by Lilah Rivers
As she left the center of town, she passed the final few shops and headed down the road that would take her straight to Aunt Roberta’s ranch. The sun was on her face and the air was filled with promise.
It had been a perfect afternoon, but it held nothing compared to what she expected of the evening.
As she was riding along, Clementine began to feel uneasy. Perhaps it was all of the warnings, perhaps it was because of her conversation with Chelsea, or perhaps it was because she was on her own.
Whatever the reason, Clementine was very wary as she rode along the path, looking every which way to ensure that she was not followed.
But just as she crested a small hill, she saw it. The shape of a body lying in the grass along the path. A body that looked as though it must be seriously injured.
Clementine gasped and kicked the flank of Mr. Longshanks so that she could reach the person sooner, and when she pulled back on the reins, Mr. Longshanks came to a halt, although he kicked in disapproval.
Dismounting as quickly as she could, Clementine rushed to what was very clearly a woman lying in a huddle with her back to Clementine.
“Are you all right?” she called as her feet came up to the body. In one motion, Clementine fell to her knees to make sure the woman was still breathing.
“Ha!” the woman shouted as she flipped over and leapt onto her feet, causing Clementine to fall backwards.
“Tabitha?” she asked, shocked by what she was seeing.
“Trying to be a good Samaritan, huh?” Tabitha asked, circling Clementine.
Clementine stood but Tabitha’s hand was immediately upon her shoulder to push her down again.
“Get on the ground!” she shouted.
Clementine did as she was instructed, remaining silent and trying to observe Tabitha’s behavior so that she could decide what action to take.
“So, you liked my little act? I can be rather convincing, don’t you think? An injured and desperate figure on the path.” Tabitha said.
Clementine swallowed and opened her mouth, knowing that it was a risk to speak at all.
“Tabitha,” she said. When her foe did not stop her, she decided to continue. “Tabitha, what is going on?”
“What is going on? You mean you haven’t figured it out yet?” Tabitha challenged, still walking circles around Clementine.
“I should like to think well enough of you that there is nothing to figure out. I can hardly imagine that you are the one who has been coming after us,” Clementine said.
“I have not been ‘coming after you’. I have been trying to ensure that you stay away from the man that I love,” Tabitha said.
“David?” Clementine asked with a squeak.
“Of course, David. I have seen you with him. I warned you to stay away from him. And then I find this on the floor of the cobbler,” Tabitha said, holding out a piece of paper.
Clementine reached her hand to her chest and realized that she had lost the love note that she had written to David. It must have happened when she was picking up the shoes form the display.
“I have no intention of giving him that letter, Tabitha,” Clementine said, hoping that an overuse of Tabitha’s name might bring a sense of familiarity to her.
“It doesn’t matter. As long as you are around, you are a threat to our happiness. David and I belong with one another. I don’t know what delusions you are living under, but he is mine,” Tabitha said.
Tabitha crumpled up the note and threw it at Clementine who took it and shoved it back into her bodice, even if she knew that it was a risk to show that she cared about it.
“Tabitha, I am sorry that I have hurt you. But nothing has happened between me and David,” she said.
“Not yet. But he might fall in love with you. He might forget about me,” Tabitha said, something in her voice hinting that she was familiar with that scenario.
“Has someone forgotten you before? Why would you expect him to do that?” Clementine asked.
Tabitha looked as if she was going to speak, but replaced the expression with one of anger and suspicion.
She was quiet for a few moments as she continued her circle and Clementine tried to breathe through her fear.
Clementine had imagined a great many things. She had known that they were all at risk and that someone might be out to get them. But the last thing in all the world that she had expected was that Tabitha was the culprit. It hardly made sense. Tabitha was strange and rude, but how could she be this devious?
“Please, tell me about your relationship with David,” Clementine said, thinking that maybe she needed to play into the thoughts that Tabitha was having. Maybe if she pretended to be interested in this imaginary love story, Tabitha might be happier and ease up.
But even though Tabitha didn’t appear to have any weapons on her, Clementine could see that she ought not to mess with her or try to fight back. There was no way that she could mount her horse before Tabitha would be able to reach her and pull her off.
She was stuck.
