Book Series: Byrnehouse-Davies & Hamilton Saga
Publishing Date: 1999
Author: Anita Stansfield
Publisher: Covenant Communications, Inc.
Category: LDS Historical Romance
Point of View: Third Person Limited-LeNay Parkins and Allison
Chapter Count: 12
Page Count: 221
Spoiler Alert: Read The Gable Faces East and Gables Against the Sky before reading this one.
This book is dedicated
to my readers around the world who have relished the First Love Trilogy, bringing life to Michael Hamilton and those
he loves. And to the exclusive readers in my little world, who have relished the “gables” books and kept me
believing in them since they first came to light. Here in this book, these
worlds are finally bridged together. This is my Christmas gift to you. Enjoy
the adventure!
Chapter 1 Home For Christmas
Provo, Utah
Allison is on the phone, long distance from Australia to her stepfather, Michael Hamilton. Grandma LeNay is not doing well. Her time is at hand. She and Allison have always been especially close and LeNay has been asking for her. Is there any way Allison can come home for Christmas? Allison sobs to her husband who assures her he and the kids will survive the holidays without her, Allison is going.
Michael meets her at the airport and brings her home where her mother, Emily, greets her with a big hug. LeNay is bedridden with a live-in home health care nurse to provide all the assistance and drug administration she requires. (Don't worry, they can afford it!) Allison isn't just here to be with her grandmother in her final hours, she's on a family history mission too and has come prepared with a small tape recorder. Allison wants to hear LeNay's life story, especially how she met her future husband and became matriarch of such a prominent family. She also has a burning question, what is the best gift LeNay ever got for Christmas?
LeNay takes a big breath and plunges in. Despite being raised in a dysfunctional home, LeNay's angel mother was a good, Christian woman who taught her three children to pray, (LeNay is the youngest) took them to church and encouraged them to read their Bibles while her father was emotionally distant and often absent from their home. When she was sixteen, her mother died and, like Cinderella, her father remarried a not-so-nice woman with two children. As the only other female in the house, LeNay was suddenly expected to do all the cooking, cleaning and babysitting. On December 9th, LeNay's 18th birthday, this young woman with thick, wavy, brown hair decided she'd had enough and left home, took the midnight bus going anywhere. Getting off in a town she'd never heard of, feeling sick, almost delirious with fever that seemed to come on like the Spanish influenza, LeNay found a quiet alley, slid down onto the ground and began to pray for an angel to come to her aid, just like her mother had taught her.
That's how Alexa found her...
Chapter 2 Taken In
1942
POV shifts to LeNay whose next awareness is of the three women, rallying around her semi-conscious form, weakly protesting their efforts to help her into a car, stowing her luggage in the trunk, taking LeNay home with them and putting her to bed. The angelic older woman introduces herself as Alexandra Byrnehouse-Davies. Her daughter is Emma and the other woman is her daughter in-law, Lacey.
A few days pass and LeNay's flu is subsiding. Her full name is LeNay Parkins. Alexa took the liberty of phoning her father's home and quickly discerned the situation. LeNay is welcome to stay here as long as she likes. Next day, LeNay is feeling well enough to get up, dress and take a quick stroll around the upstairs wing. She is very impressed by the large mansion and tasteful decor. Alexa expounds further about their family business and suddenly the name clicks. What Australian hasn't heard of this wealthy, philanthropist family who was recently featured in a popular magazine article? Since her husband, Jess Davies, died Alexa is practically a b-list celebrity but she assures LeNay everyone here puts their pants on one leg at a time. LeNay weeps tears of gratitude at God's obvious hand in answering her prayers; leading her to this gracious family. She meets Michael Hamilton, Emma's husband, rugged with black hair graying at the temples and a thick mustache. Michael runs the boy's home while Tyson, Lacey's husband, oversees the horse racing and breeding business. Both couples have all girls with a boy at either end. Richard Davies is the oldest grandchild while Jesse Michael Hamilton is the youngest of six. Both men are away at the moment while all the granddaughters have married, moved out and started families of their own but family tradition demands that everyone spends Christmas here at the Big House. LeNay finds herself looking forward to meeting the mob.
Chapter 3 The Snob
It quickly becomes apparent to LeNay that Jesse is the family favorite. He's Australia's most eligible (and wealthiest) bachelor who is so introverted and shy the family fears he may never get married. Word on the street is he's too picky, none of the local girls or single female household servants who've set their cap for him are good enough for him. Jesse spends his time attending school and traveling in his Bi-plane, helping with the family business. He's something of a loner.
