The River Widow(54)

After Adah reluctantly left Daisy alone with Mabel, she and Esther headed out. Beyond earshot, Adah darted little looks at Esther, still trying to size her up.

“What is it you want?” Esther snapped after she had returned the darted glances.

Adah’s spine stiffened, but she made herself take quiet, solid steps. “Just to talk.”

Esther slipped her hands into the small front pockets on her dress. “About what?”

“Well . . . for one thing, I wanted to say this: you’re getting along here very well.”

Esther didn’t respond, instead simply fixed her gaze straight ahead.

Adah sighed. “I meant that as a compliment. That’s what you wanted, wasn’t it? To get along with everyone?”

Esther took one hand out of her pocket and fanned herself with it. “Frankly, yes. Not that it’s any business of yours.”

Adah pressed her lips together. “Obviously they’ve poisoned you against me,” she said flatly.

Esther faltered in her step, and her face became even more somber.

Adah continued. “With all due respect, I’m not your enemy.”

Esther shot her a guarded look, but her voice was steady, solemn, and strong. “I don’t see you as an enemy. There’s no threat. For you to be an enemy, you’d have to pose a threat.”

Adah grimaced. “Go ahead and shoot me now. What have they said about me?”

“Are you dull? You should know already.”

“I know they hate my past. I know they have some strange notion that I played a hand in Lester’s death.”

Esther said, “I know all that, too. Even the last part. Jesse let it slip one night, but Buck and Mabel haven’t said a word. For some reason Mabel wants me to believe you all are one big happy family.”

Adah walked a few more steps and then breathed out, “But you see through it, don’t you, Esther? They want me gone, don’t they?”

Esther shot a peek behind them as if she was afraid they were being followed. Her voice lowered as a line ran down the middle of her forehead. “So help me God, if you ever breathe a word of this, I’ll deny I ever spoke to you in this way. But I’ll say this much alright: they figure that given time, you’ll give up on getting your old place back and then move on.”

Adah could feel heat staining her cheeks, even though this was not unexpected news. They had to know that her only hope of salvaging anything from the marriage was winning some ownership of the farm, or at least getting some money from the farm. “Hmmm. That’s about what I figured. They want all of the farm. They’re waiting me out until they get it. But I won’t give up easily.”

Esther said nothing, again retreating into silence.

Not willing to give up on the conversation and her thin slice of hope, Adah asked, “So why did you tell me this? You certainly didn’t have to.”

Esther sighed. “Because I’m not so crazy about the idea of you leaving.”

Something tripped in Adah’s chest, but she simply waited for Esther to explain herself.

“I think it would be better if you stayed here.” Esther wrapped her arms around herself even though the day was hot. “You see, I’m not so keen on the idea of playing mother to an orphan.”

Adah almost gasped. “You mean Daisy.”

Esther nodded. “Between you and me, I’ve waited a long time to have my own child, and I’d prefer to focus on nothing else.”

Adah couldn’t quite conceal the surprise in her voice. “You want children?”

Esther stopped walking and turned to face Adah. “You think I’m too harsh, but it comes from having to deal with other people’s problem kids all the time. I want one shot, one baby, and one chance to do it right.”

Adah heaved in a gulp of hot air. Esther had revealed her secret. Would she, could she go further? “Esther, I have to ask you something. Have you ever heard anything . . . suspicious about how Betsy died?”

Esther’s eyes sprang open. “No.” Then a more determined stare, but one that held wariness inside it. “And I don’t want to know. I leave such things to the Lord.”

Adah had the feeling that Esther knew about the rumors but wasn’t breathing a word about it. Adah had already gone much further than she’d anticipated going during this conversation and pulled back now. “So Daisy doesn’t exactly fit into your plans, does she?”

“No,” Esther said through an exhaled breath. Her eyes were awash in resignation when she said, “But things rarely unfold perfectly. I guess I’ll have to get used to the idea of being a step-aunt who has to act the mother.”

Adah looked away for a moment and carefully considered her words. Turning back to Esther and placing a firm, open gaze on her, she said, “If Daisy wasn’t here, you could have Jesse all to yourself, your future child or children to yourself.”

Esther’s face paled, and every muscle appeared tense. “I can’t believe you said that. You must not be right in the head.” She wagged a finger in the direction of the house. “I could march back into that house and tell Mabel or Jesse what you’ve said, and they would turn you out in the very next moment. You have no claim on the girl. There’s nothing you can do about it.”

“I know that. Why do you think I’m still here?”