Love Inspired Historical November 2014 (74 page)

Back to the old Annabelle. Fully on task and avoiding anything personal. Clearly she had more sense than he. Nugget remained on the bed, looking at one of his pa's books.

“I need a pencil,” she announced, unaware of the tension in the room.

“Oh, you're much too little for that.” Annabelle held out her hand to Nugget. “We'll go pick some wildflowers while your brother finishes what he needs.”

Nugget gave her a glare that made Joseph want to laugh.

“Papa lets me draw in his book.” Nugget stood, and proudly stomped over to one of the chests, leaving one of the books open on the bed to show a childish drawing scribbled over the pages of one of Mary's beloved books.

Joseph's gut clenched. His sister's favorite book had been reduced to worthless garbage by a pa who had left his first family in need for a new life.

Annabelle caught his eye, and again he saw genuine emotion. Pity this time, and he wanted none of it.

“Such a shame,” she said in a quiet voice. “She loves stories, though, so perhaps I can help her learn to respect books. I can remember when Mother was giving us lessons, and Susannah, who was just a baby, got her hands on an inkwell and one of Father's books. I thought poor Mother was going to die of apoplexy. But Susannah learned, just like Nugget will.”

“I'll teach her,” he said gruffly, and went to the trunk where Nugget was still rummaging for something to write with.

“What are you looking for?” He knelt beside her and put his hands over hers.

“I want to make a picture for Papa,” she told him, those big green eyes reminding him so much of his sister Mary. Mary, who had the most loving heart in the world, but was going to be so hurt when she finally learned of the horrible sins their pa had committed.

How do you tell your siblings that their beloved pa was an unfaithful liar and cheat?

“You know your papa is gone, right?”

Nugget nodded, big eyes staring at him. “But someday when I meet Jesus, I'll see him again. And he'll want to see all of my pictures. He loved it when I made him pictures. He'd hand me a book and tell me to make him something pretty.”

Joseph's stomach turned over again. How could his pa have been so careless with the things he and his sister held so dearly?

A stack of envelopes caught his eye. He'd recognize that writing anywhere. Ma's. With childish scribbles drawn over it. Even his ma's letters weren't sacred. But why would they be? His pa hadn't kept his marriage vows sacred, either.

Joseph's heart twisted inside him as those letters beckoned at him. His ma hadn't been perfect, and in most recent years, with their pa gone, she'd been unbearable at times. But he couldn't help himself when he took that stack of letters and put them in his pocket. Tonight he would read them and grieve, both for parents lost, a marriage broken, and the realization that everything promised them had been a lie.

* * *

Annabelle watched Joseph talk to the little girl by the trunk. It had been difficult for Annabelle, going through her mother's belongings, and even more difficult for her to watch her father give them all away. But it couldn't possibly compare to the difficulty of going through a parent's belongings with the evidence of that parent's sin right there.

“Nugget? Are you ready to collect wildflowers? I'm sure Joseph would like some time alone, and I know Maddie would be pleased to have a bouquet for the table.”

Nugget didn't move from her position. “Papa always has me make a picture for him when I come so that he has something to remember me by.”

For the first time, Annabelle realized that as much as she had been focused on her own grief, and tried to understand Joseph's, she hadn't looked too deeply into the grief of a little girl who had lost not only a mother, but a beloved father. Being in this cabin made Annabelle realize that poor little Nugget had been just as close to her father as Annabelle was to hers.

Well, as close as they'd been before the family had gotten sick.

But now...as much as Annabelle tried to embrace her family's mission, she couldn't. And how could she remain close to a man who would eventually see through her attempts to pretend everything was all right when it wasn't?

The backs of Annabelle's eyes prickled with the tears she couldn't allow herself to release. Because if she let herself cry, she'd be too focused on her own pain to be of any use to Nugget or Joseph.

Which was the cruelest trick of all. She'd been fine, just fine, until they'd come into her life, forcing her to acknowledge all she'd lost.

The worst part was that as much as she tried to harden her heart and not let herself love again, she only found it softening toward the sweet little girl and her brother who would soon be gone, just like all the others.

