ECS, and I'm not being coy or intentionally vague in this reply as I suspect, perhaps as far as regular contributors to these forums, that only Franklin has actually traced the Buford family lineages back far enough to understand how Thomas Beale fits into this distant connection. However, this connection is a very important connection as it introduces some very obvious political differences that existed within the Buford tree that date all the way back to Kentucky splitting from Virgina. Names like Gwatkin, Blackford, and Steenbergen come into play, these names even showing up in the list of original settlers at Boonsboro (my have spelled that wrong?). These names, in the Buford tree, will eventually lead one back to the original Elizabeth Buford and John Otey marriage. Elizabeth Beale married William Steenbergen and this is where Thomas Beale enters the picture. Hold this thought...
If we trace the Risque branch then we see that this branch also leads back to the same marriage of John Otey and Elizabeth Buford, this branch being the one that contains James Risque. This is also a very strong northern Virgina branch.
When we toss aside the names and simply apply the political differences that caused the divide of Virgina and Kentucky then that duel between Risque and Beale was already set on a collision course due to these political differences. Risque coming from a strong northern Virgina alignment and Beale coming from a strong Kentucky alignment.
The insult, as Reb pointed out and posted, was in regards to family, and not directly aimed at the girl. Maybe now you'll start to see some of the other connections at play that I have been trying to explain in regards to the bigger picture. The author tells us that the secret was maintained within the family....this no doubt being the Bufords.
This should help to answer a few of your questions.
PS: Given the above, in all likelihood,Thomas Beale Sr. was related to the Salt Lick Thomas Beale who had only registered himself as being from China. And now you have to factor in Mexico Sherman and Girard, etc. A lot to take in, for sure, but no doubt the original story revolved around the events in the Texas region. AND...I can even show you the "exact" source of the first deposit, which was right at 1/2 million.