Sarah Anne's Expedient Marriage (The Unshakable Faith Series Book 3) Read online

  Book 3 of the Unshakable Faith Series

  Cathy Lynn Bryant

  Jessica Marie Dorman

  BRYANT & DORMAN

  BOOKS†

  Copyright © 2014 by Cathy Lynn Bryant & Jessica Marie Dorman

  BRYANT DORMAN BOOKS†

  Bangor, Maine 04401

  bryantdormanbooks.com

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means: electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the authors.

  All Scripture references are from the KJV

  Library of Congress Control Number: 2014915848

  ISBN 13: 978-0692291566

  First Edition: September 2014

  Our characters include historical figures intermingled with fictional characters.

  The setting of Bryant and Dorman’s third book has chronologically moved from the “early settlement” period of the Massachusetts Bay Colony in their first two books, to the early 1700s when social classes began to evolve. It was also a time when unscrupulous men took advantage of wealthy, naïve, young ladies. Sarah Anne’s Expedient Marriage illustrates how God can turn our plans upside down in totally unexpected ways.

  The authors plunge the reader into the utter depravity of man. Although the subject is handled with sensitivity, the reader lives through Sarah, as the gut-wrenching shock of such evil clouds her judgment. In her stubbornness, she makes wrong decisions that bring anguish and heartache to the very people she is trying to protect. Yet, the deep faith of Sarah’s friends and the relentless search for her by her husband Alexander allow God to weave miracles out of unspeakable tragedy.

  If the reader is not used to period writing, the formal grammar and dialogue will take a while to get used to. Once that happens, the book’s storyline captivates the reader and the formality is never given a second thought. The selflessness of Sarah in helping others is a welcome contrast to the self-centered nature of our modern generation. If you read this book, you are in for a treat of immersion into the 18th century culture.

  Michael S. Coffman Ph.D.

  http://www.americaplundered.com/

  Authors Cathy Lynn Bryant and Jessica Marie Dorman have once again captured the hearts of their readers with their newest novel titled, “Sarah Anne's Expedient Marriage.” I was immediately captivated with the sweetness of Sarah. The unspoken awkwardness of her innocence swept me away as I ventured back to the year 1730 to a picturesque New England Bay Colony. I was moved to tears several times. By the time I reached the conclusion, I did not want to leave. This is a beautiful story that will leave you believing.

  Author, L. A. Muse

  We would like to thank our husbands, Charles Bryant and Nathaniel Dorman, for their support.

  Others on our list of people to whom we are most grateful: Kristie Pelletier, Stephen Harvey, Lynn Harvey, Vicki Doolittle, Susan Coffman, Dr. Michael Coffman, Lori Whitty, Valerie McDougal, and Tara Heffner. They willingly offered their time to a thorough read through of the manuscript offering helpful edits and suggestions. Additionally, Jarad Bryant was our tech guru extraordinaire.

  We are also grateful to God for His word and all that it teaches regarding healthy relationships.

  CONTENTS

  Prologue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Chapter 35

  Chapter 36

  Chapter 37

  Chapter 38

  Chapter 39

  Chapter 40

  Chapter 41

  Chapter 42

  Post Script

  Epilogue

  Early summer, the year 1730,

  Amesbury, Massachusetts Bay Colony

  Alexander Swyndhurst, a recent widower, had agreed to meet with his father’s close friend, Mr. Joseph Goodwin. He had only consented to the meeting to please his father and because his father's friend had not been given long to live. Alexander had been informed that the man was seeking a husband for his daughter; nonetheless, he had felt compelled to go—if merely to inform the gentleman that he was not the man for the job.

  It had been a week since the meeting had taken place. Alexander was still unsure how he had been persuaded to take another wife, considering that he had no such wish. He had, in fact, sworn that after losing his beloved Rebecca, he would never marry again. And since remaining in the home he had shared with her had simply been too painful for him, he intended to return to England—the land of his birth. A new wife might foil his firmly set plans.

  Recalling the relief he had felt after Mr. Goodwin had explained that he had materially provided for his daughter with the income she was to receive from his holdings—Alexander shook his head; for he soon learned that the concerned father’s reasons for wanting his daughter wed had nothing to do with basic necessities; rather, his concerns were purely for her safety.

  As Alexander, again, thought over the old gentleman’s chief concern, that one man in particular had been a great deal too persistent—even restraining the young woman in her father’s barn on one occasion, he felt certain he had not been presented with a choice. And even though the young woman would be left alone with his servants when he returned to England, much as she would have been at her home in Cambridge upon her father’s death, there would at least be someone to notify if any trouble developed. Moreover, she would be removing to Amesbury, out of reach of the man her father feared.

  Standing there, glancing out the window, the soon-to-be groom thought about the man who had attempted to force his attentions upon Miss Goodwin. He wondered how any man could do such a thing. He then reflected back to what Mr. Goodwin had said regarding the incident. Thankfully, her father rescued her before she had come to any real harm.

