“It is good to see you, Father…Daniel,” he said while approaching.
“Let us go in, George. Daniel and I have something about which we need to speak to you.”
George led his visitors into his home. They left their belongings in the wagon, knowing they would not be invited to stay, and quite certain they would have to seek shelter for the night elsewhere.
After offering his callers something to eat, George took a seat at the table with his father and Daniel. “Now what is this all about? By the looks on your faces, this is not merely a friendly visit, I take it.”
Daniel began by reaffirming his love for his brother-in-law. He then went on to explain that he had been made aware of his treatment of his wife, but he made it clear that she had not said a word.
George knew, if not Sarah, it had to have been the meddlesome neighbor. “What would you have me do, dear brother-in-law? Welcome her with open arms, and so soon after my sister’s death? Could you not have waited a decent amount of time before moving on with your life, completely forgetting my sister?”
Even though he had known the truth for a while now, Daniel’s heart still sank. The wonderful visits with George had been a complete pretense. He had fully expected his brother-in-law to react this way upon hearing the news of his marriage to Sarah and had been astounded when George seemed to have accepted the idea. At this moment, he was wondering how he could have been so foolish as to believe Joanna’s brother had truly acknowledged Sarah as his wife.
Mr. Hoyt broke in, “George, have a care. You know very well how much Daniel loved your sister; what is more, the boys needed looking after. And it was your sister’s suggestion, after all.”
George had heard somewhere before that his sister had wanted Daniel and Sarah to marry, perhaps from one of his nephews, but had not believed it. “Do you actually trust that Joanna wished for this, Father? I think not!”
“Indeed I do, and if you took a moment to consider, you would, too. Your sister loved her family. She also loved Sarah; consequently, in making the suggestion that Sarah be a part of her family when she was gone, she knew everyone would be well looked after.”
“No matter. I cannot bear to have that woman in my sister’s home.”
“‘That woman’ is going to have my child in a few months.”
George’s eyes grew wide upon hearing the news of the child. He knew he would never be able to push her out now. This enraged him even more. “There has never been a place for me in this family, starting with Father, and now with you and the boys.”
Mr. Hoyt spoke up. “George, you have never accepted the fact that you were wanted and very much loved when you joined our family. I have loved you from the first moment I saw you at the church in Boston. And as for your mother, there could be no doubt as to her love for you. In fact, both of your mothers adored you. If you could have but seen your real mother’s sorrowful face when she handed you to me. She was not much more than a child herself, at only sixteen. I believe she was forced to give you up. She even made a little blanket for you; however, her mother snatched it from you. You see, my boy, from your birth mother to your adopted parents, you have been treasured.”
Daniel listened to the entire account of George and his birth mother, taking in every detail. He thought about how old George was now in relation to the year of his birth. Thinking back to Sarah’s mother’s journal, he realized the years matched exactly. His eyes grew wide as the full meaning of what he had read, as well as what Mr. Hoyt had just said, struck him. There was even a little blanket amongst Sarah’s things.
George had listened carefully to his father, wanting very much to believe him. Glancing at Daniel, he noted that his countenance was one of utter amazement.
Still stunned after putting all of the pieces together, Daniel stated, “Joseph, I have never heard this narrative of the day you became George’s father.”
“No, I suppose you would not have, seeing as I rarely speak of it as George has been my real son since the day we brought him home.”
Daniel decided he could no longer keep the account in Sarah’s mother’s journal a secret. “I am not quite certain how to tell you this, Joseph…and…you too, George, but I believe Sarah may be George’s sister.”
George began to laugh. “Have you gone mad, brother-in-law? My sister? Wherever did you get such a notion?”
Joseph was a little stunned that Daniel had come to the same conclusion, at which he himself was slowly arriving. “You have seen the journal, then?”
“Wha…when…when did you—”Daniel could not complete his question he was so dumbfounded at the whole idea; and as guarded as his wife had been over her mother’s journal that Mr. Hoyt had found an occasion to view it, surprised him not a little.
“I stole a look when Sarah was reading from it on our journey from Amesbury to Boston.”
George had no idea as to what the two men were referring. “You are not making a bit of sense. What journal? And why do you believe I am…Sarah’s brother?” It was too absurd a notion for George to even entertain.
George listened intently as Daniel and Joseph went over the details of what was known between the two of them, which included his father making mention of a baby blanket. His face went pale when his brother-in-law revealed that Sarah kept a baby blanket along with the journal. Although the conversation was causing him to feel uneasy, he continued to listen.
Mr. Hoyt asked for more details about the blanket. When his son-in-law described the squares that had been stitched together, which were likely from the mother’s old discarded gowns, Joseph knew it had to have been the one he had seen years ago.
“It must be the very one the baby’s grandmother would not allow him to have, which caused a great deal of grief for the little mother. She had obviously sewn every stitch with all the love she would never be able to bestow upon her son. As it was made of a lady’s garments, it was not like any I had ever seen. She must have later retrieved it from her mother.”
