New Beginnings (New Beginnings Series) (12 page)

Again he was surprised at her statement. “How would you know any of the girls?”

“A couple came to the farm for medical aid, something Doc Brown did not have the knowledge or the ingredients to help with.” A look of confusion covered his face, so Sara continued, “I guess a consequence of the work they do. As much as I didn’t want to, I helped two slip their babies, because they seemed so desperate and are really nice girls. The crocus offers an ingredient that works well, but has a rather painful outcome, much worse than a birth itself, from what I have seen. I half thought of using it myself with this last child, but I couldn’t help but have a little hope maybe, because William wasn’t the father, maybe …”

By this time they arrived back to Sara’s room and were sitting on the bed together. Sam leaned ahead looking down at the floor, struck silent by what she was telling him. As she paused, he asked, “Who?”

“I really shouldn’t say, but I’m sure you won’t hold it against them. Alice came out once and Katrina, twice, although they each assisted the other after Katrina came the first time.”

Again Sam showed a look of shock, but continued quietly and carefully. “No, I mean, who forced himself on you, Sara?”

A look of despair came over her and Sam couldn’t help but hold her tightly. “You should tell me. Was it someone I know?”

“Yes,” she cried into his shoulder, “but I can’t tell you.”

“The day Eric went out to your farm … did he do it, Sara?”

An inaudible sound came from her as she continued to sob. He didn’t know if it was a yes or a no, but he knew how terrified she was of him and he drew his own conclusion.

He continued to hold her, rocking a little to comfort her. As she became quiet he said, “I want you to feel safe here, with me.”

“I do, Sam. Nothing has felt more right than being here with you.”

“Why won’t you marry me?”

“Because you might learn to hate me, too.”

“God, Sara, you’ve got to let go of this pain.” He pulled back the covers on the bed and drew them over her as she lay down. With a light kiss he said, “I’m going to draw you a warm bath. Almost nothing feels better than sitting up to your neck in warm water.”

She gave a slight smile, laid her head on the soft pillow and closed her eyes. Sara slept, while Sam returned to his own room to change into fresh clothing.

About an hour passed when Sam went into the bathroom and started to fill the tub with the hot water, a feeling of anger filled him. The more he thought about it, the more he felt convinced Eric was the one who hurt Sara. On the most part, the men of the area were not quite as corrupt as to commit such an offence, but Eric was a man with a severe mean streak, one of the reasons Sam hired him to be his henchman.

After the tub was filled to three quarters, Sam went back into the guest room, sitting down on the bed beside her. He couldn’t help but think how beautiful she looked lying against the white of the pillow. She was slightly plainer than he might have thought was his type of woman, but as he watched her he knew the beauty that ran through her, stopping only when it filled her soul. He softly pushed back the strand of hair which always wanted to drop out of place over her forehead.

Sara’s eyes slowly opened and as she looked at him, she stretched and said, “This must be the most comfortable bed I’ve ever slept in.”

“Your bath is ready,” he took her hand and helped her to stand. He excused himself and went into his own room for a moment, returning with his robe. He left her alone to change, saying he would wait in the bathroom until she was ready.

As Sara pulled on the dressing gown after undressing, she could smell the scent of a masculine cologne she recognized from her host. She held the material to her nose and drew in a deep breath enjoying the scent. She continued to wrap the gown around herself and tied the sash tightly at the waist. Slowly she walked into the other room, a hint of shyness showing through. Sam held a couple of vials of scented oils and asked which she would prefer, lavender or rose. She chose the first and said it had a relaxing effect. A couple of towels and a washcloth sat on a chair next to the tub and an extra towel was put on the floor in place of a mat.

“Can you manage on your own?” Sam asked, offering Sara her privacy. After she said she could, he said he would wait outside the door to make sure she was safely in the tub and then he would be going out for a short time, if that would be all right.

She responded that it would be fine, looking forward to a long soak in the warm water.

