Wonderful.
Somehow she knew that as well as she knew her own name. She was lost in thoughts of a little girl who looked a lot like Danny when she saw a surrey headed toward them, trailing a cloud of dust.
“That’s Sarah’s rig,” Edward said. And indeed it was. Her husband, Randolph, who everyone thought deserved far better than what he had for a wife, was driving.
“What on earth can she possibly want?” Libby said. “Hasn’t she caused enough trouble?”
They didn’t have to wait long to find out. Randolph pulled to a stop near the rose-laden arch, helped his wife down from the buggy and handed her a set of crutches.
“Hello there, Randolph,” Edward said. “Come and join us. We have a couple of extra chairs.”
So far, Sarah had not said a word or made eye contact with anyone. All her attention was focused on maneuvering the stone pathway.
“Thank you, Edward,” Randolph said. “It’s a lovely afternoon, isn’t it?”
“Indeed it is.”
Sensing that the adults might not want children present, Blythe took it upon herself to herd them into the house for a lemonade while Sarah hobbled up the steps and sat down next to Rachel.
“I’ll wait in the buggy,” Randolph said.
“Thank you, my dear,” she replied with a smile of genuine gratitude. “And thank you for understanding.”
He nodded and strode out toward the road.
“I’m so glad you’re all here,” she said. “It will make this easier.”
Her gaze moved around the group, all people whose lives she had complicated with her unbridled tongue. “That ordeal last week opened my eyes to a lot of things,” she said, jumping right into the subject. “Staring down the barrel of a Colt puts things into perspective really fast. I realized in that moment that I have been a Christian in name only. Oh, I’ve spouted scripture with the best of them and helped the needy, but it was all more something to do than something I really felt in my heart. It will take some time, but I mean to change that.”
She inhaled deeply, as if she were fortifying herself for a battle. “The first thing I wanted to do was to come and thank you, Gabriel.” Her voice quavered with emotion, and there was no hint of her usual smug superiority. “If you hadn’t come along when you did, I might have been found in that ravine dead.”
“No need to thank me, Sarah,” Gabe told her. “Anyone would have done the same.”
“If you believe that, you’re more naive than I’ve been led to believe,” she said with a touch of asperity. Again, she let her gaze rove around the gathering. Her eyes were overbright.
“I have hurt all of you deeply by spreading rumors and gossiping and stirring up all sorts of trouble. A lot of folks in this town who’d been treated like that would have just driven by without so much as a fare-thee-well. And I honestly can’t say I’d blame them.”
“Maybe you aren’t giving the people in town enough credit,” Abby said. “Yes, you have hurt all of us, but everything has come to rights, and I feel that I speak for us all when I say that we’ve forgiven you.” She gave Caleb a sharp look.
He nodded.
“Gabe? Edward? Rachel?” Sarah queried and received three nods in tandem.
“Well, Elisabeth,” Sarah said, pinning Libby with a pointed look. “What about you? Can you forgive me for...Lucas?
Libby was silent for long moments. Finally, she looked at Sarah. “Knowing you weren’t the only one, Sarah, makes it easier. Certainly I can. While no one wants a marriage to break up for any reason, and I was devastated when mine did, I’m certain I was much happier with Sam than I ever could have been with Lucas. Forgiving you for your part in my losing my boys will be harder, but with God’s help, I’ll manage that, too, in time.”
“Thank you. I don’t deserve it, but thank you all.” Tears spilled down Sarah’s cheeks. She grabbed her crutches and heaved herself to her feet.
Rachel’s eyes felt prickly, as well. As furious as she’d been at the woman, as much as she had detested Sarah’s behavior, she felt a sudden sorrow and even pity. She hoped that Sarah had truly repented for her wrongs and would turn her life around.
At the bottom of the steps, she turned and looked from Gabe to Rachel and back to Gabe. When she spoke, there was a hint of the old Sarah in her tone. “No doubt you’ll think me pushy when I say this, Gabriel, but you really should marry Rachel. That boy of yours needs the security of knowing both his parents are together.”
Gabe turned to look at Rachel, but his words were directed to Sarah. “For once, I think you’re exactly right, Sarah.” One corner of his mouth lifted in a teasing half smile. “In fact, she’s already said yes—more or less.”
“I don’t recall your asking me to marry you,” Rachel denied. “I believe you asked me if I would be so bossy when we were married.”
“And you said ‘yes.’”
“I said ‘probably,’” she countered. “I didn’t think you knew what you were saying since you were under the influence of a painkiller at the time.”
“I knew, and I meant it.”
Smiling, Rachel leaned toward him and whispered, “So did I.”
And then she kissed him, the imperfect man who had stolen her heart. Danny’s prodigal father, finally come to a place filled with love. Home.
* * * * *
Keep reading for an excerpt from A BRIDE FOR THE BARON by Jo Ann Brown.
Dear Reader,
Well, it’s a year later, and we’re back in Wolf Creek. A lot has happened in a year. Caleb and Abby have a baby boy, and Caleb’s wayward brother has come home after nine years. This is Gabe and Rachel’s story. Once again, I’ve tried to take imperfect people and show how God works in lives to change them for better.
