When she undressed before the mirror in her room she was shocked at how thin she was and how weathered her face looked. She decided one of the first things she would do when they came into port would be to spend a day or two at the salon being pampered and healed. Alice put on clean clothing, a man’s shirt and her leather leggings and let her hair down to dry. Once Joseph had changed he came for her and they went together to the dining room aboard the ship.
There were very few people on the ship. All of the prospectors wanted to go north and only a small number were heading for southern ports. They were directed to a table where they ordered their meals. Joseph felt common and awkward, but noticed that Alice seemed perfectly comfortable in her odd attire. To his surprise, the captain asked to join them and Joseph stood and shook his hand.
Joseph barely spoke throughout the meal, but Alice was comfortable and friendly with the captain. Joseph realized he had never seen her in a social situation with anyone other than Chicken-leg Jack and he watched her manner and followed the conversation.
She was at ease with the ship’s captain, laughing lightly and enjoying his stories. He talked about the trip up to Alaska with many hopeful prospectors on board and how they would fill another ship with fortune hunters who would be waiting when they docked. He asked if she and Joseph had discovered any gold and she deflected his questions tactfully. Joseph admired her confidence and social skills and he did not know why, but it made him very uncomfortable too. He knew they would be on board the ship for days and hoped that every meal would not involve the captain. There was no question in his mind that, despite her un-ladylike clothing, the captain was very much taken with Alice.
Joseph watched a pair of prospectors who ate across the room laughing over their meal and wondered who they were.
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Joseph and Alice spent much of their time alone, in one cabin or the other preparing for their arrival in Portland. They talked about what they would do when they reached land. Their plan was to find the largest bank immediately and change their gold for banknotes. There they would also discuss how best to sell the mine. They certainly had proof of the mine’s worth and Joseph felt more and more inclined to put Alaska behind him.
He began to speak often of Yvonne and his plans once he returned and Alice listened thoughtfully. She told herself that, if he was happy, it was all she could ask for and she tried to focus on the promise of a new life without him.
Alice decided that when they reached the station near his home in Pennsylvania she would go on alone to Philadelphia. There she would take her money and start fresh. If there was enough money she could find a home in a better neighborhood where she could be comfortable and maybe open a shop. Even if she was wealthy she knew she was still the kind of person who needed to stay busy with goals at the end of the day. She thought she might keep some girls from turning to prostitution by giving them an opportunity in her shop. Alice considered a life with no men at all.
Joseph let her rub the ointment into his hands after dinner at night as they lay in her cabin talking about their futures. Less and less frequently they spoke about Alaska as though all of the things they had enjoyed there had been tainted by the trip down the White Pass. They both suffered from nightmares, but did not admit it to one another.
Alice rubbed Joseph’s hands, noting the great improvement in his skin and her own. “Your hands are going to look like those of a banker by the time we get back,” she said one evening.
“Like a rich man’s?” Joseph lay across the bed, his hands in her lap.
“Yes,” she said. “When we get to Portland you can get a fine suit and I won’t even recognize you.”
“I doubt you will without the beard,” he said. “I was looking in the mirror and I still don’t even know my own face like this. I never imagined it would make such a difference.”
The days seemed to fade into one another. Alice would walk along the deck alone enjoying the warm afternoons and she often took long naps. It seemed she couldn’t get enough sleep and, after the first week, noticed she had begun to regain weight. Joseph seemed to be filling out as well, she thought. One afternoon he asked her to help him empty the rucksacks.
They decided to discard the last of the dried foods and several pieces of ragged clothing. When Joseph suggested he would throw away the Amish hat she asked if she might keep it.
“It’s certainly out of shape,” he said. “Why would you want it?”
“To remind me,” she said turning the hat in her hands and trying it on in front of the mirror.
“What do you want to remember exactly?” He sat on the bed and watched her primping with the hat.
“You.” She turned to face him and smiled broadly.
Joseph could see that her chapped face had healed now and her cheeks were bright and rosy. He had also not failed to notice that her figure was returning. He could see how pretty she looked in the big hat and he remembered some things himself. He thought about how she always looked when she squatted beside the stream in her bare feet. She looked so easy and happy and free. He hadn’t thought about it, but they had some very happy times.
“Will you miss Alaska?” he asked.
“I’ll miss some things,” she said. Alice took off the hat and turned it in her hands. “I’ll miss how beautiful it was and how excited you would get when we found a nice big nugget. I’ll miss how much fun it is to make you blush.”
Joseph blushed.
“Just like that,” she said. “It’s funny about you and me. I never imagined I would ever wind up in the wilderness with a man who was so easily embarrassed by talking about sex. I think I’ll miss that most of all.”
Joseph stood up and looked out of the window. “I won’t miss being aboard this ship. I do want to know what the gold is worth.”
“Just another day,” Alice said. She was not as eager to end their journey.
