I was a coward.
There. I said it. Even though I knew there was something to what Mrs. Harper had advised, I couldn't bring myself to go to the Burns' place again. Mrs. Burns had threatened to shoot me if I stepped foot on their property, and I fully believed she would do as she said.
Besides, another idea occurred to me. It was so outlandish that I wasn't sure it would work. So, in the interest of staying alive and unharmed for Elizabeth, I didn't ride out that way. I even put off riding into town until I had absolutely no flour left. And since I didn't want to have no supplies on hand when Elizabeth arrived, I forced myself to make the journey into town.
It was no surprise that I was the target of many glares. How quickly I had gone from living in a friendly territory town to an outright hostile one! Was it just my imagination or did Jones, the blacksmith, tight his grip on his hammer when I went past his shop?
Even Collins, who had at least been amiable up to this point, looked a little uneasy when I walked into the store. "Oh. Noah," he said, forcing a smile. "It's been a while. Come to send more letters?"
"Just one," I informed him as I walked to the counter. I laid my single missive down and set my impossible plan into motion. "It's to Cheyenne."
Surprise made Collins' eyebrows go up. "Cheyenne?"
"It's the closest town I know of that has a lawyer."
Collins gave a start. "A lawyer?"
"Yep." I leaned against the counter. "See. It has come to my attention that there have been a whole pack of lies being spread about me this year. I've heard there is such a thing as slander and libel. I'm just curious what a man can do, legally speaking, in that kind of situation."
The storekeeper swallowed. "Libel? Legal?"
"I'm a man who abides by the law. I always have been. So it occurred to me that I ought to consult someone who knows the ins and outs of the law to see what can be done."
"What do you expect him to tell you?"
I spread my hands. "I have no idea. I'm not a lawyer. But I do remember reading some news stories when I was back home about gentlemen who sued people for spreading false stories about him. Took everything they owned. It isn't right to malign a person, you know. Good people shouldn't stand for it."
By this point, Collins was definitely looking pale. "Well, maybe they do things differently in the rebel states."
Never before had he referenced where I was from. I'd always respected him for that. Now it seemed like you never really knew what someone really thought about you.
"I'm also asking him to send the closest marshal or lawman who is available," I added for good measure. "My barn was burned down and my cattle spooked. There was definitely a crime somewhere in those situations. Someone should look into it."
"Now, Noah, I thought we'd settled that as some accident or a vagrant."
"Nope. Say," I said as I leaned in closer, "you haven't heard about this latest lie, have you? It might help the lawyer if I was able to give him names of some of those to blame."
"Y-you know I don't listen to gossip!"
I'd rattled him. Maybe I would have felt sorry about it once, but not anymore. "Well, maybe you could keep your ears open," I told him. "I'd sure appreciate it."
"Uh, right." Collins didn't look at all confident or pleased with the conversation. "So. You don't have any other letters to send? You..." He let out a slight laugh. "Well, you usually have several to send. It's given some people the idea that you're writing to more than one lady back east."
"I've heard." I kept my tone even. "Who exactly has been saying that?"
All color drained from his face. "I-I really couldn't say," he stammered. "I just heard it around town. Just some harmless bantering, you know. I'm sure no one meant any harm."
"I see. Well, I'm sure you told them the only women I have been writing to are my sister in Georgia and my fiance in Indiana." There had been a couple other women who responded to my advertisement in the beginning, but after my letter to them, I hadn't received any further correspondence.
This time, Collins' face flushed a deep red. I'd expected that, but disappointment still hit hard. "I see," I repeated, even though he said nothing. "I always thought we were friends, Collins. I can see I thought wrong."
"Noah..."
"I think it might be better if you call me Mr. Coleman. Only friends call me Noah," I interrupted. I pulled my list out of my other pocket. "Here's my list. How long will it take you to get it all together?"
At first, he barely glanced at what I had written, but the length of what I had written made him look again. "This is more than you usually get, isn't it? Are you sure you—"
"Hadn't you heard? I thought I told you. My bride-to-be is coming to join me. I have to make sure she has all that she needs when she gets here."
"Oh. Well. Right." He cleared his throat. "It shouldn't take too long for me to get this around."
"Great. In the meantime, I'm going to grab a cup of coffee from Mrs. Royal," I told him. "I'll be back to pay for my supplies."
"Oh, it won't take that long. There's no need for you to bother her for what will only be ten minutes. Why don't you just sit down here at the counter while I get things around for you."
Odd. Was he trying to keep me in the store? Why would he do that?
"Ten minutes will be just long enough for me to have some coffee and whatever sweet Mrs. Royal has made," I told him. "I'll be back."
I strode out before he could protest any further. Whatever he was trying to do, I wasn't going to play along. If there was anyone in town who would tell me the truth, it would be Mrs. Royal.
As I walked towards the cafe, I wondered how long it would take for Collins to tell the entire town about my letter. I knew there was little chance of any legal suit being made for rumors and gossip. But, maybe, no one else would know that, and just the idea that I would go that far would put an end to some of the tittle-tattle.
