Chapter Four: Eavesdropping
When Duncan has finally had enough of the party in the saloon, he says goodbye to the remaining few people and heads outside. It's a clear night, and no one else appears to be out on the street. This is no surprise, since it's almost one o'clock in the morning and most people will have to work that day.
Duncan's about to return to the hotel when he notices movement across the street. He squints his eyes to try and see better and notices two figures whispering to each other and looking around suspiciously. Curious, Duncan wanders across the street silently and presses himself against the wall of one of the buildings so as not to be seen.
The two strangers are hiding between two of the buildings and Duncan makes sure he doesn't move a muscle lest he make a sound and betray his position.
"Do you have it?" a slightly accented man asks. Duncan peers around the side of the building to see what's going on. He still can't see the faces of the people but their silhouettes are clear enough for him to see what's going on.
"Of course, I always keep a promise!" a woman's voice replies, slightly offended. She pulls something out of her bag and it seems to be wriggling around. The man takes the animal from the woman and holds it like a baby. It snorts and continues to wriggle, and Duncan realises it's a piglet.
"Are you sure this will work, Heather?" he wonders disbelievingly. His voice is familiar somehow… Duncan thinks. The woman scoffs.
"If you take it to the stream up the mountain twice a day for the next week and let it drink, it will grow big enough for you to win her hand, easy!" the woman, Heather, assures him. "But after you've given it to her, you have to buy me dinner, regardless of whether or not you win."
"If I'm getting married, why would I buy you dinner? Then it will appear that I'm already being unfaithful to my wife," the man points out.
"Fine, don't buy me dinner," she says grumpily. "But if you don't, you'll have to be prepared to reap the consequences." The man sighs.
"Okay, it's a deal," he agrees reluctantly.
"Good choice," Heather says smugly. "I don't know why you want to marry that beast anyway. It's not like she has a lot to offer, and you're already rich."
"I already told you, chica," the man says. That's when Duncan finally realises who the voice belongs to. Alejandro. "If I want to remain rich without getting a job I have to marry a rich woman. It was not an easy decision, but it was one that had to be made. But I promise you, just because I am a married man does not mean that my heart is taken."
"Ugh! Why should I care about that?" Heather demands. Alejandro chuckles. He reaches his hand up and gently touches her face.
"I know the way you feel for me, you make it so clear," he whispers. "I am sorry I have to put you through the heartbreak of pursuing another woman." Heather scowls and Alejandro walks away, not noticing Duncan as he does so. Heather walks in the other direction, passing Duncan on her way. She glares at him as she walks by but to his relief doesn't say a word.
When he finally recollects himself after hearing the conversation, Duncan decides it's finally time for bed and he walks back to the hotel, collapsing on his bed when he enters his room. He mulls over the events from the evening and tries to piece everything together.
After much thought, he decides he'll have to visit Harold the next day to tell him about Heather and Alejandro's conversation, and goes to sleep.
Harold is feeding his pigs when Duncan arrives the next day. He's surprised to have a visitor but invites Duncan in for a cup of tea and a slice of bread nonetheless.
"How did you find my house?" he wonders as he takes a seat and sips his tea.
"The hotel manager gave me directions," Duncan replies. He picks up the slice of bread and takes a bite, looking around at the simple furnishings of Harold's home. "Nice house."
"My mother decorated it," Harold admits, not even slightly embarrassed. "She has a good eye for décor and furniture." Duncan nods in acknowledgment.
"And the tea and bread are delicious."
"Are you going to tell me why you came out here today?" Harold asks bluntly. "I know you didn't come to have a nice chat about the inside of my house and drink tea." Duncan rubs the back of his neck, not quite sure how to approach the subject.
"I overheard something last night…" Duncan begins. "A conversation, between one Alejandro and Heather. I don't know their last names." Harold nods.
"Ah yes, I know them," he says. "The Spanish man and the Asian woman. I see them around sometimes, pretending not to be in love with each other." He sips on his tea again and Duncan can't help but think how he reminds him of a housewife who engages in idle gossip. And he probably is exactly that, Duncan thinks.
"Right, anyway as I was saying, I over heard a conversation between them last night," he continues. "Heather gave Alejandro a piglet and by the sounds of it he's going to try and win Leshawna's hand in marriage!" He finishes and looks at Harold expectantly. Harold just sits there in thought, pondering the information. He takes a bite of bread and washes it down with a sip of tea.
"I appreciate that you told me this, because clearly it means you're worried about my position as Leshawna's fiancé," he says.
"I'm not worried, I just thought you should know," Duncan counters.
"But even if he fed that pig all the food in town over the next week, it wouldn't be possible for it to be as big as my largest pig," Harold continues as though Duncan had never interrupted. "I've been farming for over five years now, and I've been watching my father for as long as I can remember. Nothing grows that fast."
"I feel like this Heather woman is a witch though," Duncan says uncertainly. "She could've given him a magic pig or something." Harold stands up.
"Let me show you my fattest pig." He heads out the back door without looking behind to see if Duncan follows. Duncan puts down his tea, a little surprised and follows Harold outside. He's standing on the porch and points to his pig pen. Laying by the edge is the fattest pig Duncan has ever seen. It's easily twice if not three times the size of the other pigs. He stands there with his mouth agape.
"It's… massive!"
"So you see, there's no way Alejandro's pig will grow to be that size before next week," Harold says with confidence, but Duncan still isn't sure.
"What if Alejandro kills it before next week?" he asks.
"Worry not Duncan, I have it all under control," Harold assures him. "Now are you going to keep trying to convince me my plan won't work or do you want to come in and finish our tea and gossip about the people in town?" With a quick glance back at the pigs, Duncan follows Harold back inside to finish his tea.