"But you're a member of the family now and we"
"Pa, you're making a mistake if you get soft with this one!"
"James, we made a bargain, and we'll keep it. Now that's the finish! We'll forget the bad blood between you two and we'll go on from there. I don't expect anything like this to happen again, understand?"
"Pa"
"Do you understand, James?"
His fair face flushing, James hesitated only a moment before giving a short, jerking nod in response.
Turning so that his narrowed gaze touched on Delaney's stiff face, Jacob Case continued. "Just a simple word of warning, boy. Mrs. Case is a good woman, and I'll not stand for you or anybody taking advantage of her. It's also my thought that the girl will follow your lead. She looks at you like you're one step down from God. She trusts you. I'll be expecting you to be worthy of that trust and not lead her astray."
Delaney's unrevealing facade cracked.
"How I treat Allie is my business! And while we're setting things straight, I have something else to say: The way you treat Allie is my business, too."
His eyes narrowing into slits, Mr. Case assessed Delaney's anger, openly revealed for the first time.
"All right, I suppose you have a right to make yourself clear. I'll answer you by saying I hear you. Now I want to know if you heard me, too."
His cheek ticking tensely, Delaney nodded.
"All right. As far as I'm concerned, all's been said that need be said." Jacob Case turned to his son. "I'm thinking you should go back and take care of the horses and the wagon after all, James. I'll take Delaney around the farm. I'll see you back in the house when your ma calls us for supper."
His expression tight, James strode away without another word. Jacob Case watched his son's stiff figure until he disappeared from sight. He turned back to Delaney with a silently measuring gaze.
"All right, let's get on with it, then. I don't know how much you know about farming, but I expect you'll learn easy enough. You'll be expected to do your fair share of the work around here, and there's plenty to be done. As for the plowing, we do it with oxen on this farm. We have two horses, old Maggie, and the gelding James was riding, and we take good care of both. Most of the crops've been taken in already this year, but that doesn't mean we lack for things to do. Starting tomorrow, I'll be expecting you to pitch right in."
Delaney followed Jacob Case back toward the barn in silence. This was not going to be easy.
Allie looked down at her plate. The meal she had been eagerly anticipating had gone tasteless in her mouth, and her appetite had disappeared. She cast a quick glance around the table. Mrs. Case's attempt to ease the tension that hung over the dinner table had been unsuccessful. Something was dreadfully wrong.
Mr. Case made an effort to respond enthusiastically to his wife's conversation, but it was obvious that his mind was taken with other things. Perhaps those other things had to do with James's silence and the way he kept his eyes glued to his plate, lifting them only for an occasional glance. Allie felt the weight of James's gaze a time or two. She attempted a smile but received only a glare in return. But most disturbing of all was the anger in James's expression when he looked at Delaney. Tension tightened into a knot in Allie's stomach. She did not understand what was going on.
Delaney contributed little to the conversation except short, polite responses to direct questions. He caught her eye several times during the meal, and although he did not smile, she was comforted to know that his thoughts were with her.
As for Sarah… Allie lowered her eyes guiltily. It was not her place either to approve or disapprove of the real daughter in her new home, but Sarah was a disappointment. Having been an only child, Allie had been truly
"Pa, you're making a mistake if you get soft with this one!"
"James, we made a bargain, and we'll keep it. Now that's the finish! We'll forget the bad blood between you two and we'll go on from there. I don't expect anything like this to happen again, understand?"
"Pa"
"Do you understand, James?"
His fair face flushing, James hesitated only a moment before giving a short, jerking nod in response.
Turning so that his narrowed gaze touched on Delaney's stiff face, Jacob Case continued. "Just a simple word of warning, boy. Mrs. Case is a good woman, and I'll not stand for you or anybody taking advantage of her. It's also my thought that the girl will follow your lead. She looks at you like you're one step down from God. She trusts you. I'll be expecting you to be worthy of that trust and not lead her astray."
Delaney's unrevealing facade cracked.
"How I treat Allie is my business! And while we're setting things straight, I have something else to say: The way you treat Allie is my business, too."
His eyes narrowing into slits, Mr. Case assessed Delaney's anger, openly revealed for the first time.
"All right, I suppose you have a right to make yourself clear. I'll answer you by saying I hear you. Now I want to know if you heard me, too."
His cheek ticking tensely, Delaney nodded.
"All right. As far as I'm concerned, all's been said that need be said." Jacob Case turned to his son. "I'm thinking you should go back and take care of the horses and the wagon after all, James. I'll take Delaney around the farm. I'll see you back in the house when your ma calls us for supper."
His expression tight, James strode away without another word. Jacob Case watched his son's stiff figure until he disappeared from sight. He turned back to Delaney with a silently measuring gaze.
"All right, let's get on with it, then. I don't know how much you know about farming, but I expect you'll learn easy enough. You'll be expected to do your fair share of the work around here, and there's plenty to be done. As for the plowing, we do it with oxen on this farm. We have two horses, old Maggie, and the gelding James was riding, and we take good care of both. Most of the crops've been taken in already this year, but that doesn't mean we lack for things to do. Starting tomorrow, I'll be expecting you to pitch right in."
Delaney followed Jacob Case back toward the barn in silence. This was not going to be easy.
Allie looked down at her plate. The meal she had been eagerly anticipating had gone tasteless in her mouth, and her appetite had disappeared. She cast a quick glance around the table. Mrs. Case's attempt to ease the tension that hung over the dinner table had been unsuccessful. Something was dreadfully wrong.
Mr. Case made an effort to respond enthusiastically to his wife's conversation, but it was obvious that his mind was taken with other things. Perhaps those other things had to do with James's silence and the way he kept his eyes glued to his plate, lifting them only for an occasional glance. Allie felt the weight of James's gaze a time or two. She attempted a smile but received only a glare in return. But most disturbing of all was the anger in James's expression when he looked at Delaney. Tension tightened into a knot in Allie's stomach. She did not understand what was going on.
Delaney contributed little to the conversation except short, polite responses to direct questions. He caught her eye several times during the meal, and although he did not smile, she was comforted to know that his thoughts were with her.
As for Sarah… Allie lowered her eyes guiltily. It was not her place either to approve or disapprove of the real daughter in her new home, but Sarah was a disappointment. Having been an only child, Allie had been truly
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