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doubled over, catching her breath.
     
The proprietress of the house stepped outside. Lisa Antonia Hall's voice was strident and her tone no-nonsense. "What's going on out here?" she demanded. She peered into the darkness. "Harlan? Is that you?"
     
For a moment Porter hovered on the lip of the first step before he backed down onto the flagstone walk.
     
"It is you," Mrs. Hall said, disgust rife in her tone. "I can't say I like you skulking around my tulip bed." She glanced over her shoulder and called to one of the women standing in the kitchen.
     
"Beth, bring a broom. We've got vermin."
     
Harlan held up his hands. "Now, Mrs. Hall, there's no need for name calling."
     
The madam came to the edge of the porch and looked down on Harlan.
     
"I'm not name calling," she said, hands on her hips. She smiled sweetly. "If I recall my Shakespeare . . . a rat by any other name.
     
The sound of choked laughter in the corner of the porch drew Mrs. Hall's attention. She looked over the cowering figure of the young woman and shook her finger at Harlan.
     
"I suppose you have an explanation?"
     
"She's part of my stable," he said.
     
Mrs. Hall snorted, revolted by his comment. "That's the problem with you, Harlan, you keep confusing horses and women."
     
Harlan looked past Mrs. Hall's shoulder to where Beth stood militantly holding her broom. "Both of you need to stay out of this.
     
It's between me and the girl."
     
"It doesn't seem to me that she wants any part of you," Mrs. Hall said. "Is that right, honey?" Her question received a quick, emphatic nod. "That's enough for me, Harlan. Now get off my property or I'll send Samuel for the police."
     
Harlan didn't move as he weighed his choices. "That's going to take a while."
     
"About two minutes," she snapped. "Our local cop is taking his leisure upstairs and he's not going to feel kindly toward you for disturbing his rest." Her smile hardened as she saw the impact her statement had on Harlan. "Remove yourself now."
     
He took another step backward but it was too tentative for Beth.
     
She came rushing past Mrs. Hall, broom raised, and went tearing after Harlan, poking and flailing until he was through the gate and on the other side of the picket fence.
     
In short order Mrs. Hall hustled her guest into the house and seated her at the kitchen table. Beth came in shortly and put down the broom and began boiling water for tea.
     
"What has she got to say for herself?" Beth asked, reaching for mugs out of the cupboard. Her short stature prevented her from getting them the first time. She gave a little hop and nudged two mugs toward the edge of the shelf. When she turned around she saw the young woman was smiling weakly at her antics. Beth's plain, round face was animated by her own encouraging smile. "Well, at least you haven't lost your sense of humor."
     
Mrs. Hall rubbed her temple with one hand, wondering what she had come upon this time. "I believe, Beth, that our guest has lost her voice.
     
"Really?" Beth looked at her, her brows raised questioningly.
     
She touched her throat self-consciously and nodded.
     
Mrs. Hall pointed to her neck above the collar of her gown and coat.
     
"She has bruises."
     
Beth looked more closely. "So she does. I should have used a gun on him, not a broom." She sighed. "I suppose there's no way of knowing how she got mixed up with the likes of him."
     
"Not now," Mrs. Hall said dispiritedly. It seemed her role in tonight's disturbance would not be ended quickly. "I can't let her just leave, not in her condition, and not with Harlan likely to be lurking around the corner. I think I better send for Morrison." She turned to her guest. "That's a doctor friend of mine. I think it would be best for him to see you.
     
She protested by shaking her head violently. The motion made her dizzy and undermined her purpose.
     
Mrs. Hall rapped out her orders briskly. "Beth, tell Samuel I want him to find Dr. James and bring him here, then finish