The sunlight nearly blinded her as she exited the cabin. Though she had lit every lamp in the place, she hadn't realized how dark it had been until coming out into the open. Birds trilled in the meadow, singing beautiful but shallow songs of hope. They could afford hope. But for Annabelle, hope was nothing more than a fairy tale. She had to keep herself from believing the myth that caring for Joseph and Nugget would end well.

Joseph would return to wherever he came from, defeated by the dream of his father's riches, taking Nugget with him.

Somehow, she had to find a way to convince her father to let her go East with Lucy and her family. There, she could stay with her aunt and finally have the space to let her heart heal. Until then, she'd endure the best she could, hoping against hope that she'd have some of her heart remaining in the end.

Chapter Seven

N
ugget skipped out of the cabin, placing her hand inside Annabelle's with such love and trust, it was hard to remain detached, especially when the skies were so clear and blue. She'd even take away her resentment of the birds, who meant no harm with their innocent songs.

“Are you ready to find some flowers for Maddie?”

Nugget smiled, the grin stretching from ear to ear. “I'm going to press them in one of my books.”

They'd passed some young cow parsnip at the entry to the meadow. There, they could not only find some pretty flowers, but maybe even some greens to bring home for dinner. After a long winter with few fresh vegetables, it would be a welcome addition to their supper. Her mother used to say that anytime they had a chance to experience God's bounty, they should. Annabelle's heart gave a pang.

Why did the things that occurred to Annabelle most naturally hurt so much? She should have been able to more easily erase the memories so that she could do a simple task like picking wild plants without that awful prick at the back of her throat.

Nugget seemed to sense where Annabelle was heading, because as they got close to where she'd spotted the wild greens, Nugget took off running.

“Flowers!” The gleeful shout rent a hole in Annabelle's heart. The joy should have made her happy, and she wanted to be happy, but mostly, Annabelle wanted to cry.

Surely her father would let her visit Aunt Celeste if she was traveling with Lucy's family. The sights, and the parties, and being a world away would lessen all the pain.

“Look how beautiful!” Tiny fingers thrust a crisp white flower in Annabelle's face, and even she couldn't deny the sweetness.

“Thank you.” She made a show of smelling it. “Beautiful. Perhaps we can find enough to bring back to Maddie.”

“What will we put them in?” Wide eyes stared back at Annabelle. Though Susannah had lighter hair and was slightly older than the small girl, Annabelle couldn't help but remember that same face staring at her last summer.

So not fair.

Annabelle turned away before the little girl could see the tears forming in her eyes. It wasn't right to inflict her grief and fear on an innocent child.

“I'll see what I can find in the cabin.”

At least she had a viable excuse. And unlike Joseph, Nugget didn't dig deeper into Annabelle's heart or question her motives. Maybe for some, letting go was an easy task. But the harder Annabelle tried, the more it hung on, like the sticky ooze from the creek.

She left Nugget in the meadow, singing a song, and plucking flowers. A small smile cracked Annabelle's face, reminding her of the impossibility of resisting the sweet child.

When she returned to the cabin, Joseph sat on the bed, engrossed in a book.

“Good reading?”

He looked up. “My pa's journal. Not all of it makes sense, but I was hoping it would offer some clues as to where he might have found the silver.”

Silver. Always silver. But maybe she could get him to see reason before it caught hold of him.

“They always claim to have found silver, but...” Annabelle shrugged. “There are a lot of charlatans out there who will seed an old mine with a few nuggets to trick people into thinking they've made it big.”

She gestured around the cabin. “This is not the home of a man who found silver. You've seen the mansions in town. That's where the ones who strike it big live.”

Joseph closed the book and looked up at her. “I know.” He sighed, then set the book down. “But he sent money home. More money than our family had ever seen. I've gotten dozens of jobs, but nothing that brought in the kind of money he sent. It had to come from somewhere.”

Even in the dim light, she could see the lines drawn across his face. Was he thinking the very thought that had occurred to her? A person didn't get the nickname “Bad Billy” for being an upstanding citizen.

“I don't think it was silver,” she told him in the most gentle tone possible.

The look on his face made her wish she hadn't been the bearer of bad news. But he was fortunate to face the truth now. She looked around the room and spied a bucket on one of the crates.

