Lord, what would you have me do? Where are Kitty and I to make our futures?
Suddenly, she stopped as God’s voice pierced through the smoke of her smoldering grief.
Where do you think, my child?
Her breath caught. She turned and looked toward Thomas as he helped Nathaniel down the muddy path. A blossom of hope opened in her heart as she clutched the soft lace at her chest.
Thomas had come for her. He was her future now!
God had led him to her. God had helped them both. She pressed her hand to her mouth as the realization broke through her veil of sorrow. Her King had delivered her! He had not forsaken nor forgotten her in the moment of her greatest need.
Eliza held to Kitty even tighter, smiling toward heaven.
Thank you, Lord! I’ve found my path of peace.
Chapter Thirty
January 23, 1774
Sandwich, MA
Thomas shuffled his feet and played nervously with the lace cuffs that stuck out from his blue-gray jacket. He tugged on his coral colored waistcoat and fussed with his cravat for the thirtieth time. Again, he checked the clock. Only two minutes had passed since the last time he checked though it felt like twenty. Why did women take so long?
Not that Eliza was late. She wasn’t. In fact, the wedding ceremony wouldn’t start for another fifteen minutes. But as far as Thomas was concerned, those minutes could have been years.
In the other corner of the room, Reverend Charles talked with Daniel and Clara, their new babe swaddled and tucked in her arms. The other two children sat quiet and well behaved in the upholstered chairs in front of the hearth. Daniel looked up from the conversation to pass Thomas a telling grin as he raised one brow. He moved his eyes to the stairs and back before winking. Thomas smiled and shook his head at Daniel’s teasing.
Both his cousin and Clara had insisted on coming to Sandwich when they’d learned of the impending nuptials the night of the fire. Thomas and Eliza were guilt ridden at the thought of them traveling all those many miles with their three young children on wintery roads. But Daniel and Clara were stubborn. They’d come three days ago, and Clara had helped Eliza prepare her dress, the meals, and other celebratory accouterments for the joyous day. Kitty had spent many a happy hour doting on the children and appeared to be more joyful than Thomas had seen her in weeks. As for now, Kitty was upstairs assisting his future bride.
Nathaniel came from behind and tugged on Thomas’s elbow, keeping his volume low. “I hope you’ve come to your senses in allowing the Williamses and Kitty to stay at my home this evening. You and Eliza need a proper wedding night.”
Thomas’s heart pattered at the anticipation, but he did his best to keep his voice calm. “That’s not necessary.”
A sly grin slid up Nathaniel’s mouth and he bobbed one eyebrow. “Oh, I believe it is. I will have it no other way.”
“No other way? Who made you king?” Grinning, Thomas brushed his hand down the front of his waistcoat. He’d wanted an evening alone with Eliza, but didn’t want to seem over-eager. “You’re very generous, thank you.”
“Of course. That’s what I do best.” Nathaniel chuckled.
Thomas stood taller and straightened his jacket, smiling at his friend’s good humor. “Well, when the time comes for you to enter into matrimonial bliss, I shall do my best to find a way to offer you a similar gesture.”
“I can’t say such bliss is in my near future.” Nathaniel cleared his throat, and looked toward the stairs. His breathing slowed and a dreamy look captured his features for less than a second before he shook it away. “I’ve got plenty of women to keep my attentions. Why settle on one?”
Thomas chuckled. “Whatever you say.” Running his fingers over his head, he tightened the ribbon that held his hair in place before he looked at the clock. “What’s keeping them?”
Nathaniel laughed and leaned his back against the mantel. “I’ve told you before, a woman’s toilette is a mystery, Thomas. You can look forward to waiting, just as you are now, many times over in your life from this day on.” He grinned with a mocking slide to his mouth and slapped him on the back. “She’ll be down soon enough, and looking perfect no doubt. You must have patience.”
“Patience?” Thomas chuckled and rubbed the cleft in his chin, feeling the evening whiskers peeking through his skin. “You know I’ve heard from my Uncle George.”
“Have you?”
“Seems he’s besotted with a Southern woman, and wants to leave the press. He asked if I would like my supplies . . .”
Pushing from off the mantel, Nathaniel’s face brightened. “Please tell me you said yes.”