I’m still taking liberties with Wolf Creek, adding characters and businesses as I need them. (I’ve fudged a bit on when things happened, too...like the railroad coming.) I “took over” the home of a lady from church and moved Rachel and her family there. They seem to like it very much! You’ll see some folks mentioned that I hope will have their own stories soon. There are just so many good people and interesting stories in Wolf Creek that I want to share them with you!
I hope you enjoy Gabe and Rachel’s story. As usual, I fell in love with them.
Take time to smell the roses. And thank God for them.
Penny Richards
Questions for Discussion
Have you ever known anyone like Sarah VanSickle? Why do you think she got so much pleasure from seeing other people miserable?
When people in Wolf Creek found out Rachel had a child out of wedlock, many were quick to judge and condemn her. Christians should hate sin, but how should they treat the sinner?
Lucas Gentry’s treatment of his sons and the belief that their mother abandoned them played a major role in the kind of men Caleb and Gabe became. Do you believe the influence we have on our children is important to their social, emotional and spiritual welfare? Should we be more aware of that influence?
Lucas refused to let Libby take the boys with her when he forced her to leave Wolf Creek. Do you know divorced people who use the children to hurt and punish the other? Why? Who is really hurt in the end?
Rachel blamed Gabe for what happened between them in St. Louis. Have you ever done something wrong and tried to justify your actions by saying it wasn’t really your fault and placing the blame elsewhere? Did you truly believe it, or were you trying to ease your own guilt?
Rachel was very bitter after Gabe left her. Were her feelings justified?
Rachel harbored ill feelings toward Gabe, but she didn’t try to poison Danny’s mind with name-calling and blame-placing. Was this the right thing to do?
Being robbed helped Sarah to see the error of her ways. Have you e
ver known it to take a major disaster to make someone realize the sin in their life?
Gabe left Wolf Creek seeking new experiences, many of them bad, hoping to fill the emptiness in his heart. Have you known people who have tried to fill their emptiness with getting ahead, seeking power, becoming shopaholics or worse—alcoholics and druggies? What would it take to fill that empty place?
Gabe had never known any woman like Rachel. Have you ever known a person whose life was changed because of the love and concern of another?
We hope you enjoyed this Harlequin Love Inspired Historical title.
You find illumination in days gone by. Love Inspired Historical stories lift the spirit as heroines tackle the challenges of life in another era with hope, faith and a focus on family.
Enjoy four new stories from Love Inspired Historical every month!
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Chapter One
Meriweather Hall, Sanctuary Bay, North Yorkshire
February 1817
“’Tis the church in Sanctuary Bay! It’s on fire!”
The words still resonated through Vera Fenwick’s mind as they had in the moments right after her bosom-bow’s wedding. The original plans to hold the ceremony in Sanctuary Bay had been changed after more than half of the church’s ancient roof had collapsed beneath the winter’s heavy snows. Even though her brother, who served as vicar of the Sanctuary Bay church, had not been able to officiate at the ceremony in Norwich, which was the groom’s home parish, Vera had been filled with joy for Catherine and her new husband, Jonathan Bradby. Then the messenger from Sanctuary Bay had raced through Norwich Cathedral’s gate.
After long days of traveling by carriage, Vera would soon see how much damage had been done to the church and the vicarage that had been her home for the past decade. Her composure had chipped away a little more with each passing mile that brought the carriage closer to Sanctuary Bay.
A gentle hand covered her clenched ones. She looked across the carriage to where Lady Meriweather, Catherine’s mother, leaned toward her. Forcing a smile, which she could not hold long, she knew she should thank the widowed baroness for her compassion. She feared if she opened her mouth that she would be sick.
“We are almost there,” Lord Meriweather, who had inherited the title from Catherine’s late father, said from where he sat beside Vera. They were riding facing backward so the baroness and Miss Lillian Kightly, who had come with them from the wedding in Norwich, could travel in more comfort.
She nodded. The messenger had been sent as soon as the fire was discovered, and he could tell them little other than that the church was engulfed in flames.
“Then we shall know the truth of what has happened,” the baron went on when she did not speak. “Let’s hope that our imaginations have painted a dreary picture of the truth, and the situation won’t be as dire as we fear.”
Vera glanced at him. He had come to claim Meriweather Hall in the autumn. Even sitting, he was a head taller than she was. His tawny hair blew into his brown eyes as an icy wind off the sea swirled through the carriage. His features were interesting rather than classically handsome.
She appreciated his attempt to put her at ease; yet nothing but seeing the damage with her own two eyes would do that now.
“Look!” Miss Kightly said in an attempt to be cheerful. “There’s the gate to Meriweather Hall.” The blonde was the most beautiful woman Vera had ever seen. During their journey north, she had noticed how men could not keep from staring at Miss Kightly while none of them had taken a second look at Vera.
Not that she had cared when every thought in her head was of getting back to Sanctuary Bay.
They came to a stop by Meriweather Hall’s gate, and Lord Meriweather opened the carriage door.
