Teresa and Charlie were on their way out of town at a good clip, with Bartholomew trotting. For a few minutes there was

silence, as though both of them were stunned by the events.

Charlie found her voice. "You left your packages," she said.

Teresa, just realizing it as well, said, "Oh, I did!" Teresa slowed the buggy, and Charlie thought it looked as though she was

considering.

"Are you going back to get them?" she asked the older girl. She half hoped that Teresa would-and half hoped that she wouldn't.

If they did, they might see something happening at Val's office as they passed by again. But, also, if they did, they might be

spotted, going the opposite way of the direction of home. Scott would not be pleased.

"Are you?" Charlie prompted Teresa, when she didn't respond immediately, but looked as though she was thinking hard.

"I guess not," Teresa said. "I was with Carolyn a few minutes before I saw you and Monte-maybe she'll see them laying there,

and pick them up for me."

It sounded like a long shot to Charlie, but she was sort of glad that Teresa had made the decision that she had. The way that Scott's

jaw had been set...

"Thank you for coming to help me," Charlie said, then.

"Of course I was going to come and help you, you goose," Teresa replied. "I wasn't going to leave you there for that big ox to

toss you and Monte around!"

Again the girls were quiet for a bit.

"What do you think is happening?" Charlie asked Teresa, with worry evident.

"I don't know," Teresa said. She spared Charlie a glance. "Don't worry about Scott-he can take care of himself."

"That man is so big, though."

"He'll be home soon, and then you'll see that he's fine," Teresa said, forcing a cheerfulness.

"How much money do you think that he's going to want from Scott?" Charlie asked, biting hard at her lower lip.

"He's probably going to ask for quite a lot," Teresa said, and Charlie winced.

Teresa noticed how Charlie responded to that comment, and patted her leg briefly. "Try not to worry," she said.

"What are we going to tell Murdoch?" Charlie asked now.

At that, Teresa bit at her own lower lip, and Charlie saw, that despite her brave comments, Teresa had her own worry about

Murdoch in particular.

"We'll tell him the truth," Teresa said.

When they pulled up to the ranch, Jelly came forward and offered to unhitch the buggy and turn Bartholomew out into the pastures.

"Alright, thank you, Jelly," Teresa said, though she didn't sound all that sure.

Charlie followed along behind Teresa as they went into the front foyer, and Teresa closed the big wooden door.

"Do we have to talk to Murdoch right now?" Charlie asked Teresa in a whisper.

"We should," Teresa said, but they were saved from the decision by the appearance of Murdoch, papers in one of his hands, and

his spectacles on top of his head.

"There's my girls," he greeted them, with a wide smile. "How was town? I thought you were staying a bit longer to see your friends," he

said to Teresa.

"Well-" Teresa said, hesitant, "It didn't turn out that way-"

"Did you find a dress?" Murdoch asked Charlie.

"We found some yellow material," Teresa answered for Charlie. "I'm going to sew her a dress."

"Oh," Murdoch said, looking a bit surprised. "There weren't any suitable dresses, then?"

"None that Charlie really liked," Teresa said, laying her bonnet and clutch purse on the small table in the foyer.

"Ah," Murdoch said, going to the window near the door to look out. "Where has Scott gotten off to?"

Charlie looked up at Teresa, wanting her to be the one to answer, and then felt cowardly.

"He's still in town," Teresa said, carefully.

"Oh," Murdoch said, looking at them both again. He reached out to gently tug on Charlie's braid. "What's got you to be so quiet, darling?"

Charlie swept her eyes to Murdoch's, and then lost her nerve, and let them lower again.

When Charlie didn't answer, Murdoch frowned, looking at both of the girls more carefully.

"Are you ill?" he asked.

"No, sir," Charlie said, so low it was barely heard by him.

Murdoch looked knowingly at them now. "What is it, then?" he asked, looking concerned. "There's obviously something-"

"There was a-situation in town," Teresa said, slowly.

"What sort of a situation?" Murdoch demanded. "Out with it, Teresa."

