Rivers of Gold

by Tracie Peterson

  “It’s possible. I’m sure if anyone would be able to give us further insight, Karen would be the one. Miranda, however, was also very close to Grace. She loved her like a sister, and they’d grown quite close.” Peter hesitated before suggesting, “Why don’t you stay here while I’m gone? I know my mother and father would love to have you here.”

  “No, I would rather go back to my aunt’s place. She’s old and needs the help. Besides, there is something renewing and invigorating in living in such a simple rural setting after having lived in Chicago.”

  “I’m sure that is true.”

  “I only ask that you keep in touch,” Myrtle said rather sadly. “I don’t wish to lose contact with you simply because Grace is gone.”

  “And you won’t. I’ve already spoken to my lawyer. I am arranging to set up an account for you with the money Grace inherited. I want you to have whatever you need.”

  Myrtle’s face reddened a bit and tears came to her eyes. “You are a good son-in-law, but really, you mustn’t worry about me. I’m set well enough with my aunt.”

  “I insist. I’m not sure how long it will take to resolve, but should you need anything prior to that, please don’t hesitate to contact us. I’ll leave an account with my parents. Just let them know what you need, and we’ll do our best to see to it.”

  “Oh, Peter, you are truly as remarkable and generous as Grace told me.”

  “I wish I’d been as generous of spirit with Grace. I’m ashamed to say that I wronged her terribly, Myrtle. I didn’t tell you everything that transpired between us, but our marriage was not as pleasant or loving as it could have been. I’m afraid that before I knew God I was rather ruthless at times.”

  Myrtle wiped her eyes and smiled. “Marriage is hard work—for everyone. I remember times when I wanted nothing more than to throttle Frederick. He would speak to me as if I were a child without good sense.”

  “I know I did that to Grace on more than one occasion. I have a bad temper.”

  “Surely no worse than my Frederick.” Myrtle reached out and took hold of Peter’s hand. “She loved you—be certain of that. Her letters said that and so much more.”

  Peter’s heart flooded with gratitude. “Thank you for saying so. It helps. I hate to think of Grace’s last thoughts of me being how truly awful I was and how sorry she was for having married me.”

  “Then rest your mind and put your worries aside. She told me of difficult moments, but she always stressed that her love for you was stronger than anything that could possibly go wrong.”

  Peter gripped her hand gently. “We should have had this talk a long time ago.”

  “I didn’t realize how much you were hurting until I came here. Watching you has shown me proof of your deep abiding love for my daughter. How I wish things could have been different.” Myrtle’s voice was tinged with regret. “I just wanted you to know that I understand. I miss her and Frederick more than I can say, but God alone will ease the pain—in His time.”

  “I only wish I had known what a priceless gem I had in her, before it was too late. When I come back from the Yukon, maybe I’ll take some of her money and erect a monument to her in the cemetery.”

  “Why not put the money to some better use, something that would bring glory to God and make Grace proud?”

  “Such as?” Peter questioned.

  “I don’t know. Pray about it, and perhaps God will give you a mission,” Myrtle said, getting to her feet.

  Peter immediately stood and embraced the older woman. “Myrtle, you were a godsend. You’ve given me comfort as no one else possibly could. When I return, I shall visit you in Wyoming.”

  “I would like that,” she said, pulling away. “I would like that very much.”

  —[CHAPTER FOURTEEN]—

  MONTHS OF WORKING with Teddy had given Miranda quite an education. She could now identify many flowers and dried leaves without having to ask Teddy for assistance. She had also come to realize that her frantic concern for locating her friends was lessening in the wake of her pleasure in Teddy’s company. She’d become rather lackadaisical in her inquiries.

  Truth be told, there were many days when she never even left the hotel room. She labored with Teddy, helping him catch up his research to at least the point where he’d left off when they’d come to Dawson in January. Now, with March winds alternating between freezing them to the bone and teasing them with a touch of spring, Miranda knew she needed to rededicate herself to the pursuit of locating her friends. However, Teddy was more adamant in their work than ever before. The summer would mean he could be back in the fields, and if his work from the previous year went uncompleted, he’d have to delay his trip.

