Rivers of Gold (17 page)

A scratching noise at the door caused Jacob to jump to his feet. As silently as he could manage, Jacob moved to the door. He listened, waiting for something more.

The unmistakable sounds of movement on the other side of the door caused the hair on the back of Jacob’s neck to stand up. His chest rose and fell in rapid, shallow breaths. Perspiration beaded on his forehead, even though the cabin was quite chilly.

Anxious to make sure the rifle was loaded, Jacob cocked the lever just enough to expose the breech. The sight of the cartridge reassured him. Next he checked the magazine. Finding it loaded with extra cartridges, Jacob let out the breath he’d been holding.

A loud thump sounded against the door. Jacob jumped back. He glanced over his shoulder to make sure the noise hadn’t disturbed Karen or Leah. There was no sign of either one of them stirring.

Jacob didn’t know how long he stood fixed and rigid at the door. After a good deal of time had passed, however, and no further noises sounded from outside, he decided to open the door and check outside.

The rush of cold air momentarily surprised Jacob. He glanced again over his shoulder to see if Karen or Leah had stirred, then focused his attention outside. Hearing a sound to his right, Jacob strained to see in the dark. As he leveled his rifle he saw the unmistakable outline of a bear. Cautiously, Jacob backed up and closed the door. There was no sense in shooting the poor animal and waking the entire valley. No doubt the bear had awakened early from its hibernating and was simply looking for food. Relief washed over him.

Yawning, Jacob realized how tired he was. A quick check of the clock on the mantel revealed that he still had a good two hours before dawn.

“Help me to stay alert, God,” he whispered the prayer. “And give me the wisdom to know what to do.” He paused and glanced again to the bunks where Karen and Leah slept before adding, “And the strength to do it.”

—[CHAPTER SIXTEEN]—

“THERE’S COME A message for you, Mrs. Colton,” Dr. Brummel stated, handing Grace a folded piece of paper. “Seems your friends are in town and are prepared to transport you and little Andy back to their cabin.”

Grace looked up from the ironing she was doing. She’d worked all morning to wash and iron the sheets, and she was on her last one. A thread of joy wound about her heart at the thought that Karen and Adrik were in town.

Taking up the paper, she read the note. “It looks like Adrik had to bring that nice Mr. Lindquist in to the hospital. I do hope it isn’t serious.” She looked to Dr. Brummel as if for some insight to the man’s condition.

“I couldn’t say. I was only there to pick up some laudanum for a patient.”

“I see. Well,” Grace said, her tone quite animated, “I suppose I should pack my things.”

“We’re going to miss having you here, Mrs. Colton.”

“Now, why will we be missing Grace?” the dentist’s wife asked as she came into the room.

Grace turned to face the woman. “My friends have come to take me to their claim site.”

“Why, it still gets down to forty-below some nights. You can’t be traveling with a baby in that kind of weather,” Georgia Brummel complained.

“I’m sure my friends have made provision,” Grace answered. Already she was packing her things in a carpetbag. “I’m sure we’ll be just fine.”

Georgia looked at Grace as if ascertaining whether she could change her mind. Finally she relented. “Very well. I’ll pack you some things for the trip.”

“Thank you, Mrs. Brummel. I do appreciate all you have done for me. I only hope I can one day repay you for your kindness.”

“Nonsense,” Dr. Brummel declared, “you’ve worked harder than any house girl we’ve ever had—and we’ve had plenty. Why, down in Sacramento, where we hail from, we had a new girl almost every week some months.”

“He’s right,” Mrs. Brummel sniffed. “No one was ever as good to us as you are.”

Grace looked at them both. “No one outside of my family and Karen Ivankov has ever been as good to me as you’ve been. Andy and I might have died were it not for you. We surely couldn’t have made the trip before now. Thank you so much for all you’ve done for us.” She reached out and hugged them in unison.

Dr. Brummel reddened in the face and stepped back. “I … uh … I’ll take you and Andy over to the hospital when you’re ready.”