As George hung on every word his brother-in-law and father shared between them, offering proof of his origin, he began to tremble. “This cannot be! Sarah…my sister? I cannot believe it. But with everything you have said, it has to be true. Here I was thinking I was being loyal to my sister, Joanna, by running Sarah off. Now you say that Sarah is the one who is actually my sister?”
Daniel and Joseph were as astonished as George at the unforeseen development. Even with his recent suspicions, the older man had not fully grasped the truth of the situation until now.
Over the next two hours, George’s anger reached its peak regarding the matter. Up to now he would have said that what he felt for Sarah came close to hate. Having to settle in his mind that she was his sister was not an easy task. And if he believed this, he now had much about which to feel guilty concerning Sarah.
With George in a better frame of mind, after talking for hours, he invited his father and Daniel to stay for the night. Before turning in, though, they decided on the best course for revealing the truth to Sarah. George would follow along when his visitors returned to Boston; at which point together they would inform Sarah of her connection to the younger Mr. Hoyt.
Chapter 45
With her husband and Mr. Hoyt on their way to Salem, Sarah spent some time praying for them concerning their meeting with the younger Mr. Hoyt. She also prayed for the brother on whom she had never before laid eyes and wasn’t even certain was still amongst the living.
Just as she was about to go to bed on this the third night since her husband and Mr. Hoyt had set off for Salem, she heard a wagon pulling up in front. Quickly throwing a blanket around her shoulders, she made for the door, anxious to learn how the talk with George had gone.
Entering first, Daniel leaned down and kissed his wife’s cheek. He was followed into the kitchen by Mr. Hoyt. She motioned for them to take a seat at the table and then went straight to work fixing tea and slicing bread. She wanted to hear everything but knew they were probably hungry.
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br /> As she turned toward the table with a tray loaded down with bread, she nearly dropped it when she caught sight of George. The last thing she had expected was for him to return with her husband and Mr. Hoyt. She had in fact wondered if any of them would ever see him again. Slowly moving toward the table, with eyes lowered, she set the tray down. Daring a glance in George’s direction, she was stunned to see a serene expression upon his face, for she was sure he would despise her for returning. Is this all for show? What else could it be?
While traveling to Boston from Salem, George had come to accept the idea that Sarah was very likely his sister. Somehow the hate he had previously felt for her had all but melted away. He had a blood relative. Knowing this brought joy to his heart, for he had never believed it possible that he would ever make the acquaintance of a member of his birth family.
George came toward her, gently took hold of her arm, and led her to the table. “Sarah, there is something I need to tell you that is beyond belief.” Taking a seat in the chair next to his sister, he reached over and put his hand atop hers. Scarcely able to believe it himself, he wondered how she would react to the news.
Daniel and his father-in-law remained silent, allowing George to inform his sister himself. When his wife glanced at him with a bewildered expression upon her face, Daniel gave her a reassuring look.
All at once, Mr. Hoyt spoke up. He had to be very sure what his son was about to tell Sarah was in fact true; consequently, he asked Sarah if he might have a look at the little quilt her father had left for her. Seeing a blank look upon the young woman’s face he further described the quilt, stating that it was the one her mother had made for the child she was forced to give up.
If Sarah was confused before—owing to George’s actions—she was even more so now. “Ho…how did you—”
“Let’s just say that every now and then, my curiosity gets the better of me.” He would tell her all about it later, but for now he needed to confirm that the quilt was the one he had seen.
Hands shaking, Sarah rose and went to fetch the blanket. As soon as she returned, blanket in hand, Mr. Hoyt nodded in affirmation that this was definitely the creation George’s mother had made for her beloved child.
Noting his father’s confirmation, George’s countenance was one of awe. He asked Sarah if he might have a look as well.
Given their history, Sarah was reluctant to allow her mother’s handiwork to be held by a man who had so mistreated her ever since she joined the Thompson family. What might he do to it? she asked herself.
“I promise to hold it carefully, Sarah,” George assured. With a questioning look, his sister placed it in his hands. As he inspected the tiny creation, he could no longer hold back the tears.
Stunned at the man’s reaction to her mother’s quilt, still standing, Sarah took a step back. She then glanced over at her husband and Mr. Hoyt. “What on earth is going on? Why is everyone crying?”
Mr. Hoyt spoke then, for he could see that his son was too emotional to finish what he had started. “Sarah, many years ago I made the acquaintance of a young lady who had wrapped her baby in that very quilt before bringing him to me—his new father. Her mother, your grandmother, seized the quilt from the child.”
Sarah’s eyes grew large as she listened to Mr. Hoyt’s story.
“You see, Sarah, the child about whom I am speaking is George.”
“What! How can this be?” By now, her complexion was white as a sheet.
“It is all true, Sarah. As I said, I was there that day to collect my adopted son.”
Sarah’s eyes shot in George’s direction. Observing a tilt of the head to validate his father’s words, she inquired in a frantic voice, “Does this mean…you…and I are—”
So there would be no doubt, Daniel answered for his brother-in-law. “Yes, Sarah. George is indeed your brother.”
The tiny woman slumped down in the chair next to George, which was the closest empty seat. She suddenly felt a hand encompassing hers. Knowing it to be George’s, she quickly pulled hers from his grasp.
