Grandmother's Namesake

by Cathy Bryant

  Back at the house, they all worked together to prepare the evening meal. Elizabeth and her father had been known to do this on many an occasion. Susanna was captivated by the sight, for she believed not many fathers would involve themselves with meal preparations alongside their daughters.

  As her own mother was still living, and her father worked long days to provide for his family, Susanna had not observed this practice in her own home. The thought of her own father working in her mother’s kitchen caused Susanna’s mouth to curve into a grin. Mother would surely have chased him out if he had ever attempted such a thing.

  Later that evening, with their bellies full and eyelids heavy, the ladies bid Elizabeth’s father goodnight and took themselves off to bed. However, once they had settled into Elizabeth’s comfy bed, they seemed to get a burst of energy.

  “What is the matter with us? We were about to drop after cleaning up the dishes. Now it seems we could go on all night,” Susanna said with a chuckle.

  “I know. Is it not ridiculous?” responded Elizabeth as she rolled back against her pillow. “So, what shall we talk about?”

  Susanna had a sneaking suspicion that her friend was about to pounce on her concerning William. Glaring at her friend with as stern a look as she could muster, she stated, “Elizabeth, I am happy to talk about anything other than William.”

  With a mischievous grin, Elizabeth responded, “Well then. Let us talk about Maddie and the farm.” She felt sure the conversation would eventually lead to William, given that he was such a crucial part of the farm and its operations.

  However, Susanna let the fact be known that she was wise to her. “Oh no you don’t! It is clear to me that, by your estimation, I am extremely dim-witted, or you would not have attempted to lead the conversation in that direction. Where else would it have led other than to William, as he is almost daily at the farm?”

  Seeing that Susanna had not been fooled, with a twinkle in her eye and feigned innocence, Elizabeth said, “I am truly hurt by your insinuation. Would I go against your wishes and speak on a subject you have forbidden?”

  With that, the two erupted in laughter. But then as soon as Elizabeth composed herself enough to keep a straight face, she decided to broach the forbidden subject regardless of Susanna’s wishes. She was not about to let it drop. She was soon to be married and may not have time to look after her friend in the future. It was her greatest wish that, for Susanna’s sake, the matter with William be resolved.

  Looking intently at Susanna, Elizabeth began, “Susanna, do not be unhappy with me, but I cannot let you off that easily. We shall not have another opportunity for quite some time to speak about this.”

  A little flustered that she had not been successful at diverting the conversation away from herself, Susanna groused. “Oh, very well. I shall not take offense, for I can see that you are anxious to have your say.”

  “Do not be angry, but I was happy that William overheard our conversation the other day. You may have gone on forever without giving the poor, pitiable man the opportunity to address the issue. At times, you can be so stubborn!”

  With a frown, Susanna snapped, “It pleased you, then, that he flew at me the way that he did!”

  Attempting to hide a giggle, Elizabeth came back with, “Well . . . truthfully, yes. Not that I wanted him to roar at you . . . but it simply wasn’t fair that you had not consulted him about your concerns with regard to his parents and so forth. In fact, I believe he cares little about how you will get on with his parents.”

  Searching for something else to talk about, Susanna sighed, “This is a lovely room. I have always adored those lace curtains,” she said pointing. “Wherever did you get them?”

  “You are too hilarious. Did you think you could throw me off topic so easily?”

  Susanna rolled her eyes. “I can see that you are not going to let me have any peace until I allow this conversation to take place.”

  “You can depend on it!” Elizabeth responded resolutely.

  “Very well, Elizabeth. If you must know—I heard everything William had to say. He assumes that his feelings shall not be altered by time or circumstance. However, as marriage is for a lifetime, how can he know for certain? I simply do not want to take the chance that he shall be unhappy with his choice.”

  Looking thoughtful, Elizabeth countered, “Susanna, does not William have some say in his own future, or is it for you alone to decide?”