Chapter Thirty-Eight
The steamship docked slowly while Alice and Joseph paced the decks anxiously. It was the day they would know the worth of their fortune. Alice considered all that they had been through together to reach Portland and she hoped whatever the amount was, it would be worth it. She wondered if the gold would bring real happiness to their lives.
A few people appeared on deck, a few couples they had never seen on board and the two prospectors Joseph had noticed at dinner. The two men were obviously very excited about disembarking. In contrast, Joseph did not want anyone to know what he carried in his packs until it was safely in the hands of the bank.
When they looked to the docks they could see several men waiting for the passengers to disembark. A few of them had cameras.
“I think they are newspaper men,” Joseph said to Alice quietly. “I’d rather not tell them anything.”
“Don’t you want Yvonne to read about your good fortune?” Alice teased.
“She’ll know soon enough. I want to get out of Portland alive.”
“I understand,” Alice smiled.
The steam whistle blew loudly and the sailors lowered the plank. Joseph watched the two prospectors run from the ship towing heavy baggage and then rush to the men with the cameras.
“We struck it rich!” they yelled. “Take our photograph because we are wealthy men! We found gold!”
It was just the kind of story they were looking for and Joseph and Alice stepped from the ship unnoticed by the distracted newspaper men. Joseph hailed a carriage.
“Please take us into town,” Joseph instructed the driver as he helped Alice into the coach with her pack. They rode in silence until they arrived at a large hotel and Joseph watched the coach pull away. He pointed to the bank building across the street.
“There it is,” he said.
Alice took a deep breath, surprised at how nervous she suddenly was.
“Let’s find out what we’re worth,” Joseph said. He took her hand and they crossed the street towards the bank.
Joseph paced in a room in a back off
ice of the bank while Alice sat quietly in a chair. The bankers had been weighing gold for what seemed like hours, and writing down amounts, once sending a wire to another office.
They whispered among themselves and Joseph looked at them expectantly. One of the men left, promising to return and Joseph sat in a chair beside Alice.
A large man entered the room. He was dressed in an expensive suit and he instructed the other men to leave. He asked that Alice and Joseph follow him to his office and take a seat.
“Thank you for choosing us today, Mister Southers and Miss Ellis. My name is Louis Henderson.” The banker reached and shook each of their hands. “My understanding is that all of the gold will be deposited here with us and that you require banknotes for the full amount to be divided equally between you.”
“Equally?” Alice looked at Joseph.
“That’s right,” Joseph said, facing Henderson.
“We can certainly take care of that, and may I say, congratulations on your strike.”
“What is the total worth?” Joseph asked expectantly.
“I’m sorry,” Henderson apologized. “Didn’t the clerk give you an amount?”
Joseph and Alice shook their heads silently.
“Let’s see here,” he sat down and read the paper in front of him.
Alice thought that Joseph would spill out of his chair in anticipation.
“Oh yes. Here it is,” Henderson said. “The full value of the gold you have cashed in here is one million and seven hundred thousand dollars.”
Alice’s hand flew to her face.
Joseph sat back in the chair and felt his chest tighten. “Could you please repeat that number, sir?” Joseph’s voice nearly faltered.
“That’s right,” Henderson said calmly. “One million and seven hundred thousand dollars.”
“Mr. Henderson, would you mind very much excusing Miss Ellis and me for a moment please?” Joseph said stoically.
“Of course. Take all the time you like. I’ll be on the bank floor when you need me.” The banker bowed slightly and left the room, closing the door behind him.
Alice was still in her chair with her hand over her face when Joseph picked her up, spun her around the room and kissed her. She froze.
“We’re rich, really rich,” he whispered close to her face. “Did you hear what he said?”
Alice was surprised that she didn’t faint.
“I never imagined it was so much.” Joseph set her onto her feet and paced the room. “That’s not even including the mine. I never imagined.”
“Won’t Yvonne be impressed?” Alice said and sunk back down into the chair. He was right, she thought. She would never want for anything. Alice realized that she had hoped perhaps there was not such an inordinate amount, that maybe it wouldn’t be enough to impress Yvonne and her father. Now she knew that it was a vast fortune. She took a deep breath and watched Joseph pace the office. “Congratulations,” she said softly.
Alice listened to Joseph and the banker make arrangements. She signed every paper they put in front of her in a daze. She was excited about the money too, but she felt her heart breaking every time she thought about the amount. When Joseph walked her to the hotel she followed him to her room and stood in the doorway.
“I know what you’re thinking,” he said. “I want you to be happy. Tonight, please just celebrate with me. We’ll part soon enough.”
Alice looked into his eyes and swallowed hard. “Give me a few minutes to get over the shock. I’d like to lie down, please, just for a bit.”
“Whatever you want. Is there anything you need? I’ll get it for you now, anything.”
Alice chuckled. “I think that almost a million dollars is enough. I can’t believe it.”
“Are you alright?” He walked her into the room.
“I’m fine,” she said. “You’re right, I need a pretty dress and some pampering. I’ll be fine.”
“I have the room right across the hall. I’d really like to get rid of this beard and get into some decent clothes. There’s nothing you need?”
