by Cathy Bryant
Following his conversation with William, Charles hastened to the Osgood farm. Within a few minutes he had arrived. He soon spotted Mrs. Osgood moving in the direction of the barn. Climbing down from his wagon, he hurried toward her. “Mrs. Osgood, William requests that you accompany me back to his farm. He has something about which he needs to speak with you.”
“Very good, Charles. I shall come along with you. However, I must inform Susanna that I shall be gone for a while.”
Charles nodded in understanding and then waited patiently by the wagon for her to return. Within a few minutes, she was prepared to leave. Susanna remained behind—curious as to the reason Maddie was needed at William’s.
Upon their arrival at William’s farm, Charles assisted Maddie down from the wagon. With trepidation, William observed her as she approached. He hoped Maddie would not think it was mere jealousy that prompted him to send for her. Yet, to be truthful, he had indeed felt jealous upon hearing the news of Mr. Ormsby’s visit.
“William, you look as though you have had very little rest.”
“Well . . . I have had a bit of trouble sleeping. I keep going over and over in my mind what transpired at the meetinghouse that day. What could I have done differently? Telling her sooner may not have made any difference.”
“I, too, have wondered if asking you to wait had been the wise thing to do. I have since come to much the same conclusion—it may not have changed a thing. No matter the timing, it is a hard bit of information for Susanna to swallow. Be that as it may, what is it you wished to speak with me about?”
“First, let me say that what I am about to disclose has nothing whatsoever to do with preventing Susanna from forming an attachment to another. If your recent visitor was who I think he was, he has had a bad education for proper behavior toward women. I must know. Was it Mr. Ormsby?”
“Indeed it was,” she responded with a scowl.
“Had it been some other man calling on Susanna, we would not be having this conversation. I assure you. When Charles described the man, I was certain it was he. I am concerned for Susanna’s welfare, Maddie. Therefore, I must tell you more of what I know regarding Mr. Ormsby’s reputation in Salem.”
Maddie then listened intently to what William had to say. He explained that Jacob Ormsby had been in trouble on more than one occasion concerning his free and easy ways with women. He then went on to say, “One husband in particular, having discovered that his wife had been involved with Mr. Ormsby, vowed that if he ever set eyes on him again, he would kill him. As I had alluded to before, it is my opinion that to escape the man’s wrath, Mr. Ormsby came to Haverhill.”
“It is as I feared. The man is a scoundrel—very much like his grandfather before him.”
William was stunned at the mention of the man’s grandfather. “What do you know of his grandfather?”
“William, as I indicated the other day, I had dealings with Jacob Ormsby’s grandfather many years ago. We both lived in Salisbury at the time. When we met, Jarret Ormsby—Jacob’s grandfather—desired to have me for himself. Before long, his intentions became known when he attempted to separate me from Christopher.”
Astonished, William listened closely. “I do recall that you mentioned having known another man by the name of Ormsby, but you never said that it was Jacob’s grandfather.”
“At the time I could not be sure. But when Jacob came to call, I asked him about whether he had a connection to Jarret Ormsby. He confirmed that he did, in fact, have a connection to him—stating that the man was his grandfather. His grandfather has since died. If you wish, I shall go on.”
“Please do.”
“His grandfather attempted more than once to come between Christopher and me. Failing in that, he went after Jane, Elizabeth Howard’s grandmother. The determination with which he pursued her caused a great deal of stress. In fact, it has long been my belief that Jarret was the reason for the loss of her baby. You see, before coming to Salisbury, Jane had recently become a widow. She was carrying her deceased husband’s baby at the time. Jarret’s terrible schemes finally came to an end, at least in Salisbury, when he fled the town. It had become clear to him, at a town meeting, that he would soon be punished for his crimes. Everyone was so relieved he had gone that no one ever went after him to bring him to justice.”
“It looks as if the grandson comes by his antics quite naturally. And, with no proof of the allegations against young Mr. Ormsby, he is free to go wherever he wishes,” William replied.
