Section I, Next Section

Chapter 1

Posted on Monday, 13 September 1999

Anne Elliot stood looking out across the countryside around Mount Crest. She had lived on Kellynch Farm for 27 years, all of her life. And now she must leave it. She sighed as she thought about the events of the past few weeks.

The family lawyer, Edward Shepherd, and the family's oldest friend, Emelia Russell had come to Walter Elliot and laid before him the entire situation. The farm, on which the family bread horses, was not bringing in enough money to support the lifestyle of Walter and his eldest daughter, Elizabeth. The only way to avoid declaring bankruptcy was to rent out Kellynch Farm.

Anne knew her father and sister were extravagant, but never in her wildest dreams did she ever imagine that they would have to leave their family home. While her mother lived, Anne's family had lived comfortably within their means. Tears came to her eyes as she pictured her mother; always young looking and full of life.

Walter Elliot had, at one time, been a handsome rather well known country/western singer. His heart had been stolen during a concert at a state fair, when he met Elizabeth Stevenson backstage. She was an up and coming rodeo sweetheart. After a brief courtship, they were married and began touring together. Elizabeth had an incredible natural talent and her voice was what carried the Elliots all over the country and even overseas. Walter was not untalented, but Elizabeth was the true star. When their first daughter was born, they gave up touring and bought Kellynch Farm. There they had lived happily for 15 years. No one, not even her husband, knew how sick she was. They were all stunned when, at 36 years of age, Elizabeth Anne Elliot, died.

Walter had spent the six months after her death looking through magazines and scrapbooks, reliving their glorious past. He tried for a time to tour as a single but he could never reach stardom without his wife. He had never been the same and his daughters were forced to grow up not knowing a mother's love.

Elizabeth, then 15, chose to cover her feelings. It wasn't that she didn't love her mother, she just decided to ignore the hurt inside her heart. She stepped into her mother's shoes as the lady of the house and moved forward. She was a pretty young woman who had won many beauty pageants and had made it all the way to the State pageant only to be thrown over in the final rounds. She returned home with the intention of becoming a country singer, but even with her famous father's help, she was only tolerably successful.

Mary, the youngest, was 9 when her mother died. She remembered happy times and how her mother babied her. Even now, at 23, she expected people to take care of her. She had no ambition other than being comfortably well off. She had married a man whose family bred racehorses near Crab Orchard and they were quite good at it, so Mary got her desired life.

Anne was the one who missed her mother the most. There had been a special bond between Anne and her mother. They shared the same taste in books and music. They enjoyed horseback riding up Smart Mountain. They used to camp out overnight, just the two of them, and talk all night long. Anne's mother had taught her to play the guitar and together they used to write songs. Most of them were silly and nonsense, but a few of them would have been top ten hits had they tried to sell them.

Anne sighed again and walked back into the house. She could hear her father talking with Mr. Shepherd and Emelia in the living room. They were discussing the new tenants of Kellynch. She took a deep breath and walked into the room.

"What did you say their name is?" said Walter, "Hoff, or Roff?"

"It is a Mr. & Mrs. Croft," said Mr. Shepherd slowly. "George and Sophia."

Walter thought for a moment. "Croft? That name is vaguely familiar. Have I met them?"

"No, but I believe you may have met Mrs. Croft's brother. He was a minister in one of the local churches for a year or two. His name was... Oh, let me think, what was it?" He turned to Anne. "Anne, you must remember him, I dare say you never miss a Sunday service."

"Wentworth," she whispered. "His name was Edward Wentworth."

"That's it! Rev. Wentworth. It was about 7 or 8 years ago."

"Rev. Wentworth?" Walter said, "I do remember him somewhat. Must not have been a very impressive man."

He was the best minister that church ever had, Anne thought.

"And what does Mr. Croft do?

"Well, he's done a little bit of everything actually. Sort of a rich eccentric type. I believe he is currently running a recording studio."

"If he's so rich," said Walter, "why didn't we get more money out of him?"

"Perhaps rich was an overstatement. He is comfortable in his finances."

Emelia thought it was time to change the subject. The mere mention of the name "Wentworth" had already caused Anne to go pale. Any more talk of his relations may cause great distress.

"When do you all move to your new home?" she said brightly.

"Elizabeth and I go to Nashville on Friday." Walter turned to Mr. Shepherd. "We'd like Penny to tag along. She's so much help to Elizabeth."

"Isn't Anne more than enough help? I see no reason to inconvenience Penny and her family," said Emelia.

"Oh, Anne isn't coming. At least not right away," exclaimed Elizabeth. "Mary phoned me just this morning to claim Anne's help with the children. She's quite overwhelmed."

"I see," said Emelia curtly. She was constantly aware of the disregard of Anne showed by Walter and Elizabeth and she always took it personally. When Mrs. Elliot had died, Anne had turned to Emelia for motherly care. Since that time their relationship had evolved into a sisterly bond. To put it bluntly, Emelia was the sister that Anne never had. To see Anne thrown over for Penelope Shepherd-Clay was more than she could stand. Beyond the snub of Anne, Emelia was concerned that Penny had designs on Walter. Penny had married very young and very stupidly. She returned to her father's house a widow, two years later. Since that time, Penny had made herself indispensable to Kellynch Farm. She agreed with everything Elizabeth or Walter said and flattered them both excessively. Emelia always kept her eye on Penny.

After a little more conversation, Mr. Shepherd, Penny and Emelia left. Walter and Elizabeth departed to their separate concerns and Anne did what she always did when she felt depressed. She rode.

Most of the horses had already been sold, but a few of the best had been kept for the new tenants of Kellynch. Anne saddled her favorite, Buttermilk, and headed for the hills. She rode for nearly thirty minutes before she stopped by a stream and rested. Uncontrollably, her thoughts flew back eight years. She had sat by this same stream...with him.

"Him" was Frederick Wentworth. He had lived with his brother for about a year. He and Anne had met at a church picnic. She was sitting with Emelia talking about a new book they were reading when all of a sudden she was hit with a water balloon. She stood up ready to confront her attacker when she saw standing in front of her the most handsome man she had ever seen. He was smiling sheepishly and saying in the most irresistible way how sorry he was. She accepted his apology and the towel he offered, and from that point on, they were inseparable. He wanted to go to Nashville. He was certain that, with the right break, he could make it big in country music. They walked and rode and hiked and camped. He played his guitar and sang to her for hours on end. They talked of books, music, traveling and what they wanted out of life. It was no surprise to either of them that they wanted the same things, including spending the rest of their lives together.

It was a whirlwind romance to be sure, but they were definitely in love. Frederick proposed one moonlit night and with tears in her eyes Anne said yes. Daylight however, brought problems that they could not have expected. When they told Walter, Elizabeth and Emelia (Mary was away at summer camp) about their engagement, they met immovable opposition. Walter ranted and raved about Frederick's lack of talent and crazy dreams. Elizabeth made many cutting remarks about Frederick. These reactions Anne could have withstood. But it was Emelia's quiet persuasion that wheedled its way into Anne's conscience. She began by convincing Anne that they must surely wait until Frederick could provide for her. Then she moved on to pointing out that his dream of becoming a country music singer was shaky at best. How could he provide for a wife and family. Little by little, Emelia persuaded Anne to break off the engagement. It happened so subtly, that Anne never realized that her friend, her best friend, had talked her out of the love of her life. It wasn't until after Frederick was gone, that Anne considered what had happened.

She remembered their last meeting. They were on the back porch of the house and she had just told him that she couldn't marry him.

"Your joking, right," he said with a little laugh.

"No," she responded quietly.

"Anne," he took her by the shoulders and turned her to face him, "what are you saying? We love each other. We're going to get married."

She shook her head. "Don't you see, Frederick. It's all-wrong. You have big dreams and I'd just be a burden to you. I'm doing this for you."

He dropped his arms to his sides and stepped back from her. "No you're not. You're doing it for them." He motioned to the house. "They don't want you to marry me and you're letting them rule your life."

"That's not true."

Frederick's eyes narrowed. "It's Emelia isn't it. She doesn't like me, doesn't think I'm good enough for you." He paused a moment and then said quietly, "You don't think I'm good enough for you either."

"No!" she exclaimed. "You just don't understand."

"You're right. I don't." He walked through the house, out the front door and out of Anne Elliot's life.

The following Sunday, she heard from his brother that Frederick had packed up and left town, headed for Nashville.

If Frederick had simply disappeared, perhaps Anne would have been able to forget him. But Frederick Wentworth was an overnight sensation in Nashville. Almost immediately, a large record label picked him up and his career took off. He was constantly on television, the radio, in the magazines; everywhere Anne looked, there was Frederick.

She didn't blame Emelia, who only had Anne's best interest at heart. She didn't blame herself for allowing Emelia to persuade her to break it off. She just knew that she would never find a man that remotely measured up to Frederick.

Emelia tried to soothe her by saying things like, "He's probably changed, all the big stars do. He probably drinks and had a dozen women around him all the time."

But Anne knew different. Frederick's music was his life and he would never buy into the glitz and glamour of stardom.

