13
Thomas was rowing the oars of the small boat with gentle sweeps on the surface of the calm lake. In his hands they seemed like physical extensions of his powerful arms. He showed no sign of fatigue. He had just rowed for forty minutes out to the small island on the lake in front of his main house. Sarah had exchanged minimal words with Thomas when they first embarked. She sat silent the whole time while Thomas rowed, staring at her pensive face.
“Sarah let’s go in the lake house for a spell. I could use some water, and rest before we head back.” Sarah just took in a deep breath, lifted her chin then dropped it with a slight bounce, indicating she accepted Thomas’s request.
Thomas maneuvered the small boat up to the wood dock at the shore. The lake house was a small one-room log cabin on the shore opposite the main house. It was only a few feet away from the shore directly at the dock. Thomas jumped out of the boat first; he tied the end of the rope he had thrown up on the dock ahead of him to a wooden post. He reached down for Sarah’s hands. As she began to rise from her seat, she met his and was pulled on the dock with him.
As soon as both her feet were on the solid platform, she threw her arms around Thomas, one over his shoulder and one around his back, and hugged him with all her strength, her face now on his chest, and tears in her eyes. Thomas placed his arms around her and his chin on top of her head. After a long moment, the silence between them was broken by Sarah’s loud sobbing gasps. Thomas lifted his right hand onto the back of Sarah’s head and began stroking her hair.
“Shh, shh, please don’t cry, it will be all right.”
Sarah lifted her head and pulled slowly away. She reached for her face with her hands and pulled the skin downward from her forehead to her chin.
“Sarah let’s go inside. It will be all right.” Thomas turned and grabbed Sarah in a similar way to how Bentley had in the morning led her into the carriage. They walked up the few steps to the door of the cabin, and while still holding onto Sarah, Thomas reached with his left hand and opened the unlocked door and led Sarah in. The door shut loudly behind them. As they stepped inside they turned, embraced and found each other’s mouths.
Sarah lay naked on the bed next to Thomas with eyes wide open. Their lovemaking was more passionate today than even the most frenzied experiences before in this hideaway. Sarah needed the escape from the pain she had felt so deeply over the past two days. Thomas wanted to demonstrate to Sarah, the best way he knew, how much he loved her in her time of sorrow.
“Thomas, I believe the sin in loving you is why the Lord has taken Daniel away from me.”
Thomas opened his eyes. “Darling, don’t be silly. There is no sin in our love. Your son will be found!”
Sarah remained still on her back. Thomas turned on his side toward her, and lay his arm on her chest, caressing her shoulder.
“Our son.”
The words “our son” sent a burning rod through Thomas’s brain.
“Our son?”
“Our son? How can that be?” “How can that be?”
Thomas realized that he did not want to appear insensitive to such a possibility and quickly changed his speaking to soft, controlled tones.
“You said you were certain Daniel was Matthew’s. What are you saying, that Daniel is mine, ours?”
Sarah’s eyes were watering again.
“Yes, darling, Daniel is your…” She paused for a moment. “…our baby.”
Thomas leaned back. His hands moved off Sarah’s shoulders as he dropped back on his side of the bed and rolled on his back. He repeated, “How can that be? You were certain Daniel was Matthew’s.”
Sarah turned to lay her arm over Thomas’s chest, and softly kissed his cheek.
“At first I did not want things to be complicated, I told myself Daniel was Matthew’s baby. His birth was almost nine months to the day you and I first made love in this very room. For days, Matthew and I had been arguing. I denied myself to him for two weeks. His temper finally won, he raped me while I slept. When he found out I was pregnant, he was the happiest man alive. He actually changed, and began to care about my feelings. For a period of time he was gentle, like the man I first fell in love with. He never lost his temper with me the whole time I was pregnant. When Daniel was born, he was so proud. ‘All my brothers have had daughters, it was up to me to show them.’ When Daniel cried, he blamed me for being a bad mother, when the baby got a rash, he cursed me for neglecting him. I started to hate him again more than ever. If it was not for Rachel spending all those hours with Daniel when you and I came to this spot, I do not know what I would have done. My instincts, Daniel’s noticeable resemblance of you and your character, the timing of his birth, but most of all a birthmark on the inside of his leg.” Sarah pulled up on Thomas’s left knee and gently rubbed a red birthmark on the inside of Thomas’s leg just below the knee. “Just like this one. Daniel is your son, Thomas. I know for certain, just as certain as I know he has been taken from me.”
Thomas leaned over to kiss Sarah.
“From us, Sarah, taken from us!”