Chapter Eight: Noah

It was a surprise to find two letters from Miss Garrison when I next went into town. Mr. Collins handed them to me with a grin, along with another letter from my sister. "Is the lady growing impatient?" the storekeeper asked. "If there's one thing you'll learn once you're married, you don't want to keep a lady waiting."

I ignored him as I turned the letters over in my hand. Why would Miss Garrison write two letters so close together? Had something happened? Worry wormed its way into my mind. Had she changed her mind? Had her family persuaded her not to take a risk on me?

"Was there something else you needed, Noah?"

With a start, I lifted my head. Collins was still grinning at me. "Ah, yes, actually," I said, slipping the letters into my pocket. I would read them when I was alone. After all, I'd gone this long without knowing. What was a few more hours? "I need to pick up whatever Earnest ordered and his usual supplies."

"Earnest Webster? He can't be too busy to come in himself," Collins said, leaning against the counter. "Why is he having you acting as a delivery boy?"

"Because he stepped in a mole hole yesterday and turned his ankle."

All levity faded from Collins' eyes. He knew as well as I did how a minor injury could become something worse. "I'm sorry to hear it," he said sincerely. "I'll get together what he usually needs and add it to his account. You tell him we hope he gets back on his feet soon."

"I'll do that." But I knew my friend and neighbor. The difficulty would be in making sure he stayed off his feet until he healed. If he tried to keep up his usual pace and routine, who knew the kind of damage he would do in the long run? And if he permanently damaged his ankle, how would he survive?

Stepping over to the window, I tried to stay out of Collins' way. As he bustled around behind me, I resisted the urge to use the time to open up one of the letters. But, I knew Collins would ask about the contents. And if there was bad news, I did not want an audience when I learned of it.

Unused to standing still, I shifted from foot to foot. Collins had only put some floor, coffee, and a few canned goods in the crate when the door chimed. "Good morning, ladies," the storekeeper greeted, pausing in the middle of his task. "How are you today? Give me a moment and I will be right with you."

The silence that followed prompted me to turn around. Mrs. Burns stood just inside the building. She stared at me, her eyes narrowed. "I will come back later, Mr. Collins," she said, raising her chin. Her voice fairly dripped with disgust. "I refuse to be in the same building as that man."

Beside her, Mrs. Royal looked both appalled and...confused?

"Now, Mrs. Burns," Collins said, his tone soothing. "I know you're still upset bt that little misunderstanding, but there's no need to–"

"Misunderstanding!" Mrs. Burns interrupted, her tone shrill with outrage. "That man has defiled my daughter, and what has he done to attone for that? Nothing! He ought to be strung up if he does not do the honorable thing and marry the poor girl!"

Defiled? How much worse did they intend to twist and exaggerate this story?

"I'll just come back, Colins," I said, turning to look at the storekeeper. It had to be the first time I'd ever seen him at a loss for words. "Mrs. Burns is entitled to feeling at ease while she shops."

I dind't wait for his response before I moved to the door. Mrs. Burns held her ground as I approached. In fact, she raised her chin even more, somehow, and glared at me. I came to a halt a yard away from her.

"Might I go past you, ma'am?"

Mrs. Royal tugged on her friend's arm. "Mary, let him pass," she urged. "There's no call for a confrontation here. What do you think you will gain by an argument now?"

With great reluctance, Mrs. Burns allowed herself to be pulled away from the doorway. I gave the ladies a respectful nod as I passed them. It was a relief to step out into the sunshine.

Behind me, I heard Mrs. Burns say, "Mr. Collins! What have you to say for yourself? How can you assist such a man, knowing what he has done? Do you have no care for my daughter's suffering?"

Shaking my head, I walked away from the general store, though I didn't know where to go. It seemed nothing had changed. Rollin' conversation with them, the substance of which I still didn't know, had done nothing to improve my shattered reputation. I'd thought that Mrs. Royal had been friendly before, but she had— No, I couldn't think ill of her. Women were outnumbered in the territory and in our town, so she would not have wanted to quarrel with her friend.

"Mr. Coleman!" the woman herself called out behind me. "Wait a moment! Please."

Surprised by the request, I turned and waited for Mrs. Royal to approach. "I'm sorry," she said as she reached me. She glanced over her shoulder as if to make sure she had not been followed. "Mary is...well, there is no reasoning with her right now. If I'd known what she intended, I would not have come with her."

