Into the Wilderness
Page 215

"By God," called a male voice from the back of the room. "You'd better be right."
Kitty held up her hand. "Wait!" she cried. "Wait! I want to know where Richard is now. I want to know why he didn't come back with you."
Elizabeth answered her. "Katherine. All we can tell you is that Richard was healing slowly from his wounds when we last saw him, and that he left the village just before we did, heading north. He did not tell us why he was going, or where."
"If he was injured, he couldn't have traveled on his own," Kitty pointed out.
Elizabeth flashed a look in Nathaniel's direction. He shook his head slightly, suddenly fearing what detail she might give Kitty. But it was too late; he saw that immediately. Elizabeth had taken pity on the young woman, and she would do what she could to calm her fears.
"He left the village with his brother."
"By God," said Moses Southern, pushing suddenly toward the counter. "By God! You dare to lie in our faces and think you can get away with it—,"
Nathaniel had begun to move forward as soon as Moses had, but Anna came between the old trapper and Elizabeth first, her solid form acting as both a wall and a battering ram. She put out one muscled arm and gave him a shove.
"Get out of here if you can't behave no better than that," she shouted. "If you want to talk civilized, then you step back there and use a suitable tone, or I'll pick you up and toss you out the door myself Southern. Do you doubt I can do it?"
Heaving with anger, Moses looked in turn at Nathaniel and Elizabeth, and then his eyes skittered quickly through the room, clearly counting allies: Liam Kirby had slipped out through the back door, but Billy stood watching, his hands on his belt. Archie Cunningham and Claude Dubonnet stood ready to reach for weapons. The others, men not clearly on either side of this battle, but none of them well disposed toward the Mohawk, stood aside waiting to see what would happen. Nathaniel placed himself slightly in front of Elizabeth, and saw Hawkeye coming up on her other side.
"Samuel Todd died fighting for the Mohawk fifteen years ago," said Moses Southern. "Everybody knows that."
"Well, then," said Hawkeye in an easy tone that set Nathaniel's nerves humming, for he knew well it meant that his father was on the edge of losing his temper. "They forgot to tell Samuel to go bury his self because he's alive as you and me."
Southern let out a grunt. "Samuel Todd is long dead. And if you're lying about that, then you're probably lying about the rest of it. Todd is rotting out there in the bush."
Kitty made a strangled noise. Furious, Elizabeth turned toward Moses Southern.
"If you insist on calling me a liar again, Mr. Southern, I am afraid you might be in real danger. You see that my husband and my father—in—law do not take well to such insults. Now." She looked around the room, her eyes pausing briefly on Julian, who was leaning against the counter, clearly enjoying the entire proceeding. Then she found her father near the door, and her eyes narrowed. "I would like to have your attention. Samuel Todd is alive, I saw him myself. As is his brother Richard. Both these facts are verifiable, if you care to make the trip. If you do not, I would ask you to desist in these ridiculous claims. Father?"
The judge stepped forward reluctantly.
"I believe you know something about this advertisement in the newspaper?"
"For Miss Katherine's sake—”
“How very gallant of you," Elizabeth said dryly. "To go to such length and expense. Julian, I expect this was your idea?"
"I don't like to take all the credit," her brother said, looking uncomfortable for the first time since he had come in. "Kitty was in a bad state of mind," he added, and then he had the good grace to flush, his neck and the tips of his ears mottling red. "Not that it was our fault, but we thought we might as well be of help."
Elizabeth turned a glare on Julian; Nathaniel felt her anger rising like the screech of a hawk before it swooped down on its prey. But it was Kitty who spoke up.
Her eyes were fixed on Julian as if she had never seen such a creature before. "Julian Middleton," she said very softly. "I fear for your immortal soul."
She held his gaze until he looked away.
Elizabeth turned to the judge. "Father, are you going to charge us with some crime against Richard Todd? Because if you are, do it now, please."
There was an uncomfortable silence.
"Father?"
"No," he said then, pursing his lips. "I have nothing to charge you with."
"Do not sound so very disappointed, Father," Elizabeth said dryly.
The judge drew himself up to his full height. "Your sarcasm is uncalled for, Elizabeth. It does you no good credit."
"You see that marriage has done little to improve me, then."
Nathaniel saw the tension in her face and in the slight tremble of her hands, and he knew even if her father did not that she was upset and hurt. He put a hand on her shoulder.
Kitty Witherspoon suddenly came to life, pulling her cloak around herself in spite of the heat. "I have heard enough. Father, please." And she pushed her way through the crowd with the Reverend Witherspoon close behind her. Elizabeth was still staring at the judge.
"Elizabeth," Nathaniel said.
"We're done here."
"No you ain't," said Moses Southern. "I still got a question to ask."