Treasured Grace

by Tracie Peterson

  “We have most everything we need here,” McLoughlin continued. “Stores that provide a wonderful selection of goods, as well as a hotel, boardinghouse, and of course our newspaper, the Oregon Spectator. Ah, here we are.”

  The log house was positioned twenty yards from the river on a little incline. Grace thought it very welcoming. Nothing fancy, just two stories with a small overhang that sheltered the front door. A cold rain began to fall just as McLoughlin escorted them inside.

  Grace’s first impression was good. The house was simply furnished but homey. A fireplace stood against the far wall of the main room. Someone had laid the fire earlier, and it burned merrily. The heat was a pleasant surprise, and both Hope and Mercy moved closer to warm their hands.

  There were two doors to the right of the front door. Both were closed, and McLoughlin ignored them and instead led Grace from the front room through a wide arched opening into the kitchen. There was a small but efficient cookstove, several handmade cupboards, and a long wooden counter where her uncle kept pots, crocks, and utensils, as well as a few dishes and a lantern. A curtained doorway at the end of the room revealed a small but adequate pantry, its shelves lined with jars of preserves and canned vegetables and meat. The only other thing in the room was a small table and two chairs. Grace would have to see about getting a third.

  “It looks like it will serve us very well.” Grace turned to Hope and Mercy. “Don’t you think?”

  Mercy nodded and smiled. “Are there beds?”

  “I made certain there would be,” McLoughlin replied. “Your uncle’s bed is big enough that two of you can sleep there. I had another bed built and put upstairs. It’s just a rope bed, but I believe you’ll find the mattress comfortable. I took it from my own house.”

  “That was certainly very nice of you, Mr. McLoughlin. I don’t know what we would have done without your generosity,” Grace said.

  “Nonsense. We must help one another out here. If we do not, there is no hope for any of us.” He moved back to the main living area, and Grace followed. “As further exploration will prove, there is a bedroom there.” He pointed to a door opposite the fireplace. “The door to the right of that one will take you upstairs. I believe your uncle only used the second floor for storage, but it has been cleaned and readied for your arrival.”

  Again Grace was overwhelmed with gratitude. “Thank you . . . for everything.”

  “Some of the ladies will bring by a few meals tomorrow. They will also leave you with a few other necessities.”

  Grace saw him to the door. “I wonder if you know someone who collects herbs. I am a healer, and my collection was lost at the mission and on the way here. I would like to begin learning the vegetation here and restore my collection as best I can. I especially need apples for making vinegar.”

  “Of course. I will send you several bushels of my own apples. Of course, the entire area is alive with medicinal plants. The local stores will also prove helpful, as they regularly trade with the Indian women.” He stepped outside. “I’ll be in touch.”

  The rain was coming in earnest now, but the hardy man didn’t seem to mind. He merely pulled his wide-brimmed hat lower and trudged on.

  Turning, Grace began to assess the room. This was to be her home for who knew how long. God had anticipated their needs and provided not only her uncle’s house but also his account at Fort Vancouver.

  “I believe we’ll be safe and happy here,” she said, touching the back of a sturdy oak rocker. She smiled at Mercy and Hope. Even in the dim light, they looked weary and not at all the happy creatures she had once known. “Come, let’s get you two to bed. I’m sure you’re exhausted. I’ll put you both in Uncle Edward’s room.” She spied a lamp and candles on the fireplace mantel, as well as several long thin sticks with which to light them.

  “I would rather be alone,” Hope said.

  Grace turned with one of the sticks in hand. Mercy said nothing, but Grace could see that her sister was hurt. Would they never be a whole family again?

  Grace gave Hope a smile. “Very well. You may have the upstairs room. I’m happy to have Mercy in my bed, for I shall cherish her warmth.” She put her arm around her little sister’s shoulders. “Why don’t you go see if it suits us?”

  Mercy nodded and left to investigate.

