Whispers of Winter

by Tracie Peterson

  Leah shook her head. “I fear that would be quite impossible. I will look forward to hearing what Adrik has to say about your young man, however. He sounds very industrious.”

  “He is. And he loves God and wants to serve people. I want the very same thing. And here’s the best part: We both plan to come to Alaska after our training is complete. We want to live here and offer the best medical care possible. We’d like to open our own hospital, in fact.”

  “That is very impressive,” Leah replied. She was happy to hear that Ashlie planned to return to Alaska. That would have pleased Karen very much.

  “I know it all seems very sudden, but if Father approves of Winston, we’d like to marry right away. Cousin Myrtle wants us to live with her, to help us get through our training without the additional cost of housing.”

  “I can’t imagine you married,” Leah said in wonder. “It seems just yesterday you were a little girl in pigtails. Now you’re talking of cutting your hair short. Which, by the way, you didn’t explain.”

  Ashlie laughed. “Well, the fashions are changing, but more important, it would be easier for me with my nursing duties. Several of the nurses at the hospital have already cut theirs, and it works quite well for them. I figured that if Winston didn’t mind, I might give it a try too.”

  “And Winston doesn’t mind?”

  “Not at all. He says that whatever I choose is fine by him, as long as I’m happy.” She laughed again with such girlish delight that Leah couldn’t help but join in.

  “I’m happy for you, Ashlie. He sounds like a wonderful man.”

  “He is, Leah. He’s helped me so much to deal with my grief and sadness. It’s like God knew exactly what I needed— before I ever knew it for myself.”

  “He did, Ashlie. Just as He knows what you need now. We’ll pray about this young man of yours and for the future the Lord has for you. But I have a feeling that future is well on the way to being established. Come on. We’ll need to start putting supper together.”

  “Well, the plan is to go to Seattle and then return in August or early September to Ketchikan,” Adrik told them after supper that night. Oliver and Christopher nodded in unison as if they’d had great say in the matter. “I would be happy if you would all join us there. I know I convinced you to give this area a try, but for my family, it’s been anything but ideal.”

  “What do you have in mind, Adrik?” Jacob questioned.

  “I figure to return and start making furniture again. I’ve already had several of the railroad officials tell me they would be happy to pay top dollar for whatever I might supply. They are working hard to put in permanent housing for some of their officials and stationmasters. Those houses will of course need furniture, and it would be much cheaper to get furnishings here in Alaska than to ship them all the way up from Seattle or San Francisco.”

  “You’ll still have to ship it up from Ketchikan,” Jacob replied.

  Adrik leaned back with a nod. “I’ve explained all of that. They like the quality they see, however, and for now they want whatever I can provide.”

  “Well, it sounds like you’ll have a trade,” Jacob said. He appeared deep in thought.

  “I mainly wanted to extend the invitation so that … well … we might remain close to each other.” Adrik held up his hands before anyone else could speak. “I know, however, that we all have our own lives to live. I’m not suggesting you have to do this for me. The boys and I will be fine either way.”

  “Of course you will,” Jacob replied. “That has never been in doubt.” He reached over and tousled Christopher’s hair. “With boys as ingenious as these, how could you not be fine?”

  “I ask simply because I want to stay close to my family for a while,” Adrik admitted. “I was foolish in spending so much time away. We need each other now more than ever.”

  “It wouldn’t be so different opening a store in Ketchikan instead of here, would it?” Jayce asked Jacob.

  “I’m sure there wouldn’t be as much business—at least not if this area continues to grow as they’ve suggested it will. There’s already talk of incorporating the town next year; with the railroad and the push for statehood, I can well imagine that this would be a more prosperous area. However, that much said, I loved growing up in Ketchikan. The area is a good place to raise a family and certainly not as given to drifters and rowdies. There’s a kind of peacefulness in Ketchikan that I’ve not known anywhere else in Alaska.”

  Jayce nodded. “I agree.” He looked to Leah. “What do you think?”

