“Perhaps because Mr. Reed has not been here since he left?”
Dorcas pointed out the knife Ann should use to slice the bread. “Now the only question left is what are ye doing riding on a lovely Christmastide day with Mr. Reed Archer?”
“We are spending the season with his family.” Ann felt heat in her own cheeks. “That is, my family and others are spending Christmas with his family at Archer Hall. He asked to accompany me today. I didn’t tell him where I was going.”
A blaze of anger from Dorcas cooled the room. “Did ye think to confront him?”
“No, I mean, I don’t think so.” Ann drew the knife across the crusty loaf. “I guess I wouldn’t have minded if a confrontation happened, but I did not deliberately plan for him to be here. He asked if he could come, and I said yes. I should have warned them both. I am sorry.”
“Obviously there is no harm done, but perhaps it is best if ye stick to yer own business instead of meddling with others.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
The twinkle returned to Dorcas’s eyes. “So, what will ye do about Mr. Reed Archer?”
The lightness she felt bubbled out her response. “I don’t know. I honestly do not know what I will do now.”
The warmth she felt at the power of forgiveness grew throughout the meal they shared. It expanded each time Reed walked his long fingers across the table and sent the boys into giggles. Perhaps she had misjudged him by casting the sins of the father onto the undeserving son.
Eventually they mounted and headed to the Archer home. Their pacers ambled through the gently falling snow more sure-footed than Ann thought she would be in such weather. They rode the first mile as silent as they had ridden the last mile to Richard’s house this morning. Reed’s demeanor had softened while they were at the Hobsons’, but Ann wasn’t sure the change would remain in effect when they’d left to head home. “Ye knew what I thought.”
“About Richard and me?” He arrested the movement forward. “Yes.”
“Why didn’t ye tell me?”
“Ye didn’t deserve to know.”
Her anger blazed to life. She urged her horse forward.
5
“I didn’t deserve to know?” she repeated.
“A poor choice of words.” It still pointed to the issue he’d not resolved. How could they move forward if this is what she thought of him? How could he have been so wrong about her, about what he thought he’d heard from the Lord about her? He should start to purge her from his mind.
Snow salted the path before them outlining tree branches against a gray sky.
“Would ye have believed me?”
“I don’t know.”
A slice of anger dissipated in her honesty. “Right. Ye needed to see Richard.”
She spun in her saddle to face him. “I didn’t go there for that. Ye asked to come with me, remember?”
“Yes, but ye could have told me.”
She righted herself to the front. “Yes. I should have told ye, and if I could have gotten a message to him, I should have warned Richard.”
Yes, she should have. The scowl of remorse on her face did the trick, the last of his anger disappeared.
Thickening snow didn’t slow the horses’ amble on the narrow path through the woods. They walked for some minutes in the midst of snow heavy branches.
“Are ye warm enough?”
She nodded as a ghost of a smile lifted the corners of her lips. “I told ye, snow is…magic.”
Everything he’d felt today seemed all at once to be fired up and racing through his blood to fill up his heart until it would burst. He needed to walk. “Can we stop for just a minute?”
Ann pulled her pacer to a stop.
Reed dismounted.
She slipped down into his offered hands. She stepped away as soon as her feet were stable.
“About that night.”
“It doesn’t matter anymore. Richard has forgiven ye.”
Snowflakes landed gently on her upturned face. Being this close to her tempted him to forget his reservations and take her into his arms. “That’s not what I wanted—let’s walk.”
The path was just wide enough for two. Reed took the reins of both horses. They fell into step behind him. He took a deep breath and related the events of that horrible night over five years ago. About Hugh’s leadership and Reed’s role. “Apparently I’m easily led when I’m in my cups.”
“Does Richard know about Hugh?”
“I’m not sure. We’ve talked about my responsibility. Honestly, it was my fault. It was Hugh’s idea, but he’s not strong enough to tip an outhouse. Only I could have done that.”
“Was he there?”
