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I can see the hurt in your eyes. We mustn’t glory in the misfortunes of others, no matter how abhorrent their behavior. It’s sad really, the way they’ve been carrying on. It shows a lack of character. She’s desperate for attention, and I’m hopeful, now that William has returned, he’ll give her what she needs.”
    “You’re younger than me. You’re not supposed to be smarter.”
    She grasped my face, surprising me. “You will find love,” she said fiercely. “I know you will. Somewhere out there is a man who will offer his hand to you because he loves you and he can’t go on another day without you. Do you understand me?”
    Tears were in my eyes, as I struggled to swallow the lump in my throat. “I’ll burn the letter. I shall never mention it again. I’m sorry I took pleasure in their misfortune.”
    “Thank you, Willow. It’s the right thing to do.”
    “But, if he’s determined to contact her, there’s nothing I can do about it.”
    “No. If they persist in this, they’ll be exposed, but the blood won’t be on our hands.”
    I hugged her. “I love you, Leona.”
    “I love you too.”

Chapter Six
    While I busied myself with work, I thought about William and Cybele, realizing that I had always been envious, even jealous of their relationship. Now that I had read the secret letter, I saw things in an entirely different light, and, as the days and weeks wore on, as Thanksgiving neared, I no longer envied them. Seeing Cybele in town, smiling, laughing, and now I could clearly see—flirting, it became clear that William had attached himself to a silly, faithless woman.
    The first snowstorm of the season had arrived mid-October, with a hearty walloping of several feet worth of snow, the thoroughfare being completely blocked, although we had all been enlisted to shovel the portion of road before our businesses. This labor would continue on and off all through winter. My sister and I were quite adept at handling a shovel. Pa had finished the extra rooms in the attic, although the space was drafty. There were less miners boarding now, because searching for gold in these conditions was not only difficult, but also hazardous. Avalanches were frequent on the mountain, and traveling through five feet of snowdrifts was a challenge.
    Benjamin’s courtship of my sister continued happily, and their relationship had grown gradually, although I knew she was in love, as the look on her face gave it all away. He was smitten as well, and there wasn’t a day that didn’t go by when he wasn’t able to visit us, even with a blizzard diminishing visibility to only three feet or so. The inhabitants of Cripple Creek were a hardy bunch, and snow was not an impediment to our daily lives.
    Occasionally the miners brought news, mostly from other mining towns, such as Clear Creek, Golden City, Breckenridge, and Fairplay. They were eager to continue their hardrock mining, as the gold in the shallow parts of the veins was still plentiful and easy to obtain. The approaching winter would challenge them, but they were determined to get rich. The rumors persisted that Denver City was booming, flush with the influx of miners and the businesses that supported them. The tide of migration would soon affect all of us, as we hoped Congress would recognize that we were no longer a part of the Kansas Territory. But they were too distracted over the debate with slavery to grant us autonomy at the moment. It was due time that we became known as the Territory of Colorado.
    Days before Thanksgiving, while making piecrust, I had an unexpected visitor. “Can we help you, sir?” asked Ellen.
    I glanced up, seeing William Stanford standing in the doorway, with his hat in his hands. “I’m sorry to intrude. Could I have a word with Willow, please?”
    Panic registered, thinking that he somehow knew that I knew about Cybele’s faithlessness, but that would be impossible. “I’ll just wash my hands.” I dunked them in a bowl of water,