Do you know who specifically? No. He had regular men four or five that I saw at the farm. There may be others armed always. Gideon looked at the rifle on the table.
Not picking it up, not with any particular drama, just acknowledging that it was there. And if they find this place before Orson gets back. Then I need you to know, Mara said, that whatever happens, you taking us in wasn't something I maneuvered you into. I didn't know where I was going when Toby ran to your door. I didn't know this was your land.
She looked at him steadily. If you want us to go, I'll figure something out. I'm not going to pretend that's not your right. Gideon looked at her with an expression she still couldn't fully read, but which had stopped feeling entirely closed off sometime in the past 2 days. I want you to sit down before you fall down, he said.
You're turning gray around the mouth. She looked down at herself. He was right. The ankle was making itself known at full volume, and she'd been standing on it for 3 minutes, arguing through sheer stubbornness. She came to the bench and sat down.
Gideon picked up the cleaning cloth again. He worked for a moment in silence. I'm not asking you to leave, he said. She looked at him. I'm also not pretending this is simple, he said.
Ror is going to find out you're here eventually. I'd rather it happen on terms we've chosen than terms he's chosen. He ran the cloth along the barrel. So when Orson gets back, we don't hide. We prepare.
Mara sat with that for a moment. The word we in that sentence had a weight to it. She wasn't entirely sure what to do with. You don't know me, she said. I know enough.
He set the rifle down and looked at her directly. I know you're carrying your husband's deed against your ribs because you'd sooner fall in the snow than let it out of your reach. I know you split your food with your boy and pretended to eat your half. I know when you heard Toby out in the barn this morning, you listened for two full minutes to make sure he was all right before you stopped listening. He paused.