June 1779

Sara loved being married. She loved waking up beside Gil in the morning, and she loved cooking for him. It was a wonderful feeling to be so comfortable with someone and she was able to be herself. They still haven't come up with a name for their new dog, so Sara was still referring to him as 'Brown Dog'.

"We have to think of a name for him," Gil said one day. "we are not going to call our first child 'that baby', are we?"

Sara laughed and shook her head. "I will think of one," she promised.

Over the next few weeks Sara learned that she had to keep her kerchief stuffed deep in her apron pocket when she played with the dog. If he got even a corner of her kerchief, he would pull it out and run with it. Sara wasn't the only victim of the little dog's game, Aunt Catherine and John were as well.

"Lands sake, Sara," Aunt Catherine said. "that dog has a thing for handkerchiefs!"

That put an idea in Sara's head, and she started to call the dog 'Handkerchief'. Gil used the name himself, but thought it was too long. Sara shortened it to 'Hankie'.

"Hankie, come here," Sara tried.

"Maybe we should just call him 'Hank'," Gil suggested.

Sara made a disgusted face. "I don't like that name," she said.

"I understand, but a name is just a name. Besides, he likes it," Gil said, pointing to the dog.

Sara followed Gil's pointing finger and saw that he was right. Brown Dog was sitting beside them, his red tongue hanging out of is mouth.

"Well… I guess so," Sara said.

Gil gave Sara a kiss on the forehead and left to help Uncle Jim with the plowing. Sara bent down to pet the dog and smiled.

"I am just going to call you 'Hankie' in my mind," she said to him.

~0~

The following day everyone packed up and headed to Philadelphia for a picnic that Uncle Charles always hosted. Sara wore her white dress, that had been her wedding dress, and her molded hat. She braided her hair and gathered the braids towards the back of her head like a bun. She also had her mother's locket on the blue ribbon around her neck.

"You look beautiful," Gil told her.

All of Gil's words made Sara feel special. He always told her she was beautiful and he always meant it. She thought it was an important thing to look nice for your husband. Gil was an honorable man, and Sara thought that he deserved the very best.

"Thank you," she said in response.

The wagon ride was long and hot. Sara and Aunt Catherine fanned themselves, but all the men could do was dab at themselves with their handkerchiefs. Sara hadn't been feeling well that morning and wanted to stay home. She had been hoping that she was with child, but all she could do was wait.

Finally they pulled up in front of Uncle Charles's large house and they all climbed out of the wagon. After Gil helped her out of the wagon, Sara turned to help Aunt Catherine carry the food inside. The inside of the house seemed to be hotter than the outside and was packed full! The front parlor was full of twirling hoop skirts and the air was thick with cigar smoke. Sara wished that she had a free hand to pinch her nose shut with, but her arms were full.

"Good afternoon, Mrs. Brass," a man named Mr. Brown said.

Sara had know Mr. Brown her whole life. He always had stories to tell her and was nothing but polite. Mr. Brown's first name was Warrick and Sara thought it was an odd name. Mr. Brown said it was a family name and that he named one of his children Warrick as well. He wasn't like any of the other slaves and servants, he was free. He had bought his own freedom and had moved to Philadelphia because there were slavery abolitionists there. He was also very well educated, but like her he hadn't gone to a college because of the law.

"Hello, Mr. Brown," Aunt Catherine said cheerfully.

"Is Dr. Brass here?" Warrick asked.

Aunt Catherine nodded. "He is tending to the horses," she replied.

Warrick looked at Sara and smiled. "You look right nice today, Miss Sara," he said.

Sara smiled. "Thank you. You haven't met my husband have you?" she asked.

Warrick shook his head and slapped his knee. "Miss Sara you went and got married on me!" he said with a laugh.

Sara nodded. "'He is a good man and you will like him," she said.

"I hope I do," Warrick said. "I must go talk to your uncle."

Warrick walked away and the ladies carried the food into the kitchen. A lot of women were staring at her because they had seen her talking to Warrick, not everyone was an abolitionist like her and her family.

"I declare, Sara," a woman by the name of Mrs. Debose said. "you ought not mingle with people who aren't your class."

Sara starred at the woman blankly. "Then I ought not mingle with you," she said as she left the kitchen to browse her uncle's library.