“Yes, it would seem so. Nevertheless, as in his grandfather’s case, things have a way of catching up with you. For example, I heard that sometime after Jarret Ormsby had removed from Salisbury he went to jail in Ipswich for similar crimes.”
“That is as it should be. However, as that is not the case, as yet, with Jacob Ormsby, I am concerned for Susanna. What if he is determined to have her? There is genuineness in her that he may find irresistible. And, too, she is presently in such a precarious state of mind that where he is concerned her judgment might be muddled, Maddie.”
“We shall be there to protect her, William. I am not about to let that scoundrel have his way. What is more, she still loves you. It is not very likely that she would give her heart away to another.”
“Maddie, as she is not even speaking to me at the moment, it rests with you to keep her safe.”
Maddie then assured William that in time Susanna would come to understand that in God’s strength no obstacle is insurmountable. She reminded him that Susanna had already come to a better understanding of such things over the course of the summer. She also pledged to pray for Mr. Ormsby that God’s will for him would be unmistakable—if not for his own sake, for Susanna’s.
As she turned to leave, William was humbled by her last statement. He realized that he had not committed the man to prayer. “He is important to You, Lord. I had forgotten that for a time, but I pray now for his eternal soul.”
Not long after she had returned home, she began fixing supper. Soon Susanna came into the room still curious as to the reason William had sent for Maddie. “What did William need to speak with you about? On second thought, maybe it is none of my business.”
Maddie was unsure how Susanna would react to William involving himself in her affairs, so she kept her response vague. “Well . . . he, that is, we simply had important matters to discuss. As he is staying away so as not to cause you further discomfort, he requested that I come over there.”
With a twinge of guilt that William had been inconvenienced on her account, Susanna responded, “Maddie, William can come here whenever he wishes. After all, he is working your farm along with his own. I would be much obliged if you would tell him that for me.”
Relieved that Susanna showed signs of softening, with regard to William, Maddie agreed to make her wishes known.
“Elizabeth’s wedding shall be upon us before we know it. I hope she changes her mind and brings her intended by for us to meet him before the big day.”
“Yes, that would be very nice,” Maddie agreed, happy that there had been a change of topic.
“It is so exciting—an autumn wedding!” All at once, Susanna thought about William and how things had changed so drastically between them. How could she ever marry him now? With tears spilling from her eyes, she hastened from the room.
Having observed the tears, Maddie surmised that Susanna had been thinking about William and what their future might have been if not for his parents. “Lord, please comfort Susanna and help her to see William for who he is apart from his parents. He is a good man, Lord, in that his love for You is evident. And, too, he is guided by Your Word. I believe he would be a wonderful husband for Susanna if . . . well You know, Lord. I trust You to speak to her heart. Remind her that You are bigger than all of her troubles. Nothing is too difficult for You.”
Chapter 23
Maddie determined that it was time to speak with Susanna about staying on after the summer. As her parents had Jane at home to help o
ut, Maddie hoped that it would be agreeable to all if Susanna remained indefinitely.
Though Susanna continued to keep her distance from William, Maddie suspected that she still cared for him. If I can persuade her to stay, perhaps in time, she shall accept William once again. If she returns home, I fear there is little chance of that happening.
Susanna came strolling into the barn as Maddie was feeding the horses. “Maddie, you must allow me to tend to them. It is too much for you.”
Ordinarily Maddie would have balked at being told anything was too much for her. But as she thought about it, it occurred to her that she might have just discovered a way to persuade Susanna to stay. “Perhaps you are right, Susanna. Since summer is quickly coming to an end, you shall be returning home very soon. What am I to do once you are gone? My horses shall not feed themselves, and the men are much too busy with the work in the fields to be bothered with the little tasks. Susanna, truth is—I should dearly love to settle you in here with me permanently.”
