Thanks for the encouragement everyone, I love you! ;-)
Enjoy this next chapter!
Chapter Nine
When John and Andrew returned home that evening, they found everyone home except for Mary. Elizabeth and Sarah were busy taking down the laundry, just as it had been done the day before. As they did this, the three younger children played in the yard.
And just as the day before, when the children saw their father coming up the path, they stopped playing and came running to the man happily. The greeted Andrew as well and he returned the greeting warmly. He was really beginning to like this family. That was one thing he found about case working that was good and bad both.
As a caseworker, he got to spend more time with people and develop relationships with them. But once the assignment was over and it was time for him to move on, he would have to say good bye to these new friends. But at this moment he pushed the thought out of his mind. He had never had to say a real "good bye" to someone before and he wasn't looking forward to doing it for the first time.
They were walking towards the house when Sarah appeared by Andrew's side, carrying a basket of sheets. She smiled fondly up at the angel and Andrew smiled back down at her.
"How are you today, Sarah?" He asked her kindly.
"I am doing fine, thank you." She replied. "Did you have a good day with my father?" She asked him curiously.
Andrew thought about the earlier political dispute in the store and nodded his head slowly. "It was... interesting." He told her truthfully. "To say the least."
"I love Father's store." She said happily. "There are so many interesting things there. When I was younger, I would spend so much time there. But now Mrs. Windham needs help with her sewing, so Elizabeth and I spend more time with her now."
"Do you enjoy sewing?" Andrew asked her, as the large group neared the door of the house.
She shrugged. "It is alright, I suppose." She paused thoughtfully. "What is it like... to be an apprentice?" She asked him.
This time it was the angel's turn to shrug. "It's interesting..." He told her. "You meet many different kinds of people in such a place."
The rest of the family began to go into the house, but when Andrew saw that Sarah was standing outside of the door instead, he waited with her. Once all the family had gone into the house, she looked up at Andrew sincerely.
"It happened again, didn't it?" She asked him softly.
Andrew cocked his head curiously. "What do you mean, Sarah?" He replied to her.
She sighed. "Was there an argument in the store today between my father and some Loyalists?" She asked him concernedly.
Andrew wrinkled his eyebrows. "Yes." He said truthfully, a little surprised as well. "How did you know?"
The girl just shrugged.
"You are a very perceptive young lady." Andrew commented. "You know that, don't you?"
"I know that my father despises anyone who supports the king. He does not want to live under his authority and he gets angry when someone differs with him over the subject." She glanced away uneasily. "I have seen the debates happen before, though my father does not know this."
Andrew looked at the worried child carefully. "Does it frighten you, Sarah, when your father has these arguments?" He asked her softly.
She cast her eyes downward for a moment, the looked at Andrew seriously. She nodded. "Aye. It does frighten me, Andrew." She whispered quietly. "For so very many reasons it does."
Suddenly the front door opened and John poked his head out. "Are you two coming in?" He asked them with a playful smile. "Or are you going to stand out here and shoot the breeze all day?"
"We were just getting ready to come in, Father." Sarah told him. "We will be there in just a moment."
John nodded. "Very well then. But do not linger for very long. Your sister and Tess could use some help in the kitchen preparing supper." He instructed his daughter.
"Yes Father." She replied obediently. John then went back into the house.
"I have to go in and assist my sister." Sarah told Andrew once John had shut the door.
The girl was just about to go into the house, when Andrew stopped her. "Sarah," he began. "We can discuss this at a later time." He offered. "That is, if you wish to."
She smiled gratefully up at him. "I would like that, thank you." She agreed. "This evening, perhaps?"
Andrew nodded. "When the time is right."
She smiled at him one last time, then turned and went into the house. Andrew watched her go, and then was suddenly aware of someone standing behind him. He turned around to find Tess watching him.
"Tess." He smiled contentedly. "I think I am finally getting somewhere with this case."
She nodded. "It has taken you a little while, but you're right. You're learning, Angel Boy. And you are doing well."
"I am not sure exactly what I need to do yet," Andrew continued. "But I think I am beginning to get the idea that it has to do with Elizabeth's relationships with Micah and Samuel."
