woman he loved.
He hadn’t honored Rose back then. If he had, he never would have messed with her heart. He would have been honest about the situation between his family and Annie’s family. He wouldn’t have stolen all those kisses that didn’t belong to him.
In truth, the biggest problem with all the things the Garretts said against Rose was that they were pointing their fingers at the wrong person. Silas had been the one to behave dishonorably toward Rose. And though Rose had never spoken of her time with the outlaw who’d fathered her child, from what Silas had heard, that man had dishonored her, as well.
Seeing how selflessly she’d been willing to give up Milly for Silas’s sake, Silas realized something he hadn’t seen in Rose before. Every time he thought he had a glimpse into her heart to see who she really was, he found a depth he hadn’t known existed. And the more he examined his own heart, he found how grossly unworthy he was of such a woman.
Though it pained him to make such an admission, the real reason he was grateful Rose hadn’t accepted his proposal was that in all the trials people saw as being her flaws, she’d come out too strong, too good, and a man like Silas simply didn’t deserve her.
Rose cradled Matthew against her as she helped Milly finish dressing.
“Won’t it be nice to see your grandparents again?” Motioning for the little girl to turn around, she tied the sash at the back of Milly’s new pink dress into a pretty bow.
No one could fault Rose for having a poorly dressed child in her charge, but as Rose gave Milly a final once-over, she made sure that every detail was as it should be. Most days, Milly’s appearance wasn’t so tidy, not after playing in the yard and spending time with the children from the church. But tonight, with the Garretts coming to dinner, she wanted Milly to look her best.
“There now, aren’t you as pretty as a princess?” Rose smiled at Milly, who scowled.
“I pway wif da kids.”
Rose stood and held out her hand for Milly. “Tomorrow. Emma Jane has promised to bring over Moses and baby David, and if Mary is feeling up to it, she’s coming over with Nugget.”
“I yike Nugget.” Milly’s eyes shone. “And Moses. Him’s baby yike Ma-few, but him’s more fun. I teach him to walk.”
Rose couldn’t help the warmth that filled her as Milly continued chattering about the many attributes of Moses Jackson. Barely a year old, Moses was still very much a baby, but he could keep a two-year-old better entertained than little Matthew. Emma Jane had privately teased Rose that perhaps Moses and Milly would end up married. Wouldn’t that be something to tell the Garretts? The supposed impossibility of finding Milly a decent husband under Rose’s care had already been solved.
Rose smiled again. But of course, both women had agreed that the children should be free to choose their own spouses. Emma Jane had been forced to marry Jasper, her husband, to prevent scandal, and though the couple was now deeply in love, the Jacksons had already promised that their children could marry whomever they wanted.
Which was why, as Rose looked down at the little boy sleeping in her arms, she felt no unhappiness at her unmarried state. Several men had offered, with there being so few unmarried women in Leadville who weren’t occupied in the world’s oldest profession, but Rose couldn’t see herself saddled to a man who merely wanted a wife. Men up here were lonely and desperate, and she wasn’t lonely or desperate enough to take advantage of that fact.
Even Silas’s proposal hadn’t been tempting. Not when she’d seen the deep love shared by the couples among her close friends and family. Perhaps it was wishful thinking to hope that Rose could someday have it for herself, especially with all the mistakes she’d made. But having made those mistakes, Rose was no longer willing to settle for anything less than an honorable man who loved her with his whole heart and would love and court her the proper way.
“Come, now,” Rose said, holding out her hand to Milly. “Let’s go downstairs to wait for your grandparents.”
Milly took her hand, and they made their way downstairs, Milly skipping as best a two-year-old could. She’d seen the older children at the mission and had begun mimicking their actions. The somber little girl who’d come into their household now seemed to radiate joy.
As they reached the bottom step, Milly caught sight of Silas and ran toward him. “Papa!”
He picked her up and swung her in his arms, then held her tight as he kissed the top of her head. Though she’d watched this scene play out between them at least once a day, it still never failed to melt Rose’s heart.
How could anyone think that not having Milly with her father was the best thing?
A noise came from the parlor, and Rose turned to see the Garretts standing there, with matching sour expressions covering their faces.
“Such a ruckus,” Mrs. Garrett said. “Surely you don’t let her run so wild all the time.”
“Ah, but what is a home without laughter?” Uncle Frank gave a pleasant smile as Silas stiffened.
Rose hated seeing the expression on Silas’s face. He’d said that they constantly criticized them, but until now, she’d wondered if he’d been exaggerating. Their comments about Milly running wild made it clear that, if anything, Silas had been generous in his descriptions of life with the Garretts.
He set Milly down. “Say hello to your grandparents, Milly.”
The smile disappeared from Milly’s face, then she turned and ran to Rose, burying herself in Rose’s skirts.
“I’m sorry,” Rose said, patting Milly’s head. “She’s usually not so shy. I can’t imagine what’s gotten into her.”
“He’s already poisoned her against us.” Rose recoiled at Mrs. Garrett’s harsh tone.
“I’m sure that’s not it at all,” Rose said as she knelt in front of Milly.
Focusing her attention on Milly, she said softly, “What’s wrong, my sweet? Your grandparents are here. You want to have a nice visit, don’t you?”
Tears filled Milly’s eyes. “I want to pway.”
Rose hugged Milly close, careful not to disturb Matthew in her arms. So far, he’d been quietly watching everything around him, but she wasn’t going to risk making him fuss. “Tomorrow.”
Then she smiled at the Garretts. “She’s sad because the Jacksons invited us to stay for supper, and we obviously couldn’t. She adores little Moses Jackson, so it’s disappointing for her not to get to stay and play.”
“Do you dine with the Jacksons regularly?” Mrs. Garrett’s question reflected her snobbery, as though she didn’t believe the close friendship Rose had mentioned.
Uncle Frank laughed. “Sometimes I don’t know who is eating where. Our families have become so close that it seems like either one of us is at the Jackson mansion, or one of them is over here.”
Then he turned to Silas. “Which reminds me.