"I declare, she needs to grow up. Speaking to an elder like that!" Mrs. Debose muttered as Sara walked away.

Sara could care less what anyone thought of her. As long as Gil loved her, she didn't need anybody else. Sara picked out her favorite book and opened it to her favorite place. The book was called Gulliver's Travels and was about a man who was 'first a surgeon, then a captain of several ships'. She curled up on the window seat and began to read.

~0~

Sara didn't realize how much time had passed until the library door opened and Gil stepped in. Quickly she looked at the grandfather clock and realized two hours had passed.

"Sorry," she said as she closed the book and tucked it into the bookcase. " 'tis my favorite."

Gil gave a nod. "That is fine," he said. "I was just wondering where my beautiful wife went. Once I heard your uncle had a library, I knew where you were."

A feeling of sadness washed over Sara and she felt bad for worrying him. She didn't mean to spend so much time reading, but books seem to swallow her whole. She took his arm and they walked out to the party. The house was still full of commotion and Sara took notice of how hungry she was.

"There she is!" someone said.

"Probably reading," Uncle Charles muttered from somewhere in the room.

"If you want healthy children you need to eat," one of her older cousins said to her. "you are skin and bones!"

Someone handed her a plate filled with food and Gil led her over to where he had been sitting. When she was seated she picked up her fork and ate. She tried a little of everything, but the sweet potatoes were her favorite. Aunt Catherine brought her some lemonade and she drank it up. When she had finished she sat back and looked at her surroundings. Everything seemed to be too loud to her and she was getting hot.

"Do you need to get some air," Gil asked her.

Sara nodded and together they walked out of the loud house and out to the back garden. Once she was outside, Sara was allowed to breath clean air. She hated breathing cigar smoke.

"Have a seat," Gil said.

They both sat down on a bench and Sara breathed. She had gotten tired so fast, and for a moment she thought she was going to faint. She pulled her fan from her clutch and fanned herself.

"Are you still ill?" Gil asked.

Sara shook her head. "I don't know what came over me," she said.

Gil sat with her and watched her with a worried expression. Sara knew that when a woman was with child that she often fainted, but she had to wait in order to find out.

"I'll bring you a drink," Gil said, getting up to go into the house.

As Sara was waiting for him, she saw something red and small flying up in the sky. She thought she was tired and rubbed her eyes, but there it was again. It was bright red and was flying high amongst the clouds. Gil came back and handed her a glass of lemonade.

"What is that?" she asked, pointing to the red thing.

Gil looked to where she was pointing and chuckled. "It's a kite!" he said.

Sara wrinkled her forehead. "What is a kite?' she asked.

Gil took her hand and Sara stood. "I'll show you," he said.

They walked through the garden and out onto the flat green grass in the yard. A few feet away stood John and some other boys. They were holding onto something and were pointing up at the kite.

"Let me see it, boys," Gil said as they approached.

John handed Gil a large spool of thread and he pulled on it. He handed it Sara and she stood with it in her hand, unsure of what to do with it.

"This string is tied to the kite and we can make it go higher or we can make it bounce," Gil explained.

Sara pulled on the string and watched the kite as it bounced. Sara laughed and made it bounce again. How she wished that she could fly up in the sky like a kite or a bird.

"OK, now give it back," one of the boys said.

Sara handed the string back and they stood and watched the kite for a little while. Jon made the kite do loops and another boy let it go higher and then pulled it back in. Sara wondered if it hit a cloud if it would break off some of it so she could touch it, but the kite when straight through the cloud.

"I wonder what clouds are made of," Sara said before she caught herself.

"They're made of water," Gil said to her.

John laughed. "How can they be made of water!" he said.

"It's like fog," Gil said. "except it is up in the sky."

Sara marveled at how much Gil knew, but felt that her question had been foolish. When they started walking back to the party, Gil told her that he was glad she had wondered about the clouds. He said it showed him how curious she was. Sara still felt too winded to participate in any of the games, so she sat with Gil in the parlor. When the day had ended, and everyone was climbing back into their wagon, everyone hurriedly came to hug Sara goodbye.

"I noticed you were a little pale," someone said to her. "how do you expect to keep that child healthy if you don't eat."

Sara was confused. She was sure that if she were with child then she would have known. It was just too early to tell.

"I am not with child," she assured everyone.

"Yes you are," someone piped up. "a woman with child looks different."