LeNay has recovered enough from her illness to help with the cleaning and baking preparations for Christmas Eve which is a big event in this house. Everyone arrives and gathers in the lounge room with the big Christmas tree. The atmosphere is festive with everyone talking, children underfoot and Christmas music on the phonograph, making so much noise nobody heard the plane until a man's voice interrupts. Richard is home!
After his wife died, Richard enlisted in the Air Force and is currently stationed in Europe where WWII is underway. LeNay is very impressed with this handsome, friendly man who, like everyone else in the family, is immediately accepting of her situation and happy to host LeNay for the holidays.
"Uncle Jesse" arrives the next day. LeNay and Richard observe the scene as all the little children run to the field to greet their favorite relative who picks each child up and spins them around in a "flying lesson" before unloading the pockets of his black leather aviator jacket filled with candy. As the children scamper off, Jesse catches sight of LeNay, silently reflecting how adorably handsome he is, but Jesse only nods and mumbles a "hello" as he passes. LeNay's first impression? This man is a snob as she watches him enthusiastically greet all the other family members and ignoring her. His reunion with Richard is very special. With so many sisters and female cousins between them, these two cousins have always shared a special bond, despite their wide age gap.
Everyone changes into nice clothes. LeNay dons an A-line navy blue suit and black sturdy shoes without stockings (war rationing in those days meant frivolities, like silk stockings or nylons, were too precious) but finds the walk isn't long since the boys' home is just on the other side of the Big House. LeNay and the rest of the adults follow the horse drawn wagon filled with Christmas gift baskets and wrapped presents. Inside, the entire family shares a big dinner with the orphan boys, reads the Christmas story from the Bible aloud then everyone exchanges gifts.
LeNay is touched when a little orphan boy, Daniel, presents her with a simple handmade gift, a beaded necklace. It's a lovely scene until LeNay's gracious and friendly personality unexpectedly shifts to patronizing sister missionary who bears her testimony that the bible is true and little Daniel should read, pray and do the same. Perhaps it has something to do with Jesse's attitude toward her. Every time their eyes meet, Jesse looks away, uncomfortably. LeNay wonders what his problem is then decides she doesn't care.
In Australia, children hang pillow slips in anticipation of them being filled by Father Christmas. LeNay falls asleep that night feeling a deep satisfaction in this opportunity to spend Christmas with such a special family.
Chapter 4 Misconception
The Christmas Day feast is enjoyed outside, under the warm sun, beneath shade trees where all the food is set out on long tables. Richard offers grace and his petition to the Almighty for blessings, not just on the food, but for everyone gathered here and especially those fighting in the war leaves everyone, LeNay included, in tears. Richard is a good man.
No doubt adopted from England, traditional plum pudding with six "lucky" coins hidden among the many servings is enjoyed by all. LeNay finds the sixth coin. (Blimey!) There is a special gift for each winner. LeNay's is gardenia scented hand lotion. She is pleased and grateful.
At teatime, more gifts and food are passed around. LeNay receives a beautiful leather bound journal and pen. She's a little embarrassed as she has no gift in return but Emma assures her she's fine. That night, LeNay makes her first entry in her new journal and falls asleep, happier than she's ever felt in her whole life.
Two days later, everyone but Jesse and Richard have departed. LeNay noticed that everyone did most of the talking for Jesse who seemed more comfortable wrestling and playing with his nieces and nephews than making conversation with the adults. He's the strong silent type but good with kids.
LeNay ventures outside to the veranda on the side of the house to find Richard, smoking a cigarette, enjoying the sunset. They have a nice chat about their mutual admiration for Grandma Alexa and the paradise she created here in the middle of nowhere. Richard hints he's attracted to LeNay who sheds tears of sweet pleasure but can't make him any promises. She's not romantically attracted to Richard but they agree they can be friends; kissing cousins perhaps. Holding hands, they take a quick walk around the grounds surrounding the big house. Richard has a premonition he's not going to make it; the odds of an Air Force pilot are just too high. He's also missing his wife and feels he has no reason to linger here on earth when she might be waiting for him in heaven. LeNay lets him kiss her, since it's probably the last opportunity he'll ever have in this life.
Next day, looking very dashing in his uniform, Richard says his goodbyes to everyone, kissing LeNay last. Jesse looks horrified while the other adults look pleased. No one says a word as Richard takes off, circling his plane a few times before disappearing into the sky. It's a somber scene.
