Chapter Three: Sarah Elizabeth
It was over two weeks before Matthew was told to take a horse drawn cart with three large wooden crates to the convent.
Being mid April now, it had gotten a little warmer, just enough for Matthew to hope to find the young ladies in the garden again.
And sure enough, there they were, sitting in the garden. They were not working this time as they had been before. Instead they sat scattered among the garden with paper and pencils, writing what Matthew could only guess had something to do with their lessons.
And there she was, sitting very much alone, right near the fence that he would be passing by! Should he stop here to deliver the crates or go directly to the door? He wasn't too far, but he'd have to decide soon.
Sarah Elizabeth glanced up briefly, saw him, and immediately buried her face in her writing once more. Should she get up and move away from the fence? Surely he would not dare stop and speak to her directly, but he was, after all, just delivering something.
Perhaps I should meet him at the fence if he should stop, she thought, it would be the polite thing to do after all. But still...Oh, what should I do? She glanced out of the corner of her eye, he was very close now, and the sound of the wagon wheels was slightly loud and very attention grabbing.
Matthew was surprised when he saw her stand and turn toward the fence, facing him. She looked at him expectantly for a moment, then looked down at the fence, giving it slightly more attention than it deserved.
This needs repainted, she thought idly, fighting the urge to look up at him again. Would he stop? The sound of the wagon wheels creaking slowly to a halt confirmed that suspicion, and she looked up at him. He also looked down at her from where he sat atop the cart, and for a moment neither said a word.
Unfortunately, neither had noticed the rest of the young ladies who were outside who had also taken notice to the delivery boy and his cart, only few of them knew he was actually a delivery boy.
Matthew was the first to catch the stares of a few of the other girls, most of them had turned back to their work, deciding quickly that they would not be caught staring.
"Sarah Elizabeth, can you come here please?"
Sarah Elizabeth turned at the sound of one of her peers calling to her, and she hurried over to her without a glance at the delivery boy.
The girl who had called her was the same girl she had been working with in the garden the last time Matthew had seen them both. She whispered something to Sarah Elizabeth, who whispered something back. Then she glanced over at Matthew, who gave a brief, weak smile. Then Sarah Elizabeth turned back to her friend and whispered something else. The girl also looked at Matthew, and then whispered something else. Sarah Elizabeth turned and headed back over toward Matthew, her friend merely watching.
"I'm sorry, I'm not usually so rude". She said, her voice hushed and gentle, as if she knew of no other way to speak. "Do you have parcels to deliver here?"
"Uh...Yes, yes, I do. They're quite large, though".
"Oh, well, perhaps you should take them to the front gate to be carried in. Should I have someone meet you at the door?"
You, thought Matthew, but only said "Yes, please". Why did he want her to meet him at the front door? This puzzled Matthew as he made his way around the large building and through the front gate, toward the large wooden door. He was greatly surprised when the large door opened up and Sarah Elizabeth stood in the doorway, though it was only open enough that her small frame was visible.
He stopped the cart and climbed down, then walked around to the back of the cart to unload the crates.
"Please hurry, I'm not supposed to be at the door alone, and Father Gustoff is in chapel".
"Where should I put them?" Matthew asked, one crate already in his arms as he turned toward her. "Come this way". She said, leading him into the building. He had expected to see a little more than what he did, but all that could be seen from inside the door was a small, stone room, like a foyer. "Set it here". She said, pointing to a corner of the room, and he set the crate on the ground carefully, then proceeded to get the other two. After he'd finished, he hurried back out the door so he wouldn't get her in trouble, just as the chiming of a large bell sounded, echoing among the building.
"You must go!" She said hurriedly, but as he climbed back upon his wagon, she called to him, "When will you come again?"
He looked at her for a moment. "I don't know".
"Tomorrow?"
Matthew was surprised by what he was hearing. "You want to see me again?" He asked, and she hesitated slightly before nodding. Footsteps and soft voices could be heard outside the small stone foyer.
"Where?" He asked.
"At the garden gate, after dark when the others are sleeping. I'd never be granted permission freely". She said. "But you must promise me something".
"What?"
The commotion grew close for a moment, and both stopped talking.
"You must not touch me, and if I do not come, you must leave quickly".
"Alright". Matthew said.
"Now go!".
Matthew sat down on the cart and started away, forcing himself not to look back. He heard the door close seconds after he'd started moving, he knew she was not there anymore.
