Wings of a Dove (22 page)

    "Margaret!"

    The anxiety in her husband's tone caused Margaret to open her eyes. "I'm fine, Jacob, but I would like you both to face the fact that you're being unfair."

    "Unfair!" Jacob's face reddened at the obvious effort he made to restrain a more strident objection to her statement.

    "Yes, unfair. The boy is asking us no favors. He says he will do all his work before he leaves for town or when he returns. If you were fair, you would give him a chance to prove himself."

    "But, Margaret"

    "If he doesn't live up to his word…" Margaret's sentence drifted off as her gray brows drew into an unaccustomed frown. "There is another point, also, which I don't think you've taken into consideration. Allie loves Delaney dearly. If you force him to leave, she'll be desolate."

    Noting that James's expression had changed, Margaret hesitated. James's fondness for the child grew greater with each passing day, but his antipathy for Delaney stood in the way of his allowing Allie to return his affection freely. She knew it was a point of deep contention between Delaney and himself.

    "Margaret," Jacob said, "I think we've allowed our affection for Allie to influence us long enough in the boy's favor."

    Nodding in agreement with his father's statement, James spoke again, his voice still firm, but greatly subdued. "I suppose the decision is up to you and Pa, Mama, but I want you to know that I think Marsh has had his way in this family long enough. I think it would be a mistake to give in to him again for anybody's sake."

    Margaret turned back to her husband, after James left the room as unexpectedly as he had entered. She despised the quiver of weakness in her voice as she spoke.

    "Jacob dear, is there no room for discussion in your decision about Delaney?"

    She awaited her husband's response, knowing this exchange needed to be over soon. She could not take much more.

    "Margaret dear."

    Abruptly crouching by her side, Jacob raised his callused palm to her cheek. "Does it mean so much to you that we give this boy a chance? Isn't it time to allow him to go his own way?"

    Not quite certain why she spoke the words, Margaret smiled into her husband's loving face. "Not yet, dear."

    Holding her gaze in silence for long moments, Jacob abruptly slid his arms under and around her and slowly lifted her up into his arms. "I think it's time for us both to retire for the night, dear. We'll sleep on this and tell Delaney our decision in the morning."

    Margaret shook her head in protest. "Put me down, Jacob. I can walk, and it's too early for you to go to bed. You can join me later."

    His voice low, Jacob whispered into her ear, "Together, my dear wife. We'll lie together. I haven't held you in my arms often enough of late. And we can talk."

    Emotion constricted Margaret's throat, as she nodded her head. "Yes, dear, we'll talk."

    Smiling a good night to Allie, who was still working in the kitchen, and to Sarah as they passed her in the hall, Margaret closed her eyes to rest. Oh, yes, she would enjoy lying in Jacob's arms and resting. They would talk, and they would settle all this between them.

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    Allie's fair brows drew together in a frown as she watched Papa Case carry Mother Case upstairs. This conflict in her family was too much for Margaret, but none of it was Delaney's fault. Allie swallowed against the hard lump that blocked her throat.

    She was not sure where Delaney had gone after he had made his short announcement to the family. She knew he was not in the room Papa Case had added to the back of the house shortly after their arrival. At least Sarah had gone upstairs. It was Allie's fervent hope that she would stay there.

    The thought of Sarah stirred Allie to familiar annoyance. She had seen Papa Case's face and James's hard expression after Sarah had spoken out at the supper table with her usual careless disregard for others' feelings. Sarah's statement in support of Delaney had done him more harm than good, and Allie wondered if Sarah was truly too stupid to realize it.

    Mother Case had told Delaney they would give him their decision tomorrow. She did not want to think about what would happen if they said no.

    Refusing to face that possibility, Allie walked outside into the rapidly darkening yard. She would find Delaney and talk to him.

    "Allie?"

    Turning at the sound of her name, Allie saw James standing in the shadows nearby. She paused as he walked toward her. He smiled. She did not return his smile, and his faded.

    "Are you angry with me, Allie?"

    Allie averted her gaze and remained silent.

    Waiting only a few seconds more, James spoke again. "Allie, I asked you if you're angry with me."

    The eyes Allie lifted to meet James's sober expression were suddenly blazing. "Yes, I'm angry, James. I'm angry with you and Papa Case, but mostly with you. You're unfair."

    James's expression tightened. "That's the second time somebody's called me unfair tonight. Why am I unfair, Allie?"

    "You never give Delaney a chance never no matter what he wants to do. And you try to turn Papa Case against him."

    "I don't have to turn Pa against him, Allie. Pa sees him the same way I do. I know it's senseless to try to make you see Marsh clearly for what he is. He has all of you mama, Sarah, and you mesmerized into thinkin'"     "Stop!" A sudden fury transfusing her, Allie shook her head. Her pale hair flew out to slap at her flushed cheeks, lending silent emphasis as she continued angrily, "It's not true!"

    Breathing deeply against the rapid pounding of her heart, Allie continued flatly, "You're mean, and you're wrong about Delaney. You don't know him. You never even tried to get to know him. And if you don't like Delaney, you don't like me, because we're the same."

    "No, you're not the same."

    "We are." Allie raised her chin to finish simply, "I don't want to talk about it anymore, James."

    Reaching out to grasp her arm, James prevented her escape. "Allie, it's up to Pa and me to do what we think's right for the family, and we both think"

    "Let me go, James."

    "Allie." James's voice held a pained note that Allie refused to recognize.

    "Let me
go
!"

    Wrenching her arm free, Allie turned away and broke into a run, heading toward the barn. Turning back as she entered the darkening interior, she shot a heated glance over her shoulder. James was standing stiffly where she had left him. As she watched, he turned abruptly and strode out of sight.

