Father Duffy arrives at the Van Ness house dead on his horse. The official explanation claims he fell and broke his neck. A convenient story — and a deeply suspicious one.

On the same day, Indigenous groups respond violently to the arrival of the U.S. Army, disrupting mining operations. It is yet another urgent problem for Constance to handle, and a reminder that control over the region is far from absolute.

Trisha meets Elias at church. They talk, and she admits she does not feel like she truly belongs to the Van Ness family. Before the moment can deepen, Walter interrupts them, calling them back home.

Fiona tends to soldiers wounded in the clashes with the Indigenous fighters, but it soon becomes clear that one of them is unlikely to survive.

Garret confronts his mother, demanding to know why he is never included in strategic decisions. Constance responds with cold pragmatism: he is the guarantee of the Van Ness legacy and cannot be put at risk — especially now, with Willem unlikely to ever return.

Trisha is attacked by a drunk man at the bar, and Elias steps in to defend her. When Garret joins the fight, the two are overpowered. Xavier watches from a distance. Only when Constance gives him the order does he intervene, easily defeating the aggressor and ending the conflict.

Suspicious, Elias follows Xavier and sees him heading toward the Van Ness estate. Trisha intercepts him. Elias says he believes Xavier is not merely a tracker, but a criminal. He wants to follow him further; Trisha insists on going with him. This will not end well.

And it does not. They are surrounded by bandits — Roache’s men — and are forced to flee. During the chase, Trisha nearly falls from a cliff, but Elias saves her. In a moment of vulnerability, she admits she likes him. Elias, though clearly feeling the same, draws a boundary: he says they should keep their distance, even as he assures her she can always rely on him.

Meanwhile, Constance meets with the Indigenous leader to negotiate. She first offers silver, but the response is blunt: they want weapons. The widow promises she can provide them.

At dinner, noticing that Willem’s place at the table has not been set, Constance reprimands the housekeeper. His seat must remain — even in his absence.

Elias finally warns Fiona about Xavier’s true mission: to find Willem. But the revelation comes too late. The injured soldier dies, leaving Fiona no time to process the information. Still, she acts.

Fiona takes the soldier’s body, dresses it in Willem’s clothes, destroys his face, and leaves it to be devoured by wolves. What remains will be presented as Willem.

A fabricated death — in the service of real survival.