It was over two weeks before Matthew was told to take a horse drawn cart with three large wooden crates to the convent.
Being mid April now, it had gotten a little warmer, just enough for Matthew to hope to find the young ladies in the garden again.
And sure enough, there they were, sitting in the garden. They were not working this time as they had been before. Instead they sat scattered among the garden with paper and pencils, writing what Matthew could only guess had something to do with their lessons.
And there she was, sitting very much alone, right near the fence that he would be passing by! Should he stop here to deliver the crates or go directly to the door? He wasn't too far, but he'd have to decide soon.
Sarah Elizabeth glanced up briefly, saw him, and immediately buried her face in her writing once more. Should she get up and move away from the fence? Surely he would not dare stop and speak to her directly, but he was, after all, just delivering something.
Perhaps I should meet him at the fence if he should stop, she thought, it would be the polite thing to do after all. But still...Oh, what should I do? She glanced out of the corner of her eye, he was very close now, and the sound of the wagon wheels was slightly loud and very attention grabbing.
Matthew was surprised when he saw her stand and turn toward the fence, facing him. She looked at him expectantly for a moment, then looked down at the fence, giving it slightly more attention than it deserved.
This needs repainted, she thought idly, fighting the urge to look up at him again. Would he stop? The sound of the wagon wheels creaking slowly to a halt confirmed that suspicion, and she looked up at him. He also looked down at her from where he sat atop the cart, and for a moment neither said a word.
Unfortunately, neither had noticed the rest of the young ladies who were outside who had also taken notice to the delivery boy and his cart, only few of them knew he was actually a delivery boy.
Matthew was the first to catch the stares of a few of the other girls, most of them had turned back to their work, deciding quickly that they would not be caught staring.
"Sarah Elizabeth, can you come here please?"
Sarah Elizabeth turned at the sound of one of her peers calling to her, and she hurried over to her without a glance at the delivery boy.
The girl who had called her was the same girl she had been working with in the garden the last time Matthew had seen them both. She whispered something to Sarah Elizabeth, who whispered something back. Then she glanced over at Matthew, who gave a brief, weak smile. Then Sarah Elizabeth turned back to her friend and whispered something else. The girl also looked at Matthew, and then whispered something else. Sarah Elizabeth turned and headed back over toward Matthew, her friend merely watching.
"I'm sorry, I'm not usually so rude". She said, her voice hushed and gentle, as if she knew of no other way to speak. "Do you have parcels to deliver here?"
"Uh...Yes, yes, I do. They're quite large, though".
"Oh, well, perhaps you should take them to the front gate to be carried in. Should I have someone meet you at the door?"
You, thought Matthew, but only said "Yes, please". Why did he want her to meet him at the front door? This puzzled Matthew as he made his way around the large building and through the front gate, toward the large wooden door. He was greatly surprised when the large door opened up and Sarah Elizabeth stood in the doorway, though it was only open enough that her small frame was visible.
He stopped the cart and climbed down, then walked around to the back of the cart to unload the crates.
"Please hurry, I'm not supposed to be at the door alone, and Father Gustoff is in chapel".
"Where should I put them?" Matthew asked, one crate already in his arms as he turned toward her. "Come this way". She said, leading him into the building. He had expected to see a little more than what he did, but all that could be seen from inside the door was a small, stone room, like a foyer. "Set it here". She said, pointing to a corner of the room, and he set the crate on the ground carefully, then proceeded to get the other two. After he'd finished, he hurried back out the door so he wouldn't get her in trouble, just as the chiming of a large bell sounded, echoing among the building.
"You must go!" She said hurriedly, but as he climbed back upon his wagon, she called to him, "When will you come again?"
He looked at her for a moment. "I don't know".
"Tomorrow?"
Matthew was surprised by what he was hearing. "You want to see me again?" He asked, and she hesitated slightly before nodding. Footsteps and soft voices could be heard outside the small stone foyer.
"Where?" He asked.
"At the garden gate, after dark when the others are sleeping. I'd never be granted permission freely". She said. "But you must promise me something".
"What?"
The commotion grew close for a moment, and both stopped talking.
"You must not touch me, and if I do not come, you must leave quickly".
"Alright". Matthew said.
"Now go!".
Matthew sat down on the cart and started away, forcing himself not to look back. He heard the door close seconds after he'd started moving, he knew she was not there anymore.