  As she poured over Teddy’s journals and ledgers, Miranda wondered what course of action she should take. She had inquired around town about her friends when the opportunity presented itself. Many people knew of large, burly miners whose description fit that of Adrik Ivankov, but no one could tell her for sure that the men were one and the same.

  At the same time, Miranda was torn by the thought of Teddy leaving for the wilderness. She tried to tell herself that it was only because they’d become such close companions in their work, but in her heart she knew it was more than that.

  “I believe that,” Teddy said, coming into the room unannounced, “if we persevere, we may well have this work completed by the end of next month. That will work in perfect accord with my return to the cabin.”

  It was almost as if he’d read her very thoughts. Miranda straightened from where she’d been bent over his books. She decided it would be best to broach the subject of what was to become of her once he was gone.

  “Teddy, what am I to do if I cannot locate my friends?”

  He looked at her rather blankly for a moment. It almost seemed to Miranda that he’d not given the possibility even a moment’s thought.

  “Why, I suppose you might stay here,” he said, then turned to hang his coat on the peg by the door.

  “I can’t very well do that without a job,” Miranda chided. “I could return home. After all, it’s important to me that my family knows I’m safe.”

  Teddy looked at her for a moment. Miranda held his gaze, watching him search her face as if looking for something. “Passage would be expensive,” he finally said. He walked to the window and pulled aside the sheer curtain. The skies were staying light for more hours of the day, and Miranda was grateful for this.

  “I think it would be wiser to locate your friends rather than just leave. After all, they must be somewhere in the area.”

  “I’ve not seen Crispin again, and he was in the area as well,” Miranda replied.

  “Yes, but that could have been a man who just favored your friend. You said yourself that you couldn’t be sure.”

  Miranda nodded and walked to the stack of drawings Teddy had asked her to file. Bringing them back to the table, she began to sort through them. Paintbrush, shooting stars, larkspur, and subalpine buttercups graced the pages of stiff paper. Teddy Davenport was quite an artist. The flowers, rendered only in charcoal and pencil, were detailed and labeled in such a way that they allowed for easy reference for anyone who wanted to study the species more closely.

  Realizing Teddy had joined her at the table, Miranda looked up. “I know it could have been a complete stranger,” she finally said. “It seems likely that it was, but I have to make a decision before you head out.”

  “You could come with me. I won’t be staying at the cabin the entire time. I’ll be traveling the area, in fact.” His voice took on an excited tone. “Yes, that’s it. You could accompany me. If your friends are not evident come the thaw, you could travel with me and look for them as I take collections of the vegetation.”

  “I suppose that’s a possibility,” Miranda replied thoughtfully. She looked up and caught the animation in his expression. “Are you certain it wouldn’t be a hindrance? After all, you mentioned more than once that my arrival to your cabin had seriously altered yo
ur schedule and routine. And now you’ve had to endure my company here in Dawson as well.”

  “I’d hardly say that I’ve had to endure your company. You’ve been a tremendous help to me. I’d not have this work done by now if not for your help.”

  “It’s been a great deal of fun,” Miranda said, surprised by her declaration. “I’ve really enjoyed the education. I’ve always loved to learn, although my family never encouraged formal education past the normal schooling for girls. I often thought it would be fun to attend a university, but my brother was against the idea, feeling it wasn’t proper. He prefers to see me at home.” She smiled and rearranged the papers in her hands. “But that’s unimportant. What I wanted to say to you was that I’ve also enjoyed feeling useful.”

  “Well, you’ve certainly been that and more.”

  Miranda looked into Teddy’s eyes, lost in the warmth of his gaze, and the words she’d thought to say froze on her lips. Realizing he was now only inches away, she felt suddenly shy, almost nervous.

