As his wife had hoped, Daniel felt satisfied with her answer. He knew how much her father had meant to her. Wanting to bring her comfort, he slid his arm under her and drew her near.
While swathed in Daniel’s arms, Sarah’s resistance to her own sentiments toward him weakened. As upset as she had been by George, feeling Daniel’s reassuring embrace was just what she had needed.
Daniel had also had an emotional day. The child he had tended was the older sibling to an infant he had been unable to save the year before. In thinking of the infant that had died, he was reminded of Joanna and his own child. Thoughts of them then plagued him for much of the day; for that reason, holding Sarah resulted in soothing the torturous thoughts away.
When morning came, the couple had moved beyond mere friendship. Neither one had anticipated that the comfort they were receiving from each other would move them to consummate their marriage, and although there was nothing wrong with this, they had established before they wed that this would never happen.
◊◊◊
When the sun crept between Sarah’s partially opened eyelids the next morning, she was startled to find Daniel’s face, eyes closed, only inches from hers. As she stared at him, memories of the night before came flooding in like a storm. How would she be able to keep her feelings for him under control now? Nothing had changed with George and his intentions for sending her away, so before Daniel awakened, she thought it best to quickly dress and be gone from his bedchamber. While she finished readying herself, she felt desperate to go back to the way things had always been with Daniel. Even after the previous night, their marriage could never be anything more than a convenient arrangement. Truth be told, she now believed even that was too much to ask.
As Sarah was hurriedly finishing up with combing her hair, she heard Daniel stir. Darting from the room, she all but lost her footing. George happened to be passing by and caught her by the arm just before she hit the floor. Glancing up, she saw an agitated face glaring down at her. When she had gained her balance, he let go of his grasp and continued on his way.
As she made her way to the kitchen, she tried to force thoughts of Daniel and what had happened out of her head. Seeing George, as well as the guilt she was presently feeling, was little help in this endeavor. While preparing food for everyone, her heart felt heavy, for she knew the time had come for her to go. She began to form a plan for how she could take leave of Boston without having to reveal the truth, which was that she would not be returning.
In Daniel’s bedchamber, he was just beginning to open his eyes. With his head still resting against the pillow, he thought about Sarah and what had taken place between them. He also remembered his promise to her that this sort of thing would never happen. He hoped last night meant that she was open to altering their agreement, for he now realized that though he had tried to fight it, for some time now he had not been thinking of her as only a friend.
Chapter 25
When Daniel came into the kitchen, he spotted Sarah chatting with the boys. Quietly leaning against the wall, he observed his wife and sons without causing a distraction. As he listened, he thought he detected a tremor in Sarah’s voice. Without making a sound, he continued to listen.
Mr. Hoyt soon entered, humming a happy tune. Knowing Daniel and Sarah were sharing a bedchamber pleased him. He was aware, of course, that it was probably to show a united front for his son, but it still brought him joy to think Sarah felt comfortable enough to stay in with Daniel.
As with the other three in the room, no one seemed to notice Daniel’s presence. After the boys had made their way over to the table, Sarah spoke in low tones to Mr. Hoyt, requesting to come along with him when he returned to Amesbury. She explained that she had yet to gather up her most precious belongings and that Mr. Swyndhurst had recently sent word of his intentions for returning to England. Without disclosing that he had also informed it would be several months before his journey would take place, she insisted that she had every desire to see him before he took leave of Amesbury.
Mr. Hoyt assured her that he welcomed her company on the trip.
Daniel’s eyes grew wide at this new information. Sarah had not said a word about going to Amesbury. His heart sank at the thought that her decision may have had something to do with the previous night, and if it did, would she even return? He would never stop her from going, but he planned to take the situation to the Lord in prayer.
Sarah’s heart felt as if it would fly out of her chest when she suddenly noticed Daniel. She wondered how much he had heard. With her eyes fixed upon him, she was once again overwhelmed by guilt. How could I have done that to Joanna? Moreover, how will I ever tell Daniel and the boys I am leaving them, never to return?
