Patricia rang up the order for Wes and his wife Clara at the feed store. They were buying grain for their cattle on the ranch that bordered Ethan's on the north side. Dakota had walked inside to look at some new tack that'd come in because his gelding had been fighting the bit so he needed to find a way to deal with that. He knew he'd find it in the feed store since Tiny had referred him there from the livery.

"So you coming to the church social?"

Clara looked up at Patricia and nodded.

"I said I'd bring some of my special cobbler," she said, "I have some peaches coming to harvest to make it up real nice."

Patricia smiled.

"Sounds delicious," she said, "I'm bringing some of the apple cider."

Wes went outside to help load the grain with Patricia's husband, Hans which left the two women alone to talk.

"You haven't been to town recently have you?"

Clara shook her head.

"My youngest Sven took sick and he's kept me up at night…that and the garden…it keeps me real busy."

Patricia looked sympathetic.

"I hope that he feels better…I remember what it's like having such a wee one…you haven't missed much except…"

"Except what?"

Patricia lowered her voice.

"Millie was just in here yesterday and told me that one of the woman in this town is in a delicate condition herself."

Clara furrowed her brow.

"Delicate you mean?"

Patricia nodded and Clara widened her eyes.

"Pray tell who…"

Patricia got a gleam in her eye.

"Someone who's not married nor is she with a man in her home."

"You mean a spinster or a widower or what?"

Patricia paused for dramatic effect.

"No…a divorcee who has returned to town right when she happens to be in that condition."

Now Clara's eyes lit up.

"I know…hasn't Mrs. Lawson come back to town recently with another woman?"

Dakota's ears caught the name dropped from behind a shelf of grooming equipment.

"Yes she did…an older woman named Rose," Patricia said, "on vacation they said at the concert but I think it's because Amelia is with child and had to leave where she was living real quick."

Clara's jaw dropped.

"Good gracious…how can that be? I thought she was a moral woman of good standing…even though she was divorced."

Patricia shrugged.

"You just never know about some people do you? She likely believed no one would ask questions here if she showed up in such a state…not knowing about the man."

"I wonder who the man might be…though if it's in another city there's no way to know if she came here to keep it all secret from him."

Patricia narrowed her eyes.

"It wasn't a secret for long," she said, "Millie said that she heard Amelia went to Isabelle's shop to get her dresses in a larger size."

Dakota had decided he had heard enough. He had to go find Amelia and tell her the gossip about her. It couldn't possibly be true…someone had seen or heard something and jumped to conclusions. He left the feed store and bumped into John Taylor.

"You look like you're in a hurry…"

Dakota looked at the Indian.

"I need to find Amelia…I have something to tell her."

John Taylor nodded.

"About the news floating around town right now…"

"You know?"

"I don't pay much attention to gossip and hearsay," John Taylor said, "Having been the subject of it myself but Amelia…she's smart enough not to worry too much about it."

Dakota sighed.

"Even if she gets branded for something that's not true?"

John Taylor smiled.

"She'll know what to do. It'll all work out just fine."

Rose flashed annoyance at Millie.

"I heard the news already," she said, "Amelia's my friend and I can see she was right about the amount of gossip in this town."

Missy walked up to them.

"What's going on here?"

Rose just looked at her but Millie brightened.

"You know the news about Amelia's upcoming arrival."

Missy's lip curled in annoyance.

"Oh that…I don't know what that has to do with me or what's really important."

Millie's eyes sparkled.

"She doesn't have a husband…it'd be scandalous for her to be in that unfortunate situation."

Rose just shook her head.

"Really you are all pathetic if you'd talk about someone claiming fact where you don't have any," she said, "don't you have anything better to do?"

Missy turned on her.

"You're to talk…what while cavorting with that Indian around town?"

Rose felt pity for the young woman in front of her.

"You really don't have anything better to do."

Millie chuckled.

"You think it's not natural for those of us with higher moral standards not to be concerned that a woman with looser morals has come to town to birth a bastard child…"

Rose wanted to slap the woman down but then she heard footsteps behind her. She saw that Ethan had approached them. His face told them that he'd heard enough.

"What's this about a bastard child?"

Millie just looked at him.

"We're talking about your ex-fiancée. You were right not to marry her."

Ethan looked at her and Missy then looked at Rose. Then he took off down the street to track down Amelia. Rose followed him.

"Ethan where are you going?"

His lips pressed into a firm line.

"I need to talk to her to find out if she's been keeping something secret from me."

Amelia walked down the street and noticed how much hotter the day had gotten since earlier that morning. Sweat beaded on her face and she felt dizzy. Then she looked up and saw Ethan walking quickly towards her followed by Rose.

He didn't look happy either. She knew suddenly what had happened.

"Ethan…"

He looked angry with her.

"Amelia…I got one question for you and you better answer it."

She sighed.

"I can explain…"

He looked at her in total shock and her heart sank, as deep as it could go. He looked from her to Rose and then back again.

"So you are…it is true and it's all over town…"

Amelia shook her head.

"I meant to tell you."

"When? Why didn't you tell me? If it's mine…I have a right to know."

She widened her eyes at him, now she was getting angry.

"Yours? What do you think…Don't tell me you believe what they say about me…what they've always said?"

The pain she felt inside of her…she couldn't even fathom. She put her hands on her hips.

"Go away…god…if you don't know me that well…just go away…."

"I'm not going anywhere until I've had my say Amelia…why didn't you tell me?"

"Because….because…oh to hell with this…you know now just leave me alone…"

She started to go and then he blocked her path.

"Not until I'm done talking and you're done answering my questions…"

She wanted out of there so fast, not believing the way he acted. But then she felt something else…a wave of dizziness so intense…she dropped faster than she could stop it onto the ground in a dead faint.