New Beginnings (New Beginnings Series) (14 page)

“Toby?” Eric questioned, quite surprised himself. “Toby attacked Sara? When?”

“He went with you to the Gardiner farm the day you went to get the team, didn’t he?”

“He did, but I never saw William’s wife.” He paused for a moment, “but he did stay longer than I did. I told him there was a lit lantern in the barn. But I can’t imagine Toby would do such a thing. She must be lying.”

Sam looked at him with anger. “She is not lying. In fact she wouldn’t tell me who did it. I’ve seen the evidence and I know how terrified she is of him.” Sam started to saddle Dickens as he still spoke. “There is no doubt in my mind it was Toby.”

“What evidence could there be after so long?”

“Sara has been hurt enough without the town knowing what has happened to her. I am placing the responsibility on you to see Toby stays away from her.”

Eric answered with a nod, as Sam led his horse out the doors. With every passing day his leg was getting better and he had Sara to thank. Although it was still painful, he got up on his horse, this time without the aid of a step-up. He went to the bank. It was nearly the beginning of November and it was time to speak to the people about their loans.

Chapter Eleven

It was noon before Sam returned home, which concerned Sara. She couldn’t help but think possibly her worst fears were founded and he realized she was nobody compared to him.

She was quite prepared to pack up her trunk again, but when Mary came upstairs to make the beds and tidy up they started talking and each enjoyed the company of the other. Mary invited her down to the kitchen to help with some baking if Sara so desired, after they made the beds together. Sara spread the treasured quilt she brought with her on the guest bed, explaining it was a wedding gift from her mother, completely handmade, without a machine stitch. Her mother blessed it by wishing her happiness wherever it was placed. She explained to Mary she never used it in the cabin William built, feeling it was much too precious to place it where mice or moths could hurt it. Instead she placed it in a cedar box and had all but forgotten about it tucked away in the back of her wardrobe. After Willie died she sought a cherished hand-knit baby blanket her mother made for him and found the unused quilt, much too late she thought. She told the housekeeper she hoped it still held the blessing for her happiness and Mary with a matronly tone said she was certain it did.

They were busy kneading the bread dough when they heard the front door open. Like a mother to her anxious daughter, Mary told her new friend to go.

Cautiously Sara went into the entrance to find Sam going into the sitting room with papers in hand. He walked to the desk and set them down, quietly studying them, with his back to her.

She waited a moment then quietly asked, “Sam?”

He turned to her, also unsure of the situation.

Sara was completely taken by surprise when she saw his face was clean-shaven. Again she asked, “Sam?” although there really was no question it was him. She walked over and placed her hand on the smooth skin. “This has got to be a sin,” she said as she placed her cheek against his.

“Why is that, Sara,” he asked, “do you not like me without a beard?”

“To love someone this handsome must be a sin.”

They were both so relieved to find their feelings remained the same, even through the trials of the previous day. They hugged each other, hoping this feeling would never end.

Mary interrupted them, clearing her throat to get their attention so they would know the noon meal was ready and waiting. They walked hand-in-hand to the dining room, which was the only room Sara had not seen yet as it was rarely used. Usually, it was only Sam and Mary who were home for meals and they ate in the kitchen. Today two places were set at the large dining room table. Of course this room, its furnishings and the china still displayed the wealth of its owner, but before they could sit down and the meal was brought in on a trolley, Sara asked, “Think we could eat with Mary in the kitchen?”

“You two getting along?” he asked as they met the housekeeper at the door and Sam took the wheeled cart and pushed it back, both women answering with a smile.

As they sat eating their soup and ham sandwiches, Sam spoke about the business he was doing that morning. “I’ve been going over the papers and Tom and I feel the bank can carry the Gardiner Farm interest-free for the next year.”

“Sam,” Sara frowned, “I told you before I want to be treated like everyone else. It really isn’t fair for you to deal with me one way and another with the others.”

“I have been thinking about it so Tom and I did some figuring. The bank has been making a good profit the last three years, all of it from the town and surrounding farms. It is time we do more for the people here. We decided to cut interest rates in half as of today. Last year everyone was able to pay their debts. The bank can carry everyone this year who couldn’t make their payments and those who did, their interest will go toward their principal. We went to the homes this morning. Mind you, we could have used your help, Sara,” Sam laughed, “I thought a couple of the clients were going to faint with surprise.”

Sara hugged him tightly, while Mary grinned at them and asked, “What in the world has gotten into you all of a sudden?”

“I’m in love, Mary and I’m not going to let her go.”

After lunch Sara offered to help Mary with the dishes, but was promptly shooed away, “He’s going to think I’m not worth my wages if you keep helping me like this.”

It was a beautiful day and with the banking business mostly completed in the morning, Sam and Sara enjoyed the rest of it together. They decided take a cutter ride through the growing city. Sam walked to the stable and asked Eric to ready Dickens and a sleigh for their outing and to bring it to his home. The temperature was near freezing and the snow was melting from the roofs in the warmth of the sun. It was indeed a lovely day to see the new sights.

“It is so hard to believe a city can grow out of nothing so fast,” Sara stated, quite fascinated. While she lived on a farm completely alone, a city was developing not ten miles away.

“It is amazing what a railway line can do. It can make or break a town,” Sam pointed out the new railway depot located near Fifth Street; the whistle of a train sounded, as it was ready to depart. “The first passenger train came into Brandon a little over a year ago and the city has been growing ever since. We have our own daily paper now and there is talk of a second starting soon. It is only eighteen years until the turn of the century and I can only imagine how the west will change in that time. Small towns are developing all through the area, but some are already disappearing because of the rerouting of the train.”

