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The Christmas Secret

By Martha Rogers

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“…for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.” 1 Samuel 16:7 KJV



Chapter 1

The old Farnsworth mansion sat on a rise at what had once been the edge of town. It had been there for longer than Penelope Carlson could remember. Once again, as it did every time she saw it, her journalistic instinct longed for the story behind the beautiful old home. Now it sat like a grand old lady with her flowerbeds of bright yellow chrysanthemums accenting the quarry stone exterior of the house. Two grand oak trees dressed in crimson, gold, and rust stood like sentinels on either side of the walkway leading to a few steps rising to meet a porch that spread across the front of the house.
True, it needed some work to give it the grandeur it deserved, but it still rose in majestic fashion on the hill. Nothing had aroused her curiosity like the Farnsworth mansion, and she hoped someday to satisfy her desire to know the secrets hidden behind the walls of the old house.
The only occupant, Mrs. Olivia Farnsworth, rarely, if ever, came into town. In fact, Penny couldn’t remember a time in all her years when the woman had been anywhere, even to church. According to Papa, the pastor of Faith Church visited her every Sunday afternoon. Why she never came to the church herself had become part of the secrets in the old house.
Penny stared at the mansion a few more minutes and remembered the fun times she’d had with her brother Robert and Nathan and Grace Farnsworth when they’d come to visit their grandmother. Although Gracie and Nathan had visited Penny and Robert at the Carlson home a number of times, neither Penny nor her brother had ever been in the Farnsworth home. Gracie and Nathan had never talked about their grandmother either.
A sudden movement behind a curtain caught her attention. She leaned forward and squinted, and a shadow of a figured appeared. Somebody watched her from the house. Without thinking, Penelope smiled and waved at whoever stood at the window. The curtains moved again, but no responding wave appeared.
So much for a glimpse of Mrs. Farnsworth. Penny blew out her breath. Someday, she’d meet the illusive woman and maybe learn her secrets. People could say what they wanted about her being a scary old lady, but Penny thought of her as a lonely old woman with no friends. There had to be a good story behind the reasons she never left home.
Penny pulled her coat tighter in the chilly air and continued her journey to town. No more time to waste pondering Mrs. Farnsworth. Penny had business for the paper to take care of.
She had an interview with Doc Marshall this afternoon about the plans to build a new hospital for the town. He said his infirmary had grown much too small to take care of the needs of the growing population of Mandeville. He had promised to give her more details today.
Penny picked up her pace to keep from being late. Even though Mandeville had grown, and a trolley added for quicker rides to town, she loved walking to work on nice mornings like this. Up until a few years ago, the only traffic involved buggy, carriage, or a horse for transportation from place to place. Most people in town walked. Now, in addition to the trolley, those new-fangled motor cars drove down the streets and frightened the horses with their loud clanks and horn blasts.
Papa planned to get one for the family, but even though she liked progress, Penny would be just as happy with their horse and carriage. It always took her anywhere she wanted to go.
When she neared the train station not far from her destination at the present infirmary, the train whistle pierced the air and the rails screeched as the train pulled into the station. Penny glanced at the watch pinned to her bodice. The Wednesday two o’clock train had arrived right on time.
She had a few minutes to spare before her interview, so her curiosity drew her to the station and the passengers stepping down to the platform where friends and family greeted them. One lone figure appeared in the doorway of the passenger car.
