The space between the trees in front of them grew lighter, and Noah slowed. The smell of smoke was stronger here, and now Jason glimpsed the glow of flames just ahead. Bending almost double, they crept forward, heads in constant movement as they scanned the area for signs of life. Nothing moved.
They came to a halt inside the tree line. In front of Jason was a wide clearing. On the far side stood the burning remains of a cabin, one wall still standing but the rest reduced to a pile of blazing rubble. A long rectangle at the other end of the clearing had been plowed for a garden, empty at this time of year. Between the two the ground was littered with what proved to be, on closer inspection, broken dishes and smashed furniture.
Noah let out an exclamation and dashed from the cover of the trees. At first Jason started to call after him to come back, but then he spied the reason. On the other side of the clearing lay a man’s inert form. With a cautious glance around the area, he ran after Noah.
He came to a halt beside his friend, who stood looking down at the body.
“It’s William.”
Noah turned away, eyes closed, and after a glance Jason did too. Blood stained the man’s clothing from at least half a dozen wounds, and three arrows were still embedded in his flesh. But the sight that Jason knew would haunt his dreams for years to come was far more gruesome. William Cox had been scalped.
“I don’t see anyone else.” Clearly shaken, Noah’s head moved as he scanned the clearing. “I guess we’d better search the area. He has a wife and daughter.”
Jason closed his eyes, trying not to imagine their fate.
Suddenly Noah dropped into a near-crouch. “Did you hear that?”
“What?”
“Someone’s coming.”
They both dashed for the cover of the trees. Once out of sight, they halted. Jason strained to hear the direction whoever-it-was approached from, praying it was from behind them and not ahead. He clutched his rifle in both hands, his finger hovering near the trigger. When the intruders burst into the clearing, it took a moment for their identities to register. At least twenty men swarmed through the trees and came to a halt as a group.
He recognized Big Dog towering over the others at the same moment Noah shouted, “David!”
Such a strong wave of relief hit Jason that he almost didn’t trust his knees to hold him. They ran out to meet their friends who, to a man, wore grim expressions as they took in the grisly sight of the ruined cabin and its former occupant.
David Denny grabbed Noah and pulled him into a rough embrace, while Jason was subjected to a dozen handshakes and relieved exclamations. Before anyone could speak, a distant explosion blasted the air, rolling toward them over the tops of the trees. Jason instinctively ducked.
Noah’s eyes bugged. “What was that?”
“A howitzer. We sent a messenger to Captain Gansevoort before we came after you.” David glanced at the body and then cast a narrow-eyed look toward the woods. “We asked him to let everyone within earshot know the Decatur wasn’t going to stand by and watch while people are killed.”
Jason followed David’s gaze. The skin on the back of his neck crawled with the weight of imagined watchers from inside the swiftly darkening shadows. “Think it’ll make a difference?”
Noah shook his head slowly. “I don’t know, but it sure makes me feel better.”
Jason had to agree. If it came down to a fight—and judging by the destruction around him, it very well could—it was good to know they had a military warship on their side. Maybe that would provide a strong enough deterrent and no more lives would be lost.
A phrase from the past filtered through the fear that crowded his thoughts. Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the LORD our God. The scripture rang in his mind, spoken from the pulpit by the minister of the church he and Beth had attended years ago.
Maybe now would be a good time to take up praying again in earnest.
Fourteen
Tension crackled inside the restaurant, so thick Kathryn could not force herself to sit still. Neither could Evie, who, between pacing between the front and back windows, scrubbed at the table-tops with such vengeance Kathryn wouldn’t be surprised if she sanded right through. Louisa sat in a chair in the corner, rocking a fretful Inez and biting her lip until a drop of blood appeared.
“They’ll be fine,” Letitia Coffinger announced for the fifth time. Seated near Louisa, her hands busily worked a string of spun wool with two knitting needles. From the calm set of her shoulders and the domestic activity of her hands, she appeared completely unconcerned. But when Kathryn came near to refill her teacup, she saw the way the woman’s foot tapped a nervous cadence on the floor.
