Jonathon Carver, a young Puritan school teacher, meets handsome Nathaniel Morgan, master cooper. He comes to recognize the longings he's had all his life as desire for the love of another man, and Nathaniel provides that love.<br><br>Their love must be carefully guarded, as they live in Colonial America during a time of the call to Awakening of the Puritan spirit. Knowing the penalty for their love is dire, they strive to keep their affair secret.<br><br>Desperate for a way to resolve their situation, they devise a bold plan which could free them to be together. But can their love for one another overcome the structure of the society in which they live? Or will they be destined to forego fulfillment of their desire and go their separate ways?

Awakening

Jonathan, taken aback at being addressed with a question when he had not been paying attention, replied, “I’m so sorry, Miss Gilmore…you were saying?”


“I was just saying,” Rebecca said, with a gentle patience which endeared her to the young man, “that it is hard for me to imagine a God who would paint the trees with such glorious color, would require us to be so…so…well…drab in our dress. Why would he condemn as sin our dressing with equal gaiety and beauty?”


Jonathan stopped walking and looked at her.


Rebecca dropped her eyes and blushed slightly. “I am sorry if I have offended you with such an impious statement, but,” she looked at him again, “sometimes ideas such as this come to me and I do so want to talk of them with someone…someone who might understand.” Her eyes searched his face hopefully.


Chapter 16