“David and I met at the well his first day in town. It was obvious that he loved me right away. He was with Hank who, of course, also abandoned me,” Tabitha said.
Clementine knew that Hank had never loved Tabitha. Was this young woman really so deranged that she made up relationships with every man who crossed her path?
“What happened next?” Clementine asked. “Tell me more about your relationship with David.”
“Well, we ran into one another multiple times and I let him know that I am available to court. He tried to be a nice and respectful gentleman but it was clear that he was interested,” Tabitha said.
Clementine was relieved that she was able to get Tabitha to continue talking. She had no idea what else to do, but if Tabitha would just keep talking, maybe there was a way out of this. Maybe she could find a weakness.
“Then you came along,” Tabitha said, her voice suddenly low and angry.
“I didn’t mean to get in your way,” Clementine said.
“But you did. What am I meant to do now? I’m not a mean person, but I just can’t let you stay here and be in my way. I hope you realize that,” Tabitha said.
Clementine had a lump in her throat. She wondered what exactly Tabitha meant by that. How much danger was she in? What was Tabitha going to do to her?
“Tabitha, please. I didn’t mean to do any harm to you and I know that you are a reasonable person,” Clementine said.
“I am. I really am,” Tabitha said, nodding her head.
Tabitha was quiet then and Clementine still didn’t know what intentions this woman had for her.
Bowing her head ever so slightly, and closing her eyes, Clementine began to pray in her mind, knowing that it was the only thing that would save her now.
Dear Lord, I ask that you would be with me right now. Please keep me safe. If it is your will to take me home today, I won’t fight it, but I ask that you would give me the gift of more time here on earth. I ask that you would allow me to see another day.
If not, then please be with Aunt Roberta and David and Hank and Chelsea. I pray that they will find Tabitha and know that it was her so that she isn’t a danger to any of them. I pray that you would help Tabitha to find whatever peace is missing in her life.
Help me, God, not to hold this against her, but to live in forgiveness even if she does scare me and even if I am angry about what she is doing. I know that you say to pray for my enemies, so I’m praying for her. Please help her to get right with you and to be kinder to people.
Please, Lord God, I ask once more that you would keep me safe and help me to be all right through this trial that was so unexpected and scary. Amen.
“What are you saying?” Tabitha asked, her voice urgent and loud.
“I—I was just praying,” Clementine said.
Tabitha glared at her.
“Your lips were moving,” she said.
“They do that when I pray, even if I’m praying quietly,” Clementine said
, shrugging but not apologizing.
“Well, I think I’ve had just about enough of you here. I can’t have you staying,” Tabitha said, as if she had made up her mind.
“What do you intend to do to me?” Clementine dared to ask, trying to keep her panic at bay.
“That’s up to you. I would like to send you on your way, so long as that way is far from Feldey. If you leave now and never come back, we have no further issue. I don’t care where you go, whether it’s further out west or back to the city. But you can’t be anywhere that they will go looking for you. None of the nearby towns,” Tabitha said.
“So that’s it? You just want me to leave?” Clementine asked.
“Exactly,” Tabitha said.
Clementine breathed a sigh of relief. A moment ago, she had thought that Tabitha might kill her. Now she was just being told to leave. And if she left, there was always the possibility of coming back.
“I just want you to know,” Tabitha began, “that if I catch you anywhere close to here, I will have to look for some other way to get you gone.”
Clementine’s mouth was dry. So Tabitha really was that dangerous? She really did mean to threaten Clementine.
“What way?” Clementine asked.
“You don’t want to find out,” Tabitha said.
“So I can go?” Clementine asked, nodding up towards her horse.
Tabitha’s mouth twitched, like she was still trying to decide exactly what she would do.
“Not yet,” she said.
Clementine sighed and sunk back into the place she was on the ground.
“I can’t let you ride off without a trace,” Tabitha said. “If I do that, they will go looking for you. It needs to look like you died. Like a wild animal got to you.”
Clementine refrained from saying that a wild animal had gotten to her, thinking that would upset Tabitha further.
“How are you going to go about doing that?” Clementine asked, thinking that if she continued to ask questions, Tabitha might hear how ridiculous her plans were - not to mention that it would stall her while Clementine figured out an escape plan that would get her back to the ranch.
