#alcotts 1810s

[silverseaming]

A sweet moment in honour of these two aging up into adults!

[silverseaming]

When the time came for Thomas to leave, Elisabeth gathered the older children to say goodbye to him. While George was hesitant, hanging back beside his mother, Thomas knelt to hug young Tommy.

"Remember, Tommy, you're the man of the house now," he said, taking Tommy gently by the arms. "Look after your mother and your brothers and sister, will you?"

"Of course, Pa." Tommy replied, squaring his shoulders with resolve.

After Thomas said goodbye to the children, Elisabeth took his arm, leading him a little way from the door.

"Thomas, will you promise me something?" She asked.

"Anything, my love."

"Promise me you will come back?" The question was quiet to keep it from the children's ears, but she was unable to stop herself asking, finally putting voice to the fears that still stirred in the pit of her stomach.

Thomas cupped her face with his hands before he replied, an unreadable look on his face as he looked at it wife. Then his brow cleared, and he smiled softly.

"I promise, Eliza. I'll always come back to you."

"Good." Elisabeth leaned upwards for one final kiss, trying to commit each detail of the moment to memory before Thomas was gone.

[silverseaming]

Not long after Sidney's birth, Thomas received word that another family had moved to the bay -- Charles Gardener had brought his wife and two children to Deadgrass Isle, and intended to get the old lighthouse up and running again. The journey to the isle was more arduous than Elisabeth and the new baby could manage, so it was only Thomas and the two boys who took a small rowing boat across the water to where the lighthouse perched on the edge of the cliffs. They were warmly greeted by Mr Gardener, his wife Mary, and their children Jeremiah and Harriet. While the adults made each others acquaintance inside, the children preferred stayed outside, first tentatively and then more enthusiastically getting to know each other.

[silverseaming]

"He's just perfect, isn't he?" "Yes, my love, he is."

[silverseaming]

While Susanna was mostly a happy child, she struggled with fits of wilfullness that Elisabeth found increasingly difficult to calm as she herself became more exhausted from pregnancy. Thomas tried his best to support his wife, but it was difficult when the crops were demanding so much of his attention.

[silverseaming]

Once again Elisabeth was expecting, and a house that had seemed so large was already starting to feel full! It was only in the dark of the evenings and nights that Elisabeth and Thomas found time to whisper their hopes and dreams for their incoming arrival, snatching tender moments around their increasingly busy lives.

[silverseaming]

When Thomas received word that a family had moved into their old cabin, he couldn't quite believe what he was hearing - finally, after so much toil and effort, people were slowly starting to move into the Bay. On a fine day the family travelled back to their old home, eager to meet their new neighbours. Iain and Claire MacKenzie were a young Scottish couple, looking for a fresh start in America with their daughter Caroline. Thomas was quickly taken with Iain's frank, open nature, and the families got on very well indeed. Both sets of parents were pleased with the prospect of friends for their children, and plans to visit again were quickly made.

[silverseaming]

It was only after all the children were safely asleep that Elisabeth and Thomas finally got a chance to discuss Thomas's cousin's letter properly. As she sat across from her husband, Elisabeth couldn't help feeling uneasy when she saw the determined look on his face. It was the same look she had seen when he suggested they packed up and moved miles from home, and it meant he had made his mind up.

"You want to go, don't you?" She ventured.

"Yes, I do," Thomas replied, "This country's given me a lot, and I think we should all do our bit for its honour. If I go, I might even be able to persuade a few people to come back here with me. That's what we wanted, isn't it? Not just a life here for us, but a life here for others."

"I know, but what about your life here, your family?" Elisabeth was still unconvinced, a knot of worry sitting in the pit of her stomach. "Sidney's still so young, and what if something happened to you?"

"I'll be fine, you'll be fine too, my dear -- I'll be back before you know it."

Thomas still has the shine of new resolve in his eyes, and Elisabeth knew it would be a while before it wore off and softened his thoughts. She suddenly felt very small, and tired, and not at all like the idealistic young woman she had been when she climbed into their wagon twelve years ago.

"Very well, you've certainly let me know what you think. I'm going to bed, and we can talk about it again in the morning." Elisabeth sighed as she got up from the table.