Hearts Aglow (36 page)
“I don’t hear anything,” she said, turning to Deborah. “Do you?”
Deborah looked around and walked to the end of the porch. “Nothing.”
“What’s that? Is someone in the barn?” Lizzie questioned. “I see a . . . ” She gasped. “Fire!”
Mother turned to follow her gaze. “Deborah, come help me.” They rushed across the yard to the open barn door.
Inside, Deborah could see where someone had ignited straw in the corner of the empty front stall. She hurried to where a bucket of water sat. The fire had barely started, and she hoped to douse it before the flames could spread.
Mother followed right behind with a horse blanket. Together, they contained the fire with minimal damage to the area. Lizzie had come to the door with a lantern. With its soft glow, they surveyed the barn. Everything appeared normal.
The smell of burned straw was enough to drive them all back out into the fresh air. Deborah looked at her mother through smokeblurred eyes. She spoke the words they were all, no doubt, thinking. “Someone means to harm us.”
“Someone,” Mother replied. “But who?”
Deborah looked around for Jasper and Lula. She called for them, but they didn’t come. “You don’t suppose they ran off after whoever it was?”
Mother glanced around the yard. “I don’t think they would have gone. You know how protective they are – especially at night.”
Deborah motioned Lizzie to bring the lamp. “Maybe they’re hiding in the barn. Could be they were frightened by the fire.” They walked back into the haze and began to search the stalls. Fortunately, Dottie and Dorothy had been turned out to graze in the fenced pen to the north of the house. Since G.W. had taken the remaining horses, the barn was empty of life.
Moving to the far end of the barn, Deborah could see the carriage door was open. She hurried forward and Lizzie followed on her heels.
“Oh no,” she moaned and fell to her knees. She touched Jasper’s lifeless body. Lula lay just a few feet away, a pitchfork planted through her body. From the pooled blood around their heads, it was clear that someone had slit their throats.
“They killed them,” Deborah said, a sob catching in her throat. “Someone has killed them both.”
In the humid dampness of the morning, Deborah wept and dug graves for the family dogs. She had heard the commotion that signaled her brother’s return to the homestead, but continued to focus on the task at hand. She wanted to be alone with her grief, but it wasn’t to be. In silence, Jake Wythe appeared. To her surprise he said nothing, but came up and took the shovel from her hands and began to make much faster progress.
Deborah carefully wrapped each of the dogs in an old bed sheet and squatted down beside their bodies. She buried her face against her knees and let out all the pent-up pain she held. She’d cried through much of the night and knew she looked a sight, but she didn’t care. Someone’s heartless ugliness had ripped away another piece of her comfort and security.
It wasn’t long before Jake put the shovel aside and came to get the dogs. Deborah tried her best to regain control of her emotions. She stood and watched in silence as the graves were filled first with the bodies of the animals and then dirt. It was only after the burial was complete that Jake turned to look at her.
“I’m sorry we weren’t here to stop this, but I promise you I’ll find out who’s responsible and see they pay.”
She shook her head. “I wouldn’t want you to get hurt. There’s no way of telling who did this – it was dark and we didn’t see anyone.”
“There are always ways to learn the truth,” he told her.
“Why should I expect to learn who killed my dogs, when we can’t even figure out who murdered George and David?” Her anger seemed to boil over. “I can’t believe how backward this part of the world can be. Folks will probably rise up in arms over the death of two hounds. I can just picture it now: Someone will probably form a posse to hunt the monsters down.”
Coming to where she stood, Jake shook his head. “I’m so sorry, Deborah.”
The gentle way he spoke her name caused Deborah to calm and dissolve in tears once again. She didn’t try to hide her grief from him, nor did she push him away when he took her in his arms. He did nothing untoward; he simply let her cry. Yet despite his tenderness, Deborah wished it was Christopher’s arms around her. She couldn’t help but remember how she’d held Christopher and let him mourn the sorrow of his family’s troubles not so long ago.
And then he left me.
“You’ll make yourself sick if you keep goin’ on like this,” Jake said softly.
Deborah pulled away. “I am sick. Sick at heart. I don’t understand why this happened. I cannot comprehend the heart of a man who acts in such a way – to kill people and animals.” She wiped at her tears with the back of her sleeve before continuing.
“I don’t understand why God has allowed this to happen.” She knew she spoke of far more than just the deaths of Jasper and Lula. Why had God allowed her to lose her heart to Christopher and then taken him away from her? Why had the hurricane been allowed to wreak havoc all along the coast? Why had the mill burned down?
“I want answers.” She looked at Jake, knowing he would have no solutions. Deborah turned to leave, but Jake took hold of her arm.
“Sometimes we don’t get answers,” he told her. “Leastwise we don’t understand the answers.”
Deborah knew his words were true, but they offered no solace. She looked at him hard for a moment, then relaxed. “I know you’re right, but it hurts just the same.”
She headed back to the house, aware that Jake followed just a few steps behind. Once she reached the back door, she opened it and stood to one side and glanced at the ground. “Thank you for your help with the dogs.”
He paused and reached out to lift her chin to meet his gaze. “There ain’t nothin’ I wouldn’t do for you, Miss Deborah. I know you love another, but maybe someday – if that love fades – you’ll remember that someone else cares for you, too.” He dropped his hand and stepped into the house.
Deborah stared after him for a moment. “That love will never fade, Jake. I have no hope of loving another,” she barely whispered, knowing he couldn’t hear.
