A Lady's Choice

by Sandra Robbins

  To add to the gloom, she hadn’t been able to quit thinking about her argument with Alex. Right before it happened, he had told her he wanted to call on her, but so far he hadn’t shown up. She supposed her outburst had taken care of that.

  When she would begin to think such thoughts, she’d shake her head and tell herself it was all for the best. She couldn’t afford to be friends with someone who would work for a man like James Buckley. It was better to keep a distance from Alex before it was too late to do so.

  The screen door creaked, and Sarah jumped to her feet. Her mother, wearing her best dress, stood just outside the front door. She took a step, and her legs wobbled. Sarah rushed to her. “What are you doing dressed? You’re too weak to go to the party.”

  Her mother took a ragged breath and held out her hand. A heart-shaped locket dangled from her fingers. “I want you to wear this tonight.” She dropped the necklace in Sarah’s open palm.

  Sarah’s fingers closed around the cool metal. For a long moment she stood still, unable to speak. “Mama, Poppa gave you this for a wedding present.”

  Her mother’s somber expression revealed nothing of her thoughts. “It’s my most cherished possession, but I’m giving it to you.”

  Sarah rubbed her thumb across the pendant, set with small diamonds, and gently pried it open. A wave of emotion swept over her at the images of her parents’ young faces inside. She turned the locket and traced her finger over the small indentions on the back. “I can’t believe my teeth were ever small enough to make these marks.”

  Her mother laughed. “I suppose I was too interested in the sermon that Sunday to notice you chewing on the locket. Those marks have just made it more special to me, though.”

  Sarah closed the locket, placed it around her neck, and snapped the catch in place. Tears welled in her eyes as she stood and faced her mother. “Oh Mama, thank you.”

  Her mother reached over and centered the heart in the small of Sarah’s throat. “Your father would be pleased to see what a beautiful young woman you’ve become. I’m so proud of you.”

  Sarah gulped and tried to stem the threatening flow of tears. “Mama, I love you so much.”

  Their arms encircled each other, and they stood without speaking until the sound of an approaching horse parted them. Uncle Charlie’s buggy rumbled over the ruts in the road and rolled into the yard.

  They stepped closer to the edge of the porch as he lumbered from the carriage. He looked up at them, took a white handkerchief from his hip pocket, and mopped the edges of his receding hairline. He hooked his fingers around the waistband of his pants and hitched them up over his potbelly before ascending the steps.

  Sarah bit her tongue to keep from laughing out loud, for Uncle Charlie’s trousers inched down again with every step he climbed. When he reached where they stood, he wrapped his arms around her mother and lifted her off her feet, his usual greeting. “Julia, my dear little sister. Are you sure you feel like coming tonight?”

  “I do, Charlie. If I get tired, I’ll go lie down, but I don’t want to miss the party you and Clara have planned for us.”

  He laughed, and his jowls jiggled. “Good. I think there’s going to be a big crowd there. If you’re ready, we need to go.”

  Sarah and her uncle supported her mother on either side as she descended the porch steps. When they had her seated in the front seat of the buggy, Sarah climbed into the back. She smoothed her skirt and leaned forward. “Uncle Charlie, do you know who’s coming tonight?”

  He grabbed the reins and wrapped them around his hands. “Oh, lots of folks. I reckon about everybody in the community will be there.”

  Although she told herself not to ask the question in her mind, she couldn’t stop. “Do you think Ellen and Alex Taylor are coming?”

  Uncle Charlie snapped the reins across the horse’s back and guided him into the road. “I don’t know. Ellen was in the store earlier this week. She said she was coming, but she didn’t know about Alex. Seems like he’s been working late in the fields every day and is tired when he gets home.”

  Sarah leaned back against the leather seat and sighed. “I see.”

  Uncle Charlie glanced over his shoulder. “But don’t worry. There’ll be lots of other young people there. You’re gonna have a good time.”

  She nodded. “I’m sure I will.”

