Chapter Five

     Sarah walked slowly, balancing the basket of wet, heavy clothing on her hip and pondering her own reaction to Jamie Suthurst. Hearing someone’s footsteps ahead of her, she looked up and nodded a greeting to John Walker, who stopped in front of her and took off his hat, which he promptly began twisting in his hands.

     “Hello, Ms. Sarah. How are you today?”

     “I’m well, John, thank you. And you?”

     “Well, I’m actually very glad to have run into you, Ms. Sarah. You see, well, I... Well, I would like to court your sister, Annie, but I don’t rightly know how to start, you see.”

     “I would not presume to speak for my sister, Mr. Walker.”

     His face fell, and he squeezed his hat into a ball. Taking pity on him, she said, “But, I will say, sir, that you would not be unwelcome. However, should you wish your suit taken seriously, I suggest you speak with my mother first, before you even suggest it to Annie. And, you must press your pious, Christian nature in order to impress my mother.”

     John’s eyes lit up and he nodded so vigorously Sarah thought his head might fly off. “Yes, Ms. Sarah, I’ll do that. I’ll do that right now.”

     “No, no, John. My mother will be reading the bible for the girls afternoon study session right now. Come by in the morning, after breakfast, and my mother will feel more kindly toward you.”

     He nodded, although he looked a bit crestfallen. “Okay, Ms. Sarah. Thank you for the advice, and for your kindness. I will see you tomorrow.” Giving her a slight bow, he turned and walked away briskly, whistling a tune Sarah had never heard. Shaking her head and smiling, she continued on her way home, glad for her sister but hoping her mother did not squash the two young people’s dreams.

***

     Jamie got home and went straight to her room, where she fell onto her bed and covered her face with her pillow. She found herself torn between total confusion and utter giddiness at her new found knowledge. Things began to make sense. Her desire to follow the young women at school around, and never the boys. Her impatience with the idea of marriage. Her bodies reaction to Sarah Bell. Did this make her abnormal? Obviously there were other women who felt this way, since they had come up with a name for it in America. But what did it say about Jamie?

     Sarah. What was she going to do about her? She knew instinctively that if she made her feelings known, Sarah would turn away, and never look back. But what else could she do? Maybe a friendship would be enough. They could read together, and talk about life in general. She would teach Sarah about London, and maybe even teach her some Greek.

     Sitting up at the knock on her door, she smiled as her mother entered and sat on the bed with her.

     “How was your day, honey?”

     “Good, mum. I had a talk with dad on the way home.”

     Her mother inhaled deeply and said, “I know. I’m sorry you overheard the conversation. I was really just talking nonsense. I don’t want you upset.”

     Taking her mothers hand in her own, she said, “No, mum. You were right. I think, anyway. I am like those American women. I feel—different, somehow. I just never thought to stop and examine it. But now, I understand. I know who I am. But it scares me.”

     With fear in her eyes, she looked at her mother. “You still love me? You don’t hate me, or think I’m strange?”

     Staring out the window, her mother took so long to answer that Jamie was ready to run from the room to keep from hearing her mother’s answer.

     But then, Jane said softly, “No, Jamie. I don’t hate you. As your father said, we love you. You’re our daughter. I wont say I necessarily understand it, of course, since I love your father so much. But, I will respect your decision, because I do want you to be happy. I’m sorry we wont have grandchildren. And, I think you’ll find that society will not be entirely comfortable with your choice. I’m sorry that it might be hard for you. Your father and I will stand by you and protect you as much as we can. People can be cruel, my love, but don’t ever listen to their nonsense. Especially around here, where most of these people have never been more than a few miles from the village they were born in.” Jane cupped her daughter’s cheek in her hand, and hoped Jamie did not see the disappointment in her eyes.

     Jamie leaned forward and hugged her mother tightly, glad to feel her mothers strong arms around her as she dealt with her own strange realizations. With her parents support, she could do anything, be the person she needed to be.  She did not know how it would change her life, and could not imagine anything really different happening in her public life, but inside, she suddenly felt free, like a rabbit coming out of a winter burrow at the first signs of spring.

***

     Sarah answered the door shortly after breakfast. “Hello, Mr. Walker. How may we help you?”

     She watched as his Adam’s apple bobbed, and found it strangely repulsive.

     “I have come to speak to your mother, Ms. Sarah, if she’s available.”

     “Indeed, I believe she is, Mr. Walker. Please have a seat in the lounge and I will get her for you.”

     Stepping into her mothers bedroom, she said, “Mother, Mr. Walker is here to see you.”

     “What about?”

     “I’m not sure, ma’am. He didn’t say.”

     “Hmph. No good, I’m sure.”

     Rachel walked from the room, her pointed shoes clacking on the wooden floor, announcing her arrival long before she arrived. She closed the door to the lounge behind her, and an hour later the girls were hard at work on their needlepoint in the front room when the door reopened and the pair emerged. Annie, unaware the young man was even in the house, gave a slight gasp at seeing him. He was pale, his lips drawn tight and his hands crushing his poor hat once again.

     “Annie. Come here, please,” said Rachel.

     Annie went over and stood before them, her eyes properly downcast so as not to show her eagerness.

