Another Chance (12 page)

"I brought the strainer for you," Daniel said, placing the large earthenware slotted bowl on the neck of a clay pot
. "Benjamin doesn’t need me right now. He told me he would come and get me when I was needed. What else can I do for you?"

She pushed her needle through a hard piece of apple, grateful for her thimble
. "Will thou pare while I stir the pot and add the spices?"

"Sure
.  "

"Keep an eye on the fire, too. P
lease?"

He nodded
.

She wanted to learn more about him and decided to ask him a few question
. She sought to frame them so they would not arouse his curiosity. "Daniel, how long exactly has thou lived with us?"

"Four years next month," he replied
.

Since she should have known the answers, she covered her question using a trite expression, "Time goes so fast that I have forgotten
." The explanation sounded weak, but she couldn't come up with anything better.

"What is the first childhood memory thou has?" she asked, deciding that she would forge ahead and hope he did not wonder too much about her questions
and that she hadn’t asked this before and at least recently.

For a moment, he rested his hands
on the top of the table and her worries increased. Finally, he said, "The ship."

"Who was with thee?"

"My mother and father and my two little sisters." A sad expression crossed his face. "As you know, they all died before reaching Pennsylvania." He picked up another apple and started cutting.

Although she did not know, she nodded, for obviously the real
Sarah did. "How old was thou?"

"Almost eight," he said softly
.

"Then what?"

Anger replaced the sorrowful look. "I was indentured, although my father had paid for our passage. I had no proof. The captain showed the authorities in Philadelphia a piece of paper with my father's mark on it." Daniel threw the core, which pounced off the inside of the pot before falling on the others. His rage showed in every facet of his body. "The note was a forgery."

"How doeth
thou know?"

"My father could read and write
. He would never make an X."

His face showed no sign of surprise, so
Sarah pushed on. "Who purchased thy indenture?"

With this question, Daniel eyed her curiously
. “Why are you curious? You’ve never asked before?”

“Oh, talking makes working easier
.”

He nodded in agreement
.

“So, who purchased thy indenture?”

"A British merchant." The bitterness of his tone rang clearly when he spoke those three words.

Sarah
considered asking more about this man, but the hurt in Daniel's voice sounded so deep she changed her mind. "What doeth thou know about thy parents and grandparents?"

"According to my mother, my father's father was an earl
. Her father worked as their steward. My parents fell in love. He was the youngest son; she was the only child. Neither family approved, so my mother and father ran away."

"How exciting and romantic,"
Sarah said. To herself she added,
and how sad.

"They
survived on a small inheritance."

"From whom?"
Sarah asked.

Daniel shrugged
.

"Has thou ever tried to get in touch with thy grandparents?" she asked
.

"I don't know their surname
."

She frowned
. "Isn't it Woodley?"

He shook his head
. "My father took that name. Perhaps, if I could have found the box with our papers…" He placed a few more logs on the fire.

"Has thou asked my father to help?"

Again, he stared at her oddly. "A few letters have been written. Master Stone made some inquiries, but nothing came of them." He stood up and dusted off his hands.

"Don't stop looking," she said
.

"When I have paid off my debt, I will find out," he said with c
onviction and grabbed a jar shaking the sliced apples into an even pile

"I am sure thou will
."

They continued talking, but mostly about the neighbors
.

Finally,
Sarah drew the wooden stirrer out of the bubbling mixture. "I think this batch is ready."

Grabbing a long handled fork from the table,
Sarah moved back to the pot, looked in then stabbed a cooked apple segment with her knife. The fruit fell apart. "If thou will ladle the apples into the sieve and push the sauce through, I will start paring again and get the next kettle ready.”

Having established a pattern, they continued for the rest of the morning
. After a quick dinner, they returned to the chore. Around the middle of the afternoon, Sarah heard horses approaching. She stopped, pushed back her hair, and stretched her back. "Damn!"

"Excuse me?" Daniel asked, then turned and stared at her
.

"May Long Knife and I have fresh water?" Silver Wolf asked, stopping his horse directly in front of her
.

She realized she should be angry with him for failing to say good-bye or even acknowledging her departure
. Instead she thought,
Why does he have to see me looking like a frump!

He looked at her, waiting
.

"Ohhh!  Help yourself…
thyself," she said, after finding her voice. "Daniel, inform… No, I will tell Benjamin we have guests." She dashed for the inn, hoping to steal a few minutes to freshen up. As she entered the tavern, she called, "Father, Silver Wolf and another Lenape are here."

"I will be upstairs in a moment
. Did thou ask if they were hungry?" he called up from the cellar.

Always the innkeeper,
she thought. "Not yet," she replied as she ran up the spiral staircase, forgetting her fatigue. She would not allow her anger at Silver Wolf for his cool parting to spoil an unexpected visit. Quickly, she scrubbed her face, tidied her hair, and put on a clean cap and a freshly pressed apron. When she stepped into the yard, conversation stopped and all four pair of male eyes looked at her. She flushed at their attention.

Silver Wolf surveyed her before
he resumed speaking to Benjamin. All during this time, his eyes stayed fixed on her.

"We checked a few sources in Philadelphia," she heard Silver Wolf say, "but no one is taking responsibility for the damage done to our plantation
."