“If my Miles were here, he would set these Nisqually people right in no time, and the Mucklemoots and Cookiecutters too.”
Louisa managed to flash a quick smile. “They’re Muckleshoots and Klickitats.”
The woman interrupted her knitting long enough to dismiss the correction with a brusque wave. “Miles has always maintained good relations with the natives, no matter what they call themselves.”
Evie did not look up from her furious scrubbing. “Thank the Lord he’s safe back in Tennessee, Letitia. If Chief Seattle couldn’t talk sense to the chiefs of these northern tribes, Miles wouldn’t stand a chance.” With a suddenness that spoke to how close to tears she was, Evie halted her work and collapsed over the table, her head dropping onto her arms as she surrendered to sobs. “Oh, where are they?”
Kathryn rushed to her side. Her stomach was a mass of knots and tears lodged in her own throat. Her feelings for Jason were so new, so fresh and strong, they threatened to choke her. How horribly unfair to lose her love only hours after she had found him!
Lord, keep them safe! Please, please, please let the men find them in time.
She fought down a wave of rising panic and wrapped Evie’s shuddering form in a comforting hug. “They’ll be fine. I’m certain of it.”
A lie, but a necessary one to calm her friend. Evie’s sobs were nearing hysteria. Kathryn exchanged concerned glances with Louisa and Letitia, who had left their chairs to form a comforting circle around their friend.
After a moment, Evie made an effort to regain her composure. She straightened and used the corner of her apron to dab at streaming eyes. “I’m sorry. It’s just so unfair.”
With one arm supporting a sleeping Inez, Louise smoothed a lock of hair off of Evie’s damp cheek and tucked it behind her ear. “What’s unfair, dear?”
Evie’s breath came in shuddering gulps. “That after—five years, God has f—finally answered our prayers. I’m going have a b—baby. And now I’ll have to raise it alone!” Her tentative grip on composure crumbled and she threw her arms around Kathryn’s shoulders and gave into renewed sobs.
Joy for her friend swelled in Kathryn’s heart, tempered by the ongoing worry. How tragic for Evie’s child to never know what a loving father he had. Oh, Lord, no! Don’t let that happen.
Louisa gave an exclamation and threw her free arm around both Kathryn and Evie. Letitia stood nearby, patting her back with enthusiasm.
Kathryn hugged Evie tight. “Don’t give it another thought. Noah is coming home soon.”
“Kathryn’s right,” insisted Louisa. “Why, any moment they’ll burst through the—”
The front door flew open. Startled, Evie raised her head and turned. Kathryn watched a stream of men file through, frantically searching each face. Her pulse thudded as she tried to read the news in their fierce expressions.
Then Evie gave a loud and joyful exclamation. She launched herself across the room and into the arms of her husband. Close behind him, Jason entered at David’s side.
Tension fled Kathryn’s taut muscles, and she grabbed at a chair to steady herself. She closed her eyes against the sting of relieved tears and forced herself to take several deep breaths as Big Dog’s voice boomed in every corner of the room.
“Cox is dead, th
eir house burned, but we found these two safe and sound.”
“I’m all right,” Noah said over and over, holding Evie close. “We were perfectly safe the whole time.”
David was similarly occupied in assuring Louisa and little Inez, who had been awakened by the ruckus and was wetting her daddy’s shirt with tears. “We met up with them at William’s place. Didn’t see any hostile Indians, but they did steal our horse and wagon.”
“A small price to pay for your safety.” Louisa rested her forehead against her husband’s arm.
Though she tried not to show it, Kathryn’s gaze strayed to Jason’s face. She drank in the sight of him, safe and unharmed. Had she not been watching him covertly she might have missed the tightening of his features when he looked at Louisa. With a mumbled farewell to no one in particular, he turned on his heel and strode out of the restaurant.