Sam continued to tell Sara about the new city as they travelled through the streets. Brandon was only housed with tents a year earlier. Before then nothing was there but the wildlife and the native people travelling through the area.

“By midsummer this year the population grew to over three thousand people and two hundred businesses, including three other banks. There are four new churches, if you are interested.”

Sara gave no response to the statement and watched the streets in disbelief.

Everywhere they travelled workers were busy trying to finish new buildings before winter became too harsh. The sounds of construction and shouts of men giving direction filled the air. Sam turned Dickens and the cutter north on Eighteenth Street toward the beautiful new bridge that spanned the wide Assiniboine River to the north of Brandon. He proceeded to pay the toll of ten cents to cross the river. “For now it is a private bridge, although talk is the city will purchase it. A man named Thomas Daly is our first mayor and was elected back in July. It must seem unbelievable to have missed all of this, not to know what was going on.”

Sara nodded in response, then spoke, a hint of sadness showing through. “It feels like I have been asleep for a hundred years and just woke up. What about Blye’s Mercantile? It was in a tent when I was here last year. Did they build a store?”

“They moved into one of the buildings I had built and rent it from me. Let’s take the cutter back to the stable and take a walk to the store. I’m sure someone will be there from your old crowd. Most of the people who moved from Grand Valley still use Blye’s as the local stop, as much for the latest bit of gossip as shopping.” Sam directed the horse along the river then on to the ferry which crossed back to First Street, paying the quarter charged to cross. They proceeded to the hotel’s livery barn and as they passed his home he told her, “I had this building built this spring along with the stable.”

 
As they stopped at the doors of the barn he stepped down and offered Sara his hand to help her down. “You don’t look very happy, love.”

“I am really going to miss Grand Valley and getting the mail at Mrs. McVicar’s. This all seems so unfamiliar to me.”

“Let’s take a walk down to the mercantile, it is only a block away and it is a beautiful day. Melvin and Irene will bring back the old familiar feeling, as I’m certain others will when you see them.”

 
Sam and Sara walked down the street together, arm in arm. The people they met were already talking about the change in Mr. Fielding and everyone was anxious to greet them and offer their well wishes. Sam was quite taken with the fact that everywhere they went, men wanted to shake his hand and the women all offered him smiles, some remarking how good his new look was. “If I’d known I would be this popular I would have done it years ago.” But added to the smiling lady on his arm, “But it was worth waiting for the woman who gave this to me.”

“I didn’t give this to you, Sam. You did it all yourself.”

“Maybe so, but it was because of you I did it.”

They walked into Blye’s store, which was quite overcrowded as it was the location to get the news. Irene was quick to greet them, offering a mug of hot apple cider and a seat beside the Franklin pot-bellied stove in the back of the large room. A dozen chairs and a counter with stools were filled with the local people waiting to hear the latest talk. Promptly, two chairs were emptied for the guests of honour, even though they insisted on stopping for just a few minutes. A small barrel, which was almost overflowing with crackers, was placed in front of them and they enjoyed the drink, snack and conversation.

The men talked and laughed over who could tell the most outrageous story. Sara took a walk through the store to see what new items may have been added since the last time she shopped at Blye’s when it was still housed in a tent. Lily came into the store and joined Irene and Sara at the lingerie section, admiring the new materials undergarments were made of now. Other women started to mill around to catch up on their own bit of gossip which could be heard right from the source today. Everyone laughed when Irene held up a particularly dainty item and suggested Sara could probably make use of it soon.

She turned quite red, but the others joined her when Sam walked by and said, “Maybe take two of those. Anything she would like, put it on my account, Irene.” All the ladies laughed again when Sam was safely around the shelf corner and out of sight.

Lily placed her arm in Sara’s, “I’ve never seen you so happy, dear. It is time it should be your turn.” Leaning closer so only Sara could hear she added, “I always believed everything happens for a reason, no matter how bad. I think you have found your reason.”

Sara suddenly became shy with all of the attention and could only smile her thanks. Before leaving the counter she said to Irene, “I’ll see about some of these things when you are not quite so busy.” She went to the door where Sam was waiting. Behind them the buzz of women talking grew louder. She gave him a light slap on the arm and said, “That was mean,” but he had no reason to worry for her eyes sparkled with happiness and she confidently tucked her arm into his.

They walked back to Sam’s home in time for supper, or dinner as it was called here. Sara would have to get used to a few changes of the upper class. This time Mary insisted they eat alone in the dining room complete with candles on the table.

After the meal they retired to the sitting room where Sam pushed the settee in front of the fireplace. He pulled her close to him and asked, “Happy?” Her answer was to give him a long, deep, passionate kiss. They stretched out on the small sofa as close as possible watching the flames as they danced and flickered.

Mary stepped into the room once, asked if they needed anything, and then bade them good night.

Sam looked at his watch and said he would take a bath, as the water was already put to warm.

“It has been a long day, Sam,” Sara said as they stopped at the top of the stairs. Neither knew where to take it and she thought the best way was slowly. “It has been a wonderful day,” she continued, “but I am so tired, and I must wish you a good night.”

Sam felt disappointed she was so ready to part from him for the night, but gave in to it without question.

He stayed in the bath for nearly an hour, enjoying the warm water. He hesitated for a moment at Sara’s door, but thought better of it and went to his own room. ‘Time,’ he thought, ‘I will win her over, in time.’

In his room, he set the lamp beside the bed on the night table to read for a while, although he wasn’t convinced it would help. He liked the feeling of holding Sara when he slept and missed it. “Time,” he thought again with a sigh.