Susanna thought a moment and then responded. “You know, Maddie, I think I should like that. If my parents are agreeable to the idea, I shall stay on.” Thoughts of William were now dancing around in her head. “Has William resumed his usual duties here at your farm?”
“Yes, but, despite the fact that Charles informed him that you were all right with him being here—he has stayed, for the most part, out in the fields.”
“Oh . . . I . . . I suppose he is afraid of upsetting me,” she responded with sigh.
“He is simply being respectful of your feelings. He never wanted to hurt you, Susanna.”
“I know, but––” Not knowing what else to say, Susanna hastened out of the barn. She needed time to think.
Late in the afternoon, William happened upon Maddie while she was gathering vegetables from the garden. “Are you alone? I do not wish to disturb Susanna.”
“Yes. Susanna is in the sitting room doing some mending. William, it might interest you to know that I have convinced Susanna to stay on after the summer. That is, if her parents are open to the idea.”
William’s eyes brightened at the thought of having more time to get through to Susanna. “She wants to stay even with me around?”
“William, Susanna still cares for you. It is just that she is trying to sort things out. As I have said, I believe in time she shall come around.”
Rubbing his hand over the back of his neck, he replied, “I am trying to be patient, but it is so difficult.”
Maddie reached up and patted William’s arm. “Keep praying, William. God has it all under control—that is as long as we allow Him to reign in our lives.”
The two parted with William feeling a bit lighter. Knowing that Susanna was staying on was more than he had dared to hope.
Later that evening the ladies talked about visiting Susanna’s parents. They wanted to discuss the matter of Susanna staying with Maddie on a more permanent basis. Susanna was also looking forward to seeing her sisters. Apart from Jane, who had been to visit a time or two, Susanna had not seen her younger siblings much over the summer. It was decided they would go in a couple of days. Maddie was certain that William would not object to tending the animals the afternoon they were to be away. However, she still needed time to speak with him about it.
Susanna felt a peace about remaining with Maddie. It is time I make my own way—have a life of my own apart from my family. After all, they have the younger children to care for, one less is good for everyone.
The next morning, Maddie spoke with William about tending to the animals the following day. She explained that she and Susanna would be away at the Jameson’s to inquire as to whether Susanna might stay on indefinitely. Excited for the reason they were making the trip, William happily agreed.
“Would it be too much of an inconvenience for you to do without Charles for the time it would take for him to convey us to the Jameson’s? I am sure that John would see us home.”
“I was just about to suggest that he go along. I shall speak to him about it later today.”
“I am much obliged to you. I know it is a lot to ask that you take on extra work without the benefit of your man to help you—for part of the day anyway.”
“No matter. I shall be just fine until he returns.”
“William, let us pray that if it is God’s will for her to live here on a more permanent basis, John and Esther shall be amenable to the idea.”
“Be assured that I shall spend every waking moment beseeching the Lord for His will in this matter. The difficulty shall be that I not try and convince Him that my will is best.”
Maddie smiled at his last remark. She then returned to the house. Finding Susanna in her bedchamber, Maddie informed her that she had spoken with William and that everything was all set for them to go.
Susanna felt a bit ashamed of the way she had spoken to William the day she had learned the truth about his parents, about him, about everything. “I wish I had not spoken so harshly to William the other day. I wish I could apologize, but I am afraid he shall want to have a long discussion over the entire matter. I am as yet not prepared for that.”
“You could simply apologize and leave it at that. I do not believe William would force you into a lengthy discussion,” replied Maddie, sympathetically.
Susanna thought about Maddie’s suggestion for a moment and then responded. “If the opportunity arises, I shall speak with him . . . briefly.”
A day later it was time for Maddie and Susanna to set off for the Jameson’s homestead. As they were approaching the wagon where Charles was waiting, William moved in their direction. Susanna felt ill at ease at seeing William, but thought this would be a good opportunity to quickly apologize for her behavior of late. With Maddie and Charles present, she felt certain he would not push her for a lengthy conversation.
