By Way of the Rose (22 page)

“We can't sit here all day crying over spilt milk, we've got to get this place back into some sort of order before your momma gets home.”

With heavy hearts, Sarah, John and Daniel began cleaning up and repairing what they could. They had it done before that evening. The house looked better than ever, but Marion could tell by John's battered face that all was not well.

“Oh no... Nathan and you?” her voice quivering in anguish was but a whisper. She sobbed as she reached out to touch his face. “I knew it was coming, I could feel it. I hoped against hope that it wouldn't happen.”

“I know, Momma. I tried, really I did, I'm sorry.”

“I know you did, son. Seems as if you two were just born to lock horns.”

“I'll be leaving in the morning.”

“No! Oh, please don't go! I'll never see you again. I know you'll never come back home. It was twelve years you stayed away... how long will it be this time?”

“I'll come home again soon. Everything would have been fine if I could have just taken Sarah and walked out. He wouldn't have it. He went too far this time and I couldn't walk away. He just went too far. There's nothing on the face of this earth that I can do but leave. Sarah is coming with me this time and I'll bring her back for visits but we for sure won't stay long.”

Sarah looked at John a little shocked and surprised, her face lit up.
He's taking me with him!
He is really taking me with him! I'm leaving here! No more Nathan, oh, thank God!

“You're leaving too?” Marion looked at Sarah.

“Oh yes, Momma... I am. I love you dearly but I can't stand Nathan either.”

“What about the children and the school? Who's going to take over when you're gone?”

“I'm sure Greta wouldn't mind taking my spot. I don't know why you're so against me going anyway... didn't you want me gone? What was all that about trying to marry me off?”

“That was for your own good. You need to settle down with a family and not go gallivanting off with your brother. And Greta don't have time for that school. She's a married woman with children.”

“She'll do it. I know she will. I'm going to go talk to her now.” Sarah hurried out of the house. Right then, she didn't care if no one taught the school. She didn't care what anyone thought... she was leaving here! And she was leaving with John!

“You want me to do what?” Greta was shocked.

“Take over the school. It'd be a pity to let it die.”

“George would never allow it.”

“Allow? Greta, since when has George ever ruled you?”

“This is different, Sarah. If it brought in extra money maybe I could talk him into it. But to leave the house to itself to go off teaching for free? He would bust a gut!”

“Well, if not you, the school will die. I've put enough years into it. I'm leaving, Greta.”

“Where are you going?”

“With John. He's leaving in the morning and I'm going with him.”

“I thought he was staying.”

“He came in and caught Nathan about to hit me. They got in the most awful fight. Now, he's leaving and taking me away from this! I'm not staying, I don't care about the school, if you don't take it over maybe someone else will. I'm not staying behind because of it. I'm not going to be beat down anymore! This is my chance and I'm taking it.”

“You go, Sarah. Don't you worry or feel guilty over anything. I'll teach or I'll find someone who will. You get out of here and you be happy!”

“Thank you, Greta! Thank you so much!” They hugged.

Shane stepped from the house. His blond hair had been swiped back and held there from the sweat of the day. A deep tan made his eyes look even more blue as his chiseled jaw worked on a bite of apple pie. “What's going on here?” He looked at Sarah and cut her a crooked smile.

“Sarah is leaving us, Shane.”

“What? Leaving us? Why, and where are you going?” He looked shocked. The sparkle in his eyes faded away.

“I'm leaving in the morning with John.”

“What for? What's happened?”

“Because he asked me to go and I want to go far away from here. Away from that crazy Nathan, anyway!”

“Well, I want you to stay!” Shane's eyes flashed.

“I know, but I'm leaving. I have to go, I want to go!”

“But... ” Shane started to protest more.

Greta interrupted him. “Let her go, Shane... Think of her, not yourself.”

“But, Sarah... I love you! Don't you know that by now? Don't you know that I've always loved you? You don't have to be around Nathan! I'll take you anywhere you want to go.” He wrapped his arms around her. Tears came to Greta's eyes as she heard her brother's begging pleas.

“Shane... please, don't talk like that. You know I don't like it. You and Greta are my best friends on earth, but we're not in love with each other. We're just best friends, and we'll always love each other.”

