A Heart Set Free Read online

  A HEART SET FREE BY JANET S. GRUNST

  Published by Smitten Historical Romance

  an imprint of Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas

  2333 Barton Oaks Dr., Raleigh, NC, 27614

  ISBN: 978-1-946016-01-0

  Copyright © 2016 by Janet S. Grunst

  Cover design by Elaina Lee

  Interior design by Karthick Srinivasan

  Available in print from your local bookstore, online, or from the publisher at: www.lighthousepublishingofthecarolinas.com

  For more information on this book and the author, visit: JanetGrunst.com

  All rights reserved. Noncommercial interests may reproduce portions of this book without the express written permission of Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas, provided the text does not exceed 500 words. When reproducing text from this book, include the following credit line: “A Heart Set Free by Janet S. Grunst published by Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas. Used by permission.”

  Commercial interests: No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means—electronic, photocopy, recording, or otherwise—without prior written permission of the publisher, except as provided by the United States of America copyright law.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, and incidents are all products of the author’s imagination or are used for fictional purposes. Any mentioned brand names, places, and trademarks remain the property of their respective owners, bear no association with the author or the publisher, and are used for fictional purposes only.

  Scripture quotations are taken from the King James Version (KJV).

  Brought to you by the creative team at Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas: Eddie Jones, Kathryn Davis, Shonda Savage, Brian Cross, Payton Lechner, and Lucie Winborne

  Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

  Grunst, Janet S.

  A Heart Set Free / Janet S. Grunst 1st ed.

  Printed in the United States of America

  PRAISE FOR A HEART SET FREE

  This is a tender, heartfelt novel about new beginnings and love blooming in unexpected places. A Heart Set Free weaves rich history and romance together into a beautiful tapestry of faith sure to find a special place in readers’ hearts!

  ~Laura Frantz

  Author of The Mistress of Tall Acre

  Fleeing a painful past of betrayal and humiliation, Heather Douglas will do anything to leave her Scottish homeland—even indenture herself as a servant in the American colonies. While she survives the dangerous ocean passage, Heather is faced with fresh fears in Virginia. She knows her new situation will be a challenge. But she is unprepared for life with her master, who bought her indenture ... and then stole her heart.

  A Heart Set Free is Janet S. Grunst’s debut novel, and it is a treasure. Heather is a likeable yet flawed protagonist. Bent on forgetting her past, her new life brings her face-to-face with her own shortcomings, forcing her to confront her lack of forgiveness toward those who have hurt her.

  Grunst has done a laudable work of weaving Heather’s spiritual growth into this historical romance. The reader observes a young woman emerging from her cocoon of denial to be freed to face who she is, while seeing herself as worthy of love. A sweet historical romance that will beg to be on your bookshelf.

  ~ Elaine Marie Cooper

  Author of Saratoga Letters

  A Heart Set Free is an absorbing tale of one woman’s quest to hide from her past. Janet S. Grunst has skillfully woven faith elements and a compelling love story into colonial history to produce a novel not to be missed. The reader will be captivated from the first page.

  ~ Ann Shorey

  Author of the Sisters at Heart series

  With a love for, and knowledge of, all things colonial, Janet Grunst brings to life both the setting and her characters and their story.

  ~ Carrie Fancett Pagels

  Author of Saving the Marquise’s Granddaughter

  Forgiveness and the healing power of love are at the heart of this touching debut, set amidst the verdant farmlands of colonial Virginia. Author Janet Grunst will delight fans of historical Christian fiction with this emotionally-charged story of faith, painted in beautifully vivid scenes and with engaging characters that will keep readers turning the pages. I was truly inspired after reading A Heart Set Free, and look forward to more works from this talented author.

  ~Kate Breslin

  Award-winning author of Not by Sight and High as the Heavens

  Janet Grunst’s debut novel is a sweet historical romance filled with hope and touches of humor. Readers will identify with her richly drawn characters, Heather and Matthew, as each must learn that freedom has more to do with God’s grace than their own actions. A Heart Set Free conveys timeless spiritual truths of forgiveness and redemption while drawing the reader into the finely detailed world of colonial living. Ms. Grunst has written a satisfying inspirational romance that will leave readers with a sigh and a smile, looking forward to her next book!

  ~Kathleen Rouser

  Author of Rumors and Promises

  A Heart Set Free is a very worthy debut for author Janet Grunst that will have readers eagerly awaiting her next book. Heather Douglas’ shadowed past in her Scottish homeland has driven her to seek a new beginning as an indentured servant in the American colonies. A young farmer, Matthew Stewart, needs a caretaker for his young son and daughter, who have been living with close friends in distant Alexandria, Virginia, since his wife’s death. He purchases Heather’s indenture, but in the confusion of making the necessary arrangements, he neglects to explain that they will have to marry for the sake of propriety. Thus when the parson arrives, Heather faces an unexpected and stark choice: marry a total stranger who seems to be kind and mother his children . . . or take her chances on finding another master.

