'Because I felt it was my duty to take over for him. If you knew him, you would understand.'
'I think you should leave before we tell Mary Rose,' Adam said. 'Why?'.
'It will be easier for everyone,' Adam replied. 'Exactly how will it be easier?' Harrison asked. Adam refused to explain. The set look on his face told Harrison it would be pointless to argue.
'When are you going to tell her?' he asked. 'When we're ready. My brothers and I are going to discuss the situation first. We'll decide what's to be done, and when. I don't want you to leave just yet, however. I'm certain I'll have more questions I'll want answered before Mary Rose finds out anything.' Harrison pushed his chair back and stood up. 'I know you've had quite a blow. If I could have changed things, I would have. Hell, Elliott didn't ask to be thrown into purgatory. You've had her long enough. You've watched her grow up. Her father never experienced any of the joy of her childhood. Let him at least meet her now. He needs to see her, to know she's all right.'
'I've already explained Mary Rose will want to do that much,' Adam responded.
'Don't put it off,' Harrison pressed. 'I'll give you one week, two, if I can wait that long. I hope to God you decide to tell her soon. I think you're wrong to want me to leave before you talk to her, but the decision is yours to make and I will respect it. I'll wait fourteen days. If you haven't gotten all your questions answered by then, it'll be too late. Don't you dare ask me again, Cole,' he added when he caught the look on the brother's face. 'I've given you my word. I won't tell Mary Rose about her father now, and I won't tell her in fourteen days. I'll simply leave. I'm going back to London, and I will tell Elliott the minute I see him.'
Harrison started to leave the room. 'You have quite a lot to talk over. I'll leave you to it.'
'Wait a minute,' Cole called out. 'Are you planning to seduce our sister before or after we've told her about her father?'
'I should wait, but I'm not going to.'
'Son-of-a…' Cole whispered.
Harrison interrupted him before he could complete the blasphemy. 'I've given you my intentions and my terms. I suggest you accept them.'
He pulled the door closed behind him.
The younger brothers turned to Adam. Cole asked, 'What are we going to do?'
'We don't have to do anything,' Douglas argued. 'You heard Harrison. He said Elliott wouldn't come here.'
'He also said Elliott wouldn't have to,' Travis interjected. 'Mary Rose would go to him.'
'I want to hate him,' Cole whispered, his voice harsh with worry.
'How can you want to hate Elliott?' Adam asked.
'I was talking about Harrison,' Cole said. 'He's trying to tear this family apart.'
'He isn't trying now. He's done it,' Travis said.
'We have to do the right thing,' Douglas whispered. Oh, how he hated having to admit it. 'She's got to go and meet him.'
Travis and Cole exchanged a worried look. Of the four brothers, they were the most vulnerable and the most afraid. The future was filled with unknowns, and each was thinking he would have to face it alone.
Mary Rose had been their reason for joining together and becoming a family. She was the force that held them all together. When she left, wouldn't their purpose for being a family end?
Cole had known the day would come when she married and moved away. He had stubbornly refused to think about it. England was an ocean away, however, and the possibility that he would never see his sister again filled him with anguish.
'Our sister is all grown up,' he said. 'It happened overnight, didn't it? I knew she'd leave one day, but I didn't…'
He left the sentence unfinished. 'Is it time for all of us to move on?'
'It's too soon to think about plans like that,' Douglas said. 'Cole, you wanted to buy that piece of land near the ridge that joins our land. Weren't you thinking about building your own place there?'
'You know I was,' Cole said.
'I don't see how anything changes. Travis does so much traveling around, he isn't home much. Even if the family breaks apart, we're still in business together.'
Adam let his brothers worry out loud for a long while. Finally he had had enough of their self-pity, and forced them back to the immediate problem.
'Talking about our future plans can wait until later. Mary Rose is our concern now. She's going to be upset about all of this. I don't believe she should have time to worry about it. She can get used to the idea of a father on the way to England.'
'Are you saying she should leave as soon as possible?' Travis asked.
Adam nodded. 'Yes.'
Cole reluctantly agreed. 'The sooner she leaves, the sooner she'll be back.'
'If she comes back,' Travis said.
Everyone worried about the possibility once again. Then Adam said, 'You heard Harrison say Elliott's a very wealthy man. Mary Rose has led a sheltered life here.'
'She went to school in St. Louis,' Douglas interjected. 'She's seen some of the world.'
'The boarding school was isolated from the city. She was sheltered there as well,' Adam said.
'What are you worried about?' Cole asked. 'Do you think her head will be turned by all the glitter?'
'No,' Adam replied. 'I just don't know how she'll handle the changes. I don't want her feeling… vulnerable.'
'She makes friends easy,' Douglas said.
'I don't like the notion of anyone hurting her feelings. I don't want her thinking she's inadequate,' Adam said.
'Who will go with her?' Travis asked.
'All of us,' Cole answered.
'Be reasonable,' Douglas said. 'We can't leave. We have responsibilities here.'
'We're her past,' Adam said. 'As much as it pains me to say it, none of us can go with her.'
'Are you suggesting we send her off alone?' Travis asked. He was appalled by the idea.
' Harrison could take her,' Travis said.
None of the other brothers liked his suggestion. Adam finally came up with another one they found more acceptable.
'Eleanor could go with her. They could look out for each other. They're getting along just fine now, aren't they? Mary Rose has a good head. She'll do the right thing. I don't have any doubts about that.'
'She came back from St. Louis alone,' Cole said. 'She knows how to handle herself around strangers. I made sure she could use a gun too. Adam's right. She'll be all right.'
'The Cohens are going back east for some sort of family celebration. I have to go to Hammond again to sell those two horses. I'll stop by and find out the particulars. Maybe it would work out, and Eleanor and Mary Rose could ride with them.'
'It sure would be nice if it worked out. I trust John Cohen,' Cole said.
'We have to give the money back.'
Douglas made the announcement. Everyone turned to him. 'What money?' Cole asked.
'Elliott's money,' Douglas explained. 'Whoever kidnapped Mary Rose must have taken the money too. We used every bit of what was inside the envelope, and so now we have to give it back. Adam, do we have enough set aside?'
'Yes,' Adam said. 'And I agree. The money was probably stolen from Elliott, and we should give it back. We'll be stretched tight for a while. I'm sorry now we purchased the cattle, but we already gave the money and it's too late to back out.'
The brothers continued to discuss their concerns well into the night. Adam finally decided to go to bed. 'We'll tell her together,' he said.
'When?' Cole asked. He stood up and stretched his muscles. 'Let's ponder the 'when' tomorrow,' Adam suggested. Travis and Cole both acted as though they'd just been given a stay of execution from the hanging tree. They had at least twenty-four more hours to pretend everything was all right.
'What are we going to do about Harrison? Why didn't you want him to stay until after we told Mary Rose?'
