Sarah Anne's Expedient Marriage (The Unshakable Faith Series Book 3)

by Cathy Bryant

  Joanna concurred with the possibility of Sarah running off again if she were made aware of what was to come. All the same, similar to her husband, she disliked keeping such a thing from her friend and hoped when all was said and done, Sarah would understand.

  The next morning, Joanna avoided eye contact with Sarah as much as possible. As she was overwhelmed by guilt for keeping her friend in the dark about Daniel’s conversation with Mr. Haddon, she felt that Sarah might suspect that something was wrong by her countenance or her odd behavior.

  Before too long, however, as Sarah often did, she gathered up her Bible and made for the backyard. She liked her private time with God to be out of doors. Stepping out onto the somewhat thawed ground—which with winter all but coming to an end had only sparse areas of snow—she quickly moved in the direction of the old, wooden bench near the little stream at the far boundary line of the Thompsons’ property.

  Arriving at the bench, she sat down and placed her Bible upon her lap. Feeling the sun’s warmth on her back, she thought about the beautiful oak tree towering over her. With a chill still in the air, she was grateful its branches were bare, for she had no need for shade just now. As she began to pray to the Lord, she expressed to Him how grateful she was for the Thompsons and Mr. Hoyt. She counted them amongst her greatest blessings. They had been there for her during a very difficult time, and she dreaded the day she would have to leave the comfort they daily offered her.

  Joanna glanced out the kitchen window toward the backyard. In the distance, she spotted Sarah sitting on the bench by the tree with her head bent low. She knew her friend was likely reading her Bible and praying. Watching Sarah spending time with the Lord reminded Joanna to pray that He would give her young friend strength for whatever was to come, for she knew it wouldn’t be long before the little peace Sarah had known since she had arrived would be a thing of the past. And the guilt she had been feeling at keeping secrets from Sarah prompted her to also pray that Sarah would forgive her, and Daniel, when she learned that they had aided her husband in finding her.

  Back at the Swyndhurst estate, Alexander was waiting for word of Sarah from his hired man. Having recently received the missive concerning James Haddon’s fall, which had left the man injured, he had been praying his friend’s leg would heal quickly. He felt awful that James had been hurt, for having an injured leg would certainly be burdensome for anyone, but the mishap had also delayed the search for Sarah.

  Knowing how long it takes to receive correspondence from Boston, Alexander surmised that, by now, it could have been up to two weeks since James had injured himself. All this waiting was getting on Alexander’s nerves. In addition, from the time that James had set off for Boston, Alexander had been too distracted to accomplish much of anything. He finally decided that if he didn’t learn something soon, he would go to Boston himself to learn how James was faring, as well as what his hired man had learned regarding Sarah.

  The children had settled in and seemed to be adjusting well to their new surroundings. In Martha and Mr. Swyndhurst’s opinion, that they were having regular meals as well as clean clothes to wear, might have had something to do with how well they were getting on.

  Jonathan and Hannah Bleasdell had told Alexander that they were prepared for the children to come whenever he had need of them, which he hoped would be very soon. With Alexander’s father living in England, Jonathan had not only been a good friend, but in some ways a surrogate father to him. And Hannah seemed as concerned for Alexander’s well-being as any mother or older sister might have been. In fact, it was Jonathan who had spoken to Alexander concerning his eternal destination. Alexander had observed his devout father over the years and had grown up going to church, where he had heard the gospel message time and time again. But before Jonathan had spoken to him, Alexander had not received Christ as his Savior. He had been attempting to earn his way to heaven—thinking that works were enough. After talking with Jonathan, however, Alexander had learned that the only way to obtain heaven and a right relationship with God was to receive the sacrifice of God’s Son on his behalf. Jonathan had explained that none of us could ever be good enough to deserve heaven. For Alexander, when Jonathan had read Ephesians 2:8-9, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast,” he had gained a better understanding of salvation. In some ways, Alexander had felt relief at hearing that no one had ever been good enough, for deep down he knew he had also failed in this regard.

  After Alexander had received Christ’s sacrifice and repented of his sins, he had allowed God preeminence in his life. It was then that he realized the reason all of his previous efforts at living a worthy life had been extremely difficult—if not impossible—was that it had all been done in his own strength. Now that he had allowed the Lord to have control, his endeavors at living faithfully, which had seemed such a struggle before, had been made possible through the power of the Holy Spirit, for God had begun to conform Alexander’s will to His own. He had finally learned how to have a true relationship with a loving and merciful God.

  While Alexander paced around in the house, unable to handle even the smallest of tasks, someone knocked at the door. Hoping it might be news of Sarah, Alexander hurried to the door. After thrusting it open, as he had hoped, James Haddon was standing there, smiling.

  While practically pulling James off his feet, Alexander ushered his friend toward his study. Not wanting to wait another moment to hear what James had to say, Alexander eagerly said, “By your smile, I take it you have good news.”

  After taking a seat to rest his throbbing leg, James responded, “Indeed! I have found Sarah! As we had hoped, she is staying with Mr. Hoyt’s daughter. Though I felt my injured leg would have hindered my search, I could not have been more wrong. The very man I had been looking for—Daniel Thompson, Mr. Hoyt’s son-in-law—was the physician who came to look after my leg.

