Heart of Eden (Colorado Hearts #1)(8)
Blake decided he wasn’t quite ready to believe them.
Mavis glanced at her sisters and then briefly at him. “I can promise you, Mr. Glass, Mr. Harding, we knew nothing of Father’s letters—or support. If I’d known, I would have come at his first bidding. We were told he disowned us after our mother moved away. That he was bitter and vengeful, even a dangerous man. Uncle Vernon said our mother had kept that information from us to protect us from the truth, but he thought we should know.” She sniffed and looked away for several long seconds. “A grave injustice has been done to our father, our mother, and to us. I’m sure I speak for my sisters when I say my heart is shattered. We were kept from him intentionally and unlawfully.”
“This is a bit difficult to believe,” Blake angrily bit out, unable to keep silent any longer. “John has sent support for years. Enough money so that every single one of you could be raised in style. He didn’t ask for anything in return, just hoped for a little of your time one day. To get to know you. To love you in person.”
They were staring at him as if he’d sprouted big, ugly warts all over his face—and with his scar surely turning red with anger, he essentially had. At this point, finding a whit of compassion for any of them was nigh on impossible. They might be pretty to look at, but they’d broken John’s heart, his spirit. “Just one of you could have reached out to him, taken an interest. Even without the money. Just one . . .”
Henry pointed a finger. “Blake. Temper your anger. You don’t know all the facts.”
“I think I know enough,” he said, trying to rein in his tone. “Would that have been so difficult, Mrs. Applebee, Miss Brinkman?” He waved his hand. “All you Miss Brinkmans? Amazing how you show up now, only when he’s dead and there might be something of value to inherit. Why am I not surprised?”
“Blake!” Henry shouted. “Get ahold of yourself. That’s more than enough.”
Belle leaned past her sister so she could look him in the eye. “We have never received anything from our father. Not one word. Not one penny. When I was a little girl, I used to dream he might send me a doll for my birthday. Or a pretty dress for Christmas. All I heard was that he didn’t want daughters, he wanted sons. That if he wanted us, perhaps he’d have come to Pennsylvania himself. I won’t let you lay this debacle at our feet, Mr. Harding, no matter how much you think we’re to blame. We are victims, just like our father.”
Her voice was strong, but Blake didn’t miss the tremble in her lips as she turned away.
“Ladies! Blake! Please,” Henry blurted, reaching out in supplication once more. “Please. Settle down. Figuring out what happened will take time—more than we have today, or even this month. But I assure you, no one will get away with such an immoral deed, if indeed the Crowdaires are to blame.” He took a deep breath. “For now, let me get on with the reading. Later we’ll come back to this situation and try to determine what actually transpired with all those letters and bank notes.”
Silence settled over the room. Where Belle looked angry, the rest of the girls looked confused and sick.
“Besides the cattle ranch and the silver mine farther south, your father owns five businesses in Eden. A mill and lumberyard, the café in the hotel, a tannery and leather shop, the livery where he has a partner named Maverick Daves, and an apparel store called the Toggery. He didn’t start these businesses. Townsfolk came to him, needing to sell, because he had the cash to help them out. They each had an agreement that they could buy the businesses back if they ever wanted. Most just moved out of town.”
“And he always gave them more than they were asking,” Blake threw out. He stared straight ahead, refusing to look at the sisters.
Henry leafed to the next page, taking a moment to look it over. “The mine has never been worked under John’s ownership and sits vacant at this point. It’s to be split evenly between the five girls.” Henry looked up. “If you haven’t heard, this area is rich in silver. The other businesses are to be drawn from a hat, so that each sister receives one. After drawing, if you want to make trades, that’s allowed. John’s hope was that having actual stock in Eden would encourage you to stay. Get to know the people and the area. Perhaps make his town your home.”
God forbid.
There was movement in the chairs beside him. Someone murmured. Someone else daintily blew a nose. Outside, the rattle of a wagon rolling by and the neigh of a horse could be heard clearly over the strained atmosphere in the office.
“He leaves a thousand dollars to the town of Eden for improvements.” Henry looked up and smiled. “I don’t know if you’ve heard of the Canyon of the Ancients. It’s a rock formation thirty miles away with Pueblo and Anasazi ruins. John believed as the attraction gained in popularity more people would come to Colorado to see the beauty and greatness. They’ll need a place to stay on their journeys.”
The girls remained silent.
“The ranch will be split in half. Half to the Brinkman daughters and half to Blake Harding, who’s worked the place for the last eighteen years.”
Annoyance left Blake in a zap of surprise. He pushed against the back of his chair, wondering if he’d heard correctly.
Half of the ranch? Why did John cut me in, in such a big way?
Time seemed to slow down, and the floor under his boots tilted. Because of his good friend, Blake had just become a rich man.