by Jody Hedlund
“Do I what?”
“Still love Lizzy?”
He studied Lizzy’s familiar face. He’d always believed she’d make the perfect minister’s wife. Of course, he’d once been the perfect minister, doing everything right, following the traditions handed down to him, and never questioning the way of things. At one time, they had been right for each other.
Over the past three years, he’d recognized he was going a new direction, but hadn’t given it much thought except during the times he came into conflict with the bishop. However, since marrying Zoe, he’d begun to see more clearly the path where God was leading him.
If God was calling him to a new way of ministering, then perhaps God had orchestrated his marriage to the kind of helpmate he needed. Zoe and Lizzy were as different as any two women could be. But Zoe was exactly right for him and for the work God was giving him—giving them.
He couldn’t imagine Lizzy, with all her proper ways, living here in Yale—in this tiny cabin or a rectory—not the way Zoe did. Lizzy wouldn’t open the door and feed strangers, not even a scraggly orphan boy like Will. Lizzy wouldn’t reach out to the neighbors with food and handmade mittens. She wouldn’t have gone down to the fire at Shantytown and never would have mingled with foreigners or the women of ill repute. Even if she’d involved herself in the relief efforts, Lizzy wouldn’t have returned to the displaced people to check on their welfare on numerous occasions. Certainly Lizzy wouldn’t have visited Wanda’s home. While she might have shown some concern over Lyle, she wouldn’t have insisted on caring for the boy.
“Then I take it you still love Lizzy?” Will asked, an edge to his tone.
Abe turned the frame over and met the boy’s gaze. “I love Zoe.” The moment he admitted his feelings, tears sprang to his eyes.
Will studied his face. “You’re sure?”
Abe blinked hard to fight away the rush of emotion. “I love her more than I ever thought possible to love any woman.”
Will’s shoulders relaxed and a grin tugged at the corners of his mouth. “Good. Cuz I was gonna have to punch you if you didn’t.”
Abe’s love for Zoe was suddenly so clear that his previous feelings for Lizzy couldn’t begin to compare. They’d had friendship and companionship. But his relationship with Zoe was all that and more. It was vibrant and alive, and their connection was deep.
And now he’d lost her.
“I’ve really botched things, haven’t I?”
Will folded his arms across his chest, his expression once again serious. “Aye, but the good thing is that Zoe’s real forgiving and kind. If you tell her you’re sorry and you aim to do better, she won’t hold it against you.”
Abe did “aim” to do better. It had taken Zoe’s leaving and the words of an orphan boy for him to finally recognize his need to prioritize his marriage over his ministry and to see Zoe as the gift from the Lord that she truly was. “I need to figure out a way to get her back.”
“Where do you think she went?”
“She might try to make her way to Zeke up in Williamsville.” For all he knew, she could have gone anywhere, even back to Victoria. But since she’d wanted to find Zeke all along, he suspected that was her destination. If only he’d been more sensitive to her need to find her brother instead of putting his church work and fears first.
“So you don’t think she went off with Dex?”
“It’s possible.” Abe’s chest squeezed painfully at the thought of her willingly going to Dex. She probably figured if the man had offered to take her to Zeke once before, he might still be willing. And perhaps Dex had accepted, guessing he could pay Abe back for stealing Zoe away from him.
Will crossed to the door and unhooked his coat. “Well, whatcha waiting for? Let’s go on after her before she gets too far away.”
Abe stood, his senses and muscles coming to life at the prospect of chasing after Zoe, finding her, and declaring his love. If Zoe really had left with Dex and his men, they wouldn’t have gone far. The town of Boston Bar was twenty-six miles up the canyon, north of Yale. With its few taverns and hotels, it was a popular stopping area after a busy day of traveling. However, if Dex had left in the afternoon, Abe doubted he’d be able to travel the full distance to Boston Bar, not with a woman and child slowing him down.
It was possible that if Abe left now, he might reach Zoe before daybreak. Maybe he’d even be able to sneak her away in the dark before Dex or his men were the wiser. All the better to avoid another confrontation like the one in Victoria.
