Chapter 83

"You say you are from Tennessee, but you have a New England accent," Elijah said to Sarah's fiancé.

"Yes. I was born near Boston. A small town called Wilmington. Are you familiar with that area?" The man did his best to see Elijah's facial expressions, but it was difficult through the haze of the old barrier.

"Only Boston. This farm originally belonged to a Mr. Anderson. Are you related to him?" Alexander had said his last name was Anderson.

"Not that I know of. My grandfather came to Boston from England. The Yorkshire area."

"I have visited there," Elijah said, nodding. "Beautiful farming country." He was also aware that a long time in the past, Vikings had invaded Yorkshire and had settled there. Was it possible that Alexander was somehow a descendant of Anders, werewolf sire of Niklaus?

"Yes. When I was in college I traveled to Europe and briefly visited kinfolk in York. They have an odd accent."

Elijah didn't mention that Alexander himself had an odd accent for someone living in Tennessee. He also refrained from asking why the young man had chosen to live in that Southern state. However, to Sarah's fiancé he said, "This may sound strange, but my advice to you is that you never take anyone's life."

Alexander looked surprised and then frowned. "Why would you say such a thing?"

"We here under this magic dome seem to have strange knowledge. My feeling is that you must not kill anyone." Elijah had no way of knowing if Alexander carried the werewolf trait or not. In fact, it was not likely. There were plenty of people descended from people named Anders.

Nevertheless, Alexander firmly stated, "I have no intention of doing so! In fact, my family and I are Quakers. We are pacifists. I hardly expect to be in any confrontation that might lead to my taking a life."

"That is good to hear," Elijah said with a hint of a smile. Sarah would be safe, hopefully, from a husband that might turn on the nights of the full moon. In addition, her children might be safe also, even though there were some people of the Quaker denomination who were willing to bear arms in some situations. During these 1830s, people did not know that the American Civil War was less than twenty-five years away.

Rebekah and Freya, plus Sarah, were listening to the conversation between the two men. Sarah had no idea why Elijah would think her fiancé would kill someone. The other two women understood Elijah's questions and comment, and it surprised them. They had not thought of it.

Sarah stared at Elijah with a frown on her face. "Why are you acting this way? It's rude. I thought you would be pleased."

Alexander gave a short laugh. "How can he be pleased when he's jealous?"

"Jealous? I don't believe that. We are just good friends, aren't we, Elijah?"

"That is correct, Sarah. I consider you a good friend; therefore, I am concerned that you are going to marry this man whom you have not even mentioned before."

Alexander looked at his fiancée with a bit of surprise. "You never mentioned me? Not once to this man you consider a close friend?"

"You were so far away and you did not write as often as I had hoped you would. I feared you had forsaken me." Tears flooded her eyes and she sought a cotton hankie in her pocket.

"Forsaken you? Never, dear Sarah! I have been working diligently to create a home in which you will be proud to entertain." He reached out, put his arm around her shoulders and drew her close.

"Entertain? Oh dear! I have grown up in this small community. What sort of entertaining must I do?" She pushed back away from him.

It was obvious to those present that the young woman had doubts about this requirement. Her brother, who had made haste in chopping the few shrubs close to the barrier, heard the question as well, as he came around from the north side of the house. He could see that there was a verbal conflict going on.

"Nothing elaborate, dearest. Not at first. And you'll have assistance. You'll enjoy the opportunity to make new friends. Lady friends."

"Oh my, Alexander. You're jealous! That's so sweet," Sarah said, seeing that he really cared. He shook his head in denial, but she knew differently. She moved close again and smiled broadly up at him.

"When do you think you will marry?" Rebekah asked, wishing she could be a member of the wedding party. Anything to get away from the prison she was in.

"We will marry here," Alexander said. "In town. That way we will be a proper couple as we travel back east."

Sarah looked a bit taken aback again. "I have my wedding dress, but I haven't considered a quick wedding. It's like eloping."

"Not with everyone right there. Except these people in this unique prison." Sarah's fiancé was somewhat relieved that Elijah could not be at the ceremony. What if he had loudly objected during the ceremony?

"We should get back to town," John put in. "Elijah, I was able to put the tools back inside just on the north side. There's a moderate hole close to the ground."

"Thank you, John. It was kind of you to do that job," Freya said as Elijah nodded. The folks outside could barely see that nod.

In just a few minutes, the three visitors drove away in the buggy. It made Elijah feel sad to know he was losing Sarah. Then again, all his vampire life, he had lost humans to sickness, injury or old age. Or he had merely walked away. This time it was Sarah walking away. She had not even said goodbye.

While Rebekah and Freya went to the house, Elijah walked along the inside of the barrier in a northerly direction until he came to where the axe and saw lay. He noted the size of the hole there and how low to the ground it was. A fox might get through without being zapped. Or a ferret. Elijah had not been sure such animals as ferrets lived in Iowa, but he had seen something one evening just outside the barrier and it had looked like a ferret.

After returning the tools to their proper place, he went into the house. The women were all in the kitchen preparing food.

"Would you like some coffee?" Freya asked her brother.

"No, thank you. I think I shall read for a while." He went into the study where there were a few books, all of which he had read several times to himself and to Sarah. He glanced into the parlor and saw Kol on the sofa. The young man was snoring. Elijah thought that was good, because it gave Kol's body time to heal. The older brother chose a book and sat in a chair with its back to a window. He tried to read, but his mind was too occupied with the Sarah and Alexander situation.

Rebekah came into the room and sat in another chair. "Do you really think Alexander carries the werewolf trait? I assume that is why you said what you did to him."

"I do not know for certain. Did you notice that he bore a resemblance to Niklaus?"

"No, not really. His voice and his bearing are too different from Nik's."

"The resemblance is there," Elijah assured her. "I wish Sarah had mentioned him before. I must admit it was a shock to find that she will marry him soon and leave for Tennessee."

"From what he has said, it sounds as if she will have a better, more interesting life than what she has in this remote farming town. It will be quite a change for John, also. He will miss her."

"We all will miss her," Elijah murmured.

"True." Especially you, she thought.

A/N Friends do go away. In Sarah's time, letters took a long time to reach people. Or sometimes they never arrived at all. People on ship voyages or wagon trains usually expected that they would never see their family members and friends again.