"One of the men from the property that Charlie helped set off the traps at was in town," Teresa began. "He saw Charlie, and Monte when

they were by themselves, and he got very-" Teresa hesitated over the words. "He caught them, and he was yelling, and grabbing them, and

I tried to make him stop. We all ended up at Val's office, and Scott is still there, trying to straighten things out."

Murdoch's eyes flashed. "Were you hurt?" he asked Charlie.

Charlie shook her head. "No, sir."

"What is it that Scott is doing?" he asked, his tone hard.

"The other man is demanding repayment," Teresa said. "For the pelts he thinks that he lost."

"From the traps that you and Monte set off?" Murdoch asked Charlie, to verify.

Charlie nodded, miserably.

Murdoch's eyes were still flashing. "You both look done in. Have you eaten lunch?"

Charlie shook her head, and Teresa said, "No. We haven't."

"Go along, both of you, and get something," Murdoch said.

"I'm not hungry," Teresa said, and Charlie echoed, "I'm not, either."

"I just want to change my clothes," Teresa said.

"Go and do that, then," Murdoch said, his tone clipped. "And then come to the kitchen. I want to talk some more to both of

you. Charlie, you come with me."

Charlie felt a sense of impending doom, and shot Teresa a worried look. Teresa was looking somewhat tremulously at Murdoch

herself, and only nodded briefly at Charlie, before she headed towards the upstairs.

Murdoch headed towards the kitchen, and Charlie followed him, somewhat reluctantly.

In the kitchen, there was the smell of fresh bread, and two loaves were set out on the table.

"Sit down," Murdoch said, and Charlie obeyed, while he began to slice pieces of bread, and set them before Charlie, along with a glass

of milk from the ice box.

"Jam or honey?" he asked Charlie. Charlie thought about telling him, again, that she wasn't hungry, but it didn't seem the wisest at the moment.

"Jam." Charlie said. "Please."

Murdoch took out the blackberry jam, and also the honey pot, and said, briefly, "Eat." After that, he was silent.

Charlie took a slice of the still warm bread, and spread jam on it, beginning to eat. Murdoch set the tea kettle on the stove.

She found that the bread tasted very good, and was nearly finished with it when Teresa came into the kitchen. Teresa was looking as

though she wished to be somewhere else.

"I've made tea," Murdoch said to her. "Sit down."

Teresa sat, and Murdoch set a cup of steaming tea in front of her along with a spoon. Teresa reached for the sugar bowl, and

spooned in some sugar, stirring the tea, and then drinking some.

Murdoch took the seat between the two of them, and said, "Tell me how this all happened."

"When I saw them, he had Monte grabbed up, and he was being loud and obnoxious," Teresa said. "I went to try to help."

"He kept screaming, and shaking Monte," Charlie spoke up.

"And then?" Murdoch prompted, his tone short.

Charlie exchanged a look with Teresa.

"I screamed back at him," Teresa admitted. "And then, when he grabbed Charlie, I kicked him and he let her go."

Murdoch raised an eyebrow. "You kicked him," he said, more as a statement, not a question.

"Yes, I did," Teresa said, raising her chin.

"He said that Scott has to pay him money, for what I did," Charlie said.

Murdoch stood, and scooted in the chair to the table. "You need to eat something," he told Teresa.

"Where are you going?" Teresa asked, looking worried, and sitting up straighter in her chair.

"I'll go and see if Scott needs anything from me," Murdoch said. "You two will stay here."

Teresa looked as though she thought about protesting, but then she pressed her lips together, and kept still.

"Perhaps you can think about some supper, for later," Murdoch said, and Teresa nodded. "Charlie, you can help Teresa," he added, firmly.

"I will," Charlie said, subdued by his demeanor.

Murdoch went out, and Teresa sighed, standing, to take her cup to the sink. "What a mess," she said.

"Murdoch's angry, isn't he?" Charlie asked, timidly.

"Uh huh."

"Who is he angry with? That man? Or at me and you?"

"I would say all," Teresa said.

L