Any lingering feelings of annoyance toward her vanished. "You're not to blame for any of this. I understand why Mrs. Burns is uncomfortable with me, even if she does believe a misunderstanding."

"She doesn't really need anything at the store," Mrs. Royal blurted out. "We were having a chat, and her son came in to tell her that you had come into town. Then, she insisted she had to go to the general store and that I had to come with her. I tried to talk her out of it, to wait until later on, but she wouldn't listen to me."

So the woman had sought me out for a public confrontation. Why? Just to remind everyone of what had happened? To further ruin me? I breathed out. "I understand why she is upset," I said, being mostly honest. "If the story were correct, she would be right to be furious with me. Heck, I'd be furious if I were in her position. I just hope that when she is not so angry, I will be able to reason with her and make her see the truth."

Though I was beginning to think that would take a miracle!

Mrs. Royal peered at me, and a slight smile curved her lips. "You're a good man," she said with a nod. "I knew Mr. Rollin would not vouch for you without being certain you were innocent of all suspicion, but I haven't seen you be anything but respectful to the Burns' for all their proclamation that you're the devil incarnate."

Before I could express my appreciation, someone slammed their shoulder into me and I stumbled forward a step. "Is this person bothering you, ma'am?" Eli Jones, the blacksmith, demanded, stepping to be between me and the woman.

"No, he is not," Mrs. Royal said, her eyes narrowing into a glare. "What gave you the idea that he was? I'll thank you not to interrupt a private conversation, Mr. Jones."

"Are you sure? Maybe you haven't heard about what he—"

"I have heard plenty of gossip and speculation from the members of this town these past few weeks," she interrupted, her tone sharpening. "Has someone stepped forward with proof that Mr. Coleman has done anything wrong?"

Jones' neck flushed a deep red. "Miss Annie isn't a liar! She—"

"When it comes to 'she said, he said' matters, and their accounts are wildly different, someone is lying," Mrs. Royal ruthlessly cut him off from continuing his statement. "If you do not have proof to give or an eyewitness to point me to, I see no reason to entertain any further speculation.My goodness! And people think women are the gossips! From what I have seen, men are even worse about spreading stories!"

The flush spread up to Jones' face. He muttered something and hurried on his way. I couldn't hold back a chuckle. "Remind me to never get on your bad side," I said to the woman. "I appreciate you coming to my defense."

Mrs. Royal's blue eyes were sparkling with anger, and her cheeks flushed with color. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Steve always said I was a force to be reckoned with when I got a bee in my bonnet," she said, her voice beginning to shake. "What would he say if he'd seen me berating a person in the middle of the street?"

Oh, no. Were those tears in her eyes? "Well, first of all, you would have to correct him that you were hardly in the middle of the street," I said lightly. "And second, he would be proud of you for stepping in to defend a stupid man, who has managed to get himself in a fine mess."

To my relief, she chuckled as she swiped at her eyes. "You really have, haven't you?" she said. "Well, I hope you won't be stupid enough to leave town without something to eat. Missie is watching things. Tell her I sent you for coffee and cookies. On the house."

"I'll happily accept." Though I'd be sure to leave some coins in an out of the way place for her to find later on. Her generosity was admirable, but I knew how much she and her children had struggled since Steve Royal had died. "And I'll even give my word not to eat all the cookies in the house."

This time, she laughed and shoved me on my way before she hurried to go back to the general store. What would Mrs. Burns say once she knew Mrs. Royal was not against me?

Maybe I would have time to read one of Miss Garrison's letters while I drank my coffee.

~*~

"Thanks, Noah," Earnest Webster, a man ten years my senior, said as I carried in the crate. He hobbled to the table and gestured for me to put it there. "I appreciate you taking the time to do me this favor. I'll pay you back as soon as I can."

"Think nothing of it," I told him, setting the crate down. "Collins' put it on your account as usual. You've done much more for me over the years. Aren't you supposed to be off that foot?"

Balancing on his good foot, Earnest thumped the floor with the crude cane in his hand. "You know as well as I do that there's always something to do on a farm. If I just sit, it won't be long before the whole place falls apart around my ears. I'm bneing careful, though, so you can stop fussing like an old woman."

"It would take more than a few weeks for this place to fall into disaster," I objected. "If there's something that needs done, just let me know. I can do it. And that is not fussing."

"You have your own place to worry about." Earnest shook his head. "I'll manage."

