As Baldwin examined the knife in his hand he heard the front door open down stairs and the familiar whistling of his cousin as he made his way up. Espen had been paying him a visit but when he heard Dick he stood up.

"Well I had better go find something to do," he said. "I hope you understand that I have told you the truth. I didn't approve of that teacher, Baldwin but I would never ruin the reputation of a woman for my own gain."

The brothers turned to the office door as Dick walked in with a big smile on his face. Espen collected his hat and started for the door.

"In a hurry?" Dick asked as he passed him.

"You could say that," Espen mumbled as he went on.

With a shrug Dick entered in and took his seat. "What's got his goat?"

"All the goats are well and good at the farm," Baldwin said gently setting the knife down. "Do you have your report?"

"Oh...about that..."

"Dick, I gave you this job because I do not approve of sloth. You said you could do it."

"I've been all over town," Dick said. "I'm soar in my sit upon from riding all morning. I try to ask people how they are faring but they are only interested in hearing about what happened with that schoolmarm. They think one of us had something to do with it and that is why you sent her away. She is ruining this family. The Jezebel."

Baldwin fixed his eyes on his cousin. "Did not one of us have something to do with it?" he asked. "It was your word that I went on. You said she was slandering good names."

"But you spoke to the families," Dick said. "And they told you that their secrets had been let out. Does it not add up?"

"Maids gossip."

"And apparently so do school teachers," Dick said slouching in the chair. He studied his cousin's face carefully. "Trust your instincts. Remember how she toyed with you like a cat with yarn. Women are the biggest threat to the male race. You have a new teacher. Just forget the little Jezebel."

"Stop calling her that!" Baldwin snapped, flying out of his chair."

Dick shrunk down so low he ended up on the floor. Gasping for his chair he managed to get to his knees.

Baldwin looked into his cousin's blue eyes. He had the look of prey all over his face. "Why are you afraid of me?"

Dick took a deep swallow and climbed unsteadily back into his chair. "Because I know what you are capable of," he said.

Baldwin sank back into his chair. "You never fail to bring that up," he said. "I swore to protect two people in my life. One of them was Johann...the other was you."

Dick gripped the armrest. "Johann is dead," he said casually.

"Exactly," Baldwin said.

Dick studied his cousin carefully, trying to figure out exactly what was on his mind. "You ever wonder why we went to the lake that day?"

"To fish."

"But the real reason?" Dick said. "Sometimes I go down there to be sure. I beg that lake to keep our little secret. Sometimes Baldwin I think Johann dying was him getting his revenge...on you."

Baldwin looked up.

"Me? He's always hated me. I just keep waiting for the day when I shall meet his howling ghost." He found his cousin's eyes again and noticed that the anger had been replaced with perpetual sorrow. "Baldwin, what happened with Johann isn't your fault."

Baldwin got up from his desk taking his pocket watch and the knife.

"Why are you still carrying that around?" Dick asked as his cousin put on his charcoal frock coat over his burgundy vest.

"I don't know," Baldwin said with a pause. "I suppose it is a connection to all that has happened."

"Because it ended up in the teacher's horse?" Dick asked.

Baldwin looked over his cousin for a moment. "Yes...yes that's exactly right."

"Well I suppose that is why Espen was so cool toward me," Dick said. "I let it be stolen from my person and it was used in a crime."

An alibi, Dick always had an alibi. He picked up his felt derby and moved toward the door. "I'm going to talk to Asmund if you want to come with me."

Dick jumped up from his seat. "Is someone being sued?"

"Nothing that serious," Baldwin laughed. He guided his cousin out the door before him then went back into the room for a few documents.

Dick took the stairs slowly whistling "Comrades Fill no Glass For Me".

/

"I'm afraid there really isn't much I can tell you ladies," Asmund said. "Miss Day as you know kept to herself. She didn't come to any of our parties and she never stayed out late." He put another bottle on the self of the stockroom. "She was a good teacher."

Alice removed some fabric from a crate and put it on the shelf beside her. "I know," she said. "That's why we do not believe she spread lies about the people who live here."

"It was a terrible lie," Margaret said from where she stood stocking the shelves with spices. "Only an idiot would believe it. How does he not know that Dick Crowninshield spread those stories himself?" she looked to Asmund who looked surprised. "Oh, I know it's him behind all of this."

Asmund shook his head and went back to stocking. "But why would he?" he asked. "He hardly even knows Miss Day."

"Did he ever tell you that he was the one to save her from the ice?" Margaret asked.

"No," Asmund said, his gray eyes searching. "No he didn't."

"Figures," Margaret said. "Pleasant only told me recently because she had been too afraid."

Asmund frowned. "Afraid of what?"

Margaret looked to Alice who shook her head. It would be unwise to spread what had transpired with Pleasant at Greene's Estate. "Let's just say she had a reason to fear your cousin."

Asmund shrugged. "A lot of people are wary of Dick," he said. "His father was an awful man. I never went over to play. Baldwin and Espen did and Espen with great reluctance. My uncle was cruel to my aunt beyond measure. She stopped attending church because she was so black and blue. It didn't stop with her he also harmed my cousin. Dick spent many summer nights with us. He loved going to school and hated being home."

"You're breaking my heart," Margaret said sarcastically.

"You don't have to pity my cousin but just know that we all did a lot better when my uncle disappeared. People would whisper that he didn't belong here in Natt Fristad. He was the devil in paradise."

"Well the apple doesn't fall far from the tree," Margaret said.

"Margaret!" Alice hissed.

Asmund looked between them. "There is something going on here that I don't know about," he said. "You do realize that despite the apron I am a lawyer."

"You do look fashionable in an apron, Asmund," Alice said with a laugh.