"Has Father asked if thou will be joining us for supper?"
Sarah questioned, drawing near.

"He asked us, but we must return to Long Meadow
."

"Oh," she said, unable to keep the dejection from her voice
. Unwilling to allow him to leave quite so soon, Sarah asked, "Would thou care to have a bit before thou departs?"  She glanced from Silver Wolf to his young companion, whose name she could not remember. The boy stood a head taller than Daniel, but shared a similar build. Sarah guessed his age to be approximately the same. She would be surprised if his appetite didn't match Daniel's, and she counted on this.

"Thank you, but no," Silver Wolf answered
.

Seeing the lad's expression change from anticipation to reluctant acceptance,
Sarah pushed, "What about thy friend?"

A flash of hope rekindled in the brave's face
.

Silver Wolf glanced at the youth
. "Since you are in the middle of a large job," he gestured to the mountain of apples remaining in the wagon, "anything you have prepared will be fine with Long Knife." Silver Wolf's lips curved up, slightly.

Reversing his decision surprised her, and his easy smile sent waves of pleasure through her
. Had he seen the eager look of the boy and changed his mind? She had no answer, but suspected as much. "Come in, and I will see what we have."

As they walked toward the inn, Silver Wolf matched his steps to hers
. She looked at him out of the corner of her eye. He nodded, and a twinkle appeared in his eyes. Obviously, he had understood what she had done, but took no offense. She grinned.

Once inside, Benjamin said, "If thou will excuse me, I ate earlier and wish to finish my chore before the sun sets
."

Silver Wolf nodded
.

As her father started down the stairs, he called back, "We are pleased thou stopped
."

"Thank you
." Silver Wolf's voice sounded surprised.

Surely, he knew the Stones were his friends,
Sarah thought.
Perhaps not,
she reconsidered, remembering the rampant hatred of Native Americans. She filled a plate with stew, placed a piece of cornbread on top, and handed it to Long Knife. "Daniel, may I dish up a bowl for thee?"

"Yes, please
."

"None for me," said Silver Wolf, as he leaned against the bar
. "But, I will have a glass of cider."

After she finished serving, the only sound in the room came from the two boys as they devoured their food
.

Wanting to be alone with Silver Wolf,
Sarah asked, "Would thou care to taste my freshly made applesauce?"

"Not me," said Daniel
.

Sarah
laughed, "I understand. Wolf? Long Knife?" She held her breath. 

Putting his tankard on the bar, Wolf said, "Long Knife, when you finish, join me outside
. Mistress Stone will give you a dish there."

Grabbing two wooden bowls, she hastened out the door
. They walked toward the simmering caldrons. "I wanted to thank thee in person for the hospitality thou showed my father and me when we stayed at Long Meadow." Having purposely avoided mentioning the hurt she had experienced at their cool parting, she could not keep from glancing at him, trying to gage his reaction.

"It is I, who should have expressed my appreciation for all you did
."

"Well, thou has now
." Her spirit lifted. "Shall we taste the applesauce?" After filling a spoon with the freshly squeezed and seasoned apples, she twirled around. Silver Wolf stood inches from her. "Oh!" Her hand shook. He wrapped his fingers around hers, securing her grip. Their eyes met. Then he lifted their hands and lowered his mouth to the spoon. Very slowly, he sucked the sauce off the tip. He twisted the spoon toward her and nudged her lips open. She managed to swallow.

"
Sarah, we're finished. Long Knife wants his applesauce," Daniel called.

Stepping back, she glanced at the two boys as they bounded down the steps toward them
.

"A little more cinnamon," Wolf said
.

"What?"  She glanced at him
.

"A touch more cinnamon, for my taste," he repeated
.

"Oh
…" She licked her lips.

His eyes shone
.

"Mayhap, you or thou is right
. " She flushed.

Sarah
hardly remembered the words spoken during their farewells, for they were common place. When they reached the road, Silver Wolf looked back. She smiled, touched her hand to her lips then waved. He saluted her. Her heart soared after him.

              * * * *

After having thanked Bowl Woman for his breakfast, Wolf strolled down the hallway
. Strange, since his grandmother had died, it had never seemed like home. His wife had preferred the cottage now used by their overseer, Brave Bear. After her death, Wolf had moved back so that Bowl Woman could care for his motherless son. Wolf shook his head, forcing aside the unwanted memories. Immediately, Sarah's face filled the space. Although he sought to chase this vision away, he failed. She dominated his dreams and many of his waking hours. When night fell and the stars appeared, he recalled her comment that she could accept his people's belief about the heavenly bodies.

He had foolishly believed that seeing
Sarah again would cure him of the desire growing inside. Instead, his interest multiplied tenfold. The picture of them sharing the same spoon pervaded his brain. He recalled her licking the same spot his mouth had touched and saw again her eyes filled with teasing and perhaps desire. The idea of physically possessing her hardened his manhood. No longer did he deny his attraction for her. The idea however revolted him; he could never allow himself to care for she was white. Wolf had loved his English grandmother, but he refused to dilute his Lenape blood further. He wanted his son to have the strength and honestly of his people, not the flawed and deceitful manner of most whites.

Although
Sarah appeared to accept the Lenape’s beliefs, he knew from experience that this was only temporary. Pressure from her world must overwhelm the openness and turn her interest to aversion.