“What about Katherine?” Urias prayed nothing had happened to her since he left.
“Who’s Katherine?” Sherman motioned to the table. “May I?”
“Certainly. Have a seat. The food’s just about heated up.” Mrs. Campbell stirred the meat in the frying pan.
“Thank ya. It’s mighty kind of ya, Mrs. Campbell.”
“No problem at all. Now, what about Urias’s sister, Katherine?”
“Don’t know the woman. Can’t say.”
“She’s a bond servant in my father’s house. She has long red hair—same color as Urias’s,” Prudence informed him.
“Oh, I recall seeing her. Frightened little thing. Practically hid in the shadows. Only spoke when spoken to.” Sherman locked his gaze on Urias. “She’s your sister?”
“Yes.” Urias sat down across from him at the table. “Did she appear beaten?”
“No … Hey, wait. Are you telling me he beats her?”
“No,” Prudence interjected defensively. “My father may be a lot of things, but I’ve never known him to lift a hand against another.”
Sherman gave a nod. “Didn’t ya give the man a couple of goats for your wife? Even the poorest of us in the hills pay the wife’s family off with something.”
“He never asked me to pay a dowry.” Urias wasn’t about to explain the coerced nature of the wedding.
Mrs. Campbell placed a plate of ham, fried potatoes, and glazed carrots in front of the stranger.
“Thank ya. Smells great.”
“You’re welcome.” Mrs. Campbell sat down at the table. “Set a spell, Prudence.”
Sherman Hatfield glanced at each person around the table. “I’m just the messenger. I ain’t got nothin’ to do with Hiram Greene’s personal business.”
That might be true, but it was mighty peculiar for a man to travel this far just to deliver a message. “How long have you been on the road?”
“Three days. You moved those hogs right quick. The trail was easy to follow.”
“I wasn’t trying to hide out.”
“I reckoned that be the case. Still, seems odd for you to run off with the man’s daughter and not pay the dowry.”
“He never stated he wanted one,” Urias repeated, defending his actions.
“Urias, I don’t think Daddy can charge you a dowry after we’re married.”
“That is probably true, but you’re forgetting he simply won’t release Katherine’s bond. And he’d have me arrested for running off with his property if I don’t pay your dowry.” Urias leaned back in his chair. How was the Lord at work in this? He should have gone home straightaway and spoken with his parents. They would have known what to do. At least he hoped they would have. At the moment, he was clueless.
Urias sat straight up and leaned forward toward Sherman. “How’d you happen by Hiram Greene’s place?”
“I met up with him in the city. We had some unfinished business. I stopped by to help finish the matter.”
“Can you be more specific?” Urias pushed. Something wasn’t adding up. No one would travel three or four days out of their way just to give a message that could have been conveyed when Urias arrived to pick up his sister. The more he knew of Hiram Greene’s business dealings, the more certain he became that Katherine did not owe Mr. Greene the money he claimed she did.
Sherman scooped the last of his potatoes onto his fork. “Mighty fine meal, Mrs. Campbell. Thank you.”
He placed two dollars in small change on the table.
Prudence hadn’t slept a wink. First she learned that Urias had told Mrs. Campbell their arrangements concerning their wedding. Then the stranger came, giving them a message from Father demanding a dowry. Could life get much worse? Just when Urias and I are beginning to know one another, this happens.
Rolling over onto her side, she looked out the window. A light frost had come during the night. Urias needed to get those hogs to the Cumberland Gap. He couldn’t wait for her arm to heal, and they couldn’t afford any more expenses. How was he going to pay for her dowry? Father had to have some plan or reason to change the debt for Urias, but what? And if he didn’t pay, would Father release Kate?
She replayed the same questions over and over again in her mind. Pushing the covers off, she slipped on the bathrobe Mrs. Campbell had lent her and went to Urias’s room.
“Urias,” she whispered, tapping the door lightly. “Are you awake?”