    Allie took a deep breath in an attempt to retain her tenuous control. It was James's fault, all of it. If Papa Case didn't let Delaney take the position on the newspaper…

    Allie refused to allow her mind to finish that thought. She'd wait until tomorrow. Mother Case would talk to Papa Case, and everything would be all right.

    Allie walked deeper into the barn, looking for a familiar shadow usually lurking there.

    "Mischief?" she called. "Come on, little girl. Here, Mischief."

    Within seconds a large striped cat was rubbing against her legs and a smile curved Allie's trembling lips. She scooped up the warm, purring animal and held her close.

    "We know, don't we, Mischief? We know how good Delaney is."

    Clutching the contented cat close, Allie walked to the empty rear stall and sat down on the hay in the corner. She rubbed her    cheek against Mischief's smooth fur and whispered into the small silken ear, "James gave you to me, but he never pets you. Delaney pets you, and he talks to you, too, just as I do. Nobody understands Delaney but us. They're going to make him angry, and he's going to leave. We don't want him to leave, do we, Mischief? We don't ever want him to leave us."

    Burying her face in Mischief's fur, Allie heard the cat's steady purring response, and she knew the sentiment came straight from the heart, just like her own.

    Delaney heard the low sound the moment he walked into the barn. He paused to determine the direction from which it came, then started toward the back stall. He had been out walking, going over and over in his mind the events of the day. He realized full well the direction he would take from here was being determined inside the house right now. No, that was wrong. He was master of his own fate. All that Mr. and Mrs. Case could decide was the degree of bodily comforts that would attend him along the way. Their decision would not affect his determination to take the position Max Marshall had offered him.

    The mumbling grew more distinct as he neared the rear of the barn, and Delaney recognized the high, soft pitch of Allie's voice. But she was not playing with Mischief. She was talking to the patient cat in a low, confidential tone, and he paused, uncertain if he should intrude.

    "We don't care what they say, do we, Mischief? We don't care what James says, and we don't care if he never talks to us again. We don't like him anymore. And if James is mean to Delaney, we're going to tell him how we feel."

    The bittersweet sadness that enveloped Delaney was too much to bear. He took the last few steps forward as Allie whipped her head around to meet his gaze.

    "Allie, I told you not to get between James and me."

    Jumping to her feet, Allie released Mischief and, protesting, took a few steps toward him.

    "I didn't, Delaney. At least, I tried not to, but James asked me if I was angry. I didn't want to answer him, but he asked me again. Then I told him I was mad at him for saying all those mean things about you to Mother Case."

    Delaney took a short breath. So that was the way things were going in the house. He should have expected it.

    Allie moved to his side and Delaney slid his arm around her shoulder. She was looking up at him, those damned trusting eyes disturbed and upset. It never failed to amaze him how one look from her could tear him up inside.

    Sitting down on a storage box nearby, he pulled her onto his knee. He controlled the smile that tugged at his lips. She was so small and light that he hardly felt her weight as she rested her arm on his shoulder, her delicate sober face only inches from his.

    "Why doesn't James like you, Delaney? I told him that if he didn't like you, then he didn't like me, because we're both the same."

    Delaney's discomfort with the tender emotions Allie raised inside him erupted in a short laugh. "I don't suppose James like that very much."

    "He said it wasn't true. He said we're not the same, but we are."

    Delaney's smile slowly changed until it was colored a more somber hue. "I don't like agreeing with James, Allie, but he was right this time. We aren't the same."

    Struck to the heart by his response, Allie stiffened, her small face twitching in an obvious effort to hide her distress.

    Delaney forced a smile. "Allie, we're not alike at all. You're sweet and trusting. You're kind to everyone, and I'm anything but that." He laughed. "As a matter of fact, most people would say I'm"

    "I don't care what other people say. We are the same, Delaney, because you know my heart and I know yours."

    Slipping her hand to his chest, Allie traced the outline of his medal, and Delaney's reaction was unexpected anger. She was linking him with the Lady again in her mind. He didn't want to think that was the only reason she

    Abruptly abandoning that thought, Delaney brushed her hand away. "Allie, I told you this medal means nothing to me."

    "It does."

    "No, it doesn't. You and I are nothing alike. James is more like you than I am. At least he believes."

    ''No, I'm not like him. I'm like you not on the outside, but on the inside."

    "Allie, nobody's like me on the inside. You don't know what goes on inside me."

    "Yes, I do, Delaney." Allie nodded her head, her expression resolute. "Yes, I do."

    Allie's confidence in him was unshakable, and incredulity touched Delaney's mind. He would never know how he had won this girl's absolute trust, but he was damned if he could find it in himself to disillusion her.

    "Allie," Delaney continued softly, a despairing note in his voice, "if you do know what's inside me, you know how I feel about not wanting you to get into trouble for my sake. I'm going to work on that newspaper, Allie, no matter what Mr. Case decides tonight, and if I have to leave here, I want to be sure you'll be all right when I'm not around."

    Allie glanced away from Delaney's intense gaze. She wanted to tell him she'd never be all right if he left, but she couldn't do that. She didn't want to get in the way. Instead, she turned back and met his eyes.

    "I'll be all right, Delaney. I don't hate James. I'm just mad at him because he's so unfair."

    "Allie." Delaney's low voice bore a strange note as he held her eyes with his. "The world isn't very often fair, and neither are the people in it."

    Allie could do no more than nod.

    Saddened more than he cared to admit at the unhappiness on Allie's face, Delaney felt his spirits sinking until he was struck with a sudden thought. Leaning to one side as he supported Allie's slender back with his hand, he took a small package from his pocket. The paper was crushed, and he was afraid that the contents were in like condition. He placed the package in Allie's small hand.