  Shaking his head as he moved away from the window, Alexander wondered yet again how he had gotten himself caught up in the affairs of a young woman he had never even met.

  Sarah Anne, just one and twenty, had always been a dutiful daughter; consequently, though she had wanted to, she had made no argument over her father’s request that she marry. As the man she was to wed had little interest in securing a wife and would, therefore, be returning to England soon after the wedding, Sarah Anne believed she had little to fear in consenting to the marriage—at least that was what she had been telling herself. But as the day of the wedding approached, she spent many hours praying that God would give her the courage to go through with it.

  The year 1730, Amesbury, Massachusetts Bay Colony

  It was now midsummer. It had been a few weeks since the marriage had been arranged between Sarah Anne Goodwin and Alexander Swyndhurst II. The da
y of the wedding was at hand. Nervously, Sarah Anne approached her groom as he stood in front of the magistrate. Since they had met just prior to this day, they knew very little about each other. Swallowing hard, she pressed on and was soon standing beside the man who, in a matter of minutes, would become her husband.

  Alexander observed the young woman as she moved in his direction. Just now, he believed that had his heart not been so injured by the loss of his first wife he might have been able to love the beautiful, trembling creature that was ever so slowly approaching. As he studied her, he again noted how very petite she was, so unlike his first wife, who had been nearly six feet tall. When Miss Goodwin’s chin lifted in his direction, he observed that she had the loveliest blue eyes he had ever seen. He wondered, then, how he could have overlooked such magnificent eyes. Thinking back to when his father had taken him to meet his future wife, his conscience stung, for he now realized he had paid the young woman little notice that day.

  While he continued to observe her, he remembered one thing from their meeting: though her chestnut colored hair was presently swept up, as appropriate for the occasion, it had reached all the way to her waist. He thought once more about her diminutive size in relation to the situation from which her father had wished to protect her and was now certain he had made the right decision. This tiny woman needed his protection. He even felt a twinge of guilt over the fact that he would soon be leaving for England without her. The servants will look after her, he consoled himself. What is more, she shall be far away from that beast of a man who threatens her safety.

  Now positioned beside the man she was about to marry, Sarah Anne sensed that, as he stood towering over her, his eyes were upon her. Though she had no desire to marry, to her, Mr. Swyndhurst was quite striking with his dark-brown hair, bluish-green eyes, and broad shoulders. It was a bit unsettling for her, however, that the top of her head was not much higher than his lowermost ribs. Yes, she knew she was rather small, at a height of just over five feet; but, she reasoned, he was also a bit out of the ordinary, at just shy of six-and-a-half feet tall. If he were to remain in Amesbury, I am certain I would not have married him. It is just too frightening a thought.

  With the nuptials over in the space of a few minutes, the pair hastened out the door as husband and wife. The awkwardness they both felt was obvious to all. Before long, Alexander had conveyed the young woman to his estate and introduced her to the servants. Her belongings had preceded her, but she had not, until this day, set foot in her new home. When Sarah Anne and Alexander had met before their wedding day, it had been at her home in Cambridge.

  Upon their arrival, the head servant, Martha Fowler, a stout, elderly woman, took her new mistress to her bedchamber, where her things had already been placed. It was located on the upper floor at the far end of a long hall, beyond several unoccupied rooms. Martha’s room was adjacent to Sarah Anne’s.

  To Sarah Anne’s dismay, her father had not lived long enough to see her married. With his death occurring just days before her wedding, and not having the benefit of time alone to grieve, she had yet to feel the full pain of the loss. Thus, standing alone in an unfamiliar bedchamber, the distraught young woman finally allowed her tears to flow.

  Though the room was quite elegant, Sarah Anne scarcely noticed all that it held, such as the lovely oak bedstead with its intricately carved rose-petal design, the half-dozen lace pillows neatly arranged at the head, and the soft, blue quilt situated at the foot. In addition, on the west side of the room a small settee had been placed a few feet from a little window which overlooked the front yard. It was there that Sarah Anne, still weeping, slumped down and buried her face in its plush seat cushion.

  After a few moments, hoping to distract herself from the sorrow, which at the moment was all consuming, she stood up and began inspecting her bedchamber. She immediately noticed an alcove off to one side. As she entered, she observed a maple-wood washstand with a flowery china pitcher and washbasin atop. To the side of the washbasin sat a delicate glass bowl filled with several colorful soaps. Wiping at her tears, she looked up. Just above the washstand hung a brass framed looking glass, which, of course, was hung too high for Sarah’s needs. To the left was a wooden cabinet standing about a foot-and-a-half high, in which a chamber pot was placed to keep it out of sight. The lid of the cabinet was sturdy enough to set the chamber pot upon when in use. As she came out of the alcove, she covered her mouth, for though she had tried to stop, her weeping had begun again.

