“That’d be the gist of it.”
“Are you going to explain that?”
“No.”
Clay spoke up. “He wouldn’t tell me any more either, Ma, but he’s been shot before, not just shot at.”
“Is that right?” She wasn’t certain whom she was addressing at that point, but they nodded their heads simultaneously. “What was the purpose of surveying that particular parcel of land?”
Roen explained his theory about the map being inaccurate. “We were on our way to proving that some of the land that Harrison Hardy claims belongs to the Double H is actually Twin Star property.”
“Thaddeus Frost and Mr. Hardy have been neighbors and neighborly for years. If it’s not a bone of contention for the two of them, why make it one? Why is it important to you?”
“It’s not personal, Mrs. Salt. It’s business. Mr. Hardy might have no legal right to sell the property even if he wanted to. Mr. Frost is potentially more amenable to an arrangement with Northeast.”
“You think so?” She laughed under her breath. “What did Ben say when you told him that? You did tell him, didn’t you?”
“He chuckled, same as you.”
Lily started to respond to that and thought better of it. She extended a hand and touched Clay on the shoulder. “That bowl’s empty, son. You’re going to erase the ivy pattern next. Pass it here and go in the parlor with the others.”
Clay’s mouth flattened and then turned down, but he got up and surrendered his bowl and spoon. His displeasure was further marked by his heavy footfalls as he left the kitchen.
Lily waited until she saw he had turned the corner into the parlor and was well out of earshot. “Some things aren’t for his ears,” she said, “even if he thinks they should be. Do you know about Ben’s connection to Twin Star and Thaddeus Frost?”
“Not really. I had the sense that he wanted to explain it to me, but then he looked at Clay and seemed to think better of it. Probably for the same reason you sent Clay out of the room.”
“That’s Ben. I don’t think he’d mind me telling you. It’s not exactly a secret but it’s not for children either. I’m surprised Mrs. Springer hasn’t bent your ear about it already.”
“She started to. Mr. Springer pulled her away.”
“He’s had a lot of practice.” The kettle started to roil and Lily attended to it first, pouring hot water over the tea ball in the ivy-patterned pot. She set the teapot on the table and took out two cups and saucers from the china cupboard. “Most people believe that Ben is Thaddeus Frost’s son. Ben doesn’t make that claim. He probably doesn’t know for sure but that doesn’t stop folks from speculating. Mr. Frost raised Ben beside his own son and treated Ben as if he were a son so I tend to think the distinction of bastardy versus legitimacy is an unimportant one. Ben’s mother was a housekeeper at Twin Star for more than twenty years, and she helped care for Remington when his mother died of childbed fever. Ben was born sometime after that. You can see why people wonder about something that’s not their business.”
Lily judged the tea had had enough time to steep and she poured for both of them. “Sugar? I don’t have milk. Lizzie had the last of it at dinner.”
“Sugar, please. I don’t take milk.”
Lily carried the sugar bowl to the table and let Roen serve himself. She sat then and drew the sugar closer to her cup when he was finished. “I’m telling you this to explain why Ben chuckled when you brought up Twin Star. I think he was letting you know that Thaddeus Frost isn’t likely to be any more amenable to an arrangement with the railroad than Mr. Hardy. Ben is close to all the Frosts so you have to figure he’d have at least an inkling of how Thaddeus would respond to an overture from you.”
“Hmm.”
“That’s all? Hmm?”
Roen slowly stirred his tea. “It’s a lot to take in. I suppose I’m thinking that Ben had opportunities to tell me and didn’t. I’m wondering now how he feels about the railroad passing through Frost property. It’d be personal to him.”
“Yes, it would, but probably not so that he’d take a shot at you,” she said, deadpan.
One corner of Roen’s mouth twisted in a quirky grin, though he matched her arid tone. “Probably not.”
Lily said, “Thaddeus settled a tract of land on him, the same as he did Remington, but Ben seems to be settled herein town and I haven’t heard that he intends to move to the ranch anytime soon. It wouldn’t suit his wife anyway, at least not while she’s practicing medicine.”
Roen nodded, thoughtful. “Do you think he would accompany me to see Mr. Frost?”
“I don’t know, but I imagine you’ll want to find out what Ben thinks about the railroad on Twin Star land first, and you’ll also want to ask him what he thinks Remington’s opinion would be. Don’t misunderstand; Thaddeus Frost is his own man. In the end, he’s the one you’ll have to convince.”
“Before I do that, I have to discover who owns that strip of land I was surveying today.”
Lily picked up her cup, sipped, and then set it carefully on its saucer. She looked steadily at Roen, her expression grave. “You understand you’ll be doing that without my son’s assistance.”
