Emily's Chronicles: Part 1: The Homecoming
By Trish and Tammy

Disclaimer: This is a work of fanfiction. No copyright infringement is intended and no profit was made. Emily of New Moon is the creation of L.M. Montgomery, and belongs to her, her estate, and heirs, not to me.

Note: The fanfiction series Emily's Chronicles take up just after the 4th season of the television series.

Isabel Murray paced angrily across the worn planks of her bedroom floor. She had only arrived back at New Moon from Scotland the night before, and could barely believe the changes that had taken place in her absence. She had traveled back to the Old Country hastily in an attempt to gain her father's assistance for Jimmy who had been jailed on assault charges, leaving the family with no real way of running New Moon, and no money for bail. She had also hoped that Malcolm could help with Laura's situation. Perhaps he could lend her the money to obtain a divorce from that slimy weasel Ian Bowles. Isabel sneared when she remembered the way he had come to New Moon just as she was leaving, practically begging her to accept his offer of money for her share of the farm. In her typical straightforward way she had sent him packing, she would never sell her share of the farm. It was the only security she had. Isabel had a strange feeling that she would be needing all her assets for the future, especially now that it seemed Malcolm would have nothing to do with her. Besides now it seemed that Laura did not need the help Isabel had saught for her. Upon returning to Blair Water, Isabel had discovered that not only had her cousin Laura lost her baby, but she was now a widow. Isabel was sorry that she had not told Laura of her plans to travel to Scotland, but there had been no time. She had had to leave quickly to catch the first ship bound for the British Ilses. She had left a note explaining her plan, and hoped that had been enough.

It was true so many things had changed in just a few short weeks. Eve had returned as was now staying in Jimmy's room in the house while he remained occupying the barn. She was astounded to see that Jimmy had been released from jail. The two were making plans to wed. Jimmy's love had spent all this time in western part of the United States. She had actually been a teacher in a reservation school, and had worked closely with the native people. Eve had even brought back a present for Jimmy, a beautiful young colt named Cheif Joseph, along with two collie dogs of her own. Other Blair Water citizen had also seen great changes in their lives. Dr, Burnely had hastily married some lady doctor from Boston, and had just as quickly divorced her. The girls were making preparations to begin high school in another year. Even Perry, whom she had worked so hard with at school, had gone off to war in South Africa, and had seen a few battles, only to be sent back home when his commanding officers discovered he was under age. But of all the happennings that had occured in her absence none shocked her more than the sudden return from the dead of her cousin Elizabeth Murray. The woman had actually been in Scotland, although Isabel and Malcolm had been far too busy with their own problems to even hear of the news. Elizabeth had been attempting to procure funds from still other Murray relatives to buy out Malcolm's stake in New Moon. Apparently Elizabeth did not like the idea of being under the thumb of such a man as Isabel's father. 'Hmmm. Try living your whole life with him.'Isabel thought to herself. Isabel laughed to herself a little when she thought of how not one Murray in Scotland had been willing to go against Malcolm. 'They know him well.' Still it had been practically a year since anyone on this side of the Atlantic had seen or heard from Elizabeth. Her journey had been secret. It was only the storm that had wreck Wallace boat and killed him that had caused everyone to think Elizabeth killed at sea. It seems she did not even trust her own family to keep word her business dealings from reaching Malcolm.

'I Can't believe it! I leave for a few weeks to visit that old fool in Scotland and Elizabeth Murray thinks she can waltz back in here and take over everything.' Isabel muttered to herself.'This place belongs to me, it is rightfully mine. My father owns this farm for goodness sake. After all I have gone through to make New Moon profittable and now I suppose they'll be entertaining notions of kicking me out in the street. This may be a runned down place on a God forsaken piece of rock, but it is all I have, and no one will take it away from me. It is bad enough that father expects me to share 1/4 with Laura, Jimmy, and Emily. I will not have my inheritance. My birth right reduced to 1/5. To think of her sitting in the parlor last night carrying on like nothing had happened. Well something did happen, I'm here now.

Isabel strode to door and threw it open in a huff ready to do battle for the day, only to come face to face with Elizabeth.

"Isabel?" Elizabeth asked guardedly. "Is there something wrong?"

"Oh, Elizabeth. I didn't sleep at all well last night." Isabel answered abruptly.

"Probably too much excitement." Elizabeth offered eyeing her cousin.

"Aye, Perhaps."; Isabel answered cooly."...Well, if you'll excuse me, I really must be getting to school."

