​Robert is coming to visit this next fortnight. The big news is that his mother, Mrs. Maggie McLeod-Ross, has left her husband and will live with Nell in Sudbury until she decides what she will do next. The gossip in the town is that she left Thomas B Ross because he was carrying on with another woman. But I have also heard from Miss Henry at the store that Mrs Ross was being courted by Mr Mckenzie. He is a Chief Factor of the Hudson’s Bay Company so quite a step up from a trader’s wife for her.  
Nell is very loyal to her friend and says nothing about the situation. Mrs. Ross and the younger children will be here in a few days. I imagine we will see a good deal of Robert when his mother is here. I am not sure how I feel about that. I think I am glad.

1897 
Nell has invited me to come and live with her and her husband, Mr. TJ Ryan in Sudbury. She says I can get a job teaching there. If not I can work for Thomas doing the books and keep her medical practice books as well. I can also help her with the children until a teaching position is open for me. I have to think hard on this offer as Sudbury is a long way off and I would not see my family very often and I would surely miss them. But I would not have to live in a cold boarding house and bear the nagging and the gossip. I will think hard on the matter and talk to Pa but I think I have already decided.

After school I was still upset by the morning so I rushed off to Uncle John’s and then to home and Pa said not to stay another day with Mrs. Mac. But the roads were knee deep in mud and I could not get to school from home, so Uncle John came in with me and gave the old lady and her daughters some plain old Anglo Saxon. He made it clear that I was only to stay there if I had all rights and liberties and if on one point offended I’d leave on the very moment. He told me private that he thought it best to stay on under the circumstances lest people say I was driven off at this particular time and give credence to the rumours the old lady would spread. I am so bothered and I’ve worried so much that I am half sick. I feel almost like doing some rash and foolish thing. But things will soon brighten and then all will be well.