Carolyn nodded. “I can’t believe how well the salve worked that Dr. McGrath gave me.”
“I’m glad. I know how miserable you were at first.”
“Oh look, here comes that handsome blacksmith,” Carolyn said, motioning to the kitchen window.
Sarah gulped. She hoped he wasn’t coming to ask if she’d considered his marriage proposal. She wasn’t ready to deal with that yet, and certainly not in front of Carolyn.
She hurried to the front door and opened it before Patrick had a chance to knock.
“Hello, Sarah. How are you?” he asked with a friendly grin.
“I’m fine. How are you?”
“Doin’ all right.” He shifted his weight from one foot to the other. “I need more bread…if you have some, that is.”
“Yes, I do. If you’ll wait right here, I’ll get it for you.” Sarah shut the door and hurried into the kitchen, leaving Patrick alone on the porch.
When she returned a few minutes later, she handed him the bread and said, “It’s fresh. I just baked it this morning.”
“I’m sure it’ll be real good.” Patrick moved a bit closer. “I…uh…was wondering if—”
“I’m sorry. I can’t visit with you right now because I have company inside.”
“Who is it?”
“Elias’s sister, Carolyn.”
Patrick crooked an eyebrow. “Is Elias in there, too?”
“No, just Carolyn.”
“That’s good.” Patrick’s face flamed. “I mean, it’s good you have some free time to visit with her.”
“I don’t get much free time for visiting, but traffic on the canal has been slower than usual today.”
“Guess you may as well get used to it, because it probably won’t be long and there won’t be any boats hauling coal on the canal. The trains seem to be taking over more of that business all the time.”
Sarah didn’t need the reminder. Hardly a day went by that she didn’t think about the future of the canal, which made her wonder how much longer she’d be able to support her children. If she could just save up enough money to open her own bakery, as Carolyn had suggested, all her problems would be solved.
“If you married me, you wouldn’t have to work so hard or worry about the future of the canal.” He leaned closer. “What do you say, Sarah? Have you given it some thought?”
“I have thought about it, but I don’t have an answer for you yet.”
“When do you think you will?”
“I…I don’t know. I’ll need to pray about it some more and discuss it with my kids, of course.”
“Oh.” Patrick’s brows furrowed. “Guess if it’s left up to them, you’ll say no ‘cause I don’t think any of ‘em likes me too well.”
“They need to get to know you better.” Sarah glanced toward the house, wishing Patrick would go so she could continue her visit with Carolyn.
As if by divine intervention, the door opened, and Carolyn stepped out. “I’m sorry to interrupt, but Willis asked if he could take the dog out for a walk. Since Hortence is busy cleaning upstairs, I told him I’d have to ask you.”
“I have no objection,” Sarah said, “as long as he doesn’t go far and stays right on the towpath.”
“All right, I’ll tell him.” Carolyn smiled at Patrick. “I’m sure you’ll enjoy that bread you’re holding. Sarah’s an excellent baker.”
“Yeah, I know.” Patrick stood for a moment, then mumbled, “Guess I’d better go.”
“Good-bye, Patrick.”
“See you at church on Sunday,” he called as he headed in the direction of town.
When Patrick was a safe distance away, Sarah turned to Carolyn and said, “He asked me to marry him awhile back and wondered if I had an answer for him yet.”
Carolyn’s eyes widened. “What’d you tell him?”
“I said I’d need to think about it, pray about it, and discuss it with my kids.”
“And have you?”
“I’ve thought about it, and prayed about it, but I haven’t mentioned it to any of the kids.”
“How come?”
“They don’t like Patrick so well…especially Sammy, so I’m worried about how they might respond.”
“Are you in love with Patrick?”
Sarah shook her head. “No, but I don’t dislike him either.”
“He seems to be a nice man, and he’s very good-looking.” Carolyn’s cheeks turned pink. “Of course, that’s just my opinion, although I don’t know him very well.”
