New Beginnings (New Beginnings Series) (2 page)

The silence was very unusual to him and he tried to make conversation as he slowly drank the bitter tea. “My name is Sam,” he said. He hoped she would respond with her own name, but she stayed quiet. After some time he asked her.

“Sara.” She returned to the stove and filled two bowls with a cream soup, setting one down for herself and carried the other to her visitor. “This is onion and garlic soup. It will help to fight infection. Do you need help to eat?”

“I can manage.” Sam pulled himself to more of an upright position and she placed a small board on his lap and set the bowl upon it. He ran his hand around the small piece of wood that had obviously been worn from use, possibly to hold a letter or a book while in bed, he thought. She returned to the table and her meal.

“Is your husband not joining us?”

But her only answer was to rise and get him a glass of water. “You should drink lots of water. You’ve lost a lot of blood.”

“Were you a nurse?”

“For a while. I went south to help during the American war.”

He nodded before he answered. “Then you’ve seen a lot of injured people … a lot of death.” He began to realize where her skilled hands and calm actions had been practiced to near perfection.

“A lot of death,” she said. She still showed no response, appearing to have no tears or laughter left inside of her.

To change the subject from the sobering thoughts, he asked, “When is your baby due?”

“Near Christmas Day.”

“First one?”

But she gave no answer. She went and removed his empty dish from the board and set it on the table. He returned the piece of wood to its place beside the chair. She bent and pulled a covered chamber pot out from under the bed. When she straightened she said, “I’ll go and make sure your horse is all right,” and gave him time to be alone. She took a lantern from a hook by the door, lit it before she wrapped a thick shawl around herself and stepped out into the night.

Sam completed his task. He saw the basin sitting on the table filled with water to wash in. He pulled the back of the chair toward himself and used it to help stand. Slowly he pulled himself up to make his way to the basin, but was unable to use his right leg at all to support even the slightest amount of weight. After he washed and dried himself, he looked out the window. Moving like a firefly on a hot summer night, a light wavered outside. He reached with the towel to wipe moisture from the glass. The nights were already cold enough the warm air of the cabin formed water droplets as it touched the cool window. He had to let his eyes focus to see past his own reflection and finally realized it was Sara as she walked in a small fenced area which contained several crosses, two larger and six or seven smaller ones. He now understood the explanation to her answer of her husband being out back. This was probably why she was so quiet and why she seemed to be alone. In a slight way he was curious, but knew she would not talk about it, so he wouldn’t ask. He let his sight readjust to his reflection that looked back from the window. Against his shoulder-length black hair and neatly trimmed beard his face looked a little pale but he smiled at the fact that he had survived the day.

He realized, while making his way back to the bed, the pain in his leg was greatly relieved. He lay down and pulled up only one of the quilts. He caught the scent of lavender when he moved the pillow and as he drifted off to sleep he wondered who this mysterious woman could be.

Sam slept soundly until he woke the next morning to a dark room. The south window showed the sun was starting to lighten the eastern sky. The daylight hours were getting shorter on the Canadian prairie, as it was the middle of October. Snow could be expected at any time, and some of the older people in the area said the signs showed for a hard winter.

As he tried to move, a severe pain ran through his wounded leg. A loud moan escaped him and he quickly gave in to it and resigned himself back to the bed. The room was dark but he could see a motion close by. Sara rose from the rocking chair she had moved closer to the warmth of the cook stove. Her effort was slow, possibly from her growing size and an uncomfortable night as she slept in the chair. She lit the lantern that sat on the table, turned to the stove and put a couple of split logs into the burner which contained only red-hot embers. Catching quickly the dry wood started to flame, and warmth could be felt as it grew in the small room. With a spoon she gave the pot on the stove a stir before she poured its contents into a cup and without a word took it to Sam and handed it to him.

“More willow bark tea?”

“Yes.”

“It really helps to take away the pain.”

“Yes,” she answered, then turned toward the door. She took the heavy shawl from the rocking chair and wrapped it around her shoulders. Before he finished the bitter drink, she returned with several eggs and a bucket of water that was cold enough to have a few thin pieces of ice float on it.