Back in the present, Allison is a little confused. LeNay obviously ended up with Jesse, but how? LeNay explains that as the months following her first Christmas passed, she ended up staying on at the station, helping wherever she was needed, except the stables as LeNay always had a fear of horses. She and Richard exchanged letters while Jesse, the carefree bachelor, came and went as he pleased. One day in September, Jesse returned to announce he would be staying indefinitely, at least until after the holidays. One afternoon, he ambled out to the veranda where Alexa and LeNay were eating lunch to say he was going into town and if they needed anything. Both women say no. Jesse turns and leaves. Alexa comments, shaking her head, fearing Jesse will never overcome his painful shyness around strangers. From that moment on, LeNay determines to confront Jesse and make him talk. She has an idea...
Chapter 5 Flying
Next day, LeNay asks Jesse, if she gave him a shopping list, would he mind going back into town for her? Jesse looks uncomfortable until LeNay gets it out of him that he would prefer LeNay come too, so he doesn't accidentally buy the wrong things. Pleased at this spontaneous "first date" with him, LeNay hops in the plane. It's her first time and while terrified it's also a very thrilling experience. Jesse takes her to lunch at the local diner where LeNay pushes him even more to make conversation with her. Is there a reason he always acts so uncomfortable around her? Does she smell bad or something? Looking very upset, Jesse is quick to correct her. He heaves a great sigh and explains: the first time he saw her he thought she was most beautiful woman he'd ever seen. Beautiful women terrify him! He's never dated a beautiful woman before. LeNay encourages him to just look at her when he's talking. She promises to help him overcome his shyness and find the courage to ask other girls out on dates though she secretly hopes that will never happen. LeNay now realizes she completely misjudged this young man.
At dinner that evening, Michael can't believe the change in his son who actually says more than two words at the table, ending with the request that LeNay join him in the library later where they talk until midnight. LeNay learns Jesse is funny, smart, adorable, she could easily fall in love with this man as he walks her to her room; he's also a gentleman.
Next morning, LeNay descends the stairs, feeling like she's flying. Michael teases LeNay again for kidnapping his only son and replacing him with an impostor.
Two weeks later, Jesse finds LeNay and asks her, straight out, if she and Richard were a "thing" before Richard left. LeNay corrects him on the misunderstanding. Next day LeNay is in the stable, trying to avoid the horses when Jesse finds her and, learning of her fear, offers to show LeNay she has no reason be afraid. Jesse rides everyday and turns out to be a great teacher as he helps her into the saddle and mounts behind her. Safe and secure between his arms as he maneuvers the reigns, LeNay picks up the basics, marveling how easy it is as they steer the horse to a grove of trees with a stream. Jesse tells LeNay she's beautiful, helps her down and they share their first kiss. For a first timer at dating and wooing a girl, Jesse is a surprisingly good kisser. LeNay finds herself crying as she returns his affection unable to believe such love like this existed.
Chapter 6 Jesse's Star
When they get back from their ride, Jesse initiates "Date Part II" by asking LeNay if she'd like to attend a dance in town with him, tonight? Would she!
Finding she has nothing suitable to wear, LeNay turns to Alexa who is more than happy to share her wardrobe and jewelry. Alexa approves of this budding relationship.
Jesse drives her into town this time, in one of the family cars. They chat more about Jesse's colorful family history including Alexa and her late husband Jess, for whom Jesse is named, who built the station into what it is today.
Both are not great dancers but they laugh and enjoy themselves while the local single girls sit on the sidelines and glare at society's newest couple. LeNay worries. Jesse declares them all "a bunch of money-grubbing bimbos." He tells LeNay he loves her, then takes her outside for a make-out session to prove it.