“I'm going to finish picking flowers with Nugget. I found some greens that will be good to take home to Maddie. We've only got a few minutes longer before we need to start heading back. Otherwise, it'll get too dark to find our way home.”

Annabelle grabbed the bucket, wishing that the truth wasn't so harsh. But that was the trouble with dreams. Believing in tales, but not having the proof to back it up, meant that disappointment was inevitable.

At least Joseph was able to see the truth sooner rather than later.

Annabelle headed back outside. Once again the light nearly blinded her. But not so much that she didn't recognize another horse. And a man talking to Nugget.

“Hello!” Annabelle waved her hand and started in their direction. The man looked up but didn't return the wave. Instead, he took Nugget by the hand.

Annabelle quickened her pace toward Nugget and the man. “Nugget!”

The closer she got to them, the more her heart thudded. Nugget was tugging against the man's grasp.

“Let go of her!” Annabelle ran in their direction. “Joseph!”

Hopefully if the man heard that there was another man present, he would leave poor Nugget alone.

“Stop!” Annabelle's throat hurt from screaming so loud, but it distracted the man enough that Nugget was able to tear away from his grasp and run in her direction.

Annabelle gathered Nugget in her arms and started toward the cabin. The man took a step in their direction, then stopped. A quick glance over her shoulder revealed Joseph running toward them.

“What's going on?” His shout spurred her to turn and run to him, clutching Nugget tightly.

“The man...he was trying to take Nugget.”

Nugget whimpered against her bodice. Joseph's face hardened.

“Get inside the cabin and bar the door. I'll handle this.”

Annabelle didn't need to be told twice. This kind of lawlessness ran rampant in the mining camps and surrounding areas. Even being in town could be dangerous, but at least there, no one dared accost an innocent child.

It wasn't until they were safe inside the cabin, the door barred, that Annabelle dared breathe. Just one more reason to want to leave. These ruffians...

Nugget lifted her head, and Annabelle realized that the child's tears had soaked her bodice through.

“Oh, sweet girl...” She smoothed Nugget's hair and began humming a melody she remembered from her mother. Nugget rested her head back against Annabelle, and Annabelle continued humming and rocking the little girl as she tried peering out the cracks in the wall to see if the horrible man had left.

“Don't let him take me,” Nugget whimpered. “He's a bad man.”

Annabelle lifted the little girl's head and examined her face. “Do you know him?”

Nugget nodded, then peered around at the door as if to see whether the man was coming after them.

“Who is he?” For once, Annabelle wished she would see the miners as individuals, rather than just a whole group. Maybe she would have recognized him.

The child gave a shrug, those wide eyes still focused on the door. “Dunno. But he shouted at Papa a lot.”

A man who shouted at the little girl's father a lot who just happened to be at the cabin to try to take her. No, Joseph's father wasn't a legitimate miner. He was something far worse and more scary. How had her own father been fooled into helping this man?

Someone pounded on the door. “Annabelle, it's me. Joseph. It's safe to come out now.”

Still clutching Nugget to her, Annabelle opened the door, and Joseph gathered them in his arms. Warmth rushed all around her. She closed her eyes and breathed in deeply of a strong, earthy scent. His hard chest felt so good against her cheek, and his warm body cradled Nugget between the two of them. Safe.

“Are you all right?”

“I'm—” Before Annabelle could finish telling him they were fine, he'd taken Nugget from her grasp and was cradling her like a baby. Of course it was Nugget he was worried about, and the reason he'd gathered them in his arms. She'd been foolish to get wrapped up in a moment of fancy.

Fancy was what got everyone here in trouble.

“I'm sure she's fine,” Annabelle told him, clearing her throat, and silently applauding herself for making it sound like she'd known who he was interested in all along. “I didn't see any injuries, so she's just a little scared, that's all.”

He ignored her, keeping his gaze focused on Nugget. “What happened out there?”

“I was picking flowers, and Annabelle went to get a bucket. When she was gone, the man came from the trees and asked about Papa's treasure. I told him it was a secret and to go away. Then he grabbed me. But Annabelle saved me.”

Dark, sparkling eyes stared up at her. “You won't let the bad man get me again, will you?”