"You just be careful what you 'think', baby." Tess warned him. "I am not saying that you are wrong. As a matter of fact, you are on the right track. But when dealing with human love, things can get complicated. That little girl sure understands that." She referred to Sarah.
"Sarah seems to understand so much of what is going on in this family." Andrew agreed. "Perhaps even more than anyone else does. And she wants to talk to me, though I do not know why. But I am perfectly willing to listen to anything she has to say."
"Children often know more than adults think they do." Tess told him. "But with that comes burdens that adults do not realize. Sarah finds you easy to talk to, Andrew, she trusts you. So when you listen to her, do more than just try to pick out clues to your assignment. Really listen to her."
Andrew nodded solemnly. "I will, Tess."
Tess paused, and then looked Andrew questioningly. "Angel Boy, did something happen at the store today?" She asked him knowingly.
The other angel looked at her in surprise. "Yes." he said simply. "How did you know?"
Tess just smiled. "And what did you think of that little argument?"
Andrew shrugged. "Honestly, Tess, it kind of confused me. I mean, who are really the right ones in this? Is it the Patriots or the Loyalists?"
"Right and wrong are for the Lord to decide, Andrew. And you can come up with whatever opinion you want, but that's not the real problem right now." Tess told him. "The real problem right now is hate, baby. It is not wrong for people to disagree. It happens every day and no one can fix that. But when people start to use their disagreements to hate and cause wars, that's when there is a problem."
"Tess, I cannot stop a war!" Andrew exclaimed.
"You're right." Tess agreed. "And that is not what I want you to do. What I want you to do is be a peacemaker in a battle." But before Andrew could protest she continued. "Not the kind of battle you concerned yourself with yesterday. But one that could tear a family apart if it is not resolved."
"The Chandlers?" Andrew asked, glancing at the house in which the family lived.
Tess nodded. "That's right, baby. And if you don't know who I am talking about right now, you will understand soon."
But Andrew did think he knew who his supervisor meant. He thought about John Chandler and his strong feelings against the king and Loyalists. He thought about a young Loyalist's love for the daughter of a Patriot. He thought about the harsh words that had been exchanged in the store earlier that day and suddenly Andrew was beginning to think he knew what needed to be done.
It was after supper that evening and Andrew once again found himself sitting in the Chandler's parlor with the family. Only this time Mary was not present and Micah Hambling was there instead.
Andrew found the conversation pleasant and enjoyable. He was not near as tired as he had been the day before and was also happy to find that even though Tess could see and hear what was going on, he did not feel the need for her help. As a matter of fact, he was beginning to feel quite a bit more confident in his new line of work.
"Father, where is Mother at?" Benjamin asked, getting up from his seat on the rug and walking over to the chair where his father sat.
"Your mother is staying the night with Ms. Steinbeck." John informed his youngest son. "She will be back tomorrow morning."
"Why is she at Ms. Steinbeck's house?" The little boy asked next.
John sighed and pulled his son onto his knee. "Ms. Steinbeck is very sick, Benny." He told the boy softly. "Your mother wanted to stay there and take care of her."
"Oh." Benjamin said simply.
But James was not satisfied with the answer and now his curiosity was peaked as well. "Is Ms. Steinbeck going to die?" He asked courageously.
Micah shook his head. "We do not know, James." He told the young boy. "She may."
"That would make me sad." Benjamin commented his voice filled with sorrow.
"Ms. Steinbeck has been very good to all of us. It would make all of us sad, Benjamin." Elizabeth told her brother truthfully.
Andrew listened to the conversation silently. He had never met the woman they spoke of, but he knew as an angel that if she were to die, she would be in a much better place than she was right now. It was not that Lattinburg was a bad place, but Andrew had been in heaven and had seen God. He knew that nothing could ever surpass that. It did confuse him somewhat to watch these humans discuss death so sorrowfully. He knew that they would miss the woman and that was why they were so sad, yet he had a hard time separating the truth he knew as an angel and the emotions he felt in human form.
But he did not dwell on these thoughts for very long because his attention was soon moved to observing Micah and Elizabeth. He noticed how happy Micah appeared whenever he looked at Elizabeth. He noticed how his face would light up whenever she spoke and how the young man could not seem to take his eyes off her.
