Free Lanterns and Lace by DiAnn Mills

two can talk without any disturbance.”
    “She’s not a problem—” Jenny stopped her sentence in midair. “I’d like to join you.” She nodded at Turner and walked alongside Grant.
    Fury consumed Grant, and he recognized a mixture of protectiveness and jealousy. “I don’t want my daughter in the middle of your personal affairs,” he whispered.
    “What are you talking about?”
    “Your traveling companion.”
    She paled. “I do not know the man. He approached me on the train when I fell.”
    Grant grasped at a need to control his temper. He was in church, in the presence of God, his family, and friends. He sat on a pew with Morgan and Casey and placed Rebecca on his lap. He took a few deep breaths while he sensed Jenny’s gaze on him. “I don’t appreciate lies. Turner told me about your plans to find information about Jessica.”
    “And I’m telling you that I never met the man until I fainted a few days ago. But . . .” She hesitated.
    “What?” If he didn’t end this conversation, their whispers would arouse attention.
    “He says he’s a friend of Jessica’s. Just now he said they’d been engaged.”
    Rebecca. Surely Aubrey Turner is not the father. “We’ll talk later.”
    “I don’t think so, Dr. Andrews.”
    Before Grant had an opportunity to question her further, the introduction to the first hymn of the evening filled the air. An off-key chord struck his bad mood. In the next instant, Jenny left the pew, and he had no desire to chase after her.
    *****
    Jenny made her way from the church and down the road toward the boardinghouse. She’d not stay another night with the pompous, self-righteous Dr. Andrews. How dare he think she’d traveled with Mr. Turner? And how dare Mr. Turner tell Grant some absurd story about the two searching for information about Jessica.
    Why did Mr. Turner make it a point to tell Grant such falsehoods? Alarm swept over her. The strong possibility of Mr. Turner following her from Ohio nearly paralyzed her. Could the man be a Pinkerton agent? Or was he Rebecca’s father and wished to claim her? But that didn’t explain the lies. Unscrupulous described Turner’s tactics, yet he claimed he and Jessica had been engaged.
    “Miss Martin, Jenny.”
    She recognized the voice, and it did not comfort her trepidation. “Leave me alone, Mr. Turner.”
    “You need an escort. It’s not safe or proper for you to be out here alone. Put aside your distrust of me, and let me be a gentleman.”
    “It’s not dark, and I’d rather be alone.” Her heart pounded against her chest.
    He made his way alongside her. “Can’t we be friends? After all, we came here for the same reason.”
    “You have no idea why I’m here, and furthermore, it’s none of your concern.”
    He laughed. “You have the same fire that attracted me to Jessica.”
    She stopped in the middle of the road and spun toward him. “If you don’t leave me alone this instant, I will scream.”
    “No need to take those measures.” He smiled, rather sadly. “Tell me about Jessica’s daughter. How old is she?”
    “That is none of your business. I will scream.”
    He shook his head. “Please, I’m not an enemy. I understand you don’t know me well, but I do want to be of assistance.”
    “No, thank you.”
    “We will talk in the future. You can rest assured of that.”
    She walked away, leaving him behind. Trembling took over her body, and she feared her legs would not carry her the rest of the way to the boardinghouse. Unless she had misunderstood, Turner had threatened her. Informing the sheriff offered no consolation, for Sheriff Ben Kahler was married to Grant’s sister. And Jenny refused to leave town. This gave her no other choice but to take care of matters herself.
    At the boardinghouse she registered with a shaky hand and paid a week in advance to the proprietor, Mr. Harold Snyder. Everything smelled heavily of fried pork, her least favorite of meats. Grant’s home smelled of freshness