Feeling pleased with my decision, I stepped through the door and immediately stopped. Annie Burns was sitting at a table with Mrs. Royal. Both turned towards me with a start.
Well. Now I knew why Collins had tried to keep me from coming. It was a wonder every man in town hadn't tried to form a barricade to keep me from entering.
The girl stared at me with wide eyes, looking as white as a ghost. Mrs. Royal sprang up, pushing her chair back. I removed my hat and nodded to them both. "Ladies," I said, since that was the polite thing to do.
"Mr. Coleman," Mrs. Royal responded, coming towards me. "This is a surprise."
"You're the second person to tell me that," I said with a slight smile. "I was hoping I could get a cup of coffee while I waited for Collins to get my supplies together, but I can see you're busy."
I was prepared to retreat. Mrs. Royal glanced over her shoulder. "I have some oatmeal cookies to go along with that coffee," she said, facing me with an oddly determined expression. "Have a seat in that corner."
The table she indicated was as far from Miss Burns as I could be in the room. It seemed a fair compromise. "Much obliged," I said, moving to sit down. "How's business been?"
"As well as can be expected," Mrs. Royal answered as she walked to the stove. She picked up the coffee pot she kept warm there. "What brings you into town?"
"I had a letter to send." Maybe I wouldn't have to wait for the news to slowly get to Burns. His daughter could take the information to him.
"To your bride-to-be?" Mrs. Royal asked, her tone surprised. She grabbed a tin coffee cup and carried it over to the table where I sat. "I thought you said she was coming here."
"She is. No, the letter was for a lawyer in Cheyenne," I told her. I lifted my coffee cup and sipped the hot liquid. There was no need to go overboard. "I have some legal concerns I want to have cleared up."
There. Let Burns hear that much from Annie. Maybe it would be enough to make him think. Then, he can hear the rest from Collins, or whoever Collins told.
Mrs. Royal glanced at me quizzically, but I didn't elaborate. "Then your lady is coming soon?" was her next question.
I couldn't help but smile. "Yep. She was leaving her home on the fifth. Depending on the train connections, she might be here in as little as two weeks. But I'm trying not to set my heart on it."
Out of the corner of my mind, I could see Annie Burns watching us. "I, for one, am eager to meet her," Mrs. Royal responded. "We could use more women in this town."
"Someone is coming here? On purpose?" Annie Burns burst out. "Why?"
"Annie, hush," Mrs. Royal told her sharply. "What do you think your pa would say if he found out you were talking to Mr. Coleman?"
The girl dropped her eyes for a moment, but then looked up with more fierceness than I might have expected. "But is it true?" she asked, her tone oddly stubborn for a girl who had looked pale and fragile of late.
"If I'm to be married?" I asked, unsure if I should just keep quiet. "Yes, I am."
Her eyes were suddenly shiny. Was she going to cry? Alarm shot through me. If anyone saw her crying, no matter what I said, the town was bound to lunch for being the cause.
"You were supposed to marry me," she blurted out, her tone accusing.
Dumbfounded, I stared at her. "That was never going to happen."
I almost regretted my harsh words when I saw her lip tremble. "Annie Burns, get a hold of yourself," Mrs. Royal said sternly. "You're too young for Mr. Coleman and you know it."
"But my pa—"
"Has said and done a great many foolish things," Mrs. Royal interrupted. "He doesn't get to dictate another person's life. Mr. Coleman was never going to marry you, no matter how much your father wanted it."
Annie swiped at her eyes. "It's just not fair!" With that dramatic cry, she ran out of the cafe.
Mrs. Royal took a few steps after the girl before she stopped. "Well," she said with a sigh. "That went well."
"She didn't really believe I would just marry her after all this, did she?" It didn't make any sense. Her family had tried to destroy me, by ruining my reputation and then by burning down my barn. No one could possibly think I would just go along with their plan after all that.
The woman sighed again, brushing back a strand of her brown hair. "I can't say what she has going on in her head. Even when I can get her away from her ma, she doesn't have much to say for herself."
"Well, I am sorry for upsetting her."
"Did you mean it?"
Startled, I glanced at Mrs. Royal. "Did I mean what?"
Her gaze was unflinching. "What you said about a lawyer. Did you really write to Cheyenne for a lawyer?"
"Yes, I did."
From the uneasy expression on her face, I guessed she knew what that meant. Mrs. Royal shook her head. "I sure hope you know what you're doing."
Suddenly, I wasn't so confident about my scheme. "I hope so too."
~*~
Collins had nothing to say when I picked up my supplies. He wouldn't even meet my eyes. Either he was hiding something or he was ashamed. Given how he had behaved before, I was leaning towards the former rather than the later option.
I didn't speak to anyone else on my way out of town. It was a relief to return home. My house and barn were as I left them. Winston came wandering out from whatever tree he'd decided to nap in.