  It would be better if Alex didn’t come. She needed to concentrate on getting to know the ones who would be there, not fretting over a man who hadn’t bothered to follow through on his request to call on her. But no matter what she knew she should do, she couldn’t ignore the fact she wanted to see him again.

  If truth be told, she was the one who needed to offer an apology this time. Her words to him last Sunday had been harsh, and she regretted that. She had tried not to think about him all week, but he crept back into her thoughts from time to time. She remembered the hurt in his dark eyes and wondered if he would ever want to see her again. She closed her eyes and uttered a silent plea.

  Please come tonight, Alex.

  Alex plodded along the path toward the house from the cotton patch where he and Augie had worked since sunup. He’d attacked the weeds and grass around the young plants like a madman in an attempt to rid his mind of Sarah. The question of what to do about tonight had rung in his head all day. One minute he convinced himself he wouldn’t go to Sarah’s party, and the next he wanted to see her again.

  He wondered about Ellen’s whereabouts as he stepped onto the back porch and slipped his work shoes from his feet. He trudged to the dry sink against the wall and dipped some water into the wash pan from the bucket.

  As the water trickled down his lathered arms, he wished he could rinse his troubled thoughts from his mind that easily. He’d never been as shocked by anything in his life as he had by Sarah’s accusation that he opposed suffrage. As he thought back on the conversation, he realized she hadn’t actually said those words, but she had sure implied them.

  It wasn’t that he was opposed to women voting. He just didn’t see a need in it. Most of the married men he knew were the decision makers in their homes, and that’s the way he’d always thought it would be when he married. The world was getting along just fine the way it was, and he didn’t see any need for a change right now.

  He picked up the towel, dried his hands, and threw it into the sink. “Maybe I shouldn’t go tonight.”

  The screen door banged shut. Ellen, carrying a basket of onions and radishes from the garden, stepped onto the back porch. “What’re you talking about?”

  Alex turned away from her. “I’m trying to convince myself not to go to the party tonight.”

  Ellen’s eyes grew wide. “Why don’t you want to go? Everybody from church is going to be there. It just seems right that we welcome Julia and Sarah to Richland Creek.”

  He sighed. “Sarah and I had a difference of opinion on Sunday. She said some things that bothered me. I think it might be better if we didn’t become any friendlier.”

  Ellen set her basket down. “Was it about suffrage?”

  He gasped. “How did you know?”

  “Because she said something to me too. I warned her she shouldn’t be talking like that around here. Lots of folks might take exception to it.”

  Alex nodded and pursed his lips. “Good for you. She needs to be told.”

  Ellen tilted her head to one side and sighed. “Now I think I may have done wrong. Just ’cause people are against something don’t mean they don’t need to hear another side of the issue.”

  “I don’t understand what you mean.”

  Ellen pulled the sunbonnet from her head and patted her hair into place. “Do you remember the night you told me you wanted to be a lawyer?”

  He rubbed the back of his neck and grinned. “Yeah. I think I was about sixteen, and I’d just finished reading a biography of John Adams for school. You were sitting in front of the fireplace reading your Bible, and I sat down on the floor next to you.”

  “Y
ou looked so much like Pa I thought my heart was gonna burst open.” Ellen smiled as if she was reliving the memory of that night. “You were all excited ’cause you’d read something you wanted to tell me about.”

  Alex smiled. “It was the account of how John Adams had defended eight British soldiers who had killed some people in the Boston Massacre.”

  Ellen nodded. “That’s right. John Adams had been outspoken against the occupation of Boston, but in this case he realized nobody knew who fired first or who was responsible for those killed. He took the case because he believed everybody is entitled to be defended in court. He got a lot of criticism over doing that, but he did what he believed was right.”

  Alex sighed and shook his head. “You’ve made your point, Ellen. Because of John Adams’s defense, six of the soldiers were acquitted, and two were charged with manslaughter. In his later life he called it one of the most gallant actions of his life and said it was the best service he’d ever done for his country.”

  “And that’s what I want you to do. Be gallant in dealing with folks who have differing opinions, and I want you to defend those whose cases may appear hopeless. Give them what John Adams gave those British soldiers, and don’t be so set on something just ’cause other folks say it’s so. Find out for yourself.”

