He knew you were the daughter of someone important. It would explain the carriage and a lady that wouldn’t separate from you. He asked Charlie once, and all he said was the daughter of a wealthy Spanish man. He introduced himself, eventually. It shocked him; you knew who he was but never treated him differently. Over time, you both became close friends; after a long day working with Tunstall, he would always visit you. He met your father once, and boy, was he intimidated. The other day, he had seen you with a man out in town, grabbed by the arm, and that stirred something in him, and it wasn’t that he was possessive, but it stung.

Riding out with you was his favorite time; he didn’t have to worry about your father lurking in the background, only the lady he came to know as Maria, who would always be by your side, making sure Billy kept himself in check.

“I saw you the other day in town…with a man,” his words could have been mistaken as jealousy, but it wasn’t accusatory. His tone betrayed his words.