It was difficult for her to sit all the way down to the bottom, but slowly she managed, feeling the relaxing effect of the water as she lay back to the slope of the tub. With a short conversation through the door Sam excused himself to leave for only a little while, he promised.

He hid his anger as he helped Sara, but it was getting the best of him and he went down the stairs as fast as his bad leg would let him. A quick stop for his coat, boots and cane and he headed out the door to the stables. As expected he found Eric in the back of the barn where a room was set up for Toby. Being Sunday, there was little going on in the town and the big man was stretched out on the bed as the boy played a game of Jacks on the floor.

Eric knew from his boss’ expression he was angry and rose immediately to face him. He sent Toby to throw the chickens a handful of grain, which the boy left to do excitedly. “What is the problem, Mr. Fielding?” he asked.

Without raising his voice Sam asked him, “The day you went out to the Gardiner Farm, did you force yourself on Sara?”

Eric started to grin, not realizing the seriousness of the question, “Why, are you worried I was there before you?”

“You son of a bitch!” Sam said, not much louder than before, but at the same moment a right fist met Eric’s jaw and the bigger man fell back on the bed. “Don’t ever go near her again!”

He lay back on the bed, rubbing his jaw. “Actually, no, I never touched her,” he said, a little too late as Sam had already turned and was striding out of the barn passing Toby who was on his way back to his room after hearing the commotion. Eric still rubbed his chin, as the boy came in the room. “Think I need a shave, kid,” not wanting to alarm him. Under his breath he mumbled, “Boy, Sam’s got it real bad!” Eric was a bigger and stronger man than Sam; he respected his boss, but even more, he liked the security of working for the man. It never crossed his mind to strike back.

Sam left the barn, not quite certain how he would finish matters with Eric, at least until he spoke to Sara about it. He looked down the street where a few people were walking on their way to visit someone for the day and decided to make a stop at the Melvin Blye residence that was conveniently connected to Blye’s Mercantile.

When he returned home, with a large flat box under his arm, he went immediately up the stairs to Sara’s room. About an hour had passed since he left, more time than he planned on and he urgently wanted to make sure she was all right. He knocked on the door and gently pushed it open when she welcomed him inside. She sat at the dressing table, brushing her long, freshly-washed hair and smiled back at him in the reflection of the mirror, her eyes sparkling. Sam set the package on the bed, then bent down beside her to place a gentle kiss on her cheek. She leaned to him, feeling the softness of his beard against her, but again a slight tremble ran through her body.

He didn’t seem to notice and held her close, watching their reflection in the mirror. “We look right together, don’t we?” he asked, not really needing an answer. He tenderly touched his lips against the smooth skin of her neck, down to her shoulder, where he pushed back the collar of the robe and started to move his hand down, inside the soft material. In a breath he whispered in her ear, “Bend for me, Sara, marry me.” His hand felt the strong beat of her heart as it raced with excitement.

“I can’t, Sam,” she whispered back to him. He covered her mouth with his own and touched his tongue to hers and was sweetly greeted with the taste of mint. As she was completely lost in him, he carefully closed the neck of the robe and pulled away, wrapping his arms around her, again watching the reflection in the mirror.

“I have a gift for you,” he said, getting the box from the bed and placing it on the table in front of her. Sara carefully opened it and pulled back a layer of tissue paper, uncovering a blue dress. “I thought it would match your angel eyes.” Sam pulled it from the box and held it up in front of her. “I hope it fits properly, I think you are about Mrs. Blye’s size. She said I could return it tomorrow for a different one if you would prefer.”

Sam waited for a response from Sara, but what he received was tear-filled eyes and a trembling chin. Finally she whispered, “It’s beautiful, Sam.”

“It isn’t the elegant gown I promised you, but it was the best the store had to offer.”

Sara took it from him and held it against her as she looked in the mirror, “It is so beautiful. Thank you, love.”

Sam grinned as she spoke the last word, “Say that again. It sounds so good.”