  Hope remained in the middle of the room, her expression void of emotion. Grace wanted to say something encouraging, but the words wouldn’t come. She gave Hope a smile. “The door to the stairs is just over there. You should leave it open so the warm air will reach your room.” She put the stick in the fire, let it catch, then lit one of the candles. She handed it to Hope. “There. Now you’ll be able to find your way.”

  Without a word, Hope crossed to the stairway door. She opened it and headed up, not even pausing to say good night.

  Grace frowned. This was going to be so much harder than she’d imagined.

  Chapter

  19

  He’s a fine-looking boy.” Alex smiled at the sleeping newborn wrapped tight in his cradleboard.

  Sam, ever the proud father, smiled and handed the infant back to Sarah. “He will be strong, I can tell. Already he clasps his fingers around mine.”

  “What will you call him?”

  Sarah answered. “Henry is how we will call him. After the Reverend Spaulding. His full name will be Henry White Owl.” She smiled as Sam’s father joined them. “We will sleep now,” Sarah said, moving to the far side of the lodge where the other two children were already bedded down.

  “Your horse is cared for,” Jacob told Alex. “Come sit at the fire and tell me of what is happening with the Cayuse.”

  Alex took a seat. “They are on the run as expected. Well, perhaps run is the wrong word. They’re hiding, to be sure. When the boats left Fort Nez Perce to take the women and children to safety, several Cayuse followed along the riverbank. I recognized one of Telokite’s sons and Tamsucky as well as some of the others. I think Joe Lewis was also with them. McBean said nearly fifty braves showed up just hours after our boats pulled out. They’d come to kill Reverend Spaulding.”

  “Spaulding is a good man. He has been a friend to us—his wife as well. They have done good work with the Niimíipuu.”

  “I agree.” Alex stifled a yawn. He’d ridden straight through after arriving at Fort Nez Perce and was into his second day without sleep. “However, the Cayuse don’t see it that way. Especially the younger men, who are angrier. They equate all white men with Dr. Whitman. McBean and the others at Fort Nez Perce are definitely anxious about the situation and have let their superiors in Fort Vancouver know. The Oregon men are planning to send a full force to locate the Cayuse responsible and bring them to justice.”

  Jacob nodded. “It is as I feared it would be. The Boston men will never rest until they have avenged the blood of Dr. Whitman and the others.”

  Sam frowned. “Do you suppose they will even care about locating the actual Cayuse responsible?”

  “I fear they’ll just kill indiscriminately because of their rage. Just as the young Cayuse would end the lives of the whites, the whites will see only the color of Indian skin and believe the worst of them.” Alex closed his eyes, seeing the victims at the mission. “Those women and children were sorely abused, and that’s going to stick in the militia’s minds as they scout out the Cayuse.” He opened his eyes and shook his head. “I will say that the Nez Perce are still regarded as friends to the Hudson’s Bay Company and the whites. However, it’s possible a few of the men in the militia will feel otherwise. I think it’s important you know what has happened. You might want to join up with one of the other bands farther away.”

  “I will speak to the chiefs and let them know what you have said. We are not cowards to run, however.”

  “There is nothing cowardly in protecting your women and children.”

  Jacob nodded. “I will talk to them in the morning. Now I will take my rest, and you should too.”

  He got to his feet and le
ft Alex and Sam. Sam handed Alex some smoked fish. “Have you eaten or slept recently?”

  Alex chuckled and took the fish. He shook his head. “There wasn’t time for either one with exception to some jerky I picked up at the fort. I wanted to get here ahead of the militia or the rumors that might go out before them. I’m not overly worried about your people, but I am cautious.”

  Sam fixed him with a smile. “And what of your Grace?”

  “My Grace? She’s not mine.”

  “If you say so. How did she and her sisters do on the trip?”

  “It was hard.” Alex ate the fish in between sentences as he told Sam about the journey to Fort Vancouver. When he finished the piece of fish, Sam handed him another.

  After Alex described how Hope had thrown Grace’s carpetbag—all they had—into the river, Sam asked, “How will they make their way? Has their uncle returned?”