Sarah sighed. “You’re right, Patrick’s good-looking and nice enough, but he’s not—”
The front door swung open, and a yapping Bristle Face raced out the door with Willis on his heels. “Come back here you bad dog!” he shouted.
Bristle Face picked up speed, barking and growling as he ran along the edge of the canal. Sarah figured if the dog wasn’t careful he might end up going for an unexpected swim.
In the next minute, Willis darted past Sarah, leaped for the dog, and landed with a splash in the canal!
“Help! Help! I can’t swim!”
Chapter 30
Elias had left the store and was almost to the lock tender’s house, when he heard a splash and someone hollering for help. That’s when he spotted Willis, kicking, screaming, and gasping for air.
With his heart pounding like a blacksmith’s anvil, Elias dropped his packages to the ground and raced down the towpath. “I’ll get him!” he shouted to Sarah, who looked like she was about to jump into the canal.
Elias pulled off his boots, leaped into the water, and swam over to Willis. In one quick movement, he pulled the boy to his side. Using his free arm to swim, he brought Willis safely to shore.
With arms outstretched, Sarah dropped to her knees, reached for Willis, and pulled him to her chest. “Oh, thank the Lord you’re all right!” Tears coursed down her cheeks, and then she and Willis both began to sob.
Instinctively, Elias squatted beside Sarah, wrapped his arms around her and Willis, and held them tightly. They sat like that for several minutes, until Elias felt someone touch his shoulder. He looked up and saw Carolyn smiling down at him.
“Thank God you came along when you did,” she murmured. “You saved the boy’s life.”
Sarah pulled slowly away and nodded, apparently unable to speak.
Willis reached out to Elias and gave him another hug. “If ya hadn’t jumped in the canal and grabbed holda me, I mighta died like my papa did.”
The floodgates opened, and Sarah started sobbing again. Elias, unsure of what more he could do to calm Sarah down, looked up at Carolyn, hoping she could help.
“It’s all right,” Carolyn said, patting Sarah’s shoulder. “Willis is safe now, and he seems to be fine.”
When Sarah’s sobbing finally subsided, Carolyn suggested they go inside. “Willis needs to get out of his wet clothes,” she said.
“You’re right.” Sarah stood and took hold of Willis’s hand. Then with a murmured, “Thank you, Elias,” she hurried with her son toward the house.
Carolyn touched Elias’s soggy shirtsleeve. “You’d better get back to the boat and change your wet clothes, too.”
He gave a nod. “Although they’d probably dry on their own if I stayed out here in the hot sun awhile longer.”
“I’ll go inside and check on Sarah,” Carolyn said. “Then I’ll meet you on the boat.”
Elias headed down the towpath to get the packages he’d dropped. He hoped Sarah would be okay. She’d looked so pale and shaken, and he wished there’d been more he could do. Well, at least he’d broken the ice with her, and he was glad she was speaking to him again.
After Sarah got Willis changed into some dry clothes, she went to her room and checked her appearance in the looking glass. She was shocked by the red blotches on her face, and the swollen look around her red-rimmed eyes made her appear as if she’d been crying for hours. She’d had a hard time getting control of her emotions and had continued to cry e
ven while changing Willis’s clothes. What if Elias hadn’t come along when he did? She wasn’t a strong swimmer, and Willis might have drowned if she’d jumped in and tried to save him. She would have done it, though. She would do whatever she could in order to save any of her children.
She thought about how secure she’d felt when Elias had put his arms around her and Willis. Even though she hadn’t known Elias very long, she was strangely attracted to him.
Sarah gripped the edge of her dresser. I can never give in to those feelings. I can never fall in love with a man who works on the canal.
Thanks to the canal, she had lost her husband. She couldn’t let it take one of her children, too. She had to do something to get them away from the canal. Would marrying Patrick be the answer for her and the children?
Wo–o–o–o! Wo–o–o–o! The sound of a conch shell drove Sarah’s thoughts aside. She’d have to think about their future later on. Right now, she had to get that stupid lock opened so another boat could come through.
