“That’s my brother over there. Rabbit. Cabot Theodore, but you see the problem, don’t you?”
“I do.”
“I’ve been speculatin’ about what Mr. Longstreet come to town for, but I sure didn’t speculate you.”
“That’s all right,” she said. “I did not speculate your existence either.”
Finn’s eyebrows pulled together as he puzzled that out. “I reckon that squares it,” he said finally. “Good to meet you, Miss Middlebourne.” His eyes swiveled to the gentleman with the large valise. “I’d sure like to help you with that, mister.”
Before the man could reply, Morgan Longstreet looked at him, one eyebrow raised. “I’d sure like it if he helped you, too.” He kept his eyes on the stranger while he held out a coin to Finn. Morgan did not know if the man was influenced by the exchange of money or Morgan’s own unwavering stare, but a decision was made in favor of moving on.
The stranger stepped around Morgan and handed his valise over to Finn. He tipped his bowler to Jane. “I hope there will be occasion to enjoy your company again, Miss Middlebourne.” He glanced at Morgan then back to Jane. He held her eyes for a long moment. “If you should have need of me, you will find me at the Pennyroyal. Good day.” He might have said more, but Finn was already trotting away with his valise. He had to hurry to catch up.
Morgan waited until Jane stopped following the gentleman’s progress and turned back to him. “What did he mean by that?”
“By what, Mr. Longstreet?”
“Why would he think you might need him?”
“Perhaps because you are glowering at me.” She pointed to the porter still standing at his post. “He has not deserted me.”
Morgan looked to the porter. The man was doing his best to seem uninterested, but there was no doubt he was hovering protectively. Morgan’s cheeks puffed slightly as he blew out a breath. For a moment, his tautly defined features were softened. “Miss Middlebourne’s bags, please.”
Nodding, the porter stepped back into the car.
When Morgan was certain he was out of earshot, he said, “You are not what I expected.”
“I understand. You are disappointed.”
No, not disappointed. He felt betrayed. What he said was, “Angry.”
Jane blinked. Her chin came up and she regarded him forthrightly. “Do you think I have deceived you?”
“Haven’t you? Your photograph…”
“I explained it was taken two years ago. You wrote that it was acceptable to you.”
He remembered writing exactly that. “It was acceptable. It still is.”
“But I am not.”
“I don’t know.”
“Did I mistake your intention earlier?” she asked. “Were you not within moments of making a public proposal?”
“I was. I am a man of my word, Miss Middlebourne, but I should have thought better of the time and place…and the company. I am not accustomed to being rescued, but you saved me from making a fool of myself. That counts for something.”
“You flatter yourself to think I did it for you, Mr. Longstreet. I did it for me. Perhaps I do not want to accept the proposal of a man who thinks I deceived him. Such a man will question all that follows.” She paused. “Am I wrong?”
Morgan hooked his thumbs in the pockets of his long leather coat. “Perhaps we should find out, Miss Middlebourne. I am discovering courting by correspondence has its limitations.”
“As am I. What are you suggesting?”
He shrugged. “That we sleep on it. See if twenty-four hours makes a difference in our thinking. The preacher will be there tomorrow, same as today. I don’t suppose waiting a day will matter as much to him as it will to us.”
Jane’s reply was forestalled by the reappearance of the porter carrying a valise under each arm. Another followed hoisting a small trunk on his shoulder. They looked to Jane for instruction. She looked to Morgan Longstreet.
Morgan pointed to his buckboard at the end of the platform and the porters set off. He noticed that the Johnsons and Ted Rush had already moved on. Finn and the stranger were pulling away. Rabbit was holding the station door open for his pap who was carrying a leather mailbag and a wooden crate. The pair disappeared into the station, and then Morgan and Jane were alone on the platform.
