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Grief and Disgrace make good bedfellows ( Lady Luna and Wolvenrogue)

Nelly happily accepted the food. There was an obvious look of joy on her face as she ate. Even though it was simple food, it was something he made for her and for that she was grateful. "Yes, the doctor and his wife were so good to me. I haven't even had a chance to properly thank them yet..." When she thought about the doctor it reminded her of her miscarriage and made her a little sad, but she didn't cry this time. "Are you sure you want to see me wearing her cloths? It won't make you sad when you see me wearing them?" Even though he kept assuring her that it was fine to use her things, she was still nervous.
 
"No it will make me happy! In the closet they are just empty rags. On the body of a beautiful woman who is my new wife, how can they not be beautiful. I will always remember Elizabeth, but only the good Lord can warm her now and he has given me you to warm and be warmed by. Please wear them if they suit you. If not we will get new and give them to a poor person. They will not rot in a closet.
 
Nelly blushed when he called her beautiful. "I will go find something to wear then." Having finished her breakfast, she stood and walked over to the closet. Her fingers brushed across the fabric of the clothing as she looked each one over. She decided on a frilly white blouse with a light blue skirt which landed on her natural waist, hugging her curves just right. Once dressed, she sat in front of a mirror and brushed through each curl slowly. Then she tied her hair half up with a matching blue ribbon. When she was finally done, she turned to him with a look that seemed to ask for his approval.
 
He just held out his arms, wanting to pull her in to them . " I love that dress and it suits you well and fits wonderfully." the weather was still warm and a coat would not be needed for the trip to town, but the baby would need a blanket and he made sure to bring the nursing cape. "Have you thought at all about what you might need? " he asked her as he helped her up onto the wagon.
 
Nelly happily walked over to him and let him hug her. She was glad that he liked what she picked out. When they went outside, she held the baby, wrapped in a blanket. As they reached the wagon, she was grateful for his help getting onto it. Once seated, she looked at Elanor who was sleeping contently in her arms. "There is so much here. I don't know if I really need anything." She didn't want to be greedy when he had already given her so much.
 
"Perhaps some personal items?" he said " You are a lieutenants wife, I can afford to support a wife and children. Do not be shy to get what you need." they made the 30 minute ride into town and pulled up at the doctor's office first to have the baby and Nelly examined and so that Nelly could speak with the Doctors wife. Robert sat out on the porch while Nelly and Elizabeth saw the doctor.

Robert saw a man across the street who had been watching them as they drove up. The man began to stagger across the street. As he reached the middle of the street he began to rave. "Doc! you son of a bitch! You bring that trollop out here this minute! She needs a good beating and I aim to give it to her! Right here in the street! Robert looked alarmed, There had been no other women in the doctor's office but Nelly. "Nelly you little bitch! get out here its your father calling you!" Hearing the words the blood rose in Robert's face. This was the man that had beat his wife and cost her a child. He stepped of the porch and in front of the man and said. "that would be my wife you are speaking of and you will stop this instant" His hand balled into a huge hard fist. "who the hell are y...." the man started to shout but the last word never made it out of his mouth as his face met Robert's iron fist and teeth went flying before he fell unconscious in the street. Robert picked the man up and threw him in the horse trough to wake up. "You get out of my sight, or II'll give you a broken nose to go with your jaw!"
 
Nelly was in the middle of her examination when she heard the yelling. She covered her ears with her hands to block out the sound when she heard Roberts voice. Her father was no small man by any means, but Robert was younger and stronger. Fearing what he might do, she quickly ran out of the office. Seeing her father sitting in a trough with a bloody face made her angry and sad at the same time. "Stop!" She ran to Robert and wrapped her arms around him from behind. "Please. I know he's not a good man, but he's my father." Her voice shook and her body was trembling as she clung to the man. "Please. Please." She kept repeating over and over with tears in her eyes. Despite everything the man did to her, she couldn't hate him. He was her father after all.
 
