When she stepped into the room, James’s green eyes found hers, and something in his expression made her stomach flutter with nervous anticipation. “Rose. Perfect timing. I have Father’s reply.”
She moved closer. “What does he say?”
“He’s provided a list of names—solicitors and territorial judges who have impeccable reputations and no ties to Virginia City interests.” James’s voice carried a note of satisfaction that stirred hope in her chest. “Men who could be allies for us.”
Robert looked up from the list. “I guess the question is, should we visit them all in person? Or start with letters?”
Enoch frowned. “Letters first, I think. They’ll reach the men before we could visit in person, and that way they’ll have time to research our family if they wish.”
Thomas shifted closer to the paper, squinting at the script. “How many judges does he list?”
“Three territorial judges and four solicitors with experience in contract law.” James folded the telegram carefully. “Father says Judge Harrison in Helena has handled several cases involving unconscionable contracts, and he knows the solicitors in Fort Benton and Bannock personally.”
Rose’s heart hammered against her ribs. These men, these Balfour brothers who had once been her dearest friends, were marshaling resources she couldn’t have imagined to help her. The scope of their father’s connections, the weight of influence they could bring to bear on her behalf—it felt almost too much to believe.
But would they still help her if they knew what Vincent had done, what her mother had done? Surely they would listen, would understand. James had said she’d been a child.
And she had been, but that didn’t always seem to matter. Like mother, like daughter, Vincent had said. As if sensing her fears, James squeezed her elbow and smiled.
“It would be helpful to have a copy of the contract though.” Robert tapped his finger against his chin. “Even the best legal minds will need to see the actual document to build a proper case.”
That familiar knot twisted in her middle. “Vincent keeps all the papers in his office at Murphy’s.”
Thomas looked up from studying the list. “Where exactly is this office? What part of the building?”
“Behind the main saloon.” Down the long hallway she’d had to traverse to reach the stairs to her own chamber.
“Is it locked?” Thomas pressed. “The office, I mean.”
She studied him. “He always kept it locked.” Surely Thomas wasn’t actually planning to sneak in to retrieve the contract.
Silence fell over the room, and something shifted in the air. Thomas glanced at his brothers, then back at her with an expression that seemed almost…calculating.
“Thomas.” James’s voice carried a warning note that made Rose’s skin prickle.
But Thomas ignored his brother, leaning forward with a new intensity. “Rose, tell me more about the layout. How do you get to Vincent’s office from the main entrance? And who all has keys?”
That twist in her middle turned a little tighter. “Vincent has the only key I know of.” Should she allow Thomas to attempt this madness? It was dangerous, but if he was discovered, would Vincent realize Thomas’s connection to her? She forced herself to focus on a thorough answer to his question. “I suppose Murphy might have one too, since it’s his building.”
“What about windows? Any way to get in from outside?”
“Thomas.” This time James’s warning carried real steel.
But Rose found herself answering anyway, drawn in by something in Thomas’s manner that made it impossible not to go along with him. At least to give him the information he asked for. “The only windows facing the back of the building are on the second floor. No windows on either side of the building. On the front, there’s just those at the saloon.”
Thomas straightened, and something hardened in his expression—a determination that reminded her of Enoch when he’d made up his mind about something.
“I’ll go,” Thomas said simply. “I’ll get your copy of the contract.”
Rose’s breath stalled. The casual way he said it, as though he were volunteering to fetch supplies from town rather than break into Vincent’s locked office, made her chest clench.
“Absolutely not.” James stepped forward, his voice sharp. “Thomas, that’s?—”
“Necessary.” Thomas cut him off with a look that brooked no argument. “Rose needs that contract to prove what Vincent did to her. We all know it. And I’m the logical choice to go—I’m the only one of us who knows how to get in and out of places quietly. And I can talk my way through anything.”
“That’s the truth.” Robert’s mumble did nothing to quell the panic rising in her chest.
She sucked in a breath, then forced herself to push it out slowly. “Vincent isn’t just dangerous—he’s ruthless. If he catches you, if he finds out where I am…” She couldn’t finish the thought. The image of Thomas trapped in that smoky back room, facing Vincent’s cold fury, made her feel sick.