Chapter 2

Posted on Saturday, 18 September 1999

Three days later, Anne carried the last of her bags out to her car. She took one final look at the home she loved and drove away. After having lunch with Emelia, she drove on to her sister, Mary's. She would stay with them in their garage apartment for a few weeks and then go to Nashville.

Mary Elliot had married Charles Musgrove, Jr., four years ago. They had two sons, Charles the III and Walter, and lived in a comfortable house on the Musgrove land. Charles' parents owned a few hundred acres of choice land outside of Crab Orchard. They had a large house, which was commonly referred to as "the estate" by the family. They had three children, Charles, the eldest and only son, and two daughters, Louisa, 24, and Henrietta, 22.

The two daughters still lived with their parents and probably would until they married. They lacked nothing. Their parents were rich enough that they didn't have to work unless they wanted to. And more often than not, they didn't want to.

Anne was a particular favorite with the entire family. They loved her for herself and even more so because she was so unlike Mary.

When Anne arrived, she went to the front door and rang the bell. Several minutes passed with no one answering the bell, so Anne decided to walk around to the pool area and see if anyone was there. She found Mary lying in a chaise lounge with a gel pack over her eyes.

"Hello, Mary," said Anne cheerfully.

Mary slowly lifted the gel pack off of her face, sat up and squinted up at Anne. "It's about time you got here," she said lethargically. "I thought you'd never get here." She lay back and replaced the pack.

"Well, I had a lot to do and then I had promised Emelia to have lunch with her."

"What could you have had to do? Surely there wasn't anything that important. And I'll bet you've had lunch with Emelia a dozen times in the last two weeks."

Anne sat down in a chair. "I had to finish packing, and then there were a bunch of boxes that Elizabeth left that needed to be shipped and I had to make sure that someone was scheduled to take care of the horses. And as for lunch, today was the first time in two weeks that I've actually sat down to eat. Most days I've grabbed a yogurt or something on the run."

"Oh," was all the response she got.

"How are Charles and the boys?"

"Charles has been with his father all day and I sent the boys away to their rooms about an hour ago. I couldn't take any more of their screaming."

Anne suppressed a laugh. Her nephews were generally only screaming because their mother wouldn't pay any attention to them.

"How is everyone at the 'estate'?"

"I don't know and I don't really care right now," said Mary sourly. "None of them has been here for the last day and a half; not that I want them to visit. Henrietta and Louisa are always giggling and squealing about something or other."

After a while, Mary sat up, took a drink, then stood, walked to the diving board and dove into the water.

So much for feeling terrible, thought Anne.

Mary swam a few laps then climbed out of the pool. As she was drying herself off she said, "I must admit I'm feeling a little better. Shall we venture to the 'estate'?"

"I'd like that," said Anne. "Just let me change clothes."

Half an hour later, they sat in the large screen porch off the back of Uppercross Estate. Mrs. Musgrove and her daughters were delighted that Anne had come for a visit. Mostly because they truly enjoyed her company, and partly because she seemed to run interference between everyone and Mary.

"So your father and Elizabeth have gone to Nashville? What part of the city are they living in?"

Before Anne could answer, Charles Musgrove Sr. and his son joined them.

"Anne!" exclaimed Mr. Musgrove. She walked to him and received a big bear hug. "It's so good to see you. You look wonderful."

"Thank you. It's coming to Uppercross that improves me, I'm sure," she teased, then turned to her brother-in-law. "How are you Charles?"

"Not too bad. We're about to sell a couple of our best mares for a pretty fair profit, so all in all I'd say we're doing pretty good."

Mary, after glaring at her husband, made quite a bit of noise as she moved to the other side of the porch.

Charles looked from his wife to Anne with a question in his eyes.

Anne smiled a little and said, "I believe Mary has missed your company today."

Charles rolled his eyes slightly and moved to cajole his wife out of her ill humor.

They spent the chief of the afternoon and evening at the 'estate'. Anne spent most of her time listening to one or another of the group begging her intervention in some matter within the family.

Mary begged her speak to Charles about taking the boys more often and making him realize that she was not a well person. She then moved on to Mrs. Musgrove's spoiling the boys.

Charles spoke of Mary's interference with his raising of his sons and how whenever she didn't want to do something, she suddenly became ill.

Mrs. Musgrove bent her ear about how Mary let her children run wild and the only way to keep them under control was to bribe them.

Louisa and Henrietta took turns telling Anne how Mary was always talking about her father the famous singer and how she used his fame to her best advantage.

Anne took everything in stride; she nodded and looked interested at the right times, and assured them she would do what she could.

Chapter 3

A few days later, Anne and Mary happened to be having lunch at a small outdoor café when they overheard the couple next to them talking about Kellynch Farm. Mary, of course, could not rest until she found out who they were and why they were talking about the Farm.

As it turned out, the couple was no other than George and Sophie Croft. They were quite delighted to meet Anne and Mary and asked them to join them for lunch.

Mary talked with George and always seemed to be trying to control the conversation with talk of her parents and their stardom. He patiently waited for openings in the conversation and though he kept leading the conversation to other topics, Mary somehow led back to the same thing.

Anne and Sophie immediately struck up a friendly conversation and things were going quite well when Sophie said, "I believe you know my brother."

"Yes," Anne said. She hoped she wasn't blushing as hotly as she felt "How is he?"

"Very well! He is recently married to a lovely woman."

Anne's stomach dropped. "How nice," she managed to say. "I hope they will be very happy."

"Thank you. I shall give him your good wishes the next time I talk to him. Edward has just gotten a new congregation, in Memphis."

It took several seconds for it to dawn on Anne that Sophie was not talking about Frederick. When she did, her feelings gushed out in the form of delightful congratulations for Edward.

During this conversation, George and Mary had fallen into a silence. However, when George realized that Sophie was talking about family, he joined in.

"We are expecting Sophie's other brother for a visit soon. You probably have heard of Frederick, though you may not have met him. He will be vacationing with us for a few weeks."

"Oh," cried Mary. "We have met him. He visited Rev. Wentworth one summer and I believe we saw him in church several times. Of course it was before he became such a celebrity."

Sophie smiled and said, "How wonderful! Well, we shall have to have a party so you can renew old acquaintances."

Mary was all excitement at the thought of being invited to a party where the famous Frederick Wentworth would be attending. Anne smiled at the Crofts, but inside her heart pounded uncontrollably at the thought of seeing Frederick again.

By the weekend, it was known that Frederick Wentworth was at Kellynch Farm. The Musgrove girls were giddy with anticipation. Charles couldn't wait to show him the horses, (he read in Music City News that Frederick loved to ride and was hoping that he might be interested in purchasing a few horses) and Mary was acting just like teenager.

The Musgroves insisted on having a cocktail party for Frederick. Of course, they would only invite their closest friends and neighbors, after all, Frederick was on vacation.

The day of the party came. Anne was up in her apartment trying to calm her nerves, when she heard screaming coming from the pool area. She ran downstairs and out to the pool to find Mary and Ellie, the housekeeper, kneeling by little Charles who was laying on the cement with blood all over his face.

Anne rushed over to them and carefully began to examine the little boy. After a few seconds she said to Ellie, (because Mary was in hysterics), "I'm fairly certain that he's all right, but we'd better call 911 just in case."

Ellie sprang to her feet and ran into the house. Mary, upon hearing '911', paled and began to scream. Anne grabbed hold of her and tried to calm her down. In the end, the only way to bring Mary out of her state was to slap her. Mary immediately stopped screaming and looked at Anne in horror.

"You hit me," she exclaimed.

"It was the only way to stop you," said Anne curtly.

By now, an ambulance had arrived and Ellie was leading the paramedics to the little boy. They examined Charles and though they agreed with Anne that he was probably all right, they strongly advised Anne to take him to the doctor for further examination.

Mary whimpered a little, but a strong glare from Anne silenced her. Anne thanked the paramedics and assured them the little Charles would be taken immediately.

Just as the ambulance pulled out of the drive, Charles pulled in. He jumped from his car and rushed through the house.

"Mary! Anne! What's happened?" He arrived at the pool in time to see Anne carrying little Charles into the house.

"Calm down, Charles. Everything is ok," she said evenly. "Your son was a bit rambunctious and fell and hit his head on the pavement. The paramedics said he's probably ok, but they think we should take him to the doctors to rule out a concussion."

Charles took his son from Anne's arms and proceeded to carry him to the car. Mary followed numbly behind. Anne stayed at the house with young Walter.

An hour later, they returned. Little Charles was fine, but the doctor did suggest keeping a fairly close eye on him for the next twenty-four hours.

This small request proved to be a very large monkey wrench as far as Mary was concerned. Her husband decided that he would attend the cocktail party for Frederick Wentworth to "represent the family" and Mary could stay and watch their son. Mary, not wanting to miss the party, claimed that she could represent the family just as well as he could and even more so because of who her father was.

After several minutes of arguing, Anne settled the whole thing by stating that she would stay with the child and both Mary and Charles could go to the party. Charles was hesitant, he really felt that the child's mother should be the one to nurse him, but Anne's quiet assurances and Mary's exclamations of "Anne is the best nurse, she doesn't feel like a mother feels" soon won him over.

