Sarah's Roses, Book I: Roses of Blue

Chapter XXI

Sorry I have been slow with this update, life got in the way, I hope you enjoy :)

Dedicating this chapter to Carpathia, thank you so much for all your support, for voting and commenting. I truly appreciate it :)

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Chapter XXI

My mid June I was finally allowed out of my room and outdoors. Dr. Morris warned me that complete health would not be quick it coming and I was to take things easy, have plenty of air and rest and not get agitated. So I spent most of my summer in the garden, among the flowers.

Prissy and I had made peace. Uncle Andrew must have written the Thompsons a very angry note and they had taken the necessary steps to mend the very broken relations. Prissy had come over and apologized to me and of course I had forgiven her. After all if I hadn’t let my anger get the better of me I wouldn’t have gotten so sick so I figured I was also partially to blame, but even if the fault had been entirely hers, I simply didn’t have the heart to turn her apology down. Jeff had been so worried about the fact that there might be a rift between us. He tried not to show it, but I could see he was torn between his devotion to me and his affection toward Prissy. The full story had been made known to him, thanks to Uncle Andrew, and he had stated that he would neither see nor speak to Prissy until she make things right. I think I forgave Prissy more for Jeff’s sake than my own. I knew he really fancied Prissy, and though still unable to understand what it was that so attracted him to her, I didn’t want him to be miserable just because Prissy and I found it hard to get along. Uncle Andrew was very upset with Prissy and with the Thompsons in general, but I strived to make peace, not only for Jeff’s sake, but for Aunt Helen’s as well. Mrs. Thompson was her friend and I was going to do all in my power to keep peace between the two plantations.

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“Reading?”

I looked up and smiled when I saw Sammy standing near me.

“Yes, it’s the newest Dickens novel; Uncle Andrew brought it over today. It’s frightfully interesting; I can lend it to you once I am done.”

“Thank you, I’d like that. How are you feeling?”

“Good, very good actually. Better than ever to be exact. I’m getting my energy back and I don’t know what to do with it. If only I didn’t have to sit all summer, I miss going out riding.” I sighed, then allowed myself to smile. “The flower garden is amazing this summer, tell me Sammy, what is it exactly that you do to the flowers?”

“Secret, Miss Sarah, can’t tell,” he had a twinkle in his eye.

The statement made us both laugh. It felt good to be laughing again with Sammy. I had seen a great deal of him in the summer, and the romance that I had tried to put to an end was blossoming again. Though my better judgment told me not too, I allowed us to slip back and pick up where we had left off. I told myself we would be extremely careful and everything would be fine. With this whole illness, Uncle Andrew quite forgot his suspicions about Sammy and as long as I watched my steps and kept the surface innocent and proper I knew we would be safe from him.

“Sarah, there is a gentleman calling on you,” Elsie said, coming over to the garden and walking up to where I was sitting. “Henry Earl Jr. to be exact.”

I was startled by this piece of news. “Henry! What could he possibly want?”

I had received flowers and cards from Henry and his sister while I had been ill, and now that I was finally better I figured they had come to call. Unfortunately, it wasn’t them, it was just him. Entertaining Henry wasn’t as bad as entertaining Albert. He had a bright mind and could converse on topics that were interesting to me. I only wished he wasn’t so negative in his outlook on slaves. They were the scum of the earth to him and he always spoke out about them in a tone and manner that made me angry. The slaves were people too, but the way Henry spoke of them, they were lower than animals.