  She smiled. “I’m happy to live wherever you choose. I simply want to make a good life with my family. I loved my home in Last Chance, but there’s nothing left there except empty houses.” She stopped for a moment to regain her composure. “I want to look to the future—not the past. Ketchikan would make a good home. It’s true your business probably wouldn’t be as prosperous, but maybe in time you could have two stores. One here and one there.”

  “That is a possibility,” Jacob said, looking to Leah. “In fact, it just might be the answer. We could start small and work our way up.” He looked to Jayce. “What do you think of that?”

  “I like the idea of returning to Ketchikan. As for the stores—well, I think if the Lord is behind it we can’t fail,” Jayce said, grinning. “Ketchikan blessed me before—it introduced me to Leah.”

  “What say you, sis?” Jacob asked.

  Leah smiled, excited to share her own secret. “I loved my life there. I would very much like to have my baby there,” she announced. “There are good midwives who know me from my childhood.”

  Everyone turned in unison to look rather blankly at Leah. She laughed in delight at the expressions. “Surprise! I’m going to have another baby—this time in January. Leave it to me to pick the coldest part of winter.”

  “That settles it.” Jayce shook his head. “Ketchikan will be less cold.”

  “I agree,” Jacob said. “I’m for Ketchikan if that’s all right with Helaina.”

  Helaina nodded. “I think it sounds fine.”

  “How soon will you be ready to leave?” Adrik asked, excitement in his voice.

  “Well, there’s nothing to really keep us here. I’ve been offered money for the cabin on several occasions,” Jacob replied. “I know you and Jayce have received similar offers.”

  “Yes,” Adrik said. “The railroad would be happy to buy all three cabins. They have people they’d like to put in them immediately.”

  “Then I suppose we should arrange the sale and leave as soon as that’s concluded,” Jacob said, looking to Jayce and Leah for approval.

  “I agree,” Jayce replied. “Adrik, why don’t you make the arrangements. Tell them we can also leave the larger pieces of furniture and the stoves.”

  “I will. I’m sure they’ll make it worth our while. Meantime, when you are ready to head out to Ketchikan, go ahead. You can stay at my place while you see what’s available to buy. If there’s nothing suitable, you can just stay with us until we can build something else. That house has plenty of room. It’s twice as big as this one, and we all managed to live here without too much trouble. Your families can take the upstairs bedrooms, and my family can live downstairs.”

  Leah felt Jayce reach for her hand. He squeezed it and she glanced up to see the pleasure in his eyes. She had wanted to tell him about the baby when they were alone, but it seemed important to mention the matter here as they discussed their future. It seemed they had come full circle: They had met and she had fallen in love in Ketchikan. Now they would return to live and raise their family. It all seemed very right.

  “And you have proof that this man is wanted by the legal authorities in the States?” a stern man asked Jayce. The gentleman had introduced himself as Zachary Hinman and declared himself to be in charge of all legal matters for the area.

  “Yes, Mr. Hinman.” Jacob handed him the letter from Stanley. “As you will note, my wife’s brother is an agent with the Pinkertons. When my wife
requested information on the man, he looked into the matter and revealed the situation that I’ve just told you about.”

  “This is indeed a find,” Hinman said, sitting up a little straighter. “The man who captures this Mills fellow would make quite the name for himself.” He stroked his thick black mustache. “I’m intrigued.”

  “I’ve asked around,” Jacob began, “and it seems people have seen the man in town. Some even remember being approached by him.”

  “You can be assured, Mr. Barringer, that I’ll see personally to this matter. If the man is still in the area, I will apprehend him.”

  Jacob got to his feet. “As you can see, the authorities warn that he is to be considered dangerous. If he comes near my family, I won’t hesitate to take the matter into my own hands.”

  “Never fear, Mr. Barringer. We have some good men on the payroll. We’ll see that this man is captured.”