Back at the station, not wanting the evening to end, LeNay unfastens her garters so she can remove her precious nylon stockings and join Jesse walking barefoot through the grass into the field where the plane is parked. When LeNay realizes she's cold in the night air, (she left her sweater in the car) Jesse removes his black leather aviator jacket for her to wear. They reach a certain spot where Jesse points out what he refers to as "Richard's Star." When he was a small boy and Richard was about to leave home for the first time, he brought Jesse out here and showed him how to find his favorite star so they could both look at it and know the other was thinking of him. Now LeNay can do the same with both the men she loves, except she loves Jesse more while LeNay will always be Jesse's guiding star from now on. They kiss before lying back in the grass to spend a chaste night stargazing and talking. Jesse even recites one of his grandfather's poems, "Alexa" which is repeated in its entirety here (see The Gable Faces East). LeNay is impressed. Jesse provides two blankets he always keeps in the plane and they drift off to sleep with nothing inappropriate happening.Chapter 7 Casualties of War
Next morning, Jesse gives LeNay her own "flying lesson" with her legs wrapped around his torso, she throws her body back and spreads her arms wide while Jesse holds her securely and spins around (It's cute the first time but will quickly become redundant later.) just like he did with the little kids. Laughing like children, they run to the house to meet Emma and Michael lounging on the veranda, who witnessed the entire scene. Jesse proudly announces they spent the night together and are getting married. LeNay looks at him in astonishment. Michael teases his son about his unconventional way of proposing, whispers a few tips in his ear and Jesse gets down on bended knee. (In front of his parents? No pressure, LeNay!) Tears of happiness running down her face, LeNay accepts. They go inside and tell Alexa who is equally pleased, almost smug, as she saw this whole relationship coming a mile away.
LeNay and Jesse order a late breakfast to be served in the dining room. The two single servant girls whisper gossip to each other, calling LeNay a gold-digger until Jesse puts a stop to it, scoring even more points with LeNay who retires to her room for a nap. When she wakes, Jesse is knocking, returning her stockings and sweater. They talk more. Jesse gives LeNay a very brief summary of how his parents met. His courtship with LeNay won't be so adventurous.
He takes her on a picnic the next day. The following day, he surprises her outside, while LeNay is taking clothes off the line, and pulls her up in his arms for another flying lesson. Then he takes her for a real plane ride, followed by another flying lesson after they return. Laughing, LeNay runs into the house with Jesse chasing her. They reach the stairs when Jesse suddenly doubles over in pain. No one ever told LeNay about his weak heart condition. He hasn't had an attack in years, not since he was a teen, he thought he'd outgrown it. Don't worry, he'll be fine.
Wedding plans are underway when Tyson and Lacey learn about the happy couple. LeNay will wear Alexa's wedding gown and they will be the third generation to be married in the upstairs hall. Conversation on the veranda comes to a halt when an official looking black car pulls up and a government man with a telegram gets out. It's Richard, of course. His plane was shot down. The news is devastating to everyone.
Chapter 8 The Good Fight
Jesse takes the news especially hard, kicking a chair with a few choice words before storming into the house. LeNay follows him, insisting he let her help him bear the grief. They sit on the bed and LeNay holds Jesse for over an hour as he sobs and sobs and sobs and groans and cusses some more. Everyone is in shock over this tragic news.
It takes several days for the body to be found and shipped home. Then there's the funeral to arrange. Nearly everyone in the area attends the service. LeNay allows herself a small pleasure to be introduced to everyone as Jesse's fiancée but she doesn't feel much pleasure later that day when she discovers Jesse in the library with an open bottle, drunk as a skunk. He makes lewd, ungentlemanly comments towards her. As LeNay is wondering what to do, Alexa enters, sees her grandson and slaps him hard and gives him a good scolding. Alexa knows how to handle an intoxicated loved one. She once found Jess Davies like this and gave him the same treatment.
Chapter 9 Faith
Continuity error! Alexa finds LeNay later in her room and denies she ever mentioned her husband's name during that last conversation in the library but admits it WAS her future husband she found drunk. Hopefully this is the first and last time LeNay will ever catch Jesse in this situation.
It gets worse in the morning when everyone wakes up to find Jesse gone, his plane missing. LeNay hardly sleeps that night and wakes up to find a note that was slid under her door. It's from Jesse apologizing for leaving her but promising to come back one day so they can be married because he still loves her.
Running away from the women they love seems to be a common trait among men in this family.
Three days later, Jesse returns but only long enough to pack more of his things because he's going away for an indeterminate amount of time. He doesn't even kiss her goodbye as he walks outside to the field where his plane is parked while LeNay follows him, protesting.
Back in the present time, LeNay is dozing off so Allison agrees they take a break. Still lost in LeNay's story, Allison wanders into the library, almost expecting these characters to enter at any moment. She finds a photograph album with pictures of LeNay and Jesse posing in the field around Jesse's bi-plane. When grandma wakes up, Allison shows her the photos. Filled with nostalgia, LeNay smiles and is ready to continue her story...
