"No, no, no, no. My father always taught me, never desert a lady in trouble. He even carried that as far as marrying Mother.”
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"Spring is beautiful, and summer is perfect for vacations, but autumn brings a longing to get away from the unreal things of life, out into the forest at night with a campfire and the rustling leaves."
Margaret Elizabeth Sangster Dazed and unable to process what Dr. Trent has told her, Valancy walks home though she dreads arriving. She will have to explain to Barney that she deceived him, and hope that he will believe that it was unintentional. She decides that she will have to leave and return to her mother's house, letting Barney divorce her. Then she worries that obtaining a divorce is expensive and Barney may not be able to afford one. When Valancy reaches the lake shore she's startled to see a garish-but-expensive purple car parked beside Barney's battered old grey slosson. There is a chauffeur sitting in the front seat and, as Valancy steps out of the trees, a short pudgy man in a loud suit jumps out of the back. Valancy has the distinct impression that she should know him, but can't think from where. He smiles and asks if she can tell him if the cabin on the island belongs to a Mr. Redfern. The Redfern triggers Valancy's memory: Redfern's bitters, vitamins, liniment, hair tonic, etc... it's this man's face on the bottles. She says faintly no, the cabin is owned by Mr. Snaith. Redfern says that he heard that Bernie has been calling himself Snaith, which is actually his mother's maiden name: he's really Bernard Snaith Redfern, Dr. Redfern's son and heir to the Redfern patent medicine millions. After dropping this bomb, he asks if Valancy knows how to get over to the island; he's been shouting and waving, but apparently no one is home. Valancy says that she does and it's her turn to shock him, by telling him that she's Barney's wife. Dr. Redfern is obviously shaken but rallies around, saying that she looks like a sensible sort unlike the numerous beauties that used to be chasing Barney around because of all his money. Ouch. Valancy takes him over to the island in the boat and seats him on the porch overlooking the water. As Barney is still gone, she must sit and keep Dr. Redfern company, though that's the last thing she feels like doing. Dr. Redfern tells her that he hasn't seen his son in eleven years which surprises Valancy: he's only been in Deerwood for about six. Redfern says that before that he was in the Yukon and knocked around the world a bit. He used to occasionally write his father a short note, letting him know he was okay but hasn't even done that in a number of years. Valancy asks what happened and Dr. Redfern, not adverse to talking, gives her a brief rundown of Barney's life. Barney's mother died when he was two, just as Redfern's patent medicines were taking off. As the money rolled in, Redfern determined to give Barney all the advantages that he never had himself: he sent him to private schools and then to McGill University. He wanted Barney to go into law, but Barney had plans to start a Canadian magazine. As Dr. Redfern pauses, Valancy asks what happened to make Barney leave. Redfern says that, despite everything that he gave his son, and all the advantages of wealth, Barney never seemed very happy. Not until he met- and fell in love with- Ethel Traverse. Though it pains her, Valancy asks what Barney's former love was like. Redfern says that she was the prettiest girl in Montreal- golden hair, big dark eyes, and creamy skin- and from one of the best families. Barney was crazy about her until they had some sort of blow-up; Dr. Redfern doesn't know what happened, but Barney left and wrote him from the Yukon saying that the engagement was off and he wasn't coming back. Redfern kept getting richer, but was lonely and lived for the rare letters from Barney- from England, South Africa, China- which stopped entirely six years ago. He had no idea where Barney was until the previous Christmas. Valancy asks if he wrote then and Redfern says no, but Barney had an account at a Montreal bank with $50,000 in it. The bank manager is a friend of Redfern's and had promised to let him know if Barney ever withdrew any money from the account. He never touched it until last Christmas when he made out a $15,000 cheque to Aynsley's, a jewellery store in Toronto. Contacting the store, he found out that Bernard Redfern had purchased a pearl necklace and had it sent to an address in Muskoka, Ontario. Determined that Barney should give up his wandering ways and come home, Dr. Redfern had tracked him down, leading to his presence on their little island. Valancy touches the necklace that's resting against her throat... she's been casually wearing $15,000 in pearls since Christmas. Dr. Redfern says that he'd like her to use her influence with Barney to convince him to return to civilisation and live in the big Redfern mansion in Montreal. He'd like to have his son and his family around him in his old age. Instead of answering, Valancy asks what happened to Ethel Traverse. Redfern says that she got married a couple years after Barney left but is a widow now. He admits that this was one reason he was looking for Barney, thinking that they might patch up their quarrel and marry. Of course, he says, that's all off now- Barney's choice of a wife is good enough for him. He asks if she thinks Barney will be back soon but Valancy tells him that he may not come home until the following day. She offers to put him up but he decides to return to Port Lawrence for the night and come back the next day. After watching the purple car roll away, Valancy returns to the Blue Castle and stands blankly, her one dreary thought being that at least Barney won't have any trouble paying for a divorce. Deciding that she must leave before Barney returns, Valancy decides to write him a letter of explanation and apology. Unfortunately, she has neither pen nor paper so she crosses to Barney's private room and tries the door, something she has never done before. It's not locked- perhaps Barney was too upset to notice when he left- so she goes inside. It's a neat room with a desk and walls lined with books. Valancy crosses to the desk; there is a manuscript sitting on it. Glancing at it, she notes that it's titled Wild Honey by John Foster. Reading further she recognises a phrase describing pine trees that Barney said to her on one of their rambling walks. In a disinterested way, she realises that Barney is also John Foster... at this point, it is merely one more shock and she just feels numb. She takes out a pen and paper and writes her note: "Dear Barney:-- I went to Dr. Trent this morning and found out he had sent me the wrong letter by mistake. There never was anything serious the matter with my heart and I am quite well now. I did not mean to trick you. Please believe that. I could not bear it if you did not believe that. I am very sorry for the mistake. But surely you can get a divorce if I leave you. Is desertion a ground for divorce in Canada? Of course if there is anything I can do to help or hasten it I will do it gladly, if your lawyer will let me know. I thank you for all your kindness to me. I shall never forget it. Think as kindly of me as you can, because I did not mean to trap you. Good-bye. Yours gratefully, Valancy." After a second she adds a postscript: "Your father was here today. He is coming back tomorrow. He told me everything. I think you should go back to him. He is very lonely for you." Valancy leaves the letter on Barney's desk along with her pearl necklace. It hurts her to leave her gift, but she can't take a $15,000 necklace away with her. Locking the cottage, she takes the boat to the mainland and, as she heads for her mother's house, she turns to look back at her Blue Castle where she's been so happy. It looks dark and cold and empty... like she feels.
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