Free An Unexpected Sin by Sarah Ballance

sighted leaving Josiah’s room, in quick time her defenses rallied. What she and Josiah had indulged in thus far was no different than what other young couples shared—in fact, some did so without the intention of marriage. Anne and Josiah were far from such a scandalous affair. They cared about each another, and if her parents failed to see how ideal the match, she would not acquiesce.
    She would fight.
    The storm clouds that gathered that afternoon matched her mood, and the darkness seemed to have infected more than just her. Anne’s mother had kept to herself, even retiring to her room after the noon meal. Josiah, too, had remained scarce. She had last seen him pulling weeds behind the garden but now he was not to be found. Even her father had disappeared, which was most unusual, for he seldom ventured off the property. With their boarders gone to their jobs for the day, the inn sat forlorn and silent under the troubled sky.
    Silent, but not empty. Anne cast a look toward the front room where her grandmother sat. Though Anne could not see her, the elder woman’s face was doubtlessly as pinched and set as it always was. Anne could not remember the last time she had spoken more than a word or two, but if ever she had a reason, it was now. Surely in her grandmother’s day, a young girl would not visit a young man’s bedroom without facing dire consequences. Still, Anne was exceedingly grateful it was she who had visited Josiah and not he who had been discovered creeping from her room, for her parents were more apt to forgive her than the so-called servant boy her mother insisted was determined to soil Anne.
    A clap of thunder struck Anne to the core, sending her to her toes in surprise. A deluge of rain soon followed with such vigor she thought certain the sky had been ripped in two and the roof would soon follow. Would these storms never end? They tore at her, inside and out. Her mind again drifted to Josiah and she realized her grandmother might know the circumstances of his mother’s death, for she had lived in the farming village during that time. She pondered that as she walked around the inn to ensure the windows were closed against the storm. The shutters were markedly easier now to close, and she said a silent word of praise for the man responsible. She was grateful for the ease of the repaired shutters, but she more so admired Josiah’s skill in every task he took on. Her parents would have to see what a fine man he was—that would have to matter more than sad memories from the past.
    She worked until one room was left unchecked. The room in which her grandmother sat had remained dark all day, suggesting the shutters were secure, but Anne did not leave it to chance. Despite her worries over her indiscretion, she entered the room, her grandmother watching her every move.
    When Anne neared, the old woman placed a hand on her arm.
    Anne jumped, then pressed a hand to her heart. “You startled me,” she said, nearly dizzy with alarm. “Are you warm enough? Do you need a drink?”
    “Sit.” Though at times her grandmother’s speech was difficult to understand, the lone command was clear.
    Anne lowered into the chair adjacent her grandmother and waited.
    The elder seemed to bear none of the urgency of the storm, for the silence stretched on for several terribly long moments before she spoke. “You risk much.”
    “You do not understand, Grandmother—”
    The old woman held up a hand. “I understand more than you know.”
    “But Josiah—”
    Her grandmother gave a sharp, disapproving shake of her head. “Stay true, young Anne.”
    Anne sat back, unsure of her meaning. Her grandmother did not sound angry, but her words carried a warning. But of what?
    “He is no stranger,” she said softly. “He is nothing if not true to me, and I to him.” She wondered if she could ask about Josiah’s mother, but her grandmother’s mindset was so terribly hard to ascertain. Would she keep her confidence?
    Outside,