While continuing to make eye contact with Daniel, she noticed he was coming toward her. He suddenly had hold of her hand. He then led her from the room in the direction of his bedchamber. Once they had entered, he closed the door behind them.
Keeping her eyes lowered, Sarah’s face began to heat. Daniel gently lifted her chin. He wanted to see her face as he questioned her about her reasons for going to Amesbury with his father-in-law.
Knowing she had to hide the truth that she would be staying in Amesbury, not to mention her embarrassment over what had occurred the night before, Sarah could not make herself look Daniel in the eye. “Well, as I was saying in the kitchen, I have not been back to Amesbury to collect my things. And there is Mr. Swyndhurst to consider. He shall be leaving for England very soon. And with no one there to oversee things, the servants will be at a loss as to what to do. I shall have to instruct them. And as you heard, Mr. Hoyt has no objection to the idea.” She wrung her hands as she prattled on.
Daniel did not believe a word of it, but how could he call her on her lies when he himself had been untruthful in convincing her to marry him, assuring her at the time that he would never amend their agreement? In thinking about her sudden decision as well as her nervous demeanor, he was quite certain she meant to remain in Amesbury.
Sarah was relieved when Daniel appeared to have accepted everything she had said without question. When she dared a look up at him, she thought she detected an element of sadness in his eyes, or was it relief? She could not be sure, for his countenance did not fully betray his emotions.
Daniel patted Sarah’s shoulder and then headed for the door. “Everyone is waiting for us. We best get back.”
It was settled. She would be leaving. As Sarah slowly walked back to the kitchen, she felt tears threatening. She hoped when she saw the boys, the floodgates would hold.
George had joined his nephews and father at the table shortly before Sarah and Daniel returned. As he looked at his brother-in-law, he wondered what was wrong, for it was very apparent that something was. He then studied Sarah to see if he could discover if that something had anything to do with her. Unbeknownst to him, however, his questions were about to be answered.
With a sigh, Daniel stated that Sarah would be making the trip to Amesbury with Joseph. He went on to explain Sarah’s reasons for going.
George could scarcely hold back a grin at the thought that Sarah would finally be leaving. And to look at her, he suspected she would not be coming back. He had won, or at least that was his hope.
Mr. Hoyt had a niggling feeling about the whole thing but decided to keep his thoughts to himself. The boys, on the other hand, both said they wanted to go as well—to which their father gave an emphatic no.
For the remainder of the day, Sarah wondered how she could manage being alone with Daniel when it came time to turn in for the night. Daniel, having similar thoughts, waited until he thought she would be asleep before going to bed. Without saying a word as he entered the room, he went directly to the daybed and sat down.
Sarah surreptitiously peered out from under the blanket she had tucked up almost to the top of her head so as to avoid eye contact with Daniel when he came to bed. She watched as he sat there on the edge of the daybed. She then heard him sigh. Though h
er heart felt as if it would break, she knew leaving was the right thing to do. Not only would it solve the problem of the progression in their relationship, it would also make way for George to continue coming for visits. He had promised to stay away if she remained. For everyone’s sake, she felt it was best that she leave this family to themselves.
Chapter 26
Over the next few days, Sarah spent nearly every waking moment with Joseph and Dan. As these were the last moments she would ever have with them, being with them as much as possible was all she could think about. The togetherness, however, was a bit of a double edged sword, since the joy it brought was accompanied by profound pain.
Daniel made himself scarce over the days leading up to Sarah’s departure. It was his wish to pretend everything would be all right, but whenever he saw Sarah, he knew he was probably fooling himself. He had seen this before. It was in her nature to flee from problems, and this time he had been the one to push her to it. He could only hope it was temporary and she would return, as she had said. But if she remained in Amesbury, he would have to learn to accept it. Presently, his heart was not at all prepared for that.
