Sarah Anne's Faithful Friends (Unshakable Faith Book 4)

by Cathy Lynn Bryant

  Sarah listened as her physician husband explained that her ankle was just slightly injured and that she could put some of her weight on it, but that the crutch should help her to step lightly. Fortunately for her, she had injured only one of her wrists. She was therefore able to make use of one crutch. Daniel then clarified that in order for her wrist to heal, she needed to keep from using her hand.

  To be sure she understood, he summed up the situation for her. “Sarah, your ankle should be fine in a few days. But as for your wrist, that shall take some time.”

  Daniel helped Sarah to her bedchamber so she could change into a clean frock. After laying one out for her on the bed, he stated that she need only call out if he was needed. He was fairly certain she could manage getting into it on her own, but may require his help with fastening it. Once she had changed, she slowly made her way to the parlor, where she found that Daniel had already placed a trencher of food for her on the table next to the settee.

  Before taking a seat, reluctantly, Sarah asked her husband to fasten her frock. As he approached, she turned around. Once he had completed the task she thanked him and made her way over to the settee.

  At the thought that she would now be unable to carry much of anything, Sarah became frustrated. “Daniel, I am sorry. It seems I have caused you additional work, as I shall be practically useless until my injuries have healed.”

  “Nonsense,” he replied, smiling. “Your company is enough. If not for you, with the boys away I would be rattling around in this house all alone. Furthermore, you have been diligently taking care of all of us. It is time someone did for you for a change.”

  Sarah knew Daniel was simply being kind, but she said nothing more on the subject of having caused extra work for him. Not long after she had eaten a little of her meal, her eyelids grew heavy. She decided to make her way to her bedchamber.

  Daniel followed after Sarah to see that she made it safely. When he had finished helping his wife ready herself for bed, he returned to the kitchen to tidy up; after which he took himself off to bed. It was quite some time before he could sleep, for thoughts of what might have happened to Sarah if Simon had not come along filled his mind.

  Chapter 11

  The following morning, Daniel knocked on Sarah’s door to see if she needed his assistance. He was fairly certain she would. Hearing her respond in the affirmative, he opened the door.

  As Sarah waited for Daniel from where she was sitting on the edge of her bed, she felt uneasy. She wished she did not require his help, but of course she did with her hand and ankle injured.

  While making his way into the room, Daniel observed that Sarah appeared apprehensive; as a result, with the manner in which he cared for his patients, he calmly moved forward and laced up and fastened everything that needed it from her head on down to her feet. When Sarah was dressed and ready to begin the day, Daniel helped her to the kitchen where he set to work preparing something for them to eat.

  As they ate, Daniel discussed Sarah’s injuries and what kind of assistance she would require while on the mend. They decided to ask their neighbor, Mrs. Findley, if she would mind coming over each morning to help. The former Mrs. Thompson had employed her on occasion to assist with the cooking and cleaning.

  While they were discussing the neighbor, Sarah asked if Mrs. Findley and Simon were related since they had the same family name. Daniel responded in the affirmative. “I wish I had known. I acted so foolishly toward Mr. Findley, not knowing he was related to our neighbor.”

  “I am certain he understood,” Daniel offered reassuringly. Then he stated that he would ride over to speak with Mrs. Findley before setting off for the day.

  Sarah was grateful that a woman would be the one helping her dress, at least part of the time. When they had finished eating, Sarah attempted to help clear the table but was finding it difficult. Daniel turned around and found her leaning over the table to grasp a dish while trying to balance herself on one foot.

  “Sarah, even if you could manage to load up one armful, you wouldn’t be able to walk over here to me. Please, just take a seat. I can manage on my own.”

  Sighing, Sarah dropped back down into her chair. “If only I had listened to you none of this would have happened. Having to take care of me on top of everything else is too much.”

  Daniel smiled at her frustration. He knew she was right—if she had just heeded his warning, she would not have been injured. Then his smile faded when he thought once more about what had happened. Things could have been much worse if the bear had gotten ahold of her. The image that thought brought to mind caused Daniel to shudder.