Sam watched as she prepared the breakfast. First the coffee pot was filled with the ice-cold water and several spoonsful of coffee. Then she mixed a batch of biscuits and placed them in the oven. Each time she opened a container, he noticed she had to reach down inside to retrieve the ingredients and there appeared to be no more provisions.

While she waited for the biscuits to bake and the coffee to brew, Sara gathered her supplies and turned to Sam to doctor his wound.

Without a word he pulled back the quilt so she could work. He watched her face as she tended to him, but she carefully avoided any glance back.

“It looks fine,” she said as she sprinkled a powder on it.

“What is that?” Sam asked, finding the silence very uncomfortable.

“Mostly dried garlic, crushed fine, and a few wild herbs.”

As she replaced the quilt over him, he quickly grabbed her wrist and held it tightly. Immediately her reaction was to go very stiff, the colour seemed to drain quickly from her face. It wasn’t what he had expected as he thought she would fight desperately against him.

“Thank you, Sara,” he said. When she finally looked at his face, her eyes showed terror.

“You’re welcome,” she answered as he released his hold. “I better get the biscuits before they burn,” she said as she turned away. He didn’t see the tear run down over her cheek.

She removed the lightly-browned baking from the oven and placed the pan on the table, again using the towel to guard against the heat. The eggs were broken into a warmed cast-iron frying pan that a small amount of lard had already been added to and they immediately started to sizzle. She didn’t turn to her patient when she asked, “How do you like your eggs?” Her voice trembled a little.

“Any way is fine. Do you think I can sit at the table for breakfast?” he asked. He hoped he could make a quick recovery and leave as soon as possible.

“You can give it a try and see how you feel.” She also hoped this man would soon be on his way back to town and out of her life. “Give me a minute to finish the eggs and I’ll help you.”

Sam sat at the table and despite the fact the breakfast was set in front of him, he waited for Sara.

She filled his cup with the coffee that sent a refreshing aroma into the air and placed a sugar bowl with barely more than a spoonful of brown sugar, beside it. Cautiously, Sara took her place across the table, still not looking at him.

“I’m sorry there is no butter or cream. We lost our only cow in a barn fire this past spring.”

He started to speak but an alarmed expression crossed Sara’s face. She jumped up from her chair and quickly looked out the south window. With a worried glance back at Sam, she grabbed her shawl and disappeared into the next room, quietly closing the door.

It took a moment, but Sam heard the sound of a horse galloping up to the house. He quickly reached for his gun under the pillow. From outside, a man’s voice could be heard as it called Sam’s name and he realized it was someone who worked for him in the town.

“I’m in here,” he shouted back.

The door opened and a man, so tall he had to duck his head, came inside. He cautiously peered around the room as he entered. Eric Hunter, one of Sam’s henchmen, gun in hand, was prepared for anything. He was quite relieved to see the man he had searched for and offered his boss a grin that displayed his tobacco-stained teeth and missing front tooth. Several days’ hair growth covered his face and his clothing appeared rather shabby.

As it was obvious Sam couldn’t ride a horse, Eric stayed only long enough to make sure his boss was safe and returned to Brandon to get a buckboard. A wagon wouldn’t be very comfortable either, but it was important he get back to town.

Sam wondered where Sara had disappeared to as he continued eating his breakfast. He was surprised when shortly after the unexpected visitor left she returned through the front door. Not many farm homes built in the 1870’s would have had a front and back door. He was fairly certain she would not climb through a window in her condition. She was very quiet, and obviously very scared of the man who had just left, or maybe any stranger, he thought.

She brought the pot to the table from the stove and started to refill Sam’s cup to warm the coffee that had gone cold, but her hand shook uncontrollably. He took the pot from her and set it down. He tried to look into her eyes, but still she avoided looking back. She watched only her own hand as she reached to take his empty plate. Sam put his hand over hers, more gently this time.

