When Eleanor finally agreed to meet him, Caleb traveled down from the mountain.
He arrived wearing an old dark coat, broad leather boots, and a hat that looked as though it had survived a lifetime of storms.
He was enormous.
Taller than any man she'd ever met.
His shoulders nearly filled the boardinghouse doorway.
But the first thing Eleanor noticed wasn't his size.
It was his expression when he saw her.
Not disgust.
Not surprise.
Fear.
For a terrible moment, she assumed he'd changed his mind.
Then he removed his hat so quickly that it nearly slipped from his fingers.
“Mrs. Whitmore.”
She nodded.
“Mr. Mercer.”
He looked at her.
Then down at the hat.
Then back at her.
“I'm not very good at this.”
For the first time in days, Eleanor smiled.
“Neither am I.”
He gave a nervous laugh.
They sat together for more than an hour.
Caleb had arranged for a sturdy chair before her arrival, and he didn't make a performance of the accommodation. He simply placed it where she could sit comfortably and asked whether she needed anything adjusted.
He told her about the mountain.
The cabin.
His livestock.
And the long winters.
She told him about books, gardening, and the difficulty of imagining herself living so far from town.
They discussed practical matters honestly.
He explained that medical care was distant and that heavy snow could isolate the cabin for weeks. She spoke about the assistance she might need with certain tasks, and he didn't pretend that a remote ranch would automatically make every difficulty disappear.
They agreed that neither wanted a marriage founded upon false promises.
At the end of the meeting, Caleb stood.
His face had become serious.
“Mrs. Whitmore, you should know that the mountain can be lonely.”
Eleanor looked up.
“So can a crowded house.”
He studied her.
Then nodded.
“I suppose that's true.”
For a moment, neither spoke.
Finally, he asked whether she would like to see the ranch before deciding.
Eleanor wanted to.
But Solomon's threats were growing, and the weather made repeated journeys difficult. She arranged for independent information about the property, spoke with people who knew Caleb's reputation as a quiet but honest trader, and continued corresponding with him until she felt she could make the decision freely.
He also offered to postpone the marriage until spring.
She refused.