Husband and wife departed in high spirits and Anne was left in the quiet with a feeling of relief. She was pretty sure that she had only delayed the inevitable, but after the day's ruckus, she was glad to be spared the anxiety of seeing Frederick again.

It was late when Charles and Mary returned and, after looking in on their child, they said only that it was a wonderful party and that Frederick was pleasant and humble in spite of his stardom.

Chapter 4

Posted on Friday, 24 September 1999

Anne knew that she would have to face Frederick but she never suspected that it would be the very next morning after the party. She and Mary were sitting by the pool watching Walter splash about and doing their best to keep young Charles quiet. They were surprised when Ellie announced "the Miss Musgroves and Mr. Wentworth."

Mary immediately stood to greet him. Anne mentally readied herself and stood as well. Louisa and Henrietta walked out followed a few paces back by Frederick.

"Frederick," cooed Mary, "how nice to see you again."

He shook her hand lightly and replied, "Last night your husband offered to show me the horses and I met Louisa and Henrietta outside. They were here to check on little Charles and insisted I come. How is the boy?"

"He's doing very well. Just needs some rest." Mary remembered her manners. "I believe, Frederick, that you know my sister, Anne."

He turned to her, nodded and mumbled a greeting. She mumbled back and looked away as soon as politeness would allow.

"Well," said he, turning again to Mary, "I don't want to keep your husband waiting. I will see you tomorrow evening at the cookout."

He said good-bye to them and walked toward the stables. After setting their minds at ease concerning their nephew, Henrietta and Louisa left them with, "It's been such a long time since we visited the stable. Perhaps they might go for a ride." Mary declared that she would like nothing better than a ride and went with them.

A few hours later, Mary returned. She commented on how impressed Frederick had been with the horses, the stables and, especially the hospitality he had been shown at Uppercross.

"He also remarked how much things had changed since he last visited this area," said Mary as she sat down. "And when Louisa asked if he remembered you he said that you had changed so much he wouldn't have recognized you."

Anne sunk back into her lounge chair and thought about what had transpired. Frederick thought she had changed so much that he didn't think he would have known her? She didn't think she had changed that much. A little older perhaps, maybe a bit thinner, but not that different. He was unchanged. Still handsome, still that same charming smile; not that it had been directed to her, of course. To her he had been only civil. Now that she had met with him, she felt that, though she did not desire to be in the same group with him, she could handle it. The cookout would be the real test.

That night at supper, Anne was forced to listen to Charles and Mary debate which of Charles' sisters Frederick would fall in love with. Charles believed that Louisa and Frederick would make a great couple; she would be best suited for a star's wife. Mary, however, believed that Henrietta would be the best match for Frederick.

"But Mary," began Charles, "you know that Henrietta is practically engaged to Chuck Hayter."

"Chuck Hayter, indeed," said Mary. "Chuck is not what I would call a suitable match for a girl like Henrietta. He's just a rodeo cowboy, nothing extraordinary. He'll probably break his neck before he becomes anyone."

"He's the best 'rodeo cowboy' the industry has seen in years and the most uninjured one, I might add. He'll very likely make a lot of money." Charles appealed to Anne. "Anne, what do you think? Henrietta or Louisa?"

Before she could answer, Mary exclaimed, "I don't care if Chuck Hayter makes a million dollars, he's not Henrietta's equal."

"Equal! Mary this is the twentieth century. Haven't you heard, everyone is equal." Charles smiled, "If Henrietta marries Chuck and Louisa marries Frederick, I will be very happy."

Anne listened in silence and thanked God that she was spared the charge of giving her opinion as to which girl Frederick would marry.

Chapter 5

The name 'cookout' when given by the Musgrove family was misleading. To them, a cook out meant two inch thick steaks, huge lobster tails, corn on the cob, half a dozen salads, and desserts of monstrous proportions. Everyone was encouraged to eat until they couldn't move and then to have "just one more helping."

The group assembled for this feast consisted of all of the Musgroves, Anne, the Crofts, Frederick, and a family who were very close to the estate family, the Hayters. The family consisted of Mr. and Mrs. Hayter, Chuck, the son, and two teenage children who were always into trouble. Between Chuck Hayter and Henrietta Musgrove there was a mutual affection and sort of silent understanding. At least until Frederick Wentworth arrived on the scene. Both the Musgrove daughters were completely infatuated with Frederick and, in comparison, Henry Hayter was just rodeo cowboy; a very good one, mind you, but just a cowboy.

During the party, Louisa, Henrietta, Mrs. Musgrove and Mary bombarded Frederick with questions about his music, traveling and anything that would gain his attention. Anne found herself glancing at him periodically to see if there was any hint of remembrance of a time when the two of them discussed many of the same topics. He answered all questions with good humor and patience.

After dinner, everyone gathered around the huge bonfire that Mr. Musgrove had ordered for the evening. Anne found herself seated next to George and Sophie. Frederick was a few people away from her with Louisa on one side and Henrietta on the other. Chuck Hayter sat next to Henrietta.

George had them all laughing hysterically with stories from his past. Every now and then Sophie or Frederick with chime in with details that George conveniently "forgot."

Anne was beginning to feel more comfortable being in Frederick's company when Louisa asked her if she had brought her guitar with her.

"Yes," she said.

"Would you play for us? You play so beautifully," said Henrietta.

"Uh...well...I don't know..." Anne stammered. She really didn't want to be in the spotlight.

"Oh please, Anne," said Mrs. Musgrove, "I love to watch you when you play." She turned to Sophie, "She gets this dreamy look in her eyes when she plays."

A few others chimed in and finally Anne agreed to play. She got the instrument and sat for a few minutes tuning it. When she looked up, she noticed that Frederick was sitting back in his chair. His face was mostly hidden by shadows but every now and then, the fires flames would lighten his features. He wore a stony expression.

She played a few songs and was given much praise by the party. At one point, she had stopped playing to change the kapo's position and overheard a bit of conversation between Frederick and Louisa. He seemed to have asked whether Anne sang. Louisa responded, "No, she never sings, just plays. Do you think she plays well?" A burst of laughter from Charles drowned out Frederick's reply.

Anne played a few more songs and then set the guitar aside while she got something to drink. When she returned, Louisa was offering Anne's guitar to Frederick and was trying to convince him to play and sing for them. He would not take the instrument from her and, after a glance at Anne, he said with a slight smile, "One musician never touches another's instrument." He then turned and walked away.

Louisa looked at Anne, shrugged her shoulders and followed after him.

Chapter 6

Posted on Sunday, 26 September 1999

Anne didn't see Frederick for a few days. In fact, no one saw him. He reappeared four days later with the excuse of going to visit a former member of his band who was now living in Gatlinburg. His friend had retired from the country music life to settle down with his wife and have children. They ran the LeConte Lodge in the Great Smokey Mountains National Park. The Lodge could only be approached on horseback or by hiking.

The morning after his reappearance, Anne and Mary walked down to the stables intending to take a ride. On the way, they ran into Henrietta and Louisa. The girls were invited to join them on their ride but they declined. They were just setting out on a long walk and would not be dissuaded.

Not wanting to miss anything, Mary claimed she would forgo the ride to join them on their walk. Louisa, hoping to discourage Mary, warned her that it would be a very long walk.

"I don't know why everyone thinks I'm not a walker," said Mary. "There's nothing I like better than a nice long walk. Come on Anne. We won't let these young girls out do us."

Before Anne (or anyone) could protest, Mary had started off.

Before they got much farther, Charles and Frederick appeared. The men decided to accompany the ladies on their walk, so the entire group set off over the hills.

They had walked a two or three miles when Mary suddenly exclaimed, "Oh my. This is the Hayter's property. I think it's time we turned back."

"Chuck finished the new stables," exclaimed Charles. "I think I'll take a look. Mary, why don't you look in on Mrs. Hayter; take a bit of a rest."

"I will not," stated Mary. "Walking back all that way will tire me much more than resting in that woman's company will revive me. Anne, the girls and I will wait here for you then go home." She took Henrietta by the arm to lead her over to a shady spot to sit.

Charles, with a huff, started walking towards the Hayters stables. After a moment's hesitation, Louisa grabbed Henrietta by the hand, whispered something in ear and pushed her in the directions of their brother. Henrietta seemed unsure but she followed after Charles.

Louisa returned with a triumphant smile and suggested that they look for wild strawberries. Frederick glanced at Anne and Mary, neither of who seemed inclined to join them, then motioned for Louisa to lead the way.

Mary looked carefully around the ground until she found a "safe" spot to sit, then arranged herself to wait. Anne walked around the tree aimlessly, pulling a leaf off every now and then. Mary could not sit still. She was sure that Louisa had found a better place to wait and Mary was determined to find her. Anne tried to dissuade her but failed. Mary stalked off in search of Louisa and Frederick.

