Provings

Chapter 20

After spending an uneventful yet largely sleepless night at Edwin's bedside, Nancy decided to rest in her own room in the morning. Edwin was sleeping soundly and the fever hadn't returned, so she did not fear a relapse and was for that reason content to have others watch over him. She had fallen almost immediately to sleep once she got into her bed. The morning sun was by then streaming in through the window and she didn't even bother to draw the curtains; she loved its warmth and its colour and the way in which it heralded the new day. So she let herself slip into the embrace of the warm honeyed room. When she awoke the light had changed so she expected it was already mid-day. She wondered both at having slept so long and so soundly, for she had no memory of dreaming and she had the disorienting sense of having been dragged from a deep slumber. Something had awakened her. There were voices, she heard then, coming from the front parlour - men's voices. One of them was surely Nathaniel Gale, and the other? She sat up in alarm. She could hardly believe it, but the other was Lucius Comstock. 

She listened with trepidation as a purposeful step ascended the stairs and came down the hall toward her room. A swift knock and then Nathaniel Gale entered. 

"You had best dress Nancy," he said, looking to the wall in some agitation. "Lucius has just arrived with William and he means to see his brother." 

When Nancy came to the landing, she could see Lucius standing in the parlour, hat in hand. She could read the indignation in his very posture - his head raised high, back stick straight, gaze held to a corner. William was by his side, cautiously glancing about. He must have sensed her there for he suddenly looked up at her; but he said nothing, just stared as from a great distance. She descended at once. 

"William, dear," she said as she entered the parlour and opened her arms to him. 

He looked up at Lucius, who nodded, and then came forward. He seemed just to suffer her embrace and did not return it.  

"I want to see my father," he said as soon as she released him. 

"Of course you do. And I am sure he would like to see you too." 

"Why did you take him away?"  

It was such a plain, honest question it confounded her. She had steeled herself to face Lucius, but not the child. For a moment she couldn't think what to answer, except it had now turned out well. 

"Yes Nancy," Lucius interjected. "Why did you leave so suddenly? It was very hard on the boy and your girl Pelatiah, I might add, who was entirely flustered when she met me. She acted as if you had instructed her not to tell me of your whereabouts; I had to pry the truth out of her."  

Though Lucius' words seemed measured, Nancy knew to be careful in her response. "I am sorry if Pelatiah left you with that impression Lucius; I did not intend it. I was so worried about Edwin that I did not take the proper care in our leaving. I was convinced that Edwin would benefit from the change of scene and the care of our dear old family doctor; and when I found that the steamer to Norwich was leaving that very evening, well I thought it was provident and decided to leave right away. And my hopes have been born out - Edwin has improved so in being here!" 

"Yes, well, in your impulsiveness you left the man's only son behind without a care for him. You did not even know where William was, did not even bother in your haste to tell him goodbye or give him one last chance to see his father." 

"I..." 

"I'll tell you where William was Nancy - he was with me, having run away from your house after seeing his father so sickened and into the street. I found him bleeding and crying from having been attacked by ruffians." 

Nancy felt the ground shifting beneath her. She looked over at William and noticed what looked like traces of a bruise around one eye. "Is that true William?"  

The boy nodded solemnly.  

"He had been on an errand to see me, with a message from Edwin. But William's purpose was thwarted as on the way to see me he was attacked. It was only by sheer luck that I found him then, distraught and bleeding by the side of the road. I took him to the store and cared for him and kept him with me until I could return him safely. I had sent you a note to that effect, which you did not read, either because you had already left in your careless haste or because you chose not to." 

"But Lucius, I..." She knew not what to say. That she had left William so carelessly... 

"Now, if you would be so kind, I would like to see my brother." 

At this point Nathaniel Gale stepped beside Nancy. "Edwin is resting now," he said close to her ear. "I had been on my way to rouse you when I was called to the door, but he had become suddenly fatigued in a manner I found most troubling." 

"Lucius, Nathaniel Gale has just told me that Edwin is resting now. Perhaps it would be best if you waited in the parlour..." 

"Nonsense. We have come a long distance as you well know and William has been kept from his father long enough. I mean to see my brother now." 

"Lucius, be reasonable," Nathaniel Gale interjected. "I appreciate the difficulty created for you when Nancy took Edwin from the city, but it was all in aid of making your brother well and was done with the best of intentions. I can vouch for the fact that Edwin has indeed rallied, but he is in need of rest now. I have just left him, having spent the better part of the morning at his bedside." 

"Well, you seem to have been accorded a privilege his own son has not." 

"Lucius, please..." 

"Yes, let me see my father," William suddenly wailed. "I want to see Papa!" And he burst into pitiful tears. 

Nancy, flustered by the confrontation and her own misgivings, reached down and grabbed Williams arm. "Come William, I'll bring you to him." 

William stopped crying instantly and began to follow.  

"You mustn't forget your bag son," Lucius said, and held out the boy's little satchel to him as he passed, which he eagerly grabbed. 

Nancy was worried by what she had just heard from Nathaniel Gale and anxious herself to see Edwin. Bringing William was the obvious choice, as it was he who had been aggrieved most by her taking Edwin away. She hadn't truly stopped to consider his part in it and felt the worse for that. If Edwin should have succumbed to his illness on the journey, William would have been devastated. The fact that taking William in hand so resolutely as she had resulted in Lucius being precluded from his brother's room was just dawning on her, and she was glad for her sudden action. Though she could not find fault with anything Lucius had said, nor with his indignation in the event, she still had a lingering distrust of the man and couldn't help thinking he meant his brother ill. There would be time enough for Lucius and Edwin to speak when her husband recovered. 

She slowly pushed open the door to Edwin's room. He was sleeping in the bed, his face turned to them slightly. She was going to bring William up slowly, just to allow him to see his father now and then let him sleep, but William scooted out from under her arm, ran up to the bed and threw himself upon his father's sleeping form. 

"Papa! Papa!" He cried. 

Edwin stirred and then looked down at the boy. He slowly raised his arm to hold the weeping child and nodded at Nancy by the door. She understood that meant for her to leave them alone, so she smiled her encouragement and left the room.