“I need your dress,” Tabitha said.
“My dress?” Clementine asked, embarrassed.
“Yes, I need to cover it in something. Maybe I can go to the butcher and we can really tear up the gown,” Tabitha said.
“But then I will be going about in my…well, I need my clothes if I’m going to leave, Tabitha,” she said.
Tabitha appeared stumped, still trying to figure out a good plan.
“All right, so what do you suggest?” Tabitha asked.
“Um, I’m not really sure. I’ve never thought about faking that I was killed by an animal,” she said.
As Tabitha continued to pace, Clementine continued to pray. She trusted that God would hear her prayers, and she only wondered if he would accept them as a part of his will.
Chapter 26
The afternoon was growing late and David had made himself presentable, ready to make his announcement of love and affection to Clementine. He could hardly wait to see her. He wanted to be with her immediately, to shower her with his praises and tell her how deeply he cared for her.
But he was growing antsy. He hadn’t decided if he would go to her immediately when she returned home or if he would wait until after dinner. He supposed it didn’t really matter anyway; dinner was going to come shortly enough.
After pacing about in his room for a while, David couldn’t wait any longer. He decided to rush to the main house and wait there, maybe read for a bit until Clementine arrived home.
He was surprised that she hadn’t made it home already. The sun was starting to get lower in the sky and he had imagined that she would be back much sooner as she rarely stayed out this long and Chelsea was always home well before dark.
Especially with the dangers they had been facing of late, he had not anticipated Clementine to be gone like this.
In his heart, he was growing anxious.
David reached the ranch house and went inside to find Mrs. Roberta sitting in the living room, looking up at him with anticipation followed by disappointment.
“Oh, I thought you were Clementine,” she said.
“She hasn’t come home yet?” David asked.
“No. Despite myself, I’m starting to get worried,” Mrs. Roberta said.
“Not only you,” David replied.
“You’re anxious as well?” she asked.
“Very. I can’t imagine why she would be out this long and I certainly don’t believe that the Reverend St. Claire would allow Chelsea to be. Something doesn’t feel right,” David said.
“I agree. What do you think we should do?” Mrs. Roberta asked.
David paused for a moment and looked around the room as he thought.
“I can’t think of anything to be done other than for me to go and look for her. If I don’t see her on the way to town, I can try to find Chelsea or the Reverend and ask if they have seen her,” he suggested.
“That sounds like the best plan. Do you need anything from me?” Mrs. Roberta asked, appearing eager for him to go and find her niece.
“Only your prayers, Mrs. Roberta. I have to find her. I promise you that I won’t stop until I do,” David said.
Mrs. Roberta nodded with gratitude and stayed quiet, although he could see the storm within her as he departed.
David rushed to the barn and saddled one of the other horses. He wished that he had Mr. Longshanks, who was always an excellent mount. But Mr. Middleton was also a decent ride and David was desperate.
As soon as he was up and ready, he was on the move, racing towards town.
The path was quiet, save for the urgent sound of Mr. Middleton’s hooves and David was relieved that he hadn’t seen anything yet. He was a blend of hope that he would find Clementine and terror that he would see her injured or worse on the side of the road.
Town was not so far away when he saw the shape of two people, one circling the other. He spurred the horse forward and knew in his heart before his eyes saw. It was Miss Clementine and another—was it Tabitha?
As he drew nearer, he confirmed that it was definitely Tabitha as her eyes looked up with surprise at his coming. He closed the distance quickly and pulled the reins short. The pounding of his heart was a reminder that he had to be quick, but he also had to be smart.
If Tabitha was the threat that they had all been fearing, perhaps she was capable of a great deal more than simple rudeness.
“Tabitha!” he yelled.
“David! You came,” she said with a smile.
David looked down at Clementine, who looked absolutely petrified, but as though she could not tell him that. He had no idea what was going on, but it was clear that Clementine did not wish to alarm Tabitha.
“What’s happening?” he asked, attempting to remain calm.
“It’s nothing,” Clementine said, speaking up although he could see that she was nervous. “I am only ensuring that Miss Tabitha knows that I will not get in the way of any love that you have for one another.”