Chapter Four: Evening Meetings

What a strange turn of events this had been, and it would grow even further that night. Matthew was able to sneak away from his adopted fathers house and trek the couple miles to the convent, in complete darkness. He did not dare take a lamp with him.
He reached the massive building and jumped the fence, heading for the garden door to the building. He wondered idly if he should knock, then decided against it, knowing it would most likely echo across half the convent. Instead he waited.
But only for about fifteen minutes before he heard the door handle moving, and he was suddenly alert. The soft, almost pale face of Sarah Elizabeth could barely be seen from within the doorway in the darkness.
"Sarah Elizabeth?" He said quietly, stepping toward the door. But she made it through the door and closed it behind her, coming to him instead. He led her to a little bench shaded by a large canopy. Of course, it would have been shaded had there been leaves and flowers on the vines that entangled it. They sat down facing each other on the cold stone bench.
"Why did you want to see me?" Matthew asked, and a slightly guilty look crossed Sarah Elizabeth's fair face, but it was serious.
"I must know something. The looks you give, they frighten me a little. Why do you do that?"
"I...I don't rightly know". He said hesitantly, and he couldn't have really been further from the truth. "Has no young man looked on you in such a way before?" I hope I'm not the only one, he couldn't help but think. But when Sarah Elizabeth shook her head to confirm no, he felt slightly foolish. "I'm sorry if I offended you then, miss". He said immediately, but she brushed it off. "It's alright, it's just that... well, it confused me a little is all". She said, and Matthew's expression turned to regret. "I'm sorry".
"It's alright". She said, now smiling slightly, and Matthew smiled also. "Is that all you wanted to see me about?" He asked, and once again, a guilty look crossed the young girls face. "I don't know". Matthew could tell she was fighting a guilty smile, and he too had to fight a grin. "May I inquire about you". He said, and her face turned slightly red. "What do you wish to know?" She asked, and Matthew shrugged. "Anything at all".
"Um...Well, I've lived here in the convent all my life. I never knew my parents, so I suppose I'm a bastard child. It's considered improper to ask one's origin, I've only been told that I'm the Lords child and need not know any more than that". She didn't speak of this fact as if it were annoying or she mocked the ministers there, but purely out of what she'd been told and obviously did not waste time worrying about.
Matthew smiled, and she inquired about him. He told her about living with Mr. MacNamara for about two years, since his own father had died of a fatal illness. His mother had died during child birth, the midwife assisting her had just barely been able to save Matthew himself.
He spoke of the shop and his responsibilities there, also.
They sat and talked far into the night, until the dark began to fade and Sarah Elizabeth realized what time it was.
"I must go!" She said suddenly. Though the sun had not yet begun to rise, the dark was fading still, and she stood quickly.
"Bugger me, I didn't even realize what time it was!" Matthew said, also rising.
"Come back tomorrow?"
The young girl's words stunned him somewhat, but he smiled. "Alright".
And with that, she hurried to the door and disappeared.
Then Matthew suddenly realized his defeat, it would take him no less than an hour to get home, if he ran the whole way, that is!
Perhaps he could catch an hour or two of sleep during the day, hopefully. He knew he'd get very little sleep upon returning, Mr. MacNamara liked to have the shop open bright and early like all the rest, and Matthew usually had to help him with this.
He hurried to the fence and leaped over it, already braking into a run down the dirt road toward the town.
But it was worth it. What an amazing person she was, that Sarah Elizabeth. Hm, Sarah Elizabeth, was Elizabeth her last name?
Surely not, I'll have to ask her that tonight.