Fair enough, Pete nodded in agreement and, although still somewhat agitated, showed Charlie one of his new catalogs.

Sean had not missed one word of the conversation that had transpired in the next room. How did his wife expect people to react to his walking around town a free man, when most of them believed he should be six feet under ground? He felt sorry for her, since she obviously had more on her hands than she had bargained for. The thought troubled him.

But then without her, Sean would be dead. The sobering thought was enough to bring the young man back to the task at hand. He stepped back out into the store and waited for Charlie and Pete to notice him.

Does it fit? Pete asked, since Charlie seemed capable of little more than staring at Sean with his new haircut.

I think the next size up, if you have it.

Sure enough.

Sean disappeared back behind the curtain. Charlie wandered around the store then, and with Petes help, picked up various items that she thought Sean might need. A special pleasure rose within her at his surprised look of gratitude when he watched Pete wrap their purchases.

Fifteen minutes later husband and wife were once again back on the street. Tucked safely under Seans arm, in a wrapped parcel, were two pair of pants and three shirts, underclothes, socks, a comb and brush set, a razor, shaving mug and brush, and five handkerchiefs.

They received their fair share of curious stares, but no one appeared to be malicious. Even so, Sean was relieved to see the livery come into view. Charlie threw open the doors, and Sean headed toward the forge. The small ovenlike room was already comfortably familiar to him. Here there were no hostile or speculative looks.

The morning slipped away in quiet work. Sean found Charlie more than able as an assistant farrier. She seemed to know what a horse was thinking and second guessed movements on more than one occasion. Some horses tended to rest their weight on the man shoeing them. To call this a heavy burden was a gross understatement. Charlie had a little trick of pushing her small fist into the horses flank. Most of the animals got the message, and Sean was able to go on with his work without gasping for air. They were just finishing with a high-spirited two-year-old when a young girl appeared with a tray.

Thats our lunch, Charlie said by way of explanation, and after securing the horse, led the girl to a crate.

You can put it here, Lucy. Tell your mom Ill be in to pay my bill tomorrow.