Whilleam takes the remaining stairs two at a time and skids across the porch to kneel before her, gripping her free hand. "Imma! We thought you was dead! I didn't believe it - they never found sure sign of your body in the..." He breaks off, swallows. "I waited, waited for weeks! But everyone was so sure you was gone, an' Letty Baker, she was so kind 'bout it, an'..." He breaks off again, finally registering Rastellions presence, and that he's holding Immalaine's other hand and gazing at Whilleam with less then complete friendliness. Whilleam lets go of Immalaine's hand with a guilty start. "Letty an' I are married now," he hastens on, with another glance at Rastellion. "Last spring. Our first child's on the way... And are you?..." he glances over at Rastellion, then back to Immalaine. "Where've you been all this time?"
Immalaine listens to Whilleam fall over his words, and turns to glance at Rastellion as she feels his hand clench at the sight of the new man. "Whilleam ..." she says, "This is Rastellion, he's my ..." she looks over at Rastellion, biting her lip before continuing, "my beau. An' Rastellion, this is Whilleam. He's Mr. Pierson's son." She desperately grasps for anything to keep from answering Whilleam's last question, before turning to Pierson. "Whate'er did happen after th' brigands got done wit' th' ... th' farm?" she asked.
Pierson leans back in his chair. "Why, of course, you'd have no way to know all that... but guess you've a right to. If yer sure?" At Immalaine's nod he takes a deep breath, pauses, as if searching his memory, and starts. "Well, first we knew something was amiss was late that night, when..." **
Eda has moved to sit beside Immalaine during her father's narration, and Whilleam taken a chair opposite. Eda turns to her old friend now. "I didn' want t' believe it but, after that year was gone... The spot we picked for th' graves, was out in th' back of th' orchard, you know, where I fell out o' the tree that one time an' broke my arm an' where" - she looks between Rastellion and her brother with a slightly mischievous glint in her eye - "where you an' Whill traded kisses that one time!" Whilleam sputters something, and his sister grins. "Thought I din' know 'bout that, didn' ya?" She turns back to Immalaine, serious again. "Whill an' I went an' planted primroses 'round there th' next spring, 'cause we remembered you liking 'em. I can go show them to you" - she catches sight of the tears in Immalaine's eyes and stammers - "if, ah, if you want to ... sometime."
Brushing the tears out of her eyes, Immalaine turns and hugs her friend. "That was very sweet o' ye, an' I reckon I do want t' see where me pa is ... is buried." she finishes, a small sob caught in her throat. "It would mean a lot t' me, if I ... if I ..." Unable to continue, Immalaine stares down at her hands, trying valiantly not to cry in front of everyone.
Rastellion reaches one hand over to cover Immalaine's and turns to Pierson. "We just learned that her farm's goin' up for sale in a few days," he explains. "Imma didn't know that 'til we happened across that up in Bree town. Th' notary there said as, not havin' the deed to the farm, she'd have to get affadavits t' prove she's th' rightful heir, or they'll go ahead an' auction it off in a few weeks. Tha's why we rode out here, you see."
Pierson rubs his chin. "Well, I've no doubt th' deed burned down with th' farmhouse. But as for an affadavit? Well, me an' my Suzie'll," he smiles at Immalaine, though her head's still bowed - "we'll sign whatever ya need t' prove you're you, Little Imma." He chuckles. "Suppose I should say Immalaine, now that you're all grown an' all."
Immalaine looks over at Mr. Pierson through her lashes, wet with unshed tears. "Thank ye, Mr. Pierson," she said quietly, as she watched him. "Would mean lots t' me, ye helpin' me out an' all. Where is Mrs. Pierson anyways?" she asks, looking around for his wife.
Pierson leans back on his bench. "She's down in the village, sellin' some of her herbal tinctures at th' market, an I've no doubt she'll be buyin' a few things for her knitting, like as not. Won't be seeing her back this side o' dusk."
Whilleam leans forward. "I was comin' to ask you if you and ma would like t' have supper with me an' Letty in town today," he says. "Letty's done the baking, an' she remembers she promised you one of her apple pies. So you and ma could do the signing at th' notary, then Immalaine could come home wi' us!" He catches Rastellion's eye on him again, "... ah, both of you," he adds, hastily.
Pierson nods slowly. "Reckon the hands can finish up bedding down th' trees," he muses. "Where're you stayin' in the village?" he asks Immalaine. "We got a spare room here, ya know!"
Immalaine turns to Mr. Pierson and smiles. "Rastellion already paid fer rooms fer us at th' village inn. But thank ye fer thinkin' of it." she replied, before turning to Whilleam. "An', well, I'm sure if'n yer wife dun mind havin' sudden company, we could come t' supper."
Pierson smiles. "Th' inn? Why, Mistress Tilly surely remembered you, way you used to try to sneak into her cellar and all when you pa would go there t' sell that applejack of his!" Rastellion shakes his head. "She didn' say nothing if she did, though she did keep glancing a Immalaine, as if tryin' to place her face." He squeezes Immalaine's hand. "An' there you go: one, two, three. Respectable farmers an' an innkeeper? That should be enough t' please the lawyers back in Bree!"
Immalaine turns to Rastellion and nods. "I reckon it sounds 'bout right. An' then we can see 'bout what t' do wit' th' land faster as well." turning back to everyone, she looks over their faces, and smiles. "I'm jus' glad t' be seein' e'eryone again." she says, "An' knowin' that yer all doin' well an' all."
Eda gives Immalaine a tight hug. "Ya should have come home sooner, Imma! Not leaves us thinkin' you were dead all this time!" Pierson rises and gestures for his children and guests to follow him. "Now you come on in and let me get you a bite t' eat before we set back out to the village." He glances over toward Rastellion's two guardsmen, who are busy flirting with a dairy made out by the barn. "I'll send some out for your men, too." He starts toward the door, giving Whilleam a wink. "Don't worry, son, I'll not fill 'em so full that they won't have plenty o' room for Letty's pies! But it'll be a while b'fore we can get there, what with needing t' see the notary and all." He holds the door and gestures. "C'mon, in you get ... see if the place is as you remember it, Imma!"
(Credits and love go to Rastellion, who provided the voice of the male characters in this story. *Blows kisses to Rastellion and grins widely*)
(**The story of the aftermath at Imma's farm will be told in a later tale.)