Penny’s heart jumped, and her breath caught in her throat. It couldn’t possibly be him. She gripped her notebook to still her trembling hands until her knuckles turned white. Nathan Farnsworth had returned to Mandeville.
His gaze landed on her and a spark of recognition lit up his face. He waved and jumped down to the platform. Penny melted into a puddle right there on Maple Street. He remembered her.
When he turned to speak to the conductor, Penny whirled around and all but ran to the infirmary in the next block. The last person she needed to see right now would be Nathan Farnsworth.
Gasping for breath, she paused near the infirmary door to gather her wits about her. After all these years Nathan still had the same effect on her today that he had on back when he had come for summer visits with his parents.
“Land sakes, Miss Carlson, what has you so breathless?”
Doc Marshall’s voice cut into her memories, and heat rushed up neck to her cheeks. “I . . . I thought I was going to be late, so I ran to get here.”
He opened the door wider and stepped back. “Then come inside and have a seat. I’ll get you some water.”
Penny followed the doctor into his office and sank into one of the leather chairs in front of his desk. His given name may be Isaac, but to everyone in town, he’d become known simply as Doc. A few moments later, he handed her a glass of water.
“This should help get you back to normal.”
The calm in his voice soothed her nerves like a warm blanket on a cold night. No wonder everyone in Mandeville loved him. She sipped a bit then set the glass on a side table and opened her notebook.
Putting all thoughts of Nathan aside, she sat forward with her pen poised over the pad. “I want to hear all about this new infirmary or hospital you plan to build.”
“Last year’s flu epidemic showed me how sorely we need it, we just don’t have enough beds to take care of the increasing demands for medical treatment. With the new businesses opening in town and people moving here from all over, we have way more people looking for medical care.”
That she could understand. Even her father, the editor of the town newspaper, talked about expanding the paper to cover the needs of more people. “How big do you plan to make it?”
Doc leaned back in his chair and tapped his fingertips together. “We’ll start with three floors, with a foundation for more, and we’ll be the first building in town to have an elevator to transport patients from one floor to the next.”
Penny’s ears perked up at the idea of an elevator. “I’ve heard about those in New York City and Chicago, but are they really safe?”
“I think so, and it will be a tremendous help moving patients from surgery to their rooms for recovery.” His eyes twinkled with excitement as he talked.
“That sounds wonderful, Doctor, but you have only Dr. Burns and two nurses on the staff besides you, won’t you need a lot more people to help you and more equipment?” And a lot of money to make sure he had all of it.
“Yes, and I’ve already hired a new doctor from Chicago to help me and Jason Burns, and he will help make sure we have all of the latest equipment available. I want only the best for the town.”
“And how do you plan to raise the money for all of this?”
He started to reply, but a big smile spread across his face, and he sprang up from his desk chair. “Nathan! I’m so glad you’re here. I wasn’t expecting you until next week.”
Penny froze in her seat, her back still to the door as the doctor rounded his desk and greeted Nathan. What did he have to do with the doctor?
“My grandmother needs some help, so I came early. That won’t be a problem will it?”
“Of course not, my boy. Penny, this is the doctor I was telling you about. Nathan Farnsworth is going to help me with overseeing all the details of the building. Nathan, do you remember Penelope Carlson from your visits here with your family?”
Penny steeled herself to turn and look at the man who had once been the boy who had stolen her heart away. It’d been almost ten years, but with the way her heart pounded now, she had never recovered it.
~~