Robert washed his hand in the horse trough and turned to Elly and hugged her. "I'm sorry Elly but no real man would hurt his daughter much less slander her in the street. You are my wife and he will not threaten you again. I only hit him once. I believe he will remember it." He turned to the man again and the man cowered in the trough. You cost your daughter her baby and your grandson. I hope you rot in hell, and if you dare to threaten my wife again, I will show you the way there quicker! "

He turned and left the man and returned with Elly to the doctor. "After we have gone, see to Mr McTavish. He has a broken jaw." He dropped a silver dollar on the table. "How are mother and baby?" he asked now that he had calmed down. He smiled when the doctor assure him both were well and healthy. "Let's go see to your needs Elly" he said to the girl.
 
Nelly followed him back into the doctor's office. She was still trembling. The sight of seeing her father all bloody like that really shook her. Then when she heard he had a broken jaw, she gasped and brought a hand to her face. Even if he had just slandered her in the street, she couldn't just leave him out there. "I can't. Not when he's so badly injured." She said referring to her father. Then she quickly turned and left the office, going outside to help her father out of the trough.
 
"Wait! " he said hurrying after her. "I will take care of him for you. I promise I won't hurt him again." Robert didn't trust the man, he had almost killed her once. "Don't get your dress wet" He lifted the man from the trough and walked him into the doctors office and sat him in a chair. "Sir you don't deserve this woman for a daughter, she is far too good for you. She is even too good for me. You behave . Do you understand?" The man nodded and Robert let Nelly approach him.
 
Nelly sniffled and watched as he walked her father into the office. She wanted to rush over and hug him, but Robert said not to get her cloths wet and she was sure her father would just reject her anyway. So instead she turned to the doctor. "Doc please take good care of my father." Then she walked over to her new husband and in a hushed voice she spoke. "Thank you."

Quietly she stood there with her eyes cast down, unable to look at her father. Before she still had hope that in a year or two maybe her father would come to forgive her. Then they could have a relationship again and she could visit her parents every now ant then. But after the punch Robert gave him, she was sure he would never want to have anything to do with her.
 
Robert turned to the man again. "you are a sorry soul . Just look what you have done to your daughter. Even now when you have mistreated her again , she has compassion for you. Perhaps in time, If you repent of your ways you may see her again, but I will never allow you to hurt her. She is my wife and my baby's mother now, and I would die before I let harm come to her. " He turned back to Nelly and walked out. "I'm sorry that happened" he said as he led her off to the general store.
 
Nelly didn't respond to him as they walked over to the general store. She just held onto the baby and kept her eyes on the ground. Even though she wanted to cry out in frustration and anger, she knew Robert wasn't entirely to blame for what happened. Her father played a hand in it too. She just wished he hadn't hit him. If he had just managed to stay calm maybe things would have turned out differently.
 
When they got to the store, Robert took the baby and held her and let Nelly browse and shop. He hoped that her anger , which was still apparent on her face would fade. He looked into the eyes of his little girl and wondered to himself just how a man could sink so low as to hurt a child of his own. He wasn't proud of what he had done and worse it killed him that Nelly was angry with him.
 
Nelly wandered around the store with a sullen look on her face. She didn't really feel like shopping after what just happened. As she walked through the store, nothing seemed to pique her interest. When she came to a piano, her fingers played a little melody. Then she let out a long sad sigh. It was the first song she ever played for her father. She could still remember the look of joy on his face as she played for him. Finally she returned to his side and mumbled sullenly. "Can we go? I don't need anything." When she said that what she meant was, I don't need anything from you.
 
"You play piano? " he asked " I didn't know" Seeing the look on her face, his heart sunk into his feet. " I'll take you home. " He helped her out to the wagon, and drove slowly home. He put the horses away, but didn't come in. The man was crushed. He had been doing well when Nelly was happy with him, but now with Elizabeth gone and rejected by Nelly there was nothing that he could hang onto, and no one to console his grief. It crept into his sole and was threatening to consume him. He walked up the hill to where he had placed a bench That looked out over the valley one way and against a steep stone cliff the other. He knelt on the hard stone and rested his forearms on the bench facing the great stone wall. His shoulders shook violently "Lord why did you not take me! I am such an evil man. Instead you took a gentle woman in the prime of her life. WHY?! so I could hurt the sweet flower you gave me to take her place?! Lord take me from this cannot bear it!" With that prayer said he collapsed into shuddering grief that would not release him tough he was there more than an hour.
 