Sarah dipped her hands into the washbasin she kept on her dresser, splashed some water on her face, and dried it with a towel. Then she hurried from the room and quickly made her way down the winding stairs.
She stopped in the parlor to check on the children, but they weren’t there. She found them in the kitchen with Hortence and Carolyn, having cookies and milk.
“There’s a boat coming,” Carolyn said.
Sarah nodded. “I heard the conch shell blowing.” She moved toward the door, calling over her shoulder, “Hortence, don’t let any of my kids leave the house!”
“I won’t,” Hortence replied. “I’ll keep them right here with me.”
When Sarah stepped out the door, Carolyn followed. “I need to get back to Elias’s boat so we can be on our way, but I wanted to make sure you were okay,” she said, slipping her around Sarah’s waist.
“I’ll never be okay as long as we’re living near the canal. I need to find a better way of life for my kids.” Sarah hurried toward the lock before Carolyn could respond.
When Carolyn returned to the boat, she found Elias in the galley, putting away the things he’d purchased at the store.
“How are Sarah and Willis doing?” he asked.
“Willis is fine. He and his sister and brother are sitting at Sarah’s table eating cookies and drinking milk. It’s Sarah I’m worried about. She was very upset when Willis fell in the canal.”
Elias nodded. “I didn’t know what to do or say to help calm her down.”
“You saved her son’s life, and she’s very grateful.”
He pulled his fingers through the back of his hair. “Yeah, but she still seemed upset when she went to the house.”
“Of course she was. It was a shock when Willis fell in the canal. When Sarah came downstairs after helping the boy change his clothes, her face was red, and her eyes were swollen. I’m sure she did more crying after she went upstairs.” The chair squeaked when Carolyn pulled it out and took a seat at the small table. “There’s something else I think you should know.”
“What’s that?”
“The blacksmith asked Sarah to marry him, and I believe she’s thinking about it.”
Elias’s forehead wrinkled, but then he shrugged. “If she loves him, then I wish them the best.”
“But she doesn’t love him. She’s only considering his offer because she wants to get her children away from the canal.”
“Guess that makes sense.”
She shook her head. “No, it doesn’t. I don’t think Sarah should marry someone she doesn’t love.”
“Patrick seems like a nice-enough guy. Maybe she’ll learn to love him.”
Carolyn tapped her fingers along the edge of the table. “Maybe you should ask Sarah to marry you.”
Elias’s eyebrows shot up. “You’re kidding, right?”
“No, I’m not. You love Sarah—I know you do. I can see the look of longing on your face when you talk about her, and there’s a gentleness in your voice when you say her name.”
“Okay, you’re right; I do love Sarah. It’s strange, though, because I haven’t known her that long, but I began to have feelings for her soon after we met.” He leaned against the cupboard and folded his arms. “I care about Sarah’s children, too, and if I thought there was any chance at all that Sarah could love me in return, I might ask her to marry me. However… ”
“You won’t know if you don’t ask. Why don’t you go over there and talk to Sarah?”
“Now?”
“Yes, right now.”
“I can’t do that, Carolyn. We need to get moving up the canal.”
She pursed her lips. “If you don’t ask her now, it may be too late. She might accept Patrick’s proposal.”
Elias blinked a couple of times. “You think so?”
“I do.”
“But what if she turns me down?” He touched the left side of his face. “What if she thinks I’m a fool for asking, when we’ve only known each other since the beginning of spring? What if she doesn’t want to marry a man who looks like me?”
“You’re too sensitive about the way you look, Elias. I’ve told you before that it’s what’s in a person’s heart that counts.” She placed her hand on his arm. “You really need to tell Sarah how you feel about her. If you don’t, you’ll always wonder if she could love you or not.”
Elias drew in a deep breath and nodded slowly. “All right then, but I’d better do it quickly, before I lose my nerve.”
