be fair-minded,” he said tightly. “And find out the facts before you condemned me. A man’s got to make a living. I ain’t ashamed.”
Hannah drew up to her full height and looked Liam directly in the face. What she saw there was anger and exasperation, but the longer she looked the more those things gave way to the guilt she had hoped to see. Guilt without penitence, but it was a start.
She said, “I’m ashamed for you.”
Liam flinched, but his voice was steady and low and completely cold. He said, “The woman I’m after put a knife in a man’s throat on the Newburgh dock. When I take her back she’ll be tried for murder and hung.”
“If she’s guilty,” Hannah said.
“She’s guilty.”
“Well, then, I suppose her owner won’t be pleased,” she said, hearing the bitterness in her voice. “Losing his investment to the gallows.”
“I don’t think he’ll mind much,” said Liam. “It was him she put the knife into. This one.” He took a hunting knife from a sheath on his belt. The carved ivory handle was grimy with dirt and dried blood. Hannah studied it for a moment and then she looked Liam directly in the eye.
“I hope she’s halfway to Montreal by now.”
There was a glittering in his eyes, anger as sharp as the knife in his hand. Liam said, “I’ll wager she’s not much closer to Montreal than I am. If that’s where she’s headed.”
Hannah began to turn away. “I’ll give your message to my grandfather and father.”
“Tell them that it won’t serve anybody if they stand in the way of the law.”
In her surprise, Hannah laughed. “I’d like to see you look Hawkeye in the eye and tell him what he owes the law. You’ve been away longer than I thought, if you believe that will get you anywhere.”
Liam turned his head away from her and said, “I have been gone enough years to put this place behind me. I can’t remember why I stayed as long as I did.”
He meant to hurt her, but Hannah swallowed it down and kept her voice steady. She said, “It was your home. Everybody needs one.”
She watched the column of muscles in his throat flex as he swallowed, and then he managed a smile. “Oh, I got a place. Went to housekeeping last fall. I’d like to finish my business and get back to my family.”
The words hung there between them, almost visible in the air.
“I can understand that,” Hannah said very softly. “I’d rather be home myself right now.”
Liam said, “Then I’ll say my farewells. In case we don’t meet again. Will you shake hands with me, Squirrel?”
It was the name that struck so hard, hearing her Kahnyen’kehàka girl-name out of his mouth. Hannah sucked in a breath and held it, felt her fists like stone at her side. When she took his hand he started at the cold; she felt the shock move up his arm. He was looking down at her, but she turned away without meeting his gaze and never looked back, not even when he called after her.
“Tell them I’ll wait at the trading post!”
When she had disappeared into the trees, Liam sat down and bent forward to cross his arms over his head. He squeezed his eyes shut and forced his breathing to slow. Every word she had said echoed in his head as loud as a gunshot.
Hannah. Oh, Christ.
One of the dogs pushed against his leg and nuzzled into thecrook of his arm. Liam slung an arm around her neck and put his face against the fur that smelled of lake water and mud.
“So tell me, Treenie, do you think that could have gone any worse?”
She nuzzled him again and made sympathetic noises.
Liam sat up again and looked around himself. There was something on the stones, white and square: a letter. Hannah had left a letter for him.
It was a good while before he could make himself move and then Liam sat for a longer time looking at the handwriting.
Liam Kirby
At Lake in the Clouds
Paradise
On the west branch of the Sacandaga
New-York State
The handwriting of a young girl, slightly rounded and uneven. A letter
Hannah drew up to her full height and looked Liam directly in the face. What she saw there was anger and exasperation, but the longer she looked the more those things gave way to the guilt she had hoped to see. Guilt without penitence, but it was a start.
She said, “I’m ashamed for you.”
Liam flinched, but his voice was steady and low and completely cold. He said, “The woman I’m after put a knife in a man’s throat on the Newburgh dock. When I take her back she’ll be tried for murder and hung.”
“If she’s guilty,” Hannah said.
“She’s guilty.”
“Well, then, I suppose her owner won’t be pleased,” she said, hearing the bitterness in her voice. “Losing his investment to the gallows.”
“I don’t think he’ll mind much,” said Liam. “It was him she put the knife into. This one.” He took a hunting knife from a sheath on his belt. The carved ivory handle was grimy with dirt and dried blood. Hannah studied it for a moment and then she looked Liam directly in the eye.
“I hope she’s halfway to Montreal by now.”
There was a glittering in his eyes, anger as sharp as the knife in his hand. Liam said, “I’ll wager she’s not much closer to Montreal than I am. If that’s where she’s headed.”
Hannah began to turn away. “I’ll give your message to my grandfather and father.”
“Tell them that it won’t serve anybody if they stand in the way of the law.”
In her surprise, Hannah laughed. “I’d like to see you look Hawkeye in the eye and tell him what he owes the law. You’ve been away longer than I thought, if you believe that will get you anywhere.”
Liam turned his head away from her and said, “I have been gone enough years to put this place behind me. I can’t remember why I stayed as long as I did.”
He meant to hurt her, but Hannah swallowed it down and kept her voice steady. She said, “It was your home. Everybody needs one.”
She watched the column of muscles in his throat flex as he swallowed, and then he managed a smile. “Oh, I got a place. Went to housekeeping last fall. I’d like to finish my business and get back to my family.”
The words hung there between them, almost visible in the air.
“I can understand that,” Hannah said very softly. “I’d rather be home myself right now.”
Liam said, “Then I’ll say my farewells. In case we don’t meet again. Will you shake hands with me, Squirrel?”
It was the name that struck so hard, hearing her Kahnyen’kehàka girl-name out of his mouth. Hannah sucked in a breath and held it, felt her fists like stone at her side. When she took his hand he started at the cold; she felt the shock move up his arm. He was looking down at her, but she turned away without meeting his gaze and never looked back, not even when he called after her.
“Tell them I’ll wait at the trading post!”
When she had disappeared into the trees, Liam sat down and bent forward to cross his arms over his head. He squeezed his eyes shut and forced his breathing to slow. Every word she had said echoed in his head as loud as a gunshot.
Hannah. Oh, Christ.
One of the dogs pushed against his leg and nuzzled into thecrook of his arm. Liam slung an arm around her neck and put his face against the fur that smelled of lake water and mud.
“So tell me, Treenie, do you think that could have gone any worse?”
She nuzzled him again and made sympathetic noises.
Liam sat up again and looked around himself. There was something on the stones, white and square: a letter. Hannah had left a letter for him.
It was a good while before he could make himself move and then Liam sat for a longer time looking at the handwriting.
Liam Kirby
At Lake in the Clouds
Paradise
On the west branch of the Sacandaga
New-York State
The handwriting of a young girl, slightly rounded and uneven. A letter
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