A Heart's Blessing - Linda Ford Page 0,33
and the others alone.”
He sounded sincere and looked adequately worried, but her ability to trust had been shattered badly.
“You go do what you need to do. We’ll be fine.” Thankfully neither she nor Laura had gone to bed, despite the lateness. She went to the bedroom door and waited for Mr. Remington to follow.They crossed the dining room. “I’ll lock the door after you.”
“Don’t open it for anyone.” He grabbed his hat from where it hung on a peg by the door, turned the lock, and stepped outside.
Delcie closed the door and locked it.
The door rattled. “Checking to make sure it will hold. I’ll be back.”
Laura joined her. “What’s going on?”
She brought her friend up to date.
“Is he coming back?”
“He said he was, but he also told me not to open the door for anyone. Anyone.”
She and Laura looked at each other, features almost lost in the unlit room. Laura shuddered. “It’s scary here. Let’s go back to the kitchen.”
They scurried back to the lit room like two moths attracted to the lamp. Laura had hung a blanket over the window.
Delcie checked on the children. Their window was covered and nailed shut. Both children breathed the heavy sound of sleep. But it did nothing to ease Delcie’s tension. She returned to the kitchen but couldn’t sit. It hurt her ankle to walk so she leaned on the doorframe to the dining room as her imagination conjured up one scene after another.
Mr. Remington meeting with bad guys. Planning how they would rob the town.
Mr. Remington encountering bad guys and being beaten like the preacher had been.
Bad guys coming to the door. Forcing it open.
What did they have to defend themselves with?
She looked around. The broom had a solid handle. She picked it up and gripped it.
Laura’s eyes widened. “You think they might break in?”
“Under these circumstances, I don’t trust anything or anyone.”
Laura made a choking sound. “I felt a lot safer when Mr. Remington was here.”
“And yet, how do we know we can trust him?”
“I wish I could be as innocent as I once was. Being suspicious all the time is like having sour food in my stomach.”
Delcie nodded, admitting to herself for the first time that she felt much the same. “There is no medicine to recover trust once it’s broken.”
“Well said.”
“I’m afraid I can’t take credit for it. It’s something Mr. Remington said.”
“Really. He confessed personal stuff to you?”
“He told me his brother had been falsely accused of murder. I couldn’t help but wonder if he himself had been accused and now he’s hiding because he’s guilty.”
Laura shook her head sadly. “See, that’s the trouble. Suspicion begins to color everything, so we no longer recognize what’s good and what isn’t.”
“I wish Hilda were here. She isn’t nearly as guarded as we are.”
A knock came on the dining room door.
Delcie jerked around and stared across the room.
“Miss Morton,” Mr. Remington called. “It’s me. I’m alone. Let me in.”
“Are you going to let him in?” Laura whispered.
“I don’t know.” Laura was right in saying suspicion colored everything.
“Maybe we have to take a chance on trust,” Laura whispered. Words were easy but changing her mind and taking action were more of a challenge.
“What are you going to do?” Laura asked, almost demanding Delcie take action.
7
Ryder shook the door, rattling it loudly. He didn’t want to break it down, because it was all that stood between the occupants and two evil men. But if no one opened the door, he would take it to indicate those men had gained entry at the back. No door was going to stand in his way.
“Miss Morton, are you in there? Are you all right? What’s wrong?” His voice grew increasingly loud though he knew he could be alerting nearby robbers of something of interest. Unless they were already searching the premises and threatening the ladies and the preacher.
Please, God, if they’ve gained entrance, don’t let them find the children.
“Hold your horses, I’m coming.” Miss Morton’s voice came from inside. She sounded more annoyed than scared.
It should have eased the tension of his nerves, but it didn’t.
He waited for the lock to turn then twisted the knob and stepped inside. He closed the door softly and locked it then turned to stare at the woman. Not that he could see much in the dimness of the room. “What took you so long? I thought someone—they—might have—” He closed his mouth and shook his head. No point in letting her know how scared he’d been. “I told Burnsie