Chapter 9

After she finished the evening dishes she went back to her workroom. It was actually one of the bedrooms that she had changed into a workroom for her sewing and craft work. She was putting the final hem in a dress she was making for one of her customers. Her mother had been a seamstress and had regular customers for whom she made clothes and did repair work. She taught Samantha to sew. After her mother’s death, Samantha had taken over the small business. The craft work involved crochet creations of spreads, tablecloths, clothing, and other items. Her father has kept sheep so her mother could make her own yarns. She had taught Sam to make the yarns and crochet. Sam had grown to love the work and she made an extra income from it.

She had finished the hem work and was now curled on the living room sofa reading a book. Sergeant was curled in front of the fireplace. Tonight, she had a small fire. A chill breeze had begun just before dark and she had closed the windows. These usually indicated a serious storm was coming and she made sure the lamps were filled and candles available.

Briefly, she was tempted to check on her guest in the barn but her common sense told her that she had already provided him with everything he needed to stay warm, dry, and safe. He’d had a large supper and she had even given him some coffee so he could make himself a pot. The store room had a small cook stove that her father had often used to keep a pot of coffee nearby when working with the dogs in the winter. Winters were mild but there were times when there was a chill in the air and the nights became quite cool.
The costal areas were where most of the population of the island resided, with small farms radiating out from the towns along the coast. The further inland one went, the more sparsely populated, the more wooded it became, and elevation increased. Her home was near the border to the Outland that ran between her province and another. Only a few miles into the Outland marked the beginning to the mountain range that dominated the central part of the island. She had heard that in the higher elevations one could occasionally see ice or even snow. She’d never seen a frozen puddle or snow but she had always dreamed of traveling there.

About two hundred years ago a small community had been established in the heart of the mountains. A group had come through that were from a place where there were mountains with frequent snows. They had migrated inland where the topography was mountainous and started their settlement. The began to cater to travelers passing through and, over time, it became a vacation spot for anyone who wanted a change of scenery. Although it was a small community, It was a popular with residents of other provinces, who often went there for vacations. Sometimes families even moved in from the coast.

The windows rattled throughout the house as a strong gust blew past. She got up and checked the windows and shutters to be sure they would not come loose. A definite chill had crept in and she stoked the fire to warm the room. It didn’t take much to get the house warm. Her father has insured that the logs used to build it were smooth and thick. Instead of the usual chinks of mud he had flattened the sides of each log where they touched so that they fit flush. As a result, there were hardly any spaces to seal. Once, when telling about building the house, her mother had laughed and said the neighbors who helped complained because it took twice a long and twice as many logs to build it that way but had changed their tunes when they saw how snug it made the house. “Leave it to your father to have the last word in everything.”

Sergeant raised his head and looked toward the door. He remained curled on the rug but his entire body told her he was tensed and waiting. She glanced toward the darkened front window. If it were a stranger, the dog would immediately stand and began to growl or bark, depending on how great the threat he sensed. But she still started when someone pounded on the door. Her fear subsided when she hear her brother call.

“Sam! It’s me, John.”

The sound of his voice concerned her and she hurried to unlock the door. It resisted a bit but she managed to get it open and stepped back to let him in. “What in the world are you doing here at this time of night?”

He pushed and closed the door behind him. “Pack some things, you’re coming home with me,” he said. John rarely spoke harshly but the tone of his voice was that of her father’s when he was angry.

“What? What for?” She moved back, into the room, pulling her robe snuggly around her. Then, fear twisted her insides and she reached out to him, clutching his arms. She said, “Has something happened to the children? Lily, is Lily all right?”

“The children are fine. Lily is doing great.” He took her hands and squeezed them gently. “You just have to come and stay with us for a few days.”

“I’ll do no such thing. What’s the matter with you? Why do I have to go with you?”

“Something’s happened in the village. You’ll be safer at my place.” He moved to the fireplace and stretched his hands to the warmth, then scratched Sergeant behind the ears. The dog wagged his tail, thumping the floor.

“What’s happened, John?” Knots had formed in her stomach. The sash of her robe tightened as she twisted it in her hands.

For several minutes he just looked into the fire. Then, he turned and there were tears in his eyes caused by staring into the fire.

“There’s been a murder in the village.”

A great gust of wind tore at the house and made a moaning sound as it passed. It was a common occurrence but her breath caught in her throat. For several minutes she could only stare at him.

“Did you hear me, girl?” he said loudly, “Get your things together. Just get what you need for a few days. We’ll decide what to do after we know more.”

“I can’t leave the house, John. I have responsibilities here.”

“Samantha, did you understand what I said? Someone has been killed. We don’t know who is responsible. It isn’t safe for you to be here alone.”

“I’m not alone.” She regretted the statement as soon as she said it. John would make a great ruckus about her hired transient. And while he would be within his right as her brother, she was not going to start allowing him or the others to control what she did.

“What! You mean the dog?” He looked at Sergeant and then back at Sam, his brows nearly touching his hairline. “Sam, I know he’d die protecting you but he’d be dead and you would be unprotected then. You can’t stay alone until we sort this out.”

“We? You’re involved with the investigation? I thought you turned down the constable position with the Port Authority.”

He looked at her through narrowed eyes. “I’m speaking in general terms here. Will you please get going. I don’t want to leave Lillian and the children alone too long.” He gave her a gentle push toward the bedroom but she turned on him.

“You left them alone to get me?”

He rolled his eyes and blew a breath of exasperation. “No, I left them with Rider Tremont. He’ll stay until I get back. But we have to hurry. He didn’t turn down the position, as you recall.” He turned back to the fire.

She turned then and dashed to her bedroom but stopped at the door. “John?”

“Yes?” He looked over his shoulder.

“Who?”

He looked away.

“John?”

“Beatrice Parker.”

The room tilted and the floor seemed to rise and then fall abruptly beneath her feet. She grasped the door frame to brace herself. The wind again howled around the house and this time thunder followed in its wake. A streak of lightening made the window glow white. Mrs. Parker, dear, kind, talkative Mrs. Parker.

“No.”

“I’m sorry. I wanted to tell you later, when we could sit down and talk about it. But Sam, we don’t have time. You have to hurry. The weather is turning. I think a storm is blowing in from the sea. We have to get moving. Please, I have to get back to my family.”

Of course he did, she thought, how very selfish of me. “I’ll be ready in a minute. Can you get my bag from the top of the storage closet? And damp the fire and put up the screen.”
The next twenty minutes were a daze to Samantha. There was a flurry of clothing and toiletries tossed in her luggage. She only hoped she was packing what she needed but there was no time to really check what she was grabbing. John’s sense of urgency was contagious and she felt a growing fear that somehow the newcomer she had sensed was connected to this. She closed her bag and lifted it to carry. It was then she stopped and stared into the mirror. The man in the barn. She had not way to tell him what was happening and she couldn’t tell John about him.

“Sam?” John stuck his head through the door. “We have to go now. Rain is falling.”

She nodded and put out the light. John helped her on with her coat. Then, she extinguished lamps as she moved to the front door. One last look around and she locked it behind her. Sergeant ran ahead and leaped into the back of the carriage. John climbed up and took the reins.

As John reached down pulled her up, into the carriage she glanced toward the barn. There was no light showing anywhere but just then the storm exploded around them. A crack of thunder was followed by a blinding flash of lightning. In the brief glow, she saw a man standing against the wall of the barn.

Fear as cold as the rain coursed through her and she cried out. “John, hurry.”

He was in the carriage and the horse leaped away. She looked back toward the barn as another flash of lightning lit up the night. There was nothing but the blank wall of the barn.