  Before long, he had straightened up the kitchen. He then helped Sarah to the parlor. After she had taken a seat, he lifted her legs up onto the cushioned settee.

  “Sarah, it would be good if you kept your ankle elevated as much as possible.”

  Looking up, she inquired, “How long shall you be gone?”

  “As I have only two to see today, I shan’t be too long; nonetheless, I dislike leaving you here like this, unable to do for yourself. When I call on Mrs. Findley about helping out for a time, I shall ask if she might come and sit with you until I return.”

  “I hate to cause such a fuss. I’m certain I can manage on my own.”

  “I have explained your injuries. You must know you cannot get on by yourself for the foreseeable future. If nothing else, for my peace of mind, allow me to at least inquire of Mrs. Findley whether she is available to come.”

  “Very well. If it will make you feel more at ease, do ask.”

  Once that was settled, Daniel turned to go. Mrs. Findley arrived a short time later, explaining that with her present schedule she could afford to come by each morning for an hour or so; however, today she could stay longer. She sensed that Sarah felt foolish for requiring assistance.

  “Oh, I am sure that will be fine, Mrs. Findley.”

  “Let us see what can be accomplished whilst I am here, shall we?” For the remainder of the morning, the kind neighbor did what she could for Sarah as well as to ease the burden on Mr. Thompson.

  By afternoon, Sarah found herself alone. Mrs. Findley had left food and something to drink next to where she was sitting, hoping that would be all she would need until Daniel returned. As Sarah reclined, reading a book, her eyelids grew heavy. When she awoke, she discovered Daniel, sitting across the room, half asleep.

  When Daniel noticed Sarah had opened her eyes, he spoke to her. “I returned as soon as I could.” Studying her, he noticed she still appeared rather sleepy.

  “There really wasn’t any need to rush.” Glancing toward the window, Sarah observed with surprise, “It looks dark out. I must have slept a few hours.”

  “You must have needed the sleep. May I do anything for you before I see what there is for us to eat?”

  “I feel just awful about all of this, Daniel. You have worked hard all day, tending to patients, only to come home to more work.”

  “Sarah, it cannot be helped. And besides, I think Mrs. Findley prepared something for us. If not, it really is no bother.” With that, he gathered up Sarah’s empty dishes and made his way to the kitchen. He returned a short time later, holding two trenchers rounded with food, one of which he placed on the little table next to his wife. Once he had taken a seat, he thanked the Lord for His many blessings.

  After they had eaten and conversed for an hour or so, Daniel neatened up the kitchen before helping Sarah to her bedchamber. He then took himself off to bed, relieved the day had gone well for his wife.

  ◊◊◊

  The following morning, Daniel was up just after sunup—Sarah awakening an hour or so later. After helping her ready herself for the day, he made certain she had everything she needed and then, with haste, set off for his morning calls. He hoped the day’s visits would be brief since Mrs. Findley would be unable to look after Sarah on this particular morning.

  Late in the afternoon, Joanna’s brother, George Hoyt, arrived unexpectedly. Sarah
was surprised and a bit frightened by the strange, albeit fine-looking man with large blue eyes that greeted her while she was reclining in the parlor. She had assumed it was Daniel arriving.

  From the parlor doorway, George detected that his brother-in-law’s new wife was injured, for she had her foot propped up and one hand bandaged. He also noticed she was quite striking. But neither her beauty nor her injuries moved his heart toward the woman who had maneuvered her way into his sister’s family. Truth be told, that she was even more beautiful than his sister served to intensify his ire. As he sauntered in, he glared at her.

  Frightened, Sarah watched closely as the stranger made his way into the room. Briefly making eye contact, she detected he didn’t appear any too happy.

