Teaching every day she clutched the books like treasures. I loved watching children discover they could read, that all these worlds were suddenly open to them. It was like giving them keys to kingdoms. You could teach Sophie, really teach her. I mean, not just the basics she'll get at the town school.
Clara stopped walking, looking up at him with surprise. You'd want that? Margaret would have wanted it. She believed in education, especially for girls. Said they needed it even more than boys because the world would try to tell them they were less capable.
Your wife was a remarkable woman. She was, but so are you in different ways. The compliment hung between them, unexpected and sincere. Clara's cheeks pinkedked and she looked away. We should get back to Sam's office.
The letter Sam had prepared was a masterpiece of legal threat wrapped in polite language. It laid out their evidence, cited relevant territorial statutes, and gave Morrison 30 days to respond with a restructuring proposal or face litigation. This should do it, Sam said, handing over the sealed envelope. But be careful. Cornered rats bite.
Morrison's not a rat, Ethan said. He's a snake. Either way, watch your backs. The journey home was different from the ride out. They talked more freely, discussing strategies for the ranch, ideas for increasing revenue.
Clara, it turned out, had been observing more than he'd realized during her weeks at the ranch. You have that section of land by the creek that's too rocky for cattle, she said. But it would be perfect for an orchard. Apples grow well at this altitude, and there's a growing market for them in the mining towns. That would take years to show profit.
Yes, but it's a long-term investment. Something for Sophie's future. Something for Sophie's future. The phrase implied permanence, a belief that they would all still be together years from now. Ethan found he didn't hate the idea as much as he would have even a week ago.
As they neared the ranch, they saw smoke rising from the direction of the house. Too much smoke. Ethan whipped the horses into a run, his heart pounding with sudden fear. Fire was every rancher's nightmare, capable of destroying everything in minutes. But as they crested the final hill, they saw it wasn't the house burning, but a pile of something in the yard.
Sophie was standing near it with Molly, both of them covered in soot, but clearly unharmed. "Papa!" Sophie ran to them as they pulled up. Mr. Morrison's men came. They said they were taking inventory for when the ranch becomes his, but Tom and the hands ran them off. Ethan jumped down, pulling Sophie into his arms.
"Are you hurt? Is anyone hurt?" "No, but they tried to take Mama's things from the study. Molly and I stopped them and then Tom came and there was shouting and Mr. Morrison said, "You'd be sorry for crossing him." Clara had climbed down too, and to Ethan's surprise, Sophie reached for her with her free arm. Clara didn't hesitate, joining the embrace, the three of them standing together like the family they weren't quite yet. "What's burning?" Clara asked.