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

by Cathy Lynn Bryant

  “I see. You must treasure having something written in your mother’s hand.” Not for the world would he let on what he had read while looking over her shoulder.

  “Indeed. I simply cannot stop myself from rereading every page.” The young woman realized she could talk of the journal in general terms without revealing the secrets within.

  The two then fell silent. With what he had just read, Mr. Hoyt thought of a time long ago, the day George’s mother placed her son in his hands. Sarah’s mother must have felt much the same as that young lady for having to give her child away. I wonder how long Sarah has known about her brother.

  While pondering what he read in the journal, Mr. Hoyt felt something press against his arm. Looking down, he saw that it was Sarah. She had fallen asleep, leaning on him. He slowly lifted his arm over her head and pulled her into his chest so she might rest more comfortably. He then gathered the blanket up around her to keep her warm.

  Simon took a look in the rear of the wagon to see how his traveling companions were faring. He smiled at the sight of Sarah asleep on Mr. Hoyt’s chest. They had a long way to go, but he was grateful he had met with success at convincing Sarah. Mr. Hoyt looked up at him and winked. Simon understood that Mr. Hoyt was as pleased as he that Sarah and Daniel would soon be reunited.

  Chapter 42

  Daniel heard a wagon approaching and, with great haste, went out to see who it was. Simon had taken longer in Amesbury than the worried husband had expected. He hoped this was his friend arriving.

  As the wagon pulled up in front of the house, Sarah felt panicked at the idea of seeing Daniel. How was she to explain her long absence? Additionally, she remained confused regarding her marriage. Now that she and Daniel were to have a child, was their marriage still for merely convenience? What bedchamber would she now occupy? Her thoughts and emotions were in such an upheaval, she felt like crying.

  Mr. Hoyt felt Sarah’s tight grasp on his arm and knew she must be nervous about seeing Daniel. He thought she might also be thinking about his son and what to do about him. Wrapping his arm around Sarah’s shoulder, he whispered, “Not to worry. Everything shall be all right.”

  That was all it took for the floodgates to open. By the time Simon had made his way to the rear of the wagon to help Mr. Hoyt and Sarah down, Sarah’s face was a mess with tears. Both gentlemen said not a word as they helped Sarah onto her feet. Daniel came toward her the moment she had steadied herself with the assistance of the men on either side of her.

  Sarah quickly wiped at her face when she noticed Daniel coming her way; but try as she might to hide the fact that she had been crying, she could not, for the tears just kept coming.

  The boys had heard the sounds out in the yard as well and were rapidly approaching. When they caught sight of Sarah, excitedly, they both yelled out her name.

  Their father, not wanting them to make Sarah uncomfortable about crying in front of them, gently turned his wife’s head toward him. He had yet to notice her swelled middle with her cape covering almost to her ankles. As he walked her in the direction of the house, he motioned for his sons to follow quietly behind.

  Not knowing the reason the woman they dearly loved was upset, they complied with their father’s wishes.

  Once the husband and wife had entered the house, Daniel escorted her to his bedchamber where they might talk privately, but that would come after she rested.

  The relieved husband helped his wife out of her cape, and said, “Sarah, you rest now. We shall talk later.” Just having her home was enough for now.

  Acquiescing, his wife made her way over to the bed and sat down. Daniel bent down to undress her feet. Suddenly, he noticed her round middle. He then slowly lifted his head to see her face. When he saw her cheeks instantly flush, he checked his emotions so as to put her at ease.

  Allowing the reality of the child to settle in for a moment, he smiled at his wife. “Once you have rested, it seems we have much to discuss.”

  Her husband’s warm smile put Sarah at ease. She still had to figure out how to explain her absence without revealing George’s part in it, but if nothing else, the news about the child was out and her husband seemed happy about it.

  Daniel covered his wife with a quilt, bent down and kissed her brow, and then left her alone to rest. Leaning against the closed door to his bedchamber, Daniel could hardly believe his wife was home. As he thought about how many months she had been gone, he calculated how far along she was. He had thought the chances of Sarah having another child after her extensive injuries—which led to the premature birth and death of her son—were slim. Her recovery is more complete than I had previously thought possible.

  As he thought about George and that he had been the reason his wife had been away from his care when she needed him most, his anger toward his brother-in-law intensified. This was a dangerous time for his wife, given her previous injuries, and he had not been afforded the opportunity to look after her. How shall I broach this topic with Sarah in a way she will understand her importance over George to this family?

  Taking a deep breath to calm himself, he decided it was best not to focus on all of that and appreciate his time with her now. “Once she is up, I shall see for myself that she and the baby are well,” he stated aloud as though speaking to someone.

  Daniel’s eldest son, having come from his room, was passing by when he heard his father say something about a baby. “Father, is Sarah going to have a baby?”

  Unaware that Dan was there before he spoke, Daniel’s eyes shot in his son’s direction. Everyone will know once Sarah is up, he told himself. “Yes, Dan, she is.”

  Dan smiled with delight. He was old enough to understand what this actually meant about his father’s relationship with Sarah. He was happy for them but even happier about having a new sister or brother.

