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say?”
    â€œAdam said you went over to the Stedmans’ the other day.”
    â€œYes, Mara had us over for tea.”
    He nodded and talked around the nail in his mouth. “Glad you’re making yourself some friends.”
    Emily was glad too. She and Mara had struck up an easy friendship, and the afternoon had sailed by before she’d known it. Afterward, she’d felt guilty that she’d been making small talk with a neighbor instead of doing her work or looking for the map. But she’d needed someone to talk to; she hadn’t realized the depths of her loneliness until she’d started talking to Mara.
    Cade set the chair upright and gave it a shake. “That should do it.” He grabbed Adam and tickled him, then swung him up in his arms. Adam’s belly laughs filled the room. “All right, Mister, it’s time for bed.”
    â€œAww.”
    Another round of tickling quickly put an end to the complaint.

Five
    Emily tossed aside an old quilt, and a cloud of dust rolled up around her like a prairie storm. She coughed as the dust settled on her damp skin, clinging to her and making her itch. She’d already searched through three trunks in this stuffy old attic, and there was so much more to go through. So far, her search had turned up no map, but the historian in her wanted to go slowly through each batch of letters and box of collectibles.
    There was no time for that, though. Already, she was putting off much-needed garden work. The laundry, too, awaited her, and the downstairs was in dire need of a good sweeping.
    She constantly worried that Cade would notice her neglect of other chores. So far, he hadn’t said a word, but she knew by looking at her neighbors’ gardens that she was behind.
    â€œI’m thirsty, Emily.” Adam looked up from his spot on the floor. His eyes peeked out from under an old beehive bonnet that was perched on his head. An old Prince Albert overcoat swallowed his body. She nearly laughed.
    â€œI see you’ve found some new clothes.”
    â€œThese ain’t new, Emily, they’s got too much dust on ’em for that.”
    â€œThese aren’t new,” she corrected.
    â€œI know, that’s what I said. Can I have a drink now?”
    Emily drew in a deep breath, then coughed at the dust she sucked in. She could use a break herself, but she wanted to finish this one trunk before she started supper.
    â€œTell you what. Do you think you could get your own glass of water if I let you go down to the kitchen by yourself?”
    Adam stood up and the bonnet fell off. “Yes Ma’am!”
    â€œAll right then, let’s get you out of here.” She helped him over all the piles of relics, then went back to work.
    She felt like she was getting to know Cade’s ancestors just by going through their things. The clothes were mostly homespun. Trousers and linsey-woolsey for the males and calico for the females.
    She’d come across old bank papers and coins, simple jewelry, and an old Bible. She’d found a lamp that was perfectly good and decided she’d take it downstairs. Cade had complained the sitting room was too dark.
    By the time she finished going through the trunk, she sat back on her heels and sighed. Would she never find it? The faded remnant of the map Uncle Stewart found in his father’s things said the more detailed map was hidden in this house. It was the only way he’d known there was hope for finding the gold. And her uncle’s map indicated the gold was buried on the Manning property. But it would be impossible to find it among the miles of hills and caves that encompassed the property. Why, the gold could be buried anywhere.
    She looked around the dark room. The lantern she’d hung from a nail shed dim, yellow light on the stuffy space. There were a few little tables to look through and still a couple trunks she’d yet to open, but those would have to wait until