Page 11 of Mail-Order Viscountess

“I see.” Kate sat back in her chair, and something about the movement reminded him of a general reassessing the battlefield. “And what exactly do you intend to do about the situation now, Mr. Balfour?”

What did he intend? His ribs ached with each breath, his cheek throbbed, and his brothers had just blown apart any remaining trust he’d had in them. California looked better than ever—his escape route, his fresh start, his chance to finally live life on his own terms.

But seeing Clara McKinney’s devastated face—even as he tried not to—made California feel less like freedom and more like running away.

“I won’t hold you to any arrangement I didn’t make.” He forced the words out steadily. “We’ll escort you both to our ranch so you can rest and recover from your journey. You can decide what you want to do from there. If you choose to return East, I’ll pay for your passage.”

Kate’s expression didn’t soften. “How generous.”

The sarcasm stung worse than the gash on his cheek.

“Kate.” Clara’s voice came out small and tight. She dropped her hand from her mouth and gripped the edge of the table. “Perhaps we should⁠—”

“We should get the full picture before making any decisions.” Kate’s attention never left Thomas’s face. “Mr. Balfour, tell me about this ranch. How many people live there?”

The shift in topic caught him off-balance. “My three brothers, two with wives, and our oldest has a newborn babe.” He shot a look at James. “Plus our housekeeper, Mrs. Wang. And me, obviously.” Though not for long, if he could manage it.

“How many bedrooms?”

“Eight.” Where was she going with this?

“And the nearest town?”

“Walnut Springs. About an hour and a half ride.”

Kate’s mouth pressed into an even thinner line. “So if we go to this ranch, we’ll be trapped there. An hour and a half from civilization, surrounded by your family, with nowhere to go if we need to leave.”

Trapped? She thought he’d bring them to the ranch and—what? Hold them prisoner? Force Clara into a marriage she didn’t want?

The injustice of it burned hotter than the cut on his face. He’d just told them the truth, offered them a way out, promised to pay their way back East. And still she looked at him like he was some kind of predator circling wounded prey.

“You’d be guests in our home.” He kept his voice level despite the anger climbing his throat. “Free to leave whenever you choose. We’ll provide safe transportation any time you ask. I give you my word.”

“Your word.” Kate’s laugh held no humor. “Forgive me if I find that less than reassuring, given that your family’s word brought us here under false pretenses.”

The accusation hung between them, and Thomas couldn’t argue with it. She was right. His brothers had lied, and now their dishonesty stained him too.

Clara’s fingers had gone white where they clutched the edge of the table. A single tear tracked through the dust on her cheek, and she brushed it away quickly—like she hoped no one had noticed.

And the sight of it made something twist in his chest.

“You’re right. My family’s word brought you here under false pretenses. I can’t undo that. But I can give you my word—my personal word, not theirs—that you’ll be treated with respect at the ranch. That you’ll be safe. That you’ll have choices.”

Kate’s expression didn’t change, but something flickered in those hazel eyes. Not trust—he hadn’t earned that—but maybe a tiny bit less hostility.

“I’d like to see this ranch before we make any decisions.” Her tone remained businesslike, stripped of warmth. “If what you say is true, then we’ll need to understand what we’re dealing with.”

Rose leaned forward, her voice gentle. “Of course. We thought we’d stay here in Butte tonight—let you both rest after your journey—then head to the ranch in the morning. It’s a full day’s ride.”

Clara’s face went another shade paler. These women had likely already traveled two or three months to get here, and now they had to face another day of hard riding into the mountains.

All for nothing. All because his brothers couldn’t leave well enough alone.

“That’s acceptable.” Kate’s fingers finally loosened on her sister’s arm. “We’ll need rooms, of course. And time to refresh ourselves before dinner.”

“Already arranged.” James spoke for the first time since the introductions, his voice carrying that careful warmth he used when trying not to make things worse. “A room on the second floor. The hotel has baths available as well.”

Kate’s face showed no reaction to the words. Just that same assessing stare, like she was calculating angles and measuring distances in case she needed to make a quick escape.