“That won’t do any good,” Mac said. “I think we’ve got to find out who the Dancer is.”
“Must be somebody pretty close or he wouldn’t be so worried about your missus,” Doll said.
“So how do we find out who he is?” Linnet asked. “We can’t just ask people.”
Mac locked eyes with Wesley. “There’s only one way: by making him show his hand again.”
It took Wesley a moment to understand. “You want to use my wife as some sort of pigeon for this Dancer to shoot at? You expect me to expose Leah to the whims of a thief and a murderer? Not on your life, Macalister.”
“Nobody’s askin’ you to—,” Mac began angrily.
“I think you should ask Leah,” Linnet said. “She should be given a choice. Right now she’s miserable because she’s been accused of murder and she has no way to clear her name. If the real culprit is found only then will she be free.”
“Absolutely not,” Wesley said firmly. “I don’t care if Leah never leaves my house again. I won’t let her expose herself to a murderer. If the Dancer thinks she knows something, he may try to kill her. I will not let Leah out of my protection.”
“Then you’re forcing her to a half-life,” Linnet said with passion. “All the Dancer has to do is keep paying that dreadful woman to spread her stories about Leah, and if Leah merely stays home and cries, never defends herself, it won’t be long before people begin believing Leah is a murderer.”
“Yep,” Doll said. “People will say where there’s smoke there’s fire, and in a few months they’ll all agree that there must be somethin’ behind your little wife’s misery. They might say maybe she’s stayin’ home ’cause she feels guilty.”
“Wesley,” Linnet said, her hand on his arm. “You must talk to Leah about this. It’s really her decision.”
“As long as she’s my wife—.”
“Hah!” Mac interrupted. “If you want her to act like a wife oughta, you better hightail it out of this town right now. It’s my guess that if you won’t tell her, Lynna will.”
“Is that true?” Wesley asked, eyes wide.
“It had crossed my mind,” she said, giving her husband a stern look when he smiled at her.
“Maybe we could go—,” Wesley began.
“It’ll follow you wherever you go,” Mac said. “The only way you can settle this and really protect your wife is to find out who the Dancer is. And the only way I see of doin’ that is to have Leah show her face. Maybe she knows somethin’ she don’t remember. Maybe the Dancer wants her out of the way ’cause of that. Maybe the Dancer lives a hundred miles from here and that Haynes woman just wants to pretend she’s important. Who knows? But the only way you’re gonna find out is if Leah leaves that house of yours and we see what else the Dancer does.”
“Seems to me,” Doll said, “that maybe there’s somethin’ else this here Dancer wants ’cause he could have murdered your woman right away. What’s he got to gain if he makes her look like a murderer?”
“Freedom,” Wes said slowly. “If he can make someone else look guilty no one will suspect him. Even if he makes a slip now and then, people won’t notice because they’ll remember Leah as the guilty one.”
“Remember?” Linnet whispered.
Wesley’s eyes turned dark. “I won’t let her out of my sight,” he said under his breath. “If I have to take her to France to live, I will. She’ll never be in danger if I can help it, and if any of you hint to Leah about any of this, I’ll make you sorry.” With that he left the store.
Chapter 28
Leah was slowly braiding Kimberly’s long hair.
“I’m so looking forward to the dance tonight,” Kim said. “I’m going to wear my rose silk dress with the lace shawl. It’s the first time in months that I’ve been anywhere. Except here, of course. John makes me stay home the rest of the time. What are you going to wear tonight, Leah?”
Leah turned away toward a basin of dirty dishes. “I’m not going.”
“Not going! Oh Leah, you must go. Everyone will be there. Even Bud and Cal are going.” She laughed. “I hear Miranda Macalister has made both of them new shirts and everyone is dying to see if she can dance with both boys at once. It’s going to be such fun! I know you have pretty clothes, Leah, so there’s no reason for you to stay home.”
“I have been forbidden to go,” Leah said with suppressed anger.
“Forbidden?” Kim was aghast. “But who—? You mean Wesley said you couldn’t go?”
Leah’s hands clutched a plate beneath the dirty water. “I thought perhaps it was time I left the house and faced the outside world, but my husband wouldn’t hear of it.”
Kim looked as if she’d just heard the most tragic story of her life. “But why, Leah? Wesley is the kindest, gentlest, most considerate man alive. How could he forbid you to go to a dance?”