Snow pulled back from the valley.
Creeks swelled.
The mountain pass opened.
And Gideon Vale came to their door.
He arrived on a black horse wearing a city coat too fine for mud.
He was fifty, smooth-faced except for a carefully trimmed mustache, with the polished manner of a man who considered courtesy another form of ownership.
Jonas saw him first.
His hand went immediately toward the rifle above the mantel.
Miriam noticed.
“Who is it?”
“Vale.”
Her body went cold.
The man who had deceived Philip.
The man whose clerk stole the documents.
Jonas opened the door but did not invite him in.
Vale smiled.
“Rook.”
“Vale.”
“I hear congratulations are appropriate.”
Jonas did not answer.
Vale looked past him.
“Miriam Cartwright?”
Miriam stepped into view.
“Aldridge.”
He smiled wider.
“Of course.”
Something about the smile made her understand instantly why Philip might have believed him once.
Vale looked trustworthy.
That was his talent.
“I knew your husband.”
“So I’ve learned.”
“A difficult man.”
“He learned from difficult company.”
Vale’s smile thinned.
“I hoped we might discuss the Black Pine property.”
“No.”
His eyebrows lifted.
“You haven’t heard my offer.”
“I don’t need to.”
“Miriam,” Jonas said quietly.
She glanced at him.
He was warning her not to underestimate Vale.
She understood.
Vale removed his gloves.
“The rail survey has changed.”
Miriam said nothing.
“The company intends to move the route south. Your land may lose most of its speculative value.”
“Then you have no reason to buy it.”
Vale smiled.
“Sentiment.”
“Try again.”
For the first time irritation showed.
He produced an envelope.
“Six thousand dollars.”
Jonas’s jaw tightened.
Miriam remembered his estimate.
Twelve thousand.
Perhaps more.
“No.”
Vale studied her.
“Your late husband owed me considerably more than that.”
“My late husband’s debts died with him where they belonged.”
Vale’s eyes sharpened.
“He signed promissory papers.”
“Against property he later legally purchased.”
“You’ve been educated.”
“I’ve been lied to enough that education became necessary.”
Jonas almost smiled.
Vale noticed.
His politeness disappeared.
“You should understand something, Mrs. Aldridge. Philip did not purchase that parcel cleanly.”
Miriam’s heart shifted.
“What does that mean?”
“There is another claimant.”
Jonas stiffened.
“Who?”
Vale put his gloves back on.
“You’ll find out.”
Then he looked at Miriam.
“Six thousand is generous. It won’t remain available.”
Miriam stepped closer to the door.
“Then save yourself the ink.”
Vale left.
Jonas watched until the horse disappeared.
Miriam said, “You knew about another claimant?”
“No.”