◊◊◊
It had been a few days since anything had been mentioned about Sarah leaving, so George took the first opportunity at finding Sarah alone to be certain she hadn’t changed her mind. With his father and nephews in town and Daniel off doctoring someone, he knew he could say what he wished and no one would be the wiser. Without being purposeful in his quiet approach, George was stunned by Sarah’s reaction when he spoke her name. She had all but jumped into the stream at the sound of his voice. He chuckled at the sight until he saw what could only be described as terror on the little woman’s face a moment before she went limp and fell to the ground.
Sarah felt her knees go weak and then everything went black. The next thing she saw was George’s silhouette against a blue sky. She blinked a few times while struggling to figure out what had happened. As she lay there, she remembered hearing George calling her name. It had sounded so much like Matthew Raymond’s voice—not to mention this was just a few yards from where Mr. Raymond had captured her for the second time—she had immediately gone into a panic. That was the last thing she could remember before being confronted by yet another terrible man who was presently angling his head down to look at her.
Staring down at the tiny woman, George inquired, “What is the matter with you? Are you that frightened of me?” Part of him hoped she was, while his better nature felt a little ashamed.
Sarah struggled to stand without assistance, rather than take George’s out stretched hand. “I am not the least bit frightened of you!” she responded forcefully. Though not exactly true, it wasn’t the reason she had fainted. Sure he was vile and ill mannered, but she believed him better than to force his attentions upon anyone.
George watched as Sarah, still a little unsteady, shuffled by him. He decided not to press the issue of her leaving, but just as he had resolved to let her off easy this time, he heard her call back over her shoulder that he needn’t worry, she would soon be gone. Even though he felt a pang of guilt over having caused her to faint, he couldn’t help but be delighted that she still planned to leave.
Daniel came home late that evening after everyone had gone to bed. He had purposefully taken longer than necessary, hoping not to arrive home until Sarah was fast asleep. Though he wanted to discuss the matter of her going to Amesbury, he couldn’t quite bring himself to do it for fear that Sarah would confirm what he suspected—she would not be coming back.
Sarah heard Daniel as he entered the room. Though she longed to hear his voice, she kept silent so as not to inadvertently say something that would give her plan away. Additionally, she was worried that having a conversation may test her resolve to leave.
Daniel knelt beside the daybed and silently prayed about his marriage. Then he quietly climbed into bed. When morning came, he was still awake. How could he allow Sarah to simply slip away from him? He had mulled over the situation throughout what seemed, to him, to be an exceedingly long night. In the end, he had decided to hope and pray for the best. She hadn’t said she was leaving for good, he kept reminding himself.
Daniel closed his eyes when he heard Sarah stir. He then waited until she had left the room before rising to dress. While the family ate together a short time later, with his stomach in knots, he listened as his father-in-law and Sarah discussed their upcoming trip. Even though he hadn’t been called out to tend to anyone as yet, he decided he would make a trip to town.
Upon Daniel’s arrival in town, he spotted his friend Simon Findley. As they talked, Simon mentioned that he would be going to Amesbury in a few days. On occasion, to earn a little extra income, his friend had conducted individuals or even entire families to towns not more than two to three days’ journey. Daniel then informed him of his father-in-law and Sarah’s upcoming travel plans, to which Simon suggested he and his traveling companions go along with them. Daniel stated that he was pleased at the idea, for it was always safer to travel in a large company.
“Very good, Daniel. I shall call a little later at your home to go over the particulars with Sarah and Mr. Hoyt.”
“I am much obliged to you, Simon. Knowing they shall travel with you settles my mind immensely.”
The two men then parted company. As he had said he would, Simon arrived at the Thompson home late in the afternoon. Daniel had only been home for an hour or so. He ushered his friend into the parlor. Everyone in the room listened as Mr. Findley suggested he go along with Sarah and Mr. Hoyt to Amesbury. The boys begged to go but to no benefit; their father had not changed his mind.
