by Lorin Grace
Gideon’s eyes widened just as she hoped they would. “I see you only brought four hairpins, Mrs. Frost.” His voice was low and husky as he claimed the previously denied kiss.
It was good there were only four hairpins. After being so thoroughly kissed with her husband’s fingers wrapped in her hair, she doubted she would ever find them. She slowed the kiss so she could say what she had been thinking since the moment she’d seen the map on Barton Samuels’s desk.
“Of all the things Aunt Mina gave me today, this rock means the most. My letter was wonderful, but this rock is where I discovered who I wanted to be, and it is where I found you. Do you think she knew that?”
“I think she did. She spied on us, you know.”
Elizabeth let out a laugh. “How? When?”
“From your bedroom window. I saw the curtain move one day. It was the first day I wanted to kiss you.”
Elizabeth thought about that a moment. “Why didn’t you?”
“I am not sure. I know I had some excellent excuse, but now it seems rather silly.” He leaned in for another kiss.
“Gideon?”
“Hmm?”
“If Aunt Mina could see us, do you think someone else can?”
“In the day, maybe, but by starlight? I don’t believe so.”
Elizabeth returned the kiss with more fervor as the stars twinkled above them.
The End
Historical Notes
Today, if one visits the town of Avon, Massachusetts, formerly known as East Stoughton, they can find Elizabeth’s rock. Two decades ago I spent time sitting on that boulder pondering the origin of the rock wall below the ridge, life, and listening to a baby monitor. I wondered if, over the last few hundred years, anyone else ever sat on that rock. With that in mind, Avon became the natural setting for this story.
Although not incorporated until 1888, Avon traces its history to before the Revolutionary War. First settled by the Curtis family, it was known locally as Curtis Corners. The town failed to be incorporated despite multiple petitions to the Commonwealth and remained part of Stoughton. This placed some burden on the residents who had to travel several miles for services. A brick school house was built in the late 1790s, and today a modern replacement sits on the same street corner. The town Greenwich did exist in 1795, but was destroyed when Quabbin Reservoir was built in the 1930’s.
Mindwell’s stories are based in fact. There were at least two occasions between 1748 and 1754 when numerous women spun flax into linen thread on the Boston Common. Some historians have tried to link this to tax rebellion on the part of the colonists. However, this is unlikely as the demonstrations occurred more than a decade before the king of England levied a cloth tax. On the occasion of the second celebration, a pamphlet from an anonymous writer was circulated extolling the need for colonists to produce their own clothing goods, showing much foresight. And the name Mindwell was in the top twenty girls’ names in 1720 New England.
About four years before the famous Boston Tea Party was held by the men, women from Boston and other parts of New England had their own “tea parties,” where they signed compacts vowing not to drink or use tea. Thus, both drinking coffee and chocolate became a small patriotic act of rebellion. Baker’s chocolate was supplying bars of unsweetened chocolate much like those we use today. It was used to make a chocolate drink that was considered a healthy breakfast. Some period recipes used milk and others water, but either way, the drink was not as sweet as the hot cocoa I like to curl up with while reading.
I tried to be as authentic as possible with the processes of spinning, weaving, and bleaching linen without taking over the story. Several period directions call for the use of lye and cow dung. Others call for urine as well as boiling. When I read the first instructions calling for dung, I knew Elizabeth needed it not only as bleach for the linen but as part of her reformation.
The parish church system existed in Massachusetts into the 1830s. Despite the adoption of the Bill of Rights, several states sponsored churches with tax money into the nineteenth century. Massachusetts was the last state to abolish the practice. Although most of these parish churches were Congregationalist, the evolutionary children of the Puritan Church, the First and Second Great Awakenings brought many new sects into being. While under the law, other sects could be parish churches. This could only occur when a congregation was large enough to warrant a church or the town voters voted for a church of a different sect. I combine beliefs of several of the various denominations into the imaginary sect where Gideon Frost became a minister. I did take the liberty of using an unfinished church building that existed near Curtis Corners at the time.
Under the parish church system, local magistrates could levy fines for those who did not attend church, who were of able body, for the space of three months. They also could fine those who acted rudely in a house of worship on the Lord’s day. Both Mr. Butler and Gideon could have been fined for fighting on the Lord’s day as well as Mr. Butler for striking Elizabeth. However, since there were no other witnesses to the fight, I chose not to have them charged with Lord’s day violations as someone would have needed to file a complaint.
The Massachusetts Justice: being a collection of the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts by Samuel Freeman, printed in 1795, has been an invaluable resource for this book, if not a bit trying to read as the s’s are printed as f’s. It can be found online and lists a number of crimes that could not be enforced today.
Acknowledgments
There are not enough ways to thank those who helped me bring about this book. As always my cheerleaders Anita, Amber and Tammy, sorry if I talked your ears off.
Huge thanks to my beta readers; especially Nancy, Nanette, and Nicole who marked up every page of the manuscript and caught so many errors. I hope you recognize the book. The writer friends picked up on the way especially Sally, and Cindy, whose daily critiques and input have been invaluable. Thanks to all the writers in Cache Valley League of Utah writers, and iWriteNetwork, each of you has made me a better writer. Thank you for your part in my growth as a fledging writer.
Thanks also to Michele at Eschler Editing for the edits and finding oh so many little things to fix; any mistakes left in this book are not her fault. Nor are my excellent proof readers to be blamed. Thank you ladies!
My family, for sharing their home with the fictional characters who often got fed better than they did. And my husband who encouraged me every crazy step of the way, and who is my example for every love story I dream up. The real one is better.
And to my Father in Heaven for putting these wonderful people, and any I may have forgotten to mention, in my life. I am grateful for every experience and blessing I have been granted to form my life.
About the Author
Lorin Grace was born in Colorado and has been moving around the country ever since, living in eight states and several imaginary worlds. She graduated from Brigham Young University with a degree in Graphic Design.
Currently she lives in northern Utah with her husband, four children, and a dog who is insanely jealous of her laptop. When not writing Lorin enjoys creating graphics, visiting historical sites, museums, and reading.
Lorin is an active member of the League of Utah Writers and was awarded Honorable Mention in their 2016 creative writing contest short romance story category.
You can learn more about her and sign up for her newsletter at:
Webpage: loringrace.com
Facebook: LorinGraceWriter
Instagram: Lorin Grace
Pinterest: Lorin Grace
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