This was not a trip she looked forward to making, but the prospect of being caught and labeled atraitorwas less appealing. They would leave in the morning—very early. First, she needed to mail the missive to his family. But where? Tobias Smith would help her. Of course, she would owe him again. She laughed to herself. Tobias always made subtle hints toward marriage—never coming out and saying anything. He hinted. That made it easier to stave off his advances. She cared for Tobias as a lifelong friend, but not as someone to marry. She wanted to marry for love. It would be unfair to either of them to consider otherwise.
Gently lifting the edge of the curtain in her room back, she scrutinized the area around the home for any signs of it being watched. Nothing. Hearing only gentle snores from the bedroom, she pulled on her cloak and tucked the letter in her pocket, hoping to make a quick trip to the Trading Post and be back before he woke. It was only around the bend. “Come on Dandie. Let’s head to the Trading Post. I’m hoping Tobias can help me with this.”
“Grrrrrr...”
“Why don’t you like Tobias, girl? Even the mention of his name draws ire from you.” Dandie’s attitude toward her friend puzzled her. Gently, Bethany opened the front door and closed and locked it behind her. She carefully set the stick in place that would tell her if anyone disturbed the door.
It was an overcast day, but signs were that the rain would not appear for hours, and she hoped to be back before that happened. She uncovered the side of the dock where she had hidden the boat and moved the leafy tree limb aside. The leaves had died but had still concealed the small boat. Dandie hopped into the boat and she followed, picking up the oar and making herself comfortable.
Ten minutes later, they pulled up to the small Trading Post dock and a tall, beefy man came out to greet them. “Hello, Bethany. What brings you here today?” Tobias Smith took the rope from her outstretched hand and secured it around the wooden cleat. Holding out an arm, he helped her onto the dock. Dandie waited until Bethany was out of the boat before jumping up from the boat onto the dock. The small dog wiggled her tail and pranced into the store.
“Dandie’s in a better mood today. At least she didn’t hold her tail in the air and walk around me like she did last week,” he said, before spitting tobacco juice into the water.
“She is,” Bethany replied, amused at the difference in her dog’s mood. “I have a letter to post, and I wanted your help with it.”
“Fine, the mail gets picked up tomorrow. Place it in the box over there,” he said, motioning toward a wooden box at the end of the counter.
Bethany withdrew the letter and started to place it in the box before pulling it back. “Are we still getting mail out of the country?” she asked, nervously watching Tobias’ face. If there was anyone she could trust, it was Tobias, she chastised herself.
He drew up from behind the counter, holding a piece of dried beef for Dandie. “What are you asking, Beth?”
“I... I saved a man’s life, and I promised him I would let his parents know he is alive is all,” she answered, schooling her face to look as carefree as possible.
“You know we have martial law... and that we are fighting the Brits, right?” he asked. He grabbed a can and spit the rest of his tobacco into it. Bethany assumed it was so she would hear him. “You aren’t speaking of aid’n the enemy, are you?”
She opened her mouth and closed it. “No. I saved a life. It was no more than you would have done, Tobias. He was blind and could not write. He asked me to... and I wrote the letter for him.”
“I see.” Tobias dug around underneath the counter, apparently searching for something. “There was a man in here t’other day. He was asking ’bout you—he described you and Dandie, here. I told him nothin’. He said something about being hired to find a man. What have you gotten yourself into this time?” He blew out a long breath and pulled out a piece of paper. “Mr. Sinclair. He said there was some kind of urgency with needing to find this man.”
She remained quiet, processing what he just told her.
“Beth, you gonna owe me.” He laughed, recognizing the standing joke between them. “I’ll do my best to get your letter to someone who can slip it across the enemy lines. That’s the best I can promise.”
She heaved a breath. “Merci. I appreciate it, Tobias. I am keeping a promise. That is all.” She knew better than to tell Tobias about Matthew being in her house. Reaching back into her pocket, she withdrew the letter and handed it to him, suddenly wishing she had never made this promise to Matthew.
Her friend placed the missive under the cabinet. “For safe-keeping.”
“Thank you, Tobias. I knew I could count on you.” She looked around the shelves. “If you have any potatoes and rice, I would like a small bag of each.”
“’Course! We’re friends.” He gave her a long look before stepping from behind the counter and rounding up the goods. Gathering up an armload of potatoes from a barrel near the door, he came back to the counter and placed them on a scale. “Two pounds,” he said, before bagging them. “These just came in. They ought to be tasty.” He reached down and handed Dandie a small piece of dried beef. The small dog accepted the beef, and pushed it to the side of her mouth, letting it hang from her lips.
They both looked at the dog and laughed. “That’s an unusual dog you got there, Beth. Most dogs would eat it immediately, but she carries her treats around, first.”
“She does!” she laughed. “And she buries them in the furniture, too. Anywhere she can hide them until she’s ready for them. I do not think it’s hunger that drives her.” She reached for the bags of rice and potatoes.
“No. Let me,” Tobias said, picking them up and nodding toward the open door. “I’ll help you get this in the boat. Has your grandmother returned, yet?”
The question took her by surprise. “She should be home any day, now.” She stepped into the boat and Dandie followed, still holding the piece of meat. Reaching up, she accepted the bags. “Merci, Tobias... for everything.”
“You’re welcome, Beth. I’ll do my best to get the letter posted.”
She nodded and pushed away from the dock with her paddle. Dandie assumed her post at the front of the boat, still holding her treat.
*
The man stoodclose to the wall and observed another boat pull up as soon as the woman and her dog left the dock. He kept to the side of the building, hidden behind a mulberry bush, and watched the man that had just pulled up, a trapper, wrap that boat’s rope around the vacated cleat. The trapper stacked a high pile of pelts on the dock before picking them up and disappearing into the Trading Post.
Through a small, dirty window on the side of the building, he had seen her pass a letter to the proprietor and saw it placed under the counter. He had heard her ask if it could be mailed to England.As much as he hated to steal something, he needed that letter.