Once they were home, Nelly carried the baby inside. She placed her in the crib and went over to the bed. In her sadness, she had forgotten to take off her shoes. Her heart felt like it was going to break as she laid in bed sobbing. Why had everything gone so bad? She felt like she couldn't do anything right. If she had just stayed away when her father kicked her out, she would probably still have her son. If she had said no when the soldier wanted to take things a step further, she wouldn't have been pregnant in the first place and never have been kicked out. If she had just ignored him from the very start, her heart wouldn't have been broken when he left. If if if, those thoughts kept running through her head when she heard a small cry. It slowly brought her out of her misery and self pity. Despite everything that happened, there was one good thing that came out of it. This sweet child wouldn't have a mother if it wasn't for all the unfortunate events she had gone through. Even after all the heartache, she felt she wouldn't change a thing because it would mean she never would have known the joy of being her mother.

Slowly she rose to her feet and cleaned herself up. She dried her eyes with a handkerchief, not wanting to scare the baby when she approached. Then she picked up the infant and carried her to the rocker, settling down to feed her. She was the key to her happiness now. All she needed to do was focus on her and everything would work out for the best.
 
Finally, his spirit broken and body aching he looked up and asked "what now.?" In the silence of the hills he heard a small cry coming from the cabin and he looked back and he knew. This was no longer about him or his anger or his pain, it was about a small child who knew nothing of his troubles, and shouldn't . He got up from the ground and walked back to the cabin and stood in the door and there was his child at its mother's breast and both seemed at peace with each other. He knelt down at the door but didn't enter. "Will you please forgive me" he asked his face still showing incredible sorrow. "I need you Nelly more than life right now. I would even have your father to thanksgiving dinner if you wished it" He waited sincere in his request and trusting what was left of his life to her answer.
 
Nelly heard the door open and looked at him with surprise as he fell to his knees. She stood and walked over to him. "I am not upset with you anymore. Please stand and come in." She held out her free hand to him, holding the baby in the other. "You can invite him, but I doubt he will come... On second thought you probably shouldn't go near him. It will only anger him more. He hates me now anyway." She sniffled, trying not to cry again.
 
He collected himself and stood up and came inside. "I never meant to hurt you. I'm so sorry." He sat in his chair and picked up the dulcimer and started to play a soft tune for Elizabeth. Slowly peace came to his heart again. "Do you really play piano" he asked remembering her picking out a tune in the store. "I have a surprise for you!" Suddenly his eyes brightened and he ran out to the barn back in the corner under a tarp was a heavy object. It was almost more than the man could manage but he was motivated now. It had rollers but rolled poorly on the dusty ground, still he muscled it across the yard and up onto the porch and then rolled it inside and pulled the cove from it and taking a damp cloth carefully dusted it off. " Let me take Elizabeth, he said. "I want you to play. "
 
Nelly nodded in answer to his question. When he suddenly rushed out of the house, she wondered what he was doing and what the surprise was. She stepped out to the porch and watched him go to the barn. When he came out, she wondered what he had hidden under the tarp. As he approached, she stepped back into the house. "What is.." her voice trailed off when he lifted the tarp off. "It's beautiful. Where did it come from?" she asked as she handed Elizabeth to him. Her fingers brushed across the keys. A few keys were out of tune from sitting in the barn for so long. "I can try to play, but it may not sound the best. This piano needs tuned."
 
"It belonged to my mother. No one has played since she did. Play it please. " He sat on the bed with the baby and listened.
 
Nelly sat at the piano with her fingers hovered over the keys. She let out a breath and then began to play a song. Her fingers glided over the keys almost as if they were dancing. Even though the piano was out of tune, she played with such a passion that it was hardy noticeable.
 
Robert got out his dulcimer and began to play with her. Hearing the familiar melody brought back memories of his mother from when he was a little boy. "Its been 20 years since Ive heard that song, and almost as long since I heard mom's piano played. "
 
When the song was over, Nelly rested her hands on her lap. It felt a little bitter sweet for her to play the piano again. Her father loved to hear her play. "I used to play for my father. It's been almost a year since I've touched a piano, but that song I know by heart." A tear rolled down her cheek, but she quickly wiped it away. She had decided she was done crying for him, but it was difficult to stick to that.
 
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