“Most people with things they value are.”
The heat of him was seeping through her body and Emily knew it would be a good idea for her to put an end to this. Then his mouth was on hers and she decided the good-nights could wait a few moments. Feeling his arms wrapped around her, her body pressed close to his, was enough to clear her mind of all thought. All she became concerned about was what he made her feel.
Then all her warm feelings fled as he did as he usually did. He let her go, stared down at her, and she could almost see the cold that entered his veins. A moment later he wished her a good sleep and walked away. Emily sighed before entering her room. She hoped she could put all the questions she had out of her head so she could actually get some sleep.
* * *
Morning was as busy as always with hungry men and children to feed. Then everyone went off to tend to their work and she walked out to meet with Iain, who was fetching the buggy. Emily hoped the lawyer was there because spending a lot of time sitting close to a man who could not decide if he wanted to kiss her or ignore her was asking too much of any woman. As they engaged in idle, empty talk, she had to clench her hands into fists to keep from beating on his arm.
The lawyer had his cabin on the edge of town. Emily wondered why the man had not set up an office in town where everyone would know about him faster. As Iain helped her down from the buggy she told herself not to prejudge the man. If he had only just set up his practice it might be a simple matter of using what he could best afford.
Iain rapped on the door and Emily heard some yelling from inside followed by a thud. She glanced at Iain but he seemed unconcerned. A young voice joined the deeper one of a man and then the door opened. The man who stood there brushing his clothes off and smiling did not make her confident. He was handsome with his somewhat too long brown hair and hazel eyes but he was so young she could not believe he had finished all his schooling.
“Do come in. How can I help you?” he asked, waving them inside.
“Mr. Bannister?” she asked, and he nodded. “We wished to see if you can help us with a problem,” she said, and was not sure the way he looked so delighted was encouraging.
“Of course.” He led them to a large room furnished with a desk and two chairs facing it then waved toward those chairs. “Please sit down.” As soon as she and Iain were seated, he sat and clasped his hands together on the top of the desk. “What is your trouble?”
Emily looked at Iain but he just waved her on, so she explained how they had come across a problem in the papers needed to get a loan. “It seems to me they have, well, erred.”
“May I see the papers?”
Iain handed it over without hesitation. Emily sat a little tensely as the man read it over. She was certain there was something underhanded in what the bank had done but she had no idea of what the laws were about such things in this country. The frown forming on the man’s face could be encouraging or it could mean he simply could not see what her problem was with the agreement.
“What did you offer up as collateral?” he asked Iain.
“My flock. I gave them the number of sheep I had and the value of the flock and it is well above what the loan was for,” Iain answered.
“You said nothing about your land or house or belongings?”
“Nay. Then again, most people ken where I live and what I have. Probably even ken where my lands stretch to.”
“Then they should not be listed.” He looked closely at Iain. “May I ask you a personal question?”
Iain shrugged. “Aye.”
“Have you done business with this bank before?”
“Only one in town so the answer is aye. Took a loan from them when we were setting up, as buying the land and all took more of our money than we anticipated. Put our money in there as weel. Been a customer of theirs for years. The father’s, not the son’s.”
“Ah.”
Iain grinned at Emily. “That is what ye said.”
“And can you read?” Mr. Bannister asked.
Iain could not fully suppress a blush but he shook his head. “Thinking it might be time to learn.”
Mr. Bannister smiled. “It can be helpful. This is very close to fraud,” he said, and patted the paper. “They were obviously trying to trick you into offering more than you wished and, I suspect, had every intention of trying to make sure you could not meet payments so they could make a land grab. I would suspect there is one of their customers who would like your lands and they thought to win his favor. Maybe get hold of it all and make a profitable deal with that man. It is fortunate you did not sign this.”
“Had a bad feeling so took it home, said I needed a night to think on it, and had Emily read it to me.”
“Good, good. Best to never sign anything you can’t read or cannot understand. What do you wish to do about this?”
“I still need a loan but I need the paper to be right. Need it to say what is right and fair.”
“I can help you with dealing with the paper and the bank if that is what you wish.”