Hopefully she’d come with him willingly. He’d get down on his knees and beg her if he had to. In fact, he’d do or say anything to win her back.
As Will donned his coat, Abe removed his rifle from the rack above the door. While he used the gun primarily for hunting purposes, he’d learned to carry it with him during his travels. He’d never had to use it to fight a man, and he prayed this time would be no different.
thirty
Abe slowed his steps in front of the livery. “Saddle up two horses,” he instructed Will. “And meet me down at Hemming’s Pub just as soon as you can.”
Will nodded and bounded off inside to take care of their mounts. The darkness of night had fully descended. Without street lanterns, the light from the taverns and hotels provided the only guidance to the busy thoroughfare.
Nightlife was just beginning with the sounds of piano music, laughter, and shouts wafting into the street as Abe lengthened his stride and made his way to the far side of town close to the riverfront and Shantytown.
He didn’t halt until he reached the front door of Hemming’s Pub. As he stepped inside the dimly lit eating house, the scent of baked sturgeon overpowered him. Many of the tables were still full, while the rest were littered with plates and mugs from those who’d had their fill and gone their way.
Abe glanced around for Mr. Hemming only to find a dozen pairs of eyes upon him. Everyone had stopped eating and talking to stare. The clatter of a fork and knife against a plate echoed in the silence.
He removed his hat, smoothed back his hair, and then took another step into the room. “I’m looking for Mr. Hemming.”
At the ensuing silence and intense scrutiny, Abe squirmed with the need to retreat into the coolness of the night. What was going on? Where were the warm greetings that usually met him everywhere he went?
“Pastor Abe. I thought I heard your voice.” Mr. Hemming limped out of the kitchen, one towel draped over his shoulder and another between his hands.
At the sight of the stoop-shouldered older man, Abe released a tense breath.
“What can I do for you?” Mr. Hemming asked.
Abe lowered his voice. “May I speak with you in private?”
“You may as well speak your piece in front of everyone.” Mr. Hemming’s usual smile was gone, replaced by a deep groove between his brows.
“My piece?”
“Everyone knows you’ve been carrying on with another woman and that Mrs. Merivale up and left you today because of it.”
“What?” Abe bristled, straightening to his full height. “That’s not true.”
Mr. Hemming crossed his arms and scowled. Abe glanced around the dining room to find that almost everyone else was scowling at him too.
“It’s true I received a letter today from the woman I once intended to marry. But I haven’t been ‘carrying on’ with her. Not in the least. I haven’t written to her or received mail from her since I got married.”
“Then can you tell us why Mrs. Merivale was so upset and determined to leave town?”
Again, every gaze fixed upon him. The wariness and mistrust in their eyes was more confirmation that he hadn’t been the kind of husband Zoe deserved.
“Unfortunately, this friend from Yorkshire is on her way to the colony to marry me. She doesn’t realize I already have a wife.”
Murmurs erupted around the room.
“Rest assured, I have no intention of abandoning Mrs. Merivale.” After today’s letter i
ncident, he apparently needed to have a talk with Mr. Allard about the danger of spreading rumors.
“Then you’re not divorcing your wife?” came a call from across the room.
“Of course not,” he said adamantly. Although he’d briefly considered annulling their marriage the morning after the wedding, he hadn’t contemplated the idea again, not even once. And he still had no intention of it.
“I confess when I brought Mrs. Merivale here to Yale as my bride, I didn’t realize the treasure I’d been given. But over these past weeks, the Lord has shown me just what a precious gift she is. I couldn’t ask for a better wife—” His voice surprised him by filling with emotion and breaking off. He quickly cleared his throat. “I love her more than my own life. And I don’t want to lose her—” Again his voice cut out.
Thankfully, his confession seemed to soothe away the hostility, and the eyes peering at him filled with compassion instead.
“Glad to hear it, Pastor Abe.” Mr. Hemming approached, the usual friendly smile in place. “I was telling everyone I didn’t see how anyone could kiss his wife the way you did and not love her.”
