shortage?”
“Yes. I
hate to think that I have a thief in my employ, but if I can’t figure this out
in the books, I’ll have to assume … .” He didn’t finish.
“You
suspect someone?” she asked.
“No. I
don’t. That’s just it.”
“Perhaps
you were robbed by some intruder?”
He shook his
head. “There’s no evidence to point to that.” The more Aaron
considered the matter, the more it was clear he was disturbed. He eyed his wife
and then looked away, then eyed her again, as if he wanted to say something but
didn’t know how. “You don’t suppose that Darcy … ” he began.
“Aaron
no!” Abigail exclaimed. “How could you ever…”
“Very
easily, considering her past.”
“But that
was the past.”
“I just
don’t know, I just don’t know.” He shook his head and breathed out a
heavyhearted sigh, then walked toward the door. At the last minute he turned
about and leveled another penetrating stare.
“If you
know anything, Abigail, you’d better tell me,” he said.
“You know
I would,” she said meekly in response.
Did he hear
how her voice quivered, or see how her knees were knocking under her skirt, or
how her whole body tensed up at his warning? Leaving straightaway, she hoped
that all those clues to her guilt passed him by.
And with the
stew he was in, she imagined they had. But once alone, Abigail broke out in
tears, thinking of her whole horrible morning, and the awful dilemma she was
faced with. Her lies, her deception, stolen money, a sick friend and a husband
that was watching her every move. At least for the moment there would be no
going anywhere. Strange, he hadn’t even asked her where she’d been certainly
that was a slip of the mind. When he finally did think to ask her, she’d need a
better answer than her earlier tonguedtied attempt.
Aaron returned
for lunch just an hour later. His mood had not lightened, and the couple ate in
silence, until he pushed away from the table and rose to leave.
“I have
to make a delivery up the mountain. I trust you’ll behave yourself while I’m
gone?” he asked.
“I
wouldn’t dare not to,” Abigail said with a faint grin, and she reached
around and felt her still sore behind.
“Good,”
he nodded, and he turned and left.
Ah! It was the
chance she was looking for. There should be plenty of time to get to Darcy’s
barn and back before Aaron returned from his trip of the steep mountain trail.
He wouldn’t likely be home until at least five that evening.
A half hour
later, just to make certain that there hadn’t been a change of plans, Abigail
put several oatmeal cookies in a bundle and dashed toward the mill where she
could see with her own eyes that Aaron was indeed leaving for the afternoon.
“ Here. A little peace offering,” she said, handing him
his favorite cookies. “You forgot them at dinner.”
“Thank
you,” he nodded. He gave her his first smile since early morning.
“And
should I plan our supper late?”
“No, I
should return by four, by five if the high road is bad, but I don’t suspect
so.”
She nodded as
if she was happy to hear that news. “Then I’ll see you in a few
hours.” Her most charming grin was melting his dour mood even more. And
leaning over he gave her a kiss on the mouth. If there weren’t so many secrets
between them right now, she would have been heartened by the affectionate
gesture. She expected that her unsuspecting husband would be good company in
bed that night, she could even feel herself swoon a bit letting the strength of
his nature, which always aroused her, tickle her body in a delicious way.
Abigail waited
at the mill while Aaron hitched the horses to the wagon, and then waved gayly to him as he pulled out of the mill yard. Once he was
out of sight however, she made her way straight to the house, and gathered a
few things together, knowing that she would have to move fast to make the trip
back to Darcy without being found out.
“My,
you’re looking
“Yes. I
hate to think that I have a thief in my employ, but if I can’t figure this out
in the books, I’ll have to assume … .” He didn’t finish.
“You
suspect someone?” she asked.
“No. I
don’t. That’s just it.”
“Perhaps
you were robbed by some intruder?”
He shook his
head. “There’s no evidence to point to that.” The more Aaron
considered the matter, the more it was clear he was disturbed. He eyed his wife
and then looked away, then eyed her again, as if he wanted to say something but
didn’t know how. “You don’t suppose that Darcy … ” he began.
“Aaron
no!” Abigail exclaimed. “How could you ever…”
“Very
easily, considering her past.”
“But that
was the past.”
“I just
don’t know, I just don’t know.” He shook his head and breathed out a
heavyhearted sigh, then walked toward the door. At the last minute he turned
about and leveled another penetrating stare.
“If you
know anything, Abigail, you’d better tell me,” he said.
“You know
I would,” she said meekly in response.
Did he hear
how her voice quivered, or see how her knees were knocking under her skirt, or
how her whole body tensed up at his warning? Leaving straightaway, she hoped
that all those clues to her guilt passed him by.
And with the
stew he was in, she imagined they had. But once alone, Abigail broke out in
tears, thinking of her whole horrible morning, and the awful dilemma she was
faced with. Her lies, her deception, stolen money, a sick friend and a husband
that was watching her every move. At least for the moment there would be no
going anywhere. Strange, he hadn’t even asked her where she’d been certainly
that was a slip of the mind. When he finally did think to ask her, she’d need a
better answer than her earlier tonguedtied attempt.
Aaron returned
for lunch just an hour later. His mood had not lightened, and the couple ate in
silence, until he pushed away from the table and rose to leave.
“I have
to make a delivery up the mountain. I trust you’ll behave yourself while I’m
gone?” he asked.
“I
wouldn’t dare not to,” Abigail said with a faint grin, and she reached
around and felt her still sore behind.
“Good,”
he nodded, and he turned and left.
Ah! It was the
chance she was looking for. There should be plenty of time to get to Darcy’s
barn and back before Aaron returned from his trip of the steep mountain trail.
He wouldn’t likely be home until at least five that evening.
A half hour
later, just to make certain that there hadn’t been a change of plans, Abigail
put several oatmeal cookies in a bundle and dashed toward the mill where she
could see with her own eyes that Aaron was indeed leaving for the afternoon.
“ Here. A little peace offering,” she said, handing him
his favorite cookies. “You forgot them at dinner.”
“Thank
you,” he nodded. He gave her his first smile since early morning.
“And
should I plan our supper late?”
“No, I
should return by four, by five if the high road is bad, but I don’t suspect
so.”
She nodded as
if she was happy to hear that news. “Then I’ll see you in a few
hours.” Her most charming grin was melting his dour mood even more. And
leaning over he gave her a kiss on the mouth. If there weren’t so many secrets
between them right now, she would have been heartened by the affectionate
gesture. She expected that her unsuspecting husband would be good company in
bed that night, she could even feel herself swoon a bit letting the strength of
his nature, which always aroused her, tickle her body in a delicious way.
Abigail waited
at the mill while Aaron hitched the horses to the wagon, and then waved gayly to him as he pulled out of the mill yard. Once he was
out of sight however, she made her way straight to the house, and gathered a
few things together, knowing that she would have to move fast to make the trip
back to Darcy without being found out.
“My,
you’re looking
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