“Maybe you're not in love with me, but don't tell me how I feel.”

“I'm coming back, I'm not leaving for good. I couldn't do that, I'd miss you too much. I just want out of here away from everything, but mainly I want to be away from Nathan, you know that. I don't want to get married to do that.”

Shane touched Sarah's face gently. Tears filled his loving eyes as he softly spoke to her. “Leave if that's what you need to do, but please don't forget me... us.” Shane hugged Sarah tightly then quickly left.

Greta hugged her. “Write us. Let us hear from you often.”

“I will. I promise. I'll never forget either of you ever... I love you both so much. I wish I could take you with me. This is my chance to have a life of my own and have a real adventure. You know me... I've craved this forever. I'm going to New York! And oh, how wonderful not to have to watch my back every minute of every day.”

“I know... I want that for you too.” She wiped the tears from her eyes. “But don't let all the wonders of the world make you forget me. Come back, I'll be here. I'll always be here for you my dearest friend... my truest sister.”

Sarah looked out the window of the speeding locomotive. Things whizzed by so fast it made her dizzy. She was excited and the light-headed feeling made her giggle.

“What's so funny?” John looked up from the paper he was reading.

His bruised face made her feel guilty about being so happy. “It's just a funny feeling I get when I look out the window. It makes me want to laugh.”

“Yeah, I felt that way too on my first train ride. You'll get to where you pay it no mind after about seven hundred trips.”

“Will we be making a lot of trips back and forth from Rochester to Tennessee?”

“A few, yes. But I'll probably have to start work when I get back. It takes a lot of my time. But you can go back and forth as much as you'd like.”

“Alone? Just me?”

“Sure... It'll be fine. You can do anything you set your mind to.”

“John, I really don't think I'll ever want to go back.”

“Is that so?”

“Yeah. I'll miss them, but I won't miss that situation at all. I never could help myself or have an opinion without being scorned. This is my new life... my chance to break free.”

“I know how you feel, Sarah.” John looked out the window and smiled. “I guess I stopped taking the time to look out the window, it still gives me that feeling too. I suppose it doesn't matter how many times you travel, it's exciting. And your being here makes it even more exciting for me. I'm glad you're here to share and show me what I've been ignoring.”

When they stepped off the train in Rochester, Sarah was amazed at the hustle and bustle of this place. There were people going and coming everywhere. A noise echoed through the station all the time. Not just one noise that you could point to and say,
oh, that's it.
This was a sort of continuous hum that was there all the time. Sarah felt her stomach tighten up with excitement. She liked it!

“Hello, Sir,” a man dressed in a funny looking costume spoke to John. “Mr. Tyson sent me to bring you both home.”

“That will be fine, Ben.” John took Sarah by the arm as she reached down to pick up her luggage. “Leave it there.”

“But I can't leave my luggage here!”

“No, Madam, I will get that for you,” Ben informed her.

“I can get it. It's not heavy.”

“That's what he does, Sarah. Just let him. Makes him feel bad if you don't.”

“I see.” She smiled. Then the man led them to a fancy looking box on wheels called a carriage. “I've seen these things in pictures, John. But never thought I'd ride in one.”

“It's a might different from the old buckboard, isn't it?” John laughed.

“You can say that again!” Sarah's eyes were wide. The man opened the door and held out his hand towards her. She climbed in and sank down into the soft crushed velvet seat. She had never seen such comfort and richness in her life. This was so fancy it belonged in a parlor, and not in a means of transportation. John climbed in and sat beside her.

“Pretty fine indeed, huh? Almost fit for my Princess!” He winked at her.

“It's beyond anything I've ever known!”

“Just wait till you get to the house.”

“It's fancier than this?” Her eyes sparkled with excitement.

“Perhaps,” John chuckled.

The carriage came to a stop in front of a very large house. It loomed before Sarah as she stood on the sidewalk in front of it. The grounds were perfectly manicured, the house was white and stately with columns and a balcony in front. A fountain in the form of a cherub pouring water out of a bucket stood in the middle of the front yard. It flowed from the first small level, to the next and next then into the large pool with a relaxing sound. Its trickling music reminded Sarah of the mountain stream back home.

