Surrender to Fate (Fate's Path Part One: A New Adult Romance Series) (23 page)

William arrived at the Thornton residence at precisely twenty minutes after five o’clock. He had been ready in plenty of time to arrive at the appointed time, but there was just something inside of him that wanted to show Vernon that he did not have complete control over his every move. At least, not yet. Even though Vernon had manipulated his entire future of who he would marry and what job he would most likely have for the rest of life, not to mention the future of his father’s farm, in less time than it takes most people to eat a meal, William just couldn’t bring himself to arrive to dinner on time. Vernon might be able to, and obviously could, force his will onto others. But where William could take a stand, he would.

William raised the heavy brass knocker on the solid oak door and let it fall twice. He took one final deep breath as an unobligated man, and tried to appreciate it for what it was. Despite feeling controlled by Vernon, he tried to imagine that perhaps this is what would’ve happened between him and Margaret anyway. Isn’t this where they were headed? They had certainly spent enough time to together and had more than just slightly entered into an intimate relationship together. And prior to his mother’s accident, William had felt happy. He was satisfied with his job, and was more than happy to be alone with Margaret every time the opportunity presented itself. Now, not only was he going to be a partial owner of a very successful lumberyard, he was going to marry the most coveted woman in town. But even more convincing to him was the fact that he would be able to keep his family’s farm from financial ruin. His last thought before the door jerked open was that he hoped that somehow he was making his mother proud, and that she understood why he was doing this.

“William, there you are. You had me worried.” Margaret threw her arms around his shoulders and squeezed tightly. “Daddy said you were coming at five, and when you hadn’t gotten here, I got so worried.”

“Sorry, I’m fine. I guess I was just running late.” William was wondering if it was going to become a full-blown habit to lie so easily to his future wife and in-laws. He wondered if she was actually worried about him, or if her father had tipped her off about the night’s purpose and she was worried that he had changed his mind. Either way, he just smiled and kissed her on the cheek.

“Come, come. We are all in the sitting room.” Margaret glided in front of him and beckoned to follow. William’s eyes were unable to look on into the next room, as his eyes became transfixed on his future wife. She wore a pale pink bodice that once again, placed her beautiful breasts at front and center of her outfit. He had to admit to himself that just seeing them pressed up high and tight was a vision he would never grow tired of. He immediately reminisced of pouring honey all over her bare, naked chest and felt himself twitch in his trousers. Knowing it would not do at all to begin the dinner party with a hard ridge protruding from his pants, he forced himself to halt the taste for honey that was clearly forming in his mouth. Instead, he watched her hips sway under a full pink skirt, slightly darker in color than her bodice. Her hair was soft and wavy and flowed down her back, which was allowed to be seen by the low-cut back line. Her pale skin was luminescent again the pink hue and the fire red of her hair. It was very much like watching a sunset right before his very eyes. But this sunset was about to become his to enjoy every night.

Vernon and Esther’s conversation stopped as soon as William and Margaret entered the room. Vernon, who was standing next to the credenza topped with various decanters of liquor, cleared his throat loudly and slightly narrowed his eyes on William. “Well, William, nice of you to join us.” He waited expectantly for a reply, but William refused to respond to his sarcastic welcome.

Vernon’s lip slightly curled upward in obvious recognition of Will’s attempt to stand his ground. “Yes, well anyway. Can I get you something? Whiskey? Scotch? A pocket watch?”

William held his eye contact with Vernon. “No, thank you. I’m fine.” He held his gaze a moment longer until he walked over to the plush, deep burgundy colored chair that Esther had remained in. He held his hand out for hers, “Hello, Mrs. Thornton. Thank you for inviting me over tonight.”

She paused and looked to his hand slightest glimmer of distaste before she finally put her hand in his. “Hello, William. Glad you could make it.”

Margaret pushed herself into his side, wrapping her arm through his and clasping his hand with her other hand. “I personally, am
very
glad you are here.” She looked into his eyes, and he had to wonder again if Margaret knew what was coming, or truly was giddy from just being near him.

