He inhaled the fresh air, thankful for the gray leaf medicine’s healing power and to God for bringing him back to Falls Creek, no matter what happened with the job. During breakfast, no one had mentioned that today was the deadline. They’d only talked about the fire which had started because Eddie left a burning lantern unattended in the worst possible place.
Isaac walked across the sunny yard, planning to go straight from the laundry house to the barn, but Leonard waved him over to the stable block. “I moved the cows into here last night. Plows too.”
He waited until he was close to the stable block to reply. “How did you know what I was after?”
Leonard straightened his spine as far as his hunched back allowed. “Oh, had a feeling. We’ll get it all moved back into the barn today.” He pointed a thumb at the dust cloud that trailed the departing horse and rider. “I sent Eddie on his way. He wasn’t surprised.”
Isaac withheld a whoop of delight and waited for Leonard to clarify what Eddie’s departure meant for him.
The older man knocked the brim of his straw hat higher with a knuckle, exposing his leathery brow. “You got the job, son. Congratulations.”
Isaac thrust out his hand to shake Leonard’s. “Thank you, sir.”
“After last night, I didn’t think you would be fit to work so soon. We have plenty of help staying for the day, if you need to rest up.”
“No, sir. I’m ready to work.” He pointed at the open barn doors. “As soon as it’s aired out, I’ll move everything back in. Any structural damage?”
“No, thanks to you.” Leonard gazed up at the inn. “I told Frederick what happened and that I chose you to be our new farm manager permanently. He seemed pleased.”
Isaac followed Leonard’s line of sight up to Frederick’s bedroom window. “Is he still awake?”
“Probably. He was when I left him a few minutes ago.”
Isaac held up a finger. “I need to speak with Mr. Roberts.”
A knowing grin deepened Leonard’s wrinkles. “Take all the time you need, son.”
Isaac hurried to the house, hoping to catch Frederick while he was still awake. He wanted to get the man’s blessing as much as Sybil wanted him to. The traditions didn’t matter to him so much, but it did to her.
He threw the side door open and glanced into the kitchen at Sybil through the first doorway as he walked down the hallway. When he passed the second kitchen doorway, she had turned to see who it was, so he stopped and smiled at her. “Breakfast was not exquisite today.”
She laughed and playfully tossed a dish rag at him. “I didn’t cook it.”
“That explains it.” He pointed at the staircase. “Is your father still awake?”
She nodded. “He was sitting by his window a moment ago.” Her eyes widened and she crossed the kitchen toward him. “Will you talk to him about—”
He pulled her into a kiss, answering her every question. When he released her, she smiled up at him but said nothing. He loved how they didn’t always need words to say what needed to be said. After they were man and wife, that intimacy would only grow deeper.
He climbed the stairs two at a time, then turned left, passing Sybil’s closed bedroom door. Across the hall and down one room, Frederick’s door was half open. Isaac knocked as he opened it the rest of the way. “Mr. Roberts?”
“Come in, boy.” Frederick’s gruff voice came from the other side of the room but sounded a mile away. “Have a sit down.”
Isaac scanned the room for a chair, but the only seat was the one Frederick was sitting in by the window that overlooked the stable block and barn. He skirted the bedpost and sat on the edge of the mattress near Frederick. “How are you feeling today, sir?”
“Tired of everybody asking me that.” He stared out the window. “But you know how that is. Leonard told me what happened. Thank you for saving my milk cows.”
The older man’s clarity of mind surprised Isaac. “Yes, sir.”
“I can’t get out there like I used to, but I love those cows. Gertie can get cranky, especially if your hands are too cold when you milk her. But she’s always been my favorite.” He turned and looked at Isaac, his eyes the same green as Sybil’s. “You’ll take good care of them, won’t you?”
“I will, sir.”
When Frederick held his gaze, Isaac felt a connection with him for the first time. He wanted to ask permission to marry Sybil but didn’t want to change the subject too quickly and cause confusion. He leaned forward, propping his elbows on his knees. “This farm means a lot to me, sir, and I’ll always take care of it as if it were mine.”