Chapter 31
Sarah had just let a boat through the lock, and was about to enter the house, when Elias showed up. “How’s Willis doing?” he asked.
“He’s fine. Still a little shook up after falling into the canal.”
“That’s understandable.” He leaned against the porch railing. “What about you, Sarah? Are you okay?”
She shrugged. “I’m doing as well as can be expected.”
“I know it must have been frightening for you when Willis fell in, and I’m sure if I hadn’t been there, you would have rescued him.”
“I’m not a good swimmer, but I would have done my best. There have been so many accidents on this canal involving children, as well as adults. It scares me to think that one of my kids might get hurt or drown because I’m not able to be with them all the time.” Sarah grimaced. “If I didn’t have to be out here tending the lock, I could be a better mother to my kids.”
Elias dipped his head, as though unable to look her in the eye. “I…uh…think I know a way that you could be with your children more.”
“Oh?”
“You could marry me.”
Sarah opened her eyes wide and sucked in her breath. “I appreciate your concern, but I could never marry a man like you.”
Elias’s face flamed, and without another word, he whirled around and raced back to his boat.
“It was a stupid thing to do,” Elias mumbled as he hurried toward his boat. “I should never have listened to Carolyn. I should have expected Sarah would respond that way. I will never open myself up to another woman!”
When Elias stepped onto the boat, Ned frowned and narrowed his eyes. “It’s about time ya got back. Are we ever gonna get this boat goin’?”
“Don’t start snapping at me,” Elias shot back. “Need I remind you that I’m the captain of this boat?”
“Sorry, boss,” Ned mumbled. “Guess I overstepped my bounds.”
Elias, feeling more frustrated by the minute, leaned over the side of the boat and shouted at Frank: “Get those mules moving now; I’m ready to go!”
Ned hurried to pull up the gangplank, and soon the boat was moving toward the lock.
“Take over the tiller, would you, Ned?” Elias stepped aside. “I need to go below for a few minutes.”
“Sure thing, boss.” Ned took Elias’s place, and Elias hurried below, unable to bear the thought of seeing Sarah again.
He found Carolyn in the galley, peeling potatoes and carrots. “How’d it g
o with Sarah?” she asked with a hopeful expression.
“She said she would never marry a man like me.” He touched the side of his face. “I told you she was bothered by my birthmark, and I guess I can’t really blame her. Who’d want to be seen with a man who bears an ugly red blotch on his face?”
Carolyn stopped peeling and turned to face Elias. “I’m sure Sarah’s not bothered by your birthmark.”
“Yes, she is. She was looking right at the mark on my face when she said she could never marry a man like me.”
“Are you sure about that? Did you ask her what she meant by that?”
“There was no point in asking when I already knew.”
“Maybe you should go back there and ask—just to be sure you didn’t misunderstand.”
He shook his head determinedly. “We need to get going. We’ve lost enough time in Walnutport as it is. Ned’s steering the boat into the lock right now.”
“But what if Sarah marries Patrick?”
He shrugged. “What Sarah does is none of my business. As far as I’m concerned, I never want to see her again!”
Chapter 32
I want to stop and see Sarah,” Carolyn said to Elias as they approached the Walnutport Lock several weeks later.
“What for?”
“Since you’ll be dropping me off in Easton so I can get things ready for the new school year, this will be my last opportunity to say good-bye to Sarah. Besides, I need to go into Cooper’s store and get that painting Kelly’s been holding for me. It’s the one of the rainbow that I want to give Mother for her birthday next month.”
“Okay, but I don’t want to spend a lot of time here. After Ned takes us through the lock, we’ll dock near Cooper’s store and I’ll go inside to get the picture while you go over to Sarah’s.” He rubbed his chin. “Probably should pick up a few supplies I’m needing, too.”
“Wouldn’t you like to see Sarah?”
Elias shook his head. “Right now, I’m going below, just like I’ve done whenever we’ve gone through the Walnutport lock these last several weeks.”
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