“Sarah, I have treated you contemptibly. I hope with all of my heart that you will allow me to make it up to you.” Glancing down at his sister’s swelled middle, the tears started to flow once again. He had forced her from her home at a time when she needed her husband more than ever.
As she stared at the man, she sensed he was in earnest. Her heart then melted a little as she observed tears streaming down his face. She remained silent for what seemed an eternity, listening to her brother’s mournful cries. With a heart as big as the ocean, she could not remain silent any longer. Wanting to lift his mood, she chuckled and said, “Thankfully, you do not take after Mother in stature or your nephews would already be towering over you, as is the case with me.”
Hearing Sarah’s lighthearted words, George allowed himself a glance in her direction. To his great surprise, she was smiling at him. “How can you be so forgiving of such a despicable man? I have never once spoken a kind word to you.”
“How can I do otherwise, when God has forgiven me much?” Although she was yet a little dubious, never one to sit idly by while watching the suffering of another, she continued to comfort him. “Besides, you are my…brother, are you not? What kind of a sister would I be if I did not forgive you?” She faltered on the word “brother” —for not only had she been stunned by the news of having a brother, but that it was this man, made it all the more shocking. For now, she would accept the news for the benefit of everyone else, but she would remain watchful to see if what she had observed of his behavior was for appearances only. She half expected that by tomorrow he would have returned to his usual taunting ways.
All three men breathed a sigh of relief. Sarah had taken the news better than anyone could have hoped.
Mr. Hoyt looked beside him at his son-in-law, who nodded to indicate that, yes, everything would now be well with these two.
Chapter 46
Elated at the notion of having a sister and the possibility of learning more about the woman who gave him life, George was sitting in the kitchen, anxiously waiting for his sister to emerge from her bedchamber.
When Sarah came into the kitchen to prepare breakfast, the first thing she spotted was her brother, his countenance one of immense joy. Unbeknownst to her, before first light, George had prayed to receive Christ as his Savior. The weight of what he had done to not only one, but both of his sisters, had been too much for him. He had been taught that God was merciful, always ready to forgive; however, up to now he little cared about such things. As his bedchamber became illuminated by the sun after a long night of struggling with what a wicked man he knew himself to be, he finally surrendered to a loving God. And as the darkness was chased away by the sun, his heart, once dark, was now illuminated by God’s glory. Now, so overflowing with love, he scarcely remembered the ill feelings he had once had for his sister.
“My dear sister, what shall we do today?” He hoped she would suggest spending the day together.
Still unable to completely accept that the change was permanent, Sarah looked around and found that they were alone. He could easily have gotten away with his usual behavior towards her, she realized. Perhaps his being her brother truly meant he now accepted her.
George sensed the turmoil within his sister and knew right away he was to blame. “Sarah, it shall not be easy for you to trust me, but I hope you shall, in time. In fact, I was in hopes of having you all to myself today. Perhaps after a day together, your apprehension, where I am concerned, will have lessened.”
Observing her brother, she decided to give it a try. “Very well, let us—just the two of us—spend the day together. If you like, I could show you our mother’s journal.” That sounds so strange, “our” mother.
“I would like that very much. Are you sure you do not mind?”
“I only recently had a look at it myself. Father left it in the care of my father-in-law, Mr. Swyndhurst, so I know to a certain extent how you feel about having
the opportunity to read something in mother’s hand that also reveals her most private thoughts.”
In hearing his sister speak of a father-in-law he had never heard of before, he comprehended how little he really knew of her life before Daniel.
“As soon as you have had something to eat, I shall go and fetch the journal. You may wish to read it in the privacy of your bedchamber.”
George smiled warmly at his sister. Before he could properly thank her, his nephews joined them. They had overheard a little of the conversation between Sarah and their uncle while making their way to the kitchen.
“What is this journal you mentioned?” Dan inquired of his uncle.
“It is a journal our mother penned long ago.”
Dan’s brows rose when he heard his uncle say “our mother” in relation to the journal. “Whatever do you mean?”
“Sit down, boys, there is much to tell,” their uncle replied.
By the time the boys’ father and grandfather arrived at breakfast, the young men had learned the astonishing truth about their uncle and Sarah.
The talk at the table became more than a little confusing, the boys bursting out with questions every couple of minutes, making any discussion between Sarah and George nearly impossible. The news was just too exciting for the Thompson brothers who had to have their part in the conversation.
Daniel had to tell his sons more than once to quiet themselves and finish eating. His sons at last complied. Their questions would have to wait.
Once the kitchen was set in order, George followed his sister to her bedchamber. While handing him their mother’s journal, she told him there would be no doubt as to her love for him once he read it. With a grateful heart, he turned and went to his room, where for the next few hours he read, wept, and read some more.
That evening when the boys had gone to bed, the adults conversed in the parlor. Mr. Hoyt was heartened at the change in his son. Daniel was also in a rather good mood at having his wife home, for not long before he had wondered if she would ever return.
Sarah Anne's Faithful Friends (Unshakable Faith Book 4) Page 19