Read Online New Beginnings (New Beginnings Series) by Doreen Winona Logeot - Free Book Online
Authors: Doreen Winona Logeot
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a few books on a shelf, most written by Charles Dickens, a favourite writer of his and he selected one. Thinking he wouldn’t sleep even if she did, he wanted to have every minute he could with Sara.
He sat on the duvet with his back against the bed and started A Christmas Carol, one of the few Dickens’ books he hadn’t read before. The lantern sat on the floor so it gave him light but would not disturb Sara. After he read for a while, he felt a hand softly touching the curls at the back of his neck, gently putting each strand into place. He quietly closed his book, being careful not to move for he did not want her to stop.
She continued, as she spoke, “Willie used to sit there and I would arrange the curls on the back of his neck, just like this.”
Sam turned toward her and saw the tears glistening on her cheeks. He couldn’t help but take her hand and give it a gentle kiss before he said, “Tell me about it, Sara.”
He thought for a moment she didn’t want to tell the secrets of her life, but after a pause she started to tell him something she had never spoken of before. He continued to hold her hand, occasionally placing it against his lips, not saying a word as he listened.
“It seems like so long ago William and I came from New Brunswick, when Willie was a boy. I had our second baby before we got here, in Winnipeg, but we lost her a few weeks later. I brought a lock of her hair to be buried at our new home. Finally we arrived here and Will worked so hard to build the cabin. He was so proud and excited about building it with his own hands. Doc Brown said we should try for more family and William said soon we would fill it with babies. But sadly soon the twins Joshua and Jacob and then Jennie rested in the little cemetery. It broke my heart so much and William’s too and we decided we would not have any more children. But once again I got pregnant. Doc Brown said he would write to the universities to try and find the answer so maybe we could save this baby. It took a long time to get an answer but eventually he heard from a doctor in Philadelphia. He said something was probably wrong with my blood and it killed the babies. He said he saw it before, the first baby lives, but the others are not strong enough. The night Doc told us, William slept in this bed beside Willie. He didn’t want to sleep with me anymore. He didn’t want me anymore. One night I lay down on this bed, hoping for his company but he wouldn’t join me and I’ve slept here alone ever since.”
The tears still fell and Sam could feel the years of pain that filled Sara. He wanted so much to show her she was not alone now and carefully lifted the blankets and slid in beside her, holding her tightly. By this simple action Sara felt a sense of peace, for in one motion she felt forgiven for her inadequacies.
They were quiet for a while, her head resting on his shoulder and he could feel the dampness of her tears in the dark. Finally he spoke, “Sara, I should tell you who I am.”
“I know who you are, Sam Fielding. You are the owner of the bank, the saloon and the hotel in Grand Valley, although I heard you moved everything to Brandon. You are probably the richest man west of Winnipeg and maybe the loneliest.”
Sam pulled away, to look her in the face, “When did you recognize me?”
“When I helped you off your horse. Why do you think I didn’t know who you were?”
“Sara, it was my saloon where William spent so much time, it was my hotel where he spent so many nights and it was when I called in his loan he was killed. I should have realized what was going on out here. I should have stopped William. It’s because of me, he was killed. You should hate me, Sara.”
“William lost all desire to live when Willie died. The team was a gift from my parents when we left home. I wouldn’t let him take them to pay off a gambling debt. I’m as much to blame for his death as you are, in fact more. If I could have given him more
He sat on the duvet with his back against the bed and started A Christmas Carol, one of the few Dickens’ books he hadn’t read before. The lantern sat on the floor so it gave him light but would not disturb Sara. After he read for a while, he felt a hand softly touching the curls at the back of his neck, gently putting each strand into place. He quietly closed his book, being careful not to move for he did not want her to stop.
She continued, as she spoke, “Willie used to sit there and I would arrange the curls on the back of his neck, just like this.”
Sam turned toward her and saw the tears glistening on her cheeks. He couldn’t help but take her hand and give it a gentle kiss before he said, “Tell me about it, Sara.”
He thought for a moment she didn’t want to tell the secrets of her life, but after a pause she started to tell him something she had never spoken of before. He continued to hold her hand, occasionally placing it against his lips, not saying a word as he listened.
“It seems like so long ago William and I came from New Brunswick, when Willie was a boy. I had our second baby before we got here, in Winnipeg, but we lost her a few weeks later. I brought a lock of her hair to be buried at our new home. Finally we arrived here and Will worked so hard to build the cabin. He was so proud and excited about building it with his own hands. Doc Brown said we should try for more family and William said soon we would fill it with babies. But sadly soon the twins Joshua and Jacob and then Jennie rested in the little cemetery. It broke my heart so much and William’s too and we decided we would not have any more children. But once again I got pregnant. Doc Brown said he would write to the universities to try and find the answer so maybe we could save this baby. It took a long time to get an answer but eventually he heard from a doctor in Philadelphia. He said something was probably wrong with my blood and it killed the babies. He said he saw it before, the first baby lives, but the others are not strong enough. The night Doc told us, William slept in this bed beside Willie. He didn’t want to sleep with me anymore. He didn’t want me anymore. One night I lay down on this bed, hoping for his company but he wouldn’t join me and I’ve slept here alone ever since.”
The tears still fell and Sam could feel the years of pain that filled Sara. He wanted so much to show her she was not alone now and carefully lifted the blankets and slid in beside her, holding her tightly. By this simple action Sara felt a sense of peace, for in one motion she felt forgiven for her inadequacies.
They were quiet for a while, her head resting on his shoulder and he could feel the dampness of her tears in the dark. Finally he spoke, “Sara, I should tell you who I am.”
“I know who you are, Sam Fielding. You are the owner of the bank, the saloon and the hotel in Grand Valley, although I heard you moved everything to Brandon. You are probably the richest man west of Winnipeg and maybe the loneliest.”
Sam pulled away, to look her in the face, “When did you recognize me?”
“When I helped you off your horse. Why do you think I didn’t know who you were?”
“Sara, it was my saloon where William spent so much time, it was my hotel where he spent so many nights and it was when I called in his loan he was killed. I should have realized what was going on out here. I should have stopped William. It’s because of me, he was killed. You should hate me, Sara.”
“William lost all desire to live when Willie died. The team was a gift from my parents when we left home. I wouldn’t let him take them to pay off a gambling debt. I’m as much to blame for his death as you are, in fact more. If I could have given him more
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