  Grunst integrates the historical setting of 1770 Virginia into the story so naturally that one learns a great deal about the colonial era and society without realizing it. In this period leading up to the Revolution, the colonies are in turmoil, as are the hero’s and heroine’s lives. Heather and Matthew are appealing characters who are torn between a deep attraction and the very personal secrets, conflicted motivations, and fears that are powerful barriers to each fully trusting the other. Grunst’s portrayal of their faith journey had me rooting for them to finally open their hearts fully to each other and to God. The conclusion of A Heart Set Free is heartwarming and inspiring, and I highly recommend it to readers!

  ~J. M. Hochstetler

  Author of the American Patriot series and the Northkill Amish series

  CONTENTS

  Acknowledgments

  Dedication

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Dedication

  To my husband, Ken, an unexpected gift from God.

  Acknowledgments

  To my parents, who passed on the love of reading to their children.

  I am so thankful for the encouragement and tenacity of Linda Glaz, my a
gent with Hartline Literary Agency. Her patience and guidance helped to make this a better story. Thank you to Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas—Kathryn Davis, Payton Lechner, Shonda Savage—and the rest of the team who made this story a reality.

  My appreciation to the friends and family who supported, prayed for, and mentored me. For the friends who took the time to read the story and offer helpful suggestions.

  To my husband, Ken, who encouraged me to never give up on my dream to write stories that communicate the truths of the Christian faith that will entertain, as well as bring inspiration, healing, and hope to the reader.

  I am most grateful for my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, for His provision, mercy, and grace in my life. He put this story in my mind and gave me the heart to write it.

  A Gift for You

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  CHAPTER 1

  1770

  Heather Douglas stood on the dock, shivering in disbelief. Her heart skipped a beat as she touched her wrist. It was gone. How had she forgotten? The gold bracelet her mother had given her was gone. She had sold it two days before. She sighed. There had been no other choice. She would not beg for charity from family acquaintances. Besides, the gossip about her had already begun amongst neighbors and the patrons of her family’s shop.

  Her family had been fabric merchants, mercers, in Perth for many years. The Douglas name was well established and respected. Stories of indecorous behavior were prone to travel, so she had to do the same. She had thought Edinburgh would be far enough away to save her family’s honor. It was not, but it was a starting place. It was in Edinburgh that she learned of a way to leave Scotland and find a new beginning.

  Some new beginning. She shuddered.

  She had left a life of comfort for a warehouse filled with others like herself who were leaving Scotland for the colonies.

  Like many of the other indentured servants, she had spent the frigid night in the barren warehouse on the wharf, waiting to board the ship before dawn. Now, outside and exposed, she shivered as the icy rain penetrated her woolen cloak. Her toes were so cold she could hardly feel them. The emigrants had formed a queue to embark the merchant vessel, Providence. Her churning stomach reminded her it had been too long since she had last eaten.

  A flurry of activity on board the ship drew her attention to the sailors hanging from the tall masts, readying the vessel for the transatlantic voyage. The men shouted to each other while weaving through the rigging like giant spiders. She spotted a tall man with authority, possibly the captain of the Providence, standing on the gangway, going over with the agents what she assumed was the passenger manifest. Like her, most of the passengers were indentured servants, but she had learned from an agent that there were also redemptioners making the crossing—emigrants who had paid for a portion of their passage and were expecting friends or family in the colonies to lend or give them the unpaid balance.

  Unlike the redemptioners, she had no one to help her once she arrived.

  She shook violently, one hand clutching the hood over her head to fend off the wind and rain, her other hand clinging to the embroidered satchel. In it was everything she chose to take with her. She should have taken more, but getting away from Ross had been her primary concern. Now thoughts of her brother only irritated her, and that served no purpose.

  The wind carried bits of conversation. There were a number of families with small children and others like herself who appeared to be solitary travelers. Behind her, a tall, attractive woman tried to console two young girls. The freezing rain crystallized at the woman’s hairline. What had driven her to make a decision like this for herself and her girls?

  “I cannot imagine it will be much longer until we are allowed to board, Emily. Do try to be patient. I know you are still tired.”

  One of the girls tugged at her mother’s skirt. “I am hungry, Mama.”

  The woman pulled something from one of the portmanteaus she carried.

  “Here, Katie, have some cheese and bread. Remember, I asked you to breakfast with Emily and me.”

  The tall woman glanced up, made eye contact with her for the first time, and smiled. Her large brown eyes, arresting against so creamy a complexion, invited friendship. “I had to wake the bairns up early this morning to arrive in time. Now there is nowhere to go.”

