A sliver of unexpected warmth flowed through him. “I’d be happy to join you.”
Taking her arm, they began strolling down a dirt path strewn with fallen leaves, a comfortable silence settling between them as they walked, until Eunice stopped and turned to him.
“As hard as this is for me to say, I think I’ll have to return to Montana after all. Discovering that Mother is experiencing financial hardships is not something I was expecting, nor can I turn a blind eye to it. Granted, I could give her money from my trust fund to see her well set, but my trust fund is a pittance compared to her inheritance. Given the abuse she suffered at my grandfather’s hands, the least I can do for her is get her finances settled, which means I’m going to have to present myself to the family, proving once and for all that I’m alive and well.”
She began rubbing her temple. “There’s a part of me that wishes I could send Mother off on her own to settle the matter, but Iknow that wouldn’t be fair. The family has already laid claim to the Mason fortune, if only in their minds, and they won’t admit defeat easily. Their disappointment will most assuredly have them turning hostile, and Mother has already experienced more than enough abuse at the hands of my family. I won’t allow her to suffer more, not when it’s in my power to take care of the matter of her inheritance for her.”
“Did your family often target Georgette when they were upset or disappointed?”
“My family was held under the thumb of my grandfather, which meant they were often disappointed with their lives in general. Mother was an easy target for them because of how she’d incurred Grandfather’s wrath when she married my father. It was quite the scandal, especially with Grandfather convinced my father was a fortune hunter, and the family often took to making snide remarks to Mother about her disastrous marriage.”
Arthur frowned. “While I’m aware your family has the ability to act less than ethically at times, I never realized they were cruel.”
“My relatives learned cruelty at the hands of a master—my grandfather. I didn’t realize until hearing what he’d done to my mother exactly how cruel he was.” Her shoulders took to slumping just the slightest bit. “That is why I can’t let Mother deal with this inheritance business on her own, even though I vowed seven years ago I’d never return to Montana.”
“I have yet to understandwhyyou vowed to never return. Surely there’s a part of you that misses your home, isn’t there?”
“I don’t miss much about Montana, and this conversation is starting to make me feel all sorts of queasy,” she said, rubbing her forehead again. “Would you mind if we continue walking for a bit? It might help clear my head and settle my stomach.”
Having no idea why their talk was making Eunice queasy, although her face did look paler than it had when he’d first joined her outside, Arthur fell into step beside her. They headed through a grove of trees, Eunice seemingly content to not speak at all, her silence continuing even as they hiked over a hill, picked their waydown a steep bank, and finally came to a stop when the Hudson River spread out before them.
“How are you feeling?” he asked as she stared out over the river, her expression almost haunted.
“I’ll be fine.”
“You don’t look fine.”
Her lips twitched. “Honestly, Arthur, Judith might be right about you lacking a sensitive nature.” She sighed. “The walk did help, as does this view of the river. It’s certainly beautiful and peaceful here.” She released another sigh. “Sadly, I haven’t known true peace in years.”
Arthur took hold of her hand, surprised when she didn’t pull it away from him. “Perhaps if you finally get matters settled in Montana, you’ll rediscover a sense of peace.”
“Except that returning to Montana comes with a cost I’m not certain I want to pay.”
“What cost?”
She returned her attention to the river. “I’m afraid,” she whispered.
Of anything he’d been expecting her to disclose, that hadn’t been it.
“Afraid of what?”
She turned to face him, and to his incredulity, he saw two large tears trailing down her cheeks. “I’m afraid that whoever killed my grandfather will do the same to me.”
“There’s nothing shameful about admitting you’re afraid, Eunice. There’s no question that danger awaits you in Montana. Anyone would be afraid to face that danger.”
She withdrew her hand from his and shook her head. “I was raised by my grandfather to be fearless. Growing up, any obstacle that stood in my path I was expected to overcome and grow more confident from the experience. But I’m not merely afraid of returning to Montana—I’m terrified. I watched Grandfather die in front of my eyes and then had to leave everything behind—and on Grandfather’s instructions, which terrified me more than youcan imagine because he was the bravest man I knew. He all but pleaded with me to get out of Montana as quickly as possible, which showed me, as nothing else could, the danger I was in. The person who murdered Grandfather is the worst type of monster—a faceless creature who has haunted me every day for the past seven years.” She dashed fresh tears from her cheeks. “Grandfather would be ashamed of me.”
“Your grandfather is the one who told you to flee. He knew the danger you were in.”
“True, but I knew he never meant for me to stay away forever. He would have expected me to return to solve his murder, or at least hire someone to solve that murder for me, and then take up the reins of his business—or, rather, marry you and let you move on with Mason Mines. He would be disappointed that I’ve been hiding from the world all these years, content to ignore what happened in Montana and content to give away my inheritance simply because I’m too frightened to face what awaits me there.”
Arthur watched as more tears fell from her eyes and was helpless to ignore her distress. He stepped closer and pulled her into his arms, not letting go when she stiffened.
To his surprise, a moment later, she relaxed against him as a sob escaped her, and then she was burrowing her face into his chest, sobbing so hard her entire body shook.
He had a feeling the sobs were long overdue.
Smoothing a hand down her back, he let her sob without saying a word, simply holding her as she cried herself out. A good five minutes passed before she stepped away from him and lifted her head, her eyes still bright with tears as she scrubbed a hand over her cheek, missing a tear in the process.