Hearing no answer, she placed her hand on the brass doorknob and turned it to the right. Prudence stepped into the room and found the narrow pathway to the bed. “Urias,” she called again.
As she moved toward the bed, she discovered he wasn’t there. “Where is he?” The barn, she remembered. He wakes up before the sun.
She ran down the stairs and out the front door. “Urias?”
He leaned his red head out the door and smiled. “What woke you up so early this morning?”
She walked to the end of the front porch. She felt the chill of the air on her toes first. “I didn’t sleep.”
Urias came over to her. “What Sherman said?”
Prudence nodded.
Urias hopped the porch rail and took her in his arms. “I’m sorry. We’ll work this out. Somehow, we’ll work this out. I need to take the hogs today. The sooner I deliver them sold, the sooner we can deal with your father.”
She shivered in his arms.
He looked down at her feet. “Where are your slippers?”
“I left them in the house. I thought you were in your room.”
Urias scooped her off her feet into his arms. “Come on. Let’s get you inside.”
Prudence wrapped her arms around his neck. Her heart ached over what her father was doing to this sweet man. He’d make the perfect husband, but he’ll never be free to love me, all because of Father. She buried her head into his shoulder.
“Shh. It’s going to be all right. I don’t know how, but I know God will see us through. I might have to go home by myself and tell my parents about the situation I got myself into, but I’ll be back for you. You can’t live with a man like that. There’s no telling what he’d do.”
“Father’s never behaved like this before. I noticed some problems in his financial sheets, but nothing that would warrant cheating a man.”
Urias brushed the hair from her face, his touch so gentle, his gaze so consuming.
“You’ve got beautiful eyes, Prudence.”
She felt the blush rise on her cheeks.
“And I love that shade on you.”
Prudence gave him a loving swat. She was still in his embrace as he entered the house and carried her up the stairs. Is he going to … Her eyes widened at the thought.
In her bedroom, he placed her on the bed. He knelt down in front of her and brushed off her feet. “They’ve healed well. How’s the arm?”
“Still hurts.” Had she misread the signals? Was he just being the kind man that he was? Her face brightened another shade.
“Would you like me to change the dressing before I leave?”
“No, thanks. Mrs. Campbell will help me change it.”
“All right. Lay down, Prudence.” Urias reached out and touched her cheek. “You need to rest, honey. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
He tucked her in, then held her hands. “Pray with me, Prudence. Together we’ll hear from the Lord about what He wants us to do.”
Another jolt of excitement ran through her. This was no longer physical; it was much deeper than that. Urias respected her, believed in her, and wanted to pray with her. He sought her counsel and trusted her enough to pray with him for the answers to their problems.
Tears streamed down her face as she listened to Urias pray, then added her own prayers. He stood up. With his thumb, he gently rubbed away her tears. “God has the answer for us, Prudence. We have to trust Him, because nothing else is making much sense.”
“You’re right,” she admitted.
He kissed the top of her head and slipped
out of the room. A peace washed over her. Within minutes, she heard Urias call the hogs and heard them squealing as they exited the fenced-in yard.
Prudence closed her eyes and started to fall asleep.
A loud bang reverberated through the air. Prudence sat straight up.
Chapter 11
Urias aimed his rifle at the two men who jumped out of the bushes. “You don’t want to see how fast I can reload this rifle, do you?”
The two men he and Prudence had met on the trail a couple of days earlier walked out with their hands in the air. “We don’t mean no harm.”
Urias reloaded the Kentucky long rifle, keeping his gaze fixed on the two men. Perhaps it was time to buy a new firearm that held more than a single shot. “You two didn’t learn the first time, huh?”
“We didn’t realize it was you,” the thinner of the two men mumbled.
“Ain’t no never mind to me. I’m still going to take you in to the sheriff.” Urias had the rifle reloaded and ready. “Unless you want to prove to me you can be of more use to society than stealing from it.”
