Anne's House of Dreams Part II

Anne finds she is expecting a baby, and Leslie though she tries to hide it, is clearly upset - it is another reminder of how little she has in her life. As they are so far north, in the winter the harbour is closed to sea traffic and the land is often covered with snow and ice, so Anne is lonely at times. But she sees Leslie often and is busy with preparing for her child. In the spring after her wedding, Anne has her baby. It is a little girl whom they call Joyce. But the baby is ill and dies within a day. Anne is desperately depressed, but it brings her closer to Leslie. She acquires a housekeeper, Susan Baker, who comes to live with them. She is a kind middle aged spinster who loves Anne but disapproves of Miss Cornelia, who is always criticising men. That summer, Leslie takes in a summer lodger, and the man Owen Ford is a writer who has a connexion with the Island. His grandparents used to live there and he soon becomes friends with Captain Jim. Jim has had a lot of adventures during his sailing days, and he's written them down but does not have the writing skill to make a good book out of them. Owen suggests that they collaborate, with him writing up the story and Jim supplying the material. However while he is doing this, he finds himself falling in love with Leslie. She is so beautiful, and he grows closer to her, but he knows that with her marital bond to Dick, he cannot ask her to be with him. Gilbert tells Anne that he has had a look at Dick Moore's head injuries recently and that he thinks that it might be possible for a specialist to operate on him and he might restore him to health again. Anne is horrified when she hears this. Gilbert does not know about the feelings between Owen and Leslie. Gilbert tells her that he does believe that there is a chance for Dick to be restored to something like a normal life. As a doctor it is his duty to advise Leslie of this. Anne tells him that Dr Dave, his uncle, had always believed that Dick could not be helped. Also, an operation will cost more than Leslie can afford. Captain Jim tells them that he will lend or give Leslie the money, and he agrees with Gilbert. It is only right for them to give Dick a chance of normality.