In town, Arjan and Euphanel met with Zed Perkins at his house. Deborah had come along at her mother’s insistence. Euphanel had been firm. She knew her daughter needed to put her attention on something other than her pain.
“You know Mr. Albright and Mr. Longstreet, of course,” Zed said as he escorted them into his formal parlor.
Albright and Longstreet got to their feet at the sight of the ladies. They gave a brief bow of greeting but appeared otherwise disinterested. Euphanel thought Mr. Longstreet almost avoided her gaze altogether. Perhaps he was embarrassed now at the forward way he’d acted prior to her marriage to Arjan.
“I’m glad you could be here,” Zed began. “I just wanted to make sure we could discuss any concerns or problems that needed to be addressed. Like I told Euphanel last evenin’, I know this situation greatly affects Vandermark Logging, since you were under contract to us to provide logs.” He motioned them to take their seats, then waited until everyone was settled before continuing. “I’ve no idea how long before we’re able to produce lumber.”
“Euphanel says that you’re already working to get the mill back up and running,” Arjan said. “We’d like to help anyway we can.”
Zed nodded. “I appreciate that. I’ll be usin’ the logs I have in the millpond to begin the reconstruction. There ain’t funds available just yet, but in due time, I hope to be able to receive your logs. I’m positive you’ll have no trouble selling your cuttings to another mill in the meanwhile.”
“No, I don’t imagine so,” Arjan replied.
“If I might interrupt,” Stuart Albright said, leaning forward in his chair. “Selling to another company is not an option at this time.”
Zed’s puzzled look suggested he’d not expected this comment. Euphanel could see that Longstreet, however, was not surprised. He simply nodded and stroked his mustache a time or two.
“Then you’ll need us to continue delivery?” Arjan questioned.
Albright’s face took on a most menacing expression. “No. I have no interest in taking on additional wood at this time.”
“Then what are you saying?” Zed asked before Arjan could get the words out.
“I’m saying that you will simply have to stockpile your logs until we decide what is to be done with the mill,” Albright replied.
“Stockpile? But there’s no reason for that,” Zed interjected. “It’ll be some time before we can start up production in earnest. They might as well make their livin’ elsewhere. They have employees and debts to pay as much as anyone else.”
Euphanel saw Stuart give Mr. Longstreet a quick sidelong glance before continuing. “It would seem that you have forgotten the terms of the contract. Let me bring to mind the paragraph that states Vandermark Logging will sell their cut pine logs exclusively to Perkins Sawmill.”
“Yes, but that was before the fire,” Zed countered. “They can hardly be expected to wait until the mill is once again running before they sell their wood. It could be months.”
Mr. Longstreet spoke for the first time. “If not longer.”
Euphanel looked to Arjan and then back to Zed. “What is this about?”
Zed shook his head. “I don’t rightly know. What are you saying, gentlemen?”
“Simply this,” Albright began. “We haven’t yet decided if we will rebuild.”
“You can’t be serious,” Arjan interjected. “It would be pure waste not to rebuild.”
“Not at all, Mr. Vandermark, and I assure you I am very serious. My partner and I own two-thirds of the mill. There are a great number of debts to be paid, and our debtors will not care that the place lies in charred remains – they will expect their money. We will have to consider the most advantageous plan for seeing our obligations fulfilled.”
“Well, surely that includes having the mill up and running. You can hardly make money to pay your debts if the mill sits idle,” Deborah said, looking to her mother. “I’ve read that contract. You are under obligation to us, as well. You have pledged to take a certain number of logs and are required to pay us in a timely manner whether the market suffers or not.”
“Ah, but this has nothing to do with the market,” Stuart countered. “The mill is unable to manufacture lumber. We have not yet come to terms on the costs or ability to rebuild the mill. Until that decision is agreed upon, Vandermark Logging will be forced to stockpile their logs. I’ve already checked with a lawyer on this matter – a judge, as well. You may feel free to contact one or both. I can give you the information on how to locate them when we conclude this meeting.”
“Just how long before you are able to decide about fixin’ up the mill?” Arjan asked.
Euphanel could tell by the tone of his voice that he was barely containing his anger. She started to reach out to take hold of his hand, then thought better of it. Rutger never liked to be touched when he was mad. It was probably the same for his brother.
Albright and Longstreet looked at each other and shrugged before turning back to the others. “It is difficult to say. I intend to thoroughly establish the cause for the fire before rebuilding. You see, there is the matter of insurance coverage. The inspectors will want to take a full account of the situation.”
“Insurance?” Zed asked. “But I don’t have any fire insurance.”
“No, you don’t, but Mr. Longstreet and I took out our own policy. We had to protect our interests, you understand.”
“So you have insurance that will provide for you to rebuild?” Arjan asked.
Again Stuart shrugged as though he were discussing nothing more important than what would be served for supper. “The insurance inspectors will have to decide that matter. They will be delayed, no doubt, due to the storm. A great many fires have arisen in areas damaged by the hurricane. When the inspectors are able to come to Perkinsville and see for themselves what happened, then and only then can we consider rebuilding.”
Arjan leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms. “So you want us to sit and do nothing while you wait for your inspection.”
“Not at all, Mr. Vandermark. As I said, I expect for you to stockpile your logs for future use.”
“But that means we will have to continue paying wages and keeping men employed, even though we won’t be bringing in any money.”