  Enjoying the fear that he saw on the young woman’s face, he took his time in revealing his connection to the Thompson family. Besides his annoyance at the very presence of this woman in his sister’s house, he was also vexed with Daniel for not sending word of his marriage and for taking another wife so soon after his sister’s passing. George’s father had sent a missive to his home explaining what had happened to Joanna, but he had heard nothing since. It was not until a friend from Boston happened by his home in Salem less than a fortnight ago that he first learned of Sarah.

  Once the man disclosed who he was, though still quite uneasy about being alone with a stranger, Sarah forced herself to smile and invited him to take a seat. As they sat there, staring at one another, she struggled for something to say. Not only did her heart hurt for him over the loss of his sister, she also felt awkward about filling the role of Mrs. Thompson.

  “Mr. Hoyt, Daniel will be delighted you have come.” At that point, she wondered if Daniel knew and hadn’t said anything to her about his brother-in-law coming for a visit.

  As George listened to Sarah, he grew even angrier. Who does she think she is, telling me how my sister’s husband is going to feel about my having arrived? Not wanting to respond to her comment, he changed the subject. “I had hoped to find my nephews at home. It has been quite some time since I’ve seen them.”

  Grateful for any sort of conversation to fill the time until Daniel returned, Sarah responded, “Oh, yes…well…they went with their grandfather to Amesbury for the winter.”

  After hearing this, George’s fury could no longer be contained. “How convenient. I cannot imagine Daniel agreeing to send his sons off. This was all your doing, ridding yourself of the boys, was it not?”

  While carefully observing the tiny woman for a reaction to what he had said, he thought about his father and the role he had played in allowing the newlyweds alone time. His relationship with his father had been difficult for as long as he could remember; however, he had always attributed the strain to the fact that he was not the man’s natural son. Well, it looks as though his connection to his real daughter holds no meaning for him either.

  Stunned at the directness of the man, Sarah began to tremble. She dared not look at him and wondered how she was going to go on conversing with him, for he had an obvious disdain for her. She could not blame him. She had often felt the same way about taking Joanna’s place in the Thompson home. But what was she to do now? Daniel might not return for hours.

  As silence fell over the room for the next half hour, Sarah kept her gaze directed away from Joanna’s brother. The longer he sat there, glaring at her, the more she shook. Finally, she heard a wagon approaching, and prayed that it was Daniel.

  Chapter 12

  As Daniel entered the room in which Sarah and his brother-in-law were presently sitting, he was astonished to see George. He had wondered who owned the wagon out front, never expecting it to be his brother-in-law.

  As George rose to his feet and greeted Daniel, Sarah wondered what rude thing he might say to her husband about the fact that they had married. But what she heard left her dumbfounded. The man was as nice as ever a man could be, even feigning happiness at having made her acquaintance.

  Daniel had been a little apprehensive at the thought of George finding out about Sarah; therefore, he delayed in sending word of their marriage. At present, he was surprised by his brother-in-law’s warm tone and thought perhaps he had worried needlessly.

  “Well, then. I am delighted the two of you have met.”

  George looked over his shoulder at the young woman. “Yes, we have had a nice little visit. Would you not agree, Sarah?”

  Sarah’s mouth hung open at the exchange between the man and her husband. She could scarcely believe this was the same person that had spoken so harshly to her before Daniel arrived. I hope he is not planning to stay, for I certainly cannot tell Daniel about what was said. The man is his brother-in-law, Joanna’s brother. I mustn’t come between them. With all of this on her mind, she had not heard George’s question.

  As Daniel studied Sarah, while awaiting her response to George, he noticed she appeared rather pale and hoped his brother-in-law had not behaved inappropriately with her, as was his tendency with the ladies. This thought caused him to question how long George intended to stay. If it was to be an extended visit, he would quickly move his wife’s belongings into his room. He was concerned that his brother-in-law might see it as an opportunity to bother Sarah if he were to learn that her bedchamber was separate from his.

  Hoping to learn what his brother-in-law planned to do, he inquired, “George, how long shall you be with us?”

