Chapter 7 - THE TRUTH ABOUT MARGARET
Edmund survived.
Unfortunately, Evelyn occasionally thought.
He was arrested for kidnapping.
Clara gave a formal statement.
But the murder accusation still required evidence.
Then Dr. Harlan disappeared.
Josiah sent men after him.
They caught him boarding a train for New Mexico.
His confession completed the story.
Margaret's fall had ruptured her spleen.
She could have survived with proper treatment.
Edmund paid Harlan to conceal the injury.
Harlan gave Margaret laudanum and claimed she was dying from pneumonia.
Worse, Margaret had begun recovering.
So Edmund returned.
He increased the dose.
Margaret never woke.
Edmund had murdered his sister for control of Clara's inheritance.
The case was over.
But another problem remained.
Josiah and Evelyn's marriage.
The danger was gone.
The custody case was gone.
The arrangement was no longer necessary.
Evelyn packed.
Josiah found her.
“What are you doing?”
“Leaving.”
“Why?”
“You needed a wife.”
“I have one.”
“You needed one for court.”
“No.”
“Josiah.”
He looked angry.
Then frightened.
“I don't know how to ask you to stay.”
That broke her heart.
“Try.”
He stood there, a man capable of ordering hundreds of miners but unable to form one vulnerable sentence.
Finally:
“Stay because the house is wrong when you're not in it.”
Evelyn stopped packing.
“That's terrible.”
“I know.”
“Try again.”
He stepped closer.
“Stay because Rose asks where you are every ten minutes.”
“Better.”
“Clara won't eat oatmeal unless you put cinnamon in it.”
“Still using the children.”
His jaw tightened.
Evelyn waited.
Josiah whispered:
“Stay because I love you.”
There it was.
No fortune.
No bargain.
No daughters.
Him.
“I loved Margaret,” he said.
Evelyn's smile faded.
“I know.”
“I thought that meant there wasn't room to love someone again.”
He touched her cheek.
“I was wrong.”
Evelyn's eyes filled.
“So was I.”
“About what?”
“I thought you married me because I was convenient.”
“I married you because my daughters wouldn't let go of your skirt.”
“That isn't romantic.”
“No.”
He smiled.
“I fell in love with you because you never let me hide behind being rich.”
“That is slightly better.”
“Will you stay?”
Evelyn kissed him.
It was their first kiss.
And downstairs, something crashed.
Rose yelled:
“CLARA DID IT!”
Both adults froze.
Rose had spoken.
Then Clara shouted:
“I DID NOT!”
Josiah looked at Evelyn.
Evelyn started laughing.
May you like
Their silent house was silent no longer.
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