LeNay grabbed Jesse's arm before he could climb into the plane. She wants an explanation and she wants it now. Jesse tells her he's going to join the Air Force (Don't worry LeNay, with that bad heart, they'll never accept him.) He'll continue in Richard's honor and help fight the good fight. LeNay is understandably angry at him, risking his life like this but Jesse kisses her, begging her to understand. LeNay has to admit she does.
Later, Michael finds her still standing in the field, staring at the place where Jesse's plane disappeared. In a fatherly gesture, he puts his arm around her, gives her some encouraging words and lets her cry on his shoulder. She's part of their "club" now, the members of this family who were literally rescued off the streets by this amazing family. LeNay had no idea Emma and Tyson were twins. Returning to the house, LeNay discovers Jesse left another note inside the aviator jacket lying on her bed. He's certain he'll make it through the war and promises to come home to her and they will be married.
Weeks pass. Christmas is coming but nobody is in the mood to celebrate until Alexa stands up one morning at the breakfast table and declares they are going to decorate and start preparations for their special Christmas traditions, start exercising a little faith that Jesse will be okay and remember that Jesus is the Reason for the Season (or nobody gets any presents!).
Chapter 10 The Gift
Everyone puts their best efforts into acting happy without Jesse but behind closed doors, LeNay included, it's all tears and sadness and moping. One night, LeNay awakens Alexa, plagued by a terrible thought. What if Jesse never comes back? How can she go on? What purpose or meaning will her life have if she isn't Jesse Hamilton's fiancée anymore? She'd have to move out and move on, wouldn't she?! Alexa reprimands her, even if she never marries anyone under this roof, LeNay will always be a member of this family. She reminds LeNay no matter what life hands us, we should always accept God's will, no matter what.
Christmas Eve Eve, just like last year, everyone is gathered in the lounge room visiting, remembering all the good times with both Richard and Jesse. LeNay realizes that Alexa was right, life does go on and we can still be happy.
Next day, all the Christmas Eve traditions are enjoyed: the visit to the Boys' Home, the big luncheon, the gift exchange, Murphy dressing up as Father Christmas to pass out more gifts to all the children before the family returns to the lounge room for more celebrating.
Still recalling Alexa's words about the true meaning of Christmas, LeNay goes outside to the field to be alone. With the low cloud cover, there's a spectacular sunset, but LeNay can only sink down into the grass, hug her knees and cry. She misses Jesse so much! That's when she hears the hum of a plane. It can't be. But it is!
Jesse and LeNay embrace tightly. Not only is Jesse home for Christmas, he's home to stay. With his bad heart, which the doctors officially diagnosed as an untreatable condition, the Air Force didn't want him. (Told you!) Jesse admits he's disappointed he won't die a war hero but he's here and now they can marry and wait for his heart to take his life instead of a stray bullet. So, let's go inside and tell the family we're getting married!
They enter the house where, just like last year, everyone was making so much noise, nobody heard the plane. The reunion with his family is touching, everyone is overjoyed to see him.
Later, Jesse and LeNay go back outside so they can talk and discover while LeNay was sitting in the field, in the depths of her depair, she cried out Jesse's name. Meanwhile, Jesse was high up in the sky, disoriented, agonizing how he would maneuver through this low cloud cover and land the plane safely. He knows he heard LeNay's voice calling his name and that's when he broke through the clouds to find himself exactly where he needed to be, with LeNay waving at him from their special spot. It was a miracle!
LeNay tells Allison she and Jesse were married just a few weeks after that memorable Christmas where the best gift LeNay received that year was not Jesse's safe return but the faith Alexa taught her about the true meaning of Christmas. LeNay soon learned she would need it when other trials came along that would test her faith in more ways than she would've ever anticipated...
Chapter 11 Losses
Although Jesse's heart condition did end up taking his life (Allison's stepfather, Michael, always told her it was cancer that took his father's life when he was eight. LeNay tells her it was the catalyst. Weakened by his battle with cancer, Jesse died years later of a heart attack.) Four years after they were married and already blessed with a daughter, Katherine, Alexa died very unexpectedly in her sleep. Then, when Katherine was three, LeNay had a miscarriage and, without Alexa's strength to support her, the disappointment became too much to bear. On top of that, Christmas was coming and preparing for a joyous holiday season while she felt so lousy was the last thing LeNay wanted...
