“No, we couldn’t take it. We will buy it. I just have to wait for George to come through with the money.”
Eve took a seat and laid the shirt across her expanded stomach. “No. Please listen to me. This would be an answer to prayer. I haven’t known what I was to do with the place. Fred loved it so much. He designed the house and was so much a part of building it when we came here last summer. He would love that it went to Edward. It’s what I want to do.”
“I don’t know how Edward would feel about such a thing ... but I can talk to him.” Marybeth still didn’t like the idea of Eve merely gifting them the house. It might not matter to her, but she and Edward had been taught to pay their fair share. As much as the idea of Eve giving them a house bothered Marybeth, she knew it would bother Edward even more.
“Let me talk to Edward,” Eve said matter-of-factly. “I think I can convince him.”
“But, Eve, you must think of the future and your children. You’ll need money to raise them properly.”
Eve gave her a sad smile. “As I said, my family is rich. I don’t mean just well-off. My father is worth millions. Fred was always very insistent upon paying his own way, so we spoke very little about it, but money simply doesn’t matter.”
Marybeth fought to keep from gasping. She’d had no idea of Eve’s father being so wealthy. She supposed it was of very little consequence if Eve gave away her home. Perhaps this was truly an answer to many prayers.
Edward had been relieved to get a telegram the afternoon before from his brother-in-law. After months without word, it helped to ease Edward’s worries. It seemed George had sent a letter, but apparently it had been lost or misdirected. The news was mixed. The entire family, with the exception of Inga, had come down with measles. The children had passed it from one to the other, and finally George and Father had taken ill as well. George followed the brief explanation with the words “all recovered.” Edward was happy to know that much.
George went on to say a letter was soon to follow. The only other bit of news was a single two-word statement: “House sold.”
It was a relief, he supposed. Marybeth would feel better knowing there was money to start building their own home. But with the way things stood, Edward wasn’t sure he wanted to stay there. Fred was gone, and Eve and the boys would soon leave. The railroad would pick up and head west in another few weeks, and Cheyenne would completely change.
They would still need lawmen. The thought seemed to echo words Fred had said one evening when they’d been discussing the coming change. Edward had pledged to Fred that he wasn’t going anywhere. He liked Cheyenne’s locationand intended to make it his home. But without Fred there, Edward wasn’t so sure he wanted to stay. If Eve had intended to remain there, Edward might have had the incentive to stay and help her with the boys. He and Marybeth were doing all they could to keep Eve and her sons company. But they’d soon be gone.
The Garlow brothers had been hanged the same night they killed Fred and the other man, Clement Sawyer, who had just hired on with the Union Pacific to help with bridge building. So there wasn’t even a reason to stick around and see justice served. Punishment had been exacted swiftly and without prejudice, as Edward had been told by City Marshal Sweeney. Both had committed murder. They had served justice to the brothers side by side on a gallows erected for just such purposes. The bodies had been left hanging for forty-eight hours as a message to other worthless cutthroats who might think of copying their work. Edward never bothered to go see them before they were cut down.
He glanced at his pocket watch. Eight o’clock. The sun was well up, and the town was buzzing along with plenty of activity. When he’d ended his shift, Edward had been in no hurry to rush home and wake up Marybeth with the news of the telegram, but now he figured he should.
Marybeth wouldn’t question his late arrival. He’d told her of his need to mourn Fred in his own way. He’d warned her that he’d be late getting home some mornings, and so far it had been every morning since Fred’s death. Edward felt somewhat guilty, but she had understood. She always seemed to understand. She was just that way, and Edward knew he didn’t deserve her patience with him. Marybeth was the best thing that had happened to him since Janey, and he hadn’t even let her know how much he appreciated her.
He made his way from town to the Henderson house, knowing he’d find Marybeth there with Carrie. He’d have tonight off, so there was no need to rush to bed, and he needed to tell her about the telegram and see if Eve needed anything.
Marybeth opened the door shortly after his knock. She smiled and reached out to pull him into the house.
“I need to tell you something,” she said, seeming almost excited.
“I need to tell you something too.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out the telegram. “George sent this.”
“Is something wrong?” Her hand went to her throat.
Edward realized that telegrams were usually only sent during times of trouble—or death. “No, it’s all right. Nothing is wrong. They did all have measles, except for Inga, but they’re recovered now. I just thought you should know the house has sold. George didn’t say how much he got for it, but he’s sending a letter with all the pertinent information.”
“That seems most fortuitous,” Marybeth said, lowering her arm. “Eve is selling this place.”
Edward glanced around the front room. He hadn’t thought about what Fred’s widow would do with the house in Cheyenne.
“But I already told Marybeth that I won’t sell it to you.” Eve had come into the room without Edward noticing. “Fred would have known that I would leave Cheyenne as soon as possible. He would also have known that I had no need for the money because I have a large inheritance. More than we could ever need. I want you and Marybeth to have this house as a gift. Fred would want that as well. I know he would. He was so pleased with building this place, and to sell it to a stranger wouldn’t be right when I could give it to someone Fred loved so much.”
Edward didn’t know what to say. For a moment, he couldn’t even think. How could he simply accept an entire house as a gift?
“No, I can’t ... can’t do that.” He shook his head. “It wouldn’t be right. I won’t take advantage of you in a time of grief. Besides, if Marybeth wants to, we can probably afford to buy it now. I don’t know what my brother-in-law sold her house for but—”
“Please.” Eve drew near. Edward could see her eyes filling with tears. “This is important to me, Edward. I’ll speak to my father when he gets here tomorrow and see what needs to be done, but I’m leaving the house to you and Marybeth. I need to do this. I know it’s what Fred would want.”
That night after Carrie had gone to sleep, Marybeth and Edward sat at the table and talked about all that had happened. It wasn’t easy to face the truth of Fred’s death, nor even of the gift Eve wanted them to have.
“We can’t just take a house and pay nothing,” Edward said.
“I said the same thing. But I have also been thinking. Eve is right. Fred would want this. Eve doesn’t need the money, and I guess my thought is that if her father approves ... you should let her do this.”
“But people will say I took advantage of a grieving widow.”
