“Why?”
“Because I don’t want to owe you my freedom.”
He stared at her, anger rising—not at her, but at the man who had placed such a burden on her.
“Debt does not make you his property.”
“I know that.”
“Then he has no claim.”
“He has a paper with my name written on it. That has been enough to make people believe him.”
Eli sat down again.
“We’ll write to the county attorney.”
“Eli—”
“We’ll write to the attorney. We’ll ask what can be done. If the claim is false, he can be made to stop.”
Margaret studied him.
“You would do that for me?”
“Yes.”
“Because Anne asked you to?”
“Because it’s right.”
Her eyes softened, but she did not look relieved.
“I can’t let you take on my troubles as though they were yours.”
“I’m not taking them on. I’m helping you carry them.”
“That sounds very much like taking them on.”
“Then perhaps I’m not as good with words as I thought.”
A faint smile touched her lips.
“No,” she said. “You’re better with fences.”
He laughed, and the tension eased.
They wrote to the county attorney the following morning. Margaret provided the details she remembered, including the dates of her aunt’s borrowing and the name of the man who had witnessed the agreement. Eli paid the postage, but he made sure the letter was signed by both of them.
The response came several weeks later. The attorney advised that the debt could not legally be transferred to Margaret without evidence of her agreement, and that Rourke’s continued threats might constitute harassment. He suggested she preserve every letter and avoid meeting the man alone.
Margaret read the reply twice.
For the first time in years, she felt the weight of the debt loosen.
Eli noticed the change in her face.
“Good news?”
“Yes.”
“Then we’ll celebrate.”
“With what?”
He glanced toward the pantry. “I believe there’s still some of Clara’s Christmas gingerbread.”
Margaret laughed.
“Then we must be careful. She’ll accuse us of stealing.”
“She already does.”
They shared the last two pieces beside the stove.
Winter settled deeper into the valley.
The ranch became a world of white fields, frozen streams, and long evenings by the fire. Margaret grew accustomed to the rhythm of the place. She learned to milk the cow, feed the chickens, and recognize the sound of a horse approaching before it appeared over the rise. She helped Eli keep the accounts and discovered that his records were accurate but scattered across a dozen notebooks.