  Martha, the head servant, happened to be walking by just then and overheard the mournful cries coming from within Sarah Anne’s bedchamber. Her heart broke for her new mistress, for she was aware of the circumstances surrounding the nuptials. Mr. Swyndhurst had informed her that Sarah Anne’s father, Mr. Goodwin, had desired for his daughter to come under his protection through an arranged marriage between himself and the young woman. He had assured her that he still intended to follow through with his plans for returning to England, along with his father, and that she would be left to look after the new Mrs. Swyndhurst. Upon hearing the news, the servant had surmised that, had it not been a marriage in name only, her employer would likely not have gone through with it, for his heart still clearly belonged to Rebecca, her former mistress.

  Martha had been wondering since Sarah Anne’s arrival whether the young woman had been afforded any say in what had taken place, or had her father simply arranged the marriage, leaving her no alternative but to abide by his wishes. As the elderly woman stood there listening at the door, she wondered why, seeing as the poor thing was so distraught, she hadn’t simply refused the arrangement. It would have been easy enough, considering that her father had passed before her wedding day arrived. Perhaps her sorrow has more to do with the loss of her father, rather than her new circumstances. In any case, I shall give her until tomorrow. If she hasn’t come out of her bedchamber by then, I shall just have to knock on the door and see for myself that she is well.

  Though Alexander had desired to bid his new wife farewell before setting off on the long journey to England, she had not come out of her bedchamber since their arrival the night before. Not wanting to linger in Amesbury after the nuptials, Alexander had unexpectedly been able to make arrangements to set sail the day after the wedding. Presently, however, the new husband was having second thoughts about leaving so soon, for Martha had informed him earlier that morning that Sarah Anne had been crying, almost constantly, from the time they had first arrived. As theirs was not the sort of union that would allow such a personal conversation—had he gone to his new wife—he felt helpless as to what to do for her. Thus, with heavy hearts, the father and son departed, both a little sorrowful for leaving the young woman in such a state.

  Martha knocked on Sarah Anne’s door late the same day her employer and his father had set off for England. “Mrs. Swyndhurst, you must eat something. Will you not open the door?”

  All at once, looking a bit embarrassed, Sarah Anne appeared. “I must apologize, Miss Martha. I should not have been so rude as to stay in my room for so long. It is just that so much has happened of late that I needed to be alone. You see, my father passed not long ago, and now I am to live in a new home away from everything and everyone I have ever known. But I do not mean to complain, for it is clear that God has seen fit to allow me a new friend.”

  While smiling at Sarah Anne’s comment about having a new friend, Martha patted the young woman’s shoulder and said, “Mrs. Swyndhurst—”

  Breaking in, the new bride said, “No, Miss Martha. Please, do call me Sarah. I have no wish to be addressed so formally, and Father was the only one who ever called me by my full name—Sarah Anne.”

  “Very well, then, Sarah. But only if you stop addressing me as ‘Miss’ Martha. To everyone here, I am simply Martha. Now, you must eat. Will you not come down and sit while I fix something for you?”

  “All right, M…Martha. I shall be but a moment. This face needs a little tending to,” the petite woman replied while
forcing a smile.

  Within a few minutes, Sarah had joined Martha in the kitchen. The elderly woman soon approached the table with a tray of food. As the two conversed, Sarah picked at her food. After she had eaten all that she desired, Martha gave her a tour of her new home. As they made their way to every room in the house, the older woman introduced her to the rest of the servants. To Sarah’s great delight, she found that one of them, Esther Pike, was nearly the same age as she, and within a few days the young women were nearly inseparable.

  As the days progressed, Sarah longed to be useful; thus, she often followed after Esther, assisting the young servant with many of her daily chores.

  After a time, Sarah had made the acquaintance of many of the townsfolk, particularly those with whom she attended church. Out of her newly formed relationships, the young wife elatedly found herself busier than she had ever thought possible, what with helping the sick and visiting her new friend—a young widow by the name of Alice Strout and her three children. She had dreaded the move to a new town where she knew not a soul; however, as she found that she was greatly needed, she began to feel as though she belonged in Amesbury.

  In the many weeks and months that followed, Martha, Esther, and the rest of the servants had grown very fond of Sarah. In fact, Sarah had endeared herself to everyone she met. For Martha in particular, not having a child of her own, she had quickly grown to love Sarah like a daughter.

  While on his journey to England, Alexander thought a great deal about his new wife. Even though he was still in a bit of shock over how quickly his life had changed—losing one wife and marrying another in less than two years’ time—he prayed that God would watch over the wife he had left behind in Amesbury.

  Upon the father and son’s arrival at the family estate in Bristol, England, they were happily greeted by Robert Hamilton, the head servant. He had been looking forward to the return of the senior Mr. Swyndhurst ever since he had gone away. Unexpectedly for Robert, however, both father and son had arrived together. Knowing how his employer, the elder Mr. Swyndhurst, felt about his son, the servant was overjoyed that the young man had come along with his father. Robert was also aware of the tragic death of his employer’s daughter-in-law, Rebecca, for the sorrowful father had sent word that his son’s wife had died as a result of smallpox. That was some time ago now. Robert had even begun to wonder whether his employer would ever return.