“She’ll stay put. Doesn’t like to move when we want her. You doing your Christian duty, Dar?”
“It’s only right. Mrs. Cook says William can’t receive visitors in his altogether.”
“Man’s dead, clothes or no clothes,” Early said.
“Show respect,” Darius said. He nodded at Ellen, his neck blooming into multiple chins.
The men were walking through the mushy snow. Ellen didn’t want them in her cabin. A thin stream of smoke wound out of her chimney, much less than earlier when Philip had stoked the fire. The men had her door open and were looking over their shoulders at her.
“Mrs. Cook?” Darius said. “Show us the clothes you want for him and we’ll have him dressed in a jiff.”
The horses snuffed and nosed the snow as if to turn up a grain or fleck of bark. Ellen followed the men inside, w