“Of course I did. I can’t wait to get my fingers black again. I think I might have gone mad as a farm—”
At that moment, Kitty entered the room, and all conversation ceased, bathing the room in silence. The emerald gown clung to her feminine figure and her countenance beamed as if she were the happy bride herself. How beautiful she looked. So much like her sister. Thomas snuck a glance at Nathaniel, whose round eyes were sweeping over her from head-to-toe and up again.
Thomas couldn’t hold back and leaned toward Nathaniel’s ear. “No bliss in your future?”
The glare that shot from his friend’s eyes seared Thomas’s mouth shut, but it didn’t stop his smile or the mocking chuckle that rumbled in his chest.
Thomas’s heart drummed. Where was Eliza?
And then he saw her.
His breath stalled in his lungs as she moved toward him, floating over the ground like a pink angel from heaven. The dusty-rose gown she’d worn that infamous night hugged her luscious curves, giving him ample fuel for his imagination, but he pushed those thoughts away for the moment. They would be man and wife soon enough. Never had he seen such beauty or known such grace. Lord, help me be the kind of man she deserves. He glanced to heaven. Robert, I shall do my best to make you proud and give your daughter the best of my days.
A quiet voice brushed behind his ear, and Thomas stilled as Robert’s familiar tone made his heart swell. I know.
In that moment Eliza’s dark eyes found his, and she smiled, lifting Thomas from the ground. Her cheeks darkened to the same rosy hue of her gown as she neared.
Nathaniel chuckled deep and low. “You’re a lucky man, Thomas.”
Nodding, Thomas couldn’t move his eyes away from his bride. “I know.”
“Good evening.” She reached his side and curtsied low.
“Are you ready?” he whispered, cocking his elbow.
Eliza peered at him through her long lashes, a perfect smile gracing her lips. “I am.”
The young reverend looked at them and nodded. “Let us begin.”
Eliza sat alone at the modest dressing table Thomas had given to her as a wedding present. She had told him it was too much, but he insisted and she loved him all the more for it. Contemplating the day’s glorious events, she brushed her long hair, a permanent smile gracing her face.
She gazed at her reflection in the expansive mirror. God had given her more than she’d ever imagined. He certainly did know how to give good gifts to His children.
As she worked through her tumbling locks, her gaze fastened upon the brown book resting on the table—Father’s book. Placing the brush down, she picked it up. This was the last remaining thing he’d touched, the only tangible thing she had left to remember him.
Her throat swelled and she held it to her chest. How she wished he were here. How she yearned to tell him what she’d learned and most of all—that his own wish had come true. She and Thomas had found each other, and were united as husband and wife. How happy he would be. She replaced the book and went to the window to close the curtains. Staring at the fabric, she drew them together and paused. Somehow, Father knew. She felt it. He’d watched over her from the beginning, just as he had promised, and with God’s help, everything had knit together into a beautiful pattern of love, trust and truth.
A light knock sounded on the door and her
hands went numb. She tugged at the sleeves and lacy collar of the nightgown Clara had given her, making sure it draped her just right, and pulled a shawl around her shoulders.
“Come in,” she said, trying to hide the nervous crack in her voice as she went back to her seat at the table.
The door creaked and opened. Thomas filled the doorway, still wearing the magnificent blue-gray jacket and breeches he’d worn at their wedding—the same suit he’d worn when they’d first tasted of the love that bloomed between them. His broad shoulders filled the fabric and his dark hair and shaven face beckoned her to touch. She was powerless to look away.
Giving her a sideways smile, Thomas entered, removed his coat, and laid it on the edge of the white bedding. A light glow from the two candles resting on her table sent a pleasing pattern across his angled features. He began to unbutton his waistcoat and suddenly Eliza couldn’t swallow. The shirt he wore exposed the outline of his muscular form, leaving little to her imagination.
Thomas remained casual and looked at her with an endless sparkle in his blue eyes as he continued his task.
“I hope I gave you enough time . . . I didn’t know how long you’d need,” he said, an unmistakable teasing refrain in his voice.
Eliza cleared her throat and focused on her words. “Not very long. I’m . . . I’m finished as you can see.” She gripped the buttons on the neck of her nightdress. Her mouth went dry.