Grace nodded and hurried to gather her things. Andy slept peacefully, even when she bundled him into the warm beaver-skin bunting she’d made for him only days earlier. Pulling on her own coat and a fur cape given to her by Mrs. Brummel, Grace felt a bittersweet emotion in her departure. Though she missed Karen and longed for her company as much as she could anyone’s, Grace knew she would miss Dr. Brummel and his wife. She would also miss being in a real house with wooden floors and rugs and curtains at the windows. She knew from Karen’s letters that the accommodations at Gump’s claim were desperately short of womanly touches.

“I guess I’m ready,” Grace finally said, carrying the sleeping baby in her arms.

“I’ll get your bag,” Dr. Brummel offered and disappeared into Grace’s room.

“I’ve packed a box of things for you,” Georgia said. “Some things to eat along the way and a few items to remember us by.”

“I won’t forget you,” Grace said. “And when I come back to Dawson, I will visit.”

“Oh, do. And bring Andy as well.”

Grace nodded. “You can be sure I will.”

Grace allowed Dr. Brummel to carry everything but the baby and followed him out into the frigid morning. The walk to the hospital wasn’t far, but even that short distance could freeze the lungs of a man—or woman. Grace had already secured Andy inside her cape, but now she buried her face down deep in order to keep from breathing the raw, painful air.

She hastened her steps to keep up with Dr. Brummel and felt great relief when the hospital came in sight. She felt a giddiness at the prospect of seeing her friends again. She was especially anxious for Karen to see the baby.

“Adrik!” she called as soon as she caught sight of the man.

Adrik turned and smiled as Grace came through the hospital doors. “Why, hello there, little mother. How does it go with you?”

“Wonderful!” Grace tried not to sound too exuberant. She didn’t want to hurt Dr. Brummel’s feelings, so she quickly added, “The Brummels have been so good to us. They have taken such good care of Andy and me.”

“I knew they would,” Adrik replied, nodding slightly to the older man. “They’re good people. I wouldn’t have left you with them if they hadn’t come highly recommended.”

“Well, it’s me and the missus who are grateful,” Brummel interjected. “Grace has been a great help. Georgia sometimes suffers great bouts of depression, but she wasn’t upset even once while Grace was here.”

“Oh,” Grace lamented, “you don’t think my leaving will cause her to become ill, do you?”

“My dear, you mustn’t worry,” Dr. Brummel reassured. “She’ll be fine. I’ll see to it. Now that I know she does better with the company of a good friend, I’ll endeavor to find someone else to be a companion. No more of those bitter old women who clean house like prisoners forced to work against their will. No, I will find another sweet young woman such as yourself. Maybe even one with a child.”

“I’ll pray for her,” Grace offered. “It’s easy to fall into despair in such a cold and lonely place. Andy has helped me a great deal.” She lifted the baby to her shoulder. “He’s given me a will to live life anew.”

Adrik put his arm around Grace’s shoulder. “This little gal has a way of praying that goes right from her mouth to God’s ear. If she’s praying for your wife, then you can be sure things will come around right.”

They bid Dr. Brummel good-bye and waited in the hospital corridor for Gump to reappear. When he did, he looked none too happy.

“Fool doctors are always trying to find vays to drain a man of every cent.”

“What’s wrong, Gump?”

“Oh, dat doctor vants to keep me here. Says my leg might be needin’ surgery.”

“Well, you ought to do what the doctor says,” Grace said softly.

Gump eyed her suspiciously. “Who are you?”

“I’m Grace Colton,” she replied.

“She’s the one we’ve come to take back with us,” Adrik added. “And I agree with her completely. You ought to do what the doctor says.”

“Vell, I am,” Gump muttered. “But I told him I von’t be stayin’ here, so I’m supposed to come back in two veeks if it’s not any better.”

Adrik nodded. “That sounds reasonable enough.”

“Ja, I think it vill be better,” Gump replied. “Either that or I take the leg off and get a new one.” He smiled as if he’d made some great joke.

They headed toward the door, but Gump put his hand on Adrik’s arm. “I vant to go to the recorder’s office.”

“Sure, Gump, but why?” Adrik questioned.

“I got me some business.”

Adrik looked to Grace. “Will that be all right with you?”

“Certainly, Adrik. Andy and I are more than happy to comply with whatever plans you have.”