  Alex put his arms around his sister and hugged her. “You’re a very wise woman, Ellen.”

  Ellen pulled back and stared into his eyes. “One more thing I hope you’ll remember in dealing with folks. We can’t make other people do what we want. But we can accept the way we feel about ’em even though we don’t like their choices. Sarah may need you more than you can even imagine. Just pray about it. God will tell you what to do.”

  Much as he hated to admit it, Ellen sensed the need in people better than he. “You’re right. I can’t change Sarah. But maybe I can be her friend.” He took a deep breath. “Now about that party. Are you going?”

  Ellen grinned. “I wouldn’t miss it for anything.”

  He headed toward the kitchen door but stopped and looked back at Ellen. “And I’m going with you. I’ll be ready before you know it.”

  “I’ll be waiting.”

  When he reached his bedroom, he closed the door and sank down on the bed. Second thoughts about attending tonight’s party flashed through his head. Maybe he shouldn’t go. Sarah might prefer not seeing him again.

  He’d never known a woman before who spoke with such passion on a subject. All the girls he’d met while in school had one thing on their mind—finding a man to marry. From what he’d observed with Sarah, that was probably the last thing on her mind. But that was good. He didn’t need to get involved with anyone. He had a new life waiting for him in Memphis, and he couldn’t afford to do anything to compromise what he’d worked so hard to attain.

  Alex pounded the mattress with his fist and pushed to his feet. One party wasn’t going to affect his life. There would be lots of his friends there, and he’d enjoy the evening with them. He didn’t even have to spend any time with Sarah Whittaker.

  He strode to the armoire across the room, jerked the door open, and stilled at the sight of his baseball shirt hanging inside. Ellen must have washed it and hung it there. He reached out and ran his finger over the team’s name embroidered on the shirt pocket.

  The memory of a young girl standing with her skirt lifted above her ankles returned, and his heart dropped to the pit of his stomach. A sigh drifted up from the depths of his soul. He wasn’t fooling himself. All his protests that he didn’t care about seeing Sarah again weren’t true. In his heart he knew he had to see her.

  From the moment he laid eyes on her, all he could do was think about her. He had to find a way to push her from his mind. Maybe tonight he’d find the answer of how to do that.

  Chapter Four

  Sarah stood to the side of the yard behind Uncle Charlie’s store. The sweet smell of blooming roses drifted on the night breeze, and Japanese lanterns blinked a warm glow across Aunt Clara’s garden.

  One after another Uncle Charlie and Aunt Clara introduced the arriving guests to her, and Sarah wondered how she would ever remember all the names. Beside her, Uncle Charlie’s voice boomed out. “Dr. Lancaster, so good of you to come.” He turned to her mother. “Julia, this is the new doctor I was telling you about. He just came to Richland Creek a few weeks ago. He’s set up his office in one of those houses across the street from the store.”

  Sarah glanced at the man shaking hands with her uncle. Gray speckled his dark hair, and a pair of wire-rimmed spectacles perched on his nose. His blue eyes reminded Sarah of the summer sky. “Mrs. Whittaker, I’m so glad to meet you.” He moved to Sarah and grasped her hand. “And you too, Miss Whittaker. Your uncle has told me so much about you.”

  Sarah smiled. “So you’re new to this area too?”

  He nodded. “I am. I practiced in Memphis for over twenty-five years. After my wife died, I decided I’d like to find a place where I could have a small practice and enjoy life more. A medical school friend over at Mt. Pleasant suggested Richland Creek. And here I am.”

  Uncle Charlie laughed. “And we’re mighty glad to have you. Go on over and get you something to eat, and I’ll talk with you later.”

  Sarah watched the doctor walk away and stop to talk with some people seated at one of the tables. “He seemed nice.”

  “Yes.” Her mother took a deep breath and patted Sarah’s arm. “I think I’m going inside to lie down for a while.”