Abe fidgeted again, this time with embarrassment. “I’m actually heading out right now to go after Mrs. Merivale to explain the misunderstanding, and I hope to bring her home.”
The nods around the room bolstered Abe’s determination. Everyone seemed to approve of his efforts except a lone stranger at a corner table who shook his head curtly. With the brim of his hat pulled low over his face, his features were too shadowed for Abe to distinguish. Nevertheless, the man’s censure radiated like a beacon in the dead of night.
“That’s why I stopped by.” Abe focused on the rest of the patrons. “While I have my suspicions she may have headed up into the canyon, it’s possible she might have gone downriver toward Victoria. I was hoping someone saw her earlier and can give me more information on her whereabouts.”
He didn’t want to start on the canyon route only to later discover she’d gone somewhere else entirely. If anyone could help him, Mr. Hemming was the man. Since his pub was near the waterfront as well as the trailhead, surely someone had come in with news not only of Zoe’s leaving but of where she’d gone.
Sure enough, one of the patrons called out, “Heard someone say she was talking with McLean.”
Hope flickered inside Abe. McLean was a rough-looking fellow, but he was decent and would look out for Zoe.
“Nah,” said another man from a table close by. “She took off with Dexter Dawson. Saw her riding out with him.”
Abe’s hope quickly snuffed out. “You saw her with your own eyes?”
The man hesitated. “Couldn’t be sure, since I just arrived and never saw Mrs. Merivale before. But she were a real purty lady with a babe on her back.”
“That’s her.” Mr. Hemming nodded his head vigorously. “With Violet.”
Abe replaced his hat. “Then I guess I’ll be heading out tonight to chase her down.”
“You won’t be getting her back,” said the stranger in the corner. “At least not tonight. And not by yourself.”
The certainty in the man’s voice stopped Abe.
The stranger pushed away from the table and rose. When he tipped up his hat, the shadows fell away to reveal dark hair and a handsome face with features that seemed vaguely familiar. He wasn’t a particularly large man, but something about his presence was overpowering, and the other patrons fell silent again.
He wound through the maze of tables and outstretched legs until he stood in front of Abe. He hooked his thumbs in his belt and studied Abe like a sheriff would a criminal. When he finally looked Abe in the eyes, the green was bright and keen and curious.
Abe pressed a hand against his pocket and the wedding band waiting for Zoe’s finger. The man’s eyes were the color of jade. The same as Zoe’s.
Abe’s pulse sped up. “Zeke?”
The man had long, dark lashes that were the same as Zoe’s. “The name’s Jeremiah. Jeremiah Hart.”
He had to be Zoe’s brother. Determined to find out, Abe leaned in and lowered his voice. “Your real name is Zeke, isn’t it?”
The man hesitated, wariness creasing his features.
“You’re Zoe’s twin brother.”
“Aye.”
Abe nodded, relieved that Jeremiah and Zeke were the same person. Zoe would be glad to know it. “She’s talked about you. And you share similar features.”
“So you’re the minister she married?”
“Yes, I’m Abe.” He reached out for a handshake, trying to comprehend the fact that Zeke was here in Yale.
Zeke gripped Abe’s hand solidly.
“Then you received Zoe’s letter?” Abe asked. “She got word that you might be in Williamsville, and she’s been waiting anxiously to find you.”
“Aye. I got her letter. That’s why I’m here.” Zeke spoke quietly, somberly. Was that regret in his green eyes? Maybe Zeke was as anxious to see Zoe as she was him. “Arrived in town early this afternoon. By the time I asked around and found out where she was living, no one was home. I went back several times, but she was never there.”
“She’ll be happy to see you and is hoping to make things right with you.”
Zeke stared at his boots a moment before meeting Abe’s gaze again, despair clouding his eyes. “With the way I left, I’m the one who needs to make things right with her.”
“Zoe came to tell you that you’re a free man. The real culprits were caught, and you’ve been exonerated.”
“Really?” Zeke’s head lifted and eyes widened. The expression reminded Abe so much of Zoe that his chest hurt.
