“MacEnroy? One of those brothers up in the hills?”
Emily nodded and spent the time waiting for Iain answering the woman’s many questions about all those bachelors in the hills. When Iain and Mr. Bannister stepped out she handed her empty cup back to the young woman who was staring at Iain in a way that made Emily itch to loudly claim he was not up for bid. Iain took her by the arm and led her out, then paused when they reached the buggy and turned to grin at Mr. Bannister.
“One thing good about having a lawyer is it makes it hard for the man you’re dealing with to spit out his anger.”
Mr. Bannister laughed. “He was angry. Makes me really wonder who he was trying to grab your lands for.”
“That is something I would like to know as well.” He reached out and shook Mr. Bannister’s hand. “I will send you the payment within a day or two. And, be sure of it, I will tell anyone I can how good you are at your job.”
Mr. Bannister blushed and thanked Iain profusely. He then mounted his horse and rode off. Iain helped Emily into the buggy and headed toward the hills.
“I ken I didnae really let ye give your opinion,” he started.
“There was no need. I think we were both of the same mind. Not sure if Mr. Bannister even knows how to be sly.”
“Nay. He is an open book.”
“So is his wife. Seems they were thinking of getting a loan from that same fool so that George could set up an office in town. I suspect his son is part of the reason he needs one.”
Iain laughed. “Cute lad and I suspicion he was the cause of the thud we heard.”
“Well, I was trying to think of a way to aid his wife in getting out more. Her William is of an age, or close to, with Neddy. But there is that problem of not being able to let Neddy be as free as other children.”
Iain just nodded. He would be meeting with George tomorrow to send out a few letters. He intended to do his best to find the one behind the attempts to kill Emily and Neddy and put an end to it. With the help of a woman in town who was willing to read and write for him for a fee, he had kept in touch with a few people and he meant to reach out to them now to try to find something to prove this Albert’s guilt and get him locked up for it. It might not get him anything but he saw no wrong in trying.
They had to put a stop to the man’s attempts to kill all the Stantons. What he needed was to get Emily to tell him exactly what she thought, who might be involved, and what exactly the man thought was worth so much death. He might well pick up another name or two of people to contact. If nothing else, he wanted to know why some idiot in England was trying so hard to wipe out the Stantons.
Chapter Nine
The day was glorious, Emily thought as she stepped out onto the front porch. The sun shone bright, the sky was as blue as a robin’s egg, and fluffy white clouds skimmed across it. The air was clean and the light breeze held a hint of the summer’s end.
She decided she would make use of the saddle Iain had gone back into town to buy for her after they had met with the lawyer, the one she had so admired when she had gone to town with Robbie. He had promised there would be a horse she could ride in the stable by the week’s end. All she had had to do was prove to him that she could saddle her own mount and knew how to ride and ride well. Emily buttoned up her coat and hurried to the stables. A lovely chestnut mare stood placidly in her stall and Emily wondered where the horse had come from, then she decided she simply did not care.
A short time later she rode out of the stable feeling wonderfully free. She had told Mrs. O’Neal she was going for a ride, even though she had not firmly decided on it yet, so she knew Neddy would be watched. Neddy and Mrs. O’Neal had become very close but Emily was not surprised. Mrs. O’Neal was very motherly and Neddy responded to that.
She followed the trail Iain had shown her, enjoying the scenery, which was an intriguing mixture of rough wildness and the gentle green of the hills back east, even back in England. She thought she could probably find scenery in this huge country that would remind her of every country in the world. Emily knew it could also be dangerous but she refused to allow that to steal away her appreciation of its beauty.
For a moment she paused at the top of one rise on the trail and looked over the flat lands below. There was a small pond down there along with a lot of sheep. She looked over the area spread out below her and caught sight of the MacEnroy brothers. They were working on the fence and she suddenly knew that was what Iain had taken out the loan for. She hoped it would help to keep his flock protected from predators. It would, at least, make it more difficult for the predators to reach the sheep. The Powell brothers were there, too, keeping the sheep away from the men working.
The trail started downward and a little farther on she passed a small cabin. The Powell brothers, she decided. Looking out from their front yard she realized they had an excellent view of the fields the flock wandered over. It certainly made the night watch of the flock easier. What they needed, she thought as she turned around to make her slow way home, was a few goats. There could be milk, which could be made into cheese. They only had three cows and, with so many people to feed, there was little left for butter and cheese. It was something to consider, she thought, and then frowned. Such thoughts were only useful if she was going to be staying here and there was no indication that she would be. A sadness washed over her and she had the lowering feeling it was because Iain had never indicated that he wanted her to stay. That showed her that she was not keeping her feelings as well guarded as she had thought.
A sound pulled her out of her musings and Emily frowned. She realized she had stopped yet she was sure she heard the sound of hoofbeats. Looking around, she finally glanced up the hill gently rising on her left. Six men were cautiously making their way toward her. A chill gripped her heart when she recognized one of the men who had sent her fleeing town. Iain must have missed one or the man had stayed behind while his friends had ridden out and died.
Emily kicked her mount into a hard trot and heard the men curse. Not sure how long it would take them to get down the rest of the hill to the trail, she nudged her mount into a gallop as soon as she believed the trail safe enough for such speed. She knew the men would do the same and prayed that her mare was faster. There was a shot and Emily urged her mare to go even faster.
Once inside the gates, she leapt out of the saddle and ran back to the gates to try to shut them. Mrs. O’Neal was at her side a heartbeat later. The two of them got the gates shut and barred then sagged against them. The men outside fired at the gates and the two women hastily stepped away, not trusting the thick wood to stop the bullets.
“The boys won’t be able to get in,” said Mrs. O’Neal.
“I know, but what else can we do?”
“Think these men will give up soon?”
“We can only hope or they will run when the men return.” She saw Neddy standing in the doorway of the house and her heart sank as she hurried over to him. “Neddy, you must stay inside for now.” She picked him up intending to carry him inside but the boy clung to her with his arms and legs while shaking his head.
“No! No! The fire will get me!”
Mrs. O’Neal hurried over and rubbed the child’s back. “There is no fire, lad. It is safe inside the house.”
