Chapter Eight #2
“Just a bag inside, Miss.” The driver leaped back off the top and met her at the door. “Was he really your father?”
Prudence nodded, her teeth clamping down on her bottom lip to hold back more tears.
“I’m sorry for your loss.” He opened the door and pulled out her father’s traveling bag.
Accepting the bag, she looked at the driver. “Do you know how he knew where to find me?”
The driver shook his head. Murmuring her thanks, Prudence walked back over to Emily and didn’t bother to turn as the stage pulled out. Part of her wondered if he should stay until the marshal came back. Perhaps he knew something important, but Prudence couldn’t bother with the details.
“Let’s go inside, Prudence. I can put Alex down for his nap and make a pot of tea.”
Numbly, she followed Emily towards the store. Once inside, Prudence moved to the seat, which she affectionately called her seat in the corner. She put the bag on her lap and started pulling things out.
There was an envelope with an Omaha address on it. Carefully pulling out the letter, she felt a sense of dread sweep over her once more.
Reverend Underwood,
I was surprised to see your daughter in Omaha recently. More so than to find out that she married the local minister’s son. I thought she was ineligible to be wed.
Let me know if you require anything.
J. Crumb
Anger. That was what she was feeling. She did not know any Crumbs and had seen no one she recognized when she’d been in Omaha.
All her careful plans to escape Boston and her father had crumbled because of an unseen Crumb.
This was something she could show Hubert.
If he listened to her.
Hubert found himself perched among the rafters of the Landry barn. He couldn’t shake off the feeling of wishing he were in town with Prudence instead. They had never been apart for longer than a few hours before, and he was taken aback by how much he missed her.
“Rider coming!” Silas called out, and Hubert almost fell off the beam he was sitting on. With speed and precision, he secured the last few nails into the board and hastily descended the nearest ladder.
“Jackson!”
Hubert heard Irving calling for the lawman and hurried his steps. He found the others standing near the porch, a jumble of voices making no sense to his ears until he heard her name. Prudence! None of the words made sense.
“John, I’m sorry, but we’re going to have to go.” The marshal glanced at the farmer and shook his head.
“I appreciate all the help, fellas. Do you need me to ride in?”
Glancing at Irving, the other man shook his head. “Mostly, I need the Rev and the marshal,” Irving said.
Hubert’s chest clenched. He stepped forward, torn between the urge to ask questions and the longing to just ride away.
“Seems I killed your father-in-law today. Your missus is at the Easton’s. She was just shaken, not hurt.”
That was all he needed to hear. He didn’t even bother to say goodbye as he rushed to his horse.
He was confident that the others would handle the specifics, but his wife was a different story.
As he rode on horseback, he covered the distance with ease, only stopping briefly to let a stagecoach go by before reaching the town.
He briefly considered stopping the stagecoach to make sure she wasn’t on it, but he felt a strong urging from the Holy Spirit to continue. The horse was winded when they finally came to a halt in front of the mercantile.
They both were.
Hubert took a moment to collect himself, saying a silent prayer for the words needed.
He felt calmer entering the store, and then he saw Prudence with her puffy little face and tear streaks.
He felt relief knowing that she was still in town, but it quickly turned into anger and a powerful urge to protect her.
No one should make Prudence cry. No one.
“Pru,” he whispered, approaching her carefully.
“I’m sorry,” she sniffled.
Kneeling, he tugged her fretting fingers into his hands. She wouldn’t look up. He continued tugging on her fingers until she met his gaze.
“I didn’t mean to cause trouble. Please don’t send me away.” She crumbled into his arms and began sobbing once more.
Hubert collected her to him and cast his gaze at Emily, who stood nearby.
“Her father was on the stage that just came through. He said terrible things to her. When Joel and Irving tried to intercede, he pulled a weapon. Irving fired a shot, and she’s been blaming herself ever since.
She found something in his bag and was murmuring to herself about you never forgiving her.
” Emily reached over and picked up the piece of paper.
When she made a scoffing sound, he felt his eyebrows climb into his forehead.
“It looks like Jeffrey Crumb has reared his ugly head again.”
Hubert reached out a hand and took the letter, tucking it into his pocket. “I’m going to take her home. The others are coming back. Are you hurt?”
“No. She protected us.” Emily gave him a soft smile, nodding her head. “I’ll hold on to the bag.”
With that settled, Hubert scooped his bride into his arms and made his way out of the building and across the road. He was thankful they lived in a place where the doors didn’t have to be locked as he let himself back inside the boarding house, kicking it closed behind him.
Prudence was quiet now, her breathing more even, and he wondered if she’d fallen asleep.
Carrying her up the stairs, he paused briefly between the two doors.
There was no decision to be made. He took her to his room.
Kicking the door shut with his heel, Hubert gently laid his wife on the bed and tried to untangle her fingers from his shirt.
Lord, what am I supposed to do?
The response was swift and came with his next breath.
Love her as you love me.