  Since he wished to be as disruptive as possible to the newlyweds, he replied, “If it is all the same to you, I should like to stay on for a few days, or perhaps even a week or two.”

  Daniel’s heart sank at the news. He wondered what to do about going out on calls, leaving Sarah alone with a man who was much too fond of women, all women. He and Joanna had never even wanted to leave their boys, George’s own nephews, alone with him for fear of them learning his ways. He chanced a look at Sarah to see her reaction to the news. If he had to guess what she was feeling at that moment, he would have to say it was most likely alarm, for her eyes had grown large and she appeared even paler than she had before. What has her so alarmed? Has he already made advances toward her?

  Having no desire to be denied a lengthy visit, before Daniel could answer, George stated that he needed to retrieve his satchel from his wagon.

  Coming to himself, Daniel nodded in his-brother-in-law’s direction. The moment George was gone, the concerned husband hastily said, “Sarah, I shall explain later. Right now, I am going to go and quickly gather some of your things and bring them to my bedchamber. While George is here, you will need to stay in with me. When he returns, distract him for a moment.” With that, Daniel swiftly left the room.

  With her heart pounding, Sarah sat there rigidly, listening for the door to open. With dread, she thought about the fact that she may have to put up with the offensive man for up to two weeks. Soon, Sarah heard the front door open and then close. Taking a deep breath, she braced herself for the man’s return.

  George came strolling into the parlor and set his satchel down. “Where is Daniel?”

  Attempting to conceal how nervous she was, she replied, “Oh, he is around here somewhere. Do sit down. I am sure he will return momentarily.”

  Scowling, George made his way over to the chair directly next to Sarah. Taking great delight in setting her nerves on edge, he whispered, “Do not get too used to living here with Daniel. Before I go, I mean to see you gone from here.”

  No matter how hard she had tried to brace herself for whatever George might do or say, she was still unprepared for his mean-spirited remarks.

  “Have you no response?”

  Sarah knew she needed to keep him in the room with her while Daniel conveyed some of her belongings to his bedchamber, but she wondered how she might engage in a conversation of this nature. Deciding to change the subject, and hoping the man would allow it, Sarah said with a tremor in her voice, “You must be famished. Daniel will prepare something soon.”

  George pounced on the opportunity to mist
reat her once again. Leaning close, he hissed, “What good are you? With Daniel out on calls, the least you could do is prepare dinner for him. But no! You sit here, reclining like a princess.”

  By now, Sarah was shaking violently. As George studied her profile, he noticed the trembling. Realizing how fast he would be thrown out if Daniel knew the things he had said to her, he attempted to calm her. In this, they were allies—neither wanting Daniel to know she was upset.

  “Well, you best get control of yourself before Daniel returns. You would not wish to be the cause of problems between Joanna’s husband and brother, would you?”

  Sarah had resolved within herself that very thing—not to come between George and Daniel. But she knew it would not be easy, for it seemed that Joanna’s brother had figured her out. She would never reveal anything concerning his plan to be rid of her to Daniel. And to that end, he could say and do whatever he wished. That thought made her cringe. Risking a glance in his direction, she detected a smirk upon the evil man’s face and wondered how he could be related to dear, sweet Joanna.

  While George sat there waiting for Daniel, a similar thought to Sarah’s came to the mean-spirited man; he was at liberty to speak unrestrained to Daniel’s new wife. I can do and say whatever I wish to the little waif, and as she has already demonstrated, she shall never say a word.

  When Daniel finally returned, he was a little out of breath from running back and forth between his and Sarah’s bedchambers. Since Sarah had yet to return to Amesbury to collect the remainder of her belongings, he had been able to gather up the little she had, hoping George wouldn’t detect that anyone had been staying in that particular bedchamber.

  To be certain George would not have the opportunity to look around in Sarah’s room, Daniel decided on the best place to put his brother-in-law. “George, you may stay in the boys’ bedchamber since they are not here at present.” He felt this was the safest option. After visiting for a time in the parlor, they all turned in for the night.