  “Mr. Harvey, at the hat company, had explained the physician’s possible connection to Mr. Hoyt—who had been with Sarah the day they met together. After the mishap with my leg, I finally gained an audience with the gentleman; however, each time he paid me a visit, and I attempted to gain information regarding where he lived and whether he had a houseguest, he would change the subject. It turns out that he suspected my reason for coming to town had something to do with Sarah. That is why, at first, he had not been forthcoming.”

  Though he had been informed of some of this by James in his last correspondence, not wanting to miss a word of what had transpired since, Alexander quietly listened. He would not have interrupted the man for the world, for he knew that very soon James would get to the part about where to find Sarah.

  The hired man continued, “At last, my leg had mended. I knew Mr. Thompson had come for the last time. Though on his previous visits I had been hesitant to reveal too much, this time I felt I had no choice but to tell the man everything. I hoped he would understand and be willing to tell me if Sarah had been lodging with his family. Thankfully, the man had sympathy for your plight. After learning that you had never given up the search for your wife, he explained that he had simply been protecting her. After discussing the matter with me, he could see that keeping you from her would not be for the best.”

  Thinking about the fact that it was to the home of a physician that Sarah had gone, Alexander said in a strained voice, “James, God must have truly been watching over my poor wife. She most likely was in need of a physician after what happened to her. I am glad that, since I could not be, Mr. Thompson was there.”

  Knowing it was out of concern rather than jealousy that Alexander spoke, James quickly responded, “Just as you would have been, had you been afforded the opportunity.”

  “James, you must take me to her straight away,” insisted Alexander almost breathless.

  “Of course. Whenever you wish,” James replied. “However, there is one other matter.” James had been hesitant to tell his employer of Sarah�
�s condition, so he had dragged the story out longer than necessary as he attempted to gain the courage.

  Looking intently at his friend, Alexander knew whatever James had to disclose could not be good news, or he would not have held the information until the last. “James, whatever it is…I am prepared to hear.”

  “It is just that…well, Sarah is with child,” he responded in almost a whisper.

  Suddenly, Alexander came to his feet. Unable to contain his anger, he nearly shouted, “If I ever get my hands on her attacker! My poor wife! How she has suffered. If she had ever thought to return home, she wouldn’t have even considered it once she had learned about the child.” As he began to calm down, he stated, “This is just one more reason I am happy that she has been under a physician’s care.”

  While indicating his agreement with a nod, as he watched his friend pace about the room, James remained quiet to allow the distraught husband time to process the news. James was also mulling over what raising another man’s child would mean for Alexander. He would have to be a strong man, indeed, thought James. Every time he looks at the child, he shall remember what happened to his wife.

  Before long, focusing on the task at hand, Alexander made his way over to the door and said, “Let us go to the kitchen. I must speak with Martha. I shall ask her to prepare you something to eat while I gather up the things I shall need for the trip. I should like to set off within the hour.”

  After rising to his feet, James followed after Mr. Swyndhurst. When Martha caught sight of the men approaching, she was eager to hear why Mr. Haddon had come. After learning that her employer and Mr. Haddon would soon be setting off for Boston to fetch Sarah, Martha broke down in tears.

  Mr. Swyndhurst had not shared all with his servant. He knew she would find out about the child soon enough.

  Wiping her eyes, Martha—filled with joy—said with a tremor in her voice, “Not only shall I prepare something for Mr. Haddon, but I shall also pack some food for your journey.”

  Glancing back over his shoulder as he was leaving the room, Mr. Swyndhurst responded to the elderly woman whom he dearly loved. “Very good! I am much obliged to you, Martha.” With that, he headed for the stairs, taking them two at a time. In no time at all he had returned to the kitchen, ready to set off.

  “Martha, would you have Peter take the children over to the Bleasdells’ home? I wish I had the time to take them myself, but we really need to be going. Send my apologies, won’t you?”

  “Not to worry. We shall see to the children. You just go and get our girl,” she responded, scarcely able to contain her excitement.

  Mr. Swyndhurst and James set off soon after. They were unaware that Matthew Raymond had spotted Mr. Swyndhurst’s hired man hastening by on his way to the estate. Within moments, as he had been prepared ever since Sarah had left town, Matthew loaded up his wagon. He wanted to be ready in the case that Sarah’s husband and hired man took leave of Amesbury, and he felt certain that, this time, they would.

  Allowing Mr. Swyndhurst time to be some distance ahead, Matthew Raymond waited atop his wagon. When he felt the two men were far enough away, he set off after them. It was going to be a little tricky keeping well enough behind, but close enough to not lose sight of the two men. He wasn’t sure just how he intended to get Sarah ahead of her husband, once they arrived at their destination, but he hoped an opportunity would present itself. As he rode along, he rehearsed his plans for what he would do once he had recaptured Sarah. He knew just where he would take her.

  It had been almost two days since Alexander and James had set off for Boston. Matthew Raymond, knowing Mr. Swyndhurst would certainly recognize him, had stayed well out of sight until the other two men had gained their lodgings each night. Additionally, he had risen before sunup each morning to keep an eye out for their departure. He hadn’t been exactly sure where their final destination would be, but he was beginning to have his suspicions as to where they were headed.

