Sarah's Choice (24 page)

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.”

S
arah 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 go 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!”

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.”

Carolyn placed her hand on his arm. “I wish you’d reconsider and see Sarah with me.”

“I’m not going, and I’d appreciate it if you didn’t keep asking.”

“Okay,” Carolyn mumbled. “Would you tell the Coopers I said good-bye?”

“Sure.” Elias turned and tromped down the stairs. When he entered his cabin, his nose twitched at the musty odor. He ought to be getting used to it by now, but the lingering smell still bothered him.

He dropped to his knees and reached under his bunk for the tin can where he kept his money, but felt nothing. “Now, that’s sure strange,” he muttered.

He flattened his body closer to the floor and peered under the bunk, feeling around with his hands. The can was missing!

Elias’s heartbeat picked up speed. Despite further searching, he still hadn’t found his pocket watch, and now his money was missing, too. Someone had obviously been in his cabin and taken these things. The question was, who?

When Elias was sure the boat had gone through the lock, he went up to the main deck, finally ready to confront Frank about his missing things.

“Pull the boat over near Cooper’s store,” Elias told Ned. “Carolyn’s getting off so she can visit Sarah, and I’ve got some business with Frank.”

“Sounds good. Think I’ll go into the store and get some root beer,” Ned said. “Will you be doing some shopping there today?”

“I’d planned to, but since I can’t find my money…”

Ned’s bushy eyebrows shot up. “You lost your money?”

“I’ll explain things later.” Elias moved over to where Carolyn stood near the bow of the boat. “Would you have some money I could borrow for the supplies I need? I seem to have misplaced my can of money.” He didn’t want to frighten Carolyn by telling her he thought his things had been stolen.