Dolan told him to mind his own business for what it's worth. Dolan's come around. And Briggs. Calhoun set down the cup.
Briggs has his opinions about what belongs where. He said, "You know that." She did know that. I told Nathan.
Calhoun said he should know Hargrove was here talking to the men. That's not something that should happen without him knowing. What did Nathan say? Said he'd deal with Briggs.
Calhoun picked up the cup again. Don't know that he has yet, but he will. She found out the following day that Nathan had in fact dealt with Briggs. In the direct and private way Nathan dealt with most serious things.
No audience, no drama, no aftermath that anyone could describe. Exactly. What she knew was that Briggs came to breakfast the next morning with the particular expression of a man who had been told something he didn't like and had decided on reflection to accept it because the alternative was worse. He looked at Evelyn across the kitchen and said, "Morning, Miss Hart."
In a voice that was neither warm nor hostile, just present. She said, "Morning, Hank." And put his breakfast in front of him. Dolan caught her eye briefly across the table and looked quickly away, which was as close as Dolan got to solidarity.
The meeting in town happened on a Saturday in late November. She hadn't planned it. She'd gone to Grace Falls for supplies and to post two letters on the ranch's behalf, and she'd come out of the post office to find Cecilia Hargrove on the boardwalk 20 ft away, which was either coincidence or not. And with Cecilia was another woman Evelyn didn't know, and two men she recognized as people she'd seen with Harlon.
Cecilia looked at her the same way she had in the front room of the ranch house, that total and measuring look. "Miss Hart," she said. "Mrs. Hargrove." "Shopping for the ranch?"
"Yes." Cecilia glanced at the woman beside her. Some private communication that Evelyn was meant to see and not be part of. You're very dedicated, she said.
For a hired woman. Evelyn looked at her calmly. I'm dedicated because Caleb deserves it, not because of what I'm called. Caleb.