Colton dismissed Mr. Glickman and Mr. Aniston with thanks for their having come. The housekeeper, Mrs. Lansdale, showed them out before Colton spoke again. “Well, that’s that. Do you have any questions, Emma?”
“If she doesn’t, I do,” Walter interjected. “Why did Tommyleave her the railroad stocks? It’s our family’s heritage, not hers.”
“I agree.” Ernest brushed lint from his trouser leg. “She may have married Thomas, but she wasn’t a wife to him. At least not while legally wed.”
“I beg your pardon?” The words were out of Emma’s mouth before she could think them through. “How dare you?”
Ernest gave her a look of boredom. “We all know what Tommy was like, so don’t pretend to be so offended.”
“I don’t have to pretend. I am offended.” Emma got to her feet. “Your brother has only been gone a short time, and this is the focus of your heart?” She looked at Colton. “I’ve given it a lot of thought, and I plan to move back to Cheyenne.”
“And I want to go with her,” Rosie declared, shooting up to stand beside Emma. “You said I could live with her and Tommy.”
“Yes, but Tommy is gone now, and you are our responsibility, not Emma’s,” Colton replied.
Rosie gave her foot a stomp. “Emma is our sister now. Even if Tommy is dead. She loves me and wants me to live with her.”
Emma felt all eyes turn to her. “It’s true. I do love Rose. I would be happy for her to live with me in Cheyenne, and since Tommy has left me so amply endowed, there is no reason I can’t use that money to take care of your sister.”
“We can discuss this at a later time.” Colton glanced at his brothers before continuing. “I’m sure you’re tired and should rest.”
Emma wasn’t sure what his plan was, but there was something in the way he spoke that encouraged her to comply.
“Then please excuse me.” She headed for the open library door with Rosie at her side.
“Please don’t let them keep me here in Texas withoutyou,” Rosie whispered. “I’m all grown up now. Twenty-three is old enough to tell them what I want even if ... even if I’m not as smart as they are.”
Emma smiled and looped her arm with Rosie’s as they started up the stairs. “You are plenty smart, Rosie. I won’t leave you alone. I promise. If they won’t let you come with me, then I will remain here with you.”
“Thank you, Emma. I love you so much.” Rosie gave her a sideways hug. “Oh, why don’t I go tell the cook to send someone up with tea? He might have cakes too.”
Rosie did love cake, and Emma couldn’t help but chuckle. “I think that would help my mood considerably.”
Colton shook his head at Ernest. “Don’t you think that was a little uncalled for?”
“I’m concerned about our railroad. She now owns the majority control.”
“Emma’s not foolish. She’ll listen to counsel. She knows how we feel about the railroad.”
Walter got to his feet and poured himself a drink. “Why did you let Tommy make such a change to his will?”
“How was I to stop him? He was determined to leave everything to Emma. If I didn’t draw up the will, he would have had someone else do it.”
“Well, you could have done it without witnesses. That way you could have changed it,” Walter declared. “She doesn’t deserve to have his fortune.”
“She loved him and married him. They planned a future together. I believe she deserves it as much as you do.” Colton sat back down and refolded the will.
“Do you suppose she’s with child?” Ernest asked.
“Why don’t you just run upstairs and ask her?” Colton’ssarcasm was more than evident in his tone. “I’d like for Emma to give you what you have coming for being so rude to her.”
“It’s not rude,” Walter said, coming back to where he’d sat for the reading. “It’s just pragmatic to know whether or not there’s a baby. After all, they did get married rather quickly, and that other woman claimed to be pregnant. At least she had the decency to end her life.”
“Walter, I pity your wife and children. You are utterly without feeling. Tommy put Miss Mikkelson in a very bad situation. Her options were not many. As for Emma and Tommy, they had been talking about a wedding since last summer. I hardly see it as a rush to the altar.” Colton knew his brothers were worried about Emma’s control over the family railroad. Especially now when they were in negotiations with the Southern Pacific to sell it. Her signature would be required in any dealings they had regarding the family’s rail line. He had his own concerns, but what was to be done now?
“But she could cause us trouble, especially since she isn’t of a mind to remain here where we can control her.”
Colton might have laughed at his brother had it not been such a serious matter. Walter did well to give a pretense of controlling his own family. The idea of him controlling Emma was too ludicrous to imagine.
