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

“I don’t know,” Nathaniel was saying. “It seems such a huge risk for you to take: to allow yourself such public humiliation. You understand it would be announced you were unable to perform as a man?”


“I know,” Jonathan replied, pushing the last of his meal around his plate with his fork. “But, what else can we do? The thought of never being with you again once the vows are spoken is more than I can bear.”


“No, I cannot…I fear that would be an admission to Samuel that we have something between us.”


“And, not being able to perform…would that not suggest the same thing?”


Jonathan lay down his fork and leaned his head into his hands. “I don’t know. I don’t know.” He raised his head, looking Nathaniel in the eye. “At least by going through with the marriage, I have shown good faith. I feel if it were then dissolved, there is more chance that we can continue our clandestine love. I can bear the shame.”


Chapter 27