It was Eddie who entered, taking his hat from his head. “How’s the work going?”
“Fair to middling.”
Eddie looked at the pews Blue and Clara had put together. “A fine job.”
“Thanks.”
Eddie circled the room, examining the wood still to be cut and the pieces waiting to be assembled and glancing out the windows.
Blue wondered what his boss really wanted. “How’s your wife?”
“Linette is getting impatient for the baby to be born, but other than that she is doing fine.”
Perhaps there were problems among some of the newlyweds or the new wives. Hadn’t Alice said that adding a woman to any group changed the way people acted? At Eden Valley Ranch there had been three new brides just the past few months.
“And the others?” he asked. “Roper, Cassie and the children? Jayne and Seth, Brand and Sybil? Mercy and Abel and the twins?”
“Everyone is doing fine. There’s a lot of visiting back and forth. Seems one or another of the ladies is always at the house or the children are going from one house to the other.”
It was the main reason he had chosen to spend some time at the church. Where he’d be alone. It hadn’t quite turned out that way. Funny how things had worked out. He knew he should regret it, but when he saw how Clara had run away frightened a few minutes ago he was glad he could offer her a few days of safety.
“Macpherson says you have someone here with you.”
Of course Macpherson knew. What did Blue expect?
Eddie gave Blue a quizzical look. Clearly, he wanted the details.
“A young woman and her two girls.” He explained how he had found her unconscious down by the river, with no place to go and no one to take her in. “She insisted she must do something to pay for her keep, so I’ve been teaching her woodworking. Turns out she’s pretty good.”
“Good. Good.” Eddie plunked down on one of the pews. “Miss Prudence Foot came looking for me as soon as I reached town to complain that you and a young woman were in the church without adequate chaperoning. She’s very offended at such disregard for the sanctity of the church. Her words. Not mine.”
Blue leaned back on his heels and studied the man who was his boss and known to be fair in his dealings. Too bad Miss Prudence couldn’t be fair, as well. It surprised him that a man like Rufus who ran the livery barn without judging man or beast should have such a judgmental sister.
Eddie waited for him to explain the activities at the church. “Her daughters are always here. They sleep in Bonnie and Claude’s little shack. There need be no concern about our conduct. Besides, you know me. I’m not interested in becoming involved with a woman.” Especially one with children, he added silently. Though he realized he felt less and less sure of his conviction.
Only because it bothered him to see her so fearful, he told himself. Someone ought to take care of her.
“Why don’t I take her out to the ranch? Linette would be happy to have her.”
Blue nodded. “I thought of that, but she refuses to leave town. Says she’s waiting for someone.”
“She’s expecting someone to come for her?”
“It would seem so.”
Eddie sighed. “Can she be persuaded to wait at the ranch?”
“I doubt it. She’s rather stubborn.”
Eddie laughed. “I remember trying to convince Linette to go back to England. It was a waste of breath.”
Blue nodded. He figured it would be a similar waste to try and change Clara’s mind.
“Well.” Eddie planted his hands on his knees. “I trust you to act wisely in the matter.” He pushed to his feet. “Tomorrow is Sunday. Why not bring her and the girls out to the ranch for church?” He looked around the building. “Soon we’ll have a proper building to meet in, but I have to admit I’ll miss gathering in the cookhouse with Cookie and Bertie leading the service.”
Eddie wasted no more time. He went out to meet up with the Eden Valley cowboys. “I’ll leave you to your work,” he told Blue. Then they rode away.
Blue returned to his saw, and the echoing silence mocked him. How had he gone from dwelling in his own thoughts and enjoying complete solitude to thinking the place was too quiet?