desperately.
"Of course." Abby picked up the coffee cup and leaned her elbows on the table. It rocked precariously. Leaning over, she inspected the lopsided legs. "We'll have to fix this, I see."
"I like my table just the way it is," Samuel said.
"Really?" She sat up straight again. "I can't imagine why."
"What about Silas?" His voice was much louder now, and he made a valiant effort to control himself.
"Oh, yes. As I was saying, Uncle Silas sold you the property six months ago."
"That's right."
"But," Abby added with a secretive smile, "he left it to me in his will just two months ago!"
Samuel's brow wrinkled, and he ran one of his big hands over his face. What she'd just said proved his case. The property belonged to him. He glanced at her. Why, then, did she look so pleased with herself? Quickly, silently, he recited the alphabet, feeling the old familiar calm flood through him once more. He'd simply have to try to get through to her again.
"Miss Sutton—" he began.
"Please call me Abby," she said with a smile.
"All right." He swallowed heavily. "Abby."
"And your name is Samuel, is that right?"
"Yeah."
"That's a lovely name. It's from the Bible, you know."
"Yeah, I know." His fingers curled over his arms, and he pressed down tightly. "Now, Abby, about that will…"
"Wasn't it lovely of Uncle Silas to remember me like that?"
"Hmmm?"
"Uncle Silas. Leaving me this cabin." She was watching him with that sympathetic look again. Speaking slowly, she went on. "It's been so long since I've had a home of my own, I mean a real home… "
He watched her eyes as she looked around the shabby little place. A gleam of pride and excitement shone in those golden depths, and Samuel had to force himself to look away. It wasn't his fault. He hadn't sent for her. He hadn't told her to come. He hadn't promised something he had no right to give.
Damn Silas Sutton for doing this to him!
It wasn't going to get any easier, he knew. So Samuel finally decided to just spit out exactly what Silas had done.
"Abby, this isn't your home. It's mine."
She shook her head gently and smiled. This was her home now, and she intended to stay no matter what it took.
"And will you stop lookin' at me like I'm some dumb dog beggin' a meal?"
Abby straightened and her smile vanished. He seemed so sure. She couldn't bear the thought he was right. But he wasn't overly bright, and perhaps, she told herself, she could muddy the waters a bit. At least until she could figure out what to do! "But, Samuel, I've just told you that Uncle Silas named me in his will only two months ago."
"Exactly!" The flat of his hand slammed down on the tabletop, and she grabbed for her coffee cup. "Since I bought this property six months ago… Silas couldn't have left it to you!"
"But that's what I meant when I said he'd obviously changed his mind."
"Huh?"
"He may have sold you the cabin first… but he changed his mind later and left it to me!”
“Don't you understand?" Samuel said, his frustration mounting with every breath. "The property wasn't his to leave you."
"Well, of course it was his." Abby smiled. "If it wasn't his, how could he have sold it to you?"
"It was his. Now it's mine!" Samuel felt as though his mind were covered in cobwebs. He knew he was right! So why was it even he was beginning to doubt it?
"No, it was his, then you thought it was yours, but now it's mine!" She looked around her again and sighed. "And I can't tell you how exciting it all is. Only a few weeks ago I was in Maryland, and now I'm in my own home!"
Samuel groaned.
"Of course, I had no idea the trip would be so expensive." She leaned toward him slightly and confided, "I had to sell Mother's ring and locket… and of course, the horses."
"Horses?"
"Oh, yes." She leaned over and reached for her carpetbag. Pulling it onto her lap, she went on. "Papa's matched set of grays. My, they were lovely." She shrugged. "But I'm sure Papa would have wanted them to provide the means to
"Of course." Abby picked up the coffee cup and leaned her elbows on the table. It rocked precariously. Leaning over, she inspected the lopsided legs. "We'll have to fix this, I see."
"I like my table just the way it is," Samuel said.
"Really?" She sat up straight again. "I can't imagine why."
"What about Silas?" His voice was much louder now, and he made a valiant effort to control himself.
"Oh, yes. As I was saying, Uncle Silas sold you the property six months ago."
"That's right."
"But," Abby added with a secretive smile, "he left it to me in his will just two months ago!"
Samuel's brow wrinkled, and he ran one of his big hands over his face. What she'd just said proved his case. The property belonged to him. He glanced at her. Why, then, did she look so pleased with herself? Quickly, silently, he recited the alphabet, feeling the old familiar calm flood through him once more. He'd simply have to try to get through to her again.
"Miss Sutton—" he began.
"Please call me Abby," she said with a smile.
"All right." He swallowed heavily. "Abby."
"And your name is Samuel, is that right?"
"Yeah."
"That's a lovely name. It's from the Bible, you know."
"Yeah, I know." His fingers curled over his arms, and he pressed down tightly. "Now, Abby, about that will…"
"Wasn't it lovely of Uncle Silas to remember me like that?"
"Hmmm?"
"Uncle Silas. Leaving me this cabin." She was watching him with that sympathetic look again. Speaking slowly, she went on. "It's been so long since I've had a home of my own, I mean a real home… "
He watched her eyes as she looked around the shabby little place. A gleam of pride and excitement shone in those golden depths, and Samuel had to force himself to look away. It wasn't his fault. He hadn't sent for her. He hadn't told her to come. He hadn't promised something he had no right to give.
Damn Silas Sutton for doing this to him!
It wasn't going to get any easier, he knew. So Samuel finally decided to just spit out exactly what Silas had done.
"Abby, this isn't your home. It's mine."
She shook her head gently and smiled. This was her home now, and she intended to stay no matter what it took.
"And will you stop lookin' at me like I'm some dumb dog beggin' a meal?"
Abby straightened and her smile vanished. He seemed so sure. She couldn't bear the thought he was right. But he wasn't overly bright, and perhaps, she told herself, she could muddy the waters a bit. At least until she could figure out what to do! "But, Samuel, I've just told you that Uncle Silas named me in his will only two months ago."
"Exactly!" The flat of his hand slammed down on the tabletop, and she grabbed for her coffee cup. "Since I bought this property six months ago… Silas couldn't have left it to you!"
"But that's what I meant when I said he'd obviously changed his mind."
"Huh?"
"He may have sold you the cabin first… but he changed his mind later and left it to me!”
“Don't you understand?" Samuel said, his frustration mounting with every breath. "The property wasn't his to leave you."
"Well, of course it was his." Abby smiled. "If it wasn't his, how could he have sold it to you?"
"It was his. Now it's mine!" Samuel felt as though his mind were covered in cobwebs. He knew he was right! So why was it even he was beginning to doubt it?
"No, it was his, then you thought it was yours, but now it's mine!" She looked around her again and sighed. "And I can't tell you how exciting it all is. Only a few weeks ago I was in Maryland, and now I'm in my own home!"
Samuel groaned.
"Of course, I had no idea the trip would be so expensive." She leaned toward him slightly and confided, "I had to sell Mother's ring and locket… and of course, the horses."
"Horses?"
"Oh, yes." She leaned over and reached for her carpetbag. Pulling it onto her lap, she went on. "Papa's matched set of grays. My, they were lovely." She shrugged. "But I'm sure Papa would have wanted them to provide the means to
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