New Beginnings (New Beginnings Series) (11 page)

“Well, I guess it would be better to take the mill. It could be a profitable business.”

“I'll go in the morning to tell them. There's still the matter of loans to collect. Wednesday is November first and four have no payments made.”

“Well, we will start proceeding tomorrow. Can't let it go overtime … no exceptions.”

“No exceptions?” Tom asked, shifting his eyes to Sara then back to Mr. Fielding.

Sam caught the meaning. “Well …” he hesitated.

Without opening her eyes, Sara said, so they both could hear, “No exceptions. Business is business. Besides, I have no use for the land anymore.” Her eyes opened and Sam could see the lack of emotion in them again. Whenever she felt pain, he was learning, she could block those feelings, until it came to be too much.

“This is different, Sara.”

“No Sam, business is business. I've had bad luck like the others and that is the gamble we take.”

He half expected her to pull away, but she didn’t, as if she resigned herself to him.

When they arrived in the city Sara suddenly straightened in her seat beside Sam, a look of shock covering her face. “This can't be Brandon, what happened here?” It was nearly a year since she ventured to the new town and in only a short time, it had grown greatly in size. Sara heard in May when a friend delivered her mail, the population was growing, but she never imagined it would have grown to the extent it had.

“I'd forgotten you haven’t been to town for so long. It was the railroad that brought the people west. It certainly isn't the quiet town you will remember,” Sam answered.

The streets were not busy as it was time for the Sunday services, but Sara was assured by the amount of vehicles outside the church soon the streets would be full of activity. The town was quite unrecognizable and the sign that announced Blye's Mercantile hung over the entrance to a new building instead of the tent Sara was in before. Another new building a few doors down from the store housed the saloon and the Fielding residence.

Sam braced his right leg against the sleigh and lifted Sara down from the seat. He was relieved to see the blue eyes had softened. He felt forgiven. When in the world did it ever matter what someone thought of him? Never, until now.

Eric walked over from the stable, Toby straggling behind. Sam was quite aware Sara stepped behind him, placing her hand on his back. He knew it was not the time for introductions and quickly instructed his hired hand to take the chickens to the barn. He added he would go later to release and feed them.

Eric obeyed, but gave his boss a confused glance. “Feed chickens?” he asked Toby under his breath.

The boy jumped up and down in excitement. “Chick'ns, chick'ns,” he exclaimed wildly, following his friend.

Sara looked at the six steps up to the front door and slowly started to make her way behind Tom as he carried the small trunk. Sam followed with the medicine case, but had to move slowly with his bad leg. Tom came back and took the case from him. Sara turned, presenting her hand to Sam. “We make a good pair, we move like an old couple.”

Sam grinned back at her at the mention they could be considered a couple.

Tom returned, smiling at them, knowing his help would no longer be needed. “I'll take Dickens to the barn and then I best get to the church. Sally will want a ride home.”

“Thanks, Tom,” Sam shook his employee's hand, “Remember, discretion.”

“Don't have to worry about me.” He tipped his hat to his boss.

“I know,” Sam smiled back.

Chapter Nine

Once inside the house, Sara removed her oversized boots and placed them on the mat at the door. Sam took off his outdoor clothes and hung them in the closet near the entrance, then placed her boots there as well. Taking her shawl from her shoulders he hung it up.

Sara stood in awe, looking at wealth she had never seen before. “Now, I really can’t say ‘yes’ to you.”

“Why, love?” he asked, taken aback.

“Because you will think it is your money I want,” she still looked around the room.

“Somehow it doesn’t seem to fit your description,” he took her hand to show her his home. “I think that is the least of my worries and the greatest is to get you to say ‘yes’.”

Sara was quite delighted by the kitchen, complete with a wood-burning stove with a water reservoir to keep a supply of warm water on hand and a modern icebox nearby. A sink had its own pump next to it and a drain so the dirty water didn’t have to be carried outside. It was a large room and Sam noticed she looked to be in awe. “I must warn you, Mary is quite possessive of her kitchen. She really isn’t one to share this room.”

Sara looked disappointed, but said in thought, “Maybe I could make you a Sunday dinner sometime?”

“Sounds good, but not today. I’m going to get you settled into your room so you can rest.” He pulled her close and gave her a quick kiss. “After we have a bite to eat.” He went to the icebox and pulled out a baked ham, placing it on the large preparation table in the centre of the room. He opened the breadbox and put the previous day’s loaf beside it. “This is just about all Mary trusts me with and only when she is away.”

As they ate their sandwiches Sam pointed to the door off the kitchen where Mary lived. “She has ears like a fox too, so I can’t sneak around here at night.”

Another door off of the kitchen went to a small storage room that held a washing machine which ran by the turn of a crank, with wringers to push the extra water out of the clothes. “I saw a picture in a newspaper once of one of these new machines. I’ve never used anything other than a scrub board and a bucket.”

Sam opened another door in the storage room which led to the saloon. It was dark except for the rays of light coming from the two windows at the front. “The girls will be up later in the day. No doubt they were up late last night.” They went into the room, which echoed each step on the hardwood floor. “Edward, the bartender, lives in one of the rooms too, but Sunday is everyone’s day of rest around here.” In the darkness he couldn’t read her eyes and started to think for a moment this might not be the place to impress her.

“I’ve never been in a saloon when it was so quiet before.” Sam looked at her rather puzzled, until she added after a mysterious pause, “they set one up as a hospital one time down south. Whiskey is good for a lot of ailments. I maybe shouldn’t admit to it, but I’ve had the occasional glass myself. Does that surprise you, Sam?” she asked with a slightly impish glint in her eye.