Adrik smiled. “Well, you’d best bundle up, then. It’s not warmed up enough out there so as a man can even breathe decent. I sure wouldn’t want you comin’ down sick. Karen would never let me hear the end of it.”

The bottle slipped from Miranda’s hand, crashing to the floor in a loud, disheartening sound, shattering into hundreds of tiny pieces.

“Oh, bother,” she sighed, taking up Teddy’s favorite saying. In a hurry to clean up the mess before Teddy returned, Miranda failed to give proper attention to the task. Without warning, her hand sliced across one of the larger pieces of glass, ripping a long cut on the side of her palm.

Stunned, Miranda stared at her wounded hand for a moment. Blood poured from the cut, spilling out onto the floor at an alarming rate. Her breathing quickened and a lightheaded feeling washed over her.

“Oh my.” It was all she could manage to say, and so she repeated it several times.

Humming a tune, Teddy walked in completely preoccupied. “I say, the cost of …” He fell silent at the sight of Miranda.

Seeing the way his expression changed to worry, Miranda hoped to reassure him that everything was all right. “I’ve made a mess,” she tried to explain, her heart racing.

Teddy seemed to quickly assess the situation. He pulled a handkerchief from his pocket, taking long strides to cross the room as he did. Kneeling, he gently wrapped the cloth around her hand. His touch was so tender and gentle that Miranda very nearly forgot there was a problem.

“What happened?”

“I … I … dropped the bottle. Oh my.” She gazed into his eyes. He looked almost frightened. Again, she felt the need to reassure him. “I’m so … so … sorry. You mustn’t worry. I don’t want to be a bother.” Her voice sounded foreign, almost childlike to her own ears.

Teddy firmly held her wounded hand. “No bother at all,” he said, helping her up by cupping her elbow. “Let’s have a look at it in the light.”

The cloth was already soaked a bright red when Teddy pulled it away from her hand. The wound was deep. Miranda could see that much.

“It will have to be stitched, I’m afraid,” Teddy told her. “Let me find a better bandage and we’ll go straightaway to the doctor.” He looked around the room.

“Don’t worry. I’ll be fine.” But in truth, Miranda wasn’t sure about that at all. She felt dizzy and sick from the sight of so much blood. Her hand didn’t really hurt all that much. Certainly it didn’t hurt as much as the time she’d let the knife slip when peeling potatoes. That wound hadn’t required stitches, but this one was clearly deeper.

“I’m not worried,” Teddy said, coming back with the case that he’d pulled off a pillow. “This ought to do.”

Miranda let him wrap her hand with the pillowcase, then waited as he retrieved her coat. She felt numb, almost senseless.

When Teddy returned he was already wearing his own coat and gloves. “Come along,” he said, putting the coat around her shoulders.

As he half dragged, half carried her down the hall, Miranda’s mind raced in a million different directions.
Who will clean up the mess?
she worried.
What if I get blood on this lovely hall runner? Will it hurt terribly to have stitches put in?

Teddy led her down the stairs and to the front desk. “I’m going to take Miss Colton to Dr. Hauge’s. She’s broken a jar in the workroom and cut her hand. Would you get someone to clean up the mess?”

“Sure, Mr. Davenport,” the clerk replied.

Miranda thought the man very kind as he offered her a smile.

“Hope you’ll be feelin’ better, miss.”

“I’m fine, really. Thank you for your concern,” Miranda replied. The man nodded at her with a look that suggested he didn’t believe her.

Teddy helped her to secure her hooded coat. He carefully maneuvered her hand through the sleeve and then did up the buttons for her. Miranda felt rather flustered at his nearness. Her nerves were making her jittery, and she couldn’t help but give a little giggle.

“I feel like I’m five years old. Silly glass and silly me for getting cut.”

“Never mind that,” Teddy said very softly. He put his arm around her. “Lean on me if you feel the need.”

What a strange suggestion
, Miranda thought.
Of course I don’t need to lean on him. That would be entirely unseemly
. But in the next few steps, she wasn’t at all convinced of the impropriety. Miranda felt as though she were floating. A weakness drained her legs of strength, and she found that all she desired was a chair and a warm fire. She felt so cold, and they hadn’t even been outside for more than a minute.