  Chapter Twenty-five

  Ashlie Ivankov leaned against the rail of the Spirit of Alaska and sighed. Soon she’d be in Seattle and once again in the presence of her beloved Winston. Never had she met anyone who intrigued her or gave her reason to care as much as this soft-spoken, humorous man. She thought of his tall stature and broad shoulders and laughed to herself as she realized she’d fallen for a man who was built much like her father.

  Ashlie fondly remembered her mother talking of how her father’s sense of humor first attracted her—that and his honesty. Ashlie knew the same could be said of her interest in Winston. The man was good to speak his mind but also to hear her speak in return. Ashlie found him attentive to the interests and dreams she held. Not only that, but he was very supportive of her goals. Other men—boys, really—that she’d talked to for any length of time could hardly be said to have any concern for her desires at all. They were generally self-centered—more interested in war and playing soldier than anything else.

  But not Winston. Winston detested the war. He wanted to heal and repair bodies, not destroy them. She felt the same way. She’d seen a few of the men who’d returned after serving in Europe. Some were missing limbs, while others were blind or suffering serious lung ailments. Winston said it was because horrible tactics were being used in this war. Men were being gassed—poisoned—as they fought under raining bullets and shrapnel. She shuddered. It’s positively hideous.

  She pushed the images away and focused on dreams of her future with Winston. If things went well, she reasoned, she and Winston could be married before her father and brothers returned to Alaska. Cousin Myrtle was all for having a summer wedding. Her gardens were a delight, and she had suggested to Ashlie on more than one occasion that such a setting would be perfect for a day wedding. Winston had liked the idea very much. His parents were deceased; after becoming parents much later in life, they had passed away in their late sixties only a year ago. First his mother had died of some stomach ailment, and within four months his father had passed peacefully in his sleep. Winston said it was from a broken heart. Given this, and the fact that Winston was an only child, neither one expected to have a large wedding. Although Ashlie had numerous friends from school and church, and Winston shared many of the same acquaintances, neither she nor Winston desired a big to-do.

  Ashlie turned from the rail and began moving down the deck. She smiled at a young woman with two small children.

  “Someday that shall be me,” she murmured under her breath. I shall be married to Winston and be mother to his children. The thought of such intimacy with the man made her blush.

  “Excuse me,” a man dressed in a fine black suit declared. He tried to hurry away, but Ashlie was certain she recognized him. His hair was combed in a different fashion and he was clean-shaven, but she was sure she knew him. Wasn’t he the Russian man who wasn’t really a Russian? The one who’d come to her house only to have her father declare him a fraud? Oh, what was his name? Bab-something. Babcock? Babinokov? He glanced quickly over his shoulder and Ashlie suddenly remembered. “Mr. Babinovich!”

  The man turned, looking rather alarmed. He hurried away without a word.

  “How strange. Why would he do that?”

  Ashlie thought perhaps the man had heard that his game had been found out, though she couldn’t really see the harm in pretending to be someone he wasn’t. These were troubled times, and perhaps the man thought that by playing a Russian nobleman, he’d avoid having to serve in the army.

  She continued her stroll on the deck. Her father and brothers were enjoying an early lunch, and Ashlie was enjoying the time to herself. Her father was far too protective, watching her every move. The only reason she was able to be alone now was because her father believed her to be resting in their cabin.

  Ashlie remembered protesting her father’s actions once to her mother. She had argued about his need to always know where she was going. “We live on an island,” she had told her mother. “Where could I possibly go?”

  She smiled at the memory of her mother patiently explaining Adrik’s protective nature and desire to keep his family from harm. “God has given him a family and the responsibility to provide for and protect them. Your father considers that job to be a great honor … but also of the utmost importance.” Ashlie took a seat on one of the deck chairs and wiped a tear from her eye. She missed her mother at times like this. She would love to talk to her about falling in love with Winston and about the wedding she had been planning since Winston first declared his love for her. How her mother would have enjoyed helping her make a gown. Instead, Ashlie had already planned to purchase a lovely gown that she’d helped a local seamstress to design. The woman was working on it in Ashlie’s absence, in fact.