  “No. He’s still gone. I talked to Ogden about the situation and told him to let Grace use my credit with the company. I asked him to say nothing to her, however, and Ogden told me later that she had the idea her uncle had left it for her. I was glad for that, because I know she’d never have taken it from me.”

  “What is it the Bible says about pride? That it goes before a fall?” Sam gave Alex a look of amusement. “I’ve never known two people more prideful than you two.”

  Alex was taken aback. “I didn’t do that out of pride. I just knew she wouldn’t take my help. I hurt her feelings and she hasn’t gotten over it. Even now I’m sure she’s cursing the day she ever met me.”

  Sam got up and shook his head. “Your mind is asleep, so you might as well let the rest of you join it. Sarah made you a pallet. I’ll see you in the morning.”

  Alex longed for sleep, but throughout the night he dreamed of going back to New Orleans only to be ostracized. Grace’s image mingled with those of his little brother, who by now would be twenty and not so little, as well as Alex’s sister. Adelina had only been married a short time when Alex left town. By now he imagined she had several children.

  When Sam and the others got up, Alex was already tending the fire. After the others had eaten and departed for various tasks, Sam stayed behind.

  “You seem to have a lot on your mind,” Sam said, eyeing him with the same intense look Alex had seen when Sam was about to shoot an elk or deer.

  Alex wasn’t sure how to bring up what he needed to say. “I . . . ah . . . figured I’d collect some of the traps and pack ’em out on Gabe’s horse. I’m going to the cabin to get things ready for spring. I wasn’t sure if you were coming with me or not. I understand if you want to stay here and see what the outcome might be of your father speaking to the council.”

  “I’m going with you. My father will manage fine without me. What I want to know is what you plan to do about Grace.”

  His question surprised Alex. Usually Sam wasn’t one to pry into personal matters. Alex had always liked that about him. Gabriel thought nothing of pressing for the details, but Sam had been a good friend without needing to know Alex’s business. However, now Alex felt he needed Sam’s advice, and in order to get it, he would have to explain a few things first.

  “I can’t do anything about Grace until I tend to the past.”

  “I’ve often said as much.”

  Alex smiled. “So you have, but you don’t know in full what that past includes.”

  With a shrug, Sam sat down next to the fire. “It seems you want to tell me.”

  “I do.” Alex sighed. He wasn’t sure where to start. “There was this girl.”

  “That alone is enough to tell me trouble is coming.”

  “You’re right there. I fell in love with her. At least I thought it was love.” Alex shook his head. “Now I’m not sure what it was—youth, lust, loneliness. At the time I wanted her for my wife. Unfortunately, another man felt the same.”

  Sam smiled. “I had to answer to the challenges of four men for Sarah.”

  “But you didn’t kill any of them, did you?” Alex knew his words would surprise Sam, and he was right.

  “You killed the other man?”

  Alex drew in a deep breath. “I did. Caroline—that was her name—wouldn’t choose between us. She liked being fought over, and by the time I realized that she was toying with both of us, it was too late. My rival . . . his name was Justice, which always struck me as ironic.” He paused and shook his head. “Justice challenged me to a duel, and in my hotheaded anger, I accepted. We met and had our appropriate witnesses and seconds. He chose pistols, and we stood back to back. The man officiating counted off our steps, but before he reached the final step, Justice turned and fired on me.”

  “Were you hit?”

  “Grazed. It was hardly even bad enough to bandage, but he had shamed himself, and the official instructed me to take my shot. I was angry and wanted nothing more than to make Justice pay for his action, but I also knew that my mother and father would want me to show mercy. So I fired to the left of him. But as I did, he turned to run like the coward he was. My bullet hit him in the back and killed him then and there. Everyone who witnessed the event knew it to be a fair fight. Even Justice’s family members who’d come knew the truth, but in just a matter of hours, the entire affair was twisted into what amounted to my murdering a helpless man. Suddenly I was the target of their revenge.”

  “Didn’t the official stand up for the truth?”