Frederick stroked his long white beard, his gaze unyielding. “That’s what I’ve always appreciated about you, Clyde. You’re a good man.”
Isaac’s hope faltered. “I’m Isaac, sir. Isaac Owens.”
“And watch out for Millie.”
“Millie?”
“The donkey that brays night and day.”
Isaac glanced down at the barn. They may have had such a donkey in the past, but they didn’t now.
Frederick kept talking, so Isaac didn’t interrupt him. “Millie puts on a good show, but if you hitch her up to the cart right after she eats, she’ll settle in for the day. What time is it?”
Isaac pulled out his pocket watch from habit, then checked the room for a clock. “A quarter to nine.”
Frederick lifted his chin at the pocket watch. “That broken?”
“Yes, sir. Has been for months.”
Frederick took the watch from his hands. He popped the back cover off and squinted as he held it up to the sunlight streaming in the window. “Isaac, your father sent me a message after Eva first hired you. He said you had floundered from one job to another and shouldn’t be given the manager position. But I knew Eva wouldn’t have hired you if she hadn’t checked your references. And I knew Leonard wouldn’t have approved of the man who would replace him without deep consideration.”
He used his pinkie nail to move the little parts inside the watch mechanism as he spoke. “Even still, a message like that from a father is sobering to an employer. That’s why I couldn’t just give you the job. I needed you to earn it. And you needed to want the position badly enough to fight for it. So, I sent for Eddie.”
Isaac’s jaw opened. Not only had his father’s disapproval of him followed him this far from home, but Frederick had been in his right mind about this all along.
He must have taken too long without responding because Frederick paused his work on the watch long enough to peer at him. “Don’t look so stunned, boy. And don’t be angry with your father, either. He thought he was doing me a favor.”
“Even if it cut me out of a job.”
“Probably wanted you to go home like most fathers do.”
Isaac knew better, but wouldn’t argue with Frederick. “At least you didn’t take him at his word. Thank you for giving me a chance to earn the job.”
“And that you did.” Frederick clicked the cover onto the watch then wound it. “Leonard says you proved your worth to us many times over,” he leaned in as if telling a devious secret, “and if that proves nothing to your father, nothing will. Forget him. Forget all of them!”
The inappropriate words let Isaac know the senility was close by. He offered Frederick a respectful nod. “I won’t forget my family, but I won’t spend my life trying to prove myself to them.” As soon as he spoke the words, his chest felt lighter. “Not anymore.”
Frederick held the pocket watch out to him on an open palm. “That should fix it.”
Isaac held it up to his ear and heard ticking for the first time in months. “It’s working!”
Frederick pointed a crooked finger at the pocket watch. “Carry it when you marry my daughter.”
Isaac swallowed the air in his mouth. “You know about me and Sybil?”
Frederick smoothed his long white beard. “Of course. But get on with it.”
“Get on with it?”
“Don’t you hav
e a little speech prepared or something?”
“No, sir. Not a speech, really. I love Sybil and want your blessing to marry her.”
Frederick leaned back in his chair. “That’s it? Solomon Cotter put on a better show than you when he asked for Eva’s hand.”
“Well, sir, he’s a poet. I’m just a farmer who will work every day for the rest of my life to take care of your daughter.”
Frederick slapped his knee. “That’s more like it, boy! Now go make that girl some promises and spend your life keeping them.”
Chapter Sixteen
Sybil’s face ached from smiling. And she was doing it again—smiling at the dish water, at the cupboards, at the stove. She hadn’t stopped smiling in three days, but who could blame her? She had plenty of reasons to smile. She’d been swept away by Isaac’s love and their promise to marry; her family would be together for Eva’s wedding in a few short weeks; and the early sunrise ignited the colors in the tiny blossoms in the bushes, the fields, and the grass outside the kitchen window. It was finally spring!