Then Andrew noticed Elizabeth. Her mind seemed someplace other than the current conversation and her knitting. She did not try and catch Micah's eye ever so often as much as he did, yet when their gaze did meet, she began to look uncomfortable.
Andrew was definitely beginning to see a pattern between the two young people, but it wasn't until his own gaze accidentally met the one of Sarah did he realize that the young girl had been observing the same things he had.
One thing Andrew did notice was that John Chandler seemingly had no idea about the feelings his daughter was so obviously harboring. Or was it not that obvious? Maybe it wasn't. Maybe he and Sarah were one of the few that recognized the look of uncertainty in Elizabeth's face. John was obviously very set on the idea that Micah and Elizabeth would soon be married.
Andrew was quickly brought out of his reverie by John's stern voice questioning his eldest daughter.
"Elizabeth?" He began.
"Yes Father?" She asked him innocently, glancing up from her knitting project.
"Have you been seeing that young Samuel Carroll?" He asked her suspiciously.
An alarmed look came over the young woman's face and she looked quickly at Micah, who also seemed to be waiting for an answer.
She quickly regained her composure though and managed to answer calmly. "No, Father. Of course not." She said, her blue eyes meeting her father's surely. "Why would you ever ask such a thing?"
Micah replied, his voice quiet. "Samuel came into your father's store earlier today." He told her. "He mentioned you."
Elizabeth's face went white. "Me?"
John nodded. "He did."
Flustered, Elizabeth quickly stood up from the settee on which Sarah was also sitting. The young woman quickly put her knitting back into the sewing basket. "I am beginning to feel rather tired." The young woman informed them. "May I be excused, Father?"
Watching the man carefully, Andrew thought that John was about to refuse his daughter's wish. But at the last moment, the man relented.
"Fine," John sighed. "If you wish to retire for the night, then I suppose you may be excused. We will discuss this tomorrow."
A look of relief came over Elizabeth's face. "Yes. Thank you Father." She bid everyone good night, making a special point to say goodbye to Micah, then turned and hurried up the stairs.
Seeing this, Andrew exchanged a knowing look with Sarah and she nodded subtly. Andrew both knew that they were thinking of what Sarah had mentioned earlier about Elizabeth and Samuel.
"That did not go very well." Micah sighed, glancing at John knowingly.
John shook his head. "No, it did not." The father then glanced at Sarah questioningly, who tried to appear busy with a sampler. "Sarah, Micah and I have reason to suspect Elizabeth has been secretly meeting with Samuel Carroll, that Loyalist boy. Do you know anything about this?"
Sarah managed to keep her young face uninformative. "Father, Samuel is hardly a boy. He is at least as old as Micah."
John's eyes narrowed and Andrew could see the growing frustration on his face. "That is not what I asked you, Sarah." He said sternly. "I asked you if you knew anything about your sister seeing that meritless Loyalist that came into my store today."
Andrew watched a hesitant look come over the girl's face. Finally she gulped. "I am not quite sure of anything, Father." She said quietly, casting her eyes downward momentarily.
Seeing that he would not be getting anywhere that evening, John sighed. "Sarah," he instructed tiredly. "Why don't you head upstairs and help your younger siblings into bed. It is getting late."
"Yes Father." The girl sounded glad to be excused from the uncomfortable conversation. She began to head for the stairs while James, Benjamin, and Miriam followed her.
"Here, baby, I'll help you." Andrew heard Tess say. He turned to see the angel following Sarah up the stairs.
Andrew somewhat envied the children for getting to escape the company of John. Usually, Andrew found the shopkeeper to be a pleasant man. But ever since the encounter with the young Loyalists earlier that day, John had been in somewhat of a sour mood. He had not taken it out on Andrew even once, yet the angel still felt the tension in the atmosphere.
But in only a few more minutes, after what seemed like an eternity, Micah declared the need to return home. The young man did just that and quite soon after, John decided to go to bed as well.
It had been a hard day for everyone and Andrew couldn't help but be glad that the day had finally come to a close.
