He kissed her again.
Phoebe had trouble catching her breath when he finally lifted his head. She could feel the heat of a deep flush in her cheeks. Her eyes felt wide and vaguely unfocused. She pressed fingertips against her lips and spoke from behind them. “Oh, my. Perhaps you are a mythic creature.” It wasn’t important that he didn’t understand so Phoebe did not try to explain. “You have an idea, I take it.”
“I have your idea,” he said. “And I’m taking it. Brewer is coming out this evening. I told him I wouldn’t stay in town if I could be here. He said he’d come to me after he stopped in his office. Charlie Hopewell was left to hold down the fort while we were gone. That’s Charlie from the land office. Good with paperwork, not so good with a gun.” Remington picked up his gun belt and strapped it on. “You can sit with us if you like.”
“I wasn’t going to wait for an invitation.”
Because he was expecting a response along those lines, he grinned as he looked her over. “Your shirt’s buttoned wrong.” He brushed her hands aside and did her up correctly,taking more time than was strictly necessary just because she was letting him. “I asked after you first thing when I got back. Funny, but it was Les who told me you were out here. I didn’t ask after Thaddeus or Fiona, but I saw the buggy was gone so I figured they were somewhere together.”
“They left the morning after you did. You should probably be sitting down, but they went to Liberty Junction. They’re staying at the Boxwood. I thought they’d be back by now, but there might be several good reasons why they’re not.”
“I think I’d like to hear those.”
Phoebe picked up her vest and put it on. “It’s possible Thaddeus is still trying to wrangle the truth out of Fiona, or that she’s told him the truth already and they are either engaged in further argument or taking their time about making up. It’s all likely. One can never tell with Fiona.”
“And the truth according to Fiona? Do I want to know?” He walked over to where the horses were grazing and untethered Mrs. McCauley. “Well?” he asked when Phoebe didn’t say anything.
“I don’t know if I want to tell you,” Phoebe said. “It seems as if you’ve already closed your mind. Probably your ears, too.”
“I’m listening. Promise.” He walked the horses back to where she was standing and gave her the mare’s reins. “Leg up?” When she nodded, he gave her a boost and then looked around to see if they had collected everything. All that was left was the blanket. He folded and rolled it and attached it to Mrs. McCauley.
Phoebe said, “Fiona has it in her mind that Thaddeus and Ellie have been lovers for years. She acquits your father of being an adulterer, but not of not being tempted.”
Remington mounted. “But not of not being tempted,” he said more to himself than to her. “Yes, I think I understand.”
“Good.” Phoebe urged the mare forward and waited for Remington to come abreast. “I asked her what evidence she had to support her thinking, and she did not hesitate.”
“Ben,” said Remington. “She told you Ben was Thaddeus’s son.”
Phoebe almost lost her seat.
“Careful,” he said when she wobbled and shifted.
She recovered and stared at him. “How did you know?”
He shrugged. “Fiona’s not the first person to think it. People have been saying it as long as Ben’s been alive. Maybe before he was born. It’s not surprising. I told you Ellie came to work for us when my mother was confined to bed with her last pregnancy. She did not arrive with Ben in arms; he was born later. People will think what they will. There’s no changing that.”
“What do you think?”
“I don’t,” he said. “Think about it, I mean. There’s only one person who knows, and that’s Ellie. If Ben is my father’s son, then Ellie never told Thaddeus. I know she didn’t because he’s never claimed Ben as his own. He would do that. He wouldn’t raise himlikea son. He’d raise himashis son. There would be no rumor. There would be fact.”
“If Thaddeus never slept with Ellie, then he also knows the truth.”
“That’s right.”
“But you think he may have.”
“I think it’s possible,” he said. “My mother died. He was grieving. He might have sought comfort in Ellie’s bed. Once. Twice. I don’t know. I was a child. If it happened at all, I don’t believe it was an affair of long standing.”
Phoebe lowered the brim of her hat as they began to descend the ridge. “I wonder what he’ll say to Fiona. She talked to me about leaving; this might be his only chance to convince her to stay.”
“She doesn’t have the means to purchase a ticket.”
“Two tickets,” said Phoebe. “She wants me to go with her, or rather she wants me to leave and will go along as my escort. And she does have the means, or so she says. Not in hand, but she’s had the offer.” She saw that surprised him. “Ellie. Ellie offered her money. Just around a thousand dollars. I know, it seemed strange to me, but Fiona says it’s because Ellie wants her gone that badly. Fiona swears she didn’t ask for it. The money wouldn’t only be for the tickets;it would pay for an apartment and essentials until Fiona and I could find work. In the event that there is any doubt in your mind, I told her no.”
“No doubt,” he said. “But still good to know. It’s not impossible to believe that Ellie wants Fiona gone. She’s been a burr under Ellie’s saddle since she arrived, and only part of that can be explained by Ellie being in love with my father.”
“So you think Fiona’s right about that?”