  “I’m sorry that I ever said you had altered or interfered with my schedule,” Teddy said, his voice dropping. “I never meant to hurt your feelings or give you the impression that you had caused me any grief. Your help has allowed me to reclaim the time lost to me because of the vandalism to my room.”

  Miranda licked her lips and struggled to form the words to reply. “I … I’m … glad to know … I mean, I’m glad I didn’t cause you any real problem.”

  She felt her knees grow weak. Why hadn’t she realized how handsome he was before now? She had known him to be attractive, even found his appearance to be quite nice, but he’d never affected her like this before. Now she could see every detail of his face—the furrows in his forehead from the long hours of concentration over his work, the fullness of his lips. He needed a shave, and she was sorely tempted to reach up and run her fingers over the stubble on his chin.

  Like a child caught with her hand in the cookie jar, Miranda felt her face grow hot as they locked gazes once again.

  “Miranda,” he whispered in almost a reverent tone.

  When she leaned forward, Miranda had no intention of initiating a kiss—yet that was what she did. Putting her hands on his shoulders, she stretched up on her tiptoes and kissed him lightly upon the lips.

  He did nothing, and when Miranda pulled away, she put her hand to her mouth. “Oh, please forgive me.” She hurried for the door, completely embarrassed at what she’d done. “I’m sorry. I didn’t—I mean I shouldn’t have—” She opened the door and turned to see him standing there still stunned by her actions. “That was a mistake—it won’t happen again.”

  She hurried out of the room, not even bothering to close the door behind her. She ran for the comfort of her room, frightened by the emotions raging through her. Closing the door, she leaned against it, panting, struggling to draw a decent breath.

  “Why did I do that?” she whispered.

  Her stomach did flips, her emotions alternating between giddy and terrified. “I kissed him,” she said aloud to the room, as if it might offer her some comment. “How could I have acted so wantonly?”

  Shame flooded her soul. “Oh, forgive me, God. I never meant to be so forward. Mr. Davenport has done nothing but be the perfect gentleman. He’s helped me every step of the way, providing for my needs, and I repay him by this. I’m so sorry.”

  She began to pace the room, the heavy navy wool of her skirt flaring out around her as she moved. He’d bought her the skirt, as well as the cotton blouse she wore. He’d bought her other things as well—shoes, boots, undergarments. At the thought of the latter Miranda felt her cheeks grow even hotter.

  I’ve ruined everything, she thought. I acted on impulse and now look where it’s taken me. I deserve for Teddy to march over here and throw me out.

  As if on cue, a loud knocking sounded at her door. Miranda froze in place. “Who … is … it?” she stammered.

  “Open the door, Miranda.”

  It was Teddy. He’d come to reprimand her and to ask her to leave. Gathering her courage, Miranda went to the door and opened it. Before she could offer another word of apology or even a plea to be given a second chance, Teddy swept her into his arms and kissed her ardently on the mouth. His lips lingered for more than a moment and Miranda lost herself in reckless abandonment. If this was good-bye, then she’d go out in style.

  Releasing her rather abruptly, Teddy stepped back. His eyes were ablaze with passion. “I don’t want it to be a mistake,” he said, his voice husky and very different from the businesslike manner in which he usually communicated.

  Grace Colton sat nursing her son after a long day of washing out linens and towels. Adrik had secured her a place with a local dentist, Dr. Brummel, and his wife, Georgia. As soon as she recovered from Andy’s birth, Grace had gone to work for the couple doing housekeeping and laundry, along with some cooking. Her efforts were rewarded with room and board for herself and Andy and a small amount of pocket money.

  She had very little time off, but that didn’t matter to Grace. In fact, she preferred things that way. When working, she didn’t have time to dwell on Peter. Not that she could ever put him totally from her mind. Looking down upon her brown-haired son, she knew she would be forever reminded of her husband—no matter his decision regarding their marriage.

  Andy cooed as if knowing her thoughts. He pulled away from her breast and laughed, his tiny hand reaching up to take hold of her unpinned hair.

  “Oh, my sweet boy,” she whispered. “You are my very life. God was so good to give you to me.”