  By noon, as Matthew had suspected, they arrived in Boston. He was more confident than ever that Sarah was somewhere close. And as this was the town to which he had planned to take her, Matthew could not have been more pleased. After the recent death of his brother, he had inherited a modest dwelling on a secluded road far from the center of town. Even though he had visited his brother but rarely, with what he remembered of the home, he was certain Sarah would not be seen by anyone. The nearest house was several miles away. Additionally, he intended to tell her that if she ever attempted to flee, he would harm those she loved. He was certain that tactic would work well in keeping her under control. All that was left to do was to get his hands on the woman so he could whisk her away.

  As Alexander and James approached Daniel Thompson’s home, James directed his employer’s attention toward the structure. “That is the place…there…up ahead. Along with the directions provided for me by Mr. Thompson, he also furnished a description of the house.”

  With his emotions all a jumble, Mr. Swyndhurst merely nodded. He could scarcely believe he would be seeing his wife in a matter of minutes. “I have not the words to describe my deep gratitude to you for finding Sarah, James.”

  “That is what you pay me for,” he said with a chuckle. “But truth be told, I would have assisted in the search, regardless.”

  The two men had been friends long before Sarah’s disappearance. They were all the more so now; therefore, Alexander knew what James had said was true—he would have helped him search no matter what.

  As Joanna had been anxious on Sarah’s behalf about what was to come, she had been glancing out the window so often over the past couple of weeks that she was surprised Sarah had not questioned her about it. Just now, she was taking another peek. Her heart jumped in her chest as she saw a wagon approaching. Knowing it was probably Sarah’s husband and his hired man, as she didn’t recognize either man, Joanna moved toward the door and waited for them to knock.

  Joanna then looked up and thanked the Lord that Sarah was in her usual place at the far end of the backyard—sitting on the bench—studying her Bible. And the timing for her father’s outing with her sons could not have come at a better time. They had gone into town to do a bit of shopping, for her father had been promising her boys that before he set off for Amesbury he would, within reason, purchase whatever they desired at the general store.

  After opening the door and quickly greeting the gentlemen, Joanna directed them toward the parlor. While motioning for them to be seated, she indicated that she would go and fetch her husband. Not many words were exchanged, but no one seemed to notice. They were all too anxious about how Sarah was going to react when she learned her husband had arrived.

  Nervously, Joanna hastened toward Daniel’s examining room. She was grateful he had not had any patients that morning. Opening the door, she said in a whisper, “Mr. Swyndhurst and his hired man have arrived.”

  Nodding, Daniel asked his wife where Sarah was. When she explained that Sarah was out in the yard reading her Bible, he was grateful the road approaching their home could not be seen from her location. As he followed after his wife, he prayed that all would go well between Sarah and her husband. He also prayed that Sarah would not feel he had betrayed her and would understand his reasons for having revealed where she had been staying to her husband’s hired man.

  Coming into the parlor, Daniel greeted the two gentlemen. He then said, “God has seen fit to give us a few moments alone. Sarah is in her usual place at the far end of the yard. There is a little bench there that she likes to sit on while reading her Bible. Mr. Swyndhurst, allow me to say how sorry I am that you and Sarah have gone through this terrible ordeal.”

  With tears in his eyes, Alexander responded, “I am most grateful to you for looking after my wife and for letting me know where to find her. I have been frantically searching for her over the many months she has been gone. If it is all right with everyone, I cannot wait any longer. I must go to her.”

  Daniel escorted the anxious husband fro
m the room. He then directed him to where he would find his wife. Joanna remained with Mr. Haddon in the parlor. Once Daniel had returned, while the gentlemen conversed, she went to the kitchen to prepare tea and something to eat. She assumed the two gentlemen would be famished after their long journey.

  Not suspecting a thing, Sarah was quietly sitting in her usual spot, reading. All at once, she heard footsteps. As she glanced over her shoulder, she expected to see one of the boys. With the sun in her eyes, she couldn’t make out who it was, but she noted that the figure was too tall to be one of the Thompsons’ sons. Assuming it was Daniel, she began gathering up her things, for she thought he must need her for something or he would not have come looking for her.

  However, before she had a chance to stand, Alexander had come around to the front of the bench. As she raised her eyes to question Daniel about what he needed, she was alarmed by what she saw. “Alexander! How…did you—”

  Breaking in, Alexander moved closer and softly responded, “Sarah, thank the Lord I have finally found you.” After taking a seat beside her, he reached over and grasped her hand.

  With hands shaking, she dropped her eyes. Taking note of how little there was of her lap, with her rather large midriff resting upon it, with her free hand she endeavored to pull the quilt—which was presently draped over her shoulders—around to conceal the fact that she was with child.

  By now, Alexander had guessed what she was attempting to do—hide her swollen middle; therefore, after letting go of her hand, he slid one arm under her legs and the other around her back and lifted her onto his lap. Her entire body was shaking at this point. While turning her head away, she wondered how she was going to hide her midriff now.