Letters and Love

Chapter Fourteen: Noah

No doubt they were hoping I would give up the land and leave.

Earnest did, however, bring Mrs. Royal's well wishes and a pie, and also the news that Michael Rollins was going to be in town on Sunday.

Though I invited them, the Harpers' declined to join me on Sunday. They had never attended a Sunday sermon, and I wasn't sure why. Their faith was their concern, however, and I didn't want to be rude in questioning them about it.

Unlike last time, I strode to the saloon with more confidence than I'd felt in several months. There were still glares that came my way when I entered, but for the most part, I was ignored. I counted that as somewhat of an improvement.

It was a surprise to see the Burns' there. Given that they hadn't attended last time, I hadn't expected to see them this time. However, they were seated at the front of the saloon. Mr. and Mrs. Burns glared at me and then begin whispering together. Their oldest daughter, on the other hand, looked miserable from where she sat between her parents.

Was now the time to approach them? I began to walk towards the front of the saloon. What was the worst that could happen in front of so many witnesses?

"Noah!" Collins exclaimed, stepping in front of me. "This is a surprise."

"Why are you surprised?" I asked, confused by his words. "I do my best to be here every time the reverend comes through. It is a fine day out, so there was no ill weather to keep me away."

"Well, yes, that's true," he said, glancing over his shoulder. "But that's not what I mean. Earnest told us about what happened. A terrible accident. Enough to ruin someone. We just thought you might have something else to worry about."

"Earnest said it was an accident?" I couldn't believe that my honest friend would lie like that. I glanced over my shoulder, trying to find him in the room. Surely, he would be able to explain this misunderstanding.

Collins shifted from foot to foot, catching my attention. "Well, no, he didn't," he admitted, his tone uneasy. "But no one has seen a vagrant in the area. So the only answer is that it was an accident. After a hard day's work, you forget the lantern, and an animal tipped it over. It could happen to anyone."

"I'm sure it could, if I'd had a lantern that night. But it was safely in the house," I responded, struggling to remain reasonable. I'd checked, just to be certain I remembered correctly. Both of my lanterns had been sitting next to the door, ready for use, and not in the barn.

The storekeeper looked more and more flustered. "Oh, well. That does make a difference, doesn't it? Unexplainable accidents are worse—"

"I'm sorry you misunderstood Earnest, but it wasn't an accident," I interrupted. "Someone deliberately set my barn on fire."

Now Collins looked alarmed. "Oh, you can't mean that! Who would do something like that? No one has come through lately and I know no one in town would do this. We have no boys with a penchant for mischief, so I can't imagine it was deliberate."

Why was he so adamant that it was an accident? Had he already spread the story and didn't like being wrong? "I know one person who came through recently." I settled myself into a chair since it didn't seem likely I would make it to the Burns'. I wasn't lurking in the back of the room like I had something to hide.

"Now, Noah, you can't just throw accusations around like that. Someone might think you're serious and that would cause trouble."

"I haven't accused anyone, Collins." Yet. I had my suspicions, but I was keeping them to myself until I could prove them. "I'm just here to enjoy the sermon after a long week of hard work."