by Megan West
Christina knew all about her sister’s spells. She had grown up around them and knew that Sabra was never wrong when she had these visions or whatever they were. Very few people knew about these visions and that was the safest way for her. Emmett had known, though, and he was fully supportive of his wife. When she told him that she had sensed something, he listened.
The only time that he had refused to listen to her was when she begged him not to go away to war. Now, it would seem as if she had been right about that, too. But Christina could not encourage Sabra in this one. People would ask questions if it became apparent that Sabra had known about Emmett’s death before she had been formally notified. No, that would not do at all.
“Sabra,” she said gently. “You do not know that what you saw is true. No one has been here to talk to you and you have not had any letters or anything like that. This time, it could have all been just a very horrible nightmare.”
“It wasn’t a nightmare, Christina,” Sabra said sadly. “Emmett’s spirit was here and he is dead!”
This was going to be a difficult situation because Christina knew she had to get Sabra up on her feet. Finally, an idea occurred to her.
“Alright, Sabra,” she said. “This is what we will do. I will tell everyone that you are ill and that you need rest. I will say that I am staying here with you until you are recovered. In that way, we don’t have to explain anything ‘difficult.’ Now, first, we need to get you up and in the bath. I’ll prepare it for you and get out a clean gown. I’ll be right back.”
Christina went into the bathroom and started to fill the claw footed tub with water and bubble bath. While the tub was filling, she returned to Sabra. She lifted her from her prone position and managed to get her undressed and into the water.
Following her bath, Sabra did seem to be a bit better. At least she was more alert. Christina stayed with her until the formal notification of Emmett’s death arrived. Now it was more acceptable for Sabra to give into her grief because no one knew of her visions. Neighbors from all over the Mobile, Alabama community that they lived in came to offer condolences and bring food.
The day that Emmett’s body arrived for the family to bury was a particularly difficult one for Sabra. A young man accompanied the body to the funeral home where Sabra would later be allowed to say good bye to him. This young man visited Sabra at her home before setting off to return to the fighting.
“Mrs. Lanier,” he said to her when she answered the door. “I’m Sergeant James Davis and I had the privilege of taking care of your husband during the last week of his life. I want you to know that he was a very brave and honorable man. He saved a lot of men through his selfless actions.”
“Thank you, Sergeant Davis,” she replied. “I do appreciate you sharing this with me and also for taking care of him when I could not. Oh please forgive me! Where are my manners? Do come in!”
Stepping back, Sabra opened the door and allowed Sergeant Davis entrance into her home.
Hat in hand, he stood in the entryway of the house and looked around.
“Nice home you have here, Ma’am,” he said.
“Thank you,” she replied. “Emmett and I have been very happy here.”
Leading him into the front parlor, she seated herself on the sofa and gestured toward a chair for him to do the same.
“Oh, I must apologize,” she exclaimed. “Would you care for anything to drink or eat? Lord knows I’ve got plenty and I would certainly hate for you to leave without a good meal.”
He seemed about to refuse but the offer of good meal and something cold to drink got the better of him.
“Why yes, Ma’am, I really would appreciate both if you’re sure it’s no trouble. I’ve got a long journey ahead of me and that would help make it a bit easier.”
“Excellent! Follow me,” Sabra directed as she got up and led him out of the parlor and down the hallway into the kitchen.
Pointing to a table with chairs in a small alcove of the kitchen, she invited him to have a seat. This area looked out over a small garden filled with greenery and year round blooms of various sorts. There were two large trees that offered shade in the summer.
Sabra bustled about placing cold cuts, cheese, and tomatoes on a plate. Then she retrieved a freshly baked loaf of bread and carried it all to the table. Next, she cut a slice of apple pie and placed it on a smaller plate. Pouring two tall glasses of iced tea, she carried them to the table and sat down.
“Thank you so much, Ma’am! All of this looks really good!”
“I’ve got so much food here that I’ll never eat it,” Sabra replied. “Cooking is just what people do when there’s a death. I’ll make you some food to take with you.”
“Oh you don’t have to go to all of that trouble!”
“It’s no trouble. Besides, it is one small way I can thank you for everything you’ve done. If you don’t mind me asking; what happened to my husband?”
Sergeant Davis paused in eating to give her a rather sad look.
“Well, he was hurt pretty badly in an explosion while trying to lead his men safely away from some traps. He saved so many men, but we just couldn’t seem to get a grip on the infection. He lingered a week before…well…he just couldn’t last any longer. I sat with him and took care of him. We just didn’t have what it took to fight that infection. I’m so sorry, Ma’am. Your husband is one of the best men I’ve ever known.”
Tears had gathered in Sabra’s eyes as she listened to the last days of her husband.
How will I ever make it without him?
“Oh! I should give you this before I forget,” Sergeant Davis said as he reached into the pocket of his jacket. He withdrew an envelope with her name on the front of it and handed it to her.
“What’s this,” she asked.
“It’s a letter that your husband wrote to you the day before he passed. He made me promise that I would see this letter safely delivered to you.”
Taking it almost reverently, Sabra looked down at the familiar handwriting.
