He always taught me that character matters more than circumstances. Wise man, Yates agreed. After a moment, he added, "My father died believing in a cause that tore this country apart. My mother never stopped loving him, but she taught us that a person's worth isn't in their beliefs, but in how they treat others." He shifted in his chair. "That's why I couldn't just stand by that day at the church.
The way they were treating you, it wasn't right." The mention of that day, something they rarely discussed, brought a flush to Delilah's cheeks. You never asked," she said quietly. "About the child's father, about what happened." "Figured you'd tell me if you wanted to," Yates replied simply. Delilah set aside her sewing, her hands moving to rest on her now prominent belly. "Frederick and I grew up together," she began, the words coming slowly at first.
"After my father died, his family was kind to me, or so it seemed. We began courting last spring, and when he proposed, I thought it was because he loved me. Her voice grew harder. I was naive. His father wanted my father's house and land.
It's near their property and would have been valuable to them. Frederick was following orders, not his heart. She took a steadying breath. When I discovered I was with child, I told him immediately, thinking it would simply hasten the wedding. He seemed pleased enough in private, but as the wedding approached, I noticed changes in him coldness, even cruelty at times.
"And then he humiliated you publicly," Yates concluded, his jaw tightening. Delilah nodded, tears pricking at her eyes despite her resolve to remain composed. "I believe his father ordered it. Once I was disgraced, no one would question if the Abernathies purchased my property for a fraction of its worth. I would have had no choice but to sell and leave town.
Bastards, Yates muttered, then immediately looked apologetic. Forgive my language. Despite everything, Delilah found herself smiling slightly. It's an accurate description. Her expression grew serious again.
I've never told anyone this in Dallas. Who would have believed me over the Abernathies? I believe you, Yates said simply, the conviction in his voice warming something inside her. They sat in silence for a moment, the crackling of the fire the only sound between them. Then Yates spoke again, his voice different hesitant, almost vulnerable.
There's something I should tell you too, he said about why I was so eager to leave Dallas. Delilah waited, watching as he struggled to find the words. I was working for the Bar Tea Ranch, he began for nearly 2 years. The owner, Thompson, has a daughter, Eliza. She's 19, pretty headstrong.