  She shifted him into an upright position and adjusted the neck of her nightgown. How she cherished these quiet moments in the late evening. This was her time with Andy. Hers alone. Had Peter been a part of their life, he would have shared in the time, and then he would have seen for himself how very special their relationship might be.

  “Oh, Andy,” Grace said sighing, “I wish your papa could know about you—see you. If he were here right now, I know he would adore you.”

  Andy made gurgling noises as Grace began patting his back in order to burp him. She rocked back and forth in her chair, humming to herself in rhythm. Andy’s eyelids grew heavy, and after burping him, Grace lifted him to her shoulder and pulled his hand-knit blanket around him.

  “Thank you, God,” she prayed as Andy fell asleep—his face nuzzled against her neck. “Thank you for this child and for the protection afforded me by Dr. Brummel and his wife.”

  She rocked in the silence for several minutes, enjoying the simple pleasure that the moment afforded her. It was hard to imagine, given the peace she felt, that the entire world outside her window could be so caught up in the pursuit for gold.

  There had been numerous claim jumping incidents and even deaths related to misunderstandings. Grace had found it far easier to remain in the safety of the Brummel house, rather than risk her life on the streets. She’d only gone out twice, and both times were to venture no farther than the corner dry goods store.

  Each trip had been marked by an unusual event. The first one had brought her face to face with a group of “scarlet women,” as Mrs. Brummel called the local prostitutes. The day had been warmer than most and Grace had decided the short outing would be good for both her and Andy. But babies were a fairly rare sight in the town, and Andy brought much unwelcome attention—especially by a group of prostitutes who had wandered over from Paradise Alley.

  Grace had been rather uncertain as to how she should handle the moment. The girls, heavily painted and gaudily dressed, had each wanted to hold Andy. They cooed over him, reaching out to touch the pure and innocent child. Grace pitied them and allowed them their moment of pleasure.

  One woman, not so much older than herself, held Andy longer than the others. She gently stroked his cheek and spoke in low, soft whispers. Grace couldn’t hear what she said, but when the woman returned Andy to her arms, Grace saw tears in the prostitute’s eyes.

  The moment had moved
Grace beyond words. She was certain she would always remember the woman’s face and wonder what problems had brought her to such a sorry life. Was there a baby in her past—perhaps a child who had died or had been taken from her? The very thought left Grace deeply saddened.

  The next time Grace ventured out, she had gone alone. This time the store was filled with raucous miners, and an argument ensued about which creek was bearing the best show of gold. Before Grace knew what was happening, the men had separated into two groups, and Grace found herself positioned between the two as she stood at the counter preparing to pay for her goods.

  In the next moment, one of the men took a swing at another and Grace was pushed to the floor. As she looked up she was shocked to see the store owner bring down a large wooden mallet on the counter.

  “You are a disgrace to mankind,” the owner told the men as the sound of the mallet strike echoed in the small confines of the store. He came around the counter and helped Grace from the floor and then unfolded his handkerchief and laid it out flat on the counter.

  “You all owe this lady an apology. A pinch a piece ought to say it well enough.”

  Grace watched as each of the hardened sourdoughs ambled up, muttered their regrets, and deposited a pinch of gold dust on the cloth. By the time they’d finished she had fifty dollars worth of gold to her name.

  After that she had decided it would be best not to risk another trip. Andy needed her—she was all he had until Peter could be found. Of course, she knew Karen and Adrik would happily provide for the child, but they were two days away down on Hunker Creek. Only that morning she had penned Karen a letter, telling her how much she longed for their company and hoped the time would soon present itself for her and Andy to join the others.

  With Andy asleep, Grace put him in her bed and rolled thick blankets in a circle around him. He needed her warmth for the cold nights, but she didn’t want to risk rolling over on him. Mrs. Brummel had suggested the arrangement and had even rearranged the room to place the small bed up against the wall so that Grace needn’t fear Andy rolling out once he became more mobile.