“Of course not.” Annabelle reached over and brushed a hand across the little cheek. “We'll tell my father, and he'll make sure we all stay safe.”

A bright smile lit up Nugget's face, and she pulled a hand away from Joseph's embrace. “I saved us some flowers.”

Her little fingers were stained from the mush that she'd been keeping in her tiny fist. Annabelle couldn't help smile at the thought that in all of the danger they'd just faced, Nugget was determined to keep her flowers safe.

Joseph set Nugget down. “Why don't you go look at your books while I talk to Annabelle?”

Nugget let out a long groan. “You guys want to talk about the bad man. Mama and Papa never let me hear about the bad man, either.”

“You know about the bad man?” The disbelief in Joseph's voice made Annabelle's heart sink. He probably had no idea what sort of skullduggery his father had been involved in. Annabelle didn't, either, but from the whispered conversations she wasn't supposed to hear when her father was talking with the sheriff, she knew enough.

Nugget nodded and looked at Annabelle.

Joseph whipped around. “You knew?”

“Once we were in the cabin, Nugget told me she recognized the bad man as someone she'd once seen arguing with her father. But that's all I was able to find out. Were you able to find anything?”

“No.” A dark look crossed his face, and Annabelle could only imagine what poor Joseph must be feeling. “He got away.”

Annabelle had gathered that much on her own. “Maybe my father knows something that can be helpful. He's good friends with the sheriff.”

His shoulders relaxed, and he glanced in the direction of Nugget, who had turned her attention to the books. “Why would someone want to take a child?”

Because there was a lot of meanness in this world, particularly in a mining town, where the lowest of the low hung around, hoping to find riches.

Unfortunately, most of the people seeking riches weren't kindhearted souls wanting to do good for others. At least that had been Annabelle's experience. What that had to do with taking an innocent child, she didn't know, but she didn't question things like that anymore.

“Because Papa knew where the silver was,” the little voice piped up.

Annabelle sighed. Especially when Joseph headed her way and asked, “And did he tell you where it was?”

She couldn't bear to look at him, or to hear the rest of the conversation. Annabelle went outside for a breath of fresh air in hopes that her churning stomach would calm down. The man's sister had nearly been kidnapped, and he wanted to ask about the silver. Maybe she and God weren't on the best of terms right now, but surely the fastest way to ruin was greed. The kind of greed that had men stealing children, and others too worried about the silver to consider their safety.

Please, God. Help me escape this horrible place. Let Joseph and Nugget leave here before anything worse happens.

The futility of her prayers was not lost on Annabelle. She looked around the clearing, realizing for the first time that the horses were gone. What a way for God to answer. She wasn't just stuck in Leadville, but in a ramshackle cabin so far from home that she wouldn't be tasting Maddie's cooking anytime soon.

She turned toward the cabin and saw Joseph standing in the doorway.

“The horses are gone,” she said, gesturing toward the empty area where they'd grazed.

“Yeah.” Joseph ran his fingers through his hair. “He took them.”

Annabelle glanced over the hill toward the low sun. “It'll be dark soon. Too dangerous to leave the cabin now. We'll have to spend the night here, then set off first thing in the morning.”

He nodded slowly. “You're taking this better than I thought you would.”

“And what is it that you thought I'd do?” Annabelle's face heated. “Have a fit of vapors?”

At his slow nod, the heat in her cheeks moved to the back of her neck.

“I'll have you know that I have spent plenty of time in places worse than this, thanks to my father's ministry. Why, I could even catch us a couple of fish in the stream, clean them, and then cook them up for supper.”

The look on his face screamed disbelief. Fine, then. She'd show him. Fortunately, she remembered seeing a fishing rod in the cabin. Without another word, she stomped past him, grabbed the fishing rod, then went back out the door.

“Annabelle! Wait.”

She spun around and shot him her best glare. “What? Any other condescension you'd like to send my way?”

“No.” He shoved his hands in his pockets. “I was just going to say thanks, that's all. And that I'm impressed. Back home, my sisters would have been horrified at spending the night in a place like this, and even more so at the thought of touching a worm, or cleaning a fish. There's a lot more to you than meets the eye, Annabelle Lassiter. I see that once again, we've misjudged each other.”