“This is where you've lived all these years, John?”

“Be it ever so humble.” He grinned.

“No wonder you didn't want to come home again!” Sarah stretched her eyes. “I wouldn't want to leave here either.”

“This is all well and good, but none of it even comes close to you.”

“Me, above such elegance?”

“Yes, you, my Princess.” He took her hand as they walked up to the mansion.

When John knocked on the front door, a short young woman answered. Her auburn hair was fixed in a loose bun with ringlets falling haphazardly here and there. Her face was pretty, with skin smooth and white as a china doll's.

“Have a room for a wandering man?” John teased.

“Mr. DuVal, sir! What's ‘appened to ya?” She looked at him in horror. Sarah noticed her funny accent.

“Is something wrong with me?”

“Sir, ya know good and well yer face is all busted up!”

“Oh, that.” John touched his swollen eye. “That'll teach me to play poker with an extra deck!”

“What?” She looked confused.

“I was caught cheating at poker, Tess.” John teased.

“Oh... ye are bad, ye are! Ye know better than that!”

“Are you going to leave us out here all day? Now that would be what I'd call, bad!”

“Of course not, sir. Come right in. Yer room is just as you left it. Just as ye ordered.”

“Oh no, I'd better get up there and clean it then before my sister sees it! She'll think I'm a slob.”

“Ain't ye that, sir?”

“I'm just as sloppy as the maid lets me be!”

“Oh, so now ‘tis bein’ my fault, it ‘tis?”

“I didn't say that.”

“I may not be as quick in mind as ye, sir. yet accordin’ to me limited thinkin’ there's no other way of understandin’ it!” She cut her gaze at him.

“Now, Tess, don't get your back up. Not before you've had a chance to meet my sister.”

The small woman looked Sarah up and down. “Hum, you two look nothin’ alike. And you're a bit shy aren't ye missy? Not at all like your big lug of a brother here!”

“I'm a bit shy at first, yes. But I warm up quickly.” Sarah looked at the short servant woman. She couldn't be more than five feet tall. Sarah towered over her but she couldn't deny that Tess was rather pretty and she smiled at John just like Shane smiled at her. Tess's fiery green eyes were fixed intently on him. Then, Sarah knew the truth. This woman was in love with John! The way he carried on with her, did he love her too? Sarah felt a twinge of jealousy over the situation. She resented the relationship John and this strange woman shared. But she quickly scolded herself for feeling that way.
These people are his friends, Sarah DuVal! They've been with him many years and he should care for them and they should care for him!
Sarah smiled warmly at Tess, the maid.

“We got your telegram and I did freshen up your room and had the ajoinin’ apartment fixed up for yer sister.

“That's fine, Tess.”

“Will ye be takin’ your dinner in the dining room or in yer rooms?”

“I think we'll keep to the rooms tonight. We're both tired from the trip.”

“Well then, I'll be bringin’ it up to ye soon as ‘tis ready.”

John led Sarah up the grand staircase. The railing swirled upward in rich dark wood that was artfully carved in elaborate designs. At the top was a hallway. You could turn either left or right. John led her to the right then left again and they were walking down a fabulous white hall. Doors lined both sides with elegant carved wood framing. When they reached the end of that hall, John opened the door to the last room. “Welcome to my home away from home.” He motioned for her to enter. The room was warmly lit by two lamps, one on either side of the door. There were two plush chairs sitting in front of an ornate fireplace. Two very large windows overlooked the gardens.

Though it was dusky evening now, Sarah could still see the bright pinks, reds and yellows of the rose garden. “This is grand, John! Truly grand. I can't believe I'm actually here. I can't believe you live here. This is unlike anything I could have ever imagined.”

“You should have seen the place I lived when I first moved up here. Drab, nasty, rat infested hole in the wall! I don't know how I survived that.” There was a knock at the door. John turned to the door and admitted Tess with a large tray of food. She crossed the room and placed it on a small table between the two windows. John pulled out one of the plush high back chairs and motioned for Sarah to sit.

“Thank you, sir.” She giggled, acting prim and proper as she sat down.