  Susanna understood what Elizabeth was trying to say, but it had little effect. She could not be persuaded to amend her point of view. Not wanting to hurt her friend or to continue with the conversation any longer, Susanna suggested that Elizabeth allow her to think on it some more. She assured Elizabeth that she would allow the subject to come up again before she returned home.

  Chapter 35

  The morning came too quickly for Susanna and Elizabeth. They had stayed up for most of the night talking. Just now, the sun was beaming through the window, directly into their sleepy faces; thus, the ladies could no longer rest.

  While they were bemoaning the fact that it was time to rise, Mr. Howard knocked at the door to inform his daughter that her fiancé, Fred Brown, had arrived; whereupon Elizabeth quickly rose and threw on her dress. Then Susanna assisted her with her hair. Once Elizabeth was satisfied with her appearance, she grabbed her cape and headed for the door.

  “Susanna, take your time getting ready. Fred shall not mind waiting.”

  “Thank you, Elizabeth, but I shall not be long. Do not forget your cap.”

  Elizabeth turned and quickly grasped her cap before hastening out of the room.

  Fred Brown had come to conduct Elizabeth and her father to Salisbury for the day. The home that he and Elizabeth would soon share was almost completed. They had seen it in only its early stages of construction. Therefore, he was most eager to show them. However, Fred was yet unaware that Susanna would be joining them.

  Besides the home in which her dear friend would be living, Susanna was also looking forward to seeing the town of Salisbury. Though she had been there on numerous occasions, she never tired of the place. Her grandmother, Susanna North Martin, had first settled there upon her arrival from England. At the time, Mr. North, Susanna Jameson’s great-grandfather, had purchased the store at the center of town. Then Mr. North and his daughter—Susanna Jameson’s grandmother—had worked in the store together. In point of fact, it had always intrigued Susanna North Martin’s namesake that the father and daughter had worked together every day. She believed that she would have enjoyed doing that very thing, had she been given the opportunity. To her, spending time with her father and waiting on customers seemed an enjoyable way to fill one’s days.

  For Susanna, another point of interest had always been the home Maddie, in her younger years, had shared with Ralph and Elizabeth Bleasdell. Whenever Susanna had visited the town with Maddie they made a point of calling upon the occupant of the house, Ebenezer Bleasdell—Ralph and Elizabeth’s grandson.

  In addition, Susanna loved to stroll down by the river to see the ferry coming and going. Elizabeth’s grandfather, Anthony Hall, upon his arrival from England, had worked for the original owner Mr. Carr. Christopher Osgood had also been employed by Mr. Carr when he removed from Ipswich to Colchester, which was later called Salisbury. Susanna never tired of the stories relating to that time.

  In fact, one such story involved Carr Island, which was located on the Merrimac not far off Salisbury’s shore. As the story goes, Maddie had removed to Salisbury with the Bleasdell family while Christopher Osgood remained in Ipswich. However, unbeknownst to Maddie, Christopher had come to Carr Island to work for Mr. Carr. One day while Maddie and her good friend Bridget Dudly were exploring the island, to Maddie’s great surprise, Christopher happened along. Maddie and Christopher had not seen each other in some time so they were joyously conversing when Jarret Ormsby, the man who had attempted to secure Maddie for himself, came strolling up. It wasn’t long before Jarret had successf
ully given the impression that he and Maddie were there together. When, in reality, after having heard of the ladies’ excursion, he had simply followed them to the island.

  At one point in time, Maddie had explained to Susanna that her heart broke that day at the sight of Christopher’s reaction to what he believed regarding the situation. However, following Ralph Bleasdell’s subsequent explanation to Christopher, concerning Jarret’s bothersome attempts to win Maddie, it all had worked out in the end.

  While she dressed, Susanna’s mind had been preoccupied with stories she had heard regarding Salisbury. However, as she began to focus on the day ahead, she quickly readied herself. As she approached the wagon, she learned that Mr. Howard meant to stay behind. It was his opinion that he had been slacking off a bit to spend time with his daughter before her wedding—which had left much work to be done.