"You're not going to get anything by begging," I informed him when he meowed at me. "You need to earn your keep around here."
To which he simply blinked at me and sat down to begin grooming himself.
What would Elizabeth think of me talking to a cat? I didn't know what to think about me talking to a cat. I'd never made a habit of talking to any of my animals except for my horse when I was out riding.
By the time I'd put away my supplies, the sun had sunk close to the horizon. Now that fall was about to begin, I lit the stove and then hurried outside to complete my evening chores.
By the time I'd put away my supplies, the sun had begun to sink down to the horizon. Now that fall was about to begin, the days were shorter. I lit the stove so that it would get warm and then hurried outside to complete my evening chores.
I felt safe on my property, so of course trouble would pop up then.
"Coleman! Where are you? Come out and face me like a man!"
Burns' shout sent a chill down my spine. Had he come to burn down my barn again? Or would he target my house this time? Or would he try to kill me this time?
Uneasy, I went to the barn door. The only weapon I had to hand was a shovel, which would be useless unless Burns came near me. My rifle was in the house, by the front door. I'd fallen out of the habit of keeping it by my side at all times.
Stupid stupid stupid!
Burns was on his horse in front of my house. His back was to me, so at least I had the element of surprise. If only there was something more I could do about it! Why was he alone? Had his brother moved on?
"You're trespassing, Burns!" I shouted. "What do you want?"
With a start, he twisted around. He pointed a finger at me. "You!"
Keeping the shovel in my hand, I strode forward. "Who else did you expect to find? State what you want and move along."
"You spoke to my daughter."
Was that all? He'd come all this way to berate me for speaking to his daughter? "She spoke to me first." Was there any point in trying to reason with him?
He moved as though he were going to dismount. I couldn't tell if he had a gun or not, but didn't want to take any chances. "Hold it," I snapped. "You're not welcome here, Burns. After everything you have done, did you think I would just let you ride onto my land freely?"
Even in the fading light, I could see him glare at me, but he remained in his saddle. "You can't prove anything," he snarled. "For all your fancy talk of talking to a lawyer, there's nothing he can do here."
So he'd heard. Well, I'd provoked a reaction out of him. "Are you sure about that?" I challenged. "Did you come out here to talk about my legal decisions or to talk about your daughter?"
For a moment, he sputtered. "You're an arrogant man, Coleman! You take what doesn't belong to you. I ought to—"
"I have never stolen anything, let alone anything that belongs to you," I interrupted. My voice was rising and I didn't try to stop it. "I told you up front that I had no interest in your daughter. She is just a girl."
"I offered her to you as a wife! You think yourself so much better than the rest of us that you think you can just take what the rest of us have without consequence?"
"That's not what happened!" I snapped. How could he, or anyone, have such a low opinion of me? "Today was the only day I have ever spoken to your daughter without you or your wife being present. I repeat. She is a child and I have no interest in her."
"You're a liar! You're just trying to cover your crimes!"
So much for trying to reason with him. "If you have nothing else to say, you need to get off my land!" I took a step forward, raising the shovel to wave it at him. A useless gesture, but I hoped it would encourage him to move on.
Two things seemed to happen at once. My foot went into a molehill and I stumbled forward. At the same time, the crack of a rifle sounded and my shovel was suddenly wrenched out of my hand.
My instincts took over and I flattened myself on the ground. It was dim, but was it enough to keep me from being seen. There was another gunshot, but I had no idea where the bullet went.
Burns' horse did not react well to the sound. It reared and shook its head. Burns shouted and fought to get his mount under control. "You useless beast! Calm down already!"
There wasn't a third shot. Feeling vulnerable pressed onto the ground, I lurched up and ran for the closest thing that could provide some cover: the water trough next to the corral. I ducked behind it.
My heart pounded in my chest. That had been close. Too close. Had Burns just tried to kill me? What was he thinking? "I didn't think you were this stupid, Burns!" I shouted. "Everyone knows you've been out to get me. What would they think when I turned up dead?"
I didn't get an answer. In fact, all I heard was the hoofbeats of Burns riding away. Unwilling to take a risk, I remained where I was until the sun had dipped below the horizon.
"I should have written to the marshal directly," I whispered.
~*~
Dear Elizabeth,
I know I'm not going to send this letter, but I can't seem to shake off my habit of writing to you. Maybe I'll just keep this and give it to you when you arrive. At least that will make it easier to explain some things.
Things have taken a turn for the worse. I thought I was being clever by writing to a lawyer. It wouldn't hurt to know what legal avenues are open to me, right? And if it frightened my neighbors into holding their tongues, all the better.
But now I'm not so sure I did the right thing. Burns came to confront me and his brother tried to shoot me. God must have been with me because I am unharmed. I will never forgive myself if I have made it dangerous for your arrival.
I'm confused, though. He genuinely didn't believe me when I said I wanted nothing to do with his daughter. I am almost certain he believes I really did trifle with his daughter. If he didn't start the rumor about me taking advantage of poor Annie, who did?