CHAPTER 15: RICHARD RETURNS EARLY
Richard Whitmore returned to Willow Creek a full day before his announced arrival.
His carriage rolled through the gate at noon while Daniel was working in the stable.
The ranch hands stopped what they were doing and watched the landowner step into the courtyard.
Richard carried no luggage except a small leather case.
His expression was calm, but Daniel noticed that his gloves were stained with road dust.
Richard greeted the foreman and asked where Eleanor had spent the morning.
The foreman said the mistress had been in the greenhouse with her friend from Richmond.
Richard frowned at the mention of Catherine Bellamy.
Then he turned toward Daniel and asked whether the repaired hinges were satisfactory.
Daniel replied that the hinges worked properly.
Richard said he hoped the blacksmith would remain focused on his paid duties.
Daniel answered that he intended to finish every task assigned to him.
Richard studied him for a moment and then walked toward the house.
Eleanor met her husband in the front hall.
She wore a dark green dress and carried the household accounts she had been reviewing.
Richard kissed her forehead without warmth and remarked that her guest had arrived unexpectedly.
Eleanor said Catherine had been invited by a letter whose origin was uncertain.
Richard asked whether the letter was hers.
She said it was not.
He expressed surprise and suggested that someone might be amusing themselves at her expense.
Eleanor asked whether he had known Lydia Whitmore.
Richard stopped removing his gloves.
He looked toward the staircase and asked who had mentioned that name.
Eleanor answered that the name appeared in old correspondence discovered during repairs.
Richard said Lydia had been a distant relative who left the family years earlier.
Eleanor asked why certain people had called her his wife.
Richard replied that people enjoyed inventing scandal around wealthy families.
His voice remained controlled, but he gripped the banister hard enough to whiten his knuckles.
Eleanor asked whether he would show her the family records.
Richard said the records were private and had no relevance to their marriage.
She replied that she had been made part of his family and deserved to know its history.
He smiled and asked whether Catherine had encouraged this new boldness.
Eleanor said she had learned to ask questions without consulting her friends.
Richard lowered his voice and told her they would speak after dinner.
He then ordered Vane to prepare the western suite for an inspection.
Eleanor asked what needed inspecting.
Richard said the house required repairs before winter.
She reminded him that winter was months away.
He ignored the remark and climbed the stairs.
Catherine emerged from the drawing room after he departed.
She said Richard had passed her without greeting her.
Eleanor replied that the omission might be a blessing.
They went to the greenhouse, where Ada had already placed a message beneath a flowerpot.
The message came from Daniel and contained only the words, ‘The archive may be opened tonight.’
Eleanor read it and looked toward the house.
She knew Richard had returned early because someone warned him that the old documents were being found.
She also understood that the forged letters, the hidden passages, and Marsh’s threats had all prepared the way for this moment.
Richard intended to take back control before she learned enough to resist.
Eleanor asked Catherine whether the room above her father’s bookshop was still available.
Catherine nodded.
Eleanor said she hoped to see it someday, but she would not leave Willow Creek before making a decision about the people who depended on the ranch.
Catherine warned that courage did not guarantee safety.
Eleanor agreed.
She said courage meant making preparations precisely because danger was real.
That evening she hid a change of clothing, her mother’s portrait miniature, and a small purse in the greenhouse cellar.
She gave Ada written permission to leave her service without losing wages if the situation worsened.
Then she went to dinner and took her customary place opposite Richard.
He asked whether she had enjoyed the afternoon.
She answered that she had learned a great deal about the house.
Richard set down his glass and said he hoped the lesson had been useful.
Eleanor met his gaze and said it had been necessary.