  “I shall rely on you and Joseph to see that Sarah does not exceed her limits. Sarah was not expected to be able to carry another child after losing her last, which may make this a precarious time for her and the baby.”

  “I understand, Father. We shall see to it that she gets plenty of rest.”

  Daniel gave a gentle squeeze on his son’s arm and then went in search of Simon and Mr. Hoyt. Finding them in the parlor, he conveyed them to a private place to talk. As the three men were cloistered in his examining room, they discussed Sarah and the situation with George. It was decided amongst them that at the first opportunity, Mr. Hoyt and Daniel would make a trip to see George. They hoped they could convince him to have a change of heart; however, if he did not, he would not be invited to the Thompson home again.

  After settling on the best strategy for managing the situation with George, Daniel thanked Simon and Mr. Hoyt over and over again for bringing his wife home.

  Then, with peace in his heart that his friend would no longer be suffering over his wife, Simon took his leave.

  Mr. Hoyt had brought along enough of his belongings to stay for the winter, if he was permitted. He felt Sarah and Daniel needed him, for just as Daniel had understood, he also was aware that this was sure to be a challenge for Sarah, both bodily and emotionally.

  Still not quite able to believe his wife was really home, Daniel looked in on her several times. She must have needed the rest, he decided, for she never stirred when he climbed in the bed next to her later that evening. As he lay there, he reached over to pull the covers up over her shoulders. Before long, he heard his wife move about. When she climbed out of bed and began searching around in the dark for something, he suddenly realized she needed to make use of the chamber pot. As she continued to search, he heard her sigh when she found what she had been looking for.

  Daniel remained silent until he heard his wife sigh once again, this time with relief; at that point, he couldn’t help but laugh, but since he had covered his mouth, his wife was unaware that he was awake. Once she had washed her hands in the basin next to the bed and climbed back in bed, he let her know that he was awake. His wife started at the sound
of his voice. The two laughed together for several minutes. Then Daniel reached over and caressed her cheek.

  “I am so happy you have come home. As for my brother-in-law, you leave him to me. I never should have left you alone with him.”

  Sarah was shocked that Daniel knew about George. “Who told you?”

  “You should have been the one to tell me, Sarah. Did you truly believe we would wish for you to leave so George could have his way?”

  “George is Joanna’s brother. Of course I would want him to be able to see his family, for her sake as well as for you and the boys.”

  “Sarah, Joanna loved you dearly. She would never have allowed her brother to send you away. If he wants to force us to choose, we, all of us, choose you. Do you hear?”

  Sarah continued to feel regretful, knowing George would probably never return; then again, she now had her own child to consider.

  “Would you really have stayed away forever if Simon had not convinced you to return, even knowing you were carrying my child?”

  “No, I suppose not. I was not aware of the child, though, not until I had already gone. Lately, I had been pondering a way to come home without causing a rift with George.”

  “I’m glad to hear it. Tomorrow I shall have a look at you to see if everything is progressing as it should. You do know this is rather a miracle—you having a child, I mean to say. I really did not think it was possible.”

  Though her husband could not see her pleased expression through the darkness, Sarah’s face beamed at the thought that God had allowed her to have another child. “Yes, Daniel, our child is a little miracle.”

  Chapter 43

  The next day, while Daniel was helping his wife put her things away in their bedchamber, he picked up the tattered journal to inspect it.

  Sarah, seeing the journal in her husband’s hand, quickly snatched it away. Then, catching sight of the look of shock upon his face, she attempted to explain her actions without disclosing anything about the journal. “Oh, I do apologize, Daniel. It is just that it is such an old journal, it ought to be handled with care.”

  “Between the two of us, I would say that I was the one handling it with care; whereas you—” Observing his wife, he noticed her lower lip beginning to quiver; as a result, stopping midsentence, he changed the subject. “We really ought to leave the rest of this for later. You should rest now.”

  Sarah was angry at herself for being so emotional. “Very well, Daniel. I do apologize about the journal.”

  “I took no offense,” was his reply as he walked her over to the bed. After fluffing her pillows, he helped her slide back against them. He then decided to climb in next to her. The pair, hand in hand, soon fell asleep.

  Daniel awakened from their nap before Sarah. As he lay there, he thought again of the old journal his wife had seemed unwilling to allow him to see. With all of the secrets between them of late, he felt a strong temptation to sneak a look at the journal. He decided he might just do that, but later, when Sarah was somewhere other than their bedchamber lest he be caught.

  That evening, while Sarah was conversing with his sons and father-in-law in the parlor, with the journal still on his mind, Daniel crept back to the couple’s bedchamber to read from the tattered, old journal. Sarah had hidden it somewhere, which only bolstered his desire to take a look. He finally located it under her side of the bed, up next to the wall.

  After lifting the cover, he quickly scanned the first few pages. He grasped enough to understand why Sarah had wished to keep it from him, surmising it was to protect her mother’s reputation. She has never said a word about having a brother. I wonder if she has ever laid eyes on him.

