Letters and Love

Chapter Twenty-Six: Noah

"And there is nothing you can do about anything that has happened?"

"Well, not exactly," Westler admitted. "It's likely they planned on burning down your place. Why else would they come out in the middle of the night with torches? But the thing is, they didn't. You can't arrest someone for something they didn't do and you can't prove they ever intended to do it."

Scowling, I began leading the horses to the barn. It would be hard to recover from anymore loss. And there was nothing Westler could do about it? Something about that didn't seem right, but what could I do?

"Your neighbors did ask about your girl."

Westler's words brought me to a halt. Why hadn't he mentioned that in the first place? "Why were they asking about Elizabeth?" I asked, turning to face him. He'd come off the porch to follow me.

"The one gentleman, a portly fellow, expressed some concern about her whereabouts. Seemed to think there was some question about whether you really intended to marry her or had other plans."

My free hand curled into a fist. Other plans? What other plans? Did my neighbors, men I'd known for nearly ten years, believe I would trick a woman into coming out west and then...what? Ruin her?

"Did you tell them where she is?" I asked.

"It didn't seem like any of their business where she was staying," Westler answered, his tone serious. Then, a grin appeared on his face. "I wouldn't be that cruel to them. Your girl would go up one side and down the other giving them what for."

Elizabeth might well have been able to defend herself, but I refused to put her in a position where she would have to. "We're going to be married on Sunday," I informed him.

He held his hands up. "There's no call for you to get upset with me. What you and the lady do is entirely your business. She had her opportunity to complain of mistreatment, but instead she decided to take offense at me."

Was that supposed to make me feel better? That Elizabeth could have complained, but since she didn't, all was well? Taking a deep breath, I reminded myself that Westler was a stranger. He didn't know me. All he had to go by was what he'd seen and heard.

"You're welcome to come to the wedding," I said, setting off once again. "Since you're supposed to be an old friend."

"Weddings aren't my thing." He fell into step beside me. "So that's your plan? You're going to ride into town with your girl and just marry her?"

"Do you have a different idea? I'll be glad to hear it."

That seemed to give him pause because he didn't have anything to suggest. I set about unhitching the horses, remembering how just a few hours earlier I had shown Elizabeth how it was done. She had watched with interest and had even adjusted some of the straps.

Once I milked the cow, I stepped out of the barn. I found Westler leaning against the wall, watching the horizon. "Are you expecting more trouble?" I asked wearily.

"No, but trouble seems to follow you," he answered, straightening up. "I fed your burnt potatoes to the pig."

I waved my free hand. "Fine." What had happened to ruined food wasn't high on my list of concerns. "I hope you helped yourself to whatever was in the kitchen."

"I did."

Somehow, I'd known he would. Was it too much to hope he'd cleaned up after himself?

Yes. There were burned pans that needed to be cleaned. Westler made a very poor guest, for all the help he had given me. Hopefully, we would be able to get through the night without incident.