The serial: The Pepper Girls Day 39

Euan had only seen the young man briefly, but was struck by his handsome looks. Whoever the father was, he must have been impressive

It was an hour later that the door of the waiting room opened and the doctor in his white coat with a stethoscope around his neck came in. “Mr and Mrs Donnelly,” he said, seeking out the couple in the gloom, “I’m Dr Adams. It’s about your son, Billy?” Annie couldn’t believe her eyes. Her son stood before her. “John?”

John Adams turned and peered into the corner of the room. What was his mother doing here with the parents of this sick child?

Confused, he turned back towards Nancy and Billy and ushered them out of the room. “Dr Whitelaw wishes to speak to you,” he told them gently. “He’s the infirmary’s doctor for the children.”

Both Euan and Annie sat very still while Mary Anne slept on Euan’s lap. “Was that him?” Euan finally asked. Annie nodded. This wasn’t how she’d planned the meeting of her son and Euan, but now that it had happened... fate had lent a hand again.

Euan had only seen the young man briefly, but was struck by his dark and handsome looks. Whoever the father was, he thought to himself, he must have been impressive.

A short time later, John came back into the waiting room, but before he could say anything, Annie pointed at Euan.

“It wasn’t meant to be like this,” she said, “but this is my husband Euan MacPherson and the child’s mother is Nancy Donnelly, my late sister Mary’s daughter.”

Immense pride

John could hardly take it all in. All of a sudden, he had met his mother’s husband and her niece. He shook Euan’s free hand and smiled at Annie.

“I’m sorry we’ve met under these circumstances,” he continued saying to both of them, “but the baby’s in good hands. Dr Whitelaw is our child specialist and the best there is, so try not to worry.”

Annie felt immense pride at John’s ability to ease their troubled minds and felt sure that wee Billy would be fine.

On Nancy and Billy’s return, John nodded them goodbye and went back to the wards, while Annie fussed over her niece and the now wakened Mary Anne.

“He’s being kept in,” Billy explained to Euan, his mouth dry with fear. “They’ve put him in a thing called an oxygen tent to help him breathe and Dr Whitelaw says that the next few days will be critical.” Billy pulled Euan aside. “If he dies,” he whispered, “I’ll never forgive myself.”

Euan looked perplexed. “Why do you say that Billy?” he asked.

Billy looked at the ground. “It’s the sins of the fathers, isn’t it,” he said fearfully, “I’m being punished for what I did with Gladys Kelly.”

“Punished!” Euan echoed. He turned the young man to face him.

“Is this about your religion again?” he asked, incredulously.

In the midst of all that was happening, Billy had now added guilt on to his shoulders.

“I think it’s time you stopped living your life to the rules of the church,” Euan said, trying to keep the anger out of his words, “and start living for your family and yourself instead.”

No hesitation

He shook his head sadly and wondered at the power of the priests that made a young man live with so many rules that it was humanly impossible to cope with them.

“C’mon,” he said, “let’s get you all home. And Billy,” Euan added, “this too will pass, just be strong and look after Nancy and Mary Anne.”

The little group trooped back to their separate homes with Billy holding Nancy’s hand all the way.

“Will they be alright?” Annie asked once they had returned home themselves and explained to Lexie and Ian what had happened. “I hope so,” said Euan, “for all their sakes.” In bed that night, Euan spoke of John Adams. “He’s a very handsome lad, Annie,” he said. “Do you want to tell me who his father was?”

There was no hesitation. “He was an Irish labourer,” she lied. “He came to work at the farm for the flax harvest.” “Did he have a name?” “No name, just called himself John.” True or not, Euan decided to accept Annie’s answers. It all happened a long time ago in a faraway land, he decided. And with that thought, he closed his eyes and went to sleep. “Goodnight Annie,” he whispered. “Goodnight Euan. Sleep tight.”

Too young

Now that Euan had been told about Annie’s son, he could understand why Annie didn’t want Lexie to know about him.

She was too young, she’d explained. Maybe once she was married with bairns of her own, she’d be less likely to condemn her mother’s past.

Euan had agreed, but still felt that Lexie had more on her mind than John Adams and talked Annie into leaving Lexie to him and to deal with Robbie Robertson and Charlie, if need be.

But Lexie had her own ideas about who she loved and had listened to Euan with only one ear while secretly planning her own future.

One way or another, she was going to find Robbie Robertson and tell him how she felt. This unrequited love was eating her up, even Mrs Fyffe had noticed the change in her demeanour, and it was now affecting her work.

“Lexie,” she’d asked one day, “is anything wrong at home?”

Lexie tried to bring her attention back to the invoices she was filing in the General Office. Mrs Fyffe was always intuitive when it came to Lexie, especially since she’d taken up with her nephew Charlie Mathieson.

“Sorry, Mrs Fyffe,” Lexie said, “just a bit tired, that’s all.” But Mrs Fyffe wasn’t buying it. “The kettle’s on,” she said, kindly, “come and have a cup of tea in my office.” She knew Billy Dawson had pushed Lexie, at her mother’s asking, into working at Baxter's offices, but she’d grown to really like the young girl and saw behind the confident front she always showed to the world, to the innocent lass underneath. But, she didn’t expect to hear Lexie’s news, when she’d asked her if anything was wrong.

“Me and Charlie have broken up,” she told Mrs Fyffe bluntly. (More tomorrow.)