Rose Evergreen barely heard the words of the minister as she watched the body of her stepbrother, Calvin, lower into the ground. He was so young, so full of life, so much on the wrong side of the law. She tried not to contemplate the fact that Calvin triumphed over his enemies, overcoming their whispered rumors, with his use of poison as a political instrument, but no matter how much she knew that he was a person not above using death and threats to get his way, the memories of them at the beach and playing in the snow clouded her mind.
�He was a good man at heart,� Jacob said, kissing away a tear. �Don�t dwell on his other qualities.�
Rose nodded and wiped away a tear, knowing that Jacob was right. She just wished that this didn't have to happen.