“That was you. I wasn’t sure when I saw you at the train station, but when I finished speaking with the conductor about my bags and turned to check, you had disappeared.” This worked better than he’d anticipated. The one thing besides his grandmother to draw him back to Mandeville sat with her back to him.
When she finally turned around to acknowledge him, his breath left his lungs. She’d been pretty at fourteen when they had been friends during those last summer visits with his grandmother. Now, a beautiful young woman gazed at him, her smile not quite reaching her blue-violet eyes that had fascinated all those years ago.
“I . . . I was running late for my meeting with Dr. Marshall, and I couldn’t really be sure it was you on the train.”
Her cheeks bloomed a rosy hue, and he remembered the fun times they had that last summer before he finished school and headed off to college. He’d been several years older, but she had been a great buddy in all the activities with his sister and her brother.
“I was so sorry to learn about your parents and your sister from Doc. She was so much fun when you were here. I know you must miss her.”
Her words crashed through his memories. The sincerity in her voice and her eyes didn’t ease the pain the mention of his family’s deaths brought to his heart. “Yes, I do. Grace was the best sister any one could have.” Five years may have passed since the accident that took their lives, but it may as well have been five days for his soul.
“Seems to me you two were pretty much inseparable with Robert and Grace. I hope you can renew that friendship.” Doc clamped his hand on Nathan’s shoulder. “Penny’s a reporter for her father’s paper now, and she’ll be writing up everything we do with the building of our hospital. I was just going to give her a list of the fund-raising activities we have planned.”
“So, you’re following your love for writing. I’m not surprised, but have you started that great novel you wanted to write?” In those days, she’d always had a paper and pen or pencil handy to write down everything they did.
“I haven’t had time. Papa keeps me very busy covering stories. A lot more things are happening because Mandeville is growing so fast. Are you staying at your grandmother’s?”
A chuckle churned in his throat at her fluid change of subject, but he covered it with a cough. Where else would he be staying? As much as he’d loved to invite her to come and visit him, his grandmother would never allow it. As far as he knew, no one came to visit except her pastor, doctor, and lawyer, and that’s the way she wanted to keep it.
“In my old room as a matter of fact. I intended to be here for Thanksgiving last week, but at the last minute couldn’t.” He needed a change of subject from his grandmother, and her reason for being here gave him the perfect opportunity. “But let’s talk about the new infirmary and how we’re going to get it built.”
Doc Marshall slapped his hands together. “That’s why she’s here, so let’s get busy.”
Nathan sat back in his chair across from Penny. He made sure he chose a position from which he had a full view of her face. Dark hair he remembered almost always being worn in braids, now swirled in a mound of curls on the crown of her head with a few curls drifting down over her ears. Ten years had made more than a little difference in the beauty seated across from him. The way she sat with pen poised to write warmed his heart.
“What are you planning for the first big fund raiser, Doc?”
Doc Marshall face beamed with a satisfaction. “A concert with the world-renowned singer, Angelina Torrance. Seems she’s always wanted to come to Texas, and I received her reply just yesterday.”
Penny’s mouth gaped open, and she peered first at the doctor and then at him and back to Doc. “How in the world did you manage to contact her and find a spot in her schedule. She has concerts all over the country.”
“Oh, that was Nathan’s doing. Tell her about it.”
Heat flushed Nathan’s neck as it rose to his face. “I attended one of her performances in Chicago a few weeks ago and had the opportunity to meet with her afterwards. She’ll be in Dallas for an appearance at Christmas, and when I asked if she had time for a side trip here to Mandeville, she was delighted. Seems she has a break in her schedule, and she had planned to see a little more of Texas before returning to New York City. She’ll be here in January.”
Nathan didn’t see the need to add the fact that Angelina and his own mother had been childhood friends. He suspected her willingness to have a concert here stemmed from that relationship. She’d sing in memory of his mother, Graciella Stuart Farnsworth. Even his grandmother had been touched when he’d when he’d written and told her.
After another hour describing things they wanted to do, Doc Marshall stood and extended his hand to Penny. “I think that’s enough to get you started, young lady, so now I have some things to do and a few more appointments this afternoon. Dr. Burns is running some errands but he’ll be back shortly, and he’ll be glad to see you, Nathan.”
Penny closed her notepad and stowed it in a bag. “Thank you, Doc. This is more than enough for the first article. We can add more details as the events come along.”
As much as Nathan would like to begin meeting patients, right now he wanted to spend more time with Penny. “Doc, if you don’t need me, would it be all right if I leave and walk with Penny back to the newspaper office?”
“Of course, my boy. Go right ahead. We weren’t expecting you until tomorrows, so take the time off. We’ll get started tomorrow with you and the patients. Go and enjoy the rest the day.” He made a shooing motion with his hands.
Nathan offered his arm to Penny. “Then I say let’s go and get you back to the newspaper, so you can write that story.”
Pink returned and bloomed in her cheeks adding to her charm. “Thank you, Dr. Farnsworth.”
“Hey, none of that doctor stuff. I’m still Nathan Farnsworth who pulled you out of the creek when that fish you tried to catch yanked you in.” He covered her hand with his.
This time, her smile sent an arrow so swift to his heart that he almost reeled from the blow. He planned to add romance to his agenda a little later, but with the beauty beside him, he could think of nothing else.

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