“Sit for a moment, you look a little pale.” He let his hand linger over hers and felt it tremble, but slowly she pulled away.

She did sit and said, “I’m really not used to having strangers around.”

“You’ll be happy to hear Eric is coming back this afternoon with a wagon to take me home.” He gave her a small smile.

Even though she didn’t return the expression, she was happy to hear her unexpected patient would leave that day. In a small way she liked the company of a person there again. It had been a long time.

It would be a couple of hours until Eric’s return and the time was spent quietly as Sam was still very tired. The willow bark tea helped him to relax as it was remarkable how well it worked at taking the pain away. He felt somewhat at ease in his hiding place. Sara tried to mend his trousers as best she could. She sewed on a patch with one of the needles she used to doctor his wound. Even though the fabric didn't match, she felt the patch would do until he arrived home. The material in the pants was very soft and she knew that only a wealthy man could afford them.

After an hour and a half passed, Sara helped Sam dress and prepare for his ride home. She supplied him with extra garlic powder and willow bark tea, saying, “The doctor probably won’t approve of these, but you’ll find how well they will work.”

When the sound of a team of horses could be heard in the distance, Sam thanked her for the items and for all of her help. He started to ask if she would be all right there alone when the wagon sounded too close. Her eyes showed alarm, but being prepared this time she quietly got up and went into the other room. This time Sam could hear the trap door close as she went down into the root cellar. He then understood her method of escape.

As he waited the few minutes for Eric to come inside Sam couldn’t help but wonder how Sara would manage. She was all alone in the countryside, expecting a baby and winter was on its way. In all of his near forty years he had never once considered how anyone else lived. As a young child Sam was abandoned and forced to wander the streets of Toronto. He learned his underhanded, selfish ways there and managed to survive by being somewhat of a con artist. When he moved to Red River in 1874, he found employment at a bank with the intention of embezzling funds. He found it much more profitable when he became somewhat honest and provided loans at outrageous interest rates. Three years later he moved to a new settlement called Grand Valley. It was a week further west via the riverboat steamer, Prince Rupert, where businesses were needed along with some form of entertainment. The little town was one of the first of its kind as the west developed. It provided for the new settlers and what was left of the hunters and trappers, as the forts in the area for the most part had disappeared. It seemed his business and saloon with an attached hotel for those late nights were welcomed. Sam set up two large tents side by side and soon his venture was well underway. Eventually news spread of the town as it grew and the good farmland that surrounded it. The easterners gradually came to settle the wide-open prairies. Sam had found his gold mine, and as the town grew, so did his takings. In 1881, word came that the railway was not to be built near Grand Valley, but instead had been rerouted south of the great river on higher, sandy soil. Sam moved to the new location as he felt certain the railroad would bring with it more opportunity and bought what land he could. Not long after, his perceptiveness turned to income. He knew lumber would be a big business and proceeded to contract for what he could. In time he built himself a very modern home and hotel and several small shops, which he rented out to some of the new town businesses. Many of these people needed loans to get underway. It didn’t seem to matter what happened, if Sam was in the middle of it, it made a profit. He wasn’t well liked by many but that was the least of his worries.

“You ready to go home?” Eric asked as he opened the door without a knock and entered the little house. Again he bowed his head to miss the doorway. Behind him a young man followed, slightly dragging one leg as he walked. He held his left hand awkwardly at his waist and moisture from a continuous drool covered his scraggly beard. It was obvious he had some problems and Sam knew him as the town’s charge. A couple of years before he was left an orphan after a runaway team overturned a wagon. His father was killed and the accident left Toby severely injured. His mother died a few years earlier during an influenza outbreak before they came west. It was thought that he would not survive the mishap, but only after he pulled through did the true damage show. Sam provided him with a room in the back of the hotel’s stable, where Eric also stayed. The boy cleaned the horse stalls for a little extra spending money. The ladies of the town tried desperately to clean him up, but he fought against it terribly. Occasionally they won the battle and this must have been one of those times. He was rewarded with a wagon ride in the country.