The clock on the wall over the dinette table urged her to finish her breakfast preparations. Not only did she need to rehearse the songs for the Sunday morning service, she also wanted to arrive at the chapel early enough to speak with Philip long before the others arrived, just in case he took the news badly.
She covered the hot biscuits with a cloth and picked four different types of jam out of the perfectly arranged pantry. As she spooned cheese curds into individual bowls, Eva dashed into the kitchen from her office across the hall. She held up a letter. “Oh, Claudia will be thrilled! Simply thrilled!”
Sybil couldn’t imagine what news might make Claudia happy, so she pointed at the full bowls. “Because of my cheese curds?”
“No, silly.” Eva swatted her shoulder playfully with the letter. “Because of this. It’s from the Pleasant Valley woman who wrote to me about the housekeeper job. Remember that?”
“Not really. I’ve been distracted lately.”
Eva mirrored her smile. “Yes, and I’m happy for you. Anyway, since I had the traders spread word that we need a new housekeeper, we’ve had several inquiries. One really impressed me. Her name is Charity Ashton. So, I asked when she could start work for a trial period. This is her reply, and in it she says she will travel to Falls Creek with the next available trader.”
“You’re right. Claudia will be relieved to have the help.”
“Yes, between Isaac taking over the farm and this new housekeeper coming, Leonard and Claudia will be able to rest more and enjoy their time together.” Eva stuffed the letter into her skirt pocket then tied an apron over her Sunday clothes. “And also Claudia mentioned she would like to help you with the wedding cake.”
Sybil wouldn’t need help, but she would enjoy spending time with Claudia. “That would be lovely.”
Eva slid on an oven mitt and pulled a pan of potato wedges out of the iron stove. She set it on a trivet with a clunk. “I hope you don’t go to too much trouble for my wedding, seeing as how you’ll have your own to plan soon. Any idea when?”
A widening smile tugged on Sybil’s lips. “He wants to build our cottage first.”
“Smart man. But that might take a while.”
“I don’t mind. In fact, I will enjoy the wait.”
Eva drew her face back. “Truly?”
“Truly. I’ve learned how good it can be to wait.” She glanced at the clock again. “Except right now. I need to go.” She quickly packed the overseer’s breakfast into a paper bag.
Her sister took a jam-covered spatula from her hands. “Leave this to me.” She folded the top of the bag of food. “And you take this to Philip.”
Sybil nodded. “I’m so glad you no longer mind having an overseer and church here. In fact, I think you kind of like it.”
Eva chuckled once. “Well, I don’t know about liking it, but I can see the benefits. Plus, it makes Zeke happy to go to church.”
“Me too.” She tossed her shawl around her shoulders and grabbed her hymnal. “See you at the chapel.”
The sun rounded the eastern hills, casting Sybil’s quick-stepping shadow in a long, thin line. Just past where the stone bridge crossed the creek, a pile of felled trees and a patch of cleared land awaited Isaac’s carpentry skills. Solo and several of the traders had spent their Saturday helping him prepare to build the new cottage.
A shudder of joyful anticipation crawled along Sybil’s skin. He was preparing for a life with her. Soon everyone would know and would celebrate their union. She didn’t need a cake or a flower filled chapel. All she needed was Isaac.
Before she reached the chapel steps, Philip opened the door. “Good morning, Miss Sybil.”
“I’m early.”
“I saw you coming.”
She climbed the steps slowly, the dread of having to reject his offer sinking in. He backed away from the door, giving her space to cross the threshold. It felt like a hurdle she didn’t want to jump. She glanced down the road at where her and Isaac’s cottage would be. It wasn’t visible from the chapel steps, but Philp would know soon enough. She stepped inside and offered him the bag. “I brought you breakfast.”
“How kind.” He took the bag but didn’t look at it, nor did he close the chapel door.
She hung her shawl on the coat rack. “It’s finally warmer in the mornings.”
