drink. “There’s no reason I should have to leave. Folks know where I’m at. Moving would just confuse them.”
“Well, you wouldn’t have to move all that far,” Wyman said, stuffing the last of the biscuit into his mouth. He picked up his empty mug and followed Rafe’s example.
“I don’t have to move at all. Those uppity Gallatins ain’t gonna make me leave. I have it on good authority that the railroad plans to come through here. One of the men told me it was all but a signed deal. This land is gonna be worth a fortune.”
“I thought they hadn’t decided. Seems to me someone said that they were looking to put the railroad through to the north of us.”
Rafe shook his head. “That’s just to keep people from buying up the land and chargin’ the railroad an exorbitant fee. I’m guessin’ if folks were to know the exact plan for the route before the railroad could secure the land, then there would be a run on the area and the prices would go way up.” He grinned. “But if I start buying up land now, before the route is announced, I figure I can still get it cheap, and no one need be the wiser.”
“So how are you going to do this?”
“That’s where you come in. I figure with a few incentives, people will be inclined to sell.”
Wyman laughed. “I can think of all sorts of incentives. People tend not to want to stay in a place that isn’t safe. And since the only real law is over in Bozeman, stands to reason a whole lot of bad things could happen to folks out here.”
Rafe nodded. “I figured you could come up with something. You just go on ahead and get to that. See what folks are thinkin’ and what kind of misery would cause them to leave. Once they’re gone and the railroad comes in, things will repopulate fast enough.”
“With our kind of people,” Wyman added.
“Exactly. People who aren’t teetotalers—folks who don’t hold to religious nonsense.”
Beth readied herself for bed, all the while casting glances at her Bible and The Courtship of Lady Effingham . She knew she should focus on her Bible reading. She’d been sorely neglecting it for days now, but Lord Wodehouse was just about to tell Lady Effingham his dark secret.
“There just aren’t enough hours in the day,” Beth muttered.
She quickly combed out her long hair, then tucked it in a cap and took the candle to her bedside table. The Bible beckoned her, but Lady Effingham demanded her utmost attention.
Maybe if I just read a little and see what Lord Wodehouse has to say, then I can put it aside and concentrate on my Scripture reading. But even as Beth reached for the novel, she knew she would get caught up in the story as before.
She settled into bed and pulled the quilts high before opening the book. With a sigh, she began to read about Lady Effingham’s opulent existence. Beth couldn’t imagine what it would be like to have so many servants bustling around and seeing to your every need. Why, Lady Effingham even had a maid to do nothing but arrange her clothes!
Without warning her cat jumped on the bed, nearly frightening Beth out of her wits. She snapped the book closed so fast, she actually smashed her finger between the pages.
“Oh, Calvin, what in the world has gotten into you? I didn’t even know you were in here.” She reached to stroke the amber fur. “You scared me half to death.”
The cat only purred and pawed at the bedding to make himself comfortable. Once he settled in, Beth drew a deep breath and went back to reading. Just as Lord Wodehouse was about to make his declaration, Major began barking.
“Goodness, but is everyone against my discovering Lord Wodehouse’s secrets?” Beth got up, careful not to disturb Calvin, and went to the window. She pulled back the drapes and stared into the darkness below.
Major’s bark became more intense, and she could see him pacing back and forth in front of the house. Something moved in the shadows across the roadway, but she couldn’t see
“Well, you wouldn’t have to move all that far,” Wyman said, stuffing the last of the biscuit into his mouth. He picked up his empty mug and followed Rafe’s example.
“I don’t have to move at all. Those uppity Gallatins ain’t gonna make me leave. I have it on good authority that the railroad plans to come through here. One of the men told me it was all but a signed deal. This land is gonna be worth a fortune.”
“I thought they hadn’t decided. Seems to me someone said that they were looking to put the railroad through to the north of us.”
Rafe shook his head. “That’s just to keep people from buying up the land and chargin’ the railroad an exorbitant fee. I’m guessin’ if folks were to know the exact plan for the route before the railroad could secure the land, then there would be a run on the area and the prices would go way up.” He grinned. “But if I start buying up land now, before the route is announced, I figure I can still get it cheap, and no one need be the wiser.”
“So how are you going to do this?”
“That’s where you come in. I figure with a few incentives, people will be inclined to sell.”
Wyman laughed. “I can think of all sorts of incentives. People tend not to want to stay in a place that isn’t safe. And since the only real law is over in Bozeman, stands to reason a whole lot of bad things could happen to folks out here.”
Rafe nodded. “I figured you could come up with something. You just go on ahead and get to that. See what folks are thinkin’ and what kind of misery would cause them to leave. Once they’re gone and the railroad comes in, things will repopulate fast enough.”
“With our kind of people,” Wyman added.
“Exactly. People who aren’t teetotalers—folks who don’t hold to religious nonsense.”
Beth readied herself for bed, all the while casting glances at her Bible and The Courtship of Lady Effingham . She knew she should focus on her Bible reading. She’d been sorely neglecting it for days now, but Lord Wodehouse was just about to tell Lady Effingham his dark secret.
“There just aren’t enough hours in the day,” Beth muttered.
She quickly combed out her long hair, then tucked it in a cap and took the candle to her bedside table. The Bible beckoned her, but Lady Effingham demanded her utmost attention.
Maybe if I just read a little and see what Lord Wodehouse has to say, then I can put it aside and concentrate on my Scripture reading. But even as Beth reached for the novel, she knew she would get caught up in the story as before.
She settled into bed and pulled the quilts high before opening the book. With a sigh, she began to read about Lady Effingham’s opulent existence. Beth couldn’t imagine what it would be like to have so many servants bustling around and seeing to your every need. Why, Lady Effingham even had a maid to do nothing but arrange her clothes!
Without warning her cat jumped on the bed, nearly frightening Beth out of her wits. She snapped the book closed so fast, she actually smashed her finger between the pages.
“Oh, Calvin, what in the world has gotten into you? I didn’t even know you were in here.” She reached to stroke the amber fur. “You scared me half to death.”
The cat only purred and pawed at the bedding to make himself comfortable. Once he settled in, Beth drew a deep breath and went back to reading. Just as Lord Wodehouse was about to make his declaration, Major began barking.
“Goodness, but is everyone against my discovering Lord Wodehouse’s secrets?” Beth got up, careful not to disturb Calvin, and went to the window. She pulled back the drapes and stared into the darkness below.
Major’s bark became more intense, and she could see him pacing back and forth in front of the house. Something moved in the shadows across the roadway, but she couldn’t see
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