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bitter brew. She made a face. “Maybe I’m expecting too much. Maybe they’re all like Gus. At least the boys and men from around here are all cut from the same bolt of burlap—rough and ugly.”
    The image of two men instantly came to mind: her brother Seth, no longer troubled-looking but smiling at her from a faded photograph he’d sent in one of his rare letters, and the tall, dark-haired stranger posing beside him. A rough-clad stranger whose steady gaze and half smile reassured Sarah that her brother had found a true friend. Her heartbeat quickened. “I’ll bet he isn’t like Gus,” she whispered. “Matthew Sterling looks kind and good. According to Seth, he’s as solid and true as his name.”
    She closed her eyes and imagined the stranger riding up to rescue her from the unspeakable future Gus and Tice planned. The next instant Sarah shook her head. “Appearances are just that—appearances. Seth might be mistaken about his friend. Even though Matthew means
gift of the Lord
, he might be no better than Gus and Tice.”
    Sarah sighed. If all men were like those two, she would
never
marry. Better to live alone than live married to someone she didn’t love—or worse, who would never really love her the way God meant a husband to love his wife.
    “So, God, what am I supposed to do?” she pleaded. “Tice Edwards is obviously a man used to getting his own way. He’s no doubt got a justice or a preacher or two under his thumb. How am I going to escape this trap they’ve laid for me?” She took another gulp of coffee and stared at the tabletop.
    Like a gentle breeze a scripture verse whispered in her mind.
“There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.”
    Escape? Yes! Sarah’s heartbeat quickened. She must flee from the fate Gus intended for her. But how? Gus was clearly trapped in Tice’s web of debt as surely as they intended to trap Sarah. “Perhaps there’s a different way,” she murmured. “If I could offer Gus another way out of his debt, he might not be so keen on marrying me off.” She managed a small smile of hope. Maybe Gus could ask Tice Edwards to extend the loan one more time. If he—
    The door swung open and smashed against the wall in the middle of Sarah’s musings. Timmy entered first. He ran to Sarah and threw his thin little arms around her neck. The other boys shuffled past and plopped themselves on the floor in the center of the room with a pack of playing cards. Ellie sat down at the table near Sarah and just looked at her. As usual nobody said a word. No one offered an explanation of their recent whereabouts.
    Sarah sighed. Keeping track of the Stoddard children was worse than trying to corral a flock of frightened chickens. The only relief she got was the days they were in school and she had the house to herself. Some days the older boys played hooky and surprised her by crashing in through the door and upsetting all her carefully laid plans.
    Gus burst in and kicked the door shut with the heel of his boot. He lifted a bottle filled with amber liquid to his lips and took a swallow. “Well, Sarah,” he drawled, “I gave you a few minutes by yourself to work things through.” He fell into the ragged armchair and waited.
    If Gus thinks I’ll thank him for this small consideration, he is greatly mistaken
, Sarah decided. Just looking at him made the bile rise in her throat. She swallowed hard and determined to work on an escape plan right away. “I’m not going to marry Tice,” she stated. Before Gus could strike out, Sarah continued. “Promise you won’t force me to marry Mr. Edwards, and I’ll pay off the debt you owe him. I’ll find work—good-paying work—and I’ll pay back every cent. I’ll keep this place clean and care for the kids. Just don’t make me marry