Anne sighed, sat down and leaned back against the tree. A few minutes later, she heard voices. They seemed to be coming from the other side of the hedge that ran along the Hayter's property. As they drew nearer, Anne realized that it was Louisa and Frederick.

"Mary is always talking about how famous her parents are;" said Louisa. "She's always trying to ride their coat tails, especially her father. She's got too much pride. We all wish that Charles had stayed with Anne. We would have liked her much better."

"Stayed with Anne?" said Frederick. "Did Charles and Anne date?"

"Just a little while. I don't know how serious they were."

"What happened," asked Frederick quietly.

"Don't know. My parents think Emelia Russell had something to do with it. Charles not being ambitious enough for her taste, maybe she talked Anne out of him. Next thing we knew, he and Mary were engaged." Louisa sighed.

They continued walking and their voices faded. Anne took a few deep breaths to calm her heartbeat. Lousia, why do you have to have such a big mouth thought Anne.

There was no time to think about it anymore, Mary reappeared followed by Louisa and Frederick. He glanced briefly at Anne, almost as if he was searching her face for something. Just then Charles and Henrietta came into view and with them was Chuck Hayter, looking very pleased. Chuck stood and talked with them a few minutes then returned home.

By now, the entire party was feeling fatigued so conversation was almost nonexistent. They came down a hill and were about to cross the road, when an old convertible pulled up.

"Sophie! George!" exclaimed Frederick. "What have you been up to?"

"Just exploring," answered George. "What are you all up to?"

"We've been walking; about five miles or so," said Frederick.

"You girls must be exhausted!" said Sophie. "Can we offer anyone a ride?"

The ladies all declined and the Croft's would have driven on, but Frederick leaned over and whispered something to Sophie. She immediately turned to Anne and begged her to join them.

"The back seat of this thing may be small but it's comfortable for one," she said.

Anne was about to protest when she found her hand claimed by Frederick as he helped her into the car. Anne knew that it was all Frederick's doing. She wanted to thank him, but she couldn't speak. She tried to catch his eye at least to nod but he had turned his back and was walking with the others.

As they drove down the road, George and Sophie began talking.

"So what do you think, my dear, how long before Frederick marries that girl?" said George.

"Which one?" replied his wife.

"Either. They're both pleasant girls."

"Yes, they are pleasant enough, but I would hope that Frederick would find someone who's a soul mate not just an ornament."

Anne wished they would change the subject. She really didn't want to hear about Frederick's love life.

Before too long, they arrived at Charles and Mary's and after thanking them profusely, Anne went into the house. She knew it wouldn't be too long before the others arrived, so she and Ellie prepared lunch.

By the time the others came in, they were more than happy to sit down and partake of the sandwiches and salad that was waiting for them.

As they sat relaxing, Charles asked if Frederick would like to ride the next day. Frederick declined with the excuse that he was to go and visit his friends in Gatlinburg for a few days.

"I've heard a lot about the LeConte. Is it a nice place?" said Charles.

"Beautiful," said Frederick, then after a pause, "Why don't you come along? I'm sure Harville and his family would love to meet you all."

"Oh yes," cried Louisa, "please can we go?"

"I suppose we could take a weekend and drive out," said Charles.

"Anne," said Henrietta, "you'll come too won't you? Please don't say no."

Anne could not resist Henrietta's pleas and with a wary glance towards Frederick, she agreed.

Chapter 7

Two days later, Anne found herself packed into a minivan on the way to Gatlinburg. For the most part, she was content to be part of the group. She was looking forward to few days in the mountains. Besides, she and Frederick had been maintaining a civil relationship, just as long as they weren't left alone.

They arrived at the Park entrance around noon. After a quick lunch, they mounted horses and headed for the LeConte. As they rode along, Frederick explained to everyone that a James Benwick, also a former band member, was living with the Harvilles.

"He was supposed to marry Harville's sister, Phoebe, but before they could marry, Phoebe died from a fall while hiking in the mountains. James has lived with the Harvilles ever since. He's rather quiet, still a little depressed even though Phoebe died three years ago."

A few hours later, they reached the LeConte. They left the horses at the stable and walked into the Lodge. The woman behind the counter immediately came over to Frederick and greeted him with a hug. In a few minutes, two men joined them.

Frederick introduced them to Richard and Margaret Harville, James Benwick and the Harville's children, Sarah and Freddie.

Mrs. Harville, or Maggie as she insisted on being called, invited them into the dining room. She had drinks and snacks waiting for them. The women went in immediately. The men, however, stood in the lobby for a few minutes talking.

After everyone had a chance to relax, Frederick suggested they walk to the lookout.

"It's the best place to watch the sun set," said Maggie.

James and Richard as well as the two children joined the others. Anne was amused at the way the children buzzed around "Uncle Frederick." They were always calling his attention to something or sharing some piece of information. He paid close attention to them and treated them like they were the most important people on earth.

They reached the point just in time to see a glorious sunset. They stood silently in awe as the sun slowly sunk behind the mountains, casting shadows and creating incredible colors.

As the group made their way back to the Lodge, it divided into three smaller groups. Frederick, Richard and Charles took the lead, all the while talking about fishing and hunting. Mary, Louisa and Henrietta came next. The two Musgrove girls exclaimed about how beautiful the woods and views were and Mary complaining about the "dangerous" walk. Surprisingly, Anne found herself walking next to James Benwick.

After a few minutes silence, Anne ventured to start a conversation.

"So, James, what do you do to keep yourself busy in this beautiful country?"

"Read some, play my guitar," he hesitated then said, "and I write songs."

"Really!" exclaimed Anne. "I'd love to hear some of them."

"I don't know," he said uncertainly, "I've never played them for anyone."

"Oh, please," she said gently, "you see, I write songs too and I'd really like to share some ideas."

"You write songs?"

"Yes." She looked away and sort of out into the woods. "My mother taught me to play the guitar and she and I used to write songs together. Most of them were silly but there were a few that I thought were nice."

"Phoebe and I used to write together, before..." his voice trailed off. After a minute, he continued, "Have you written anything lately?"

"A few things. Nothing that I've wanted to share with anyone."

They walked on, slightly behind the others, talking about music and songs and poetry. When they reached the house, they found that the others had been there some time before them. There was a little discussion when they came into the Lodge about what they'd been doing.

"We were discussing music," said James.

Richard turned to Anne, "Don't let him bend your ear too much. He'll go on forever."

Anne smiled, "I enjoyed our discussion very much. I look forward to continuing it." As she turned to offer her help with the dinner preparations, she thought she noticed Frederick staring at her, but when she glanced back he was talking with Louisa. Anne shook her head, Don't even think it. He'd never take you back, not after the way you treated him.

At dinner, she and James sat next to each other and, although they could not speak of their songwriting, they did talk mostly to each other. What Anne did not notice, was that, more often than not, Frederick was looking at her. He saw that James was speaking to Anne as he did when he first met Phoebe. It had been a long time since he had seen his friend so talkative. What do you care? he thought. You're not interested in her. Remember the way she treated you. As hard as he tried not to look at them, his eyes always seemed to stray back to them.

After dinner, they sat on the porch in front of the Lodge. There was lively conversation and plenty of "remember the time" stories from Frederick and Richard. James sat near Anne. Then two of them chatted quietly when their attention was not required by one of the others.

Someone finally noticed how late it was so Richard and James showed them to their room: Charles and Mary in one, Louisa and Henrietta in the next and Anne in the last. Frederick's room was across the hall from Anne's.

Anne said goodnight to everyone and closed the door. As much as she enjoyed the company, she was glad to be by herself.

Chapter 8

Posted on Monday, 1 November 1999

Saturday morning, Anne woke early. The sun was just beginning to rise. Not wanting to miss the quiet solitude of the morning, she dressed warmly and headed outside. She sat on the front porch of the lodge until the sun was up, and then, seeing the path to the lookout, decided that would be her destination. She was walking down the steps when Henrietta came out of the door.

"Good morning, Anne."

"Good morning, Henrietta. You're up early."

The young woman smiled sleepily. "We didn't lower the shades last night so as soon as the sun appeared, I was awake." Henrietta joined her at the bottom of the stairs.

"I was just going for a walk before breakfast," said Anne. "Would you like to join me?"

"Love to," said Henrietta and the two of them headed down the trail.

Luckily for Anne, Henrietta was not fully awake so she was not her usual talkative self. They had a nice quiet walk to the lookout. Once there, they found seats on the large boulders and sat looking out over the landscape. Every now and then, one of them would make a comment but for the most part they were silent.

They had been sitting together for about twenty minutes when they heard voices coming up the path. The voices revealed themselves in the persons of Frederick and Louisa.

"Good morning, Anne. Good morning, Henrietta," said Louisa energetically. "Isn't this the most beautiful place in the world."

Anne nodded her head and smiled, then turned back to the scenery. Frederick began pointing out different landmarks and sights and Henrietta and Louisa took turns exclaiming over each one.

After a few more minutes, Frederick suggested they make their way back to the lodge.

"I know Maggie will have a huge breakfast ready and waiting for us." He took the lead followed by Louisa and Henrietta. Anne brought up the rear. She walked slowly taking in all the sights.

