Work Text:
Before
The first time Barney Snaith could remember seeing Valancy Stirling she was coming out of the local bookshop, head down and her small feet lightly skipping over the cobblestone street to her lonely house. He did not know her name at the time, but something about the dichotomy of the downturned head and happy feet drew his eyes. He did not stare for long, because Abel Gay was climbing into his passenger seat, but it was enough that he made a mental note. A night of drinking and carousing in the upcountry washed away almost all the memory until it was a watercolor haze of dark hair and dancing shoes.
The second time he could remember seeing her she had, although he did not know it at the time, liberated herself from the lonely house to take care of Abel’s daughter, Cecily. She was kneeling in the small garden, clearing out weeds to make way for flowers and vegetables as Abe grumbled as he stumbled to the Grey Slosson. She looked up and smiled at the pair, waving a small hand as they tore up the road toward Abel’s favorite drinking hole. He had a flash of a delicate face lightened up with joy and then he was off. Unconsciously, he may have drunk a little less that night.
The third time, he stopped at Abel’s house carrying boxes of chocolates from Port Lawrence and bouquets of wildflowers from around his cabin on Lake Mistawis. He and Abel entertained the women throughout the night, and when he left in the wee hours of the morning, Valancy followed him out the door and watched as he climbed into his beat-up car. With a whoop, he grinned at her happy but tired face and sped off into the night.
The fourth time he looked at her, really looked at her, was at Cecily’s funeral. Abel was wailing at the loss of his only daughter, but Barney could only look at Valancy. She cried quietly and bent down to lay flowers from the Gay’s garden on her friend’s grave. Standing up straight, she looked at him, and he felt something twist to the left of his breastbone. Something undefined happened to him at that moment. She gave him a sweet, sad little smile, and he knew he could not stand to see that look on her face. He would make her shine like moonbeams.
Then
The first night Valancy spent in her Blue Castle, she suffered from the worst case of nerves she had ever felt. She like Barney, knew he felt fondly for her – why else would he have agreed to her hair-brained marriage proposal – but they were married now. He would expect things from her that she had only read between the lines in her novels. When he pointed out the bed off to the side and said he would take the floor, she felt a combination of relief and guilt. She told him whether they would share the bed or not at all. It was his house, and they would be sharing for as long as she lived. They spent their first night in their bed, awkwardly trying to get comfortable when Banjo and Good Luck jumped between them, each turning three times in opposite directions before settling down for a good night’s sleep. The next morning, Valancy swore it was the best night of her life.
The lonely, wintry night she spent alone in the Blue Castle was the worst night of her life. She would tell their children in the ensuing years that the howling wind blew icicles into her soul until she was sure she would freeze if he did not return. There was no sleep that night, anxiety was her constant companion. Even the cats could not console her. The next morning, when she saw him stomping out of the woods and her knees gave way, she knew her life had taken a new, unexpected turn. And when he gathered her up, calling her a silly goose, and pressing his lips against her hair, she felt truly at home for the first time. That is why she turned her head, brushing her lips against his. Their first, true kiss, not before a backwoods minister, but between themselves. He pulled away, staring intently into her eyes, and his smile changed ever so slightly. The cats aired their complaints when the couple did not welcome them into the bed the rest of the day, or into the night.
After
Valancy looked over the river Thames, brushing her hair slowly and thoughtfully. London wasn’t at all what she was expecting. The city was loud and busy, but Barney had taken her to the circus and museums, and lovely gardens. But she liked it better when they ventured out of the city and into the countryside. The roadside pubs were full of color and life, and she was reminded while visiting the small villages that dotted the countryside over the last few weeks of their first date. Tomorrow, they travel on to Paris, which was something Barney was excited about. He mentioned looking over his Moonlight in the rose-colored smoke that the French city was famous for. She was excited to taste new foods, find new corners to explore and uncover new aspects of her husband. So far, her honeymoon has been a dream.
Valancy was reading her latest mail from Olive, who had turned into a reliable if colorless correspondent for the ongoings in Deerwood. From Olive, she learned when her cousins married and had children when the various aunts and uncles passed away, and certain scandalous tidbits like “that strange man whose daughter you nursed” up and married the schoolteacher. Valancy gave up long ago telling her that she was only away from Deerwood for six months out of the year, but Olive insisted. But it was Olive’s last missive that had Valancy wide-eyed in shock. She sat in her parlor of their small country home on the outskirts of Ottawa, staring into the fire when Barney came in. He read her face and bent down in concern.
“Darling, what is it?” he asked, taking her hand. They could hear running feet in the children’s room, and laughter, but none could shake the look off his wife’s face.
“I received a letter from Olive today,” she started, shaking her head to clear the cobwebs. “She went and done it. It took her twelve years, but she found a way to beat me.” Barney, knowing about the competitiveness between the cousins, if it seemed a little one-sided on Valancy’s side, looked at her to continue.
“She’s asked to stay for a little while. It seems Cecil has thrown her out of the house and filed for divorce. She doesn’t say why he did that, but I just had a phone call from her mother. It would seem I am no longer the scandal of the family,” Barney opened his mouth to say she had never been the scandal of her family, but she continued. “It would seem my cousin was seen near the lake skinny dipping with a friend from school. The news quickly spread, and she wants to leave town.”
Barney stood up and sighed. Small towns could be a blessing, but also cruel. Valancy knew that from her youth, and Olive was learning this now. He nodded and smiled.
“Olive is welcome, but I will not have her upset you. You’re my Moonlight, and I couldn’t bear anyone hurting you. Maybe my father could find her a job with the company.”
And so, Olive came for a visit, and found a job with Doc Redfern’s company, first as a secretary, then learning her way through the company, and since Barney had no desire to lead the business his father had founded, became the president after Old Redfern finally retired. Valancy was happy for her cousin, who quickly realized that the Snaith household wasn’t the quiet place she needed and moved into Ottawa, and for her husband, who wanted nothing to do with pills, creams, liniments, and ointments. And Barney was happy to be secure in his home, with the jolliest surprise of his life, Valancy.