  Suddenly, a missive fell out, landing on the floor. Daniel reached down to pick it up. As he read the signature at the bottom, he found that it was penned by Sarah’s father. His eyes then went to the top to see to whom it had been written. Seeing that it was intended for Sarah, though he knew he shouldn’t, he read the missive. “Well, that answers my question,” he said as though speaking to Mr. Goodwin. Before this missive was penned, along with the journal, she apparently had no knowledge of a brother.

  Having no wish to be discovered snooping, Daniel swiftly stuffed the missive in the journal and then put it back where he had found it. He knew he would have to tell Sarah what he had done. If I expect her to be forthcoming, I must do the same, but it will have to wait for another day, he told himself.

  In the parlor, Sarah was enjoying spending time with Dan and Joseph, as well as Mr. Hoyt. She had dearly missed the two young men. She thought she was doing the right thing when she left, but now she felt sorry she had ever allowed herself to be run off by George. Oh, she knew she could not blame him entirely, as she had been having mixed emotions about Daniel, which also influenced her decision to return to Amesbury.

  Mr. Hoyt enjoyed watching Sarah and his grandsons interacting. He believed he had made the right decision about staying for the winter. As he observed Sarah, not for the first time did he think her appearance was quite similar to his son’s real mother. He had not taken note of the similarities until recently. He guessed it was because, while reminiscing about the day George became a member of his family, the image of his son’s birth mother had come to mind.

  Sarah glanced up while Mr. Hoyt was studying her. Noticing a strange expression upon his face, she wondered what was on his mind.

  Having been caught staring, Mr. Hoyt decided to inquire about Sarah’s parents, asking how they met and where they were living at the time.

  “I believe they met at our church in Cambridge shortly after Mother moved to town,” she responded. Sarah dared not say too much for fear of giving away her mother’s secret. Sarah wondered at that moment if her mother and father’s marriage had been arranged, given the difference in their age. I surely could see her mother marrying her off to an older man. Thankfully, my father, though he was much older, was a kind and loving man and theirs was a good match.

  “Oh, I see, and do you know from where she hailed before moving to Cambridge?”

  Sarah found Mr. Hoyt’s questions rather peculiar. Considering he was not at all connected to her family, she wondered what interested him. “I believe she was born in Boston.”

  To this answer, Mr. Hoyt’s interest in Sarah’s mother intensified. It was to Boston his minister had sent him to meet his new son. Before he could learn more, his son-in-law came into the room.

  Neither man knew the other had come upon Sarah’s secret thus they would not speak a word about it to each other, not even in private. As for Sarah, the news of a brother had not been far from her mind. She wished she could discuss the contents of the journal with her husband but was reluctant to do so. She had dearly loved her mother and had no desire to cause others to think badly of her.

  Later that evening, after Sarah and the boys had gone to bed, Mr. Hoyt and Daniel discussed when they would make a trip to see George, as was planned when Simon was there not long before. It was decided they would leave by week’s end.

  When morning came and Sarah learned of their plans, she felt ill, for it was sure to be a confrontational visit with Joanna’s brother. “Once he learns that I have returned, he is certain to detach himself from all of you,” she told her husband and Mr. Hoyt.

  “Not to worry, Sarah. Leave everything to us,” the elderly gentleman said reassuringly.

  “Zechariah shall be on hand if you require anything whilst we are away,” stated Daniel. He loathed leaving Sarah so soon after her return, and the fact that she was with child made the upcoming separation even more worrisome for him. He decided, in order to set his mind at ease, he would ask Mrs. Findley to look in on Sarah and his sons.

  With everything settled, the two men set off a few days later.

  Chapter 44

  As he traveled with Daniel to his son’s home in Salem, Mr. Hoyt thought about Sarah’s mother and the possibility of her being his son’s real mother. He mulled over what he knew for certain; the girl had l
ived in Boston, which was where he was sent to meet George’s mother. Additionally, the girl looked astonishingly similar to Sarah. Shaking his head, he thought, No, it could not be!

  Daniel peered over at his father-in-law. “What is on your mind, Joseph? Something appears to be troubling you.”

  Mr. Hoyt continued in his silence regarding Sarah’s mother. “Thinking about George, I suppose. He is sure to be upset over being confronted by the two of us.”

  “Though I was extremely angry, and still am to a certain degree, I intend to handle him gently.”

  “I have never known you to be anything but gentle, my boy. Even so, my son is just the opposite. He is likely to reveal a side of himself the likes of which you have never seen.”

  Daniel’s brow furrowed at Joseph’s words. He had not considered his brother-in-law’s wrath as something to be feared, that is until now.

  By the time the two gentlemen arrived at the younger Mr. Hoyt’s home, since they had benefitted from a time of prayer while traveling there, they felt a little more prepared for what was to come.

  Hearing a wagon approaching, George opened his door to look out. Seeing his father and Daniel, he felt a sudden wave of dread. Daniel and his father were not the sort to leave the boys behind if this were just a cordial visit. As he slowly walked out to the yard, he attempted to muster up courage for what the men might say. He assumed it had something to do with Sarah. The woman must have informed them about the things I said to her, he told himself.