“Why are we stopping here?” asked Miss Kightly.
Instead of answering her, he said, “Lady Meriweather, I trust you will forgive me for asking you to walk into Meriweather Hall.”
The older woman nodded and motioned for Miss Kightly to precede her out of the carriage. Miss Kightly complied but frowned when Lady Meriweather said she believed they both should wait at the manor house while Lord Meriweather assessed the damage.
Vera drew in a deep breath to say she would not be kept a moment longer than necessary to see what was left in the aftermath of the fire, but a footman burst through the gate. He glanced at her, then away.
She had wished her brother would have left a message here to prepare her for what she would soon see. Hope leaped inside her. Maybe the damage was not bad. That hope faded with her next heartbeat. If it had been believed the fire could be doused, there would have been no need to send a messenger with the bad news.
God, give me strength to face what lies ahead. Help me hold up Gregory.
Vera raised her head as Lord Meriweather started to climb back in. He paused as Lady Meriweather murmured something too low for Vera to hear. The baron nodded and gave her a tight smile before he reentered the carriage.
“Miss Fenwick, you will enjoy a better view of the sea if you sit facing forward.” His voice held not a hint of emotion.
Relieved that he was not asking her to wait at Meriweather Hall, she edged past him to take the other seat. He sat and faced her as he slapped the side of the carriage. It lurched into motion, headed toward the village farther north along Sanctuary Bay.
Again Vera clasped her hands. She wanted to thank Lord Meriweather for accompanying her, but the words stuck in her throat. Her limbs felt heavy, then light, then a ripple of sensation like a million frantic insects. She tried to relax. She could not. She and Gregory had spent the past ten years serving the church set on the cliff above the village. She had grown up there, for she had been a girl when they had first arrived.
A foolish girl who nearly had ruined her brother’s career. Even though Gregory never spoke of it, neither of them would ever forget her stupid belief that the son of Lord Hedgcoe truly loved her. Her youthful foolishness, for she had been barely fifteen, had led to disaster and Gregory being removed in shame from the parish Lord Hedgcoe controlled. If the late Lord Meriweather had not offered Gregory the living at Sanctuary Bay, she was unsure what they would have done.
She looked toward the sea. How she had come to love this bay with its turbulent waves and its capricious winds! A sunny morn could end in a wild storm. She caught a view of the village where it clung to the cliffs, the gray-and-red roofs bright against the winter fields. The road turned before she could glimpse the church. Or what was left of it.
Lord Meriweather cleared his throat. “Lady Meriweather asked me to remind you that you and the vicar are welcome to stay at Meriweather Hall as long as necessary.” He stared out the window rather than meet her eyes. “Assuming it is necessary, of course.”
“Thank you. I appreciate you coming with me to th-th-he ch-ch-church.” Her voice broke on the last two words. In so many ways, Sanctuary Bay was her church as much as it was her brother’s. Since she had almost cost Gregory his career in the church, she had slipped into a life of helping in the background. More and more often, she had taken on the task of writing his Sunday sermons while Gregory kept himself busy with other parish duties. When he read her sermons from the pulpit, she could not keep from sneaking glances at other people in the pews, always wondering if her words had touched their hearts.
Lord Meriweather’s gaze focused on her. “Miss Fenwick, I am sure there are many pretty words that might offer you solace at this time, but I am sorry that I am not a man accustomed to speaking such words. Before I served the king, I sp
ent my days working with rough men who are as skilled with crude cant as they are with tools.” He drew in a deep breath and sighed it out loudly enough that she could hear it over the breeze from the sea.
Vera tried to think of something to say but was afraid that if she opened her mouth sobs would come out. Again her emotions went up and down like a storm wave, crashing her hopes into many shattered pieces.
She continued to gaze at the sea until she heard Lord Meriweather pull in a sharp gasp. She sat straighter and realized, while she had been making an effort to think of nothing, they had reached the top of the village where the church and vicarage were. Shouts rang through the carriage, but she did not catch any of the words.
The tone was unmistakable, though. Anger. Fear. Regret. Pain. All those emotions and more were woven through the voices.
Odors of smoke and wet wood hung in the air, tainting every breath she took.
She remembered that smell from when a fire had burned through a side street in the village. The reek of soaked wood had lingered over the village for almost a month. Each new storm brought it forth again until the cottages were rebuilt.
Her stomach dropped as the last drops of hope evaporated. She turned to the other window, but Lord Meriweather’s hands clamped on her shoulders. Surprised, she looked at him. His mouth was drawn, and she saw lines on his brow and gouging into his cheeks that she had never noticed before.
“It is bad, isn’t it?” she whispered.
He nodded.
“Very bad?”
Again he nodded.
“All gone?” She had to force the words past her lips.
“Yes.” His jaw worked, then he said, “If you wish to return to Meriweather Hall now and come back here when you have had a chance to rest from our long journey, say so.”
It was tempting. To push aside the problem and pretend it did not exist, but that was not her way. “I appreciate your kindness, my lord. However, delaying will not make my first sight any easier.”
Wolf Creek Homecoming Page 23