Chapter 6 - What Her Mother Left Behind
Gideon Bell stood on Nora Whitcomb’s porch like a man arriving to collect forgotten luggage.
Josephine had imagined this confrontation many times during the previous hour.
In every version, her father looked ashamed.
He apologized.
He admitted what he had done.
Reality disappointed her.
Gideon looked annoyed.
“You've caused considerable trouble.”
Those were his first words.
Josephine almost laughed.
“Hello to you too, Father.”
His eyes shifted toward Harlan.
Then Nora.
Then the deed in Josephine's hands.
He understood immediately.
“Where did you get that?”
“My mother.”
“Your mother is dead.”
“Apparently she planned for the possibility.”
Gideon stepped forward.
Harlan moved.
Josephine raised one hand.
“Don't.”
Harlan stopped.
This belonged to her.
Gideon looked Josephine over as though assessing how difficult she would be.
“You don't understand those papers.”
“Then explain them.”
“Not here.”
“Here is fine.”
His mouth tightened.
“The property required management.”
“So you stole from me?”
“I kept the family solvent.”
“With my money.”
“You lived under my roof.”
Josephine stared.
“For twelve years after I became an adult.”
“I fed you.”
“With my money.”
“I clothed you.”
“With my money.”
Gideon's face reddened.
“You think running a household is free?”
“No.”
Josephine's voice remained unexpectedly calm.
“I think telling your daughter she's a financial burden while taking thousands of dollars from property she owns is dishonest.”
Nora's expression showed fierce pride.
Gideon pointed toward Harlan.
“He's filling your head with nonsense.”
Harlan said nothing.
Josephine replied, “He didn't show me the deed. Mama did.”
That landed.
Gideon looked toward Nora.
“You should have burned those papers.”
“I promised Eleanor.”
“You always interfered.”
“And you always stole.”
“Enough.”
Josephine's father stepped inside.
Harlan moved again.
Josephine remained between them.
“Why did you sell me to Silas Vale?”
Gideon blinked.
“I didn't.”
“He says you took his money.”
“He offered a marriage agreement.”
“And you accepted?”
“You needed a husband.”
“I needed my inheritance.”
“You wouldn't know what to do with property.”
Josephine felt twenty-six years of humiliation condense into a single clear truth.
Her father had never believed she was worthless.
He had needed her to believe it.
Worthless daughters don't ask to see accounts.
Worthless daughters don't demand deeds.
Worthless daughters don't question why their father controls every dollar.
“You were afraid of me,” Josephine said.
Gideon's face hardened.
“Don't be ridiculous.”
“You were.”
She almost smiled.
“The whole time.”
His eyes flashed.
“You'll come home.”
“No.”
“Josephine.”
“No.”
“I am your father.”
“And I am twenty-six.”
“You don't know this man.”
Gideon pointed toward Harlan.
“He bought you.”
Josephine flinched despite herself.
Harlan's face changed.
Gideon saw the wound and pressed it.
“He gave me money and horses. Does that sound like freedom?”
Harlan started forward.
Josephine spoke first.
“He also offered to take me anywhere I wanted when spring came.”
Gideon stopped.
“He what?”
“He said I owe him nothing.”
For the first time, genuine disbelief crossed her father's face.
“You expect me to believe that?”
“I don't care what you believe.”
Josephine stepped closer.
“Tell Vale I am not selling the land.”
Gideon laughed.
“You think you have a choice?”
“Yes.”
“Vale controls the bank.”
“Then I'll use another bank.”
“He controls freight.”
“I'll sell timber elsewhere.”
“He has attorneys.”
“I'll hire one.”
“With what?”
Josephine lifted the bankbook.
Gideon's face went pale.
“With twelve years of income you forgot to mention.”
A long silence followed.
Then her father changed tactics.
His anger disappeared.
“Jo.”
She hated that name in his voice.
Her mother had called her Jo with affection.
Gideon used it only when manipulation required softness.
“You don't understand.”
“Then explain.”
“I was trying to protect you.”
“From money?”
“From men.”
Josephine almost laughed again.
“You protected me from men by selling me to one?”
His face hardened.
“The world is difficult for women without husbands.”
Nora muttered, “Especially when their fathers rob them.”
Gideon ignored her.
“Vale offered stability.”
“Vale offered you money.”
“You were going to be comfortable.”
“Did you ask whether I wanted him?”
Gideon had no answer.
Josephine nodded.
“That's what I thought.”
He turned toward Harlan.
“How much?”
Harlan frowned.
“For what?”
“To end this.”
Josephine went still.
Her father continued.
“Three hundred.”
Harlan stared.
“Five hundred.”
Harlan's hands curled into fists.
Gideon mistook silence for negotiation.
“One thousand.”
Josephine felt something inside her die.
Even after everything, some childish part had believed her father might finally choose her.
He was simply raising the price.
Harlan stepped forward until only inches separated them.
“Listen carefully.”
His voice was dangerously quiet.
“There is no amount.”
Gideon sneered.
“Every man has one.”
“Then I'm not the kind of man you understand.”
He opened the front door.
“Leave.”
Gideon looked toward Josephine.
“This isn't finished.”
Josephine met his eyes.
“Yes.”
Her voice was steady.
“It is.”
He walked out.
Harlan closed the door.
Josephine remained standing.
Nora touched her shoulder.
That was when Josephine finally began crying.
Not loudly.
Not dramatically.
The tears simply came.
Harlan looked as though every instinct in him wanted to cross the room.
But he waited.
Josephine noticed.
She opened her arms.
Only then did he come.
Harlan held her carefully.
Josephine buried her face against his chest.
“My own father.”
“I know.”
“He would've sold me again.”
“I know.”
“I kept thinking there had to be some line he wouldn't cross.”
Harlan's hand rested gently between her shoulders.
“Some people don't deserve all the chances we give them.”
Josephine closed her eyes.
For several minutes nobody spoke.
Then Nora cleared her throat.
“You two should see something.”
Josephine stepped back.
Nora had opened another envelope from the lockbox.
“This came from Eleanor's attorney.”
She handed it to Josephine.
Inside was a statement regarding the mountain property.
One paragraph had been underlined.
If Josephine Eleanor Bell marries before her twenty-seventh birthday, ownership remains solely hers and cannot transfer through marital right unless she signs a separate deed in the presence of two independent witnesses.
Josephine stared.
“My birthday is in six weeks.”
Harlan read over her shoulder.
Nora slowly sat.
“That's why Vale was in such a hurry.”
Josephine's blood ran cold.
If Silas Vale had married her and forced her signature before anyone revealed the truth, he could have controlled the railroad pass.
Harlan looked toward the door Gideon had just exited.
“He knows.”
Josephine swallowed.
“Yes.”
Her father hadn't sold an unwanted daughter.
He had sold access to a fortune.
And now that Josephine knew the truth, Silas Vale no longer needed her cooperation.
May you like
He only needed her signature.
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