I knew better than to argue with him when he had that stubborn expression on his face. But I would still make a point to come over every day, even if he ordered me to stay off the property.

"I hope things have calmed down in towan," my neighbor said, changing the subject. "Or did someone give you trouble?"

Leaning against the table, I shrugged my shoulders. "Unfortunately, Mrs. Burns followed me into the general store and she seemed determined to cause a scene. Mrs. Royal managed to keep a calm head. So, overall, I would say things are the same as they were the last time I went to town."

"Mrs. Royal? How did she get involved?"

"I don't think the Burns' are giving anyone a choice in the matter. You're either for them or against them." I shook my head. "MRs. Royal has decided to be kind, though, and she seems to think I am innocent of the crime I've been accused of."

"She is an uncommonly wise woman."

Surprised by the parise, I glanced over at him. He cleared his throat and said, "Well, something is bound to chance. It has to. If something like this is left too long, the smallest thing will make everyon's tempers explode."

He had a good point, and I didn't want Miss Garrison's arrival to be that inciting event.

My heart skipped a beat. Miss Garrison? Our lettes had not gotten to that point yet, evne if she had sent me her photograph. I'd been touched by her determination to be ready to come if we did decide to marry.

Her delight in going to her aunt's house to learn more had made me smile. Why was such a woman unattached? Surely the men of Peru, Indiana were not such fools to ignore such an intelligent and lovely young woman. Or was it that the men of her town were afraid of her unwanted suitor?

Her story about the man her brother wanted her to marry had made my blood boil. No woman should feel like she needed to resort to violence to keep a man at bay. If were to meet the man—

"Noah!"

Earnest's sudden shout made me start, and I realized I was staring out the window. "What?" I asked, swinging my gaze to him. He grinned at me with open amusement. "Why are you smiling? Did you say something?"

"I did say something, at least three times," he said with a laugh. "Thinking about your young lady?"

"Well, yes." My cheeks flushed from the admission, but I kept talking. "I had two letters from her this time. She's visiting some family members who have a farm and she is hoping to learn everything she can."

My neighbor let out a low whistle. "If you're not going to marry her, I will!" Earnest said as he sank onto his lone chair. "A woman who goes out of her way to learn what life might be like before she has to face it is a rare one indeed."

"Find your own wife."

My friend's expression shifted to one of seriousness, his gaze becoming distant. "You are going to marry her then?"

"I don't know yet. We've only exchanged a handful of letters," I said defensively. I didn't want to admit that the idea had more and more appeal each time I reread Miss Garrison's letters. "I like what I've learned about her so far, but I'm not ready to make such a life-changing decision without being absolutely sure it would be the best thing for us both."

And her story about the unwanted attention helped me understand why an educated, well brought up young lady would answer an advertisement. Siblings, as I knew all too well, might sometimes have unreasonable expectations and it took drastic action to get free of their plans.

"Just don;t make the lady wait too long," my friend cautioned. "If it makes you feel any better, I do think you're doing the right thing. Who knows how long it will take to clear up this mess with the Burns'."

Yeah. The mess that I had no idea how to clear up, especially since it seemed that the family was willing to double down on their story. Would it take something drastic for them to see reason?

~*~

Dear Miss Garrison,

I hope this letter finds you well. I very much enjoyed your last two letters. I will admit to feeling some worry when I was handed two at the same time. Family can be the best instructors at times! I can think of many times my own family taught me something important that I've not forgotten. But I can also agree that family can be a thorn in the side, too.

Your industry puts me to shame! I will have to think of some project of skill I can learn so that I can keep up with you.

Please don't think that if you come, I would expect perfection. It is my hope that we would be partners and share the work. I may not be the best cook, but I can put a passable meal on the table. Living so much on my own these past eight years, it was a necessary skill to develop. Though I can't deny I've had a meal or two that I've had to force myself to eat.

Would it be too forward to ask if I may address you as Elizabeth? Miss Garrison has a formality about it that I feel we have moved past. You may call me Noah, of course. Though if you feel this would be too familiar, I will understand.

Can you tell me more about your family? I, as I've mentioned, am far from my sister. There are not many members of my father's family left and I don't know about my mother's family. We were a small family, even before the war, and now it is down to myself and my sister's family. I can hardly believe I have five nephews and nieces I have never seen before.

I have included a personal note to your mother. I hope it relieves some of her anxiety. Her concern is understandable and I am glad you have someone in your life who wants to make sure you are not hurt...