“Thank you,” she said softly. “This means so much to me.”
Nodding slightly, Sergeant Davis continued with his meal.
Later, once he had finished eating and Sabra had packed him enough food to last him for a couple of days, she saw him to the door.
“Thank you again,” she said as she shook his hand. “I cannot tell you how much I appreciate everything you’ve done.”
“It was my pleasure to do so, Ma’am,” he replied. Placing his hat back on his head he gave her a smile and a nod before walking down the sidewalk.
Sabra closed the door gently and locked it. She had sent Christina home hours ago with the promise that she would get in touch with her if she needed her. She just felt that she had to have some time alone now to adjust to the fact that Emmett would no longer be in her life. Going up the stairs to the bedroom, she turned on one of the oil lamps by the bed. Sitting down, she looked at the envelope for a long time before opening it.
Once the envelope was unsealed, she removed a single sheet of paper from it and started to read.
My darling Sabra,
If you are reading this, it means that the worst has, indeed, happened. I entrusted James to bring this letter to you because I know how much pain you are going to feel without me. I’m so sorry, my darling. I tried to be careful as I wanted nothing more than to come back to you and hold you in my arms again. As I write this, I know that is not going to be possible. Even now, I can feel the poison as it works its way through my body and I know that it will not be long.
While I am sad to be leaving you, sweetheart, I treasure all of the moments we have shared together. You were always my one true love. If I were a different man, I could have ignored the call of duty and remained at home with you. But I could not have lived with myself if I had not been true to my country. I know that you understand that as no other could.
Please do not grieve for me very long, my love. Do not waste your beauty, wisdom and many g
ifts by keeping them all to yourself. The best way to honor me is to carry on with your life. Open your heart so that you may fall in love again one day. This is my wish for you. Honor me by following through with our dreams. I will always be with you in spirit, as you well know better than anyone else.
All I can say is that I love you, my sweet Sabra, and that I will take that love with me wherever the next step leads me. It has been a wonderful journey with you and, God willing, I will see you again one day.
All of my love forever,
Emmett
Tears streamed down Sabra’s face and dropped onto the paper as she reread the letter several times. She was, literally, holding the last communication from her husband that she would ever receive.
I cannot do this!
She awoke the next morning lying across her bed still fully clothed. Apparently, she had cried herself to sleep while still holding onto the letter that Emmett had written to her. Just as she was sitting up and trying to gather her wits, there was a knock downstairs on the front door.
That will be Christina, she thought. Today is the day that I’m burying my husband.
As she tried to rise from the bed, a sudden feeling gripped her. Glancing up, she saw Emmett standing across the room watching her. He was wearing his military uniform and smiling at her rather sadly. He did not speak. Instead, they simply stared at each other while silently communicating. By the time he had faded from view, Sabra’s strength had returned. She would make it through today and then, she would take it one day at a time until she knew what path she was meant to take next.
Taking a deep breath, she rose from her bed and went downstairs to answer the door.
One year later…
“Emmett,” Sabra said with a trembling voice. “You know that I will always love you in a way that no other man can ever claim my heart. It’s important that you believe that. I know you can hear me. I’m doing as you asked, my darling. I am going on with my life and trying to open my heart to love once more. I will try to follow our dreams without you, but only because you have asked that of me. I’m here to say goodbye for now because I’m not sure when I’ll be able to speak with you again. For now, though, just know that I love you and that I’m doing this because of our love.”
Placing a small bouquet of wildflowers on Emmett’s grave, she pressed her gloved fingers to her lips and then onto the gravestone that marked his final resting place. Taking a deep breath, she quickly brushed the tears away from her face, and stood. It was time to get back to her house and check last minute things before leaving.
She chose to walk this route one last time. Today was the first day that she had stopped wearing black. In celebration of that, she was dressed in a deep red velour dress with a matching hooded cloak. Her long black hair was in an upsweep with a hat pinned on top. She was still a bit pale from not going out much over the past year, but she had brushed some color onto her cheeks to make them look healthier. Her violet blue eyes seemed to be all-seeing with their dark fringe of long lashes.
Sabra was a bit taller than most women and displayed a full figure rather than a tiny one. A lot of the times she chose to avoid corsets as she had done today. There was simply no way that she would travel for days on end while trapped in that torture device. Her sister, Christina, ever the consummate lady, had given up long ago on trying to turn Sabra into a refined lady.
Still, as she passed by the hallway mirror, Sabra thought she looked fashionably attractive. She hoped that her new husband to be would approve.
Anton Wolfe. The name evoked mysteriousness and shivers at the same time.
What sort of man would he be?
As it drew close to the year anniversary of Emmett’s death, Sabra had begun to realize that she was not able to make it on her own. She refused to move in with Christina and her husband as she was not going to be a burden to their growing little family. Yet, she had no idea what she would do.
That is when she happened upon an advertisement in the local newspaper. This ad was about an agency called Matrimonial Matches. In short, this was a mail order bride agency that paired couples for marriage. She contacted the agency and they sent her a list by post of their most eligible men. After going over the list for hours, she had settled on a man named Anton Wolfe.