“Whatcha got in mind?” the younger man with porcupinelike hair asked.
“If you two help me haul these hogs to the Cumberland Gap, with no stopping to camp—just to let the hogs rest for a spell—I won’t press charges. If, however, you try anything, I’ll run you in to the closest sheriff faster than you can spit yer tobacca.”
They looked at each other and shrugged their shoulders. “Sounds fair.”
“Good. Get your packs and let’s get a move on.” Urias cracked the whip above the hogs’ heads to encourage them forward. The two men would test his skills, but they could be a huge blessing. With two additional men pushing at the rear, he could make better time.
“What do we do?” one hollered.
“Cut yourself a willow twig and snap it above their heads and keep walking forward. They’ll move.”
Urias kept an eye on the road and an eye on his back. He’d made sure the men were not armed. He wasn’t letting his guard down for a moment. As they passed the Mercer farm, Frank Jr. met him on the road with a full pack.
“Frank, ask your dad to check on the Campbell farm, and tell him everything’s all right.”
“Sure.” Frank ran up the hill toward his house. Urias caught a glance of the men behind him. “Don’t be getting any funny ideas. Frank’s dad is a deputy.”
Urias heard the men grumble.
Frank Jr. came running back. “Where do you need me?”
“In the rear. Show those two what to do. Watch ’em closely, then send them toward the middle. I’ll feel better with you taking up the rear.”
“Gotcha.” Frank ran to the rear of the herd. He was a couple years younger than Urias. As children, they used to play together.
They kept a steady pace for four hours, took a break for an hour, and pressed on again. The two would-be robbers actually demonstrated themselves to be quite good with the hogs. In crossing the New River at English Ferry, they swam the hogs across to avoid the ferryboat fee. They continued on that way through the night, and by noon the following day, they had made it to Cumberland County, where Urias sold the swine at $3.50 per hundred pounds, net.
Having more than enough to purchase Katherine’s bond and pay Prudence’s dowry, Urias gave each man ten dollars with his thanks. Urias learned his two hired hands were brothers, who’d decided that making an honest wage was far more profitable than robbing folks on the road. Frank and Urias spent the night at an inn to let some distance develop between them and the brothers.
The next day, Urias sold the mule and purchased a horse. He and Frank rode the horse back to Flatlick with no evidence of the brothers following behind. They arrived at the Campbell farm, surprised to find more uninvited guests.
“Urias?” Prudence cried and ran to meet him on the road.
“Who’s here?” he asked as he slid off the saddle.
“Mrs. Campbell’s daughter. We’ve been packing up her belongings. You bought a horse?”
“Yup. Got a good deal for him. He’s no racing horse, but he’ll get us through the hollows in more comfort than the mule.”
“Didn’t Thomas say a mule was better to travel the hollows with?”
“Yes, and I probably should have kept the mule but—it’s a long story. I’ll tell you after I get to the house.”
“All right. It’s good to see you. I’ve missed you. Why’d you shoot your rifle when you left?”
“Again, it has to do with that long story. Have you got a hot meal for a hungry man?”
“Not ready. But I can have one fixed up in no time.” Her smile captivated his heart. The push to get the hogs sold left little time to think of Prudence and their growing attraction. But the ride home with Frank had given him plenty of time to think. Too much time to think. He had the money. He could pay her dowry. But what would happen after that?
“Urias?”
“Huh?” He emerged from his dazed state.
“I really missed you.”
Urias nodded. He couldn’t speak. His deceitful heart would betray him. A man ought to know better than to give in to a woman who’d been nothing but trouble since the day he’d set eyes on her.
But was it her fault? No, at least not entirely her fault. But if she hadn’t come into the barn that second time …
And if he hadn’t wrapped her in his arms.
“Urias?”
“Huh?”
“I asked how you made out with the sale.”
“I got enough to buy Katherine’s bond and your dowry. Unless your father upped the price again, I’m going to negotiate low for you.”
Prudence’s smile faded.