LeNay is scouring the oven with steel wool, (a task I do not envy her) when Jesse enters the kitchen to remind her Christmas is coming and she seems a little depressed. He carries her upstairs to make love but (long after the passion had subsided) it's just not enough to snap LeNay out of her melancholy. As the days pass, she continues to have a cynical and negative attitude about everything to do with Christmas.
One day, Jesse finds her in the bathroom, scouring the tub. The nanny has Katherine, the housekeeper is running errands in town, Emma and Lacey are busy with Christmas preparations, Murphy's wife just delivered her baby and could probably use some help. LeNay glares at him before realizing her husband is fighting his own emotion. He too has remembered the baby would've been due tomorrow if it hadn't died. It's okay, she doesn't have to give service to another mother in need if she's not up to it.
LeNay cries alone, then recalls one of Alexa's teachings about losing oneself in service is what Christmas is all about. She gets on her knees to pray before knocking at the door of the small cottage, the same one the first Jess Davies built for his family and where Alexa lived with her first husband in The Gable Faces East. LeNay is invited in and finds her charge still in bed recovering from her Cesarean section, too weak to tend her baby boy, fussing in his cradle. LeNay rolls up her sleeves and gets to work, discovering Alexa was absolutely right, caring for mom, baby and helping to clean and straighten up the house brought peace and contentment to her broken heart.
Chapter 12 Reunion
Still caught up in her service, LeNay answers the door to find her husband, who was getting worried when nobody could tell him where his wife was. He's glad she's feeling better.
Realizing she hasn't spent any quality time with her daughter in months, LeNay takes three-year-old Katherine into town for an outing with lunch and Christmas shopping. Katherine's enthusiastic chatter boosts LeNay's spirits even more. Young children are good at that.
Still feeling the spirit of Christmas, LeNay suddenly remembers her own family, her father and two brothers who have no idea where she ran off to over five years ago. They don't even know she's living in Queensland, happily married with a child (or that the family she married into happens to be one of the richest families in Australia). Christmas is about spending time with family. Now that the war is over, they should be spending it together, sharing the joy of the season and LeNay has just the place for them to do it! Her home, as well as her heart, are open.
Picking up the phone, she gives her father a call but he's still a first-class jerk who wrote LeNay off years ago when she left. One brother was killed in the war and good riddance to him while her other brother is sitting right here, a bum, a worthless loser with nothing better to do than mooch off his old man.
LeNay interrupts to ask if she might talk to her youngest brother who has a much more humble attitude about reconnecting with his sister. He'd love to come for Christmas but he's not sure how he could afford transportation fare. LeNay tells him not to worry, just go to the nearest airport and his ride will be waiting.
Late the following day, Jesse lands the plane and helps a crippled war veteran with a cane out of the plane. Grant and LeNay embrace warmly. Grant tells his sister he was just about to give up when an angel called on the phone, offering to take him away from this hell he was living. He had a girl who waited for him but when he came home after the war with a wounded leg, she bolted and broke his heart. He'll be forever grateful to LeNay for inviting him to her home for Christmas.
LeNay has turned into Alexa and the torch has been successfully passed. From that time forth, LeNay knew she was ready to take her place as matriarch of this family and continue to carry out its legacy.
Allison is crying. What a beautiful, touching story! She knows the rest. LeNay did go on to have another child, her stepfather Michael who married her mother and took them all into his life with the same love and generosity as that great woman, Alexandra Byrnehouse Davies, who came to Jess Davies in 1888 to ask for a job.
(Didn't LeNay ever join the church after her son? Nowhere in this book does LeNay express her gratitude that she'll be with her beloved Jesse for eternity. She never mentions religion at all except the basic Christian principles her mother and Alexa taught her. Yet she's talked in the past like a Mormon. I'll have to get back to you on this...)
Epilogue
Christmas Eve traditions haven't changed at all since LeNay's day. Allison observes the party at the Boys' Home, whispering to Michael about the identity of Father Christmas. It's Murphy Jr. of course, the same little baby boy LeNay helped care for in her story. Michael also tells his stepdaughter LeNay has told him at least five times how glad she is that Allison came to visit them.
LeNay is fading fast, but she's not dead yet. It's time for Allison to go. She kisses her Grandmother goodbye and leaves with Michael who hands her a diskette (not a flash drive or memory card) with copies of all the family journals he's spent the last several years transcribing as part of family history work. Allison can't wait to read them.
The prologue from The Gable Faces East is included at the very end of this book.
