deepened.

“You may have heard of the Victorian Exploring Expedition,” Adam began.

William shrugged. “The name is