An Unexpected Encounter

Over The River And Through The Woods

The horse trotted along the forest road, the wily stallion's hooves clopping along the weather-beaten path as the small carriage rolled through the forest. The small two-person coach was driven by a blonde in a well-worn brown coat, his ponytail windswept, his hat slightly ajar. Inside the coach sat a charming young red-head and her prim and proper mother. The younger woman, named Sarah, turned to her mother, excited for the chance to talk to her mother after Sarah and James picked her up from the docks, to take her to her new home. Sarah was ecstatic that her mother had finally made the move to America but she herself had decided to remain at the Pennsylvania Gazette for a while to continue her journalism. Besides, with Moses running his school and Henri in France, someone needed to help James run the paper, with Doctor Franklin acting as their chaperone.

"Sarah dear, are you sure that you don't want to stay on the new settlement with us? There's plenty of room for you," said, Mrs. Phillips, trying to convince her daughter to change her decision.

"That's a wonderful offer mother but I've already decided to stay with the paper and continue writing about the new nation," sighed Sarah as her mother frowned when she once again declined her invitation.

"Sarah, you know the longer that you stay doing a job like journalism and living with that ruffian the more difficult it is going to be to find you a desirable match?" reasoned her mother, trying to get her daughter to open her eyes.

"Mother, it's alright, I'm not interested in marrying right now, I'm happy just focusing on my writing," replied Sarah cooly, trying to hide her growing irritation at having to have this conversation once again.

"Keep this up young lady and it'll be near impossible to marry you off! What do you think that American has prospects? Think of the gossip! Sarah, he's got no connections and no prospects, you need a man that can provide you the title and lifestyle appropriate for someone of your birth!" exclaimed her mother, irritated by her daughter's foolishness.

"Mother, how rude! I know you want to see me married off to avoid the gossip but don't drag James into this! It's not his fault he's an orphan and he's been nothing but kind to us!" whispered Sarah angrily pointing to the roof of the coach where the aforementioned blonde was driving, oblivious to the conversation below.

"This is preposterous, you need to secure a match! Don't you want to settle down, start a family, and raise a brood of your own?" questioned Mrs. Phillips, knowing that she'd gotten through to her daughter in some way, when she saw her daughter pause, deep in thought. And Mrs. Phillips was right as Sarah gazed out the window lost in thought. Images of several children playing on a grassy hill as she watched them fondly, their youngest sibling swaddled in her arms. The baby opened its eyes, familiar blue eyes gazing back at her, startling her. As she cooed at the fussy infant a man approached the children, causing them to stop playing en lou of jumping into their father's waiting arms, his hat coming loose as they tumbled to the ground revealing a blonde ponytail underneath. The realization of the man, the daydream father of her children's identity, enough to shock her out of her daydream, but before she had completely returned from her thoughts, the carriage slammed to a stop, the screeching halt sending Sarah tumbling into her mother's arms with a shocked gasp.

Knocking on the coach window, to get James, attention, the young man leaning down from the top of the coach to make sure, Sarah and her mother were alright. "James, what is the meaning of this, I'm lucky my mother caught me or I would be covered in bruises!" shrieked Sarah causing James to wince, "What happ-," noticing the look of dread on James' face, Sarah paused. "James, what's wrong?" she questioned the look of genuine fear in his blue eyes, causing fear to settle deep in her stomach as she followed James' gaze to a loan rider blocking their way down the road, cutting off their path as he rode closer.