“Thank you, love.” This time she reached up to Sam and desirously kissed him. As they parted, she continued, “You are not going to stop until you have complete possession of my heart, are you?”

“That’s the plan,” he smiled back at her, his eyes sparkling. “Try on your dress. I want to see how it looks on you.” Sam went into his own room, closing the door behind him.

Sara placed the dress on the bed, then started pulling her items out of the trunk. She placed the folded quilt on the bed and opened it to find a corset and other lingerie. She hadn’t worn these particular items since she was married and hoped she still could.

She looked in the mirror after she put on the undergarments and was quite satisfied with what she saw. She couldn’t pull the lacings of the corset quite as tight as she had for her wedding but it still gave her the shape of a young woman and quietly she said to the reflection, “He’s seen me at my worst, I guess he would forgive a little cheating.” She pulled the dress on, straightening it as she watched in the mirror and even impressed herself. She took the ribbon which held the few letters she saved from her family in the east and pulled back the hair at her temples, which was starting to grey slightly and tied it in a bow. With a pinch to her cheeks she felt she was ready to charm the man who completely had stolen her heart. The dress was designed to button up to the neck, but instead she left it open to show the cleavage the corset displayed as it held her breasts firmly in place.

She gave a gentle knock on the door to Sam’s room and felt a bit shy, as if she was sixteen again and quite infatuated with the boy down the street. He bid her enter, making her think of a prince in a ‘Knights of the Round Table’ book and she was thrilled to see Sam turn to her where he stood by the window, dressed in his finest. She stayed at the door, almost afraid to enter in case it was a dream, but the smile on his face showed he was pleased.

Without saying a word, he walked to her and took her hand, placing a gentle touch of his lips to it. Sara thought for a moment she was imagining it, that she must be floating on clouds. He kissed her, not with the urgency one might expect, but with the courtliness of a genuine desire. “You are more beautiful than I imagined,” he expressed softly.

“And you are very handsome in your coat and tie,” she smiled back to him. Sam wore a white shirt with a stiffly-starched collar that stood up around his neck, completed with a dark blue soft bow tie, over which a fashionable suit jacket was placed. They stood together in front of a full-length mirror, both quite satisfied with what they saw. “I feel like a girl going out to my first dance,” she said as she took hold of his arm.

“Of course, there are no dances today, but I’ll take you down to the saloon for dinner. Edward always prepares a grand meal on Sunday. I often go down when Mary is away.” He looked at his watch before placing it in the small pocket of his vest and latching the chain to a button hole. He offered Sara his arm and together they went down through the kitchen to the large room.

Chapter Ten

Sam stopped for a moment before they went through the door into the saloon, turned to Sara and buttoned up her dress to the collar. “As much as I like the view, I think it would be best to keep it to ourselves.” With a light kiss, he opened the door to attend the Sunday dinner.

Several people were already in the hall when the couple arrived. The girls wore modest dresses for the Sabbath, keeping their shoulders covered, although the neckline remained open at least a few inches. When they saw the couple enter the room, the girls immediately showed their welcome with wide grins and joined them.

Katrina and Alice were the first to greet Sara with hugs and expressions of surprise, although Alice did say she thought she saw her standing on the balcony with Sam earlier that day. Next, Edward joined them and with great enthusiasm greeted Sara.

She was quite surprised she already knew the man, “When Sam said the bartender’s name was Edward, I didn’t realize it was you.”

“One and the same,” he responded with an elated smile, “although I did work at the butcher shop then.” He pulled up his sleeve and displayed a long scar on his forearm. Turning to the girls, he explained, “About a year ago when I was cutting up a beef, the knife slipped and sliced into my arm. Doc Brown was away that day because of an accident at the river. Someone saw Sara in Blye’s store and rushed to get her. By the time she got to the shop I was quite done for, but as you can see I am still standing today and quite complete.” He couldn’t hold back and gave Sara a tight hug. “I don’t think I ever really said ‘thank you’.”