He heard the tension in her voice. This was not something that she was used to doing. Of course, she would not have noticed a man watching her.
“If someone doesn’t want to be seen, he generally won’t be seen,” Matthew responded, not wanting her to blame herself.
“That’s true,” Tobias added, coming up from behind them. “There is no way you could have known, Beth.”
Tobias’s use of Bethany’s name with a sense of familiarity irked Matthew. He had a growing sense of unease and fought back the urge to say something. He wished they would both leave but held his tongue.
“I’m going to take Smoot with me. I am not sure what I will do with him, but I’ll figure something out.” Tobias lowered his voice and looked at Matthew. “Are you able to see well enough to help Bethany navigate?”
“You know?” Bethany murmured.
“I do.” His voice took on a sympathetic tone. “You’ve done an admirable job, but no need to deny it. I recognize the signs—my uncle was almost blind.” He moved closer and glared at Matthew. “Take good care of Beth. If something happens to her, I will make it my life’s work to find you and make you pay. We’ve always been friends, and...” He looked at Bethany. “I guess that is all we will ever be. Beth, please stay alert and be careful. These are dangerous times.”
Matthew recognized the deep emotion in the man’s voice. “I will do my best,” he acknowledged, with his respect for this man growing in that moment.
“Thank you, Tobias,” Bethany replied in a half-whisper. “However, I think I should try and fix his ear before he goes. He carries on as if he lost the ear, when all Dandie did was bite it.”
“Ouch!” her friend said mockingly. “She bit the bottom of his earlobe off. He will never forget your dog.”
“Yes... well, I shall stitch his ear and watch my dog carefully, just in case Dandie gets sick from the bite!”
Chapter Eleven
Bethany exhaled along, whooshing breath when the door closed, relieved Tobias had taken Smoot with him. Finally! Smoot had screamed the entire time she stitched his ear—at least until Tobias punched him and knocked him out. That had been unexpected, but at that point, welcomed. She was afraid that they would have to endure his nasty personality into the night.
War and fear do odd things to men, she considered. Never had she imagined Smoot to be a coward—although he had always been a bully. Her papa had always said that cowardice was the motivation of bullies. He was right.
Caleb Smoot was both, and she hoped to never see the man again.
Bethany walked to a window and cracked it open, craving fresh air. She still needed to pack, get food on the table, and tidy up the cabin. Morning would be here too soon.
Tobias’ inferences of a future together had worn thin, and as the afternoon wore on, she had become edgy in his presence. He meant well, and she realized he favored a union between the two of them, but she had grown weary of explaining and apologizing to him. There was no attraction—and her heart wanted the fairytale. Her mother had told her stories of princes that rescued their princess. She wanted that, of course,withoutaspirations of royalty. A giggle escaped her, and she glanced in Matthew’s direction. He sat on the bed petting Dandie. Her dog loved Matthew but had never liked Tobias. Tobias was her friend, and she cherished that. But she had been telling him for the last six months that she was not interested in anything more than continuing the friendship they had had since childhood.
She shook her head, determined to ready them for the trip. Quickly, she cleaned the kitchen area before packing for their trip. She was uncertain how long she would be gone. Her boat was small, so she planned to pack light. She checked the hidden storage compartment under one of the seats, relieved Matthew’s uniform was still there.
Walking into her room, she lifted the false bottom on her linen chest and grabbed his sword, gun, and boots. Quickly, she took them to the boat, stashing them in the compartment with his uniform, mentally checking the items off a list in her head. Luckily, Matthew’s feet were the same size as Papa’s had been, so his military-issue boots could stay hidden. For good measure, she packed a rolled-up blanket, thinking it could come in handy if they needed to camouflage the sword. She took her papa’s knife and her gun. Tobias’ warning had not fallen on deaf ears. Bethany well knew the danger. If there had been any doubt, the sporadic musket fire along the river served as an excellent reminder that all had not calmed down. Smoot’s frightening visit attested to that as well.
There was still the man that had stolen the letter containing damning information that could get her hanged, if it found its way to the American general. If he was on the side of the British, as he had told her, perhaps the letter would find its way to England, even though he had been searching for a different man. At least she hoped that would be what happened to it.
“Bethany.” Matthew’s voice sounded urgent.
“I am sorry. I was lost in my musings.” She walked back into the house to the work counter, preparing to pack some food for the trip. “It certainly has been a day of excitement I was not prepared for. As Grandmère would say,I wonder when the next shoe will fall.”
“That’s a curious saying,” he laughed.
“It always conjured the image of raining shoes. A painful vision, to be sure!”
“I agree. Speaking of shoes... I need some boots for our river trip in case we find us in a tight spot with the need for a push.”
Bethany suddenly saw him in her mind’s eye, bare-waisted and muscles bulging, and gulped. “I hope the water is as high in the tributaries as it looks here. You should not have to worry too much about that. However, Grandmère kept some of Papa’s boots in the bottom right of the armoire. I hope we do not need your military boots—as they scream British to anyone seeing us. The Americans are used to the frontier and use whatever they have.”
“I see your point,” he agreed.
“I have them packed in the hidden storage compartment of the boat—under the seat. Your saber and gun are also there.”
“What can I help you with? I confess to feeling useless and I hear you buzzing around. Surely there is something?”
“I was amused watching you with Dandie,” she confessed. “I have never known my dog to take a fancy to any man before. She has always snarled and warned them away.”