His eyes moved from hers, down to her lips, and back to her eyes. She smiled knowingly at him, and squeezed his hand tightly. Vernon had summoned everyone to move into the dining room, and just like he had become accustomed to, everyone did as he instructed.

Margaret pulled on his arm to get his attention and he stopped to look at her. “I just wanted to tell you,” she whispered so lightly that he had to bend to her lips to hear, “I will be providing you with dessert, after dinner.” She tucked her chin and grinned demurely, giving her message time to fully absorb. She let go of his hand and continued on into the dining room, leaving him frozen in place. He watched her sachet in front of him, and once again he was left to admire the sunset, and wonder if the sunrise would be just as intriguing.

Dinner had been a combination of roasted duck, baby red potatoes and honey-glazed carrots. It would’ve been the most sophisticated meal of William’s life had it not been for Margaret’s foot sliding up his pant leg throughout the entire dinner. Between the upcoming proposal, and Margaret’s not so subtle proposals of her own, William found it increasingly difficult to concentrate, let alone savor the meal.

When the dinner plates had been cleared, and the conversation lulled, Vernon tapped the table with two abrupt thuds of his hand on the table. “William.” He raised his eyebrows and cocked his head, “What do you think?”

William clenched the napkin that was still on his lap and gently placed it on the table. “It was very good, thank you very much.”

Vernon kept his head cocked but widened his eyes even further. “You’re welcome.” His words were strained and anything but gracious.

The moment that William had tried to play out in his mind was upon him. He hadn’t even completely planned out what he would say, hoping it would somehow just come to him. He pushed back from the table and stood next to Margaret. He thought how she genuinely appeared to be taken aback by what he was doing as he reached for her hand. She furrowed her brow, but only momentarily. “Margaret,” his voiced slightly cracked. “I want to watch each sunset, and welcome every sunrise, with you. Any man would be lucky to have you. But, I am asking for you, to have me, knowing that I will do my best to make you happy.” Keeping her hand in his, he knelt down to one knee and pulled the ring from his pocket. “Margaret, will you be my wife?” The moment the words left his lips, something inside felt like it had died. He promised to watch each sunset with Sarah. Now, another woman was contemplating the offer that he had always intended to be for Sarah. The pit inside his stomach rose to his throat and he felt sick.

Margaret gasped and covered her mouth with her free hand and spun around to look at her father. He gave her a slight nod, and a pleased smile. She spun back to William, dropping her hand to reveal a completely thrilled smile. She nodded her head enthusiastically, and as if she had been holding her breath, yelled out, “Yes, yes, yes!”

Although he had known what the answer would be, William couldn’t help but feel a sense of relief. With both of their hands shaking, he slid the gold band with a square cut emerald onto her left hand finger. She held her hand straight up for her perusal and caught her breath. “Oh, William, it’s beautiful.” She stood up and practically leapt into his arms. He wrapped his arms tightly around her waist and spun her away from the table. “I can’t believe it!” she said when he let her feet touch the ground. Her eyes widened again, as she held her hand out to inspect the ring. “I’m engaged!”

She turned to her mother, who seemed to have very little to say during dinner, and even less now. In fact, she may have been even more surprised than Margaret at the upcoming nuptials in her future. Margaret hugged her tightly, “Oh Mother. We have a wedding to plan.”

She rushed to her father, who looked as pleased as William had ever seen him. He had to wonder if he would ever be able to live up to his expectations of making his daughter happy. Clearly, it was all that seemed to matter to Vernon. So far at least, William felt like he was keeping his end of the deal as Margaret jumped up and down, giggling and hugging her father. “Daddy, did you know about this?”

“Of course I did.”

Margaret paused and looked suspiciously at him. But of course, the man with the master plan after all, had the plausible answer. “William here, was a proper gentleman, and came to me to ask for your hand in marriage. He convinced me to give my baby girl to him, promising to make your every dream come true.”

William watched their interaction, growing more and more uneasy. The lies that had swirled around this dinner table were eventually going to become a tangled web, so woven in deceit that no one would be able to escape it. But what had struck him even more profoundly than the copious lies, was that never once in the initial negotiations of he and Vernon’s deal, nor during or after the actual proposal, did anyone mention the one minor detail of being in love.