Just before they reached the lodge, the path came to a stream. To cross the stream, they had to step on large rocks. When Frederick reached the stream, he stopped and indicated that the three women should cross first. As Louisa started across, Anne saw waiting on the other side, a handsome man about thirty years old. He was dressed in jeans, a flannel shirt and wore a cowboy hat, all of which gave him a very rugged appearance. The man watched as Louisa and Henrietta crossed and gave them friendly smiles, but when he turned to watch Anne, his smile deepened. As she reached the bank, he grinned widely and said, "Good morning."

She smiled and returned his greeting, then joined Henrietta and Louisa. The man, while waiting for Frederick to pass, continued his admiration of Anne. Frederick began to thank the man for allowing them to cross, when he realized what, or rather whom, the man was looking at. The man smiled again and, with a final glance at Anne, crossed the stream, and walked out of sight.

Henrietta giggled and Louisa said with a smile, "Anne, did you see how he looked at you. I wonder who he is?"

Anne just smiled and tried not to blush. She started to say something but she caught sight of Frederick staring at her. He seemed to be seeing her for the first time. Realizing her to be looking at him he shook his head slightly and motioned her to follow the girls.

Without a word, she turned and began walking. The rest of the way, Frederick walked at the rear of the group. The foursome separated on the front porch, Anne and the girls went to their rooms and Frederick headed for the dining room.

He couldn't stop thinking of how that man had been admiring Anne. For the first time since being in her company, Frederick thought of her without anger or hurt. He was surprised at how beautiful she was. She had always been a pretty girl, but now she was a truly beautiful woman.

Anne escaped the giggling teasing of Henrietta and Louisa to change her clothes. While changing, she thought about the man on the trail. He had obviously thought she was attractive and his greeting was definitely spoken with admiration. She smiled at her reflection in the mirror. It was kind of nice to have a handsome man admire her. In the midst of all this thought, she looked at her watch and realized that everyone was probably waiting for her in the dining room. She quickly ran a comb through her hair and dashed out of her room.

She hurried down the steps and as she crossed the lobby, she found herself suddenly in someone's arms. She had been rushing to reach the dining room, and she hadn't noticed the man walking in the front of the lodge. She began to make apologies when she realized that the arms around her belonged to the man they had seen on the path.

When he realized who he had a hold of, he smiled widely.

"I'm so sorry," she said as she blushed and tried to disentangle herself from him.

"No apologies necessary, beautiful," he replied with eyes sparkling.

Having finally been released by the man, she apologized again and moved on to the dining room.

The man watched her until she disappeared. With a shake of the head, he walked away.

Anne was out of breath by the time she reached the dining room. She took a seat next to James and tried to calm down. Frederick looked at her suspiciously for a moment then returned to his breakfast.

While they were eating, they heard a commotion outside the lodge. Charles went to the window to see what was happening.

"What is it Charles," called Mary from the table. "What is going on?"

"Looks like someone's getting ready to leave. He's got a couple of incredible horses. Must have set him back quite a bit."

Frederick, Louisa, Henrietta and Maggie joined Charles at the window.

"Oh," said Frederick with a quick look at Anne, "That's the man we saw on the path." He turned to Maggie. "Who is he?"

"His name is William Walter.""

Anne and Mary exchanged surprised glances. Mary rushed to the window to look. "William Walter," she said, "William Elliot Walter? The famous record producer?"

"I believe so," said Maggie. "Do you know him?"

"Only by name," said Anne coolly. "He produced my father's last recording."

"Oh Anne," said Mary, "Only think of our happening to see him." She returned to the table. "What will father say?"

"Mary," said Anne quietly, "Considering the way that father feels about Mr. Walter, I don't think we'd better mention this to him."

Mary sighed deeply, "I suppose you're right. But did you see him. He's so handsome and young."

Anne shook her head slightly and resumed eating her breakfast. What she didn't see was Frederick looking at her.

Everyone else was talking of what their plans for the day were, but Anne didn't hear them. She was slightly disappointed that her admirer had turned out to be the one person in all of Tennessee that her father truly disliked.

William Elliot Walter had indeed produced her father's last recording. In and of itself, the recording was not very exciting. But that would not have been so bad, it would have meant nothing to all of Nashville if only Mr. Walter had not done what he had done. As her father told it, William had been interviewed by Music City News shortly after the release of the recording. Instead of plugging the release, he had reportedly made fun of the recording and Walter Elliot. Walter had tried to sue him, but Mr. Shepherd had pointed out that even bad press was better than no press and the matter had dropped. Ever since that time, Walter had talked of William Walter's betrayal.

A question from James interrupted her thinking.

"I'm sorry, James," she said with a blush, "What were you saying?"

He smiled. "I was asking if you were going to swim with the others." Seeing her confusion he said, "Everyone is going for a swim in the lake."

"Oh," Anne replied. "I'm not much of a swimmer. Maybe I'll just sit on the shore and read or something."

"Perhaps this would be a good time for us to compare some songs."

"That would be wonderful, but I didn't bring my guitar."

James shook his head. "Not to worry. Rick has one that I'm sure he won't mind you borrowing."

The party split up to change and gather their belongings and was to meet in the lobby in half an hour. Not needing to change, Anne waited for them on the porch of the lodge. James was the first one to return. He handed her a well-used guitar.

"It may not look like much," he said with a smile, "but it plays beautifully."

Anne took the instrument and strummed a few chords. She nodded her head. "You're right. It has a great sound."

"It was Phoebe's" he stated plainly.

Anne looked up suddenly. "James," she said slowly, "are you sure you want me playing this."

He sighed. "You're the first person since her death that seems...worthy."

Anne smiled. "It would be an honor."

Just then, Frederick came out of the lodge. Anne and James both started and blushed. Frederick eyed them suspiciously but before he could say anything, the others appeared on the porch and the whole party walked to the lake.

Chapter 9

Posted on Monday, 29 November 1999

It was a warm sunny day, very conducive to swimming in a mountain lake. Louisa was in her glory. Her bathing suit showed her figure nicely and she knew it. She splashed and giggled and flirted with Frederick. Henrietta and Mary were acting like school girls, squealing whenever Charles or Frederick threatened to dunk them under.

Anne and James sat on the bank strumming and singing softly. Whenever there was a large commotion in the water, they would look up and laugh with the others, but for the most part they ignored them.

Frederick spent the day trying not to pay attention to Anne. He had recognized the guitar as Phoebe's and it had surprised him that James would let another woman use it. Every now and then, he would glance over at the bank and see the two of them with their heads together. Sometimes they were laughing and sometimes one seemed to be listening to the other play something.

Finally he couldn't take it any longer so he gave Louisa a lame excuse of needing something from shore and he headed towards his friend and his former fiancée. As he got closer, he could hear Anne singing. Although she sang softly, she was definitely hamming it up and James was laughing.

He sat down on the bank a little way from them and listened as Anne sang:

Nobody gets off in this town
Trains don't even slow down
My high school sweetheart's married and gone
They met on a bus to San Antone
The Greyhound stops and somebody gets on
But nobody gets off in this town

Nobody gets off in this town
Od folk's'round here wear a frown
Now let me see if I can set the scene
It's a one-dog town and he's old and mean
There's one stop light but it's always green
Nobody gets off in this town

Nobody gets off in this town
High school colors are brown
They can't drag main because it kicks up dust
Their cars and their dreams are all starting to rust
The high school dances are always a bust
Nobody gets off in this town

Nobody gets off in this town
They oughta just tear it down
Cause in the winter you freeze and in the summer you fry
Utility bill's the only thing that gets high
I'd go for a drank but this country is dry
Nobody gets off in this town

(Actually written by L. Bastian/D. Blackwell)

As Anne struck the last chord, James erupted into a fit of laughter. Frederick kept his face turned from them to hide the smile on his face.

"You wrote that," gasped James through his laughter.

Anne giggled. "Yes, with my mother actually. It was very late at night and we had hiked up into the mountains. I think the air must have been too thin or something."

James wiped his eyes. "Or something." After he composed himself he said, "you have a beautiful voice."

Anne blushed. "Thank you. It's been a while since I've sung in front of anyone. Not since..." she trailed off.

Frederick was absolutely still, waiting to see if she would say anything else. He wondered if she was thinking of the times they had sung together. From the corner of his eye, he saw her shake her head slightly as if to shake off a memory. She then told James it was his turn to play something.

Frederick was concentrating so hard on Anne and James, that he never saw Louisa and Henrietta sneaking up to him with buckets of water. Before he knew it, they had dumped them on him and were squealing with laughter.

He sputtered and looked around for them. They were running back to the lake.

Louisa called, "Tag, Frederick, you're it."

He wiped the water away from his face, stood up and began walking to the lake. Just before jumping into the water, he glanced over at Anne and James. James was playing and Anne was watching his fingering. He turned and dove into the water.

