“You’re right, Gwendolyn. That was too close a call. Suppose the next time he does spot me?” I asked turning to face her
“We won’t let it come to that, Sarah.”
“I knew that my father was meeting with Mr. Delaney, but I didn’t know why he was meeting with him at first.”
“They have to be somewhere.. we will turn the entire square upside down until we find her.” Mr. Delaney said
“Mr. Delaney, don’t you think you’re being a tad drastic? We can always speak with her later tonight.”
“I suppose you’re right, Everett. I guess I did overreact a bit.”
“I hate to do this to her. Going behind my only child’s back.”
“She’ll succumb over the years.”
“Until that day, she’ll come to resent you.”
“You did the right thing, you and Sarah will never drown in debt for as long as you live, just as long as you get her to go through with the wedding.” Mr. Delaney said
‘Meanwhile in the deeper part of the square, by the rundown bookshop, Gwendolyn, Emily and I search through the area to see if we had been followed.’
“Okay, I think we’re in the clear.” I said, nearly breathless
“Sarah, are you sure that Mr. Delaney saw you back there?” Emily asked, panting deeply
“Yes. Mr. Delaney is very suspicious. And my father was with him, I bet he was forced by Delaney to help him.” I said
“There’s no way Everett would help him.” Gwendolyn said
“He was forced by Mr. Delaney. You know he can be aggressively persuasive.” I said
“She’s right. He tried to get me to sell the apothecary after Larkin died.” Emily said
“He’d do anything to get more money out of the town.”
“I’m sure they could be around here somewhere.” Mr. Delaney’s voice rang out
“How did he get down here so fast?”
“I’m not sticking around to find out. Let's go before..”
“There you are. We’ve been looking for you everywhere.” Mr. Delaney said, gently pulling me back by my shoulderblade
“Father.. your business with Mr. Delaney, it was..” I paused, speechless
“That’s right. Your father has offered me your hand in marriage in exchange for keeping a roof over your heads.”
“He wouldn’t sell me out.”
“Sarah, he didn’t give me a choice. It was either offer your hand, or we were on the streets by tonight.”
“Mr. Delaney, this is not how a man courts a woman.” I said, pulling away from him
“Either you say I do, or you and your father are either sent to debtor’s prison or resort to a life of begging on the streets.” Mr. Delaney said, raising my head to meet his cold light green eyes
“How could I ever marry a man that’s as selfish and as cruel as you are?” I asked, pulling back
“My sweet Sarah, there really is no choice; one way or the other you will become my wife.” Mr. Delaney chuckled
‘Gwendolyn, Emily, my father and I look at him in shock as he turns away disappearing into the shadows.’
“Sarah..”
YOU ARE READING
Secrets of the Heartland
Ficción históricaSarah Roswell-Delaney is the beautiful and timid daughter of Everett Roswell, a widowed man living in the town of River Valley (later renamed Redemption Valley) and had headed into teaching at the newly built schoolhouse, with help from friends, Gwe...