George little cared how Sarah went, or with whom. He just wanted her gone. This time, when he took his leave a few days hence, he could do it without a care, for his sister’s home would finally be safe from this female intruder.
Not once during the conversation did Daniel’s wife look in his direction, which heightened the sinking feeling he had already been experiencing.
Once everything was settled, Simon took his leave, promising to return early the morning they were to set off.
Sarah bustled about, keeping busy right up until the day of her departure. When it was time to go, Simon and Daniel loaded up Mr. Hoyt’s wagon with supplies while Sarah gathered up the few belongings she planned to take along. Rather than bring everything, she took only what was necessary so as not to draw attention to the fact that this was to be her final day in Boston. The boys helped her carry her things out to the wagon. Fighting back tears, she hugged Dan and Joseph before turning to Daniel.
Daniel looked down at Sarah as she approached. Without saying a word, he pulled her into a long embrace. Before letting her go he whispered, “You come back to me, you hear?” He knew he shouldn’t burden her with his request, but he couldn’t help himself.
Sarah’s eyes grew wide at the knowledge that he suspected her. Pretending that she hadn’t heard him, she slowly pulled away and hurriedly went to the wagon. Simon lifted her up beside Mr. Hoyt, who was already settled on the bench. He then climbed on his own wagon and they were off.
On their way out of town they would be stopping off to collect the family that would be traveling with them to Amesbury. Daniel, with tears in his eyes, waved them on. As for Sarah, it was taking every bit of strength she had for her not to cry; consequently, she couldn’t make herself look back at the family of which she had temporarily been a part.
Chapter 27
As Mr. Hoyt observed Sarah fidgeting on the bench beside him, he recalled another time they had traveled together not many years earlier. At that time, the poor young woman was fleeing town after having been harmed in the vilest of ways. Although these were different circumstances, the older man—wondering if she had in mind to run away again—still felt uneasy about having her along. Just to look at her, he knew something was amiss.
Sarah passed the time with light conversation as they rode along. Besides Mr. Hoyt, there was Mr. Findl
ey to consider. Either man might guess her true intentions for making the trip if she was not extremely careful. If that happened she would be pressured to explain herself, which she could not do.
Simon glanced back at Sarah and Mr. Hoyt many times the first day of the journey wanting to be certain they had not fallen behind. He was also thinking about Sarah. Knowing George had returned made him question whether the ill-mannered man had been bothering her again. This line of thought caused him to grow angry at himself for keeping silent.
That evening everyone stiffly alighted from the wagons and settled in for the night at the home of an acquaintance of Simon’s, one he had often stopped off to see when traveling. The home was spacious enough to accommodate the lot of them.
In order to prevent an inquisition, Sarah avoided Simon as much as possible, biding her time until they were again in separate wagons, where there would be no opportunity for conversation. Every time she was nearly cornered, she found a way to elude him.
When morning came, Simon awoke to find everyone up and prepared to set off. He grabbed a couple of pieces of bread and some water before following the group out to the wagons. Looking over at Sarah, he decided that during the trip, with strangers about was probably not the best time to question her about George.
Simon Findley traveled along the road from Boston to Amesbury rather slowly, as was his habit; thus they reached their first destination on day three. Upon their arrival, Mr. Hoyt assisted Sarah in climbing down from the wagon while Simon collected her belongings from the back and then made his way to the house, taking in his surroundings as he went. He had no idea that Sarah had been living at such a large estate before moving to Boston.
Sarah led Simon and Mr. Hoyt into the house. Before she could call out to the occupants of the home, someone had wrapped their arms around her from behind. Glancing back over her shoulder, she saw her beloved friend, Martha Fowler. Sarah quickly whirled around to hug her. By now, everyone in the house, including Mr. Swyndhurst, had come to find out what all the noise was about.
Sarah Anne's Faithful Friends (Unshakable Faith Book 4) Page 12