“Yes. Really. I’ll let Zoe tell you all the details once we find her.” Abe clamped Zeke on the shoulder. “You’ll come along and help me bring her back, won’t you?”
“’Course. Wouldn’t consider doing anything else.” Zeke finally let his sights trail over the others in the pub, who’d mostly gone back to eating. “But I have to warn you that if Zoe’s with Dex, then she’s in a lot of danger.”
Fear pricked the back of Abe’s neck. “He’s a dangerous man. But I don’t think he’ll harm Zoe. He wanted to marry her and planned on it until I stepped in and married her first.”
“So he’s angry at you too?”
“Too?”
Zeke rubbed a hand across the back of his neck as if he had the same fear pricking him. “Dex blames me for stealing a claim from him. Says he got to the land first and that it’s his. But he knows as well as I do that it’s mine.”
“So you’re doing well for yourself?”
“Aye.” Zeke nodded. “I struck pay dirt nigh to the surface last spring and am still pulling out two to three thousand dollars’ worth a day.”
“Then you’re doing more than well.” At that amount, Zeke was a very wealthy man, maybe one of the richest in British Columbia.
From the way Zeke dressed and carried himself, he clearly hadn’t let his riches turn him into a proud man as Abe had seen the rapid rise to wealth do to other miners who landed upon profitable claims.
“Unfortunately, Dex wants my gold,” Zeke said. “He’s been trying to figure out a way to steal it away from me. And he may have just succeeded.”
“We won’t let him get away with it.”
Zeke leveled a look at Abe that sent a chill up his backbone. “No doubt the minute Dex figured out Zoe was my sister, he started plotting how he could use her to get my gold.”
Was that why Dex had offered to marry Zoe in the first place and why he’d been so angry when Abe had beaten him to it? So he could use her in his battle to take possession of Zeke’s gold?
“He won’t hurt her,” Abe said more to assure himself than Zeke. Even so, his insides twisted hard. If only he’d been a better husband, Zoe wouldn’t have run away. She would have wanted to stay with him.
Even as the guilt assaulted Abe, he realized he needed to find Zoe and get her away from Dex as soon as possible. “Can you be ready to go soon? We
need to leave right away.”
Zeke hooked his thumbs back into his belt. “Dex always has at least four to five men with him wherever he goes. We’ll have a better chance of rescuing Zoe if we form a posse so we have the same number or more.”
“Will we have to fight them for Zoe?”
“I have no doubt we will.”
The gravity in Zeke’s tone only stirred the urgency in Abe, and he silently lifted a prayer for Zoe’s safety. He couldn’t bear the thought that Dex might hurt or use her in any way. The prospect nearly made him ill. “I can’t let anything happen to her,” he whispered, his voice suddenly hoarse. “I love her.”
“I can see that.” Zeke cracked a faint smile. “But you should know that once we free Zoe, if she doesn’t want to be with you, I’m taking her with me back to Williamsville.”
“I understand.” Abe swallowed the fear that kept pushing up. “But you’ll give me the chance to win her first, won’t you? I can’t let her go without trying.”
Finally Zeke’s smile spread, showing dimples identical to Zoe’s. “Good answer. I think I might like you after all.”
thirty-one
Zoe shifted on her bedroll, unable to sleep, her body aching from so many hours on the horse. Even with the pine boughs the men had cut and laid out several inches deep, the earth was damp and cold. She hadn’t been warm since she’d started the journey hours ago.
Dexter had pushed them onward relentlessly, even after darkness had fallen and they’d had only their lanterns to guide them. Finally, they’d reached a low area along the bank of the Fraser River, a place where other travelers were making camp, apparently one of the few level areas in the canyon that allowed for stopping.
Abe had been right about the trail. It was muddy, slick, and narrow. In some places the road wound on cliffs so high above the river that the drop would have been deadly. When she’d asked if anyone had ever fallen, the men had laughed and proceeded to tell her one horror story after another about miners and mules plummeting to their deaths on the rocks below. She’d clung more tightly to Dexter after that, praying she’d make it to Williamsville alive and resolving never to question Abe’s judgment again.