It appeared as though Louisa was correct in her complaint. Jason was avoiding her. Or perhaps not. Perhaps it was Kathryn he wanted to escape.
Before she could reconsider, she launched after him. When she exited the restaurant, she caught sight of him hastening toward the Faulkner House.
“Jason.”
At least he did halt and wait for her to catch up. Standing beside him in the darkness, his face lit by a half moon and a canopy of stars behind his head, her mind went blank. Even if she had been able to think of something to say, her tongue became unresponsive.
“I—” Frantic thoughts whirled in her head. She’d almost blurted out I love you. Instead she grasped upon the first thing that arose. “Evie’s expecting a baby. Isn’t that exciting?”
His face became a mask of pain. A paroxysm clenched the muscles in his throat. An instant later, the expression cleared and a polite smile settled on his lips. “How wonderful for her. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ve had a long day.”
The speed with which he turned away from her resembled an escape more than an exit. In an instant, the reason for his avoidance of Louisa dawned on her.
“Jason.” She spoke his name softly this time, and he stopped. “How did Beth die?”
For a moment she thought he wouldn’t answer. She watched his rigid back, expecting him to mumble an excuse and hurry away. Finally, his shoulders moved as he heaved a breath, and then he turned to face her.
“In childbirth.” His whisper held an agony that wrenched her heart. “She died giving birth to our son. He was stillborn.”
Kathryn closed her eyes against his pain. “I’m so sorry.”
When she opened her eyes, she found him staring at her with an intensity that set her pulse racing.
“You should leave, Kathryn. Leave on the next ship. Go home to the safety of San Francisco.”
The fervor in his words stirred the embers of a fear that had cooled in the hours of worrying for his and Noah’s safety. Now the flame burst forth with fury. She pulled her collar close about her neck.
“But what about you?” She blurted the question, and then averted her eyes. “I mean, you and Evie and Louisa and everyone else in Seattle. If this town isn’t safe, then we should convince them to desert it. If the Indians want it that badly, let them have it.”
He held his head erect, his eyes moving as he scanned the area below them. The Decatur floated in the bay, moonlight shimmering in the water all around her. Dim lights shone in irregular patterns on the land that stretched between them and the ship, candles and cook fires in use in the houses and buildings spread throughout the wide cleared town.
“This afternoon Noah told me how they came to this place. They’ve worked hard to carve out a life in this wilderness, and the Duwamish natives welcomed them, worked alongside them to build this town. It’s a big land, big enough for everyone. We can live peacefully together.” She realized he was looking at the totem pole. Then he fixed those intense eyes on her. “I want to be part of that, Kathryn. Part of them. Red and white, living together in peace. There’s nothing for me in Michigan, but this is a future worth living.”
The passion in his voice stirred her. Oh, to have such devotion to a cause. No, to a people. To Evie and Noah, Louisa and David, Letitia, Big Dog and Red and Murphy.
But what of Will and his threats to expose her? Would the people whose friendship she had come to cherish turn cold toward her when they learned of her secret? In the days since their encounter, Will seemed to have resolved to ignore her completely. Perhaps he would continue. She certainly would not force another confrontation. If she did as he asked and stayed away from him and John William, they could coexist in the growing town. She could live with an uneasy truce.
She wanted to stay. The realization struck her like a slap. What had she in San Francisco? Mama and Papa, of course, but how could she return to her childhood home after having tasted the freedom of independence? Besides, Papa seemed determined to force her from beneath his roof and into the arms of whichever man would take her. Here, she could make her own life among friends and…
Her glance flickered toward Jason’s face.
Looking quickly away, she rubbed hands that had gone suddenly damp on her skirt. “You speak so eloquently, I find myself convinced.”
His head jerked in her direction. “What? No. Leave, Kathryn. Go home.”
“But this is my home now.” She waved toward the Faulkner House. “I have a job, and friends.” With an upward tilt of her chin, she continued. “And I’m taking piano lessons.”