"Of course." Elizabeth answered still suspicious.
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Isabel rushed down the stairs at New Moon, being careful not to step wrong on the ankle Perry had twisted during that fight a few weeks ago.The long walk to New Moon from Shrewsbury had not done wonders for it, and it still ached sometimes. But, if she didn't get a move on she was going to be late for her first day back at school. Isabel was already dreading to see how far her students had regressed in her absence, especially with that awful Stuart woman as her substitute. She raced into the kitchen, and grabbed the apple that was her usual lunch. Shoving into her bag she noticed a look of anger and distrust on Laura's face. Emily, and Jimmy were also eyeing her in the same manner. Only Eve sat seemingly unaware of whatever feelings the others held her in. Elizabeth followed Isabel into the kitchen and walked over to join the others in their scowls.

It was Laura who broke the silence."You've got a lot of nerve coming back here." She said.

The shock on Isabel's face was obvious. She did not expect this, and especially after she had traveled so far to get help for them."What?" She asked. "What are you talking about. I told you I would be back as soon a I could." She reminded her cousin.

"And just when did you say that. Before or after you sold your share of New Moon to Ian?" Laura quipped. "You really are amazing, you sell your part of New Moon, leave us all for dead, and then you come back when Malcolm can't stand you anymore and expect us to put you up." It was obvious Laura had many hard feelings stored up from her experiences over the past few weeks, and she was intent on unleashing them all on Isabel.

Isabel's anger grew at the unwarranted confrontation, she was not used to anyone talking to her the way Laura, of all people, was addressing her now. However, her curiosity won out over her anger and she wanted to find out just what her cousin was talking about. "Sold? I never sold anything to anyone. Is that what he told you?" She asked.

"Yes, and a first class ticket on top of it." Laura reported her knowledge.

"He did offer to buy my share,yes. I told him in no uncertain terms that I would never sell my part of New Moon." Isabel confirmed. "Laura, it' all I have." Her eyes went a little distant for a moment. "Especially now that Father..." She stopped herself before she told them too much.

"Then where';d you get the money for the ticket?"; Jimmy spoke up.

"I am the only person in this house who gets paid a salary" Isabel said defiantely. "I have saved a bit, and I think I'm entitled to first class for once my life." She felt like she was on trial, as if she had to defend her every action.

"But your note." Emily interjected. ";You said that when the real reason for your departure was discovered it would be a dark day for New Moon."

"ll thank you not to put words in my mouth, Emily dear." Isabel's confusion and frustration were growing. "I never said anything of the kind."

"How can you explain that note?"; Laura asked.

"I don't know what note you are talking about, but the one I left simply said that I was going to seek Father's help with Jimmy's situation...and with yours." Isabel eyed Laura who turned away at the memory."

"Then what about this?" Elizabeth calmly walked over to the sideboard and pulled a folded piece of paper from the drawer. Straightening it, she handed the note Isabel.

Isabel read it carefully and then turned to her cousins. "Laura, look at it closely. Emily you too, you've seen my writing many times on the blackboard. Is this my handwriting?" Isabel inquired.

Emily look at the note carefully along with her aunt. She and Laura came to the same realization at the same time."This isn't your handwriting."

"Thank you, and who's do you suppose it is?" Isabel asked.

"Iam Bowles must have sneaked back into the house and switched the letters when nobody was here." Emily gasped.

Laura looked closely at the letter once more, not wanting to see what she already knew. "He lied. About everything."

"Oh I suppose that would be the first time" Isabel was still angry.

"Oh, Isabel I'm so sorry. I never should have accused you, after you went to try to help us." Laura pleaded.

Isabel could have unleashed a firey tirade of rath upon her cousins for even thinking that she would betray her family in that manner, but she held her emotions in check. The truth was she was happy to be back at New Moon, and she was just too tired to fight. "It's alright. I guess my sudden departure was rather odd. I only left because I thought I could be of help."; She said. "It seems I was more needed here, and for as much help as the old man was I would have done better to stay."

"What about Uncle Malcolm?" Laura questioned eage for news.

Isabel grew silent for a moment. The scene between she and her father in Scotland had been an ugly one. She had been taken somewhat ill while on her journey, and had been in no mood to fight with Malcolm. Isabel felt it best to leave after only a short visit. "He's half out of his mind over the death of that...woman." She said. "And he certainly did not want to see me." The tears stung behind her eyes, and she hoped the family would realize she did not want to talk about her trip anymore. It was an unlikely ally who changed the subject.

"Well, then." Elizabeth smiled. "We'll simply have to get along without Uncle Malcolm. Isabel, dear, didn't you say you were going to be late."

Isabel turned a grateful smile to her cousin. "Oh, yes. I really should be going. Emily you too."

