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House. He’s over there right now gettin’ ready for his lunch. That’s where I wanna be, too, so enough with the questions. Like I told you, I’m in a hurry.”
    Rafe let them go. He knew Joe could be quite cantankerous if pushed. He needed to know, however, who it was that had come to see the girls. Maybe it was a lawyer sort, or worse still, some distant male relative who’d actually inherited the property.
    He frowned and decided it couldn’t hurt to make a visit to the Gallatin House. He could feign the need to order a pie or two. The girls didn’t care for his company, but they’d tolerate his commerce. Maybe he’d even beg to stay for lunch. It wasn’t beneath him to invite himself in, if it served his purpose.

    “I can’t believe your rude, outlandish nerve,” Lacy said as she stepped in front of Gwen. “Who in the world are you to come here and suggest any of us are hussies?”
    The man removed his hat and fixed Lacy with a hard stare. He seemed completely void of emotion—except perhaps anger or indignation. Yes, that was it. The man seemed downright offended.
    “One of you certainly is that or worse,” the man countered.
    Gwen watched as Joe and Cubby went to the back of the wagon. Joe seemed to be pointing out what belonged to Cubby’s father. She wondered for a moment if Joe had any idea who this man was and why he’d insisted on coming to Gallatin House.
    “My brother was Harvey Bishop. I was told he married a Gwen Gallatin and then died shortly afterwards. I want to know which one of you is that woman.”
    “Well, people in hell want . . .”
    “Lacy! Curb your tongue,” Gwen rebuked.
    “Well, he should curb his. He’s no gentleman.”
    The man stood his ground. “Which one of you married my brother?”
    Beth stepped up to declare, “I hardly think it’s any of your business. Harvey told us he was an orphan, so for all we know, you, sir, are a liar. If not, then Harvey couldn’t have cared much for you or your interference in his life, or he would have mentioned you.”
    Gwen was touched by her sister’s protective nature. She kept looking at the man to detect some resemblance—some memory of Harvey in the man’s stern expression—but there was nothing. This serious stranger was nothing like the man she’d married.
    “I think you should go next door if you’re looking for a room,” Beth said, crossing her arms. “You’re acting like an animal, and that’s where they bed down.”
    “Beth!” Gwen exclaimed and stepped forward to put her hand on Beth’s shoulder.
    “Well, he is. He’s being ridiculous. How dare he accuse you . . .” She put her hand over her mouth.
    Gwen watched the stranger assess her even more closely. “So I take it you are the woman I’m looking for,” he said, his voice void of emotion.
    Gwen nodded. “I am Gwendolyn Gallatin, and yes, I was married to Harvey Bishop. But my sister is right. Harvey told us he had no living family.”
    “Well, he lied,” the man replied. “Not surprising, but that’s beside the point. We have some business to deal with. Just the two of us.”
    “You’ll deal with all of us or none of us,” Lacy stated firmly. She stepped between Gwen and the stranger, and Beth did likewise.
    “That’s right,” Beth said. “We would hardly allow our sister to be subjected to such a rude and vulgar man by herself. Why, you might take some kind of liberty with her, for all we know.”
    The man smiled at this, and Gwen felt her knees go weak at the way his features took on an amused—almost mischievous—look.
    “Is there a problem, girls?” Joe interjected. “You look like a pack of mama bears defendin’ their cub. What’s got you hidin’ behind your sisters, Miss Gwen?”
    “This man, that’s what,” Lacy said. “He’s causing a conflagration of emotions inside of me.”
    Joe frowned and rubbed his chin. “That don’t sound good, Miss Lacy.”
    “This man claims to be the brother of my sister’s deceased