At the leather goods store, Lily tried on several pairs of boots. She was disappointed but not surprised that none of them fit well. Mr. Addison suggested taking her measurements to have a pair made specifically for her. She declined and chose the pair that was the least ill fitting. Extra thick socks and some crushed newspaper in the toes would fill out the boots. She reasoned she would be doing more riding than walking and they would suit for that purpose.
Lily had better luck with gloves, and when that package was boxed, she gave it to Lizzie to carry. Her daughter swung it back and forth like a pendulum as they crossed the street to the sheriff’s.
Lizzie made herself at home on Ben’s lap once he dropped his chair from its angled position behind his desk to rest on all four legs. She carefully set her package down so Ben could help her off with her coat and scarf.
“What’s in there?” he asked. “Is it for me?”
She giggled. “No. They’re Mama’s new gloves. She’s going riding.”
Ben’s dark red eyebrows climbed his forehead as he looked up at Lily. “Riding? Does she mean that?”
“She does. Roen asked me if I wanted to go out on a survey with him. I said yes.” Lily took the coat and scarf that Ben was dangling at the end of his arm and hung them up. She added her own outerwear to the next empty peg. She pointed to the packages she had dropped on the bench when she walked in. “Boots and a belt. Woolen undergarments. Pants. I still have to visit Mrs. Fish and see if she has something that will serve as a shirt. Flannel would be best, I think. I might have to make it myself, but I should be able to find the time.”
Lily sat in one of the chairs for visitors that Ben kept opposite his desk. “Have I sprouted an extra head?” she asked. “Grown a third eye? You’re looking at me as if I have.”
Ben’s eyebrows settled back in place, although the small vertical crease between them remained. “No additional head. No third eye. I’m stunned, is all.”
“But not alarmed?”
“No. Is that why you’re here? To find out if I would be?”
She nodded. “I’ve been questioning my judgment of late.”
“It’s hard to know what to say to that, Lily. Probably nothing I can say with Miss I-hear-everything sitting on my lap.” He tapped Lizzie’s nose when she beamed at him. “Yes, I’m talking about you.”
Lily sighed, nodded again. “Have you heard anything about train arrivals? Seems it’s been a while since one came in.”
“Are you expecting something?”
She thought quickly. “I ordered a set of kitchen knives from Sears and Roebuck.”
“Well, I checked this morning because folks have been asking. The word the stationmaster has is that the 462 is moving again but that only happened late last night. Hope your knives are on it.”
She nodded.
“So where is Roen now?”
“On his way to Thunder Point. He said you spoke to Remington about it.”
“I did. There won’t be any trouble.”
“I didn’t think there would be. Roen wouldn’t have asked me to go with him if he thought differently.”
“Well, you’re right about that. He didn’t let you stray far last night.”
“No, but he didn’t stop Jim from refilling my wineglass. Now that I think about it, neither did you.”
Ben chuckled. “Had too much, did you?”
Before Lily could comment, Lizzie said, “Mama was sick. She had her head in a pail.”
“How do you know?” asked Lily. “You were sleeping when Clay carried you upstairs.”
“I was a possum.”
“And too proud of it,” said Lily. She looked at Ben. “Nothing gets past her.”
“I’m aware.”