Vernon and Esther eventually excused themselves from the table, leaving Margaret and William sitting at the table, holding hands. Margaret hadn’t stopped smiling, and William was slowly starting to come to terms with the fact that he was now under an extreme obligation. An obligation to Vernon, and an obligation to marriage that seemed as equally daunting.

As soon as her parents left the room, Margaret jumped into William’s lap and kissed him with long and luscious strokes of her tongue. “Mrs. Margaret Harston. Oh, I think that sounds just perfect, don’t you?”

William stalled, remembering the day he and Sarah had carved the tree stump. He had told Sarah the symbol literally meant, “I shall marry you,” and while he couldn’t be certain about what Sarah thought, he distinctly remembered saying in his mind, “You will be Mrs. Sarah Harston--someday.” William looked at her, and instead of answering, he pulled her in to whisper in her ear, “So, what is for dessert?”

Sarah’s emotions had run the gamut for the two weeks since Adley had ended their connection once again. Her initial shock had lasted into the next morning, followed by days and days of an actual heartache that rivaled leaving Will, and now, she was flat-out livid. How dare Adley put her through this break-up of sorts all over again? Especially after all the white-hot moments that they had experienced together, how could he do this to her? For as much as he wondered how she could have someone else in her heart, she wondered how he could possibly stand to be away from her. His feelings for her must’ve gone far deeper than she had suspected, and now she was realizing that hers had gone far deeper for him, as well. It was completely unfair for him to expect Will not to be a part of her any longer. She knew that was an impossible notion, and by default, perhaps that meant that her and Adley’s relationship would be impossible as well. Just as she was settling in on the absurdity of Adley’s expectation, a sickening feeling washed over her that up until now, she hadn’t thought of. How would she feel if the tables were turned, and Adley had another woman residing in his heart? Despite the logical answer, she still couldn’t deny that there was just something about her and Will that was different. Something that, even if she wanted to forget, she couldn’t.

She and Adley’s severance might have gone on forever, for as much as Sarah knew, they were both stubborn, and had something to prove to the other. At the very least, they each had a message to send. Sarah was bound and determined to hold her ground as she walked confidently to his house. Her mother had asked her to take over a fresh apple pie that she had made that morning. Ever since Thanksgiving, she and Ellie had been passing gestures back and forth in lieu of their new bond. Anne, with freshly baked goods, and Ellie with freshly picked flowers. Since she and Adley’s relationship had been kept under wraps, obviously their break up had too, and Sarah had absolutely no good reason to give her mother when she tried to refuse the errand.

As she climbed the steps, she considered that she may not even see Adley. She hadn’t seen him all morning, and had no idea if he was home, or out in the fields. She wrestled between her stubbornness to avoid Adley and her curiosity to see if he had been missing her like she had him, as she knocked on the door.

She wasn’t even sure she breathed over the few seconds, or it could’ve been a few minutes for all she knew, while she waited for someone to answer the door. One second, she was hoping to see Adley’s face appear, and the next, she hoped for anyone but. The door swung open and she slowly exhaled, as she got one of her requests.

“My mom baked this pie for you,” she was able to muster. She pushed the pie forward but just held it as Adley froze and stared at her.

He blinked a few times, snapping himself back into some sort of reaction. He reached for pie, grazing Sarah’s hand and fingers with his. Goosebumps instantly crawled up her arm and to the back of her neck. Her pulse quickened. It was such a benign touch, but it was Adley’s touch, and that unmistakably, still had a profound effect on her.

“Tell your mom ‘thank you’ for us.” He held the pie on one of his palms, but never broke eye contact.

Sarah wasn’t sure if the long pause was indicative of that it was her turn to say something back, or if the conversation was over. She knew she wasn’t ready for it to be over. In fact, she realized that she didn’t want the conversation, or her relationship with Adley to be over.

“You’re welcome.” She had made her move, now it was Adley’s turn to decide, and Sarah wished she had thought of something more to say that would’ve forced him to continue.

He cleared his throat and looked down at the porch. His eyes then went straight to hers without a hint of hesitation. “What if I don’t want pie?”