Mr. Wolfe was a business owner in the west coast town of Virginia City. Located in the state of Montana, it was supposed be a rather prosperous and growing city. Mr. Wolfe was a widower with no children. He had given his age to be 39 years old and had assured her that he was in fit shape for man of his age.
Sabra had not quite known what to make of that unless he was reassuring her that she wouldn’t have to worry about burying another husband too quickly.
She had started out on this quest bravely enough, but now that the time was so near, she was starting to develop a case of nerves. That was natural she supposed. It wasn’t every day that a woman agreed to marry a man that she had never met. Christina had been horrified when Sabra told her of her plans and had been trying to talk her out of it ever since.
It was difficult to explain, she knew. Plenty of men had let Sabra know that they were available whenever she was ready to come out of mourning. None of them were to her liking, though. They were either much older than she or were carousers by too much drinking or women chasing. It was not a life she was interested in having.
Yes, Mr. Wolfe was somewhat older than she by about 11 years but, somehow, his letters had made him seem so much more exciting than any of her choices locally. She did hate to leave her beloved Mobile, Alabama. That was going to be hard. Yet, she was going to get to see an entirely new part of the country in this Virginia City, Montana. She was sad to leave her sister, but she would make sure that there would be many letters and a few visits.
Anton Wolfe would be arriving shortly. He has insisted on taking a carriage and coming to get her. At his suggestion, they would be married in Mobile before journeying back to Virginia City by carriage. He was leaving all the wedding arrangements up to her, but told her to spare no expense as he would be paying for everything.
Well, he is certainly nothing if not generous.
Even Christina had begun to feel a bit more benevolent to him when she heard that her sister would be getting a proper wedding of her choosing. Sabra had decided to turn over all of the details to Christina as she was simply too busy with packing and getting ready for the trip out West. Christina was more than happy to take on the task as Sabra had known she would be.
Something else that Sabra had waited for was one of her spells to tell her whether she was making a good or bad decision. So far, nothing had come to her warning her of danger. She hoped that was a good omen.
As she sat lost in thought, there was a knock on her front door. Startled, her head whipped in the direction of the sound.
It must be him!
Standing up and smoothing her skirts, she took a deep breath and went to the door. Opening it, she had to fight a gasp.
There stood before her one of the most handsome men she had ever seen in her life.
Now, her Emmett had been a handsome man; there was no doubt about that. But this man had a presence like no other. He stood over six feet in height with blue black hair and green eyes that seemed to pierce through to her soul. His body seemed fit enough and he carried himself with dignity.
Well, he certainly did not lie about being fit, she thought. Oh dear god, what’s wrong with me? I cannot seem to utter a sound!
Fortunately, the man had no such issue and removed his hat, bowing slightly to her.
“Hello,” he said in a deep voice as smooth as silk. “I am Anton Wolfe here to see Miss Sabra Lanier. Is she here?”
“Why yes, yes she is,” Sabra finally managed to find her voice. “She is standing right here in front of you.”
“Ah! Miss Lanier!” he exclaimed. “I’m so happy to make your acquaintance!”
Was she imagining things or did his eyes light up ever so slightly when he realize
d that she was his intended bride?
“And I yours,” she replied with a smile. “Please come in.”
She moved back so that he could enter.
“I apologize for the disarray, but I’ve arranged to sell my house and whatever is not staying with it is packed in boxes, as you can see.”
“Yes,” Anton said. “There is a wagon that will be collecting your things in the morning before we depart. You and I will be traveling by private carriage. It is such a long journey that I felt a carriage of our own would be preferable to traveling with strangers. In that way, we can stop wherever and whenever we like to rest. I hope that’s agreeable with you.”
“Oh yes,” Sabra exclaimed. “That so very thoughtful of you! I agree that it will be a much easier trip if we have a bit more freedom of choices. Thank you for arranging that.”
“I’ve booked some rooms for us at the Magnolia Inn,” he said. “I thought we could retire there following the ceremony.”
“That’s perfect,” she said. “By the way, you’ll be meeting my sister Christina soon. She has been excitedly putting together a small ceremony for us. You’ll understand when you meet her.”
“That sounds wonderful,” he smiled. “You must have a very caring sister.”
“Oh that she is,” Sabra laughed slightly. “She is the best sister anyone could ever have. I don’t know what I would have done without her this past year.”
As she said those words, a look of sadness crossed her face briefly.
“You said that your husband had been killed during the war,” he said somberly. “I am so sorry that you have had to endure to such pain. I am sure that he was a fine man.”
“Oh yes he was,” Sabra declared. “Emmett was the best man I’ve ever known! We had such plans….Oh I’m so sorry! You certainly do not want to hear all of this! Please forgive me.”
“Nonsense,” Anton said gently as he took her arm and led her to the settee that was still placed in the parlor. “Come and sit. I would like to hear all about this Emmett.”
As it turned out, Anton was a wonderfully attentive listener. Before she knew it, she was telling him everything from how she and Emmett had met and fallen in love right up to his funeral. Of course she did not tell him of her premonition of Emmett’s death, but, oddly enough, she was able to talk to this man as if she had known him all of her life.