He stared at her, his eyes growing harder with every passing moment. “I will never remarry,” he ground out between gritted teeth. “No one will ever take Beth’s place.”
With that surprising announcement, he walked away. Stunned, Kathryn watched him stamp across the hotel’s porch, jerk open the door, and slam it behind him. Her ears rang with the force of the banging of wood against the doorjamb.
Why would the mention of her piano lessons result in such a harsh and random pronouncement? They weren’t even speaking of marriage. Or of art, which would bring his wife to mind.
Unless Beth also played the piano.
If that were the case, then he must suspect her of trying to imitate his deceased wife in order to win his affections. An uncomfortable flush began at the crown of her head and washed down her body, despite the chilly air. That meant he suspected her feelings and wanted to set her straight in no uncertain terms.
Perhaps going home to San Francisco was her best course of action after all. That way she would be spared the daily agony of seeing the man she loved and knowing he would never love her in return.
Tuesday, January 22, 1856
Now that the major part of the work on the blockhouse had been completed, Noah resumed his duties at the restaurant. Without painting or sandwich making to occupy her time, Kathryn threw herself into practicing the finger exercises Helen showed her. That is, until Madame stomped out of her sitting room complaining about the racket and forbidding her to touch the piano again.
“And I didn’t pay all that money to ship this thing here to have hymns played on it, either,” the rotund woman told Helen with a pointed stare before slamming the door in their faces.
With Jason’s heated response from the previous night still echoing in her mind, Kathryn glumly informed Helen that she had lost the desire to learn anyway. Together they left the hotel and braved a cold Seattle drizzle to pass the time in Evie’s cheery company.
Noah greeted them warmly. “Kathryn, just the lady I wanted to see.” He cast a quick glance over his shoulder toward the storeroom doorway, where Evie could be heard humming a lullaby, and went on in a near-whisper. “Do you think you could see your way clear to continuing to help my wife, at least with supper? Now that the fortress is finished, I need to get started on our home. With the baby coming, I don’t want her climbing up and down that ladder anymore.”
Kathryn agreed with a relieved sigh. “Of course I will.” The prospect of long days with nothing to occupy her time—on top of a dwindling bankroll if she had to start paying for her meals—had
weighed on her during the night.
“Thank you. Having you here makes her happy. She’s grown fond of you.”
She returned his warm smile. “And I’ve grown fond of her too.”
Moving with the ease of familiarity, Kathryn fetched the beautiful ivy teapot from the shelf, filled the kettle and placed it on the stove, and set the sugar bowl on the table where Helen had taken a seat. Worry over the loss of her job was not the only thing that had robbed her of sleep during the night. Jason’s stern announcement played over and over in her head. Why did it fall to her to develop feelings for a man so twisted with grief that he could never return her love?
The water had just begun to steam when the restaurant door opened and a familiar figure ran inside. John William paused barely a second to glance around, and then shot across the room to embrace her with his trademark enthusiastic hug.
“John William, what are you doing here?” Fighting to control her alarm, she glanced toward the door as the little boy awarded a second hug, this time on the surprised Helen. Was the child in the company of his grandfather?
Instead, the sedate figure of Princess Angeline filled the doorway. She stood with her arms folded, the same multicolored shawl draped around her shoulders, and scanned the room with an unreadable expression. Rain had plastered her hair to her head and soaked her clothing.
Evie and Noah emerged from the storeroom. “Princess Angeline, what a surprise.” Evie gestured her inside with a wave. “Please sit down. Would you like tea?”
The lady shook her head. “I bring a request from my people.”
“What do you need?” Noah asked.
“Shelter. Their camps are no longer safe. An army of warriors gathers, and there have been threats against those who refuse to fight our white friends.”
John William returned to Kathryn’s side and slipped an arm around her legs. “There are a lot of new people in Princess Angeline’s house.” His childish voice trembled, and Kathryn placed a calming hand on his back to pull him closer. “They left their beds at home so they had to sleep outside last night.”
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