William felt as if his heart would jump out of his chest at the sight of Susanna. As he moved forward to assist the ladies onto the wagon, he noticed that she appeared to be coming toward him. Swallowing hard, he said, “Susanna, it is good to see you. I was just coming to help you onto the wagon.”
“That is kind of you, William. First, let me apologize for my behavior the other day. I should not have spoken to you in that way.”
William’s eyes quickly filled with tears. Reaching for her hand, he replied, “Susanna, there is no need for you to apologize. It is I who should apologize to you. I regret the way that I handled the situation. I––”
Cutting him off, she said, “William, I am not prepared to discuss the matter. I simply wanted you to know that I am truly sorry for speaking to you the way that I did. There may come a day I shall be prepared to speak on this further, but––”
Breaking in, William squeezed her hand, and said, “Susanna, rest assured, I shall not bring it up again. If, however, you ever wish to talk about it, you may come to me at any time.”
Susanna nodded and then allowed William to escort her over to the wagon; whereupon, he assisted her up onto the seat beside Maddie.
As William stood watching them until they were out of sight, he said, “Thank you, Lord. It is enough for now that she has spoken to me.” Turning on his heels, he strolled into the barn—feeling a bit better than he had in days.
Chapter 24
Upon their arrival at Susanna’s family home, Charles Parker assisted Maddie and Susanna down from the wagon. “Thank you, Charles. I am sure that Mr. Jameson shall see us home.”
“Very good, Mrs. Osgood. I shall take my leave then.”
Just then, the door opened revealing a surprised Esther Jameson. She had heard the wagon pulling into the yard. “Well, Maddie . . . Susanna. It is wonderful to see you both.” Directing them into the sitting room, she said, “Come in and sit down.” Susanna’s sisters, Jane, Esther, and Hannah all came scurrying into the room upon hearing their elder sister’s voice.
“Girls, don’t crowd your sister. Sit down over there,” Esther said, pointing to the corner of the sitting room whe
re a rather large settee was situated. “There shall be plenty of time for visiting with your sister once she and Maddie have had a moment to rest.”
“Where is Elizabeth?” inquired Susanna.
“She is down for her nap at the moment,” responded Esther. “I shall wake her in a while so that you may see her while you are here. How long can you stay?”
“We intended to stay but a few hours, that is, if John can convey us home again,” replied Maddie.
“Maddie, I am sure he would be delighted to see you both home,” Esther responded with a smile.
“It is interesting that you should say ‘home’ when speaking of my farm in relation to Susanna, as that is precisely why we have come.”
“I don’t understand,” replied Esther with a quizzical look on her face.
“Mama, Maddie has asked me to stay on with her indefinitely. As the farm is becoming more than she can handle alone, she has asked me to live with her to assist with the daily chores. William looks after her farm quite well, but he cannot do it all and still have time to manage his own property.”
Esther sat quietly, absorbing all that her daughter had said. Then smiling, she searched Susanna’s face for a sign that this was truly her wish. Upon seeing the delight in her daughter’s face, she realized that Susanna sincerely desired to remain at Maddie’s.
Susanna’s sisters remained silent, listening. Jane, with tears in her eyes, glanced over at Susanna. At that same moment, Susanna—surveying her sisters—detected the sadness in Jane’s eyes. Feeling sympathy for her, she determined to speak with her alone before she left. I shall ask her to come and stay at Maddie’s as often as she likes. In some ways, it shall be much better, for we shall not have the younger ones around as we visit together.
“Susanna . . . Maddie, as soon as John returns from the barn, we shall discuss this with him,” smiled Esther. “I am quite certain he shall be open to the arrangement.”
Maddie and Esther remained in the sitting room enjoying a time of conversation while Jane and Susanna took a short walk together. Young Esther and Hannah stayed behind on the settee talking quietly while their older sisters were gone.