  Oh, Mama, you would like Winston. Ashlie closed her eyes and tried to imagine her mother sitting beside her. He’s so like Papa.So gentle and sweet, yet strong and capable. He makes me laugh, and yet he cares about my tears.

  Her mother had always told her that the most important thing to have in a mate was a man who knew the Lord and loved Him. Ashlie saw that daily in Winston. He loved helping people, because he felt confident that it was what God wanted him to do. He and Ashlie had discussed this more than once. Winston had even made it clear to Ashlie that he would not impose the life of a doctor’s wife on her unless she desired to serve in the medical field. Ashlie had laughed, telling him that for ages now she’d considered being a nurse.

  Ashlie thought of her mother again. She couldn’t help but wonder: If her mother had been closer to proper medical facilities, would she have died? I’ll become a good nurse, Mama. I’llstudy hard and help save lives. I just wish we could have saved you.

  “Miss Ivankov. I’m sorry that you remembered me. You’ve put me in a rather difficult spot.”

  Ashlie opened her eyes and looked up in surprise. “Mr. Babinovich?”

  “Mills, actually.” With a quick glance over his shoulder, the man reached out to take hold of her Ashlie’s arm. “You will come with me.”

  “I will not.” She tried to pull away, but he held her fast.

  “If you do not, then I’m afraid something bad will happen to one of your brothers. Perhaps the youngest one. Little boys always have a penchant for getting into trouble.”

  Ashlie froze. Her heart pounded harder. “How dare you threaten my family!”

  “Come, come. Your family has threatened my livelihood and you question me on my actions?”

  He pulled again, and this time Ashlie, seeing there was no one nearby to help her, walked with him. “What do you want and who are you? My father says you are not Russian.”

  “And so he is correct, although I have fooled hundreds, maybe more, into believing I am. My name is Mills. Rutherford Mills. And your family has caused me a great deal of trouble.”

  “I don’t understand. What kind of trouble? How problematic can it be for my father to know that you’ve lied about being Russian?”

  He pulled her toward an inside passage and again Ashlie pulled back. “Miss Ivankov, I grow weary of your games. I am taking you
to my cabin. You will either accompany me there of your own free will or I will be forced to do something rather drastic.” He opened his coat just far enough to reveal a revolver.

  “What? Will you shoot me here and bring everyone running? I do not easily cower, Mr. Mills, and I’m not a stupid child. Tell me now what it is you are after.”

  “I will tell you in my cabin. I do not wish to bring you harm.” He shrugged. “Although you probably do not believe me. Still, I have something to discuss in private. I would hate to hurt you, but this is a life and death matter to me. Therefore the stakes are quite high.”

  “Life and death? I’m sure I do not understand you.”

  His grip grew stronger. “I’m losing my patience, Miss Ivankov.” He narrowed his eyes and leaned close enough for Ashlie to smell the spirits on his breath. “Do not make me hurt you.”

  Ashlie weighed the matter briefly, allowing him to guide her down the passage as she considered her choices. She was uncertain at this point what would be best to do. There was no one in the passageway to aid her, and if she began to cause a fuss, Mills might well find a way to harm one of her brothers. Perhaps, she reasoned with herself, it was better to simply see what the man wanted and then if he wouldn’t let her go, she would simply wrestle the gun away from him. He didn’t know the manner of woman he was dealing with. She was, after all, an Alaskan.

  “Get inside,” Mills declared, giving Ashlie a push inside his cabin, then locked the door behind him. “I have watched your family closely ever since learning that the authorities were looking for me. You see, I am not inclined to be taken into custody.”

  “Taken into custody for what? What are you talking about?”

  He looked at her oddly for a moment. “So your family didn’t tell you?”

  “Tell me what?” Ashlie crossed her arms and tried to look bored with the entire matter. “Why don’t you just tell me why you’ve forced me to come here?”

  Mills took a seat and motioned her to do likewise, but Ashlie refused. He acted as if it was of little consequence, but Ashlie could see in his eyes that he didn’t know quite what to make of her defiance.