Into the Wilderness
Page 110
"Dr. Todd," he said without smiling. "Early, ain't it, for a morning call? I'll ask you just once to take your hands off my wife, and I hope you'll take heed, man. It would be a shame to make a mess of Sally's floor."
Richard's expression went suddenly blank and his eyes narrowed. He hesitated for two heartbeats and then, with a disdainful jerk of his hands, he released Elizabeth.
She stumbled into the kitchen, pulling her shawl around herself. With a look divided between disgust and complete fury, she came to stand, very straight and still, behind Nathaniel.
Nathaniel slowly lowered his rifle, but kept his finger on the trigger. At that moment, Runs-from-Bears appeared in the door frame behind Richard, his tomahawk in one hand.
Elizabeth drew in a sharp breath.
"Don't worry, Boots," Nathaniel said easily. "No harm is going to come to Dr. Todd today. Unless he puts himself in harm's way. Ain't that so, Bears?"
Richard still hadn't spoken. His face, as impassive as it had been, settled even further.
"Sally," Nathaniel said easily, his eyes still fixed on Richard. "I think Mr. Schuyler would like to know he's got company."
"Yes, indeed," Richard spoke up. "Tell him we've got a matter of the law to deal with, and we'd appreciate his counsel."
The woman hesitated, touching Elizabeth's shoulder. "Perhaps you should come along with me," she said. "Mrs. Bonner?"
"Don't call her that!" Richard fairly spat.
"That is my name." Elizabeth spoke before Nathaniel could. From the corner of his eye he could see her, her chin up, her eyes flashing with a heat and trembling anger he had never before experienced from her. But she had control of herself, and Nathaniel was pleased to see that.
"And I'll thank you not to interfere in things that are none of your business," she concluded.
Nathaniel watched Richard closely, seeing the way he struggled with his temper, ready to act if he lost the battle.
"This is my business," Richard said finally. "And I have no doubt Mr. Schuyler will agree that the law's on my side here."
"Ja, and the devil, too, most likely," muttered Sally Gerlach, and she turned to leave the kitchen.
* * *
They assembled in the parlor, at Mr. Schuyler's insistence, at eight o'clock. This gave Elizabeth and Nathaniel time to dress, and Richard Todd time to clean up and collect himself.
Thus Elizabeth found herself in almost exactly the same spot where she had stood to be married, less than a day ago, once again with Nathaniel at her side but this time with Richard Todd's cold and angry stare to contend with. Elizabeth was calm, now that there was nothing left to do but confront him. She thought over what had come to pass, and could not find it in herself to either regret or be ashamed of what she had done. This gave her the ability to meet Richard's stare with complete equanimity.
Mr. Schuyler stood, with his arms at his side, in front of the hearth, and kept his silence while they took their places. He was stern and closemouthed, his dark eyes hooded. He had been dressing for travel when Sally had knocked in much agitation on his door, but he had handled the strange situation in his kitchen as if it were nothing out of the ordinary. Now, Elizabeth could not tell if he was angry, and if so, where his anger was focused. In any case, the friendly and deferential man who had told stories at her wedding party was gone.
"There is some business that needs to be aired, it seems," he began. He pursed his mouth, glanced at each of them in turn, and then carried on. "Perhaps Dr. Todd will tell us to what end he has intruded on the peace of my household and attacked one of my guests." This was said very quietly, but there was no doubt that Mr. Schuyler would have an answer.
Elizabeth saw a flicker of doubt on Richard's face.
"That's simple enough," he said. His voice was hoarse, as if he had been shouting. He looked directly at Elizabeth and ignored Nathaniel.
"I'm here to fetch Elizabeth Middleton back to Paradise, at her father's request."
"Am I a sack of flour, or one of your runaway slaves?" Elizabeth began, but Mr. Schuyler shook his head gently at her. At the same time she felt Nathaniel's hand at her elbow. She dropped her head to gather her thoughts.
"I am an adult, in full possession of my faculties," she said, and then she met Mr. Schuyler's gaze.
"And as you know, sir, I am a married woman. Dr.
Todd had no right to order me about before I married, and he has less now."
"You are not legally married," Richard countered. Elizabeth felt Nathaniel stiffen beside her, but Mr. Schuyler spoke first.
"I beg to differ," he said. "Nathaniel?"
Without taking his gaze away from Richard, Nathaniel took a piece of paper from his shirt and handed it to Philip Schuyler.
"A signed marriage contract," he affirmed. "Witnessed by myself and my lady, yesterday evening in this room. They are legally wed, Dr. Todd, and pardon me, Elizabeth—Nathaniel, I assume the marriage was consummated? Yes. Well. So whatever your feelings on this, Dr. Todd, there is nothing you can do about it." He hesitated, and then spoke quickly. "I might also add that your behavior this morning shows an appalling lack of manners and good breeding."