  Susanna sat on one side of Elizabeth and Fred on the other as they journeyed toward Salisbury. As it was a short distance, it was not long before the threesome arrived at their destination.

  With excitement, Susanna jumped down from the wagon and hastened toward her friend’s new home. From what she could see, Fred had done a marvelous job of clearing away the trees to make the land accessible for husbandry.

  In approaching the house, Susanna was amazed at the meticulous way in which Fred had gone about building the home—everything appeared so orderly. Once they had made their way through the door, escorted by Fred, the ladies began the tour. First, the husband-to-be happily pointed out the fully stocked kitchen. From Susanna’s vantage point, she observed more than one iron skillet, six pewter plates, six wooden trenchers, several pewter platters, and one brass kettle. In addition, there were two earthen pans and as many earthen pots.

  From there, Susanna followed the couple into the sitting room where she saw a spinning wheel tucked over in one corner. Given that spinning wheels reminded her of her grandmother, she quickly turned to the east side of the room where there was a lovely little settee overlaid with several tiny, lace cushions. On the west side of the sitting room stood a rather large, maple bookshelf that, at present, was piled high with books. Being an avid reader, Fred had constructed the impressive piece to accommodate his many books. Off to one side of the bookshelf, stood a small, wooden table with two pewter candlesticks upon it.

  Elizabeth’s joy at all she had observed was easily discerned by her loving husband-to-be. He soon swelled with pride at the delight he saw in his beautiful Elizabeth’s face.

  Susanna smiled as she observed Fred’s elation over the knowledge that his labors had given his lady such pleasure. For a moment, all thoughts pertaining to her quandary with William were nonexistent. All she had on her mind was how happy the couple was going to be in their new home. As she continued to study the room, the pair had carried on with the tour.

  Coming to herself, Susanna realized that Fred and Elizabeth had gone ahead without her. Hoping her delay had not been detected, she quickly caught up to them in one of the bedchambers. Noting the remarkable bedstead, which had been crafted out of solid oak, Susanna surmised that this was the, soon to be, bride and groom’s bedchamber. Glancing around, Susanna noted that a little table, presently resting in the corner nearest the window, complemented the lovely bedstead. Then, with delight, Susanna observed the coverlet with matching pillows upon the bed and a large, colorful quilt neatly draped at the foot.

  Susanna looked up to find her friend gazing out the little window, which faced out from the backside of the house. The view from there overlooked the fields. Susanna perceived by Elizabeth’s countenance that she was at peace with her situation. All at once, Fred glanced over at Susanna and found an expression of gratitude upon her face for the way he had taken great care in seeing to her best friend’s comforts. From all that Susanna had observed, Elizabeth’s home was well outfitted with everything the lady of the home may require.

  The tour of the house came to an end with the three young people setting off toward the center of the town. Elizabeth and Fred had a few more purchases to make at the little shop whose original owner had been Susanna’s great-grandfather, Mr. North. As they approached their destination, Susanna recalled the delight she had always felt upon entering the store and how she had often imagined her grandmother, in her younger years, standing behind the counter—assisting customers with their purchases.

  Upon their arrival at the town’s first shop, the joy Susanna had been experiencing about visiting the store was soon superseded by an overwhelming feeling of melancholy as thoughts of her grandmother’s last days swept over her. Having observed Susanna’s face drain of all its color, Elizabeth hastened to her side. Grasping Susanna by the hand, Elizabeth led her back out of doors.

  “What is it, Susanna? Are you unwell?”

  Having seen the ladies as they hurried out of the store, Fred followed after them. “What is it Elizabeth? Were you not going to look over the stores wares before we go?”

  “Fred, Susanna is not feeling well at the moment.”

  Coming to herself, Susanna sighed with embarrassment. “I am quite all right. The two of you should go back in and finish your shopping. I believe I shall remain out of doors and take in the fresh air.”