     “Mr. Walker has requested my permission to court you. And, as he has proven himself a worthy Christian man through my examination of his biblical knowledge, I have granted him that permission. You will, of course, take one of your sisters along with you anywhere you go outside of this house until you are properly married, which Mr. Walker assures me is the assumed end result.”

     “Yes, mother. Thank you. It is kind of you to ask for me, Mr. Walker.” She glanced furtively at his face, giving him the  smallest smile of understanding, at which point some color returned to his face and he grinned.

     “I’m glad, Ms. Annie, that you are willing. Would you do me the honor of a picnic tomorrow afternoon?”

     Annie looked at her mother, who gave a curt nod while looking at the pair through narrowed, suspicious eyes. “Yes, Mr. Walker, that would be fine, thank you.”

     “Very good. I will come by at noon, if that is suitable?”

     “Oh, enough of this nonsense. Annie, get back to your work. Mr. Walker, good day, and we will expect you at noon tomorrow.”

     Annie curtsied to him and then turned away, afraid to say anything out loud and give away her excitement. He bowed his head to the women and left the house quickly, as much to get away from Rachel Bell as to be able to give way to his own elation.

     Sarah squeezed her sister’s hand quickly and continued her needlework. If  her mother knew how much this meant to Annie, she would  quickly turn against it, saying that anything desired so much would only be the devil’s work. Sarah longed for the kind of excitement her sister and beau felt, but she had yet to meet anyone who brought it about. Except for Jamie, of course, but that was different.

     Willie entered the house, and taking off his jacket and shoes, said, “Hello! I just ran into John Walker leaving the house, and he told me the good news. Good for you, Annie girl! John’s a good lad, and a hard worker. He’d make a fine husband.”

     Annie blushed and hugged her brother, the one person who protected them from their mother’s over zealous belief in corporal punishment. He hugged her tightly back, and then said, “Well, what’s for tea? I’m starving!”

     Rachel stood stiffly and said, “Do not exaggerate, William. It is no better  than lying, and the Lord God despises liars.”

     “Okay, mother. I am very hungry. Is there, perchance, something to eat?” He said it formally, with his hands pressed together as though praying, and Mary Ellen giggled. Rachel spun and slapped the girl soundly, making her cry out.

     “Mother! She was just responding to Willie. You know she doesn’t understand.” Sarah pulled the youngest girl to her, wiping her tears with the hem of her own dress.

     “How dare you tell me how to discipline my own daughter! You, the eldest girl who has not even had a single offer of marriage? You should be ashamed that your younger sister is to be courted before you.” She raised a hand as though to strike Sarah, who just stared at her mother angrily, when Willie grabbed his mothers arm.

     “Enough, mother. What’s for dinner?”

     Rachel looked at her son, a fully grown man now, and yanked her arm out of his grasp. “Stew and bread.”

     She stomped away, her fury echoing in every step of  her loud shoes.

     Willie blew out a breath and grinned at his sisters. “Close one. Sorry about that, ducks. She’ll calm down soon.” Walking to Mary Ellen, he bent before the girl and dried her tears with his hand. “Now now, Mary girl. C’mon. It’s all okay now. No one is angry, and everything is okay.”

     Mary Ellen smiled her simple smile as she always did when Willie spoke to her. Since the brain fever she and her father had caught, she had lost most of her sensibilities, and the family took turns watching after her to make sure she didn’t hurt herself in some way.

     “Dinner.” Their mother’s clipped tone told them it would be a quiet meal. They all filed in and ate in silence, with Willie occasionally attempting some conversation, but the girls were too afraid of recriminations when he was not there to engage him.

     Sarah sighed, wishing she could go down to the stream to read, and maybe even speak  with her boyish friend.

***

     Jamie sat at the breakfast table reading a week old newspaper. Her mother had found it and given it to her. It talked about America, and the idea of Boston Marriages. Although it had a enormously disapproving tone, the fact that it was mentioned at all stunned her, and reminded her that she might not be so strange after all, if a whole group of women in America were like her. Today at the mine she had listened to the men joking about women as they always did, but she was uncomfortable joining in. She didn’t know how to act, what to say. She knew that she shouldn’t just tell people. As her mother said, this village would not accept it. She bemusedly pictured herself strung up on the Maypole, flames licking at her feet. Those days were gone, at least in major cities. But, she wouldn’t necessarily discard the idea occurring to some of these villagers if they found out. So, it would remain her secret, and she could live with that, at least until she learned more about herself. Somehow.

     She was desperate to go down to the stream, but knew from her conversation with Willie early in the day that the girls would not be let out today, as Rachel Bell was in a foul mood and being especially protective of her daughters. The sun was so inviting, though, that she decided to wander through the meadows, and maybe up to the cherry tree for a lounge in the warmth. Pulling up her braces, she slid on her boots and clomped out of the house, yelling “going for a walk. Back soon.” Smiling at the yelled reminder to be back in time for supper, she headed out.

Go to Chapter Six

[Home] [My Writing] [Skeleton Lake] [5150] [Lyea and Ashwin] [A Good Mother] [Thesis] [Turn of the Century Love] [Cafe Love] [Ovid's Epistles] [Photo Gallery] [Links] [About]