"Oh, I was supposed to get Perry from his chores."; Emily reminded herself. Then jumping up from the table she shouted. "Good bye. Aunt Laura, Aunt Elizabeth, Jimmy, Eve."


"Goodbye, dear."; Laura called.

"Have a good day." Eve smiled happy to be included in the roster of the family.

Laura turned to Isabel. "Here. That apple won't hold you." Laura said as she quickly made a sandwich, wrapped it in cheesecloth, and handed it to Isabel.

";Thank you Laura, how kind." Isabel smiled at her cousin, sensing that
they were both uncomfortable about Elizabeth's unexpected return. She had
seen how strong and independent Laura had gotten. She liked this Laura
better than the meager little mouse she met when she and her father first
came to New Moon. She wondered how long it would last.

"Won't you have some breakfast on you first day back?"; Laura asked.

"No time, I'm late and I suppose they'll be crawling out the windows as
it is. I'd better hurry." Isabel replied almost out of breath. "James Murray!" Isabel looked around almost in a dither. "I hope you've hitched up the wagon. I must get to the school quickly"

He hadn't.

"Well, I've no time to wait. I'll just have to walk. Honestly, is Laura the
only person around here that thinks of anybody but themselves. She grabbed her satchel and hurried out the door and down the path.
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Isabel's mood this morning was colored less by Jimmy's negligence and more by
her dreams of last night. She dreamed of him. . .again. Why could she not
get Francis Carpenter out of her mind? That was over.

'Is it?' She thought to herself. ';Maybe he'll come back.' She thought of
that gut wrenching feeling she had had at the moment when his wife walked
through the door at New Moon to find him on bended knee infront of Isabel and
the whole family, ready to propose. Why did she have to come to find him, then, and there? He was going to get a divorce. Isabel had accepted that
whole heartedly. Accepted it until she put a face to the woman who had name.
'But I have his heart' Isabel thought proudly, and a small smile crossed her
lips, but was again quickly replaced by the desperate, lonely, longing for
the man she loved that seemed to grow deeper with each day. Would today be
the day she look out the school window and see him coming up the lane like
the day she first realized she was in love with him. Only this time he would
be free and he would stay like he had promised. Through all the heartache,
and denial of her feelings, she still held onto that small glimmer of hope.

Her thoughts quickly turned back to the present, and she put him back in that place in her heart that only she knew how to find for safe keeping, to be
taken out and contemplated later. The white school house sat up ahead in the
distance. Perry and Emily were just entering , and Ilse was running up the
lane trying to catch up. Isabel took a deep breath and tried to prepare for
the day ahead. How many times would he escape his safe keeping place today,
and visit her thoughts rendering her useless for anything else but to pray
for his return.
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Isabel walked up and down the aisles monitoring the students as they
worked halfheartedly on their assignments. That was all right, she had given them halfheartedly. She thought she would be relieved to be back to work after the rotten visit with Malcolm that only lasted two weeks. However, she only seemed to be more restless. She was worried about her father and his increasing detachment from reality. She was worried about the business with Eve returning. But most of all she was worried about her own future. What with Elizabeth back she felt that her place at New Moon was in serious
jeopardy. To top it all off she wasn't feeling at all well. The walk back to New Moon in the cold last night, and the near run to school this morning did nothing to help the general poor feeling she had been under for the past week or so. She felt it coming on in Scotland.

'Probably just coming down with a cold.' She thought to herself. 'Traveling across
the Atlantic can tend to do that to a person.'

She reached her desk with a sigh of relief, and sat down to rest in her chair. Isabel gazed out the window, resting her head in her hand, but was too far away in thought to see the image that would have infuriated her at this moment. That of Perry's Aunt Thom spying through the window. Her thoughts were filled with someone else. Had it really only been two months since Francis had left her sobbing like a child on her father's shoulder. She thought of that glorious day at the lighthouse, when they had been alone together. Then she had been a bit surpised at herself for succumbing to his words and his touch, but now she would give anything to feel that way again, with him. He had revived dreams she thought long dead, and then smashed like crystal on the rocky shore. She doubted she would ever recover.

Lost in thought, and wondering when she would get rid of whatever she
seemed to be coming down with, Isabel only partially noticed Perry waving his hand from his seat. Then she heard him ask her something which brought around to reality only slightly more.

"Hum?, What?" She mumbled turning in his direction. It was almost as if she
had been awakened from some confusing dream.

Perry repeated his request, but she didn't notice the urgency with which he asked. If she had she still would not have guessed the real reason behind his need for departure.

"Oh, yes, go ahead." Isabel halfheartedly waved toward the door, and then quickly returned to her own thoughts.

To Be Continued.....