“Nothing seems to surprise me about you, Sara. It just makes me love you more.” He pulled her to him kissing her hard and deep and she returned it with every ounce of strength she had. “Marry me, Sara?” he asked again and before she could answer, he again covered her mouth with his, slowly dotted kisses up to her ear and in a breath whispered, “Bend for me, love.”

Her breathing was heavy against him but still she said, “I can’t.”

“I’ll keep asking you until you can.”

He took her hand and led her back into his home. They went to the entrance where the trunk and medicine box sat on a small table. Sam carried the trunk and Sara followed with the box, over to a small door next to the kitchen. He opened it and revealed a set of ropes. “This is an elevator called a ‘dumb waiter’, he said as he started to pull on a rope. Gradually, a wooden box with a front opening lowered itself into sight. Sara stood spellbound and looked up into the shaft. Sam put the trunk and then the box onto the floor of the small compartment and reversed the direction of the ropes. As she watched, her possessions made their way to the second floor. He closed the door when they were in place and led Sara to the long flight of stairs which made a graceful curve up to the top storey.

As she looked up at the long flight of stairs, then back at Sam, her eyes still glimmering, she asked, “Think I would fit in your dumb waiter?” a gentle laugh following the question.

“That’s the first time I’ve heard you laugh. I think it is the sound a twinkling star would make if you could hear it.”

Sara reached for his hand as they started to ascend the stairway, “What are you trying to do? Melt my heart?”

“Is it working?”

Without an answer they slowly continued in anticipation of what the days ahead could give them together.

It took a while for them to get to the top of the eighteen steps to the lavishly decorated second floor. It was every bit as beautifully completed as the lower floor and showed a more personalized choice of decor. Sam opened the door to the first room, which obviously was his, decorated in solid colours of various blues.

A large fireplace graced one wall and over the mantel hung several native trinkets. Sara went over to them, running her fingers over a piece of leather which displayed intricate beadwork, then to a carefully carved pipe. “These are beautiful,” she said, admiring the delicate work.

Sam smiled back at her and walked over to a door on the other side of the room saying, “Let me show you your room.” A skeleton key sat in the keyhole and made a slight click as he turned it. Without a sound the door opened to the next bedroom decorated in a feminine style of flowers and birds.

“I would guess I am not the first woman to use this room and possibly walk through the door in the middle of the night.”

“Well, no,” Sam answered, trying to read her thoughts, “but I don’t think Mary counts as a guest when I was wounded.”

“I can’t imagine she was the only one,” Sara said sitting down. She stretched out on the double-sized bed which was so soft she sank down into the bedding.

“You don’t have to imagine anything, love.” He lay down beside her leaning his head on his hand. “I won’t lie to you, Sara. I have been with other women, to satisfy my own desires, but never in this or my own bed for that matter.” Sara rolled toward him, placing her hand into his, as he continued, “but never have I loved anyone like I do you and I can only imagine how it will be to make love to you in this bed.” He leaned forward and softly touched his lips to hers, “Does it still scare you?”

“A little,” she answered quietly.

“Then we will wait until it doesn’t.” Sam stood up from the bed and as he walked out the door to the hall, added, “Let me get your belongings.” It took only a moment for him to return with the small trunk, set it on the table in the corner, then went for the medicine box. This room also had a fireplace, this one smaller than in the master bedroom and atop the mantel was a large spray of dried flowers. When he came back into the room, he opened another door that entered a closet which was big enough to walk inside. Sara started to remove her possessions from the case but Sam took her hand and led her to another room directly across from hers.

She was totally transfixed to see the room held a large metal tub in the middle of the floor and a big iron stove with a large reservoir to warm water for a bath. A pump like the one in the kitchen sat beside the oven so the tank could be easily filled. Against the other wall was a washbasin with a drain that ran down into the floor and an odd-shaped basin sat nearby in the corner of the room, also with a drain. Sam answered her enquiring look. “It isn’t quite as advanced as the newer toilets which have a tank above so the water rushes down to clean it, but it is better than a trip to the outhouse. I use a bucket of water to run everything down to the sewage.”

“Where does all the water go?” Sara was still amazed at the idea.

“It runs downhill to under the stables, where it gradually seeps into the ground, along with the other water in the house.”

Sara went back to the tub and ran her fingers along the smoothness of it. “I’ve never used anything this big other than a cold water trough in the summer.”

“Would you like me to warm some water for you? It might make you feel better too.” Without waiting for an answer Sam opened the burner, which was already filled with wood ready to be lit and set a match to the kindling. “In about an hour the water will be hot. I can add some cold to the bath to make it comfortable for you.”

He led her back out into the hallway and to one last door that opened on to a balcony overlooking the saloon. “This is so I can check on everything occasionally. There is no stairway from here, so we can only enter from the house downstairs. It makes it safer this way.” Several of the girls were in the large room passing their day quietly by just wandering around or playing games of solitaire with the poker cards.

Sam’s hand rested on Sara’s waist and he felt her straighten when she looked down at his employees. “I don’t imagine your preacher father would approve too much of my business.”

“No, I don’t suppose he would, but he would be the first to say he is not the judge of people. Jesus also befriended a harlot. Besides, there are many things I have done my father would not approve of.” He turned to go, but she did not move and asked, “Are you a betting man, Sam?”

“Not really, unless it is a certain win. Is there something you would like to place a bet on?”

“Well, I would wager the red-haired girl leaning against the wall talking to your bartender smells of lilac water.”

“How would you know that? Maybe you do have mysterious powers, after all.”

This time her eyes showed a hint of sadness and as she turned to leave she said, “She looks like William’s Heather.” There was no other explanation needed, many a man returned home from the bar smelling of one kind of a flower or another, as the scents were often the girls’ trademarks. After they went back inside Sara added, “I’ve met a couple of your girls, Sam.”