  Heather nodded. “They will surely have us go aboard soon or allow us to return to the warehouse to keep out of the weather.”

  Some of the other passengers in the queue also seemed restless about the delay. The captain stood on deck giving orders to the agents. Two of them went ashore and motioned to the emigrants to begin the climb up the oak gangway. Each one stopped briefly to allow a ship’s officer to make an accounting on the manifest.

  Waiting her turn on the ship, Heather drew the satchel to her for warmth. All the activity on deck awed her. The icy fog and muffled sounds made an eerie scene. Passengers walked precariously around what appeared like miles of coiled hemp ropes. The crew, though busy preparing the ship for sail, appeared quite intent on the emigrants, particularly the women. One rather swarthy sailor standing near them licked his lips and winked at her. He grinned at the tall woman behind her. It made Heather’s skin crawl.

  She turned away from him and whispered to the woman, “Keep your girls close.”

  The woman’s face turned anxious. “I wish he would be about his business and leave us be.”

  Heather raised her chin and glared at him, but he ignored her. His eyes rested on the smallest girl.

  The woman frowned and drew her daughters close to her full skirt. “Aye, I shall be glad when we get through this checkpoint and can go below.”

  The sailor, reeking of tobacco and spirits, brushed against Heather and mumbled something as he made his way aft.

  Her eyes followed him as he disappeared from view into the fog. She glanced again at the small girls. They would need to be protected in the weeks ahead.

  Once accounted for, she headed for the ladder leading below, as the others had before her. Impatient, some of the crew pushed and shouted as they herded the remaining passengers to the “between-the-decks” area below. There, the men were steered to one side, the women and small children to the other. Heather squinted to try and make out shapes in the darkness ahead. Her eyes watered, and her nostrils flared at the caustic air. Had they even bothered to clean the ship before funneling the passengers aboard?

  The ceilings in the cramped, poorly lit quarters were so low that standing upright was impossible for all but the children. The bunks, covered with straw pallets and positioned next to each other throughout the musty area, smelled of mildew and urine. Trunks or bundles had to be placed at the end of the children’s smaller bunks. This arrangement allowed for only a few narrow aisles for moving about the compartment. With such crowded conditions, privacy would be nonexistent. Desperate for a place to sit, Heather quickly chose a bunk and clutched her bag. The others fought over what they must have perceived to be the choice locations.

  “Good day, again.” It was the woman she had first noticed on the dock. Hers was the first sign of friendship Heather had witnessed in days. How she longed for a friend.

  “Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Sara Macmillan, and these are my daughters, Emily and Katie. Have these pallets been spoken for?”

  “Nay, I do not believe so. I am Heather Douglas. Pleased to make your acquaintance.”

  Sara set her portmanteaus on a pallet and motioned for the girls to climb onto the smaller one. “Quite extravagant accommodations we have.” Her sarcasm was softened by a smile. “Are you from Edinburgh, Miss Douglas?
”

  “Nay, I ... I am from Perth.”

  “Ah, you had a bit of a journey. We were a mite more fortunate in that sense. We have been staying with my aunt in Edinburgh these past two months.”

  She smiled at Sara and removed her cloak, which was heavy with rainwater. “It is so dark and close in here, and the peculiar odor makes it difficult to breathe.”

  Sara shook out her cloak and placed it on the pallet. “I heard someone say they use vinegar to wash down the walls and deck. I suspect they are not overly concerned about our comfort.”

  “It would appear not. Is your husband aboard also?”

  Sara lowered herself onto the pallet, and her expression grew pensive. “John, God bless him, passed on six months ago. The girls and I are going to Virginia to his brother’s home. Andrew and his family live some miles south of Alexandria. It was John’s dream to settle in Virginia. Now it is ours.”

  Heather studied Sara’s sad brown eyes and those of the two little girls. Her heart filled with empathy for them, and for a few minutes, she forgot her own pain.

  “Do you have family or friends in the colonies, Heather, or are you indentured?”

  “Nay. I have no one there. I am indentured.”

  Sara continued to watch her as if waiting for her to continue. “May I ask why you indentured yourself? I have never known anyone who did that.”

  She hesitated a moment, knots forming in the back of her neck. Could she trust Sara with her history? How much worse could things be? “My father died recently, and our family circumstances required I seek employment ... preferably far from home. I believed this was an answer.”

  “Well, fresh starts are always good. This is a new beginning for all of us.”

  Heather glanced about. Fresh start, indeed.

  In the days that followed, Heather enjoyed the times when she and Sara talked about anything and everything. Sara often referred to her faith in Jesus and how much He had helped her and the girls, particularly in the months following John’s death. Sara prayed with the girls and read her Bible regularly. Heather rummaged through her satchel for her own Bible, something she had only thought to bring at the last minute before she left home. After a few minutes of thumbing through the pages, she glanced at Sara.