Sarah’s heart instantly pounded. She tried to calm herself but her words were noticeably shaking, “What
do
you want?”

His eyes never seemed to even blink. “I want you to love me, more than him.”

Sarah’s was sure her eyes widened as big as the pie plate. She stared in disbelief and utter shock, and there wasn’t a single word to be found in her head.

Adley shook his head, “No, I take that back.”

She furrowed her brow, adding hurt and confusion to the bombarding emotions.

Adley set the pie down on the small entry table and stepped out to the porch. “I want you to love me, and only me. I understand that he was a part of your past. But I need to know that that’s where your love for him will stay, in the past. It’s time for you to decide on your future, Sarah. If you see me in your future, then I need to be sure I’m the only one. I don’t share, I won’t share. I’m an only child, remember?” A slight smile formed on lips as he stepped up to her and lifted her chin. “Don’t answer me now. I want you to think about what I’m telling you. If you want me even half as much as I want you, then you need to choose accordingly.” He paused and became completely serious, “If he’s still in your heart, Sarah, then he’ll be the only one. What I’m trying to say to you is, it’s all or nothing, with me.” He gently placed his hands on her face and whispered, “And ‘all’ could be amazing, Sarah.”

He brought his lips to meet hers, but was stopped just short when they heard Ellie call from inside, “Adley? Is someone here?”

He held his lips next to hers and softly repeated, “All, or nothing.”

He returned to his full posture just as Ellie appeared in the doorway. “Oh, Sarah dear. I thought I heard Adley talking to someone.”

Adley turned his attention to his mother, but Sarah could still feel the brush of his lips against hers, and his ultimatum resonating deep inside. “Yes, Sarah just brought over a pie that her mom made for us.”

Ellie smiled, “Your mother is somethin’ else, Sarah. I mentioned how I had been craving an apple pie, and here it is. I just can’t decide if it’s funny or sad that your mother seemed to know that I wouldn’t be able to pull it off if I tried to make it myself.” She giggled and shook her head at herself. “Well, it’s no matter now. Oh, but that reminds me. I have some things for your mom, too. Let me go get them; stay here with Adley, I’ll be right back.” Ellie rushed back into the house, and once again Sarah and Adley were face to face.

Sarah knew she only had a minute or two before their chance encounter was over. Part of her wanted to rush to him, and do just as Ellie told her: stay with Adley. But, before she did, she knew she’d need to convince herself, before she could convince him that Will was only part of her memories and not a part of her heart and soul. The thought of such seemed so foreign to her, how could she ever move on from Will, who had staked a claim in her heart for as long as she could remember?

No more words were spoken between them; their eyes searching each other seemed to be all the communication they needed. And unless Sarah could tell him what he needed to hear, there really wasn’t anything else to say. She studied his face, and how he looked at her. She had become very aware of his expressions, and felt she could almost read his mind. But that wasn’t necessary. He had told her exactly what he needed, and wanted. The only thing Sarah questioned, was what she wanted.

Ellie returned to the porch and they hesitated to look away. Sarah forced herself to smile at her as she handed her small brown bag with a few pink and purple daisies poking out of the top. “Here you go. Just a few posies and some mail that came for y’all. Tell your mother to come over later for some tea and pie if she gets the chance.”

Sarah nodded, and looked back to Adley who was still eyeing her with intensity. Ellie looked at Adley, and then back to Sarah. “Yes, okay then.” She looked at each of them again and said slowly, “Thank you, dear.” After neither of them returned a reply, Ellie scooted back into the house and gently closed the door.

“One way or the other, Sarah, I need to know.”

“Adley, I…,” but she stopped short as he placed a finger to her lips.

“Please, Sarah, not now. I need to know that you’ve thought about it. This is something I want you to be sure about. Because whatever you end up telling me, I don’t want to doubt it for any reason.” He slowly traced his finger over her bottom lip and then dropped his hand to his side. Sarah bit her lip, wishing she had more than just the touch of his finger to savor. She turned and walked down the steps, but felt his eyes on her the entire time.

Sarah walked through the door and handed the bag to her mother, who was cleaning the kitchen after the busy morning of baking. “Here, Mama. From Ellie.”