Asmund shot his sister-in-law a look which made her laugh all the more. "Look—"

"Eftermiddag, Asmund!"

Asmund looked toward the stockroom door. "Baldwin," he said. "If it is any consolation I promise to let you ladies know if I hear anything about the rumors."

"You'd help us?" Margaret asked in surprise.

"I am a lawman, Mrs. Blanche," Asmund said. "I am compelled to do what is right. I am not partial." He walked out of the stockroom and greeted his brother.

"I see business is slow," Baldwin said then paused when the two women came out the backroom. His eyes found his brother and Asmund shrunk at the judgment in them.

Margaret made her way over to the counter where the brothers stood with their cousin. "As it seems you do not have any cappers after all," she said. "I apologize for keeping you so long. I must learn to trust my maid when I send her on errands."

Asmund caught on immediately. "I will put in an order just for you, Mrs. Blanche," he said with a smile.

Margaret tipped her head in thanks. "Evetermindagaga, Mr. Monhollen," Margaret said and Alice had to bite he lip to keep from laughing.

Baldwin never broke etiquette. "Afternoon," he said blasé.

Margaret glided past him, purposefully pressing close. "Oh, my apologies, Mr. Monhollen. Silly me was not aware of how narrow the space was and as you can see I have a lot to carry."

Baldwin blushed red while Dick narrowed his eyes and Asmund trembled as he held in his laughter.

Linking Arms with Alice Margaret swept out of the store with her nose up.

"Margaret-Gay, you are so bad!" Alice said as they giggled.

Dick turned away from the window as the women moved out of sight. "You ought not to let females treat you like that, Baldwin," he said going over to the rakes. "They'll think you're weak and expose you to ruin."

"I'm not afraid of women," Baldwin scoffed.

Dick picked up a rake, needlessly examining the handle. "Could have fooled me," he said. "You looked like a boy wet himself on account of the big scary monster."

Baldwin decided to ignore his cousin. "I have some papers I want you to look over for me, Asmund."

"All right."

"I want you to look into this and see if you can disprove any delinquent properties incurred by our dear uncle before they become attached to our name."

Asmund took the documents. "I have looked into his holds already," he said. "Auntie asked me to. Everything was sold off to pay for debts."

Baldwin frowned. "When did she decide this?"

Asmund shrugged. "While I was in Missouri," he said. "She wrote me about it." He opened the folder. "All he had was a house and half an acre in Pennsylvania." He found the documents that read so. "These are outdated. The land sold already. She only held onto it for so long because she thought he would come back."

A laugh from the corner of the shop distracted them. Dick looked back at them with a snort. "Carry on, gentlemen," he said with a bow.

"Why wasn't I ever told about this?" Baldwin asked.

"Father was alive then," Asmund reasoned. "I'm sure he knew. We really had no reason to know it wasn't our affair."

"But it should have been in the records," Baldwin said.

"Baldwin, you know how father was the last few years," Asmund said. "He was sloppy, he started to forget things. I know you remember him as a man who did everything perfect but it wasn't always so. Standing so deep in his shadow you just couldn't see it like the rest of us."

Baldwin snatched up the documents. "There was nothing wrong with my father."

"No one is perfect, Baldwin," Asmund said. Studying law had taken some of the respectful fear away that he had for his older brother. "Not Father and not you. Maybe if you didn't try to be so you would smile a little more and you wouldn't make so many hasty mistakes."

Baldwin laughed. "You too?" he said.

"Look," Asmund said. "Aunt Maude said that place was filled with painful memories. She was glad to see it go and so was I. I thought you would be too."

Baldwin froze up. When he could move again he looked back at Dick who looked terrified.

"That summer you accompanied Aunt Maude you came back so upset," Asmund said. "The only person worse off than you was Auntie. None of us knew what became of the three of you."

Dick set the rack back against the wall. "My father decided to pay us a little visit," Dick said. "Didn't he, Baldwin?" he nudged his stone cousin. "That's when it all started. Baldwin and I became closer than ever."

Baldwin raised his eyes to his brother. "You remember that, Asmund?"

"I've always had a good memory," Asmund shrugged. "Nothing got past me."

Baldwin forced a smile. "A lawyer to the bone," he mumbled.

Asmund looked up as a customer came in. "Uncle leaving was the best thing to happen to Aunt Maude," he said. "I still think she dreads he'll turn up again."

Baldwin turned as the customer strolled the store. "She doesn't need to."

"Pardon?" Asmund frowned.

"I said..." Baldwin closed his eyes. "Thanks for nothing." He turned away from the counter and left the store with Dick quick behind him.

"Baldwin! Baldwin wait! When he reached his cousin he grabbed his shoulder. "Now is no time for regrets, cousin. You saved me, you saved my mother. You did it the only way you knew how. It's like Asmund said, no one is perfect. Your father tried to be and now you feel you must too."

Baldwin finished putting the paper in his saddle bag then untied his horse.

"The apple doesn't fall far from the tree."

Baldwin paused before mounting the animal and looked at his cousin. Perhaps...it crossed his mind for a second. Perhaps if he was so much like his father than Dick was too. Sticking his foot in the stirrup he swung himself into the saddle.

"Baldwin," Dick called after him as he moved his horse away. "I'd never betray you."

Baldwin gave a quick nod and turned away. It took everything he had to sit upright in the saddle and wave to the citizens of Natt Fristad. He could still feel the mud on his clothes and the weight of the hatchet in his hands. He could feel the knife in his chest as he watched Pleasant's heart break before him. He strove to be perfect and he acted in haste... He wondered where she was or if she had fallen into evil hands. Perhaps she was dead in a potter's field. The manual on how to save a life was a heavy book filled with blank pages and he was the fool turning them in search of answers.