“Indeed.” His tone remained flat as he glanced across the road at the inn. “How is Mr. Owens feeling?”
“Isaac is quite well.”
“Fully recovered then?”
“Oh, yes. The doctor gave him a clean report. God healed him quickly with the gray leaf medicine. Thank you for praying for him and for going to get the doctor.”
“To God be the glory.” Philip pressed his lips together in the solemn line she’d grown used to seeing.
He knew. He knew about her and Isaac, and he knew she hadn’t told him yet. She couldn’t bear to disappoint him after all he’d done for her. She folded her hands together in front of her. “Philip, there is something I must speak with you about.”
He opened his hand to one of the newly built pews. Though she left enough room for him to sit beside her, he remained standing. She looked up at him. “Isaac came back to me just as he promised he would. I should have trusted him all along. We plan to be married soon.”
Philip’s expression didn’t change, but he nodded rapidly. “I was glad for you when I saw that he came back. I know you love him.”
“I do.” She scooted to the edge of the seat. “Please know that I took your offer to heart.”
He looked away briefly, still nodding. After gently clearing his throat, he looked back. “You’re a kind and wise woman, Miss Sybil, and I know you wouldn’t choose an ungodly mate. So, I’d be pleased to officiate your wedding when the time comes. I’d like to speak with Isaac first, of course.” A faint grin deepened the wrinkles at the edges of his eyes.
The weight lifted from her heart. “Oh, we’d be most honored.”
He lowered his voice to almost a whisper. “Thank you for being discreet about my offer. No man enjoys rejection, but keeping it private does save my pride somewhat.”
They would never have the same easy friendship they’d enjoyed before Isaac returned, but she would never forget the side of him she’d been allowed to see. She stood and patted his arm. “Your kindness carried me through the hardest time of my life, and your wise words helped me see the truth about my life, about myself.”
“Then I haven’t lost but won.”
“Indeed.”
He walked to the window and joined his hands behind his back as he gazed out. “And I’m optimistic about finding a godly wife who will be content out here in the small village of Falls Creek.”
“I believe you will, sir.” She stepped to the piano and set her hymnal on the stand, ready to sing praises to the Lord. “The village of Falls Creek,” she repeated as she began to play a joyful tune. “I like the sound of that.”
# # #
While you’re waiting for the next Uncharted book, be sure to read the prequel series, Uncharted Beginnings. Keep reading here for a sample of the first book, Aboard Providence.
Chapter One of Aboard Providence
Jonah Ashton held two letters, one in each hand as if the gravity of their messages bore physical weight and his open palms were the pans of Lady Justice’s scale. The papers felt deceptively equal and light, but the words written on them produced heaviness in his chest that could not be ignored. He sat on the edge of his bed in the musty room at the back of his aunt’s fine Philadelphia home and glanced up at his classmate.
Frederick straightened his starched collar in the dressing mirror. He raised an eyebrow at Jonah. “Well?”
“Well what? I must go home. I haven’t got a choice.”
“Of course you do. Stay and fight the allegation so you can finish the medical program.”
Jonah shook his head and studied the letters for the twentieth time. One letter, written in the scurried script of a concerned professor at Penn’s Medical School, warned of a possible criminal charge and adjured Jonah to prepare his defense; the other letter summoned him to his father’s estate in Accomack County on Virginia’s Eastern Shore. He blew out a shaky breath and pointed at the Spencerian scroll of his father’s closing command. “He said to come home at once. He believes the tension between the States will escalate since Lincoln’s been elected. He’s been talking about settling land in South America, and I knew he expected me to go with them. I didn’t think it would be until after I earned my degree.”
“Why would someone of your father’s wealth and connections want to leave it all behind and sail to South America?”
“His inherited wealth and connections mean nothing to him, but he has always dreamed of…” Not wanting to paint his father as impetuous, he changed his explanation. “There are unsettled islands off the eastern coast of South America. They are beguiled by the challenge of establishing a new colony.”
Uncharted Promises Page 19