“Yes.”
“Boston court froze him.”
“Yes.”
“You know quickly.”
“I pay for telegraphs.”
Caleb smiled faintly.
“Then you also know his claim against me is frozen.”
“Yes.”
“Which creates a problem.”
“For you.”
“Yes.”
Caleb looked toward Elias.
“I’ll remove southern fence.”
“Withdraw survey claim.”
“Pay six thousand damages.”
“And?”
Elias asked.
“Twenty-year lease on river access.”
“No.”
“Ten.”
“No.”
“Five.”
“No.”
Caleb’s jaw tightened.
Lara watched.
“What do you actually need?”
she asked.
Caleb looked at her.
“Water.”
“For cattle?”
Silence.
Lara understood.
“Not cattle.”
Caleb’s expression changed.
Elias looked between them.
“What?”
Lara remembered documents.
Higgins Shipping.
Railroads.
Mining.
Caleb’s original debt.
“There's something under his land.”
she said.
Caleb said nothing.
Elias stared.
“What?”
Lara continued:
“You borrowed eighteen thousand seven years ago.”
“Too much for ordinary cattle expansion.”
Caleb’s face hardened.
“Coal?”
Elias asked.
“No.”
Lara studied Caleb.
“Gold?”
“No reaction.
“Silver?”
Tiny.
There.
Lara smiled.
“Silver.”
Elias stared.
Caleb exhaled.
“Low grade.”
“How much?”
Elias demanded.
“Enough.”
“Mine needs water.”
“Yes.”
Caleb sat outside wealth.
Not grazing.
Mining.
The feud had always been disguised.
Elias whispered:
“You spent five years trying to steal my river for a mine.”
Caleb’s eyes hardened.
“Buy.”
“Lease.”
“Whatever word helps you sleep.”
“You refused every offer.”
“Because you lied.”
“Because if I told you silver existed, your price tripled.”
Elias stepped forward.
Lara touched his arm.
He stopped.
Caleb continued:
“Now neither of us wins.”
“My mine floods.”
“Your legal fees grow.”
“Miss Higgins spends years fighting Thomas.”
Lara smiled.
“No.”
Caleb frowned.
“My Boston case may take time.”
“But your debt to my trust is enforceable.”
His face changed.
She continued.
“Eighteen thousand principal.”
“Interest.”
“Default.”
“Secured by Ryland holdings.”
Caleb stared.
Elias slowly understood.
Lara’s trust did not need Whispering Pines.
It could take Caleb’s collateral.
Caleb whispered:
“You wouldn't.”
Lara tilted her head.
“You called me delivery.”
Caleb’s jaw tightened.
She continued:
“But I'm not interested in ruining you.”
Elias looked at her.
Caleb too.
“I want your mine records.”
“Full.”
“Independent survey.”
“Water requirement.”
“Output estimates.”
“Worker conditions.”
Caleb laughed.
“Why?”
“Because if the mine is viable, my trust can restructure your debt.”