and divert his wife's attention toward a dark-haired girl sitting nearby. The man's reaction did not go unnoticed by Allie. Delaney's stomach twisted painfully as Allie's proud chin rose a notch, her small mouth twitching revealingly.
Delaney turned his attention back to Mr. Smith as he started to speak.
"These gentlemen are interested in offering you a home, Delaney. I've informed them of your history, and they have a few questions to ask you. Do you have any objections to answering them?"
"No, sir."
The farmer with the high coloring addressed Delaney directly. "You're of an age my wife and I are looking for, boy, but I'm concerned about your history. I would like you to answer me truthfully. Do you intend to honor your contract if we agree to take you on?"
Delaney's lips tightened. "As well as you honor yours, sir."
The man's expression reflected his surprise at Delaney's response. "You're telling me that you think I may have come here today, with my wife and in the presence of these good people, to enter into a contract that I did not fully intend to honor? Are you accusing me of being dishonest, boy?"
"No more than you're accusing me, sir."
"I'm not accusing you, boy! I'm merely asking a question!"
"And I've answered it, sir."
His florid face flushing even more deeply, the farmer turned abruptly and walked away. Mr. Smith flashed an embarrassed glance toward the two men remaining.
"I'm sorry, gentlemen. I'm certain the boy didn't mean to offend. He merely responded as honestly as he could to Mr. Carlisle's question."
"You needn't apologize for the boy, Mr. Smith. I admire his forthright answer." Turning toward Delaney, the second farmer, a thin man with a deeply lined face and graying hair, extended his hand with a smile. "My name is Willard Grimsley . I have more room in my house and more work on my farm than I know what to do with. I have three children, and I'm looking to find a fourth here today." His smile broadening as Delaney accepted his hand with a firm shake, the man continued, ''I don't intend to waste time asking you about your past. I figure you did what you had to do to get along. On my farm, I would expect you to do the same. My only thought would be to ask if we're what you've been looking for, boy, since this contract will be a two-way street. I'll be expecting you to answer that question as honestly as you can. But first, I'll tell you a little about us. My wife, Millicent, and I have been married for seventeen years and we own a farm that once was a part of the…"
Willard Grimsley's voice continued on in earnest recitation. Delaney listened with half his mind as the other half remained strangely distracted. His first thought was that this farmer appeared to be as fair a man as he could expect to find, but he had long ago learned the difficult lesson that appearances were deceiving, that an honest face and a steady eye often disguised a man of an entirely different type. He also knew he would get no guarantees with any contract entered into, and a choice would soon have to be made. This man appeared to be offering exactly the situation he had been looking for. He doubted he would get a better opportunity than this. He did not honestly think he could expect more.
Allie's thin shoulders twitched. She kept her gaze forward, intensely aware of the man who stood a few feet away. She had felt his eyes on her from the first moment he entered the room. She did not like the feeling, and she did not know why. The man was pleasant-looking and well dressed. His frock coat and matching trousers were as stylish as those of any of Mrs. Van Houten's callers. The fair-haired, noticeably younger woman standing at his side was well dressed, too, but she did not appear to be at ease.
The man came closer, moving cautiously through the crowded room and Allie felt her throat tighten.
Delaney turned his attention back to Mr. Smith as he started to speak.
"These gentlemen are interested in offering you a home, Delaney. I've informed them of your history, and they have a few questions to ask you. Do you have any objections to answering them?"
"No, sir."
The farmer with the high coloring addressed Delaney directly. "You're of an age my wife and I are looking for, boy, but I'm concerned about your history. I would like you to answer me truthfully. Do you intend to honor your contract if we agree to take you on?"
Delaney's lips tightened. "As well as you honor yours, sir."
The man's expression reflected his surprise at Delaney's response. "You're telling me that you think I may have come here today, with my wife and in the presence of these good people, to enter into a contract that I did not fully intend to honor? Are you accusing me of being dishonest, boy?"
"No more than you're accusing me, sir."
"I'm not accusing you, boy! I'm merely asking a question!"
"And I've answered it, sir."
His florid face flushing even more deeply, the farmer turned abruptly and walked away. Mr. Smith flashed an embarrassed glance toward the two men remaining.
"I'm sorry, gentlemen. I'm certain the boy didn't mean to offend. He merely responded as honestly as he could to Mr. Carlisle's question."
"You needn't apologize for the boy, Mr. Smith. I admire his forthright answer." Turning toward Delaney, the second farmer, a thin man with a deeply lined face and graying hair, extended his hand with a smile. "My name is Willard Grimsley . I have more room in my house and more work on my farm than I know what to do with. I have three children, and I'm looking to find a fourth here today." His smile broadening as Delaney accepted his hand with a firm shake, the man continued, ''I don't intend to waste time asking you about your past. I figure you did what you had to do to get along. On my farm, I would expect you to do the same. My only thought would be to ask if we're what you've been looking for, boy, since this contract will be a two-way street. I'll be expecting you to answer that question as honestly as you can. But first, I'll tell you a little about us. My wife, Millicent, and I have been married for seventeen years and we own a farm that once was a part of the…"
Willard Grimsley's voice continued on in earnest recitation. Delaney listened with half his mind as the other half remained strangely distracted. His first thought was that this farmer appeared to be as fair a man as he could expect to find, but he had long ago learned the difficult lesson that appearances were deceiving, that an honest face and a steady eye often disguised a man of an entirely different type. He also knew he would get no guarantees with any contract entered into, and a choice would soon have to be made. This man appeared to be offering exactly the situation he had been looking for. He doubted he would get a better opportunity than this. He did not honestly think he could expect more.
Allie's thin shoulders twitched. She kept her gaze forward, intensely aware of the man who stood a few feet away. She had felt his eyes on her from the first moment he entered the room. She did not like the feeling, and she did not know why. The man was pleasant-looking and well dressed. His frock coat and matching trousers were as stylish as those of any of Mrs. Van Houten's callers. The fair-haired, noticeably younger woman standing at his side was well dressed, too, but she did not appear to be at ease.
The man came closer, moving cautiously through the crowded room and Allie felt her throat tighten.
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