Donners Bend (29 page)

The days passed slowly
;
and
Ellie
didn’t seem to be getting much better, which was strange, said
Dr.
Hughes, for a girl so young
.

Jon
was miserable, and he rarely left
Ellie
’s house unless he knew someone else would be able to stay with her
. 
A beard began growing around his chin
,
and his clothes always appeared wrinkled
. 
The doctor was worried about him and told him it was okay for him to go home, shave, and get some real sleep, but
Jon
refused, and no matter how hard
Dr.
Hughes tried,
Jon
couldn’t be persuaded to change his mind
. 

On this cold January day, a new and welcomed visitor stopped by the house
. 
She hadn’t been there in over two months
.

Marcelle
walked cautiously into her friend’s stuffy room and gazed at her sleeping figure after she’d greeted
Jon
in the parlor
. 
One thing that could be said about
Marcelle
is that even in such terrible times as these she was able to look her best
. 
Dark ringlets framed her fair face
,
and her sky-blue eyes, though compassionate and saddened, were beautiful nonetheless
. 

Walking timidly up to
Ellie
’s side,
Marcelle
placed her warm, healthy hand upon
Ellie
’s cold one and gave it a little squeeze.

“
Ellie
?” she asked finally, breaking the silence in the stuffy room
. 
Looking around her,
Marcelle
bit her lip with a mournful expression
. 
The simple sea-green curtains were pulled closed, yet a slip of the outside was visible and through it
Marcelle
could see lightly fal
ling
snow
. 
The entire room gave off a grave, stale, suffocating feel
,
and as soon as one entered
,
they knew they didn’t want to stay very long
;
but
Marcelle
decided to ignore this fee
ling
, as well as the one that told her she’d become ill if she
didn’t leave soon, so that she could support
Ellie
in her time of need.
             

Ellie
’s eyes dazedly opened as she woke from yet another long sleep propelled by one of the doctor’s strange medicines in an effort to heal her
. 
Her eyes lit up as she saw the beautiful, angelic face of her friend staring lovingly down at her
.

“
Marcelle
?” she said with a smile, “I can’t believe you’re here.”

“Well, I haven’t been able to come by very often lately, and I’m terribly so
rry about that, so when I heard
about what had happened to you,
El
, I felt
…
”
Marcelle
explained as best she could, “My God, I just felt horrible
, a
nd I hope you’ll forgive me.”

“Of course I forgive you
,
”
Ellie
replied.

“Do you want to talk about it?” asked
Marcelle
. 
Then she specified, “About your condition, I mean.”

“I’d rather not, if that’s okay with you.”

“Of course it
’
tis
.”

Marcelle
sat down and nodded uncomfortably, trying to ignore her friend’s illness and fill the empty silence, “So
...
 
h
ow’s that job of yours going?”

“Good, good
. 
The children are wonderful.”

“I’m glad to he
a
r it,”
Marcelle
replied, placing her gloved hands upon her lap in a ladylike m
anne
r.

They sat there for a moment quietly, unsure of what to say after so long an absence
. 
Both felt rather unfamiliar with one another, as though they’d once been friends long ago
,
but the memory was hard to recall
. 

After a few seconds of preparation,
Marcelle
finally got the courage to say something she’d been trying to get off her chest since she’d arrived.

“I have something to tell you,
Ellie
,” she said unsurely.

“Yes?”

“I
...
 
w
ell
…
”
Marcelle
stammered with a rather excited expression
. 
She didn’t finish what she’d been saying but instead began removing her gloves
. 
First came off that of the right hand
. 
And then, she glanced back up at
Ellie
and slipped off the remaining glove
.

A large, exquisite, princess cut, diamond ring sat upon her ring finger
. 
And it was obvious from first glance that few men could afford such a ring, so the one that gave it to
Marcelle
Marquis
must have been extremely wealthy
. 
Marcelle
was beaming, yet her face was slightly apprehensive as she waited for
Ellie
to speak.

Finally, after a long hesitation,
she did:

“Is
...
 
Is that a
...
”
Ellie
began, but she just couldn’t get the words out.

Marcelle
finished for her, “Yes
. 
It’s an engagement ring
. 
I’m getting married,
Ellie
!”

If
Ellie
hadn’t been weak and sick in bed, they would have hugged at that moment
, but
as it was, such a thing wasn’t possible
, a
nd so,
Marcelle
stood and wrapped her arms around
Ellie
as best she could, and the two girls laughed and smiled
.

Marcelle
sat cross-legged at the foot of
Ellie
’s bed and waited for the question she knew
Ellie
was terribly anxious to get answered.

“Who is he?”

Marcelle
blushed, “He’s someone you know.”

“I know
? 
From
Hunter’s Ridge
?”

Marcelle
shook her head, “No.”

“From
Donners Bend
?”

Marcelle
nodded, “Yes.”

Ellie
thought a moment, her face quizzical as she searched for possibilities:

“Surely not
Jon
?”

“No.”

“Jamie?”

“No.”

“
Phillip
?”

“No.”

Ellie
laughed, “Wesley?”

“No.”

“I’m never going to be able to guess
. 
Just tell me, please!”
Ellie
urged.

Marcelle
hugged her knees to her chest like a silly girl and buried her head in them, “Fine, but you’re never going to believe it.”

She glanced up at
Ellie
, then buried her head back into her knees again and mumbled the much sought-after name: “
Benjamin
Fanning.”

Ellie
gasped, which was not good for her health
. 
She was about to speak in response, but she’d become so excited she began to cough uncontrollably.

“Are you alright?”
Marcelle
asked, becoming worried, “
I’m sorry, i
t’s my fault for making you so shocked
. 
I should have
never told you anything about Ben
.”

Ellie
, regaining her breath, smiled, “You call him
Ben
?”

Marcelle
shrugged and laughed, “Yes, I call him
Ben
. 
So be it.”

“But I don’t understand
. 
You said you hated him
. 
You said he was rude and called you D
oltish Dela
...
”

Marcelle
fondly said, “He still does.”

“
...
and that he was far from attractive.”

“I stick by that statement, and I would consider anyone who chooses to call him handsome a fool.”

“
...
and you said you hated him with all your heart.”

“
I
was the fool then.”

“But I just don’t get it
. 
You both hated each other so much that never in a million years did I imagine anything like this would occur.”

“Neither did
I
,”
Marcelle
admitted, “But deep down in my heart, though I’d never admit
it
, I always felt a little something towards him
. 
When I went back to Mt
.
Lennon after that pie festival so long ago
,
I couldn’t get him out of
my
dreams
. 
He ended up coming into town one day
-
o
n business, he said
. 
Somehow, he
ended up at my door
,
and before I knew it we’d begun courting in secret
. 
He asked for my hand on New Year’s Day.”

“I can’t believe it,
Marcelle
!”
Ellie
exclaimed, as happily as one can in such a condition, “I’m so happy for you
! 
So when will you become Mrs
.
Marcelle
Fanning?”

“We haven’t set a date yet, and I’m not terribly anxious to have one set
. 
I like things just the way they are
. 
No marriage and no children, yet, but a man who loves me and a man I love more than anyone I’ve ever known.”

Marcelle
stayed in town a few days at a nearby hotel, the only hotel in
Donners Bend
. 
And she brought
Benjamin
with her several times to visit
Ellie
. 
Ellie
, though she thought she’d never say it, had never seen such a perfect match
. 
Like it’s been mentioned before, both were terribly conceited, horribly self-centered, and yet completely in love with one another.