  Sarah grasped her hand. “I’ll go with you.”

  “No, you stay here and meet your guests. I won’t be gone long.”

  Sarah watched her mother walk to the back of the store. Sarah glanced at Aunt Clara. “Do you think she’s all right?”

  “I think so, dear. I’ll check on her in a few minutes.”

  Several people crowded in front of Sarah and blocked her view of the outside staircase that led to the upstairs living area. She pushed up on her tiptoes, but it was no use. She couldn’t see where her mother had gone. She turned her attention back to the guests and smiled as she shook one hand after another.

  When the line of people grew shorter, Sarah glanced back at the stairway. Her mother was nowhere in sight. Her aunt grabbed her arm and pointed at a man and two women walking toward them. “Oh, here comes the Jenkins family. I’ve wanted you to meet Mary Lou. She’s just about your age.”

  Mrs. Jenkins stopped in front of her and grasped Sarah’s hand. “So you’re Julia’s daughter, Sarah? You look just like your mother did when she married your father. Julia and I grew up together and have been good friends all our lives. I’m so excited to have you both living here.”

  “Thank you, Mrs. Jenkins. I’m afraid you just missed Mama.”

  “Oh no, we didn’t. We met her as she was going inside and talked to her for a few minutes. She’s just as beautiful as ever.” She put her arm around her daughter and nudged her closer to Sarah. “This is our daughter, Mary Lou. She’s looked forward to meeting you.”

  The young woman smiled as she reached out to shake Sarah’s hand. “Hello, Sarah. It’s good to meet you at last. I’ve been at my grandparents’ home in Mt. Pleasant for the past few weeks, but I’ve heard wonderful things about you. The girls have all told me how pretty you are, and they were right.”

  Sarah felt her face grow warm. “Thank you, Mary Lou. I’m glad you came tonight. I hope we can get better acquainted.”

  She smiled. “Me too. Maybe after you’ve welcomed all your guests we can talk.” She glanced at the side of the store where two fiddlers, a guitar player, and a banjo picker huddled together. “It looks like the musicians are getting ready to play. I’ll see you later.”

  “I’ll look forward to it.”

  Sarah watched Mary Lou walk across the yard and join a group of young women. Within seconds they were laughing together, and the sight reminded her of friends back in Memphis.

  It was time to try to fit in with the young women her age in Richland Cre
ek. She squared her shoulders and braced herself to join one of the groups. A rustle behind her halted her step.

  “Hello, Sarah.”

  She whirled at the sound of the familiar voice and came face-to-face with Alex. Her heart lurched and joy coursed through her body. The loneliness of a moment ago lay forgotten in the thrill of seeing him.

  “Alex, I’m so glad you’re here. I was afraid you weren’t coming.”

  He moved out of the shadows and closer to her. “I worked late in the field, and I didn’t know if you wanted to see me. Our last parting wasn’t very cordial.”

  Sarah stared at this handsome man who created strange reactions in her. His presence lifted her spirits, and suddenly the night came alive for her. She moved closer to him and placed her hand on his arm. “Let’s not talk about the last time we met. Let’s have a good time and enjoy each other’s company. I’m so glad you’re here.”

  Alex looked down at her. “That sounds good to me.”

  Uncle Charlie approached and extended his hand in welcome. “Well, Alex, I’m glad you got to come. I’m still reliving that game last week. That was mighty good pitching.”

  Alex clasped Charlie’s hand. “Thanks, Charlie. I thought the whole team did a good job.”

  “Not one to take all the glory, huh? Sounds just like your sister. By the way, is Ellen with you?”

  “She is. She’s with Sarah’s mother right now. We met her going inside the store when we first arrived, and she asked Ellen to go upstairs with her.”

  Uncle Charlie nodded. “Julia wasn’t feeling well. I’m glad Ellen went with her. She’s always taking care of somebody.”

  Aunt Clara’s shrill voice cut through the conversation. “What’s this about Ellen?”

  “I was just telling Alex and Sarah that Ellen’s always taking care of someone. That seems to be her mission in life.”