If he had looked a few seconds earlier, he would have seen Anne watching him. She had been thinking of the times they sang together. Anne had not sung with or for anyone since Frederick. She wasn't sure why she had agreed to sing for James. She liked him but it wasn't anything more than friendship. She could see that Frederick pursuing Louisa. Unquestionably, he paid her more attention than anyone else, and she certainly enjoyed it. In fact, Anne believed that Louisa was at the very least infatuated with Frederick, if not in love with him.

Anne returned her attention to James and tried to push the sight of Frederick in a bathing suit out of her mind.

The sun was just starting to set as the group walked up the steps of the lodge. Maggie called to them from the counter.

"You all better get showered and changed. Rick's got something special planned for dinner and I don't think he can stand to wait much longer."

She wouldn't give any details, so they agreed to be ready within the hour.

Once the party was assembled in the lobby, Maggie led them out of the lodge and down a path. It was a different one than they had taken before. It was lit by small lanterns hung on wrought iron poles. It took them about fifteen minutes to reach their destination. As they walked into the clearing, they all exclaimed in delight. There were a few tables, one covered with food and off to one side, Rick and James were busily grilling steaks. In the middle was a large bonfire.

Rick looked up and said, "For your last night, we thought we'd do something different. I hope you like it."

They all agreed that nothing could be nicer. The steaks were just about done so everyone took their seats and ate until they could hardly move.

Anne offered to help Maggie clean things up, but was told to sit and relax they'd take care of it later. Everyone gathered around the bonfire. After some conversation, Louisa and Henrietta begged Frederick to play and sing for them. He tried to say no, but when Rick, Maggie and James chimed in, he agreed.

James handed Frederick a guitar and sat next to him with his own instrument. Rick sat on the other side tuning his guitar. After a few minutes, they began playing and Frederick sang:

I came in as the sun came up
She glared at me over her coffee cup
She said "Where you been?"
So I thought real hard and said
"I fell asleep in that hammock in the yard"
She said "You don't know it but you just blew it"
I said "Well that's my story and I'm stickin' to it"

Chorus:
That's my story (that's my story)
Oh that's my story (that's my story)
No I ain't got a witness, I can't prove it but
That's my story and I'm stickin' to it

Well I got that deer in the headlights look
She read my face like the cover of a book she said
"Don't expect me to believe all that static
'Cause just last week I threw that hammock in the attic"
My skin got so thin you could see right through it
And I stuttered "Well that's my story and I'm stickin' to it"

Repeat Chorus

The time comes when a wise man knows
That the best thing that he can do
Is just look her in the eye and beg for mercy
And face the bitter truth

"Well honey me and the boys played cards all night
There wasn't no hanky panky not a woman in sight
And I know I shoulda called and baby I'm real sorry
But get a cellular phone and then you won't have to worry
You know how much I love you darlin' and I'm ready to prove it
And that's my story and I'm stickin' to it"

Repeat Chorus

I ain't gonna do a thing darlin' unless you approve it
And that's my story and I'm stickin' to it.

When the song finished, everyone applauded. Frederick smiled in appreciation, then said that he thought Rick and Maggie should sing one. Before they could say what song, Frederick and James had already started playing. Rick and Maggie shared a loving smile and sang:

I remember well the day we wed
I can see that picture in my head
I still believe the words we said
Forever will ring true

Love is certain, love is kind
Love is yours and love is mine
But it isn't somethin' that we find
It's somethin' that we do

It's holdin' tight, lettin' go
It's flyin' high and layin' low
Let your strongest feelin' show
And your weakness too

It's a little and a lot to ask
An endless and a welcome task
Love isn't somethin' that we have
It's somethin' that we do

Chorus:
We helped to make each other all that we can be
Though we can find our strength and inspiration independently
The way we work together is what sets our love apart
So closely that we can't tell where I end and where you start

It gives me heart rememberin' how
We started with a simple vow
There's so much to look back on now
Still it feels brand new

We're on a road that has no end
And each day we begin again
Love's not just somethin' that we're in
It's somethin' that we do

Chorus

Love is wide, love is long
Love is deep and love is strong
Love is why I love this song
And I hope you love it too

I remember well the day we wed
I can see that picture in my head
Love isn't just those words we said
It's somethin' that we do

There's no request too big or small
We give ourselves, we give our all
Love isn't someplace that we fall
It's somethin' that we do.

As they finished, there seemed to be a collective sigh of delight. Their voices had blended as though they had been created only to sing together.

Maggie smiled and then turned to James. "Your turn, Jimmy."

James thought for a moment then began:

Looking back on the memory of
The dance we shared 'neath the stars above
For a moment all the world was right
How could I have known that you'd ever say good bye.

Anne knew that James was singing the song with Phoebe in mind, but she couldn't help thinking of herself and Frederick. It was all she could do not to look at him to see his reaction.

And now I'm glad I didn't know
The way it all would end, the way it all would go
Our lives are better left to chance I could have missed the pain
But I'd of had to miss the dance

Holding you I held everything
For a moment wasn't I a king
But if I'd only known how the king would fall
Hey whose to say you know I might have chanced it all.

Frederick was painfully aware of how much the song brought back memories. He glanced over at Anne, but her face was down.

And now I'm glad I didn't know
The way it all would end, the way it all would go
Our lives are better left to chance I could have missed the pain
But I'd of had to miss the dance.

(The Dance by Tony Arata)

When he finished, the girls were all wiping away tears, and the men smiled sadly. After a few moments of silence, Maggie said, "Now it's Anne's turn."

Anne's face came up with a frightened look. "Oh, Maggie, I couldn't."

Maggie took the guitar from Rick and walked over to Anne. "Now Anne, we're all family here. Besides, James has been telling me what a lovely voice you have."

Anne would have protested but James had appeared next to her and said softly, "Please."

She smiled weakly and accepted the guitar from Maggie.

"Do Patsy," said Charles. "Anne does a great Patsy Cline."

Anne tried as hard as she could but for the life of her, she couldn't remember one Patsy Cline song that wasn't about a lost love. So with a deep breath she began:

Sweet dreams of you
Every night I go through
Why can't I forget you
And start my life anew
Instead of having sweet dreams about you

You don't love me it's plain
I should know I'll never wear your name
I should hate you the whole night through
Instead of having sweet dreams about you

Sweet dreams of you
Things I know can't come true
Why can't I forget the past start loving someone new
Instead of having sweet dreams about you
(Sweet Dreams by Don Gibson)

As she strummed the last chord, everyone applauded enthusiastically. Maggie, who had been sitting next to Anne, looked at Frederick and said, "Frederick, I think you should make Anne your opening act on your next tour. She's a hundred times better than any of those bleached cowgirls that opened for you last year."

Anne froze in suspense of what Frederick's reply would be. He didn't seem to know what to say. Before he could collect himself enough to speak, Rick said teasingly, "If Anne were Frederick's opening act, no one would want to hear Frederick."

Anne looked at Rick, shook her head and smiled. "I doubt it," she said softly.

"Don't be too sure," said James.

Anne blushed and glanced towards Frederick. He was looking at her and smiling slightly. When he realized that she was looking at him, he looked away.

"All right, Rick," said Frederick. "Finish us off with Cowboy Bill."

Rick reclaimed his guitar from Anne and started to play:

He told a good story and all of us kids listened
'Bout his life on the boarder and the way it was then
And we all believed him and when he would finish
We'd ask the old cowboy to tell 'em again

You could almost hear those prairie winds blowin'
His saddle a creakin' 'neath his old faded jeans
You could taste the dry dust from the trail he was ridin'
As he sat there and painted those west Texas scenes.

At this point, Frederick and James joined in playing and singing harmony.

And the grown-ups would tell us
You boys keep your distance, that old man's just tellin' you lies
But to all of us kids Cowboy bill was a hero
Just as true as his blue Texas skies

He told of a time when he rode with the Rangers
Down on the pecos and he saved the day
Outnumbered by plenty, they wee almost too cover
With thirty banditos headed their way

He looked back just in time to see a horse stumble
The captain went down and Bill pulled up on his reins
And through a flurry of bullets he rescued the captain
They rode for a sunset, just the story remains

And the grown-ups would tell us
You boys keep your distance, that old man's just tellin' you lies
But to all of us kids Cowboy bill was a hero
Just as true as his blue Texas skies

Well I still remember the day that it happened
We waited and we waited but Bill never showed
And the folks at the feed store said they hadn't seen him
So we set out for his place down Old Grist Mill Road
And we cried when we found him lying there with his mem'ries
The old trunk wide open, things scattered about
He was clutchin' a badge that said Texas Ranger
And an old yellow letter said Texas Is Proud

And the grown-ups that told us
You boys keep your distance, that old man's just tellin' you lies
Well now they're all sayin Cowboy was a hero
Just as true as his blue Texas skies

(Cowboy Bill by L.Bastian/E. Berghoff)

When they finished, everyone talked for a while then Maggie decided it was time to head for the lodge. Everyone pitched in and helped clean up and before too long, they were back at the lodge. After depositing everything in the kitchen, they all agreed to meet early to watch the sunrise and then everyone headed to bed.

