Unperceived Love

Chapter 9

"Now abideth faith, hope and love, these three, but the greatest of these is love."

1 Corinthians 13:13

It had been two weeks since their first and so far, only outing. The colonel was gone and Samantha though she missed him was still in high spirits.

Having received three letters already was a surprise to her, for she did not know how to reply to most of them and of course she relayed every last syllable to Clara , she'd kept her resolve and not told Ben of them.

'The silly, sappy things he sends confound me! I don't know whether to reply or to take it silently. I am the "light at dawn and his every breath reminds him of our short time together"? Who thinks, much less writes such things? He must be in love! But..... Am I?' Her thoughts were interrupted when she finally noticed Ben's looming figure in her doorway.

'What's bothering her? She's so lost in thought and her face is twisted in confusion. Her pink lips pursed and eyebrows arched and scrunched, yep, she's thinking... hard. When will I ever be able to read her mind?' Ben hadn't realized it but he was standing in her doorway, staring, lost in thought also.

"Hello Ben!" Sami greeted him beginning to stand. He nodded and said "Hello Sami. Your mother sent me to inform you that if you wish to go to town before your birthday tomorrow we'd better go now." Adjusting the sleeves of his white shirt in an important manner he added "I was supposed to inform 'Miss Samantha' but all I see is a Sami so I suppose I will just go down and unhitch the horse and go to the printshop." He smiled tauntingly.

" Benjamin Alexander Kingsworth!! You know perfectly well that you won't! I'll be down in a minute I first must right my hair and put away my letters." She said playfully glaring at him.

His whole demeanour changed at that last word. "What letters?" he eyes were cold and angry looking.

She looked at him confused. He'd never acted this way before. "They are some from Samson. His most recent one was wishing me a happy birthday and many more to come." She said slightly confused.

"You had just not said anything about letters, don't look so perplexed or else I won't take you to town." He said halfheartedly smiling, trying not to make her think... well he didn't know why he was fake joking with her after he'd about lost his temper. It was strange, this emotion he felt, it was pure rage but not at her it was distinctly felt towards HIM. And he didn't know why.

"Oh, alright." she said a little uncertainly. "I'll be down shortly." She smiled rolling her eyes. He smiled back and turned to descend the stairs and exit the house. 'I must never let my anger towards him get the better of me! Especially not in front of her! He is her beau after all!' These thoughts and others of the same sort were running through his mind as he awaited her arrival at the barn. For she still insisted that be the place where they were to meet.

"He got ANGRY?!? Ben?!?! We are speaking of the same boy who took aside the apple cart owner instead of making a scene, no?" Clara quizzed her astonished as she was putting to rights Sami's hair.

"Yes! It was quite out of character of him to look at anyone but especially me that way! I do not think he likes the colonel! I really would like him to. He is the only boy, well I suppose he's not a boy anymore, that I have ever been friends with and I want them to like each other!" she said exasperated. "Thank you for listening and fixing my hair." she smiled at her friend.

"Of course dear! I'll be praying that everything works out!" Clara said hugging her friend as she left.

"I'm here Ben!" she called as she entered the stable.

"Alright! I'm coming down." he answered descending the stairs from his loft bedroom. His place trousers tucked into the tops of his boots as always. He never wore the slippers that other men wore his reasoning is that they weren't practical for a part time stable hand. His black vest and white shirt were always in perfect condition she wondered often how he kept it that way.

By the time he had made his way down she was already sitting alight in the buggy waiting patiently.

"Will you ever allow me to assist you? Or will you be old and married still hopping into buggies and clamouring into carriages?" he questioned playfully.

"I will let you know when the time comes, besides how do you know that I will be old and married? Not anytime soon do I hope to be old, though my dreaded birthday is tomorrow! I refuse to be old! For when you are old you must stay indoors and take care of the kitchen and you can't ride bareback nor go wading or leisurely read and THINK there is never time to think! That is my one dread about getting old! Nobody seems to have time for serious and deep thought! They only think of what they will need to do next to survive another winter and what will the children wear? I pity them. Yet, I envy them also. They have the love of one another and their children, even if they don't think deeply. I suppose the one downside to getting lost in one's own head is that you forget to love and be loved. Though I wouldn't quit thinking for anything! God gives you a brain to use and a heart to love, it's about making great and equal the both of them. This is one of my many faults, isn't it?" she implored after such a long monologue that they were almost to town.

"I suppose it is." He said smiling, she will never be through astonishing him. " but who would we be without our faults? I would be the patronising, responsible, guard to the next lady of the house. No, instead I am her ally in all the mischief she could think of!" he said looking at her grinning mischievously. "But I suppose it would be a greater fault to let her do it alone, unsupervised."

She looked at him shaking her head smilingly. "I would never have survived without you stoping me every time I wish to dive headlong into everything." She said laughing. "I would either have broken my neck or never been allowed out of that house again!" she pretended to shudder.

"Alas we have arrived milady!" He announced. "Would you mind if I accompanied you today?" he inquired hopefully.

"No, I do not. Why do you ask today?" she questioned.

"It is the day before your birthday and your beau in not here so I will be escorting you to assure your safety." he smiled, slightly pulling down her cap as if she were a child of 6 and not almost a woman.

She stuck out her bottom lip and said "Fine, you may." as she took the arm he offered, not without gently pinching it first and scrunching her nose looking up at him.

'What a surprise you will be in for tomorrow, silly girl!' he thought as he returned the expression to her.