  “No. He was threatened and left the area so that he couldn’t be questioned. I tried to defend my actions, pointing out that I had shot wide, but no one seemed to care. My witnesses were considered prejudiced and dismissed.”

  “Were you arrested?” Sam asked, looking concerned.

  “No, but I figured it was just a matter of time. I planned to get a lawyer, but then . . . the fire. I told you about it. I woke up to find our house in flames and was barely able to get my brother to safety before the entire place was engulfed. Our parents died in that fire, and my little brother thought me a coward for not saving them.”

  He fell silent for a moment. Sam knew about the fire, but he’d never told him the reason for it. “I learned that Justice’s brother had started it—he admitted it. Of course, not in front of witnesses. I knew they’d stop at nothing to see me pay for what had happened, so I left. I didn’t want my sister or brother to suffer any more for my mistakes.”

  “And that is why you never went home?”

  “Yes. I have, however, sent my sister, Adelina, a letter. I have no way of knowing if she’ll ever answer it, but I decided it was the place to start. I’ve asked her to find out what kind of legal matter I will face.”

  Sam seemed to consider this for a moment. “I think you did the right thing.”

  “I hope so. It seems the only thing I could do, short of returning to New Orleans.”

  A few weeks after they were settled, Grace found Nigel Grierson at her door. His face was sober, but he greeted her with enthusiasm.

  “I only just heard that you were here. Why didn’t you send me word?”

  “We’ve been very busy trying to get settled.”

  He nodded and then remembered his hat and quickly took it off. “I apologize. I’m not myself. I know what happened to you at the mission.”

  “It didn’t happen to me. At least not in the sense of having been one of the captives. I was at another mission to help a friend who was ill.” She wasn’t sure, but it seemed a look of relief flashed in his eyes and then was gone. “My sisters were there. They suffered greatly.”

  He nodded again. “It’s well known. A horrible thing, to be sure. Their innocence is forever gone thanks to the actions of those animals.”

  Grace countered with a frown. “I know they’ve endured a great deal, but I believe God can heal them.”

  “It’s a delicate matter to be sure,” Nigel said, looking awkward. “But there are men who won’t mind that . . . well . . . that they were there.”

  His implication irritated Grace. “Nigel, I really d
on’t want to talk about it. Why have you come?”

  “As I told you, I just heard that you were here. I have your sheep and, well, I thought maybe you would finally agree to marry me after all that has happened.”

  “Oh really. And are you one of those men who wouldn’t mind if I had been at the mission?”

  He turned a dark shade of red. “I didn’t mean anything by that. Your sisters and the others couldn’t help what happened to them. Those savages were to blame. I’m sorry that I sounded so unkind.”

  Grace took pity on him. “I accept your apology, but not your proposal. I’m not of a mind to marry at this time. My sisters need me, and I need to wait for my uncle’s return before I decide what to do.”

  “You are without money?” he asked.

  She hated to admit it to him but knew it would do little good to lie. “I am. My money was lost in the river on the way to Fort Vancouver.”

  “I could sell your male lambs. If you would allow me to. It would see you through until spring.”

  Grace thought about it for only a moment. It seemed a logical thing to do and would save her from having to borrow. “That would be very kind of you, Nigel. Thank you.”

  He smiled for the first time since coming to her door. “I do care about you, Grace. You should know that by now. I’ve continued to think about you—a lot.”

  She nodded. “I’m honored that you care, but for now I need to say good-bye and tend to my sisters. I’m sure you understand.”

  “I do. I’ll go arrange for you to have credit at the store. I’ll return when it’s done to let you know the matter is settled.” He donned his hat and turned to go. “It won’t take very long,” he called over his shoulder.

  Grace shook her head and closed the door to find Hope standing behind her. From the look on her face, Grace could tell she’d overheard most of the conversation.

  “Mr. Grierson is arranging credit for us at one of the stores. He’s offered to sell the male lambs, and I’ve agreed to it. That will give us money to get through the winter.”