"It'll be easy to prove Harlan and Chapman have been stealing from the Little Johnny," Jeff told George. They were relaxing in the Tabor suite. George had arrived on the train early that afternoon.
"There're no other workings in either mine. Nobody saw them kill Eli Goodwin, but Harlan confessed that Chapman killed the miner who helped me. Violet will get the mine and the money for all the silver Chapman and Harlan sold since the day her uncle died. That ought to come to around a half million dollars."
"I don't suppose you're planning to go back to the Wolfe School," George said.
"I'm through being a housemother," Violet said.
"I was thinking of headmistress," George said. "Miss Settle has resigned. The Board is looking for someone to fill her position."
"Violet wants to go back to Massachusetts and set up a charity for women who cared of men disabled in the war," Jeff said.
George gave Violet a glance which said I want an explanation.
"I'm not sure what I'm going to do," Violet said. "Things have been changing so quickly."
"I'm trying to talk her into staying in Denver," Jeff said. "I don't suppose Clara Rabin will like it, but it's about time Denver society had a new Mrs. Randolph to talk about."
George directed a speculative glance at the pair.
"Yes, I've asked her to marry me, but she hasn't said yes." Jeff got to his feet. "See if you can talk her into it while I go see the judge. I want to make certain everything's straight about Violet's mine and her money before we leave. I'll be glad to see the last of Leadville."
Jeff's departure created an awkward silence. Violet poured George another glass of milk.
"You sure you aren't hurt?" George asked Violet for the third time.
"I'm just fine. It's Jeff you ought to be worried about. I don't know how he had the strength to climb that rope with a cut in his shoulder."
"Jeff is a lot tougher than people think."
"Tougher than he thinks," Violet added.
"Yes, he has underestimated himself more than anybody else. But I hope getting all of you out of that mine will give him more self-confidence."
"He was like a different person even before he got caught in the mine," Violet said. She blushed at the memory of being carried through the streets over Jeff's shoulder. "I don't know whether it's being away from the bank or realizing he's not disabled, but I've never seen him so cheerful. I hesitate to say it, but almost sweet tempered."
George laughed. "Don't say it, ever, to anyone. It'll embarrass Jeff, and nobody else will believe you."
Violet didn't return George's laugh. "But you do."
George sobered. "I'm closer to Jeff than the others. I remember what he was like before the war. He won't ever be that boy again, but neither will he be the embittered man he's been for the last twenty years. You're responsible for that. Are you going to marry him?"
"I told him to ask me in a few days."
"Why?"
"I don't want his marrying me to have anything to do with his arm. I want to give him time to be sure of that for himself."
"But you do love him? You want to marry him?"
"More than anything."
George took a swallow from his milk. "Have you talked about living in Denver?"
"We haven't talked about living anywhere, but I know Jeff could never line in Massachusetts. He hasn't changed that much."
George's smile was wry. "If you want Jeff to be truly happy, you'll have to go to Virginia."
"That's the last place I want to go."
"The part of Jeff that's missing is there. He'll never find it anywhere else."
"I don't understand."
"Jeff's bitterness over his arm is only part of what was wrong with him. He could have stood the losses of the war if there had been anything to go back to. But the South he loved was destroyed. Not the plantations, the idealism, the chivalry. It wasn't a perfect world. Some of us can live without it, but others would rather die than try. My mother was one of them. She willed herself to die. My father, scoundrel that he was, rode at the head of a charge he knew he couldn't survive. Something died during those four years that can never be replaced.”
"Jeff has made a life for himself here. He's a valuable member of the community, but he'll never be whole unless he returns to Virginia, unless he works to restore as much of that lost world as he can. He won't succeed. A time such as that can't last now anymore than it could in ancient Greece or medieval France. But he'll have to try."
"But he's so successful as a banker."
"That's part of the irony. He's a brilliant banker, but he's been dying inside. He'll be happier as a struggling farmer."
"I don't understand."
"I don't either. I just know the only way he can cancel out the loss of his arm is to try to restore the best of what he lost. You can help him."
"Me?"
"You'll understand him when others don't. Don't misunderstand me. Jeff will never be completely happy. Only turning back the clock could do that."
"You don't think I will either."
"You'll never forget the loss of your family. But you can make your peace if you get to know the people you've hated for so long. People are people, no matter what side they may be on. Once you learn that, you may be able to forgive them, and yourself."
"Myself."
"Yes. You never forgave yourself for not being able to save your brother."
Violet looked uneasy. "Jeff always said you and Rose could look inside people's heads. Now I know what he means."
"Did he ever ask you where you stayed the night after the charity ball?"
"No."
"Are you going to tell you him stayed with Fern?"
"Probably, but not just yet. He trusts me enough not to want to know. I like that feeling."
* * * * *
"I don't feel comfortable staying in this hotel," Violet told Jeff.
"There's no place else," Jeff said. "You can't stay with Fern and Madison. Until that damned rodeo is over, they won't have room to sneeze. You can't stay at my house. You might know Hen and Laurel would insist on coming for the wedding."
"About the wedding--"
"I know it's bigger than you wanted, but we've already had to turn down half the people who want to come. Besides, you'll be seeing them every day from now on. It's a good way to be introduced to them."
"That's something else we need to talk about." Violet turned so she could watch him more closely. She didn't want to miss a single nuance of his facial expression, to overlook a shading of his eyes. "I don't want to live in Denver. I think we ought to move to Virginia."
Jeff's expression froze.
"Who's been talking to you?"
"I--"
"You don't want to live in Virginia. You don't like the South. It was George. I knew I shouldn't have left you alone with him."
"It wasn't George," Violet said. "At least it wasn't George who made me decide."
"Then who did?"
"You."
"I never said a word. I planned to stay in Denver."
"Maybe you've forgotten, but you've been talking to me about Virginia from the day we met. You've always wanted to go back. George told me what you said to him after the charity ball."
"A lot of things have changed since then. I didn't think you would have me."
"You still have a lot of questions you need answered. You can't do that here."
"What about you?"
"George said I'd never get over my anger until I got to know Southerners as people instead of as a war machine that deprived me of my family."
"George had no business telling you any of this."
"But he's right. You of all people ought to understand that."
"And if it doesn't work?"
"Then we can come back to Denver. Or any other place you want to live. I don't care as long as I'm with you. I just think we ought to start in Virginia."
"Are you sure? I mean really sure?"
"Yes. I'll always wish I'd met you when I was nineteen. I feel I've missed ten years of my life. But I won't have the rest of it compromised by the past. I want to face it and get rid of all the hurt. I love you, Jeff Randolph. You're the most wonderful, the most complete man I've ever met. But I mean to have all of you. I won't have any ghosts coming between us."
Jeff held Violet close. "No matter where we go, there'll always be ghosts."
"Okay," Violet said, "you can have two little ones. But the rest are going to have to haunt somebody else, or I'll sic a New England witch on them."