Sarah turned and sunk slowly into the couch. So much had happened in such a short amount of time, she would need some serious time to think today. Perhaps she would even go to her tree overlooking the field to find solitude.

Anne pulled the flowers from the bag, “Oh, these are pretty.”

Sarah remembered the invitation of tea and pie she was supposed to pass on to her mother. “Oh, Ellie wanted me to tell you…” Sarah turned to face her mother and continue, but Anne was frozen in place, holding an envelope in her hand.

Sarah leaned forward, “What is it, Mama?”

“It’s a letter. From home.”

Sarah sucked in her breath. It hadn’t even registered what Ellie had told her, she had been so wrapped up in what Adley had told her, that she didn’t even think twice about that there was mail in the bag. She had long stopped waiting with bated breath for a letter from Will. But now, after all this, what if it was here?

She stood from the couch and began walking to her mother who had already slid her finger under the flap and was pulling the paper from the envelope. The smile that had formed in excited anticipation slowly faded as her eyes quickly moved from side to side, down the contents of the letter. Anne’s eyes slowly lifted off the paper and stared at the floor just in front of her. Her hands began trembling, and the letter flitted to the floor like an aspen leaf as Anne fell to her knees, still in such shock that she couldn’t speak.

Sarah ran to her mother, “What? What, Mama?”

Anne was as white as a sheet and still staring at the floor. Sarah grabbed the letter and as hurriedly as her eyes would let her, she scanned the letter with her stomach fully lodged in her throat.

Dear Edward and Anne,

I am so terribly sorry to have to be the one to tell you, and especially in a letter, that there has been a terrible accident. A few weeks ago, there was a barn fire at the Harstons’. Catherine had gone to the barn to check on the livestock, and no one knows quite what happened, but she was in the barn when it caught on fire. She did not get out in time, and perished. Henry, of course, has been so distraught that he could not bring himself to tell you. With the help of the postmaster in Bakersfield, I’m hoping that this letter has indeed found you, as I know you would want to know.

We all loved Catherine, and we are all doing what we can to help Henry, Tommy, and William get through this. William’s wedding has been planned for the spring, and with time, we hope that they will all be able to feel some sort of joy in their lives again.

I am so sorry for the loss of your dear friend. You and the Harstons will be in my prayers through this difficult time.

Sincerely,

Allen Hemshaw

US Postal Service

Sarah dropped to the floor with her mother and wrapped her arms tightly around her shoulders. Sarah squeezed even tighter when she felt her mother start to shudder, and fall into the most heart wrenching sob that Sarah had ever heard. She and her mother stayed on the floor holding each other until Henry and Matty came home from the field, and they had to impart the devastating news. The four Ellises stayed on the floor crying and holding each other until it was as dark outside as it was in their hearts.

It had taken days for all of them to even be able to function. Edward told Oscar and Ellie the news that had been delivered to them, and Oscar assured him that they could have all the time they needed to grieve the loss of their friend. Ellie did her best to make them a few covered dishes, but the truth was, no one had any sort of appetite to speak of.

Sarah was beside herself with grief for more reasons than she could count. She had loved Catherine like a second mother and was absolutely heart broken at the thought of her being gone. She was sick for Henry, Tommy and Will, and how they would now need to somehow go on with their lives without the amazing woman that held them all together. But what she was also trying to cope with was the news that Will was getting married. All of these months, that she had questioned if he was holding on to their promise, she abruptly and painfully, had her answer. If being engaged to someone else didn’t constitute moving on, then she didn’t know what did. Not only had he moved on, but he had fallen in love with someone else so much so, that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her, and not Sarah. If there were any pieces of Sarah’s heart that had remained intact after knowing about Catherine, that bit of news reduced them all to a pile of fine dust. Not that it would make it hurt any less, and it certainly didn’t change anything, but Sarah couldn’t stand that the letter didn’t say who he was going to marry. It could be any number of the girls that knew him, as he was quite a catch. With Sarah out of the picture, she imagined they wasted no time in vying for, and procuring his attention. And for one of them, it obviously worked.