“No one I know of specifically.”
He leaned against his work bench and eyed her. “What do ye mean specifically.”
Beti paused. It would be so good to unburden herself to someone. Someone who could help her keep watch, but it wasn’t him. If she told him about the looters, he’d decide she was incapable of the trip that would lead to her freedom from such worries forever.
“A single woman is never really sure someone is not following her to do her a harm. It is just the risk one takes for being among strangers.”
Concern deepened into his brown eyes. “Has anyone bothered ye?”
“No.” It was the truth. One insinuating remark at Morgan’s did not count as a botheration. It was scary if she refined on it, but she wasn’t refining. She’d stopped doing that three days after the event. “No one has bothered me.”
“But ye are afraid that someone will,” he countered.
“No. But someone suggested to Captain Taylor that I might not be respectable.”
“And ye have no idea why that might be?”
She ignored his question. “And per Captain Taylor’s direction I must hire a man to accompany me to Kentucky, so I will now require two wagons.”
It took a minute for his brain to catch up with the cannonading of his heart. Her clear, blue-green eyes were like no eyes he’d ever seen before. Anger and frustration brought every muscle of her body to life, and Zeke stood there mesmerized. Miss Sigridottir was the most alive person he’d ever seen. Without understanding why, he knew right then that she was meant to be his.
He shook his head. Nothing was ever that simple. Then he realized what she had said.
Zeke nearly sputtered. “He said what?”
“Ye heard me correctly. I need two wagons. Will that be a problem? If so, I would appreciate a recommendation for someone else. Even if it means I buy one from ye and one from the other person whom ye recommend.”
Zeke was still spinning from the first statement. “Ye should not need two wagons. The hired man can travel on horseback.”
“I suppose ye are right.”
“We are not entirely certain that a wagon will make it over the trail at this point.”
Her eyes widened in surprise. “No?”
“No. So I would save the money on a second wagon.”
She rewarded him with a hesitant smile. “I suppose I acted in haste. I confess, I met with Captain Taylor only this past hour and have not had a proper time to think the thing through. How would ye like me to pay?”
“Half now. The rest when I deliver.”
She slipped a hand into her skirts. “How much?”
Zeke walked over to his work bench and wrote up the order and gave her the price. She placed the money on the bench.
“What exactly did Isaac, Captain Taylor, tell ye?”
“Whatever ye may think, Mr. Smith, I am not a simpleton. I understood perfectly that Captain Taylor insisted I hire a man to accompany me to Kentucky. He was quite generous in that he did not require me to marry the man. I only have to travel with him, a stranger, across the wilderness.” Stiff anger punctuated her words.
Zeke couldn’t like it. Not after the men he’d seen last night.
“How will ye find this man?”
“I know not, but I have spoken with Mrs. Thornton. In fact, she was there when he required this of me. Not of her mind ye—“
“Aggie has us.”
“So I understand. Kind of ye to stand by her.”
Of course, they would stand by the wife of their fallen friend. They weren’t barbarians. What did she think?
She moved to leave.
“I can help ye.”
“I am sure ye will have ye hands full helping Aggie.”
“I meant I can help ye find a good man to accompany ye.”
Her face pinked. She lowered her eyes and he kept his hand from gently lifting her chin so he could see them once again.
“Of course ye did. I apologize. Thank ye for the wagon.” She left in a swirl of sawdust.
Worry knotted her stomach. If it wasn’t Zeke Smith spreading falsehoods, who was it?
While Mr. Morgan helped another customer, Beti found herself staring at barrels of flour. How much would she need? She had a list given out to the group by Captain Taylor, but the unknown stretched out before her. Where would she replenish along the route? How much was really enough? How long before her stores spoiled?
