The menial task did little to take Muriel’s mind off of Izzy. She had hoped that being in New Brunswick for the holidays would have eased the burden that she knew weighed down Izzy’s heart since Felix’s death. Clive and Muriel had discussed it a number of times and still had not agreed on how to help Izzy. The trip was obviously a failure as Izzy was still so lost and depressed.
To take her mind off of her problems, Muriel decided to call the General Store to check how things were going. After spending well over an hour waiting for the long distance operator to put the call through, she was finally speaking to Samuel, the clerk she left in charge of the store in her absence. Trying to add a lightness to her voice that she did not truly feel, Muriel asked about Samuel’s Christmas and also how his wife was doing now that she was in the last weeks of her pregnancy. Samuel replied, "It was a very merry Christmas for me, but not nearly as wonderful as it must have been for the Kings."
Muriel was struck by confusion from this statement, and decided she couldn’t have heard it correctly; "Samuel, I think the line is bad, I can’t hear you properly."
In a louder voice, Samuel reiterated, "I said it was a great Christmas for the Kings, what with Felix home from France."
Muriel was dumbfounded, "What!?! I can’t have heard you right. Did you say that Felix is alive!?!
Samuel then recalled that the Pettibones had left Avonlea before Felix’s arrival, and this news would be quite a shock to them. "Forgive me, Mrs. Pettibone, I should have thought to call you yesterday when I first heard the good news."
"Never mind," responded Muriel hurriedly, "I have to hang up now, I have to find Izzy and tell her the wonderful news!" She bid Samuel a quick goodbye, not giving him a chance to tell Muriel about what he had heard of Felix’s condition. He shrugged his shoulders as he hung up the receiver, figuring that they’ll find out on their own soon enough. Muriel screamed, "Clive, come down here. I need you!!"
Clive burst into the parlor, saying quizzically, "Hold up, Muriel. Where’s the fire?"
A gigantic smile spread across Muriel’s face as she told him, "Clive, I was just speaking to Samuel at the store—Felix King is ALIVE!!!"
A look of amazement crossed Clive’s face. "I don’t believe it—the King boy is alive? What happened?"
"Oh, I don’t really know, I was just so excited at the news that I didn’t think to pursue it further. Izzy is going to be so happy!"
"Where is she?" Clive inquired, looking out into the hallway, "I can’t wait to see her face when she hears about this."
"She went out for a walk, again; I don’t know where," Muriel answered.
Clive looked abashed as he explained, "I know where she is, one day I followed her to make sure she was alright."
"Well, it’s lucky you did. Point the way, Clive, and let’s go!" Muriel directed, and Clive grabbed their coats and they went out the door.
Izzy stood by the warmth of the harbormasters house in at the Moncton docks, but she still felt cold and desolate. The hustle and bustle of the waterfront activity continued around her as if she was not standing there. She looked intently at the water, trying to see all the way across the ocean to the place where her Felix was buried.
Tears once again filled her eyes, but she choked them back. It was almost two months since she got word of her boyfriend’s death, and she knew it was time to move on with her life. She didn’t realize that she was shaking her head, in silent protest to that thought—she didn’t want to move on to a future without Felix.
But she knew she had to, and her plan to leave for France from New Brunswick was just the ticket. Maybe helping out on the fields of battle would get rid of the pain in her heart. She would spend the rest of the holiday season with Clive and Muriel in Moncton, and then enlist in the Red Cross and leave from there.
It was to the scene of Izzy ruminating about her fate that Clive and Muriel came upon when they found her at the docks, and they had to call her name a couple of times before she woke out of her reverie. Izzy wheeled around at the sound of her name being called, and snapped in an accusatory tone, "What are you doing, following me? I need to be alone!"
This put Clive’s back up immediately, and he was about to admonish Izzy when Muriel took his arm to stop him. Then she turned to Izzy and said, "Izzy, please don’t misunderstand why we’re here—we found you for a reason, to tell you that Felix is alive!"
Izzy went pale at hearing the words, and looked as if she were about to faint. Clive reached out and took her elbow to prevent her from falling, and with a loud sob she threw herself into his arms, crying with relief and joy. Muriel stroked Izzy’s hair until she stopped, and Izzy looked away from her father’s shoulder, and insisted, "We must go back to Avonlea today, I need to see Felix now!"
"Of course, dear," said Clive, and the happy trio went back to Muriel’s sister’s home to prepare for their trip back to PEI.
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