“What I meant is that you will...” she faltered, “be guarded and not let him know your sight is not perfect. It will take a measure of acting, I suspect. However, I noticed you did quite well back there,” she added, referring to the conversation they had just had.
“I needed light, so I stepped out of the ray that was filtering through the curtains.”
“It bothers me that someone is trailing me. I’ll bet it’s that Sinclair person,” she said, almost to herself. “How would I have missed him at Tobias’ place? There was no one else there. At least I thought we were alone.” She suddenly grew nervous. He must have seen her give the envelope to Tobias. What was his motive? Was he trying to get her in trouble? Surely Tobias would never share the envelope or its existence with anyone. She trusted him.
“What are you thinking?” he asked, “I am more than a little nervous with this man. And he has not convinced me with his story. My only concern is for you. I do not want you to suffer because of your kindnesses toward me.” He touched her arm.
A pulse of attraction thrummed up Bethany’s arm at his touch. It warmed her heart that he cared so much for her. Yet, as he was British, she knew he would leave as soon as he was well enough. And, on top of what seemed a burgeoning desire to have him near her, she was also committing what General Jackson would probably termtreasonby housing him here. And she was sure many of her community would see it that way.
She whooshed out a slow breath, trying to rein in her tension, lest she came off as weak to Smoot. He had shown himself to be a thief and a coward. He already had less to lose, which made him more dangerous. “We must be careful with Smoot. Should he go free, he may talk—but what options do we have?”
“I will sit down and hold the gun. I won’t train it on him. But I will make it clear that it is loaded. Do you still have my gun and my sword?”
“I had forgotten that I picked those up. They were next to you. At least, I assumed they were yours. I will retrieve them. I had already hidden your uniform in the boat. Another reason we cannot lose our boat. I thought you would want to keep it close.”
He nodded, his face mirroring his appreciation. He walked to where he had hidden the gun, still behind Smoot, and took a seat away from the table. Without stumbling, he propped the gun in his hands and kept it trained in the right direction.
Bethany placed the potatoes and pork in a bowl. “Tobias, have you eaten? We have some potatoes and pork we can share.”
“I said I wanted some of that,” grumbled Smoot.
“I have no idea of how we can feed you—or if I even want to. I am certainly not willing to untie you,” Bethany said. She looked in Tobias’s direction.
“Shut up, Smoot,” Tobias said, cuffing him. “You have caused enough trouble for three people.”
“Ow! Leave me be Smith! Ye got no cause to cuff me like that. Ye hit my damn head where that dog bit me.”
Matthew felt the wall of tension in the room.
“You threatened Beth. Her dog won’t tolerate that any more than I do.” Tobias looked at Bethany and gave her a meaningful look before turning back to Smoot. “Tell me what you saw at my store. Give me the truth—all of it.” Tobias jerked the chair out next to Smoot, turned it around, and sat in it, two feet from the injured man.
“You can trust me, Smith. I was just resting on the boat. I haven’t had much to eat and no place to sleep.”
“You could’ve talked to me. You never held back when you needed money for a drink. After all her grandmère has done for yer family—yer a coward and a deserter. You got nothing to bargain with—certainly not trust.” He edged closer and looked down at the man. “Tell me about the other man,” Tobias ordered, his voice terse.
“I got a redback to barter with.”
Tobias shot him a quelling look. “You gotnothingto bargain with,” he said in a voice that brooked no argument. “Yer hide is a bigger bargaining chip.” He glared at Smoot. “Now, if you hope to escape General Jackson, you best start talking. The general’s got men all over the river looking for deserters. All I have to say is I shot me one.”
Smoot opened his mouth and then closed it. He pulled up his shoulders and faced Tobias as tall as he could make himself. “Fine! I’ll give ye what ye want. I seen the man before. He been hanging ’round these parts. He was hiding on the side of your building. When you and that trapper went inside, he followed you in and came right back out and left. That’s all I know.” He gave a plaintive look to Bethany. “Can I have some food, now?”
*
Matthew did nottrust this man, Smoot, much less his story. It was, as his father would sometimes say,too pat. He had become tired after eating but would not leave Bethany in the room with other men. He strained to see what Bethany was doing. It looked like she had just fed Dandie her meal before ladling the last of the potatoes and pork for Tobias and Smoot. That she made both men wait until the dog had a meal told him a lot about the woman. He liked the small dog and would not see her starve, especially since she saved his life. That dog meant more to her than either of these men and if they had been paying attention, both would have realized that.
Damn his vision! It kept going between shadows and darkness, which made his post with the gun a little tougher to carry out. Bethany and Tobias had loosened one arm of Smoots and allowed him to eat. When he felt his sight fading, he would harden his face and do his best to keep his eyes in one spot, unmoving, in case either of the men looked up.
When Tobias finished eating, he pushed back a little from the table and tied Smoot’s free hand back behind him before looking in Matthew’s direction.
Matthew could see heads turn, but could not see faces. Everything looked amorphous with a halo around it. If things were not already as stressed as they were, he might have felt the need to panic. As it was, he could not allow himself. Having stared so hard, his eyes felt tired. Coupled with a full belly, he fought not to close his eyes. He wished he could see faces more clearly. Seeing shadows helped, he supposed, but it was not the best of options.
He stifled a yawn and walked to Bethany, nodding toward the men. They needed resolution to this. Funny, he looked forward to getting away from this situation, even if it meant visiting a leper colony. “Any ideas on how to get rid of these men? At least long enough for us to escape to your aunt’s.”
“I am thinking. Tobias wants to help, I believe. We have been friends for a long time.”
He grunted in disagreement, drawing her interest. An abrupt noise outside drew their attention. Bethany pulled back the curtain and looked from the corner.
“It’s an osprey! She must have eggs in a nearby tree.” She glanced around. “I do not see anyone.” She drew back from the window as her shoulders slumped. “I am sorry. I had thought to complete my errand this morning and be back here with little fanfare. How could I have missed the man following me?”
