Page 2 of Shoshone Sun

“I would have considered that two days ago,” she interrupted gently, stepping closer to him. “But now we are doomed to lose it all anyway. This farm will be our home no longer. I love England, but it does not seem to love me back! Perhaps this is a way for you and me to take control of our fate.”

He looked deeply into her eyes, searching for reassurance. The flickering firelight danced across his rugged features—his sun-kissed skin, roughened hands, and the determination etched in his brow. “You’ve always been the smart one, Susan,” he finally admitted. “Maybe you’re right.”

As hope flickered in his heart, they heard the door opening. Jane re-entered, her cheeks flushed and eyes bright from the fresh air. She held Petey against her shoulder, his tiny face nestled against her neck and looked more composed than she had earlier. “I think he’s finally settled,” she said, a hint of a smile breaking through her previous sorrow. “He just needed a little rocking.”

Susan felt a rush of warmth at the sight of her sister. “How are you holding up, Jane?” she asked gently.

Jane took a deep breath, her gaze drifting to the window where the sun cast a golden hue over the garden. “I’ll be all right. It’s just … hard to accept. I never imagined things would turn out this way.” Her voice wavered slightly, betraying the deep hurt she felt.

Peter cleared his throat, shifting the weight of his emotions. “We’ve been talking about my uncle’s offer to go to America,” he said, watching Jane’s reaction closely.

Jane’s eyes widened in surprise. “America? You’re serious?”

“Yes,” Susan replied, her voice steady. “It is our only option. We can’t stay here, not with everything crumbling around us.”

Peter’s uncle, Paul, had sailed for America shortly after Susan and Peter had been married. They’d received letters from him every few months talking about how much he was enjoying “The New World,” despite the difficulties he faced at being a pioneer in a new land. A few months ago, Paul had written that he was well established and he and his wife had room for them on their new homestead. He said that Peter could start out with them and then claim his own 160 acres that the government was giving families to encourage them to settle in the wild untamed west.

Although Peter had seemed mildly interested, at that time Susan had steadfastly refused. She’d stated firmly that she was not prepared to live in the wilderness among snakes, cougars, wolves, and renegade Indians. She feared the Indians most of all. But now, in their current circumstances, she did not think it sounded such a bad idea.

For a moment, silence hung heavy in the air. Then Peter nodded and spoke solemnly. “It won’t be easy. But we’d all be together, and we’d have the chance to build something new. It could be a fresh start.”

Jane looked down at the sleeping baby in her arms, the weight of her own unfulfilled dreams pressing on her heart. “It sounds appealing,” she admitted slowly. “But it also feels like running away.”

“Maybe it is,” Susan said softly. “But isn’t that better than facing a life of despair? We can’t let James Rowland dictate our future.”

Jane’s resolve began to solidify as she thought about the possibilities surrounding the new life that awaited them across the ocean, particularly the promise of their own land and home that nobody could kick them out of. “You’re right. It might be time to take a leap of faith.”

Peter smiled, a flicker of hope igniting in his chest. “We can figure it out together, one step at a time.”

As the family members stood close, a newfound sense of unity enveloped them. The shadows of despair that had loomed over the farm-house cottage began to lift, replaced by the faint glow of possibility. They would leave behind the life they had known, but perhaps they would find a brighter path ahead.

Petey stirred in Jane’s arms, and she gently rocked him again, comforted by the weight of her family beside her. Outside, the sun dipped lower in the sky, casting a warm glow over their beloved farm—a place that had been a labor of love but would soon be merely a bittersweet memory. Together, they would embark on a journey that could lead them to a new beginning, one filled with uncertainty but also with the promise of hope for a better life.

Chapter Two: A Bitter Farewell

- Somerset near Bath, 1866 -

The morning light broke over the horizon, casting a gentle glow through the small cottage window. Susan stirred in her bed, the weight of the previous day’s decisions pressing heavily upon her. She laid still for a moment, absorbing the soft sounds of her husband, Peter, in the next room, tending to their little son. The world outside was hushed, but it felt charged with the electricity of change.

The thought of leaving England, the land she had always known, sent a shiver down her spine. She recalled the laughter shared in their garden, the soft whispers of the wind through the forsythia. And yet, the weight of James Rowland’s dictatorship loomed over them like a storm cloud. With a deep breath, she swung her legs over the side of the bed, bracing herself for the day ahead.

As she dressed, her mind drifted to Jane. Her sister had been unusually quiet since the news of their departure had settled in. While Susan had quickly embraced the prospect of a new life, and Jane had also agreed that it was their best option, Jane carried the additional burden of the dreams shattered by her fiancé, Fred Rowland. His callous betrayal and his broken promises of a husband and family life she’d imagined but would never know had hit her hard. Susan knew how much Jane had loved the man and the depth of the pain that must be burning in her sister’s heart and soul. However difficult things became for Jane emotionally, Susan resolved to support her sister through the turmoil that lay ahead.

When she stepped into the kitchen, it felt warm and inviting, the fireplace still smoldering from the night before. Peter turned to her, holding Petey in his arms, a tender smile lighting his rugged features. The sight filled Susan’s heart with warmth; this was her family, and they were worth every sacrifice. She walked toward him.

“Morning, love,” Peter said when she reached him, placing a soft kiss on her forehead. “He slept well and is now quite cheery. I think he knows something’s going on.”

“I hope so,” she replied, releasing a slight chuckle. “He seems alert and happy. Maybe he senses our excitement?”

“I think he does,” Peter agreed and stood up, laying the infant in his wooden cradle and covering his small body with a powder-blue cotton blanket.

Susan smiled and began preparations for the morning’s breakfast. Peter went to fetch the eggs he had brought in earlier from the barn. Susan fried them in bacon grease, and then cut thick slices of the bread she’d baked yesterday, amply buttering each piece. After placing the eggs, bread, and a large pot of oatmeal on the table, Susan fetched a pot of hot tea sweetened with a bit of honey and cream and set it directly in the center of everything.

As soon as she’d done this, Jane entered the kitchen from her bedroom, her expression a mixture of resolve and uncertainty. Though her eyes were shadowed with worry, there was a new, yet tiny, spark of life within them.

“Good morning,” Jane said, her voice steady despite the tremor beneath. “What’s on the agenda for today?”

Peter fetched Petey, setting him in his high chair and securing him in place before answering. “We’ll finalize our plans for departure. I’m making arrangements with a shipping company; they’ll take us from Liverpool to New York. It’s a long journey, but we’ll be together.”

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