“I didn’t mean that the way it sounded. I don’t want your father to know how much I earned selling the hogs. He’ll ask for more money. I’ll offer him three hundred for your dowry, and we’ll work from there. How’s that sound?”
Prudence cleared her throat.
He’d hurt her again.
“Very wise,” she croaked out.
“Prudence, I didn’t mean to say you weren’t worth more.”
“I know.”
You have a funny way of showing it, Urias mused. And he found himself constantly feeling hogtied, not knowing what to say or do around this woman. He’d been forced to marry her. He was now attracted to her. But as much as he wanted to, he couldn’t trust her, not completely. He wanted to—she’d done nothing to show she was less than trustworthy. Yet still he had his doubts. And those doubts would keep him from taking her into his arms and kissing her. Even though that’s exactly what he’d wanted to do when she’d run up to greet him.
Prudence found herself wanting to walk rather than riding double with Urias. Instead, he’d gotten down and led the horse through the narrow spots on the trail. It was well blazed by the hogs. No wonder Sherman Hatfield had found them so easily.
Her time with Mrs. Campbell had been quite an education. She’d learned little things about farming, canning, and planning out the food for the winter. She’d even been taught how to smoke a ham. When Mrs. Campbell’s daughter arrived, they spent the entire time making the house ready for Mrs. Campbell’s departure and packing up her most precious belongings. Prudence knew she would probably never see Mrs. Campbell again, but the woman had left a mark on her life that would never be erased.
They made camp near a small brook, and Urias set up a privacy area for her to wash. Tonight, she realized, they’d be sharing the tent. There were no more hogs to guard, and, from Urias’s tales of the rest of the journey, the would-be robbers were well on their way to making their own legitimate fortune.
The awkward moment came when it was time for them to go to bed for the night. “You can sleep in the tent.”
“Urias, that’s foolish. We’re two grown adults and married. I trust you.”
He opened his mouth to speak, then closed it. He didn’t trust her. That was their problem. One of their problems.
“You
don’t trust me, do you?”
He turned away from her.
She walked over to him and placed her hand on his shoulder. “Urias.”
He turned, took her in his arms, and captured her lips. Prudence found herself caught up in the emotion and returned the kiss with equal fervor. She wrapped her arms around his neck, and he pulled her closer. Finally, he broke it off.
They stood there for a moment staring at one another. He was breathing hard. Prudence wasn’t sure she was breathing at all. She could hear her heart pounding in her ears.
“I’m sorry. That shouldn’t have happened. Go to bed, Prudence. Now.” Urias walked off to the stream.
She watched for a moment until she saw him pull his shirt off, then turned and ran into the tent. Urias was right. They couldn’t spend the night beside one another.
Prudence woke the next morning, shaking. It was cold, but she doubted the shakes had anything to do with the weather. They’d have to get the annulment as soon as possible. She didn’t know how long she could live with this man and be pushed aside time after time.
It was painfully obvious he didn’t want to have feelings for her.
“Time to get up,” Urias called out. His words were crisp and to the point.
“I’ll be right out.” She changed into her traveling dress and added another layer of a light wool coat. “It’s freezing out here,” she said, crawling out of the tent. She stood up and straightened her skirts.
“Warm yourself by the fire while I take down the tent.”
“Don’t you think we ought to talk about last night?”
“Nope. It was a mistake. It won’t happen again.”
“Ah.” Prudence warmed her back by the fire, holding her palms toward the flames. All night she’d wondered what he would say regarding their passionate kiss. While she could understand him wanting to say it was a mistake, the fact still remained that they were attracted to one another. And with each passing day, she wanted to be Mrs. Urias O’Leary. Yet as they got closer to Hazel Green and her parents’ home, she knew Urias wanted nothing more than to rescue his sister and get as far away from her father as possible. She couldn’t blame him. Prudence’s own contempt for her father grew daily. She had never seen him treat another in business in such a way.
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