“Go enjoy your money, Joseph. You’ve earned every bit of it. I’m fine, really. Go get that shave. I can’t wait to see what you look like under all of that hair. I’ll meet you at six for dinner downstairs. How’s that?” Alice smiled at him and touched his cheek.
When he left she put her back to the door and felt her heart break. This was it, she told herself. It was time for her to let him go. But she wasn’t going to let it end feeling sorry for herself. She had more money than she could imagine any one person having. Alice Ellis dried her eyes and went off to find the town’s best salon and dress shop.
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Alice left the boutique with a dozen bundles. She’d found several pretty dresses, had her hair deliciously shampooed and curled and bought the most beautiful bonnet she could find. She was surprised how much her tastes had changed since she had last shopped for clothing. Indifference to the price tag certainly made shopping fun. Alice thought she might have lost Joseph but she would not have him remembering her in filthy, tattered clothing with her hands chapped and her face weathered. She indulged herself in every beauty treatment the salon offered and then hurried back to her room to dress in time for her dinner date with Joseph. If nothing else, she decided she would at least turn his head.
While Alice shopped, Joseph lay back in the barber’s chair and instructed him to remove nearly all of the beard, to trim his moustache and wax it, and to cut his hair. He thought about how many times Alice had wondered aloud how he might look beneath it. Joseph knew that his face would look older now, he could see it in the lines around his eyes. But he also knew that he’d been handsome enough to turn many a lady’s head. After he’d cleaned up he hoped he might put a smile on Alice’s face. He’d like to do more for her. He wanted to see her smile like she had when they were living at the cabin, easy and without worry like she did in the beginning.
Alice checked her appearance in the mirror. Her dress was a crisp seersucker, navy stripes against white, with a high collar, trimmed in lace. She had her hair curled to tumble over her shoulders casually and she stepped lightly in delicate, buttoned boots. Alice compared her appearance to what she was like before she left for Alaska. She had changed in many ways, and she could see it in the mirror. Her cheeks were touched with freckles now, not the pale white she had struggled to maintain in the past. Her hands had healed nicely and she had her nails buffed to a soft shine. Once a rich brown, her hair was now streaked with color from the long, Alaskan summer days.
Alice thought she looked pretty and hoped Joseph would think the same. For the rest of their time together she would enjoy every minute. Soon enough Yvonne would have him back at her side.
Joseph walked into a men’s shop and found a handsome new suit, shoes and even a rather dapper hat. His face looked like his own again, a bit more weathered, but his jawline was firm and his eyes clear. He wore a small goatee and his brows and hair had been trimmed. He felt relieved to recognize himself in the hotel room mirror and hoped Alice would not be disappointed. He checked the time on the new watch that dangled from his pocket and walked downstairs to the restaurant.
When Alice descended the stairs to the hotel lobby her throat suddenly tightened and she felt overcome with emotion. She decided that before she met with Joseph she would step outside for a breath of fresh air. A cool sea breeze blew across the front of the building and she took a deep breath. Struggling to gather herself, she took a lacy handkerchief from her new clutch bag and touched it to her face.
“Now why would a beautiful woman such as you have a tear to shed on such a magnificent day?” Alice looked up to a handsome young man who stood before her, both hands balancing an expensive cane.
“Oh, hello,” she said. “I think I had a bit of something in my eye. Thank you for your concern.”
The man was young, extremely handsome and, Alice noticed, very expensively dressed. He continued to attempt to draw her into
a conversation but she assured him that she was perfectly fine and after a few moments he tipped his hat and continued on his way.
Joseph entered the dining room and looked around for her. Then he saw her standing outside of the restaurant instead of waiting for him at a table. She looked beautiful, he thought. Her hair shone in the soft sunlight, and her figure was trim and shapely. He decided to go out to her when he saw the man with the cane approach her. Joseph stopped and watched. He saw her smile and nod, being very nice but not overly friendly to the stranger and then he walked away. Alice turned as though to enter the hotel and another man approached. However this one was more aggressive. Joseph did not like the look of him and walked outside.
“I really am quite alright and I appreciate your offer but I have a gentleman waiting to dine with me now,” Alice was saying.
“If I were that gentleman you would not be here alone for one more second.” He smiled at her, enjoying how lovely she looked in the late day sunlight.
Joseph walked up behind her and gave the man a frank look, watching as he walked away.
“You do look too pretty to be standing out here all alone,” Joseph said close to her ear.
Alice recognized his voice and turned to face him and then froze. For a moment she did not recognize him and she stopped. She looked up to his face and he smiled and she knew exactly who he was.
“Oh my, Joseph,” she said softly. When she looked into his eyes a part of her knew him completely, but when she looked at his shaven face he was a complete stranger. This man was unusually handsome. His jawline was firm and defined, his neck long and elegant. His nose was not nearly as large as she had thought and his hair was soft and slightly curled.
Alice reached up and touched his cheek, overcome by the transformation and she looked into his eyes. He smiled again, and again she knew him.
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