Thomas slipped out of his waistcoat and tossed it next to his jacket, his eyes squinting as a royal grin swept over his face. “I can see.”
Eliza’s head tipped backward as he came forward and stood directly in front of where she sat. Restless butterflies swirled in her middle, and her breath caught in her throat. He took her hands and helped her to stand.
She kept her gaze down and moved her arms around her middle, then dropped them to her sides. Her white nightgown, though modest, draped over her unreserved curves leaving her remarkably exposed.
He moved his hands around her waist, pulling her close. Eliza wiped her clammy palms on her gown, while his hands were warm and wanting through the thin fabric.
“Thomas?”
“Hmmm?”
“I, uh . . .” Her voice cracked again.
Thomas raised his hooded eyes. Pure desire possessed his gaze and he kissed her mouth with a kind of passion she’d never known possible. He pulled her against his body, letting his lips and hands wander where they may. Her heart rapped wildly against her ribs and her breathing heated.
Dotting feather-light kisses against her cheek and ear, he broke away but kept his forehead against hers. His breath was heavy and hot, his voice quiet. “You were saying?” He moved his lips down her neck, while his hands wandered over her back and pressed her harder against him.
Eliza tried to calm her runaway heart, but his breath against her skin sent the most tantalizing tingles down her shoulders that every thought escaped her. “I don’t remember.”
“Good,” he said, a husky timbre to his voice.
In one swift movement he scooped her into his arms. Eliza released a nervous giggle, wrapping her arms around his neck. He whispered into her ear as he moved toward the bed.
“Welcome home, Eliza Watson.”
Dear Reader,
I can’t thank you enough for taking part in Thomas and Eliza’s journey. It was a blessing to write, and I hope it has been a blessing for you to read. If you enjoyed the story and would like to recommend it to others, I would be very honored if you would take the time to write a quick review and post it on Amazon.com or another review site of your choosing, and let other readers know what you thought about it. (I’m sure Thomas and Eliza would be honored by that, too. *wink *)
These character’s experiences, though fictional, are not unlike many colonists who lived in and around Boston at the time. The political world was in turmoil and many people, like Eliza, were confused about what was right and what they ought to believe. Others, like Thomas and Nathaniel, dove into the conflict, strongly convinced of what needed to be done—and why it needed to be done. Then of course there were Tories like Kitty, who believed the cause was wrong and refused to get politically involved.
Today, like then, we live in a time of serious turmoil. We must “find the truth,” just as Robert instructed Eliza to do, and decide for ourselves what side we will take in the battle for our freedoms—both spiritually and politically. We are surrounded by people who fall into the same categories that these characters did—there are people like Eliza and Kitty and Thomas and Nathaniel all around us. I believe we can be a powerful force for good when we embrace the truths that God has shown to us and share those truths with others who might still be unsure about what it is they believe.
~
Founded only seventeen years after the pilgrims landed in Plymouth, Sandwich is Cape Cod’s oldest town. It simply bursts with colorful history and is arguably one of the most picturesque places on the Cape.
I first visited there in 1997, and it has illuminated my imagination ever since. I knew I wanted to set my story there, but had no idea how absolutely perfect it would be.
Sandwich was a hotbed of political unrest in the years before the Revolution, as were all of the towns and provinces surrounding Boston. In 1775, a political gathering was organized by Doctor Nathaniel Freeman—the figure I fashioned my own Nathaniel Smith after. I was enthralled with that piece of history, and knew I needed to include something similar in my novel.
As much as I love American history and the colonial era, I am not a historian. I did my utmost to collect information and facts to make this story as accurate as possible—leaving room for literary license, of course. Please forgive me for inaccuracies or mistakes I may have overlooked.
In book two—Kitty and Nathaniel’s story—you will get to know even more about this marvelous city and the rich history it holds.
Amber Lynn Perry is a historical romance novelist, focusing on her favorite time in American history--the Revolutionary era. She received a Bachelor's degree from Portland State University and currently lives in Washington state with her husband and two daughters. She loves to hear from readers and you can contact her through her website, www.amberlynnperry.com or through her Facebook page, www.facebook.com/authoramberlynnperry.
So Fair a Lady (Daughters of His Kingdom Book 1) Page 31