"Miss Middleton had made a legally binding vow to me," Richard said softly. "And I intend to hold her to those terms." Elizabeth uttered something between an outraged laugh and an oath.
Richard's expression went suddenly blank and his eyes narrowed. He hesitated for two heartbeats and then, with a disdainful jerk of his hands, he released Elizabeth.
She stumbled into the kitchen, pulling her shawl around herself. With a look divided between disgust and complete fury, she came to stand, very straight and still, behind Nathaniel.
Nathaniel slowly lowered his rifle, but kept his finger on the trigger. At that moment, Runs-from-Bears appeared in the door frame behind Richard, his tomahawk in one hand.
Elizabeth drew in a sharp breath.
"Don't worry, Boots," Nathaniel said easily. "No harm is going to come to Dr. Todd today. Unless he puts himself in harm's way. Ain't that so, Bears?"
Richard still hadn't spoken. His face, as impassive as it had been, settled even further.
"Sally," Nathaniel said easily, his eyes still fixed on Richard. "I think Mr. Schuyler would like to know he's got company."
"Yes, indeed," Richard spoke up. "Tell him we've got a matter of the law to deal with, and we'd appreciate his counsel."
The woman hesitated, touching Elizabeth's shoulder. "Perhaps you should come along with me," she said. "Mrs. Bonner?"
"Don't call her that!" Richard fairly spat.
"That is my name." Elizabeth spoke before Nathaniel could. From the corner of his eye he could see her, her chin up, her eyes flashing with a heat and trembling anger he had never before experienced from her. But she had control of herself, and Nathaniel was pleased to see that.
"And I'll thank you not to interfere in things that are none of your business," she concluded.
Nathaniel watched Richard closely, seeing the way he struggled with his temper, ready to act if he lost the battle.
"This is my business," Richard said finally. "And I have no doubt Mr. Schuyler will agree that the law's on my side here."
"Ja, and the devil, too, most likely," muttered Sally Gerlach, and she turned to leave the kitchen.
* * *
They assembled in the parlor, at Mr. Schuyler's insistence, at eight o'clock. This gave Elizabeth and Nathaniel time to dress, and Richard Todd time to clean up and collect himself.
Thus Elizabeth found herself in almost exactly the same spot where she had stood to be married, less than a day ago, once again with Nathaniel at her side but this time with Richard Todd's cold and angry stare to contend with. Elizabeth was calm, now that there was nothing left to do but confront him. She thought over what had come to pass, and could not find it in herself to either regret or be ashamed of what she had done. This gave her the ability to meet Richard's stare with complete equanimity.
Mr. Schuyler stood, with his arms at his side, in front of the hearth, and kept his silence while they took their places. He was stern and closemouthed, his dark eyes hooded. He had been dressing for travel when Sally had knocked in much agitation on his door, but he had handled the strange situation in his kitchen as if it were nothing out of the ordinary. Now, Elizabeth could not tell if he was angry, and if so, where his anger was focused. In any case, the friendly and deferential man who had told stories at her wedding party was gone.
"There is some business that needs to be aired, it seems," he began. He pursed his mouth, glanced at each of them in turn, and then carried on. "Perhaps Dr. Todd will tell us to what end he has intruded on the peace of my household and attacked one of my guests." This was said very quietly, but there was no doubt that Mr. Schuyler would have an answer.
Elizabeth saw a flicker of doubt on Richard's face.
"That's simple enough," he said. His voice was hoarse, as if he had been shouting. He looked directly at Elizabeth and ignored Nathaniel.
"I'm here to fetch Elizabeth Middleton back to Paradise, at her father's request."
"Am I a sack of flour, or one of your runaway slaves?" Elizabeth began, but Mr. Schuyler shook his head gently at her. At the same time she felt Nathaniel's hand at her elbow. She dropped her head to gather her thoughts.
"I am an adult, in full possession of my faculties," she said, and then she met Mr. Schuyler's gaze.
"And as you know, sir, I am a married woman. Dr.
Todd had no right to order me about before I married, and he has less now."
"You are not legally married," Richard countered. Elizabeth felt Nathaniel stiffen beside her, but Mr. Schuyler spoke first.
"I beg to differ," he said. "Nathaniel?"
Without taking his gaze away from Richard, Nathaniel took a piece of paper from his shirt and handed it to Philip Schuyler.
"A signed marriage contract," he affirmed. "Witnessed by myself and my lady, yesterday evening in this room. They are legally wed, Dr. Todd, and pardon me, Elizabeth—Nathaniel, I assume the marriage was consummated? Yes. Well. So whatever your feelings on this, Dr. Todd, there is nothing you can do about it." He hesitated, and then spoke quickly. "I might also add that your behavior this morning shows an appalling lack of manners and good breeding."
"Miss Middleton had made a legally binding vow to me," Richard said softly. "And I intend to hold her to those terms." Elizabeth uttered something between an outraged laugh and an oath.