Chapter 10

The next morning, the entire group met early to walk to the point and watch the sunrise. They were all pretty tired from the night before so conversation was at a minimum. Additionally, they were all sorry that they would be leaving for home today. They made it to the point and found comfortable seats. Rick, Charles, Mary, Henrietta, Louisa and Frederick sat on various rocks. Anne and James were sitting on a large rock a little lower and a short distance away from the others. They were all chatting quietly. Anne, who was very susceptible to the cold, shivered. James immediately took off his jacket and placed it around her shoulders. She smiled gratefully.

Louisa saw them and, thinking how sweet it would be for Frederick to do the same for her, began to shiver. Frederick had also witnessed the scene and was watching Anne and James, trying to hear their conversation. His thoughts were interrupted when Louisa moved closer to him and said, "It's a chilly morning, isn't it Frederick."

He agreed and put his arm around her. He knew Louisa wasn't really cold, but he thought if he didn't put his arm around her, she'd keep inching closer until she was in his lap. Louisa immediately stopped shivering and cuddled up to him.

The sun made it's grand appearance shedding it's golden light over the valley. They all watched in silence, awed by the majestic site. When anyone did speak it was in hushed tones.

They sat for about an hour, until the sun was completely visible and they could feel its warmth wash over them. Finally, Rick made the move to return to the lodge for breakfast. Slowly, everyone else stood and began moving down the trail. Rick, Mary, Henrietta and Charles took the lead. Frederick and Louisa hung back a little from the others. Actually, it was Frederick who was hanging back. James and Anne were bringing up the rear, and Frederick was still trying to listen in on their conversation.

They reached the stream crossing and as it was still a little hard to see, Rick and Charles were helping Mary and Henrietta across the rocks.

When Frederick and Louisa reached the bank, Frederick crossed first and stood with his hand out to Louisa.

"Louisa," said Frederick, "be careful. The rocks are slippery."

"Nonsense," said Louisa with a giggle. "Besides, I've got a big strong man waiting to catch me.

"Just don't fall."

She giggled and hopped across the stream landing right in his arms. He smiled slightly and began to walk on, when Louisa turned, crossed back over the rocks and began to hop across again.

Anne and James reached the crossing in time to see Louisa loose her footing and go crashing into the stream. Frederick had turned back to the stream at the same moment.

For a few seconds, no one moved. Anne was the first to recover and she immediately waded into the stream to where Louisa lay. Frederick and James quickly joined her. As they checked for signs of life, the others came running over.

"She's dead," screamed Mary hysterically. "She's dead."

"Mary, please," said Charles brokenly. He waded into the stream with the others. "Is she..." He couldn't bring himself to finish the question.

"She's breathing," said Anne. "But her pulse is weak. We've got to get her out of this water. But gently."

The three men lifted Louisa out of the water and carried her to the bank. They put her down and Anne began to gently feel her legs and arms. There was a gash on her forehead from the rocks and she was bleeding heavily.

"I don't think there's any other broken bones, but I'm concerned for her neck."

Frederick went white. "Do you think it's broken."

"I don't know, but we'd better call for some medical assistance immediately."

"Yes, of course, immediately," Frederick stood up and began to run towards the lodge.

"No," yelled Anne, "let James go. He'll know where to find someone this time of the morning."

In a second, James was racing down the trail towards the lodge. Frederick returned to Anne's side. She had slipped off her jacket and was laying it over Louisa.

"We must not let her go into shock."

The others all quickly shed their jackets and whatever else they could spare and Anne laid them all over Louisa's unconscious form.

The next thing they knew, Maggie had appeared carrying blankets and a first aid kit. She quickly began dressing the wound on Louisa's forehead.

"James is waiting for the medics. It may take them a while to get here. They'll probably have to bring the med-evac into the field."

"Can't we move her to the lodge," asked Frederick.

"No," said Anne. "If we try to move her any more than we have already, we could make the injury worse."

He nodded his head as he began to comprehend. "Isn't there anything we can do?"

"Pray," said Anne without looking up.

Chapter 11

The medics finally arrived and after a quick but thorough examination, they isolated Louisa's head and neck, carefully lifted her onto a stretcher and were heading back towards the lodge. The others followed behind.

Anne was walking between Charles and Frederick. "We need to contact your parents, Charles. And I think it would be better if Henrietta did not go to the hospital. At least not right a way. Perhaps after the doctors have made a diagnosis."

"Yes, yes," mumbled Charles. "I must go with Louisa to the hospital, but I can't face it alone."

"Anne should go with you," stated Frederick firmly. She'd the most level headed of all of us right now. I'll take Mary and Henrietta to Gatlinburg, meet your parents and then go on to the hospital."

Anne was shocked by Frederick's praise of her. She looked up at him, but he was looking straight ahead.

"That sounds like a good plan," said Charles.

Mary, who had been walking slightly behind Charles now joined the conversation. "What are you saying, Charles?"

"Mary, Anne is going with me in the helicopter and Frederick will take you and Henrietta to Gatlinburg. You can meet my parents and then go on to the hospital."

"No," Mary exclaimed. "I should go with you. Anne can stay with Henrietta."

"Mary, please. Don't you understand? This is serious. I don't mean to be cruel but you're not much help in a crisis. Besides which, you hate to fly."

"I don't understand. I'm your wife and Louisa's sister-in-law. Anne is nothing to her. I'm going with you, Charles, and that's the end of it."

Charles sighed deeply, but was too stressed to argue with his wife. He turned to Anne and Frederick and said tightly, "Frederick would you mind taking Anne and Henrietta to Gatlinburg."

"Of course not, Charles," said Frederick emotionless.

Anne glanced up at him. She recognized the tightness of his jaw and knew he was displeased. Escorting Mary and Henrietta, while not preferred was, at least, tolerable. Anne knew that the exchange of herself for Mary was unbearable.

The medics loaded the stretcher into the helicopter and then Charles and Mary climbed in. The rest of the group stood back as the helicopter took off and disappeared into the sky. Then they silently made their way back to the lodge.

With Maggie's help, Anne quickly packed up Charles and Mary's things. Maggie went to help Henrietta with Louisa's things and Anne headed for her room. When she reached it, she noticed that Frederick's door was slightly ajar. She was about to go into her room when she heard a crashing noise from his room. Without thinking, she pushed the door open and rushed in.

There was a water stain on the wall and Frederick was picking up broken glass. He did not notice that she had come into the room and she would have slipped out quietly, but she heard him saying to himself, "Damned foolish! Way to go Frederick. What will her parent's think?"

Anne walked over to him and touched his shoulder. He jumped slightly and looked up at her.

"It wasn't your fault, Frederick," she said softly, "It was an accident. Besides, Louisa's an adult. She should have known better."

He looked at her for a moment then continued picking up the glass. "Tell that to her parents," he said coldly.

Anne shook her head and walked out of the room.

"Anne," said Frederick. He looked up and realized that she was gone. "Damn," he muttered and threw the glass into the trashcan.

Chapter 12

Posted on Monday, 17 January 2000

When Anne, Henrietta and Frederick reached the Park entrance, they quickly packed their gear into the minivan and headed for Gatlinburg Hospital. They reached the emergency room at the same time as Mr. and Mrs. Musgrove. Charles and Mary were waiting for them.

When Henrietta and her mother met, they both burst into tears and clung to each other. Charles tried to comfort his sister and mother, but Mary was also in hysterics and was demanding his attention. Anne and Frederick stood back a bit. Mr. Musgrove was standing at the desk, trying to get information on Louisa's condition. The nurse was trying to explain that she had no information to give out and if they'd have a seat, the doctor would be out soon. Mr. Musgrove's fear for his daughter caused him to loose his normally calm demeanor.

"I want to know what's going on with my daughter," he demanded loudly.

"I know, sir. But there's nothing that I can tell you," the nurse said calmly.

"Then find someone who can," shouted Mr. Musgrove.

Before the nurse could reply, Anne stepped forward, put her hand on his arm, and said, "The doctors are doing everything they can for Louisa. I'm sure you'd rather they be with her than out here talking to us."

Mr. Musgrove looked at her for a second. Then with tears in his eyes, he said to the nurse, "Forgive me. I'm a bit shaken up."

The nurse smiled and said, "I quite understand, I have a daughter as well. I'll see if I can't get someone to come and speak with you."

"Thank you," said Anne. She gently guided Mr. Musgrove over to where his wife and daughter were sitting. Mrs. Musgrove and Henrietta had finally managed to calm themselves down and were sitting holding hands.

Frederick offered to get some coffee. When he returned, he handed Anne a cup. She took it and started to ask for cream and sugar when Frederick said softly, "Four creams, four sugars." She smiled gratefully and took a sip.

It was almost 8:00 PM before anyone came to speak with them. Finally, a doctor approached, "Mr. Musgrove?" Both Charles and his father stood up and stepped forward.

The doctor shook both their hands. "I'm Doctor Brackett."

"How is she? How is Louisa," said Mr. Musgrove.

"Well, she's stabilized for the moment, but she's in very serious condition."

"Is her neck broken?" asked Charles.

"No, but there is damage to the spinal cord. She's very heavily sedated right now. We'll have to wait until she's conscious to see how much damage there is."

