It had been another monotonous day in the square brick box on Elm Street. Breakfast, dusting, sweeping, lunch, darning, mending—just all the same. The only way one could have told it was a Tuesday was because of the mending. Always mend on Tuesday. There was no particular reason; it was just a habit.

Mrs. Frederick was in the middle of mending a twice-turned gown. Christine was trying to salvage an old glove. And into this most common of scenes walked a dull-faced, dark-eyed, flat-voiced apparition.

"Hello, Mother," a voice intoned.

Valancy was standing in the doorway, and she shuffled into the sitting room, barely noticing Uncle Ben, who was about to ask one of his conundrums. "I've come home."

"So I see. Why?" Mrs. Frederick asked, the old resentment toward Valancy flaring up. And how awful she looked! Had Valancy walked through town looking like that? Had life with the Snaith scoundrel completely wiped any sense of pride out of her?

Amelia only noticed the dull, sallow look on her daughter's face. She didn't see the hollow eyes or the miserable expression. She had no idea at all that her daughter was suffering. Amelia thought only of herself and appearances. And what was Valancy saying?"

"—not going to die."

"Why?" Benjamin demanded, and Valancy managed to put out an adequate but disjointed explanation. How she didn't want anyone to fuss over the heart condition she'd been told she had. How she'd married Barney to just 'live' before dying, whatever that meant. That she'd had some fright yet didn't die, and Dr. Trent said he'd make a mistake.

Amelia was so outraged over Valancy's lack of confidence in her that she didn't notice, or perhaps did notice but ignored, the abject pain in her daughter's voice.

"And he's really Bernard Redfern—Dr. Redfern's son. He's also John Foster."

Valancy herself didn't know why she'd told that to the assemblage. Those things certainly didn't matter anymore. Perhaps talking was a way to push back the pain until her family would let her be alone—just alone!

Mrs. Frederick's eyes suddenly gleamed, and Christine's mouth dropped open. Benjamin stared as if fixated. Valancy was married to a millionaire, ten times over and counting.

Amelia Stirling was incredulous with visions of being able to tell her neighbors that Valancy wasn't married to a ne'er-do-well, that Barney Snaith wasn't a thief or a fraud or a murderer or whatever else Deerwood and Port Lawrence had called him. No indeed, Valancy was married to a multi-millionaire's son and one of the biggest names in all of Canada!

"—can't hold him to a bond he was tricked into."

Valancy's words had suddenly broken into Mrs. Frederick's happy reverie. What was Valancy saying?

"Does he want to be rid of you?" Benjamin asked Valancy. Mrs. Frederick turned white. So that was what Valancy was saying.

At the end of it all, Benjamin said genially, "Let me handle this, Valancy."

"You think Barney can get a divorce?" Valancy said with dark eagerness. Amelia tried to speak, but Benjamin shook his head subtly. He didn't argue the point or push Valancy to go back to Bar—Mr. Redfern. He let her alone.

When the door to Valancy's room snapped shut, Amelia and Christine suddenly 'thawed' and began to talk. Benjamin was quite complimentary of Barney Snaith-a.k.a.-Bernard Redfern. A stranger might have thought Benjamin had always been his greatest defender. An insider could have said differently. But this new revelation had washed Barney Snaith of all notoriety.

It wasn't until the next afternoon that an unshaved Bernard Redfern came racing up to the house, Benjamin opening the door exuberantly. It was a hard half hour for Amelia. Mr. Redfern, demanding entrance. Valancy refusing to see him, despite Amelia's most tender pleas. Benjamin, tricking Valancy into seeing her husband. Valancy almost—almost turning him away for good. Finally, Benjamin sailing into the sitting room with an exuberant smile.

"Everything's all right now!" he said gleefully.

Amelia strode to the family Bible right away and made an entry under 'Marriages'. There was a Providence after all. And she went back to church and society with a vengeance, 'letting it slip' that Valancy was actually the wife of the son of Canada's most successful entrepreneur. Valancy and Barney even went to teas and socials from time to time. Amelia supposed they went to restore appearances to the family name. Little did she think that the still shameless pair did so because they enjoyed observing Amelia's affected, ridiculous 'name-drops'.

"I don't think you've met my new son-in-law, Bernard Redfern, Mrs. Merriweather." "How delightful to meet you. I'm Amelia Stirling, and this is my daughter, Mrs. Valancy Redfern."

It could even be said that Mrs. Frederick had her own Blue Castle—of sorts—now.

~FIN~