  Glancing at Fred, Elizabeth shook her head to indicate that she intended to remain with Susanna. She then signaled that he should fetch the wagon. Within a few minutes, he had collected the ladies and they were off. Though they had hoped to remain in Salisbury for the better part of the day, it was clear that Susanna needed a rest.

  As they traveled along, though her friends tried to persuade her otherwise, Susanna apologized over and over for having been such a bother. To her mind, it was unforgivable that all of their plans for the day had been ruined on account of her.

  Before long, they were back at the Howard’s home. Mr. Howard approached the wagon as it pulled up in front of the house. With a quizzical look upon his face, he inquired as to the reason for their hasty return. After everyone had entered the house, Elizabeth explained what had happened. Mr. Howard looked over at Susanna who, at that moment, was looking rather downcast for having been the cause of their early return.

  Seeing that Elizabeth needed to see to her friend without the distraction of having him about, Fred took his leave. Mr. Howard escorted him out and then returned to the barn.

  Once Susanna and Elizabeth were alone, Elizabeth insisted that Susanna tell her what had happened while they were at the store.

  Susanna explained as best she could, for she didn’t quite understand it herself. All she could say for sure was that once she had entered the store, memories of her grandmother’s last days had flooded her thoughts. “You see, Elizabeth. With thoughts such as what assailed me today there is not the smallest chance that a marriage to William would be in his best interest. How do you think he would have felt had he been with us today? A marriage to me would surely bring him nothing but agony.”

  Elizabeth listened patiently to her friend and then sat quietly mulling the whole thing over. Having been privy to Susanna’s secret that she had attended the hangings, Elizabeth knew she must handle the matter delicately. She had never even spoken to Susanna of that day—the day of the hangings. To bring it up now in order to explain that the horrific event may, in some way, be clouding her friend’s judgment, she reasoned, may not be wise. In her view, that Susanna had been present at such a devastating event might even now be muddling her thoughts. “Susanna, I am at a loss as to what to say to you. I have given you my opinion with regard to William’s feelings. I hope you will consider what losing you would do to him. In my estimation, he would suffer more from that than anything else.”

  Then, at Elizabeth’s suggestion, Susanna took a rest, which left Elizabeth with time on her hands. Elizabeth decided to take the opportunity to speak with her father about the situation between her friend and William.

  Mr. Howard listened intently to all that his daughter had to say and then offered up a prayer. He then suggested that Elizabe
th spend her time beseeching the Lord on their behalf rather than attempting to convince Susanna to marry William.

  The following day, Susanna determined to focus solely on her friend and her forthcoming nuptials. “We must get busy on your wedding gown, Elizabeth. I am here but a few more days. It is my intention that we finish it before I return to Maddie’s.”

  “Are you sure you wish to work on it today, Susanna?”

  “Of course. Now lay out the lovely blue fabric and lace. Let’s get to work,” she replied, determined to put her friend’s needs above her own.

  With delight, Elizabeth gathered up all that was needed for making her gown. Then she settled onto the bed alongside Susanna to work on the gown.

  For much of the next three days, the friends labored side by side to complete Elizabeth’s dress.

  Finally, Susanna held the gown up for one final inspection. “Elizabeth, I believe it is time for you to try on your wedding gown.”

  With eyes wide, grinning from ear to ear, Elizabeth undressed. She then gathered up the gown from Susanna’s hands and slipped it on. With Susanna’s assistance, Elizabeth was readied to view her image in the large looking glass at the far end of her room.

  With astonishment at the finished work, Elizabeth squealed at the sight of herself in the lovely blue, satin gown. She simply adored the ruffled sleeves and the delicate lace with which the sleeves had been trimmed. The young woman giggled as she twirled around and around. All at once, she remembered Susanna was in the room. Glancing her way, she observed her friend’s reaction.

  With a twinkle in her eye, Susanna nodded with satisfaction at the sight of her best friend clad in the beautiful blue gown. “You look lovely, Elizabeth. What a beautiful bride you shall make. In fact, I believe you are the handsomest bride I have ever seen.”