"You mean to see whether she's paralyzed?" said Charles.

"I'm not going to lie to you," said Dr. Brackett. "There is the possibility that she could have some paralysis. It will be several hours before we know." He looked around the group. "Why don't all of you get some rest and check with us first thing in the morning."

"Can we see her?" said Mr. Musgrove.

Dr. Brackett thought for a moment. "I can let one or two of you in, but no more."

Charles looked at his father. "You and Mother go in. Henrietta and I can wait until tomorrow."

Mr. Musgrove nodded and he and his wife followed the doctor down the hallway.

Charles turned to Frederick and Anne. "I guess we'd better see about hotel accommodations."

"There's a hotel just a few blocks from here," said Frederick. "I'll go on ahead and make the arrangements." Before Charles could thank him, he was off.

A few minutes later, Mr. and Mrs. Musgrove returned. Mrs. Musgrove was visibly upset and Mr. Musgrove was pale. Charles went to comfort his parents. When everyone was calmed down, Charles talked with the nurse at the desk and then they all headed for the hotel.

Frederick was waiting for them in the lobby. He gave keys to Mr. Musgrove and Charles, then turned to Anne. "I hope you don't mind, I put you in Henrietta's room. I thought she'd need the company."

"That's fine." Anne took the key from him and started to walk away.

"Anne."

She turned to face him.

"I...," he began. "Nothing. Sleep well."

She nodded and walked to the elevator.

Chapter 13

Up until now, the press had left Frederick to enjoy his vacation. Unfortunately, someone in the emergency room of Gatlinburg Hospital saw him and notified the media

When the Musgrove party arrived at the hospital the next day, they were stunned to find several reporters waiting for them. The reporters quickly spied Frederick and began sticking microphones and cameras in his face. Most of them were asking the same question.

"Frederick, is it true that you fiancée is the one injured?"

Frederick simply brushed past them all and refused to answer. Once inside, he spoke with the hospital security and gained their assistance in keeping the press at bay.

By the time he joined the others, the doctor was already talking with them.

"Louisa had a good night," said Dr. Brackett.

"Is she conscious?" said Charles.

"She's awake but still sedated. We don't want her moving around too much."

"And what about the damage?" said Mr. Musgrove.

The doctor shook his head. "We're still not completely sure, but.." he paused.

"Just give it to us straight, Dr. Brackett," said Charles. "We'll have to know it one way or the other."

Dr. Brackett nodded. "My first diagnosis is that there is some paralysis in the legs, however, it could be temporary."

"Temporary?" questioned Mr. Musgrove.

"Yes. If that's the case, Louisa's recovery will depend on herself. She'll have to work very hard to regain total use of her legs."

"When will you know for sure?" said Charles.

"In a few days, when she's is less pain, we'll try to get her up and moving around. But like I said, she has to want to get better." He looked around at them. "In the mean time, I think she's awake enough to have a few visitors, but only two at a time."

They thanked the doctor and he walked away.

"Dad," said Charles, "you and mom go in first. Then Henrietta and I can go in."

Mr. and Mrs. Musgrove walked into the room. Charles turned to Anne. "I hate to ask this," he said quietly, "but would you mind taking Mary in to see Louisa? I just don't think I can stand any more hysterics."

Anne smiled. "Don't worry, Charles. I'll take care of her."

"Thanks. I really appreciate your help. I don't know what we would have done without you."

"You would have managed, I'm sure."

Just then, Mr. and Mrs. Musgrove came out and Charles took Henrietta by the hand and started to lead her into the room.

"Charles," said Mary suddenly. "What are you doing? Why are you going in with Henrietta? You should be accompanying me."

Charles looked at Anne who motioned for him to go on. She then turned to Mary, took her by the arm and led her a little way off from the others.

"Mary," she began, "Henrietta isn't as strong as you are. She needs someone to lean on."

"But..."

"No buts. You need to be strong for Charles' sake. He needs to know he can depend on you. Everyone will be looking to you for strength. Do you understand?"

"Well, I suppose I must be strong, since everyone else is such a mess."

"Good." Anne turned from Mary and noticed Frederick was watching them. She rolled her eyes slightly and he smiled in return.

Finally it was Anne and Mary's turn to go in to see Louisa. They entered the room and when Mary first saw Louisa lying in the bed, she began to cry.

"Remember, Mary," said Anne quietly, "Be strong."

Mary took a deep breath and walked over to the bed. Anne walked right behind her. Louisa stirred slightly and opened her eyes.

"Hi guys," she said weakly.

"Hello, Louisa," said Mary with a trembling voice.

"I guess I must look a fright."

"Not at all," said Anne. "Considering all you've been through, I think you look lovely."

Louisa smiled. "Thanks, Anne. You always know how to make me smile."

"I guess we'd better let you get some rest."

"Isn't Frederick coming in? I thought Charles said he was here."

"He's here," said Mary.

"Are you sure you're up to seeing anyone else," said Anne.

"I want to see Frederick."

"All right," said Mary, "we'll send him in."

Anne leaned over and kissed Louisa's forehead. "Get better soon."

When Mary and Anne walked out of the room they were surprised to see James Benwick standing next to Frederick and Charles

"Hello, James," said Anne as they walked towards the guys.

"Hello, Anne, how are you?"

"I'm fine. A little tired."

"I'm sure."

"Frederick," said Mary with a smile. "Louisa's waiting to see you."

Frederick shared a look with James, then said, "I wouldn't want to disturb her. I'm sure she needs her rest."

"Go ahead," said Charles. "I'm sure she'll feel much better after seeing you."

Frederick nodded and walked into the room hesitantly. He didn't stay long and after he came out, he and James stayed only a few moments and then they left together.

"That's odd," mumbled Charles.

"What's that," said Anne.

"Hmm? Oh, nothing, I just thought Frederick would want to stay and see Louisa later on."

Anne didn't say anything for awhile. It was obvious to her that all of the others looked on Frederick and Louisa as a couple. But does Frederick? thought Anne.

A few days passed and Louisa was able to sit up and have visitors for a longer period of time. Her room was filled with flowers and cards all wishing her a speedy recovery. The family spent much of their day with her, leaving only for meals and sleep.

The doctors were pleased that she was having no pain, but they were concerned that she did not have the desire to try to walk. The truth was that her parents, sister and brother were doing everything for her, so there was no need to get up.

Anne saw this with concern, but when she tried to broach the subject with Mary, all she got in response was, "Anne, how could you suggest such a thing. Louisa's been through a very tough time. We need to be doing things for her." So Anne dropped the subject.

Anne also observed that whenever Frederick visited, which wasn't as often as expected, Louisa acted as if no one else was there. And when he wasn't there she clung to a stuffed bear that he had brought her.

James Benwick came often enough. He even brought his guitar sometimes and played songs for Louisa by the hour. Even though Louisa seemed to enjoy his visits, her first choice of company was Frederick. When she and Anne were alone for a time, Louisa confided that she had fallen in love with Frederick and she believed him to feel the same way.

"When he visits, he always sits right next to me and never leaves my side. And when he can't visit he sends flowers and candy and stuffed animals. He's so thoughtful."

Anne listened to Louisa with a smile pasted on her face. But deep inside her heart was breaking. She didn't' know how much longer she could bear to listen to Louisa talk about Frederick. She decided that it was time for her to leave. Even thought she wasn't looking forward to going to Nashville to her father's, she felt it would be better than watching Frederick with Louisa.

During one of James' visits, Anne and Charles decided to get some fresh air. As they walked around the hospital courtyard, Anne suggested to Charles that it was time for her to go to Nashville.

"There is plenty of company for Louisa and I'm really not needed."

"I'd hate to see you go, Anne, but if that's what you think is best, I'll make the arrangements. When do you want to leave?"

"Tomorrow, if possible. I thought I'd try to get a rental car or something to your place and so I could pick up my car."

Charles thought for a moment. "I tell you what. I need to check on the kids, why don't Mary and I take you to the house then you can go from there."

"That would be find." Anne paused. "Do you think Mary will go?"

Charles laughed. "She's been trying to convince me that she needs to go and buy some clothes because all of hers are dirty. All I have to say is that I'll bring some of her things with me when I come back and she'll tag along. She doesn't trust me to choose my own clothes, let alone hers."

They went back into Louisa's room to find that everyone was there.

"Well, Louisa," said Charles, "It would appear that Anne is tired of hospitals. She tells me that it's time for her to go to Walter's."

"Now, Charles," said Anne, "you know that's not true." She turned to Louisa. "Its not that I don't want to be here, but I think it's time I went home."

"I'm sorry you're going, Anne," said Louisa with a smile. "But I do understand. I'd like to go home myself."

Anne smiled and squeezed her hand. "I'm sure that in no time at all, you'll be walking right out of here."

"I hope so."

"I'll call you in a couple of days to see how you're doing."

"Take care, Anne, I'll miss you."

Anne said good bye to the others and, after refusing James' offer to accompany her to the hotel, she walked back alone to pack her things.

Continued In Next Section